thoughts on books

Category: contemporary fiction

  • enormous wings by laurie frankel

    A truly magnificent book about our agency, not just how much power we have over our own bodies when pregnant, but as people. It starts when 77 year old Pepper gets into a car accident, her daughter takes her driver’s license, and she moves her into the same assisted living facility that her ex-husband is in. But doesn’t that make sense? That Pepper’s kids would want her to be in the same place as their father? Still, this is where the theme begins that Pepper loses her ability to make decisions about her life. She didn’t expect to fall in love, and NO ONE expected her to become pregnant.

    What a crazy premise? I thought this would be more speculative, and although the premise is a little “out there” it is told in a realistic way. There is a fictional plot reason why she is an outlier of pregnancy. But even with such a fantasy-driven premise, this book ends up really making the reader think. If you like well written found-family books that make you think, this is the perfect book for you.

    I have loved all of Laurie Frankel’s novels, and this one absolutely met my SKY HIGH expectations. One of my pet peeves on GoodReads is when an early reader says “well I liked this book but I didn’t like it as much as the author’s previous work which is my favorite” – Early readers can fall into that trap of having high expectations that result in lesser than fair ratings. In this case I can confidently tell you that I absolutely LOVED this story, LOVED the characters, I laughed so hard at Pepper, her English teacher observations, and her general acceptance of her life.

    I could not tell what was going to happen next, and it was also sad to see so many people exploiting the pregnant septugenarian for their own political gains, you just wanted to scream, she is a HUMAN BEING not your mascot! Wow. I was fiercely protective of her.

    Laurie Frankel is just a genius, “Family Family” was very pro-adoption without being anti-choice, and this was so, so needed in women’s literary fiction. This book takes an equally divisive topic and makes it really about the story. If you are sensitive about reading books about narrators that may not make the same decisions you would, this book could trigger you. But either way, I think it would be an excellent book club book to encourage lively discussions.

    One of my top books of 2026!!

    Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the ARC. Book to be published May 4, 2026.

  • you’ll love it here by natalie sue

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    A vibrant and purely tender hearted sophomore novel from Natalie Sue. As a big fan of her debut novel, I jumped at the chance to preview her latest and I am so glad I did. I found these characters to be very original and the ensemble cast to be delightful.

    Mona’s alcoholic father died a few months ago. They had a strained relationship and never made things right, so she didn’t think she needed any time to grieve. But when one of her biggest clients makes a rude remark, she snaps right back at him. Her boss thinks she should take her leave and all of her back PTO, so this workaholic had some time on her hands. She takes up an offer to be a stand in super at her apartment. It’s always because she has always tried hard to avoid the people in her apartment building, but suddenly she finds herself getting by to know them as she helps the owner prepare the apartment for sale.

    It’s a sad but common tale of gentrification, delayed grief, and reconciling how her workaholism is her way of avoiding her father’s alcoholism. Mona was frightfully a bit of a mess, but we learned along with her and rooted for her journey. There is also a love story with Sami at the diner, an almost obligatory storyline that is really overshadowed by the residents. It’s about how we think we know people we see every day, but how we see them is just a reflection of how we see ourselves. Just like in real life, there is more to each complicated person than meets the eye.

    Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. Book to be published August 11, 2026

  • both can be true by jessica guerreri

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    A sad and beautiful story about all the different ways that women disappear and how we show up for each other when the men in our lives fail us.

    Told in alternating POV, this novel follows Mere, a mom to Lily, and her sister Frankie, mom to Chloe and who is sober. Together they are taking care of their ailing father and bearing the mental load of their families. Then another mom goes missing, and the story follows not only what happened to her but all the secrets and hopes the women carry.

    I love Jessica Guerreri’s writing, it is a mixture of deliberate symbolism and intriguing plot. It is sneakily feminist while exploring themes of motherhood and presence. Even the minor characters stand out in this story, some of the most touching scenes belong to those on the periphery. One of the gifts that sobriety brings is the privilege of being fully present for the pain, the joy and the miracle of everyday life.

    This year I celebrated 14 years of sobriety in AA, and I work an active program. The role that AA plays in this story is very respectful without being overly positive. I love how Frankie’s sobriety journey isn’t linear. It’s a tradition that goes throughout sponsorship lines, and different people have different ways of doing things, with a variety of ways to interpret the work and the overall program. I’ve sponsored many women over the years, and without spoiling the story, I can definitely attest that this can be a roller coaster. And yet, this is how we stay sober. We get to keep it by giving it away. AA isn’t the only way to get sober, but it’s the way that worked for me.

    I think that women- like myself- will see themselves in these pages and will start to question of numbing the stress of motherhood is really worth it after all.

    At times I found Frankie to be controlling and even cringy in her talking to her daughter Chloe about her relationship. I’m always pretty critical of “purity culture” in books and while it made me uncomfortable, it made sense for the character arc and the experiences the reader later learns about Frankie.

    At the end of the day we all want to be seen and loved for who we are.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.

  • you won’t forget me by mazey eddings

    A rock-n-roll romance with a lot of ambition and a lot of heart. Cubby is the leader of a band in Iceland, they are about the make it big when their lead guitarist and her recent ex goes out on his own, steals her lyrics, and hits it big with a song about her. She is understandably furious at him. Thank God she has her best friend Darcy, the bassist, and her other friends in the band. Soon a post by Harry, Connor’s best friend, suggests that she and Harry are an item. So they, naturally, start fake dating, the Trope of 2026.

    This is a bit of a twist on fake dating, because Cubby is in love with Darcy, not Harry. She has a twin brother, Oliver. Oliver and his girlfriend Tilly are my favorite part of this book, I only wish they were on page more often. Oliver is autistic and he and Cubby have two moms. Despite this, Cubby is still ingrained in heteronormativity and is confused by her sexuality. There is a dee sadness and depression to her, and Connor treated her as if she were hard to love. This is hardest and most awful thing to hear as someone with depression.

    Stories about straight passing women dealing with wondering if they are queer are not for everyone. But that is this book, and while it is done very respectfully this is hard for some to read.

    This one grew on me over time with some of the storylines and other storylines I felt were unnecessary.

    3.5/5 stars

    Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published June 9, 2026.

    SMPEarlyReaders

  • the shippers by katherine center

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    A childhood friends-to-lovers lighthearted rom com with well developed minor characters. I loved this ending, there’s just something about a head over heels unabashed love declaration, that I will let you read for yourself.

    Our story begins as JoJo is about to marry the wrong man, and becomes a runaway bride. It’s bang-you-over-the-head obvious that this is the wrong guy, and the wrong mother-in-law. JoJo’s sister is having a cruise ship wedding just 6 weeks later. Her childhood neighbor and best friend Connor will come along. She’s decided to connect with and kiss her first crush Finn, who is recently divorced, and has enlisted him as her wingman.

    I really enjoyed this story, the setting was fun. What I didn’t love was how weirdly JoJo seemed to be so focused on the wrong guys. It was obvious to the reader who the right guy was from page 2 and it was irritating that it took her as long as it did to figure that out. Also that miscommunication trope killed me, but it was kind of done in a different and more creative way.

    However, I loved Connor’s back story and how much detail the author puts into the interpersonal relationships of the minor characters, JoJo’s whole family was really developed and gave the reader a lot of people to follow and root for.

    I ended up jumping up my star rating at the end just because I loved the final scene and epilogue so much.

    Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.

  • go gentle by maria semple

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    This book is chaotic- with bizarre structure and pacing, it seems to break all the rules of contemporary fiction writing, and yet I loved it. The main character Adora refuses to be categorized, much like the genre. Plenty of twists, time jumps and character building at random.

    Adora is an “in house philosopher” for a generational wealthy Manhattan elite family. She is a divorced woman who has lived through different “lifetimes” and is forever changed by the American landscape and the traumas she has overcome. I related to her on a visceral level- and my highlighter got a workout as I kept underlining and writing “THIS” in the margin.

    My guess is it will be a Book of the Month selection.

    This book won’t be universally loved, but please read it, especially if you meet the following;

    -a lady over 40
    -feminist
    -interested is philosophy
    -would like to be in a coven
    -like reading about modern Manhattan

    Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC. Book to be published April 13, 2026.

  • take me with you by steven rowley

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    A quietly humorous, self-deprecating contemporary story of a long term relationship, being abandoned, and finding your spirit. Part “Same As It Ever Was” [Claire Lombardo] and part “Then She Was Gone” [Lisa Jewell] and part “Emperor of Gladness” [Ocean Vuong]

    Jesse and Norman have been together for decades; they’ve settled into their privileged life, and suffer from the general malaise of late capitalism. Jesse is a semi-celebrated writer, teaching at university, whose most celebrated work may be behind him. His husband Norman goes to the backyard to investigate a soft but encompassing light in the backyard one night, then disappears.

    Jesse needs to grieve the loss, learn who he is without Norman by his side, and come to terms with feeling abandoned by his father before he was born and his emotionally distant mother. He is joined by his sister-in-law Lally, who is also grieving the disappearance of her brother, figuring out what middle age is going to look like for her, and figuring out how to get close to people who might leave.

    This is beautiful writing, surprising in its simplicity, and with deep themes. The writing is clever, not laugh-out-loud funny, but specific to really develop the characters into being endearing. It all builds up to a heartwarming scene. With Steven Rowley, you always know he’ll make you think, laugh, and cry. This one fits the bill.

    4.25/5 stars “I loved it”

    Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.

  • valley of the moms by hannah selinger

    A suspenseful, dual timeline/dual POV rich people suburban mommie mystery/thriller that provides plenty of drama. A promising debut novel for fans of Lisa Jewell, Sarah Pekkanen and Heather Gudenkauf.

    Anna was found strangled and killed near the river in her snowy northern Massachusetts town. And the primary suspect is her husband, Denny. Just a year ago, she ruffled some feathers with her criticism of the PTO’s “pay to play” type of “premium membership” for elementary school activities. It is a worthy endeavor, shouldn’t all kids- especially in a public school, have equal access? As Anna dives deeper into the Hamilton culture, she learns that this is so much bigger than just early access to the school dance- it is access to nearly everything.

    I found this novel to be reminiscent of Big Little Lies and other suburban thrillers- there is an underlying theme of the entitlement of the haves vs. the have nots. The POV alternates between Anna, a year earlier, as she criticizes and infiltrates the rich mom culture of their town; and Denny, her husband, falsely accused of her murder as he tries to piece together the last few months of her life and who is responsible for her death. It is a really gripping story with a few well developed characters, not only Anna and Denny, but also her best and oldest friend Di and the queen bee Mimi. The setting is haunting and the cover art seems perfect to describe the overall vibes of Hamilton, Massachusetts. The themes are timely and relatable.

    I would have liked to see more character development of the children and more description of the grief that the family goes through losing Anna in such a violent way. The plot focused more on the secrets and solving the crime itself. I was guessing until the last chapter! So many secrets~

    Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown/Mulholland and author Hannah Selinger for the ARC. Book to be published June 16, 2026

  • burnout summer by jenna ramirez

    “Are you lonely?” she asked quietly. “Aren’t we all a little lonely?”

    A quarter-life-crisis leads to a second coming of age novel about a 25 year old Gen Z who finds herself fired because “her heart isn’t in it” in her Corporate World job. Shortly thereafter she finds herself in jail for having a bit of a meltdown in the presence of a police officer. But Camille’s Knight in Shining Armor comes in the form of her best friend Danny, who takes her back to her hometown and allows her the privilege of working at Beau’s, his tavern, while she finds out what is next. Armed with a mountain of personal and student debt, Camille has done nearly everything right and is still not thriving.

    “I’m not averse to seafood. It’s just . . . at the bottom of the list of food I want to eat.”

    Camile, naturally, falls in love with Danny, who has some of the most romantic and gorgeous expressions of love. It is a best-friends-to-lovers trope with side characters who have a lot of potential. Her ex boyfriend Cory has found love and is getting married, but 2 other friends are about to have books of their own. I am sure this will be first in a series, and I can’t wait to read the others. Ramirez absolutely captures the voice and the spirit of Gen Z, and brings the reader to the feeling of malaise we all feel at the point in which the government thinks we are an adult but the workforce very much treats us as a child. The characters are really quintessential 25 year olds and their voice and struggles are really authentic- Student loan debt and rent are 80% of her now non-existent income. Boomers and Millenials in the work force are very confused by Gen z not wanting to put work at the center of their world.

    “Twenty-five is about figuring stuff out. It’s okay to be lost.”

    I give this book an enthusiastic 4 stars- it is very well done as a debut and it is a romance that has some deeper themes. I look forward to what is coming next from this talented new voice in fiction.

    Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published May 12, 2026.

  • save the date by mallory kass

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    Marigold is getting married- if she can fly to Canada and get a quick divorce without anyone knowing.
    Olivia is her corporate lawyer sister, who is crushing on a guy there (the wrong one). She is keeping it as secret from Marigold that their mom Lulu has stopped her cancer treatment and won’t be around much longer.
    Natalie is the maid of honor, who has loved the groom Jonathan for 10 years in secret.

    There is a lot to love about this book- I genuinely liked reading it and laughed out loud at several lines. The banter is elite and I did love the setting. The premise reminded me a lot of The wedding People as it was a very high luxury wedding at a resort and several characters.

    What I didn’t like was the utter selfishness of all the characters- which I completely get was the point- but at the end it got a little harder to root for them. Except Lulu, who was a delight. This book could have used a precocious child or a dog.

    That said, I very much enjoyed the pacing and consistency. I will go back and read more by this new-to-me author.

    3.75/5

    Thanks to NetGalley and atria for the ARC! Book to be published April 13, 2026.