thoughts on books

Category: contemporary fiction

  • most eligible by isabelle engel

    A raucous, fun loving inside look at the contrived nature of reality TV. Georgia is a journalist, going undercover into Love Shack (it’s meant to be The Bachelor). She is going to expose the producers for less than integral methods and toxic culture. But she is surprised that Rhett, her one-time-stand, is going to be the host. A country singer and past star if the show, his short marriage fizzled shortly after the cameras stopped rolling.

    The plot is just as juicy as you’d expect. Georgia is a bit insecure but ambitious, and her personality and exposure to the show really changes her. My favorite part of this one were the side plots, the minor characters involved in the show and how they are manipulated by the producers. It really makes you think about reality shows and how they are manufactured to do a certain storyline. It made me think of one Bachelor season where the bachelor made his choice then started sobbing dramatically—- and then at the cast reunion announced he was now engaged to the runner up.

    The audiobook performance on this one is excellent. I particularly loved her voice acting on all the bachelorettes. I found it easy and fun to follow on audio. I even listened at 1.0 speed which I find luxurious and almost never do.

    I had to uprank this one because I really loved the finale.

    Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. book to be published January 13, 2026. #macaudio2025

  • before I forget by tory henwood hoen

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    An engrossing tale- a late coming of age story that ends up being incredibly relatable. That time of life where you look from side to side and realize you are the adult in the room. Cricket, at 26, comes back to the Adirondacks to sit with her father, who is healthy aside from Alzheimer’s. Sometimes he doesn’t know her at all. After a tragic accident ten years earlier left a grieving Cricket to lash out at her family, she realizes now she can’t truly reconcile with her father, but she needs to create a new relationship instead.

    Soon she starts to notice that he is able to predict the future in small ways- that the blueberries were ready, much earlier than usual. That they were looking forward to a visit from Seth, who had died years earlier. Together, Cricket and her father co-create a final chapter to determine if he is an oracle.

    Some believe that Alzheimer’s is a gift for the end of life, to forget your hangups, your resentments and regrets. To live fully in the moment and be fully present. This story explores that concept, while at times it is heartbreakingly sad, it is also sweet and touching at others.

    It’s a stunning audio performance from Barrie Kreinik. Inner dialogue with just the right amount of hesitation and insecurity, this is perfect for a long ride or while doing errands. I listened while at a Big 10 football game with AirPods in, everyone around me cheering and I was silently listening and wiping tears from my cheeks.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. book to be published December 1, 2025.

    macaudio2025

  • never over by clare gilmore

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    This fall we have a plethora of new releases in the second chance romance genre. Maybe there is just something about the season that asks us to start again. A dual-timeline, music industry romance, Never Over feels small town rather than Los Angeles fame— Paige Lancaster is the youngest of five sisters and lives in Tennessee. Finding an opportunity for songwriting, the record executive wants her to get to the emotional place where she was when writing the songs about her breakup with Liam.

    This is where the plot goes a little rom-com- she finds Liam and although they’ve been in touch, suggests that they date again so that she can find her heartbreak. Paige has always been in the shadow of her sisters and best friend Maysie, While the situation may seem far-fetched to some; there isn’t a lot that is dependent on the set up. Clare Gilmore takes the time to allow the reader to understand Paige and Liam’s connection. Liam is independent and sex-positive, but Paige feels different to him, he really wants to spend time with her.

    Audiobook review; this is a great book to listen to. The pacing lends itself well to listening and I was able to follow the story and the romantic connection. I appreciated the way all of Paige’s sisters had individual personalities and things going on in their lives. There is one narrator – Carly Robins- and she did a great Southern accent. Her performance had heart and depth.

    Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC. book to be published October 27, 2025.

  • stranger things have happened by kasie west

    Sutton is back in her hometown because her mother was in a car accident and dealing with concussion symptoms. After being there only 2 weeks, her boyfriend is supposed to come to visit. But 5 minutes before he is due to arrive, he calls her to end their 2 year relationship. He says he isn’t a priority for her, but instead work and her apartment. Sutton owns a restaurant at only 28 years old. She reconnects with her childhood best friend, who argues with her fiance about if they should attend therapy before getting married. They make a bet- if Sutton and his brother Elijah can pose as a couple for 4 therapy sessions and the therapist cannot tell they are not actually engaged, then he will go.

    It’s a fake dating/engaged scenario that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but you know what? Fake dating scenarios never do. It is a fun trope that never happens in real life.

    This is a lighthearted and well paced rom com, I particularly enjoyed the romance, but also the side stories. Sutton is struggling with being away from the restaurant and in how to balance management with leadership. It is amazing that she is able to own a restaurant in Los Angeles at only 28, but she is insecure about her reviews. Also, the way she cared for her mother, despite her mother being angry and critical was incredibly touching. Her mom, at times, was a frustrating character but over the course of the book I grew a fondness for her, or at least pity.

    Elijah is a good guy, I can see why Sutton fell for him, although falling so fast after ending a 2 year relationship seemed like a detriment of her own character. I enjoyed Kasie West’s first adult debut and although I was given a free e-ARC from Saturday Books and NetGalley, I have already pre-ordered this as a trophy. I think this is a story I will want to return to.

    Overall, it is a fun romcom, but a little bit deeper and stronger character building. High recommend.

    Book to be published April 14, 2026. This is my 394th review to NetGalley.

    Reviews PublishedCamp NetGalley 202580%200 Book Reviews

  • in time with you by kristin dwyer

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    For fans of Ashley Poston and Lynn Painter, this is a very classic magical realism YA romance. Short on details of world building, this is best read as you let go of trying to understand the time travel consequences and think of it as a journey towards trying to change the past to the “meant to be.”

    Nieve lost her boyfriend Carter in a drowning accident. They are only sophomores in college and somewhat legacies, kids with money and connections. Nieve blames herself, and Carters best friend Max blamed himself. Very quickly into the narrative, Nieve wakes up a year earlier in her dorm at the start of freshman year before she met Carter and Max. She is determined to not let him get into the water this time, but seems to start to feel differently about Max.

    This book is for everyone who has ever thought, “I couldn’t everything better if only I could go back in time.” This one is lighter on the spice but not entirely what I would consider closed door. Less sci fi and more magical realism, you won’t want to spend time hoping for lengthy explanations and world building, but enjoy the banter and characterization.

    Most time travel stories are either “butterfly effect” or “final destination,” and this story explores them both. The heroines journey is a well paced one, causing Nieve to grow and mature to be able to understand both versions of herself, what she wants, and wherein lies her true north.

    I also appreciated complicated storylines of light academia and deep family estrangement situations. Nieve has a close cousin and grandmother Grandee in both timelines.

    Thank you to NetGalley and st martins press for the arc! Book to be published March 23, 2026

  • no matter what by cara bastone

    Another stunning and poignant novel about grief recovery from Cara Bastone. Go into this one expecting 80% LitFic and 20% Romance. It’s only romance in the sense that being in love is a constant when life throws us some curveballs. The book is one woman’s journey to understanding that she is suffering from PTSD due to an accident that happened a year ago. Although Roz and Vin weren’t killed, they did have some physical recovery. But the mental and spiritual recovery is taking much longer.

    Roz is finding herself again through drawing. Not an artist, she wants to be able to learn about how she sees the world and signs up for a drawing class with nude models. Her husband Vin moved into the guest room months ago, and now she is blindsided by seeing a new lease. She inherently knows he has decided to move out.

    In many ways, this is the classic miscommunication trope, but in others, it is so so so much bigger. Roz and Vin are both suffering since the accident, and they can’t connect with each other. It’s another big old advertisement for therapy. Not even couples therapy, but they both need help individually.

    Another thing I really enjoyed was learning about Roz’s job and how she would try to make new recipes out of leftover food. The organization takes food that is being discarded from grocery, restaurant and farmers market and she tries to figure out ways to use it. There is something so purely symbolic about that, that she was an artist who chose to make sustenance out of trash. As someone who grew up thinking it is a sin to throw away food, seeing leftovers in my refrigerator is incredibly stress inducing. Roz, likewise, was taught young that wasting food is a sin. It is just very cool that she did something productive with that.

    Thank you NetGalley and Dial Delights for the ARC. Book to be published March 17, 2026.

  • ms mebel goes back to the chopping block by jesse q sutanto

    Mebel (pronounced “Mabel”) is shocked with Henk (pronounced “Hank”) tells her that he is leaving her for their 24 year old chef. Mebel loves being a Chinese-Indonesian “trophy wife,” she plays tennis and shops and has a collection of Manolos and Birkins to die for. She loves being an elder auntie and meddling mom. Mebel wants her life to go back to normal,
    And decides she needs to learn to cook at culinary school in order to win Henk back.

    Michelle Obama once said that when they go low, we go lower. Or something like that anyway. She’s not one to argue with Michelle Obama.

    Hilarity ensues! Mebel is a fish out of water as a first year student surrounded by Gen Z kids who don’t pay her the respect she expects in her culture. And a famous chef, Alain, who looks like George Clooney, is a compelling character who we aren’t sure may become a romantic interest.

    I am telling you right now, son, treat your wife better than how your father has treated me.

    Jesse Q Sutanto created the extremely endearing and lovable Vera Wong, as well as the cozy mystery Aunties series. Mebel is cut from the same mold, but this story has no murder and little mystery. Although there is a little romance, I would classify this as more of a “coming of age” tale except the main character is 63. Mebel is hilarious and a deep character with amazing growth. This is really the kind of story where a one-dimensional caricature becomes much deeper and eventually grows into a better version of themselves.

    “That is nice, but I am Chinese mother, I don’t respect anybody’s privacy. Start the car.”

    Mebel would probably hate that I described her that way. But going along for the journey was certainly entertaining. Suntanto has deep respect for her culture while finding the smart woman within.

    If you like Vera Wong, you’re going to love Ms Mebel.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for the ARC. Book to be published 4/28/26.

  • town and country by brian schaefer

    A sparkling, intensely readable debut novel about a small town’s gentrification, the politics involved in a congressional election, and families on the brink. There are many families who have always lived in the tight knit community, but recently the “duffels” have descended on the town with their money. Typically gentrification stories are about white people flush with cash coming into a poor community populated by people of color who soon find themselves unable to afford the communities they are from…. Harlem, Hawaii… but in this case, it is the “fancy gays” from the big city who come with a duffel bag for the weekend who decide to buy a second home or relocate to the small town to make their dollar more powerful.

    And hence comes the push and pull…. the bigoted folks, the hard workers, the closeted, the farmers, those who would take advantage, those caught in the opiod crisis….and all in all, the capitalists. There are no “white hats” vs. “black hats” in this story- no one is the evil villain. The book challenges the way we see the world today, the polarization of literally everything. It zooms in on the families of Chip and Paul who are running for congress- one a townie, one a duffel, one straight and one gay, one salt of the earth and the other born to a certain privilege. The scope of this novel is extremely ambitious, there are a lot of characters introduced quickly. It is shining a light on issues in a broader way. It is a character driven novel, rather than a twisty plot.

    That said, there are so many layers to uncover- each person is always a little more nuanced and each person is a bit more complicated than they seem. There is a heavy handed lesson in that for all of us.

    A high recommendation from me on this book.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. Book to be published November 4, 2025. Election Day.

  • cherry baby by rainbow rowell

    I am blown away by how truly wonderful this book is. I think it’s Rainbow Rowell’s best book. I rarely rate an ARC with five stars, because my rule is that if I rate it five stars I am committing to re-read it upon pub date. And I can’t wait to re-read this one. I’ve already preordered it. It is ultimately a pretty sad book, but it’s also beautiful, strikingly original, and very original.

    This book is the perfect example of creating such slot-on realistic characters and then just letting them be. Not forcing the characters into situations. This book is not at all formulaic— we are much more used to a well-defined “first act/ second act/ third act” and this book does not follow that. The characters and the descriptions of their internal thoughts are the real star of the book.

    The book tackles what it means to be a plus size woman today, it approaches the issue of GLP1 medications with a lot of raw emotion. I haven’t seen a book yet that tackles the dynamic of how fat people view the widespread use of weight loss medications. I can’t tell you how much I related to Cherry and I just sobbed at some of her experiences. I also loved how her family was legalistic from a religious standpoint but she still lived them and they still had great relationships. The sister group text thread chapters were some of my favorite parts of the book.

    If you aren’t yet where Cherry is in her journey of fat acceptance, the experience of her fat phobia may bother some. For me, it was incredibly validating and timely. I will also say this book has much more sexytime parts than Rainbow Rowell’s other books.

    Also- there is a dog in it that I loved. Her name is Stevie and she is a Newfoundland-Pyrenees mix.

    Situational divorce drama was really creative and original. For example, Cherry and Tom trying to separate their belongings, and mostly arguing about wanting the other one to take the item, and not wanting to take it themselves. Not wanting to give it to the goodwill because they like it but they don’t want to have it. So they try to make the other one take it. I can totally see that happening!! I don’t want to give away anything, but Cherry arguing with her sister Hope about Hope taking Monjauro and lying about it. Wow I just sobbed at that scene. They were both so hurt and I could completely see where they were both coming from.

    This book is unapologetically itself. I absolutely loved the ending.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins William Morrow for the ARC. Book to be published 4/13/26

  • my dear you: short stories by rachel khong

    When I requested to read this book I was unaware that it was a short story collection.  I loved Rachel Khong’s 2024 novel Real Americans and I thought this was her next novel.  I was very inspired by and appreciated this story collection, which are united as they have different main characters but they are all asian women.  

    The stories range from the absurd, to the magical, to the beauty of every day.  The first story is about a woman eaten by a crocodile on her honeymoon at age 30, and her life in heaven, only to fall for her husband of 1 day almost 50 years later.  This story was very romantic.   I also liked the story of a young woman who was the only friend of an AI sex doll, teaching her English and culture just by speaking to her.  Then later feeling sad that she was going to be sold and have a new life in Cleveland.  All of the stories were very emotional or raw.  I love the internal dialogue and I found the characters to be quite lovable, while flawed.  In one story the US government required everyone to take a vaccine that led everyone to see other people as their own race.  What a fascinating concept!

    If you rarely read short story collections, like me, I would encourage you to read My Dear You.  What I really liked is that they didn’t all have a defined “beginning – middle – end”- some were just an image, and I never knew when the story was going to end.  Most of them I didn’t want them to end, they left me wanting more, but in a good way.  

    Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the ARC.  Book to be published April 7, 2026.