thoughts on books

Category: Recommendations

  • cross your heart and hope he dies by jenny elder moke

    A fun cozy mystery for 2026- Juliette is a heroine for the modern woman, she is confident and capable. She is missing that insecurity that so many of our FMCs share. Later in the book we learn her origin story, which explained a lot for me about her character. She works in publishing and is lucky to have landed the memoir rights to magnate Warren Ellingham. At a party he drops dead of an apparent heart attack although his doctor praised his heart healthiness just a day earlier. The memoir is stolen and Juliet finds herself a suspect, although her gaze turns towards Warren’s son who is heir to his fortune and has a bit of a gambling habit. Now Juliet must solve the mystery herself while trying to find out what happened to the memoir, which is key to her career trajectory.

    This is the kind of story that is made for audio- it was an excellent performance by Sarah Mollo-Christensen, who used voices for the characters and had a melodious voice for inner dialogue that captured Juliette’s character perfectly. A true cozy mystery, there is a bit of spice and some twists. I found it to be a really fun, campy story- with mustache twirling villains and characters that, while one-dimensional, were vibrant enough to tell apart and to follow on audio. This doesn’t take a ton of brain cells to follow and although I might forget the storyline soon, I definitely was in the mood for something light and fun, this definitely fit the bill.

    3.5/5 stars
    Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Book to be published January 20, 2026.

    #macaudio2025

  • dolly all the time by annabelle monaghan

    A warm-hearted fake dating rom-com that finds us with a “knight in shining armor” type workaholic handsome man that buys a roof and helps a struggling single mom kindergarten teacher. Absolutely classic Annabelle Monaghan- there are few romance authors that can blend fade-to-black romance with deeply developed characters and wildly funny dialogue. I loved the family dynamics with Dolly and her family, her son and father, and the way she changes over the course of the story. It is a beautiful character arc for Dolly, from being fiercely and stubbornly independent to learning to be a part of a community and allow herself to be helped. Stewart is so driven by working, not being seen as weak, and controlling how his family views his place in the company and in the family.

    Dolly is a real spit fire. She is flawed but very likable. I also appreciated the incorporation of the gig economy since she is a single mom and teacher she needs to supplement her income in all kinds of ways. Dolly and Stewart are in different economic brackets- but both of them don’t have a lot of room in their life for a partner because they work so much.

    I was pretty angry with Stewart in the third act, Dolly is a bit more forgiving than myself. I enjoyed her son being a young teenager (13), his voice was authentic and loving towards his mom. I can certainly relate to Dolly’s independence and desire to do anything to make her kid happy.

    One of the top romances of 2026!

    Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC. Book to be published May 26, 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

  • how to be okay when nothing is okay by jenny lawson

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    This was completely delightful. It is part self-help, some memoir, and some lovely doodles. I love her voice, her non-traditional writing style and her unique and ridiculously specific references. It is a story about how she has managed her anxiety, depression, and ADHD. She has true practical exercises that will help make the reader’s life better. I don’t remember laughing out loud this much at a book in a very long time. Jenny is just hilarious. This book comes with more of a maturity and accountability than from her previous books. She is taking a lot of great experience from therapy and sharing what has worked for her.

    My son has severe ADHD and this book really helped me understand more what he goes through daily. I can’t wait to read it again!

    Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC. Book to be published March 30, 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.

  • it’s not her by mary kubica

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    A twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Fast paced and tense, this book has perhaps the perfect amount of characters and side quests. I was shocked by the ending.

    Two families go to the lake for some time away, Courtney and Elliott, and also her brother and sister-in-law, Emily and Nolan. The POV alternates between Courtney and Reese, her niece. After a sleepover with the two littlest cousins, Emily and Nolan are brutally murdered. Their son Wyatt is fast asleep upstairs, and their teenage daughter Reese is missing.

    Several mysteries are presented simultaneously, and with the alternating viewpoints between Courtney solving the mystery and Reese (starting a week in the past) you are gradually learning more players and your head is turned to several secrets.

    I read a lot of mysteries, this one is a stand out. You will be turning pages late into the night.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC. Book to be published 2/3/26

  • star shipped by cat sebastian

    A lively MM romcom set in modern day Hollywood. Charlie and Simon are starring in the nerd space show “Out There,” and the discord servers think their characters are queer coded. Charlie came up as an influencer, and Simon is thinking of leaving the show. He doesn’t think much of Charlie, despite he is a mid-20’s beautiful actor that takes a lot of gym selfies.

    The best thing about this book is the banter- it is truly elite. Some people are sort of bothered by enemies-to-lovers banter, as sometimes it is mean and passive aggressive, but I found this to be really clever. I wouldn’t say the leads are exactly “enemies” just two co-workers that are more like rivals.

    Cat Sebastian has written so many classic historical fiction novels, and has established herself as a voice that gives authenticity to the LGBTQ experience while closeted and living in a time that was not safe for queer people. In this novel, we have a current day experience but still one of the leads is closeted and questioning. The setting was intriguing as we had a little behind the scenes of how TV shows are produced, the show runners, the social media presence. The interstitial chapters are a discord of fans of the show, and these were some of my favorite parts of the book. It explores celeb worship and how sometimes we think we are entitled to the details of their lives.

    4.5/5 stars
    Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. Book to be published 3/3/2026

  • 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.

  • mothers and other strangers by corey ann haydu

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    “Blessings don’t look like blessings until you look through the right lens.”

    We love a messy family drama, especially one that crosses generations and inherited trauma! Everyone is gonna read this. Trust. This one is special for 3 reasons.

    1. It’s solely focused on the women. BethAnn and Joni. Their daughters Sydney and Mae. Finally Sydney and Mae’s daughters in the 3rd act.
    2. It is incredibly well written. The paragraphs that you’ll re-read. An adult debut, this is a skilled writer tackling deeper issues. Secrets will be uncovered, and our characters are flawed while likable and relatable. These women will sometimes make the reader angry, sometimes heartwarming, always becoming more real by the minute.
    3. The nuances of characterization through scenes that are about connection and disconnection. Traditions and family values that don’t always serve us.

    Here is an example;

    “Whoever ordered first ordered the least caloric thing she could find, and the one who ordered next would find a way to make her dish even more spare, even less filling. Sydney found herself doing it with other people too, but they didn’t play the game like Beth Ann did. So the other woman would order a burger and Sydney would order leek soup and feel incensed.”

    Relatable.

    Lastly, I do love to hate on MLM culture, so we get some of that too.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and company for the ARC. Book to be published March 30, 2026.

  • whidbey by t kira madden

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    When I tell you this book will build your empathy as much as it did your righteous anger, I mean this in the darkest way. The author says this book is about the commodification of suffering, and this is a sweeping theme across the novel and the years. This book sucked me in so thoroughly and absolutely gutted me from the beginning. The writing style is like Allie Larkin (The People We Keep, Home of the American Circus) along with a murder mystery and along with disturbing subject matter.

    The book follows Birdie, a victim of sexual abuse, as she flees to Whidbey, a remote island off the Washington coast. In alternating chapters, we read the POV of Mary Beth, the mother of the convicted pedophile Calvin Boyer. I think I found Mary Beth’s chapters the most heartbreaking. She somehow has to grieve her son, while making sense of his lifetime as an abuser. In act two, Linzie’s POV is added as well, one of Calvin’s later victims who wrote a memoir about her experiences and ended up on a reality show similar to The Bachelor.

    It is truly haunting that the author manages to make Calvin a tragic empathetic character, considering she is a survivor of sexual abuse from a young age.

    If you are in the mood for something extremely engaging and deep, I know this book will be one people are talking about.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC. Book to be published March 9, 2025.