REVIEW: The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker

Title: The Strange Case of Jane O.
Author: Karen Thompson Walker
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: February 2025
Genre: Mystery / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Audible | BN | Audible

Description: A year after her child is born, Jane suffers a series of strange episodes: amnesia, premonitions, hallucinations, and an inexplicable sense of dread. Three days after her first visit to a psychiatrist, Jane suddenly goes missing. A day later she is found unconscious in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, in the midst of what seems to be an episode of dissociative fugue; when she comes to, she has no memory of what has happened to her.

Are Jane’s strange experiences the result of being overwhelmed by motherhood, or are they manifestations of a long-buried trauma from her past? Why is she having visions of a young man who died twenty years ago and who warns her of a disaster ahead? Jane’s symptoms lead her psychiatrist ever deeper into the farthest reaches of her mind and cause him to question everything he thinks he knows about so-called reality—including events in his own life.

My Thoughts: In a nutshell, I enjoyed this book but I’m not really sure what to make of it or how to feel upon finishing. Was Jane having a post-partum psychotic break? Was she faking it for attention? Was the dissociative fugue legitimate or is she suffering from some other mental illness? Could it be possible that Jane is living her life while experiencing events in an alternate reality or multiverse? Anything is possible, I suppose, but wrapping one’s mind around the last option seems too bizarre to entertain. Honestly, I can’t think of another logical explanation nor can anyone else in the story either.

I found the premise of the story intriguing, though it lacks anything concrete to establish the reasons for the events and the ending left me with more questions than answers. I also liked both Jane and Dr. Byrd and found their separate perspectives interesting. I truly believed Dr. Byrd wanted to help Jane but I don’t think he could, especially without understanding the cause of Jane’s fugue. What really surprised me about this book is how easily I found myself being pulled into Jane’s perspective as factual without considering that her perception is likely skewed by her condition. The bigger question, however, is could both Jane’s and Dr. Byrd’s perceptions be true?

My Final Verdict: Readers who enjoy stories that do not offer any solid solutions and instead provide murky conclusions may find this book enjoyable.

REVIEW: The Dream Keeper's Daughter by Emily Colin

Title: The Dream Keeper’s Daughter
Author: Emily Colin
Narrator: Roger Wayne, Emily Woo Zeller
Publisher: Random House Publishing – Ballantine Books
Publication Date: July 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: An archaeologist discovers her presumed-missing boyfriend is trapped more than a hundred years in the past—a love story that transcends time and place, from the author of the New York Times bestseller The Memory Thief.

Eight years after the unsolved disappearance of her boyfriend Max Adair, archaeologist Isabel Griffin has managed to move on and rebuild her life with her young daughter, Finn, her last tie to Max. But after a series of strange incidents, Isabel begins to wonder if Max might still be alive somewhere, trying to communicate with her. She has no idea that the where isn’t the problem—it’s the when. Max has slipped through time and place, landing on his ancestral family plantation in 1816 Barbados, on the eve of a historic slave uprising. As Isabel searches for answers, Max must figure out not only how to survive the violence to come, but how to get back to his own century, the woman he loves, and the daughter he has only ever met in his dreams.

My Thoughts: Shortly after learning his girlfriend is pregnant, Max disappears from Isabel’s life without any warning or explanation. Is he dead? Did he get scared about impending fatherhood and take off? Isabel is used to being abandoned because her mother did the same thing six years prior.

Now, eight years later, having raised a daughter practically on her own, working on her relationship with her father and the prospect of a new romance on the horizon, Isabel is on an archaeological dig in Barbados when she gets a phone call…from Max. At least the caller ID says it’s Max, but when she tries to call him back, as she has done many times over the years, the phone number has been disconnected and is no longer in service. Strangely enough, Isabel’s daughter, Finn, is claiming to have seen her father and has talked to him.

After following what appears to be the ghost of his ancestor into the woods behind his home, Max finds himself in Barbados in the year 1816 mere days before a slave rebellion breaks out. Max is appalled at the treatment he witnesses the slaves receiving and has enough knowledge of this crucial event to want to try to stop it, but he risks drawing the wrong kind of attention from both the slaves and the plantation owners.

I really enjoyed the historical background of the Bussa Rebellion as a backdrop for this story and felt a lot of anxiety for Max and the characters on both sides of the rebellion. I was also in high anticipation of whether Max would make it home and if so, what kind of reception he would receive.

I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format narrated by Roger Wayne and Emily Woo Zeller. I found their performances to be realistic, portraying the character’s personalities accurately. The characters were believable and their actions were appropriate for the situations they were in. I liked all of the characters, but especially Max’s daughter, Finn. I also liked how the author illustrates the time paradigm in this story. When Max first left, Isabel was pregnant and now Finn is eight, but for Max, he has only been gone several weeks.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a very good story with a moderate pace that is told in both Isabel and Max’s points of view. There were some unexpected twists in the story that I didn’t anticipate that left me unsettled and though it didn’t alter my enjoyment of the story, I would very much enjoy seeing a sequel to see how Max, Isabel and Finn move forward.

I recommend this book to readers who like time travel, real historical events woven into the story and romance.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Publishing – Ballantine Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Difference Between You & Me by Celia Hayes

Title: The Difference Between You & Me
Author: Celia Hayes
Publisher: Aria
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Can stepping out of your comfort zone lead you to ultimate happiness?

Trudy Watts has everything she's ever dreamed of: a job that she loves, a successful boyfriend and an ultra-modern apartment in one of the most fashionable parts of London. With a long-awaited promotion due to come her way and her wedding just around the corner, Trudy's life is just perfect...

That is until catastrophe strikes and her life is turned upside down. She's transferred to Turriff, a remote Scottish town to manage a small, struggling bank branch.

Her arrival is traumatic and she wishes she was anywhere but here... Until she sees him – Ethan, the charming pub landlord, who seems to enjoy nothing more than to tease her. And it's right there, in that pub, that her life will suddenly change...

My Thoughts: Upon meeting Trudy initially, she comes across as someone who is hard to get to know; she has her guard up and appears to be standoffish. After getting to know her, I learned that she is someone who is very career driven and has to work very hard to get to where she is at.

After her wedding plans go up in smoke and a night of drowning her sorrows in a bottle, she learns that she drunkenly applied for a temporary position in the bank at a branch in a very remote village in Scotland. The kind of village where shopping malls, movie theaters and a decent Wi-Fi signal are hard to find. Coming from London, it is a huge culture shock of sorts for Trudy. Along with this, her temporary position requires her to determine if this branch has any viability and is worth keeping or if it should be sold, which would mean a loss of employment for those working there. It would be a massive understatement to say that her arrival is not met with enthusiasm.

On the flip side, Ethan was very likable and easy to relate to immediately. Though he and Trudy butt heads and clash at every turn, he seems to enjoy it and often seeks her out, much to Trudy’s irritation. Trudy’s assignment is for six months and she seems to spend most of her time anxious for her return to London but I really loved how the more resistant she is, the more the town and the people in it grew on her.

I really enjoyed this story, especially when Trudy starts making a real effort to not only get to know the people she works with and other villagers but also coming up with ways to save the bank branch. The atmosphere of the village was quaint and though Trudy feels like a fish out of water, the charm is hard to ignore.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a very enjoyable story that I highly recommend to readers who enjoy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. I also recommend this story to readers who enjoy remote locations and the slower pace of small communities.

Thank you to the publisher, Aria, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The One by John Marrs

Title: The One
Author: John Marrs
Narrator: Clare Corbett, Vicki Hall, Simon Bubb, Jot Davies, Sophie Aldred
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Publication Date: May 2017
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner the one you are genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.

My Thoughts: Prior to starting this novel, I had heard a lot of praise for this book and for the author so I had very high expectations going in. This book and the author lived up to everything I had heard. I loved the concept that there is someone for everyone out there; someone who is your genetic match, your other half. I loved that upon meeting this individual, most people will feel an immediate connection even if the identity of their match comes as a shock or a surprise.

This story follows the lives of five individuals and how their lives are impacted upon taking the test. Ellie, Nick, Mandy, Jade and Christopher are all about to find out what happens when they get the very best or the very worst news of their lives. Tagging along with each character as they explore this alternate avenue of finding the one kept me on pins and needles.

Normally, a story with this many central characters would be an undertaking to keep straight but the author’s writing style flows seamlessly between the characters. The chapters are very short and alternate and rotate through each character’s point of view. This made the story easy to follow and easy to keep track of who is who.

I paired the reading of this book with the audio format. The narration was performed by five narrators, Clare Corbett, Vicki Hall, Simon Bubb, Jot Davies and Sophie Aldred, which I thought was brilliant. Each narrator performed one of the central characters so hearing their point of view in a different voice was quite enjoyable. Each narrator brought a different emotion and personality to their performance so the characters felt solid without feeling like cardboard. Additionally, each character’s personal experience and situation were vastly different so I didn’t feel like I had to pick a favorite. This helped me connect with all five characters, keeping me engaged in their lives and very curious and in high anticipation how it would all play out.

This story was simply amazing. There are so many twisty bits and jaw dropping moments with all of the characters. Just when I got my bearings settled after one bomb, the next chapter and character throws another in my lap. This story left me feeling breathless, shocked, surprised, scared, amused and sad. This story also teaches that relationships are never easy and there is no guarantee of a happy ever after in life, DNA match or not.

My Final Verdict: After reading this book, all I want to do is pick up another one by this author. I wonder if this is how drug addicts feel after the best high of their lives and needing another fix. I want to read everything this author has written, including his shopping list. Fortunately, he has an extensive backlist for me to dive into.

I highly recommend this book to readers who love stories that twist them around like they are on a roller coaster and unable to catch their breath. I highly recommend this book to readers who love stories that have characters who are easy to connect with but will surprise you. Lastly, I highly recommend this book to readers who love stories that will shock them, surprise them, and leave them wanting more.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Random House UK, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: A Wedding in Italy by Tilly Tennant

Title: A Wedding in Italy (From Italy With Love #2)
Author: Tilly Tennant
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: April 2017
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Sun, spaghetti and sparkling prosecco. When it comes to finding love, there’s no place like Rome...

Kate is living the dream with her gorgeous boyfriend Alessandro in his native city, but the reality is sometimes a little less romantic than she’d hoped. Every day in her new home is a fight against leaking pipes, her cantankerous landlord and her less-than-perfect grasp of the Italian lingo.

All around her there is talk of weddings, but when a secret from her past is thrust out into the open, Kate must fight to prove to Alessandro’s Mamma – and the rest of his formidable family – that she truly is Italian marriage material.

With the women in Alessandro’s life on a mission to break them apart, the cracks begin to show and Kate starts to question if Alessandro really is the man of her dreams. Can love and the city of romance conquer all, or is that just a fairy-tale?

Let Rome steal your heart this summer in this gorgeously romantic escapist read. Perfect for fans of Jo Thomas and Abby Clements.

My Thoughts: This book picks up practically on the heels of the first book in the series so I recommend reading Rome Is Where the Heart Is first. Kate has officially made Rome her home but it isn’t all it is cracked up to be. Navigating the language barrier is not easy and it surprised me that Kate wasn’t doing something more proactive to learn Italian, like taking classes. Fortunately, many Italians speak English with varying degrees of proficiency so Kate is able to manage although it is clunky. I really liked the author peppering Italian phrases throughout the book so that while reading on my Kindle, I could look up the translations of phrases.

The author illustrates very well the struggle Kate is experiencing trying to find her place in Rome, needing to find a job to make ends meet but still having a dream of starting her own dress making business. Her landlord’s wife is her first customer but Kate is a little bit of a pushover in that she doesn’t charge the market rate for the dresses. Her landlord expects a discount but doesn’t discount her rent. Allesandro and his family are quite vocal to Kate about this and often want to speak out on Kate’s behalf but she doesn’t want them to. This theme is present throughout most of the book and it did seem to get quite repetitive. Kate is persistent about making it on her own without having to rely on anyone but sometimes help from the right source can be a blessing and it takes quite a while before Kate realizes this. I had a lot of empathy for Kate and was able to relate to her situation of trying to find her place in a new country, fitting in and making it her home.

Getting to know Alessandro’s family better in this book was enjoyable and Kate’s insecurity around them was understandable. The author’s creation of the minor characters in the story added more depth to the story as they really impact Kate in many ways, especially as some of them take more time warming up to Kate’s presence and whether they accepted her as a good match for Alessandro. The author has quite a few surprises up her sleeve that I didn’t expect but really enjoyed. The story moves at a smooth pace I really enjoyed tagging along with Kate through the streets of Rome.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this story delightful and it has only inspired me even more to add Rome to my bucket list of travel destinations. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories where the girl gets her happily ever after in exotic locations.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan

Title: New York, Actually (From Manhattan with Love #4)
Author: Sarah Morgan
Narrator: Jennifer Woodward
Publisher: Harlequin | HQN
Publication Date: May 2017
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: One man. One woman. Two dogs.

Meet Molly—New York’s most famous advice columnist, she considers herself an expert at relationships…as long as they’re other people’s. Still bruised from her last breakup, Molly is in no rush to find happily-ever-after—the only love of her life is her dalmatian, Valentine.

Meet Daniel—A cynical divorce lawyer, he’s hardwired to think relationships are a bad idea. If you don’t get involved, no one can get hurt. Until he finds himself borrowing a dog to meet the gorgeous woman he sees running in Central Park every morning…

Molly and Daniel both think they know everything about relationships. But as they try—and fail—to resist their undeniable chemistry, they’ll soon discover they just might have a lot left to learn…

My Thoughts: Initially, I had some reservations about reading this book because it’s the fourth book in a series and I am usually a stickler for reading a series in order. This book is definitely the exception as the author does a brilliant job making this story a stand-alone. Characters from earlier in the series do make an appearance in this story but it did not detract or in any way take my focus off of Molly and Daniel. Honestly, I don’t think even a meteorite crashing into my living room would have distracted me.

I loved this story. It checks off so many of the things I look for in the romance genre without getting too sappy or bordering on too explicit. First of all, dogs. Especially dogs that feature prominently in the story are going to interest me. The dogs in this story are Molly’s dalmatian, Valentine, who is named for his heart shaped nose and Brutus, the German Shepherd that Daniel wrangles as a prop to grab Molly’s interest. I loved that these two dogs are actively part of the story, and not in the background.

I also loved that Daniel and Molly really appear to be so broken that love and relationships just don’t work out for them the way they do for others. And with good reason, given their respective backgrounds. The underlying message that love finds you most often when you aren’t looking for it was wonderful and it was awesome to watch it happening with these two.

I thought the story was realistic and the premise was cute, though it could appear a little creepy that a man would “borrow” a dog so he could meet a girl he sees jogging in the park. I did not feel an “ick” factor. Instead, I felt Daniel deserved points for his ingenuity in arranging this meet cute. I’m also super grateful that the author did not drag out the whole “keeping secrets and being dishonest” trope because that would have annoyed me as both Molly and Daniel played their cards very close to their chests. The great thing is that when dishonesty was discovered on both their parts, discussions were had like adults and the reader was saved from too much of the giant misunderstanding and drama chaos.

This book is my first experience reading Sarah Morgan’s work and I am excited to find more of her work. She creates characters that are very easy to like and relate to and that give the reader a sense of camaraderie with. This entire series is set in and around Manhattan which gives me more of an interest in visiting. The descriptive detail of Molly and Daniel’s world feels very picturesque and vibrant. I now want a Dalmatian that I can walk in Central Park.

I paired my reading of this book with the audiobook format which was quite enjoyable. The narrator, Jennifer Woodward does a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life and flawlessly switches between Molly’s English accent and everyone else’s American accent. The emotion she put into her narrative performance brought tears to my eyes and had me laughing out loud several times.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book because…did I mention dogs? Fans of dogs must absolutely stop what they are doing right now and read this book. I also highly recommend fans of the romance genre, be it romantic comedy, contemporary romance or chick-lit read this book because a happily ever after is always a good thing.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin | HQN, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Baby Teeth by Celia Silvani

Title: Baby Teeth
Author: Celia Silvani
Publisher: Orion
Publication Date: November 2024
Genre: Thriller / Suspense / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: They said a mother knows best and I believed them. Was I wrong?

It is supposed to be a dream. James and I have been trying for years. But now it is starting to feel like a nightmare.

Doctors don't ask questions, or care about how you're feeling. They just tell you what to do. They never listen.

Mam and James don't understand either. James thinks I'm being anxious and Mam says it'll pass. It always does. That's what she did when Dad died.

I've never felt more alone. Or scared.

Then I joined an online group for mothers. A sisterhood, really. They might be on a screen, but sometimes it feels like they know me better than James. They listen, they care. It's all I could have asked for.

Until the worst happens and I see them for who they are. But if I leave, what if they come for me next?

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book and thought the subject matter was thought provoking but I didn’t love it. Additionally, there are triggers in this story involving infertility and pregnancy loss. I felt increasingly frustrated at the lengths Claire went trusting complete strangers that she only knows online instead of midwives and doctors. I agreed with the general consensus that doctors and the medical profession make you feel like a number, but to trust advice from people who have zero medical background puts not only the mother but the fetus at risk. When tragedy strikes one of one women in the group who loses her nearly full-term baby, I was deeply disturbed at how this group of faceless women treated her simply because they did not approve of her seeking medical attention.

I understood how Claire felt torn wanting to do the right thing and her fear of hospitals and mistrust of doctors stemming from losing her father but I wanted to yell at her through most of the book that she should be seeking advice from people she knows in real life as well as experts in the field. I had such a huge problem that she told strangers she was pregnant before she told her own husband. In large part due to her behavior, I had a difficult time relating to or empathizing with her.

The plot moved me into thinking something horrifying was going to happen to Claire at the hands of the online group and my imagination was running wild thinking that someone was going to try to murder her and steal her baby. I must be reading too many thrillers because I am looking for psychopaths around every corner.

This is my first time reading the work of Celia Silvani and thought she illustrates well the fears and anxieties of not just a woman having her first child but the vulnerability of those who have struggled to conceive as well as the devastating grief of a pregnancy test not bringing the most desperately hoped for result.

My Final Verdict: Overall, the story ended with a lot of unanswered questions for me and a bit of a letdown in the thriller and suspenseful side of things. I think fans of both thrillers and women’s fiction will enjoy the story if they can overlook their personal biases regarding the best approach to childbirth.

REVIEW: Mystery at Maplemead Castle by Kitty French

Title: Mystery at Maplemead Castle (Chapelwick Mysteries #2)
Author: Kitty French
Narrator: Cat Gould
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Welcome to Chapelwick, a leafy English town in the hills of Shropshire, where chocolate pecan cookies come with a helping of sabotage.

Maplemead Castle is crawling with ghosts, and the new owners need them gone. When Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency arrive on scene, they quickly identify the troublemakers swinging from the chandeliers...literally.

A century ago, stunning trapeze artist Britannia Lovell plunged to her death, and has done every night since. But did she really just fall, or was there something more to her demise?

Forced to work with Leo Dark, her scoundrel ex, and infuriating, irresistible reporter Fletcher Gunn, Melody's investigative powers are under strain (i.e., lost in a pink mist of lust and confusion). She needs her team on top form, but best friend Marina's cake pipeline goes AWOL, assistant Artie's distracted by a giant sausage roll, and the pug is scared witless by a lion.

Somewhere, hidden in the castle, is a heartbreaking secret, but what will it take to find it? And is there a chance it could set Britannia free, or is she doomed to repeat her last fateful act forever?

My Thoughts: Melody Bittersweet is back with her friends and one-eared Pug, Lestat to clear Maplemead Castle from a circus troupe of ghosts and their lion. Yes, there’s a ghost lion named Goliath who Lestat makes his displeasure about known. Melody’s ex, Leo Dark, and reporter Fletcher Gunn are also back which I thought added more interesting aspects to the story.

I enjoyed this book very much and couldn’t wait to find out the backstory of the ghostly circus performers and the author didn’t disappoint. This story had me laughing out loud, especially when Lestat squares off to a ghost lion and made my eyes tear up when I learned the tragic story of Britannia as well as learning more about Fletcher’s back story. He really grew on me in this installment and I am eager to see if he and Melody continue to connect. Surprisingly, I also felt less irritation and annoyance towards Leo this time around.

I liked Melody and found her easy to relate to and appreciate the care and concern she demonstrates for both the living and the deceased. I keep hoping that Marina and Artie will get together too but so far, they remain steadfast colleagues.

This story offers the perfect blend of fun, charm, mystery, intrigue and romance fans of cozy mysteries will expect. The characters are easy to connect with and relate to and the plot flows smoothly. If you prefer audiobook formats, the narration of this book was expertly performed by Cat Gould.

This book ends on the assumption that Melody and her crew will be starting another case but so far I have been unable to confirm there will be a third book in this series. I hope there will be because it would be a great disappointment to see this series stall with so many unanswered questions.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was fantastic and I highly recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries, romances, stories featuring dogs with or without both of their ears and ghosts.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Don't Stop Me Now by Colleen Coleman

Title: Don’t Stop Me Now
Author: Colleen Coleman
Narrator: Imogen Church
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Poppy Bloom planned to finish her PhD and walk straight into a job at her university. But here she is, unemployed, unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, and living back at her mum’s in her vampire-themed childhood bedroom.

Not exactly what she was hoping for.

But when Poppy sets her mind to something, nothing can stand in her way. She scores herself an internship at the hottest radio station in town, joins a netball team, and renews her friendship with her oldest friend Leanne. Spending time with Leanne’s gorgeous twin Tom is just a bonus...

But life has a way of tripping you up when you least expect it, and Poppy soon has to decide where her priorities lie...

With new friends, a new career and a new romance, can Poppy keep everyone happy, or is everything about to tumble down around her?

My Thoughts: I don’t know if I would have had the same experience with a different format. I originally received the e-book format from the publisher, but in an effort decrease the size of my backlog, I found the audiobook format at the library. I absolutely loved this story, largely in part to the audio narration by Imogen Church, which was fantastic. She puts a lot of emotion into the narration that gave me the sense that I am in the room with Poppy and made her more relatable and easy to like and get to know.

This was also my first experience with this author and I will be looking for more of her work. Colleen Coleman’s writing style is witty and engaging. The characters are easy to relate to and like. The storyline was clever and easy to follow.

I thought Poppy Bloom (what a fantastic name!) was a wonderful character and I shared her outrage at being robbed of her fellowship at the University, getting dumped by her loser boyfriend and learning he has moved on with her good friend. Moving back home with a psychology doctorate degree with no job or prospects on the horizon would send most of us into a spiral of depression and it does for Poppy, but I admired how she pulls herself up and starts putting one foot in front of the other determined to grab life by the horns. Reuniting with her childhood mate, Leanne and her twin Tom was fun to watch. Through a comedy of errors, Poppy finds herself listening to the popular radio station which leads her to calling into the show and a chance at a job where she can make a difference and help real people with their real problems.

This story weaves around Poppy’s life including her struggles to find her place in the world, navigating her estranged relationship with her father, joining Leanne’s netball team and her growing feelings for Tom. This story had me laughing out loud many times and gasping in shock throughout the entire story, I was fully engaged and in anticipation for what Poppy would encounter next.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a fantastic story and fans of chick-lit and contemporary romance will enjoy it too. I highly recommend this story to readers who like underdog characters who face adversity and come out on the other side better off.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Wedding Charm by Susan Hatler

Title: The Wedding Charm (Wedding Whisperer #1)
Author: Susan Hatler
Publisher: Hatco Publishing
Publication Date: April 2017
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Maid of honor Sarah Carlton hasn’t failed at anything since her high school science project was sabotaged by a relentless competitor. So, she’ll do whatever it takes to make her best friend Jill’s wedding absolutely perfect. That includes taking the next flight out of Sacramento to retrieve the panicked bride’s cherished family wedding charm from her late grandmother’s attic in Atlanta Georgia.

Unfortunately, someone else has offered to come to the bride’s rescue—best man Ben Atkins, the same man who destroyed Sarah’s high school science project all those years ago. Now he wants to one-up her by retrieving the charm first. Sarah refuses to let that happen. The race is on.

When Sarah and Ben arrive in Atlanta, instead of finding the wedding charm there’s a letter from the bride’s grandmother directing the bride and groom to complete a series of tasks in order to prove their commitment to each other. With the wedding only two days away, Sarah and Ben must join forces by pretending to be the bride and groom in order to earn the wedding charm. Should be a cinch. After all, how hard can it be to fake true love for forty-eight hours?

My Thoughts: Some would describe this story as an enemies to lovers story, but Sarah and Ben really weren’t hateful to one another or at war. Instead, this was more a story involving two people have known each other their entire lives and were pretty competitive with one another. There were some hard feelings on Sarah’s part because of her high school science project being destroyed, but had these two spent a half hour having a discussion, that would have been cleared up very quickly.

Sarah’s best friend, Jill is getting married. Sarah is the maid of honor and Ben is the best man. Jill is distraught because she was unable to retrieve a family heirloom from her grandmother’s house and believes her marriage will be doomed to fail if she gets married without it. With the wedding set to take place in Sacramento in a few short days, Sarah and Ben decide to go to Atlanta to retrieve the charm and save the wedding. Of course, Sarah is in full competition mode, convinced that Ben is only going to try to one up her as she has believed he has done all their lives. I was really happy that they decide to join forces in Atlanta and with the help of a lost dog they rescue and name Moose, it appears they have a truce and there are a lot of unresolved feelings. The catch is that retrieving the heirloom is not going to be a quick task. They have to go on a wild scavenger hunt of sorts, pretending to be the engaged couple and pretending to be in love to convince the friends of Jill’s grandmother that they deserve the heirloom.

The tasks they are assigned to do were a lot of fun, but with the ticking clock, Sarah and Ben don’t have a lot of time to enjoy the ambience of Atlanta. I especially loved that one of the tasks required them to go to an Atlanta Braves baseball game and have their picture taken at home plate. The quick thinking and ingenuity this couple uses to accomplish the tasks were quite entertaining and fun to witness.

This book was my first experience with the writing of Susan Hatler and I will be looking for more of her work. I immensely enjoyed her writing style and the attention to detail she gives to Atlanta and Buckhead, which gave me a real sense of being there. I loved Sarah and Ben and thought they made a great team and the addition of Moose the lost dog added more charm and fun to this story.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a great story and I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary romances, stories involving dogs and scavenger hunts as well as stories that feature characters who are willing to go the extra mile for their friends and for each other.

Thank you to the publisher, Hatco Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Title: Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns (The Devil Wears Prada #2)
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: June 2013
Genre: Chick Lit / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Almost a decade has passed since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Andy and Emily, her former nemesis and co-assistant, have since joined forces to start a high end bridal magazine, The Plunge, which has quickly become required reading for the young and stylish. Now they get to call all the shots: Andy writes and travels to her heart’s content; Emily plans parties and secures advertising like a seasoned pro.

Even better, Andy has met the love of her life. Max Harrison, scion of a storied media family, is confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. Their wedding will be splashed across all the society pages as their friends and family gather to toast the glowing couple. Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch.

The morning of her wedding, Andy can’t shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago—and directly into the path of the devil herself...

My Thoughts: First of all, it is imperative that you read The Devil Wears Prada before this one or you will not understand the backstory of Andrea and Emily’s time working for Miranda Priestly and why the mere mention of her name sends Andrea into a spiral of the highest anxiety. I experienced it as well. Interestingly this story’s focus isn’t about Miranda, though she makes a few appearances, she is really in the background, likely filing her claws and feasting on the souls of the unfortunate girls who have made the catastrophic mistake of wanting to work for her. Instead, this story picks up about ten years after the first book. Andy and Emily have reconnected and become (gasp!) best friends and have created a wedding magazine. Andy is set to walk down the aisle with the love of her life, Max Harrison. Everything should be sunshine and daisies in Andy’s world, but it isn’t.

On the morning of her wedding, Andy receives information that fills her with doubts about marrying Max. The magazine that she and Emily have created and worked so hard for several years to make it a success has caught the eye of Elias Clarke and none other than the devil herself, Miranda Priestly, who has been promoted to a managing editor position and they want to buy Andy and Emily’s magazine with the stipulation that the editorial staff continue to work for Miranda for one year.

This news has Andy in a near panic, but Emily is ecstatic. Emily refuses to see how this sale will put them back under Miranda’s thumb and after what happened to both of them while working for Miranda a decade ago, Andy is shocked that Emily would consider it at all, much less be over the moon about it.

I have to say that I was in complete agreement with Andy. Selling their magazine seemed so tragic to me after all the hard work they put into it, even though the financial windfall they would receive would be fantastic. The bizarre point that Elias Clark and Miranda insist that the editorial staff work for her for a year made no sense and they wouldn’t budge on that issue. Obviously, Miranda has some nefarious plan up her sleeve to retaliate in some way but it is never made completely known and you will have to read this book to find out what happens!

I tried reading this book in audiobook format back in 2019 and could not get into the story. Maybe it was the narrator or maybe I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that Andy and Emily become best friends and partners. This time I went with the e-book format and I absolutely loved it. It didn’t take long to get reacquainted with all of the characters from the first book who also make an appearance in this book as well as new characters. The author does an excellent job of illustrating Andy’s world of high fashion, publishing, celebrity weddings as well as pregnancy and first time motherhood.

My Final Verdict: Overall, it was wonderful catching up with Andy again and though Emily was never my favorite person, it was interesting to see what these women have been up and how far they have come. I don’t know if Miranda Priestly will be in the third book, but you know the devil has a way of showing up when you least expect it. I highly recommend this book to readers of chick lit and women’s fiction.

REVIEW: The Victim by Gillian Jackson

Title: The Victim
Author: Gillian Jackson
Narrator: Hannah Curtis
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: May 2022
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Suspense
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: She’s killed her husband—and now she must convince the police that she is not the villain but the victim . . .

Caron Rivers appeared to have it all. Lovely home. Loving spouse. Happy marriage. But behind closed doors, things were not what they seemed.

Why did Caron snap and kill Bill? Now she finds herself at the police station, facing questions about exactly what happened and what led to the shocking event. With Bill dead, she is free to tell her story. But the police may not believe it, in this gripping novel of emotional and psychological suspense from the author of Abduction and The Accident.

My Thoughts: The Victim by new to me author Gillian Jackson introduces the reader to Caron Rivers after she has stabbed her husband to death. What follows is a tale of an emotionally damaged woman who tells the authorities of the torture and abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband before she stabbed him in self-defense. Victims of domestic violence may find this story triggering.

The twisty bits of this story come as the investigation begins to uncover more questions as to the validity of Caron’s claims of abuse. As I listened, I felt an increasing sense of anticipation of whether or not she was the victim or the villain. My opinion of her changed just as rapidly as more layers of the story were revealed and more layers of this character’s personality are peeled back.

The story moves at a brisk pace without burying the listener under mountains of details. I really enjoyed the author’s plotting and look forward to more of her work. The narration by Hannah Curtis was expertly performed and gives the reader a clear picture of the nature of the characters in this story.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a compelling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense, thriller and mystery genres. Readers who like having twisty details that pull the rug out from under them will also enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne

Title: Passion on Park Avenue (Central Park Pact #1)
Author: Lauren Layne
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: May 2019
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: From the author of the New York Times bestselling Stiletto and Oxford series, the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.

For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of sex and snark, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first page.

My Thoughts: Passion on Park Avenue by new to me author Lauren Layne introduces us to three women, who by all intents and purposes should never have met or became friends. Two of these women are the mistresses of the third woman’s husband and these women meet on the day of the husband’s funeral. Awkward,, yes, Captain Obvious, but this trope pulled me all the way into the story. Who needs salacious daytime talk shows when this book provides everything enquiring minds want to know?

This is the first book in a series and I absolutely insist you read this one before the others as there is a lot of background detail on the three women that is crucial to know beforehand. This story is about one of the mistresses, Naomi, who still carries the shame of her mother’s affair with her mother’s employer and the fallout it brought to their lives. Now, decades later, Naomi is finally in a financial position to go for one of the apartments in the building on Park Avenue where she and her mother lived while working for the elite Cunningham family. Naomi carries a lot of anger towards this family because the Cunningham son, Oliver, lied about the affair, causing Naomi and her mother to be thrown into the street, penniless and homeless. The best part of this is that Oliver doesn’t remember his childhood playmate and his father is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s so he doesn’t remember much of anything either. I was on pins and needles watching this play out and the chemistry between Naomi and Oliver was palpable. I even felt a little bit of empathy and compassion for Oliver’s father, though he wasn’t a nice man before his illness and was hard to tolerate now at times.

In addition to Naomi and Oliver, I really liked the other two women, Claire and Audrey and look forward to getting to know them better in their stories. The plot moves at a wonderful pace and kept me fully engaged.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this story to be charming and hard to put down. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy stories of unsuccessful revenge, letting go of past pain and characters who rise up from the ashes of their past trauma with head held high.

Thank you to the publisher, Gallery Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Kill Me Tomorrow by Britney King

Title: Kill Me Tomorrow
Author: Britney King
Narrator: Patrick Zeller
Publisher: OrangeSky Audio
Publication Date: September 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Description: Ali is a sex therapist-slash-guru, famous for the work she does helping others find pleasure.

The problem: Ali can never quite find it for herself.

Her life's work makes nothing taboo, nothing off limits. And she's tried everything short of murder. Although, with the way things are going, it's not off the table.

When Ethan Lane is hired to investigate the death of a wealthy bachelor, he isn't expecting to stumble into a string of murders. The victims are men, and all members of a popular dating app. Operating undercover with a profile of his own, he meets the woman of his dreams—who also happens to be his best suspect.

The question: Can Lane stay alive long enough to prove his theory? And does he want to?

My Thoughts: In all honesty, the best thing about this book was the narration performance by Patrick Zeller.

This story had so much potential. The main protagonist was a likable character in the beginning. He’s a former FBI agent who now has his own private investigation firm and is carrying enormous trauma after his young daughter was murdered in a home invasion. He seems to be moving forward in his life being a single parent to his two other children after suffering a painful divorce. He is a character I usually can empathize with and relate to.

When he starts investigating a string of murders of wealthy men and learns they are all members of the same dating app, he goes undercover and with the help of his assistant, creates a profile and ultimately meets a woman he falls hard for. She also happens to be his number one suspect in the murders, so what does he do? Sleeps with her. Yes, his brain takes an immediate exit stage right and he starts thinking with his other brain.

This story was beyond illogical and completely inappropriate for a character with the law enforcement background he has. Why did I keep listening? I kept hoping that somehow his investigation would reveal this woman was not who he suspected her to be, but instead, everything kept pointing to her being involved somehow, if not as the killer, certainly as an accomplice.

My Final Verdict: Based on the ratings of other readers, this book does appeal to some but not to me and I cannot recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher, OrangeSky Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.