REVIEW: Aloha Alibi by Jasmine Webb

Title: Aloha Alibi (Charlotte Gibson Mysteries #1)
Author: Jasmine Webb
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Publisher: Blueberry Books
Publication Date: August 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Most people flee to Hawaii for gorgeous weather, white-sand beaches, and cocktails at sunset. Charlotte Gibson, however, is fleeing for her life after a vengeful mobster leaves a severed finger on her doorstep as a warning. Message very much received.

That’s how Charlotte—Charlie to everyone except her mom— finds herself on Maui with six dollars to her name, living with a mother who can’t stop giving her advice on how to land herself a husband. But when a businessman is murdered and his company offers a reward to whoever finds the killer, Charlie sees an opportunity: with that kind of cash, she could afford her own place and start a new life here away from the people who want her dead. After all, how hard can hunting down a murderer be?

Teaming up with a couple of old ladies with more spunk than Betty White, Charlie is sure she’s on the right track to snag the reward money. However, the infuriating but smoldering hot cop trying to keep her away from his case has other ideas. Throw in a day job at an ice cream shop, corrupt local politicians, and a best friend trying to act as the voice of reason, and Charlie has her work cut out for her.

Will she be able to find the killer, or is Charlie’s time in paradise going to go straight to hell in a handbasket?

My Thoughts: Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this first installment of a series that takes place in Maui and features some interesting characters. Charlotte Gibson is returning home to Hawaii after she runs afoul of some gangsters in Seattle. Leaving a severed finger on your doorstep leaves a very strong message to beat feet and Charlie hears it loud and clear. Unfortunately, returning to Hawaii without a way to support herself means living with her meddling mother, but Charlie also gets to reconnect with her best friend from high school, Zoe, who is now a doctor. Charlie lands a job at the local ice cream parlor and when one of her customers is later found murdered, the entire town is on edge.

Charlie decides to investigate the murder to win the substantial reward of $100,000, which would get her mother out of her hair and give Charlie some much wanted breathing room and the independence of having her own place. Unfortunately for Charlie, she isn’t the only one looking into the case and two elderly women, Dot and Rosie, join forces with Charlie and agree to split the reward. I loved Dot and Rosie. These women have seen it all and probably done it all and are living their best lives. They are feisty and blunt and with Charlie make a great team. There are currently fifteen books in this series so I would not be surprised if these three decide to open a private investigation firm at some point since they work so well together.

This story flowed very well and it was easy to get to know the characters. The audio narration, performed by Khristine Hvam was also done well and provided an excellent visual in my mind as I listened.

I’m sure the situation Charlie ran from in Seattle will make its presence known in Hawaii at some point. There is also some chemistry between Charlie and one of the detectives so it will be interesting to see where this all leads. I also want to learn more about Dot and Rosie as these two women are full of unexpected surprises.

My Final Verdict: This series has piqued my curiosity and I will be looking for more of this author’s work. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and stories with feisty characters who tell it like it is.

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

REVIEW: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Title: The Wives
Author: Tarryn Fisher
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang
Publisher: Harlequin – Graydon House
Publication Date: December 2019
Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Description: Imagine that your husband has two other wives. You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.

But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives.

You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then, Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever.

Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life?

And who is his mysterious third wife?

My Thoughts: Twisty thrillers that provide massive amounts of nail-biting anxiety and moments of the rug being ripped out from under you are high on my want to read genres. Twists that come out of left field without warning or logic don’t bother me either as long as it makes sense to the story and all loose threads are tied up at the end. Unfortunately, this story did not deliver everything I look for in a thriller. The premise was really interesting, even though the polygamy trope gave me all the ick. I was in high anticipation of what was going on, especially since the FMC, Thursday, was a very unreliable narrator.

The story ends on a major cliffhanger with zero closure and a lot of frustration on my end. I fluctuated quite a bit on having empathy for Thursday or if she really is the villain. I enjoy the conflict it creates but by the end of the book, I want everything wrapped up.

The story moved at a very good pace and though it was hard for me to connect with the characters, I thought they were interesting with many layers. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format and enjoyed the well-executed narration by Lauren Fortgang.

My Final Verdict: If you enjoy jarring cliffhangers without closure, you will likely enjoy this story and the buildup to the conclusion. If you prefer your thrillers to have all the dots connected with clarity, this is not the book for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin – Graydon House, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Jill Mansell

Title: Don’t Want to Miss a Thing
Author: Jill Mansell
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: November 2013
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Finding the courage to trust your heart can be the hardest thing of all…

Dexter Yates has the looks, the money, the swanky apartment, and girlfriends galore. But it's not until his niece, Delphi, is born that Dex falls in love for the first time in his life.

Then tragedy strikes when Dex's sister Laura dies in an accident. Suddenly, Dex finds himself a new parent and a single father to boot. With no idea how to raise an eight-month-old baby girl on his own, Dex decides to move into his weekend home in the small village of Briarwood in the Cotswolds.

The quirky neighborhood welcomes him with open arms, especially next―door neighbor and gifted cartoonist Molly who offers to help with Delphi. Molly won't put up with any nonsense and her messy romantic past makes her cautious.

If they can learn to trust each other, there might be a happily-ever-after for all three.

A fresh and fun British women's fiction and a great romantic book with plenty of humor and friendship.

My Thoughts: I initially tried to listen to the audio format of this book back in 2019 and just wasn’t feeling it. This is very interesting because I have recently learned that sometimes when a book isn’t working for me, changing the format is a gamechanger. I wish I had known that back in 2019 as I would have gotten to experience this wonderful story much sooner.

If you are familiar with Jill Mansell’s work, you are already aware you will get a lush story with many characters and subplots. She weaves this story so seamlessly that the reader has no difficulty keeping everyone straight and following all of the individual story lines. At the center of this story is Dexter Yates. He is your typical playboy bachelor. He lives a fast and carefree life and has no intention of settling down with any one woman. When his sister, Laura, has a baby daughter, Dexter is over the moon for his niece.

Unfortunately, Laura dies suddenly eight months after her daughter is born, leaving Dexter bereft and has named him as Delphi’s legal guardian, something he isn’t sure he can take on. Raising a child is a huge responsibility and a lot of work for people who seek to become parents. How will he ever manage with his career and lifestyle?

Dexter moves out of London and meets his new next door neighbor, Molly. I loved the chemistry between these two and enjoyed the building up of their relationship as friends first. Mixed into their story are the numerous characters living in the village all with their own lives and stories. I enjoyed meeting them all and loved the wonderful sense of community in this village.

This story made me laugh and cry and even made me angry a few times at some of the characters’ behavior. It is so easy to get drawn into the lives of these people and spending time with them, I often forget that they are fictional.

My Final Verdict: I am so happy I decided to revisit Dexter’s world as I would have missed an opportunity to meet so many wonderful characters who left a big impression. I highly recommend this story to readers of women’s fiction and contemporary romance.

REVIEW: I Wanted to Tell You by Anna Mansell

Title: I Wanted to Tell You
Author: Anna Mansell
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: November 2018
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: “Sometimes I think that if I’d found a way to talk, we’d be together now…”

When Helen finds a bundle of unsent love letters, tied with a red ribbon, and signed only ‘the love you wished I could be’ , she wonders who they could belong to.

The same day, however, her husband Alex announces he’s leaving. She’d believed their love would last a lifetime, but now he’s gone and she hadn’t even realized there was anything wrong.

Desperate to understand, Helen doesn’t know where to look for answers. But the letters keep drawing her back. As she reads the words of loneliness, loss and regret, something in them helps her start to make sense of it all… Even as she realizes someone has been keeping heart-breaking secrets.

But who do the letters belong to? Can the sender ever be reunited with the one they love, or is it too late? And when Helen finds out the truth about Alex, can she find it in her heart to forgive him, or will he never be the love she wished he could be?

My Thoughts: This book made me feel both hopeful and heartbroken. Upon meeting Helen, I found it very easy to empathize with her as we have all been where she is. Her marriage is going through a rough patch and her husband takes off. She has no idea where he is or if he is ever coming back. While on her daily route as a bus driver, she finds a bundle of letters written anonymously. She wants to find the owner and return them but she feels drawn to read them and they begin to give her a lot of insight to her situation. I found the letters heartbreaking, written by someone who has lost the love of their life and living with massive regret at not being the person they should have been.

This story also touches on a couple of the bus riders Helen knows. One is an elderly man whose wife is advancing in dementia and the struggle he is facing with wanting to be her caretaker and putting her in a home that their daughter insists would be best. The other passenger is a homeless man that Helen allows to ride for free but doesn’t know a whole lot about.

The story moved at a wonderful pace with a unique and engaging story. The characters were complex and I was captivated by them all. This is the second book I have read by this author and I absolutely love her writing and will be looking for everything she has written.

My Final Verdict: Overall, if you are already a fan of this author and haven’t read this book yet, you are in for a treat. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy women’s fiction as well as stories that feature wonderful characters and realistic stories that make you feel all the feels.

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

REVIEW: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready

Title: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby (Josh and Gemma #1)
Author: Sarah Ready
Narrator: Erin Mallon
Publisher: Swift and Lewis Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: January 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: New Year’s Resolution:
Have a baby
Preferably with Josh Lewenthal

Meet Gemma Jacobs. She’s driven, energetic, and a positive thinker. She has a great career working for famed self-help guru Ian Fortune, she lives in a cute studio apartment in Manhattan, and her family is supportive and loving (albeit a little kooky). Her life is perfect. Absolutely wonderful.

Except for one tiny little thing.

After a decade of disastrous relationships and an infertility diagnosis, Gemma doesn’t want a Mr. Right (or even a Mr. Right Now), she just wants a baby.

And all she needs is an egg, some sperm, and IVF.

So Gemma makes a New Year’s resolution: have a baby.

Josh Lewenthal is a laid back, relaxed, find-the-humor-in-life kind of guy. The polar opposite of Gemma. He’s also her brother’s best friend. For the past twenty years Josh has attended every Jacobs’ family birthday, holiday, and event – he’s always around.

Gemma knows him. He’s nice (enough), he’s funny (-ish), he’s healthy (she thinks) and he didn’t burn any ants with a magnifying glass as a kid. Which, in Gemma’s mind, makes him the perfect option for a sperm donor.

So Gemma wants to make a deal. An unemotional, businesslike arrangement. No commitments, just a baby.

To Gemma’s surprise, Josh agrees.

They have nothing in common, except their agreement to make a baby and their desire to keep things businesslike.

But the thing about baby-making…it’s hard to keep it businesslike, it’s nearly impossible to keep it unemotional, and it’s definitely impossible to keep your heart out of the mix. Because when you’re making a baby together, things have a way of starting to feel like you’re making other things too – like a life, and a family, and love. And when the baby-making ends, you wish that everything else didn’t have to end too.

My Thoughts: First of all, I absolutely loved that Josh and Gemma have known each other forever. Even though Gemma isn’t looking for any kind of relationship, I was rooting so hard for them to realize they are meant to be together. I also liked the other women in Gemma’s infertility support group and enjoyed how they weren’t just background characters. The author did an exceptional job illustrating the infertility journey for all of these women and I felt so much empathy and compassion for their struggles to conceive. I also loved Gemma’s family and how they have included Josh and made him a part of their family as well.

This is the first book in a two book series and you must read this one first. I went with the audiobook format and the narration was performed by Erin Mallon. I thought her narration was flawless, giving all of the characters vibrance, wit and charm. This story moves at a wonderful pace, giving me time to get to know all the characters. The plot was clear, concise and original. Though I am sitting on several books by this author, this is my first experience reading her work. I don’t know how she or her books have been overlooked for so long but I am looking forward to reading more and catching up with Josh and Gemma in the sequel, Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book to readers of contemporary romance stories that tug on the heart as well as tickle the funny bone.

Thank you to the publisher, Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

Title: You Deserve Each Other
Author: Sarah Hogle
Narrator: Taylor Meskimen
Publisher: Penguin Group - Putnam
Publication Date: April 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

My Thoughts: This book was an absolute hoot! Imagine being engaged, the wedding is only a few months away and you are miserable and completely sick of them. Call off the wedding, right? Unfortunately, neither Naomi nor Nicholas wants to do that because the one who calls it off gets stuck with the bill. I know, it’s absurd. Who in their right mind would agree to that stipulation in the first place? Of course, neither Naomi nor Nicholas request a cease fire to talk about what’s happening.

As the acts of intentional sabotage are perpetrated against each other, I kept wondering if this was going to break out in an all-out war with one or both ending up dead. I also kept thinking all of this could have been avoided if they had just talked to one another and shared their feelings. Finding out Nicholas felt the same way about many of the things Naomi did regarding his mother and the way she took over the entire planning of the wedding gave me hope that they could get on the same page.

In addition to the numerous acts of sabotage that had my eyes almost bugging out of my head, there were several moments of eyes tearing up with laughter. This was my first experience reading this author and am looking forward to reading more of her work. I thoroughly enjoyed the crafting of the story and the snarky behavior of the characters. The audio narration performed by Taylor Meskimen added to the overall enjoyment.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book to readers who love contemporary romance, chick-lit and stories with characters who have no problem showing the world the worst version of themselves and are willing to risk it all for their happily ever after.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Group - Putnam, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The New Beginnings Coffee Club by Samantha Tonge

Title: The New Beginnings Coffee Club
Author: Samantha Tonge
Publisher: Harper Collins UK
Publication Date: May 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: Everyone deserves a second chance…don’t they?

Jenny Masters finds herself living the modern dream. Wife to a millionaire, living in a mansion and mother to Kardashian-obsessed ten-year-old April, there isn’t anything missing. Until her whole world comes crashing down, forcing Jenny and April to leave behind their glittering life and start over with nothing.

With village gossip following her wherever she goes, she finds refuge and a job in the new coffee shop in town. As the days pass Jenny fears she doesn’t have what it takes to pick herself back up and give April the life she always wanted to. But with the help of enigmatic new boss Noah, and housemate Elle, Jenny realizes it’s never too late to become the woman life really intended you to be!

My Thoughts: I love stories that are relationship driven filled with characters who are flawed and broken but manage to rise above the challenges they are facing by finding their place in a community with other flawed and broken people and begin to heal with love and friendship.

I liked Jenny but living in the lap of luxury for the past ten years clouded her perception about what is important. When she finds out about her husband’s infidelity and near bankrupt status, she and her spoiled daughter, April, find refuge in the village coffee shop owned by Noah, who appears as a shoulder to lean on and an ear willing to listen.

This story surprised me that while Jenny is navigating this new reality for her and her daughter, there are people all around her who are trying to navigate their own reality. Noah is struggling with a mysterious past and trying to make the coffee shop a success. His employee and roommate, Elle, is also trying to navigate her own path that has been challenging. I loved that Noah was willing to offer Jenny and her daughter room and board in exchange for Jenny working at the coffee shop. What initially begins as an act of mercy and compassion by Noah becomes a journey of healing for all of these people. I especially loved how Jenny’s daughter begins to see life outside of her posh friends and exclusive school and embraces the new experiences. With the exception of Jenny’s husband, I loved these characters and the bravery and determination they all demonstrate by not allowing their circumstances to keep them from growing and moving forward.

I have read a few books by this author but this one is my favorite so far. I have several waiting to be read and I’m hoping they will deliver like this one did. I felt such a strong connection to Jenny, Noah, Elle and April and had loads of empathy for each of them. This story flowed so smoothly and the pacing was excellent. None of the characters stayed mired in misery or regret which I also loved. I don’t know if the author has plans to write a follow up to this story but it would be great to visit with them again.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book to readers who love women’s fiction and stories rich in character development and relationships.

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