REVIEW: The Vow by Debbie Howells

Title: The Vow
Author: Debbie Howells
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Publication Date: October 2020
Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Everything was perfect. And then her fiancé disappeared…

Two weeks before her wedding, a stranger stops Amy in the street and warns her she’s in danger. Then that night, Matt, her fiancé, doesn’t come home. Desperate, Amy calls the police – but when Matt fails to emerge, she’s forced to call off her wedding day.

Then another man is reported missing, by a woman called Fiona – a man meeting Matt’s description, who was about to leave his fiancée for her. He was supposed to be moving in with her – but instead, he’s vanished.

Amy refuses to believe Fiona’s lover can be her Matt – but photos prove otherwise, and it soon becomes clear that Matt has been leading a double life. As the police dig deeper, two conflicting, yet equally plausible stories emerge from two women who allegedly have never met.

The wedding day never happened. But the funeral might.

My Thoughts: 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

The Vow by new to me author Debbie Howells is a twisty domestic suspense novel that asks the question of how well we know the people closest to us. Our friends certainly, but more importantly, the people we are planning to marry.

Such is the case for Amy Reid. She is two weeks away from marrying Matt Rouche when he suddenly disappears without a trace. Frantic, Amy is beside herself with worry. Slowly, the reader is introduced to events that happened almost thirty years in the past that obviously are connected to Amy but is not made clear for over two-thirds of the book. In addition, the reader is also made aware that Matt is seeing another woman behind Amy’s back and is apparently set to leave Amy for this woman when he disappeared.

Throw in the fact that in addition to learning about this woman, Amy also learns that Matt made advances to her best friend and had a fling with the wedding planner. My head began to spin and I started to feel dizzy from all the back and forth.

Insights into the relationship between Amy and Matt also reveal a sinister side that depicts Matt as an abusive man who regularly gaslights Amy. Amy’s daughter, Jess, doesn’t trust Matt and thinks he was out to get Amy’s money, due to his repeated attempts to pressure Amy to sell her house. When evidence starts to appear that implicates Amy in Matt’s disappearance and numerous people convey to the police during questioning that Amy is unstable, it became hard for me to know who the real victims and suspects were.

I thought this story was engaging and interesting. I was anxious to find out what was going on. I didn’t want to believe Amy was behind Matt’s disappearance and the story begins right around his disappearance so it was difficult for me to get to know Matt. All I had was hearsay, theories and opinions from other people. Amy comes across as frantic, who wouldn’t be given the circumstances, and a bit whiny when trying to convince the police she is innocent and being set up.

I never liked the other woman, Fiona at all. I had no respect for this character and felt she had no integrity for messing around with a man she knows is already in a relationship. I was a little surprised when the connection between Amy and Fiona is made clear, but I was still confused about what it all had to do with Matt’s disappearance.

My favorite character was Amy’s daughter, Jess. For a university student who doesn’t have a lot of years of life experience, she displays a cool head, steady emotions and sharp logic in her attempts to get to the truth and help her mother. Amy is lucky to have such a wonderful daughter.

The plot moves a bit slow but begins to pick up as more happens. I began this book with the audio format and really tried to restrain my annoyance at Amy’s whining knowing that I most likely would come across the same way in her shoes. I finished the book with the Kindle format and recommend this format over the audiobook for that reason.

My Final Verdict: Overall, readers who enjoy stories that are twisty in the suspense and thriller genre should grab this book. If this genre isn’t your cup of tea, this author has published several books in the women’s fiction and romance genres as well. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author as she writes in all of my favorite genres.

Thank you to the publisher, Avon Books UK, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Title: Lessons in Chemistry
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Narrator: Miranda Raison
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publication Date: April 2022
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

My Thoughts: One of my observations throughout this entire book is that Elizabeth Zott seems to go out of her way, almost expertly, to keep people at a distance. She doesn’t demonstrate any of the social niceties one expects, especially from women. Most of us are automatically social and go out of our way to be courteous and mannerly. Elizabeth isn’t rude or hostile, but she isn’t someone you could call nice or personable. It could put a reader off of this story because it may be difficult to relate to Elizabeth or have any empathy for her.

This highly thought-provoking story takes that theory and tosses it right out the window. Getting to know Elizabeth wasn’t necessarily easy but once I began to see glimpses of who she was behind the chemist lab coat, I found her to be very intriguing. A woman who is seeking a career in the 1950s over marriage and children is not heard of. What’s wrong with this woman? How dare she try to break the barrier of the patriarchal society of the chest beating men? Men who have no problem expecting her to make their coffee on demand and willing to resort to violence to keep a woman in line.

Thankfully, not all men share this view. Calvin Evans is the male version of Elizabeth Zott. Like Elizabeth, he is very committed to his work and dedicated to science. He recognizes in Elizabeth a kindred spirit and she recognizes the same in him. I thoroughly enjoyed the way they met and despite the initial conflict and their butting heads, their relationship was wonderful to see develop.

The supporting characters were a great addition to the story and added more depth and detail in and out of the lab. I especially loved the dog, Six-Thirty, and enjoyed his thoughts and assessments. Elizabeth’s daughter, Mad, is smart beyond her years, but that comes as no surprise, given who her mother is.

The story moves at a wonderful pace and the reader is not bogged down in details or trying to keep everyone straight. This story gave me all the feels. I laughed and cried. I was intrigued, curious, pleased and angry at different points in the story. It bothers me that our society pretends to have its act together, but not that long ago, women were treated like property. Her place was in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant. The workplace was not accepting of women and a woman’s employment was typically terminated if she became pregnant. Unfortunately, gender and race equality are still a problem in society.

My Final Verdict: Lessons in Chemistry is a debut novel and Bonnie Garmus delivers an amazing story. I highly recommend this story be read by all women, naturally, but also men as a reminder that women also have meaningful contributions to our society and that should be celebrated.

REVIEW: Rosie's Little Cafe on the Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet

Title: Rosie’s Little Café on the Riviera
Author: Jennifer Bohnet
Publisher: Harper Collins UK / HQ Digital
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: A summer of taking chances!

Rosie Hewitt’s dream of opening a little French café on the Riviera is finally coming true. She’s giving up on love and instead chasing her own perfect recipe for happiness…

Only, she never expected the oh-so-sexy, award-winning chef, Sebastian Groc, to set up a rival restaurant next door – or for his freshly-baked croissants to smell quite so delicious.

But with just a few days until she opens her doors and all her sugar-coated dreams crumbling around her, Rosie isn’t prepared to give up without a fight!

My Thoughts: When I started reading this story, it felt like it was part of a series as the main character has already begun her adventure of opening her café on the Riviera. It appears this is a stand-alone novel. I also thought this story was going to be an enemies to lovers trope with Rosie facing some heavy-duty competition from Sebastian, but that was never the case. I definitely felt that the back cover blurb was misleading, but thankfully it did not take away from the story.

I liked watching the friendship between Rosie and Sebastian begin to blossom into something more. I was surprised to discover that there were no bedroom scenes between these pages. It was kind of refreshing to see a couple discover their feelings for one another over time instead of jumping into bed. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy spice in my stories, but something sweet once in a while is a nice change.

The supporting characters and their backstories add to the charm of this book and I would be highly negligent if I don’t mention the best character of all, the locale of this story, the French Riviera. The author does a fantastic job of illustrating this region so beautifully, the reader can easily transport themselves there and find themselves sitting at Rosie’s café enjoying an iced coffee while people watching.

This story was a fun read. The characters were easy to relate to and the plot flowed seamlessly. There were some moments in the story that got me misty eyed as well as laughing out loud. This was my first book by this author and I look forward to discovering more of her work.

My Final Verdict: Readers who enjoy stories with interesting characters and situations that make you laugh and cry will enjoy this book. I recommend this story to fans of contemporary romance. Take this book to your nearest café and enjoy an iced coffee and croissant while reading, be it on the Riviera or somewhere closer to your neighborhood.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins UK / HQ Digital, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Bride for a Time by Audrey Adair

Title: Bride for a Time (Love for All Times #1)
Author: Audrey Adair
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: July 2017
Genre: Time Travel Romance

Description: Jaime Abernathy's life has been turned upside-down -- she no longer has a boyfriend, a job, or a place to live, but has a yearning for something that she can't quite place. She decides to follow her heart to Scotland, the home of her ancestors. Her parents have passed, and she feels called to the place of her roots. Her first morning there, while out walking in the woods of her ancestral family home, she falls and awakens in the 16th Century, in the arms of Alec McDermont.

Alec is soon to be Laird of the McDermonts. He is to be married to the wretched Alexandra Gillie of a warring clan in the pretense of creating peace, but he senses something treacherous. He'll do anything to keep the marriage from happening, and when he finds Jaime in the woods, he senses a way out.

Jaime doesn't believe she's in the 16th century. Alec doesn't believe she's time traveled. But their feelings for each other pull them closer together as everything else is tearing them apart. Will they find happily ever after?

My Thoughts: Ever since my cousin pointed me in the direction of time travel romances over thirty years ago, I have been a die-hard fan and will rarely turn down the opportunity to read one. Unfortunately, the market is flooded with this genre and there are definitely some that fail to deliver enough unique elements that the reader can suspend disbelief. This story is a short and quick read and though it didn’t deliver all of the exciting elements I have come to look for in a time travel story, it was enjoyable.

I liked Jaime and Alec individually, but I didn’t feel the chemistry for them as a couple. Perhaps if the story had been longer, more time could have been devoted to building their connection into something more believable. It didn’t feel right to me that these two meet, dismiss the idea that they come from different centuries, sleep together and then get married. Even if Jaime could return to her time and the marriage to Alec wouldn’t be legal, it just didn’t ring true or logical for me. I also wish there had been more detail regarding the tension between Alec’s family and the Gillie clan. Unfortunately, this part felt rushed.

I enjoyed that the story is set in Crieff, Scotland, which is a real town in Perthshire. I wasn’t there in the sixteenth century, but present day Crieff is quite charming and I enjoyed the time I spent there.

My Final Verdict: Overall, fans of time travel romances will likely enjoy this offering of time travel, but there are so many more options out there that will offer more depth, plot and character development. This story is part of a series but I will not be pursuing it.

Thank you to the author, Audrey Adair, for the invitation to read and review.