This was a book that grew on me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it (or the characters), until I continued reading. I had to know how each of the womenThis was a book that grew on me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it (or the characters), until I continued reading. I had to know how each of the women’s stories ended regardless of how I felt about them. I also really liked the character of Charlie, who was a best friend to Lane.
This story takes place in Los Angeles (hence the title), and revolves around the lives of two women. Lane Warren is a well reserved, classy, up and coming writer. Gala Margolis is sloppy, parties hard, and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. Gala looks out for number one- and that is herself.
We get dual timelines in this story and that is, Then 1965/66, and Now 1975/76. So this story took place when women weren’t yet totally liberated or had the freedom to choose to live so freely. During these timelines we get a lot of Lane’s backstory, and in that I really resonated with her character. Lane was a woman who never felt worthy of love, admiration, or even friendship. Gala on the other hand, well let’s just say I couldn’t stand her character. In fact, I’m left confused as to why Lane wanted to be friends with her in the first place. For me, Gala was a very unlikable character, and I was super glad that she went missing in this book.
All in all, I did enjoy this book as I very much enjoy Ella Berman’s writing. She can write about complex, complicated friendships and relationships better than any other author out there. However, this book was very slow moving and did take a while to get into- but in the end it was worth it. (3.5 stars- rounded up)
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. Publication date: August 5, 2005 Genre~ Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (adult)...more
So this was another book that took me an exceptionally long time to read. The chapters were super long (a major pet peeve of mine), and there was onlySo this was another book that took me an exceptionally long time to read. The chapters were super long (a major pet peeve of mine), and there was only one character that I connected with (which wasn’t enough to save this book for me unfortunately). The storyline flipped back and forth a little bit between time periods, with no heading on the chapters informing you of the time period (of course, as you began reading you could figure it out). This book also seemed to be a bit repetitious, and I couldn’t wait for the big reveal to happen (which wasn’t a very big shock or reveal at all).
This story focuses on Nicola moving to Block Island for the summer. Nicola is able to stay for free, at her very wealthy cousin David’s cottage. We come to find out that David has money because he married into wealth, which is Taylor Buchanan. Next door to Nicola’s cottage, many parties are taking place at Juliana George’s home. Juliana is the founder of LookBook, a hot fashion-tech company.
Throughout the book, we learn about the current and backstories of everyone involved. I rolled my eyes more than I can count. Nicola is a 29 year old woman, who in my opinion was very immature. She moved to Block Island for a fresh start, but she sure had lots of growing up to do. No other character in this book was likable. In fact, they were all pompous and self-righteous, except that of Juliana. If it wasn’t for Juliana’s character, I probably would have DNF’ed this book. She was the only relatable character.
After finally finishing this story and reading the Acknowledgements, I read that this story was inspired by The Great Gatsby. I hate to admit this, but I’ve never read The Great Gatsby- and maybe if I had I would have enjoyed this story more. ...more
After reading the author’s debut novel “She Started It�, which I absolutely loved, I couldn’t wait to read this newest release. While I did enjoy thisAfter reading the author’s debut novel “She Started It�, which I absolutely loved, I couldn’t wait to read this newest release. While I did enjoy this book, I think I’ve just gotten to a point where I’m a little tired of locked room (yacht) mysteries. This story had many POV’s to keep track of (which was fairly easy once the story took off), but then I felt it started to drag on through the middle. Now, I will admit that I didn’t read this book as fast as I usually do because of other life activities going on, so I’m not sure if that affected how I felt each time I picked the book back up�
To briefly sum this story up, we have Sasha who gets a dream job on the billionaire yacht ‘Ophelia�. Sasha thinks this job as a stewardess on the yacht will be an escape from her past. Little does Sasha know that she has walked into another nightmare.
Upon arriving on the ‘Ophelia�, Sasha meets all her coworkers/stewardesses, and amazingly they look exactly like she does. Sasha no longer stands out as being blond and beautiful, because the other stewardesses are blond and beautiful as well. They are exact replicas of each other. Sasha also finds out that these other women that she works with are not very friendly, and they are very cutthroat. How will Sasha survive this journey in the middle of the Atlantic ocean when women and items go disappearing almost daily?
If you like locked room mysteries, with lots of finger pointing ...more
When I was invited to read this book, I could not pass it up due to its stunning, beautiful cover. I also loved the synopsis and thought that I would When I was invited to read this book, I could not pass it up due to its stunning, beautiful cover. I also loved the synopsis and thought that I would resonate with our main character, Gwen Gilmore. However. I found that looks can be deceiving and I should have read the synopsis more carefully because there was just WAY too much going on in this story. In fact, I felt that it was a bit all over the place and I unfortunately lost interest very early on.
To briefly sum this story up, Gwen goes back to her home in Maine (which is called the Periwinkle), after being away for twenty years. Gwen reconnects with old friends, looks for new employment, finds new love, deals with old grief from her past, and even deals with ghosts living in her home ...more
This was a book that I was hesitant to read, because going by the synopsis it seems this book has been done many times before. However, this book was This was a book that I was hesitant to read, because going by the synopsis it seems this book has been done many times before. However, this book was different and so much better than the others before it. The writing was stellar, I loved the characters current development and backstories, and the settings were described perfectly. But� the one problem I did end up having with this book was that it ended up being too lengthy.
This story starts off with Nina Drayton, who goes back to the south of France to her childhood home where her older sister Tamara was killed. Nina was only five years old at the time of the murder, and she decides to go back home to relive that day to see if her memories were right. Nina has struggled her whole life after her sister’s death, relied on several different medications to get through a day- never quite sure of herself. Nina now works as a child psychologist, and her mother and brother are not very happy about her new choice in life.
Josie Jackson is the girl who spent ten years in prison for the death of Nina’s sister, Tamara Drayton. Since being released from prison she has never found any stability in her life, and cannot go back to her hometown since she is shunned there. But was Josie really guilty of Tamara’s murder?
It isn’t until Imogen Faye, a true crime TikTokker reopens the case of Tamara Drayton that new evidence comes to light. This book goes back and forth between 2004 and 2024, and you get a clear picture of all the characters lives. I was especially fond of Nina’s character, and I would have liked to have read more about her in this book.
This book was divided into Four Parts, and I will say that I really loved the first two parts- and then parts Three and Four seemed to drag on. I do feel that’s when the book started to get a bit too lengthy, and fill with unnecessary drama and details. However, I did mostly enjoy this book and I do plan on reading more from this author in the future. (3.5 stars)
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. Publication date: August 12, 2025 Genre~ General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers, New Adult...more
This is what reading is all about. It’s been a very long time since a book has captured my attention the way that “Broken Country� has. I was captivatThis is what reading is all about. It’s been a very long time since a book has captured my attention the way that “Broken Country� has. I was captivated by each page. In fact, I was sad to see this story end. This is by far my favorite book of the year, and I am recommending that everyone add it to your list now. I was filled with every raw emotion available. There was love, heartbreak, grief, anger, intensity, and sadness. In fact, have tissues handy because the ending will probably leave you needing some.
This story takes place in the ‘Before� of 1955, and also during the present time (of the story) of 1968. There is also a Trial taking place, but we really don’t get a full description of this trial until near the end of the story. Everything flows so seamlessly and flawlessly, that there were no questions left unanswered or any type of confusion. The chapters were short, which in turn made this mesmerizing story easy to keep wanting more. Each character was easy to resonate with, and you couldn’t help but to feel like you personally knew each and every one of them.
I won’t get too much into this story as you can easily read the synopsis, and besides I literally have no words. All I know is that the characters of Beth and her husband Frank (and that of Gabriel) will stay with me for a long while after this. This book deserves All. The. Stars. ...more
Will 2025 be the year for great books? It’s certainly looking that way after reading this gem from Lisa Jewell. This book was another jaw-dropping, paWill 2025 be the year for great books? It’s certainly looking that way after reading this gem from Lisa Jewell. This book was another jaw-dropping, page turner that delivered on every aspect for me. Let’s just say that Jewell certainly did her homework for this book.
I’m not going to go into too much on what this book is about, as I feel I would give the whole book away. This is a book that needs to be read and enjoyed page by page (although some things will make you pretty angry). I feel you will get a clear look on how single women with not much family, or perhaps women who are vulnerable or dealing with a tragedy or grief can so easily get taken advantage of by men like Al (or whatever his name was). Men like Al find women who are easy prey or perhaps a meal ticket for their own sick world in which they live.
I loved the short chapters in this book (my favorite). And as I mentioned above, Lisa Jewell did her homework on this one about narcissistic/toxic men- and she is spot on! I was teetering between four and five stars with this one, but I decided to bump it up because she nailed it so perfectly!! I also enjoyed the Epilogue at the end. :)
If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell, and love fast-paced books- then I definitely recommend reading this one!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books (Simon & Schuster), and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: June 24, 2025...more
This was another book that I was eagerly anticipating. I loved the author’s previous book “House of Glass�, so I had high hopes for this book. While IThis was another book that I was eagerly anticipating. I loved the author’s previous book “House of Glass�, so I had high hopes for this book. While I did like this book, I didn’t love it unfortunately. I did love the short chapters, and the alternating POV’s between Georgia and Mandy. But the shock value just wasn’t there for me in this story, and I still feel like I have some questions/details that need to be addressed.
Georgia Cartwright, a wealthy woman wakes up in a locked ward accused of bludgeoning her younger sister to death. She is refusing to speak to anyone, but only wants to see one person and that is Amanda (Mandy) Ravenel.
Imagine Mandy’s surprise when she receives a call from Georgia’s public defender to go and meet his client- considering they have never met before. Due to curiosity and some sort of connection, Mandy goes to visit Georgia and she learns some deep secrets that turn her life upside down.
In this book you will learn about sibling rivalry, twin connections, wealth, what it’s like to be locked up in a psych ward, family relationships (or lack thereof), and then we get a little bit of suspense/shock value� I still feel like there were some missing details (which probably shouldn’t be that big of a deal), but it did bring my rating down a bit because of it. All in all, it was still a decent read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: August 5, 2025...more
This chilling book was exactly what I have been looking for. If only the weather where I live was colder (and snowing), this book would have been perfThis chilling book was exactly what I have been looking for. If only the weather where I live was colder (and snowing), this book would have been perfection (and trust me, it was pretty close to it). This book was atmospheric, as it takes place in Bifrost, Iceland. Not only could I picture the snow falling, the ice covered roads, the knee-deep walkways filled with snow, but I could also feel the cold temperatures going through my skin- making me need just one more blanket to keep warm. ☕️ The suspense also sent chills down my spine, and I was so sorry when this book ended. I also personally resonated with our main character of Agnes, as she suffered a leg injury. The healing journey of a shattered kneecap/ leg injury is a painful one, and there is the before version of yourself and the after version of yourself�
This story is about Agnes Glin, who goes on a trip to Iceland alone to take part in a podcast. The podcast is run by Nora Carver, and Nora is digging up a case from 40 years ago which involves the murders of Agnes’s late grandmother and aunt. Agnes’s grandfather, Einar Palsson, is suspected of those murders, and Agnes would like to hopefully prove his innocence.
As soon as Agnes arrives in Iceland, another young girl goes missing. So along with trying to interview people from her grandparents past, Agnes and Nora are also on a hunt for the missing girl. In search of the missing girl and through Agnes’s travels, she braves through the cold temperatures and the blizzard-like snow taking place. Agnes deals with the flashbacks of her leg injury, and her current pain and loss that she is going through. The grief, trauma, and suspense kept me turning these pages faster and faster.
This book was a pleasant surprise, and I definitely recommend reading this book. I also found a new author to read, because I enjoyed her writing very much!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure to read. Publication date: January 14, 2025....more
I know that Alafair Burke is a much loved author amongst my ŷ friends, therefore I was very excited to receive an ARC of this book. This is myI know that Alafair Burke is a much loved author amongst my ŷ friends, therefore I was very excited to receive an ARC of this book. This is my first read by Alafair Burke, and I hate to say that I wasn’t that impressed with this book. I’m sure there are other books of hers that I would like more, but this one just didn’t work for me. It was a short read, and it took me nearly a week to read this (not a good sign). I did not like one character (which usually isn’t a dealbreaker for me), but unlikable characters and a slow moving storyline just made it worse.
In this story we have three friends- May, Lauren, and Kelsey. Their friendship is a bit toxic, and they have decided to spend a weekend together in the Hampton’s after several years apart. The three women go out to dinner and while waiting for a parking spot, a young couple steals their spot that they were waiting for. A note is then left which is supposed to be a harmless prank. How will this innocent note tie all these women together into a crime they were not involved in? And why do all three girls have things from their pasts that have ruined their reputations?
This book deals with instances from the pandemic, race, gender, rich white men having power, and even some courtroom drama. I just felt like I’ve read too many of these books within the past few years, and I’ve definitely had my fill. However, I’m sure many Alafair Burke fans will still love this book. 2.5 stars- rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, & Anchor, and the author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication date: January 7, 2025...more
This was my fourth read by Sandie Jones, and my least favorite. In fact, I couldn’t wait for this book to finally be over. If I wasn’t reading and revThis was my fourth read by Sandie Jones, and my least favorite. In fact, I couldn’t wait for this book to finally be over. If I wasn’t reading and reviewing this book for NetGalley, I probably would have put this book in the DNF pile, as it was a complete waste of my time. All the characters were unlikable (and not in a good way), there was absolutely zero substance to this story, and every “twist and turn� was unnecessary and totally not shocking.
This story is mainly about Nicole, who is living a new life in California. We have flashbacks from Nicole’s life in London, 1986 to now in California, 2010. Nicole has a younger sister Cassie, who is a complete whack-job. Cassie is deplorable and delusional, and chases a rock band around town called “Secret Oktober�. How does this famous band change the course of their lives forever? Especially Nicole’s? Well, if you would like a bunch of eye-rolling moments, then I suggest you read this book and find out!
As I mentioned above, this my least favorite by this author. In fact, I feel like this was written by a totally different author (who kidnapped Sandie Jones? And can we please have her back?!). Maybe others will enjoy this more than I did if you enjoy reading about young groupies, and twists that really don’t go anywhere�
I would still like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for an ARC of this book. Publication date is: March 25, 2025 Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers...more
Imagine my excitement and surprise when I saw this was the sequel to “The Light We Lost� by Jill Santopolo (which if you haven’t read that book, pleasImagine my excitement and surprise when I saw this was the sequel to “The Light We Lost� by Jill Santopolo (which if you haven’t read that book, please do yourself a favor and have tissues ready ...more
This is yet another book that I didn’t know I needed (wait, yes I did), by Lysa TerKeurst. This woman gets it. She doesn’t deny or sugarcoat her pain This is yet another book that I didn’t know I needed (wait, yes I did), by Lysa TerKeurst. This woman gets it. She doesn’t deny or sugarcoat her pain and struggles, which makes her stories and books so relatable. I often feel that I am alone in my struggles, feelings, and thoughts and then along comes a book like this to let me know there are others feeling just like me. Also, after each chapter in this book there was a reflection and prayer given- which was so nice because it really made you sit and think about what you just read.
Of course this book is about trusting again, and using our own discernment and wisdom. Each chapter goes into great detail about regaining trust in others and what we should be watching for to keep ourselves safe. I loved every chapter in this book, but Chapter Three on identifying red flags ...more
I think this was the longest book that I’ve ever read� I seriously didn’t think that it would ever end. This book literally buried me in guilt. Guilt I think this was the longest book that I’ve ever read� I seriously didn’t think that it would ever end. This book literally buried me in guilt. Guilt that I should have put this in the DNF pile several days ago. I will say that I wanted to read this book as I loved Winstead’s, “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife�- in fact I loved that book so much, that I keep looking for the same “high� I got with that book with every other Ashley Winstead book. Unfortunately, it just hasn’t happened. Each book I’ve read of hers after that one has been less and less appealing for me, with this one being the worst. With that being said- I think it’s time that I part ways with this author (it’s not you Ashley, it’s me), as we are just not a good fit anymore. :(
In this story, we have Janeway Sharp who unexpectedly loses her father. With this devastating news, she leaves college and moves back home with her mother. Jane is grieving (and rightfully so), and so she joins a true-crime online forum to help solve murders and cold cases. On this online forum, Jane makes many new friends who become like family to her. Solving crimes may just be what Jane needs to distract her from her own pain and grief.
This book is a work of fiction, which reads kind of like nonfiction (does that make sense?). In the very beginning of the book there is an Author’s Note, in which she states that she drew her inspiration for the stories from real cases, such as the University of Idaho (which played a major role in this book). I felt that were too many characters to keep track of, or maybe I just didn’t want to. I also felt that this book was geared towards a younger audience. I wish this book would have worked better for me, but it ended up not being my cup of tea�
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and the author for a DRC of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication date: March 25, 2025 Genre~ General Fiction (adult), Mystery & Thrillers, Women’s Fiction...more
After reading an article on People magazine’s website about this book coming out, and some of what Moon Unit Zappa’s life has been about, I immediatelAfter reading an article on People magazine’s website about this book coming out, and some of what Moon Unit Zappa’s life has been about, I immediately knew I wanted to read this memoir. I was right in my feelings, because this memoir did not disappoint.
Growing up I had always heard of Frank Zappa and knew who he was, but the only song I know by him is that of the one he created with his daughter, Moon Unit for “Valley Girl�. I think everybody loved that song! “Valley girl, she’s a valley girl. Okay, fine. For sure, for sure. She’s a Valley girl, and there is no cure�. ...more
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