Jess �'s bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:05:35 -0700 60 Jess �'s bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Wildfire (The Maple Hills, #2)]]> 217586273 The latest in the Maple Hills series follows two summer camp counselors who reconnect after a sizzling one-night stand.

Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.

Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.

Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing� rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?]]> 416 Hannah Grace 1668091968 Jess � 0 to-read 4.41 2023 Wildfire (The Maple Hills, #2)
author: Hannah Grace
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/11
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]]> A Gardin Wedding 217453555 One of the Gardin women must navigate a season rich with unexpected challenges in the follow-up to The Gardins of Edin, a heartwarming story about love, forgiveness, new beginnings, and what it takes to get there.

Martha Gardin is a mess. And everyone in the Gardin family knows it. A successful physician, Martha is usually the source of the Gardin family drama, but her heart is in the right place� sometimes. So, the Gardins are pleasantly surprised when Martha mellows out after she begins dating Oji Greenwald, one of the most eligible bachelors in town.

As Martha’s relationship with Oji deepens, she thinks she’s finally about to have the life she’s always wanted. But when Martha attempts to intervene in a health crisis in Oji’s family, she draws the ire of Oji’s mother, Eve Greenwald, which jeopardizes everything. Suddenly, Martha finds herself on a journey full of challenges that force her to deal with her previous mistakes, reconcile her past, and forge a path forward.

Will she be able to look beyond the superficial to find what she’s really needed all along?]]> 304 Rosey Lee 0593445511 Jess � 0 to-read 4.10 A Gardin Wedding
author: Rosey Lee
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.10
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]]> Hemlock & Silver 217388302 From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White� steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind.

Healer Anja knows little of politics but much of poisons. When she is summoned to treat the mysterious illness afflicting the king’s daughter, she finds herself against the clock, desperate to track down the source of the poison killing Princess Snow. But the chance discovery of a strange alternate world inside a magic mirror leads Anja to darker discoveries, including what really happened to Snow’s dead sister, Rose, and why their mother seemingly went mad and cut out her heart.

Aided by a taciturn bodyguard, a narcissistic cat, and a late Renaissance understanding of the scientific method, Anja must navigate the mysteries of the mirror world before the dark queen that dwells within rises to threaten them all.]]> 368 T. Kingfisher 1250342031 Jess � 0 to-read 4.35 2025 Hemlock & Silver
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/09
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]]> The Unmapping 216539720 Intimate and spellbinding, The Unmapping is a character-driven, literary speculative exploration of a city’s descent into chaos and confusion, perfect for fans of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid.Ěý

4 a.m., New York City. A silent disaster.Ěý

There is no flash of light, no crumbling, no quaking. Each person in New York wakes up on an unfamiliar block when the buildings all switch locations overnight. The power grid has snapped, thousands of residents are missing, and the Empire State Building is on Coney Island—for now. The next night, it happens again.Ěý

Esme Green and Arjun Varma work for the City of New York’s Emergency Management team and are tasked with disaster response for the Unmapping. As Esme tries to wade through the bureaucratic nightmare of an endlessly shuffling city, she’s distracted by the ongoing search for her missing fiancĂ©. Meanwhile, Arjun focuses on the ground-level rescue of disoriented New Yorkers, hoping to become the hero the city needs.ĚýĚý


While scientists scramble to find a solution—or at least a means to cope—and mysterious “red cloakâ€� cults crop up in the disaster’s wake, New York begins to reckon with a new reality no one recognizes. For Esme and Arjun, the fight to hold the city together will mean tackling questions about themselves that they were too afraid to ask—and facing answers they never expected. With themes of climate change, political unrest, and life in a state of emergency, The Unmapping is a timely and captivating debut.Ěý]]> 408 Denise S. Robbins Jess âś� 0 to-read 3.55 2025 The Unmapping
author: Denise S. Robbins
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2025
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]]> The Dead Husband Cookbook 220481352 She has the recipe for the perfect murder...

Maria Capello is a celebrity chef like no other. A household name, an inspiration, an icon. Her dozens of cookbooks and weekly television show, broadcast from her beautiful Italian-style kitchen, not to mention her line of bestselling supermarket sauces. And of course there's her history. Once just the timid wife of famous chef Damien Capello, she stepped into the spotlight after Damien's mysterious disappearance twenty years before. An event she's never spoken about publicly until now, when it is announced that she is looking for a publisher for her memoirs.

Why is Maria willing to finally break her silence? Why does she turn down seven-figure offers from large publishing houses and sign up with a small press? And why does she do so on the condition that it is edited by Thea Woods? Thea is a lifelong fan but has never met Maria and can't figure it out, plus she had been planning to hand in her notice that very day. But when she is invited to Maria's remote farm to work on the manuscript, she can't resist. After all, she may finally learn whether the rumours are that Maria killed Damien for his recipes and the legendary 'secret ingredient'...

A deliciously rich thriller, perfect for readers of Bella Mackie's How To Kill Your Family and Alexia Casale's The Best Way to Bury Your Husband]]> 352 Danielle Valentine 1728276918 Jess � 0 to-read 4.09 2025 The Dead Husband Cookbook
author: Danielle Valentine
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
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]]> She Didn't See It Coming 220999092 “No one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena.”—Ruth Ware

The new gripping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

When a beloved wife and mother disappears, a luxurious condo building transforms into a potential crime scene, and the investigation begins: can the detectives find her before it's too late?

Bryden and Sam have it all: thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condominium, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden–working from home that day–has failed to collect their daughter from daycare. Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her cell phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.]]> 352 Shari Lapena 0593832442 Jess � 0 to-read 4.00 2025 She Didn't See It Coming
author: Shari Lapena
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Only Between Us (Oakwood Bay, #2)]]> 220161497 The highly anticipated sequel to the “achingly tender and deliciously sexy� (Jillian Meadows, author of Give Me Butterflies) Only in Your Dreams is a steamy, whip-smart sports romance about a former pro football star who agrees to fake date the fan-favorite ex of another high-profile NFL player so they can both save what’s most dear to them while fighting their growing feelings for each other.

After a death-defying injury sidelined him for two seasons, Brooks Attwood’s pro football comeback has hit a major snag. Naughty photos from a post-break-up bender have leaked, and they’re killing his chances with the Rebels—his old team, and the only one he wants to play on.

As he trains with the hope of being signed before the first kickoff of the season, Brooks’s plans to keep a low profile are suddenly upended when his selfie with a fiery fan goes viral, and tabloids mistake them as the football world’s newest It couple.

Turns out, Siena Pippen is the ex-girlfriend of the “face� of the League. And she wants nothing more to do with that world after being with her nightmare ex. While she and Brooks are busy blaming each other for the media circus surrounding them, NFL teams are suddenly scrambling to sign a housebroken Brooks. Meanwhile, Siena realizes that all this buzz could be the Hail Mary her family’s struggling business needs.

Together, Brooks and Siena hatch a ignore the will to kill each other and pretend to be madly in love—at least, until Brooks signs with a team. But the longer they pretend, the less fake their fauxmance begins to feel…and Brooks becomes as determined to convince Siena they’re truly meant to be as he is to land a spot on the Rebels� roster.]]> 416 Ellie K. Wilde 1668093839 Jess � 0 to-read 4.26 2025 Only Between Us (Oakwood Bay, #2)
author: Ellie K. Wilde
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
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]]> The Wife Before 59201362
Samira settles into the mansion, blissfully happy—until she discovers long-hidden journals belonging to Roland’s late wife, Melanie, who died in a tragic accident. With each dusty page, Samira comes to realize that perhaps it was no accident at all—that perhaps her perfect husband is not as perfect as she thought. Even as her trust in Roland begins to dwindle and a shadow falls over her marriage and she begins to fear for her own life, Samira is determined to uncover the truth of Melanie’s troubled last days. But even good wives should know that the truth is not always what it seems . . .]]> 320 Shanora Williams 1496731115 Jess � 0 to-read 3.68 2022 The Wife Before
author: Shanora Williams
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> El Dorado Drive 220239062 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout comes a simmering, atmospheric novel of friendship and betrayal, following a women-led pyramid scheme in suburban Detroit.

“Abbott is a superstar of the suspense genre.� —NPR

All I want is to be innocent again. But that’s not how it works. Especially not after the Wheel.

When Harper moves in with her sister Pam, she’s surprised to find Pam doing so well financially after her messy divorce. After all, Pam’s ex-husband wiped their bank accounts, even stole from their kids. But Pam managed to find her way back. Thanks to the Wheel�

Twice a month, the women of the Wheel meet. New members bring cash to the party that is pooled together and then gifted to one lucky member. It’s all about giving back. Lifting each other up. As women should. As they must.

But when Harper is invited, with the promise of an end to her financial burdens, the sisters inadvertently unleash a darkness lurking within the group. If they’re not careful, it might just get them killed.

Megan Abbott turns her keen eye toward women and money in El Dorado Drive, a riveting story about greed, power, and vulnerability, and how desperation draws out our most destructive impulses.]]> 368 Megan Abbott 0593084969 Jess � 0 to-read 3.83 2025 El Dorado Drive
author: Megan Abbott
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2025
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]]> Now She's Dead 217476752 Last summer, Sara Ellis was found dead by the lake, and only Mandy knows what really happened.

This summer, she's desperate to keep it a secret.

For a few weeks every summer, Sara was Mandy's best friend. At Highmark, the lake resort where their families vacationed, the two were in a world of their own. Or at least Mandy got to be part of Sara's world.

But now Sara’s dead. The police ruled her death an accident; a tragic mistake after a night of impaired judgment. For the past year, Mandy's coped by escaping: leaving home and barely keeping it together at school. The last thing she wants to do is return to Highmark this summer—even if she does need "closure." As soon as she's back, though, she hears the whispers: someone killed Sara Ellis.

And if she’s not careful, they'll figure out it's all her fault.

As evidence resurfaces and anonymous accusations are scrawled in angry red spray paint, Mandy must confront the truths she's been avoiding about last summer. Because someone wants to make her pay for what happened to Sara that night.]]> 400 Roselyn Clarke 1464223483 Jess � 0 to-read 4.38 2025 Now She's Dead
author: Roselyn Clarke
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
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]]> Falling 56614951
There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don't know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot's family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.]]> 304 T.J. Newman 1982177888 Jess � 4 RTC. ]]> 3.79 2021 Falling
author: T.J. Newman
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
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review:
i really liked this one.
RTC.
]]> The Hitchhikers 221711793 WITH OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD . . .

Chevy Stevens has garnered acclaim from literary giants,
including Stephen King who called THOSE GIRLS “incredibly scary and suspenseful� and Gillian Flynn who called STILL MISSING “utterly absorbing.�

With THE HITCHHIKERS, she forges new ground with a novel that will both terrify you and break your heart.

On the remote Canadian highways in 1976, Tom and Alice set out to heal their fractured marriage.
An RV, a new beginning, and the hope of recovery after a devastating tragedy.
Then they meet two young hitchhikers,
Ocean and Blue—a seemingly innocent couple who aren’t who they seem. . . .
They are Jenny and Simon.
And they have left a trail of blood, destruction, and madness behind them.
Now Tom and Alice are trapped—prisoners in a deadly game, with nowhere to turn.
But as the tension builds and the lines blur,
the question becomes, In whose heart does evil truly lie?

A chilling, twist-laden ride to the final page—THE HITCHHIKERS is a master class in suspense and shock.]]> 384 Chevy Stevens Jess � 0 currently-reading 4.04 2025 The Hitchhikers
author: Chevy Stevens
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
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]]> The Familiar 211004837
What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.]]> 400 Leigh Bardugo 1250884276 Jess � 0 to-read 4.06 2024 The Familiar
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Pucking Around (Jacksonville Rays Hockey, #1)]]> 222894045
My name is Rachel Price, and two months ago I walked away from The Perfect Man—sweet, funny, and so sexy he should be illegal. We shared one magical night. No names. No strings. I never thought I’d see him again. I was wrong.

As it turns out, Mr. Perfect is the playboy grinder for the Jacksonville Rays, the NHL’s hottest new hockey team . . . and thanks to the ten-month fellowship I just landed, I’m his new physical therapist. Imagine my anticipation as those familiar muscled legs walk towards me, the way my pulse races as he reaches out to . . . shake my hand. The jerk doesn’t even recognize me!

This is going to be the longest ten months of my life. Because now Mr. Perfect Mistake is determined to use his every seductive trick to win me back. Meanwhile, I also have to contend with his best friend the surly team equipment manager, and an exasperatingly stubborn, superstitious goalie who’s convinced I’m his good luck charm.

This is my chance to prove myself, and I’m not risking it for anything. But between one unexpected night, and one secret revealed, these men are ready to test all my limits. Still, I can’t fall for a player—let alone three. Or can I?]]> 640 Emily Rath 149675879X Jess � 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Pucking Around (Jacksonville Rays Hockey, #1)
author: Emily Rath
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
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]]> Long Time Gone 216972034 When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a forensic scientist is plunged into a dangerous search for answers in this engrossing, propulsive new novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later.

Thirty years ago, Baby Charlotte vanished. Today, she’s still in danger.

When Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment, her goal is to better understand the treasure-trove of genetic information contained on ancestry websites. Brilliant and driven, Sloan is embarking on a fellowship in forensic pathology, training under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty.

Sloan has one reservation about involving herself in the she’s adopted. Grateful for a loving home, she’s never considered tracking down her biological parents. The results of her search are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte�, who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case.

Sloan’s discovery leads her to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos. The Margolis family’s influence and power permeate every corner of Harrison County, and Eric is convinced that in learning the truth about her past, Sloan can also help discover what happened to Eric’s father, who died under suspicious circumstances soon after he started investigating the case her disappearance.

Slowly, over the course of a stifling summer, Sloan begins getting to know her relatives. Though initially welcoming, the Margolis family is also mysterious and tight-lipped. Not everyone seems happy about Sloan’s return, or the questions she’s asking. And the more she and Eric learn, the more apparent it becomes that the answers they both seek are buried in a graveyard of Margolis family secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden—no matter who else has to die…]]> 416 Charlie Donlea 1496751140 Jess � 0 to-read 4.08 2024 Long Time Gone
author: Charlie Donlea
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
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]]> <![CDATA[A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)]]> 220642729
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.t.]]> 464 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599853 Jess � 0 to-read 4.10 2024 A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> Women Like Us 219300835 Joni Ackerman was tired of being invisible.

It’s been one year since Joni Ackerman tipped the antifreeze into her husband’s cocktail. One year since he was found dead on the stairs. One year since she got away with murder. At first Joni feared the consequences of her transgression, but she’s learned to embrace the power of recklessness in a way she would have hated to see in anyone else. It was that recklessness, after all, that took her to this rewarding new life.

Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. All is well in life and work until one day the balance is rocked when an unexpected, and unwelcome, visitor appears.]]> 272 Katia Lief 0802164927 Jess � 0 to-read 4.00 Women Like Us
author: Katia Lief
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.00
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]]> The Love We Found 214269008 The long-awaited follow-up to the Reese’s Book ClubĚýpick and New York Times bestselling global phenomenon The Light We Lost: a thrilling love story about the roles fate and choice play in shaping a life

It’s been ten years. In case you’re out there somewhere—in case you’re listening, I’m here. And I have so much to tell you.

It’s been nearly ten years since Gabe’s been gone when Lucy finds a tiny piece of paper in a box of his old photos. An address in Rome. Why did Gabe keep it, and what was he doing in Italy? Lucy buys a last-minute ticket. Impulsive, but Gabe always brought that out in her.

Lucy’s journey to uncover Gabe’s secret leads her to Dr. Dax Amstrong, a New Yorker in Italy working with an NGO. His broad shoulders and sad, intense eyes draw Lucy in. His touch reaches her in a forgotten place—one that no one has neared since Gabe.

But her old life awaits, along with an earth-shattering decision—whether she and Darren should tell their son Samuel the truth about his real father. How can Lucy move forward while she’s rooted in regret? Fate broke her heart in the past. Can finding new love set her free?]]> 352 Jill Santopolo 0593419200 Jess � 0 to-read 3.95 The Love We Found
author: Jill Santopolo
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.95
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]]> These Days 216684509 Two sisters, four nights, one city.

April, 1941. Belfast has escaped the worst of the war - so far. Over the next two months, it's going to be destroyed from above, so that people will say, in horror, My God, Belfast is finished.

Many won't make it through, and no one who does will remain unchanged.

Following the lives of sisters Emma and Audrey - one engaged to be married, the other in a secret relationship with another woman - as they try to survive the horrors of the four nights of bombing which were the Belfast Blitz, These Days is a timeless and heart-breaking novel about living under duress, about family, and about how we try to stay true to ourselves.]]> 288 Lucy Caldwell 1638931836 Jess � 0 to-read 3.69 2022 These Days
author: Lucy Caldwell
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/01
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]]> Memory Piece 223854843 The award-winning author of The Leavers offers a visionary novel of friendship, art, and ambition that asks: What is the value of a meaningful life?

In the early 1980s, Giselle Chin, Jackie Ong, and Ellen Ng are three teenagers drawn together by their shared sense of alienation and desire for something different. “Allied in the weirdest parts of themselves,� they envision each other as artistic collaborators and embark on a future defined by freedom and creativity.

By the time they are adults, their dreams are murkier. As a performance artist, Giselle must navigate an elite social world she never conceived of. As a coder thrilled by the internet’s early egalitarian promise, Jackie must contend with its more sinister shift toward monetization and surveillance. And as a community activist, Ellen confronts the increasing gentrification and policing overwhelming her New York City neighborhood. Over time their friendship matures and changes, their definitions of success become complicated, and their sense of what matters evolves.

Moving from the predigital 1980s to the art and tech subcultures of the 1990s to a strikingly imagined portrait of the 2040s, Memory Piece is an innovative and audacious story of three lifelong friends as they strive to build satisfying lives in a world that turns out to be radically different from the one they were promised.]]> 304 Lisa Ko 0593542118 Jess � 0 to-read 5.00 Memory Piece
author: Lisa Ko
name: Jess �
average rating: 5.00
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]]> The Little Liar 199793398 352 Mitch Albom 0062406663 Jess � 0 to-read 4.48 2023 The Little Liar
author: Mitch Albom
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> My Train Leaves at Three 220239037 An electric coming-of-age novel that explores grief, family, sexuality, and love as an ambitious young woman from Washington Heights tries to make it on Broadway—by a striking new voice in fiction.

How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice in order to chase your dreams?

After her sister Nena’s sudden death, Xiomara, an Afro-Latina singer and actress born and raised in Washington Heights, is numb. With her sister gone, Xiomara is painfully close to thirty, living in a tiny apartment with her ultra-Catholic Puerto Rican mother, and having the same shitty sex with the same shitty men that she’s been entertaining for years. Behind on rent despite two minimum-wage jobs, one of which involves singing show tunes while serving pancakes to tourists at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, Xiomara is bitingly cynical, especially in her grief, and barely treading water.

But when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to audition for Manny Santos, the most charismatic director of the moment, falls into her lap, it seems to Xiomara like a second chance to pursue the dream she thought she’d left behind has finally come. Meanwhile, something about Santi, a new coworker at the print shop where she spends half of her days photocopying other performers� headshots, starts to tug at the threads of her apathy. Nothing is simple, and soon Xiomara finds herself interacting with the ugliest sides of the industry and the powerful men that control it. While Xiomara grapples with the hard truth that sometimes the closer you are to your dreams, the further away from yourself you become, she is forced to ask herself if she has what it takes to build a new shiny life without losing the truth of her old one.

With hopeful spirit and unapologetic energy, My Train Leaves at Three is a coming-of-age story about the balancing act between moving on and moving forward.]]> 256 Natalie Guerrero 0593977335 Jess � 0 to-read 4.08 My Train Leaves at Three
author: Natalie Guerrero
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.08
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]]> Allegedly 30037870
Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?]]> 390 Tiffany D. Jackson 0062422642 Jess � 3
3 stars because it kept my attention the whole way through.]]> 4.06 2017 Allegedly
author: Tiffany D. Jackson
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:
if i would have been reading the physical copy of this book, i would have thrown it across the room when i finished.

3 stars because it kept my attention the whole way through.
]]> <![CDATA[Done and Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch, #1)]]> 123179008
For the first time in her life, Clementine “Emmy� Ryder has no idea what she’s doing. She’s accomplished everything on her to-do list. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape.

Luke Brooks is Meadowlark’s most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fifth member of the Ryder family. As Emmy’s older brother’s best friend, Luke spent most of his childhood antagonizing her. It’s been years since he’s seen her, but when she walks into his bar and back into his life, he can’t take his eyes off her. Despite his better judgment, he wants to do a whole lot more than just look at her.

Emmy’s got too much on her mind to think about romance. And Luke knows he should stay away from his best friend’s younger sister. But what if Luke is just what Emmy needs to get her spark back? Or will they both go up in flames?]]> 356 Lyla Sage Jess � 4
as someone who doesnt reach for romance, this book was seriously cute.
im going to pick up the next in the series, because i NEED to know what TEDDY is going to be up to.

this was a bookclub pick for March & i will be recommending this read to my audience. ]]> 3.83 2023 Done and Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch, #1)
author: Lyla Sage
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:
"For the first time in her life, Clementine “Emmy� Ryder has no idea what she’s doing. She’s accomplished everything on her to-do list. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape."

as someone who doesnt reach for romance, this book was seriously cute.
im going to pick up the next in the series, because i NEED to know what TEDDY is going to be up to.

this was a bookclub pick for March & i will be recommending this read to my audience.
]]> Mayra 220458596 An eerie, hypnotic debut about friendship, desire, and memory set against the sultry backdrop of Florida’s swamplands

It's been years since Ingrid has heard from her childhood best friend, Mayra, a fearless rebel who fled their hometown of Hialeah, a Cuban neighborhood just west of Miami, for college in the Northeast. But when Mayra calls out of the blue to invite Ingrid to a weekend getaway at a house in the Everglades, she impulsively accepts.

From the moment Ingrid sets out for the house, danger looms: The directions are difficult, she’s out of reach of cell service, and as she drives deeper into the Everglades, the wet maw of the swamp threatens to swallow her whole. But once Ingrid arrives, Mayra is, in many ways, just as she remembers—with her sharp tongue and effortless, seductive beauty, still thumbing her nose at the world.

Before they can fully settle into the familiar intimacy of each other's company, their reunion is spoiled by the reemergence of past disagreements and the unexpected presence of Mayra's new boyfriend, Benji. The trio spend their hours eating lavish meals and exploring the labyrinthine house, which holds as much mystery and danger as the swamp itself. Indoors and on the grounds, time itself seems to expand, and Ingrid begins to lose a sense of the outside world, and herself.

Against this disquieting setting, where lizards dart in and out of porches and alligators peek up from dark waters, Gonzalez weaves a surreal, unforgettable story about the dizzying power of early friendship and the lengths we'll go to earn love and acceptance—even at the risk of losing ourselves entirely.]]> 240 Nicky Gonzalez 0593731557 Jess � 0 to-read 3.67 Mayra
author: Nicky Gonzalez
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Among the Burning Flowers (The Roots of Chaos, #0.5)]]> 222376983 With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Take your first steps into the epic.
Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze.

It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind.

Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world.

A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries.

And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall . . .

A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic circumstances that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree.

Richly illustrated with magical artwork by Rovina Cai (@rovinacai).]]> 288 Samantha Shannon 1639736018 Jess � 0 to-read 4.37 2025 Among the Burning Flowers (The Roots of Chaos, #0.5)
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> <![CDATA[The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1)]]> 63132313 Welcome to Scion. No safer place.

The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.

In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.

When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal � and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.]]> 560 Samantha Shannon 1639732233 Jess � 0 to-read 4.25 2013 The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1)
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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]]> The Unworthy 214151601 The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror.]]> 192 Agustina Bazterrica 1668051885 Jess � 0 to-read 3.66 2023 The Unworthy
author: Agustina Bazterrica
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> How to Survive a Horror Story 219542927 Seven authors enter the manor

Can they survive the story within?

When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes, a group of writers find themselves invited to his last will and testament reading expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each have their own unique connection to the literary icon, some known, some soon to be discovered, and they've been waiting for their chance to step into the author's shoes for some time.

Instead, they arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game. The rules are simple, solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself.

You see, the Queen estate was built on the bones of Mortimer's family, and like any true horror story, the house is still very, very hungry.

With the clever, locked-room thrills of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the ghostly horror of The Fall of the House of Usher, How to Survive a Horror Story is a bright, biting, thrill-ride that begs us to contemplate how the best horror stories come to be.]]> 368 Mallory Arnold 1464227403 Jess � 0 to-read 3.74 2025 How to Survive a Horror Story
author: Mallory Arnold
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> <![CDATA[A Feast of Thorns and Roses: The Unofficial Cookbook of A Court of Thorns and Roses]]> 214151492 Experience the flavors of Prythian as featured in the mega-bestseller by Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses. From sumptuous feasts in the Night Court to cozy dishes in the Spring Court, you’ll discover a wide range of recipes that bring this vivid fantasy world to life.

Dive headfirst into the fantastical world of Prythian with A Feast of Thorns and Roses. This culinary journey brings the magic of A Court of Thorns and Roses series to your kitchen, featuring 65 recipes inspired by the beloved characters, enchanting places, and unforgettable plotlines from the books. From sweet tea cakes to decadent roast chicken, and mouthwatering desserts such as Feyre’s favorite chocolate cake, each recipe is infused with the magical elements and flavors that define the different realms. It’s a delightful journey that will have fans savoring the essence of Prythian. The cookbook boasts stunning photography and vivid descriptions that will transport readers to the lush landscapes and opulent banquets described in the series. A Feast of Thorns and Roses isn’t just a cookbook; it’s an invitation to dine and celebrate like a high fae, making every bite a taste of this treasured literary world.]]> 176 Chelsea Cole Jess � 0 to-read 4.82 A Feast of Thorns and Roses: The Unofficial Cookbook of A Court of Thorns and Roses
author: Chelsea Cole
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.82
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> The Maid (Molly the Maid #1) 57777139 A dead body is one mess she can't clean up on her own.

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter--she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanour has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black. But will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late?

Both a Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different--and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.]]> 304 Nita Prose 0735241333 Jess � 0 to-read 3.72 2022 The Maid (Molly the Maid #1)
author: Nita Prose
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> No Ordinary Love 223354333
In an unspoken story of survival, Gabbi, a therapist in her late thirties, wants her family to know what really happened to her all those years ago, but she's running out of time to finish writing her story before it's too late.Ěý

Seeking safety throughout a lifelong escape, Alex, a school counsellor in her late twenties, struggles to navigate dealing with her clients' traumas while healing from her own when her abusive ex finds her and starts sending letters from jail. Now she must flee again before he's released and hunts her down.Ěý

Falling for a nightmare disguised as a dream guy, Katee, a high school student, craves love, but her desperation grooms her for the perfect predator. Now she must escape her abusive boyfriend before she becomes yet another statistic in the femicide epidemic.Ěý

The abuse they suffer echoes the countless shared experiences of domestic violence survivors around the world, but their fight for freedom is uniquely their own.

He shall remain unnamed, for he could be anybody's tormentor.]]> 337 B.B. Gabriel 1069121304 Jess � 0 to-read 4.90 No Ordinary Love
author: B.B. Gabriel
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.90
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> All We Were Promised 222175354 A housemaid with a dangerous family secret conspires with a wealthy young abolitionist to help an enslaved girl escape, in volatile pre-Civil War Philadelphia.

The rebel . . . the socialite . . . and the fugitive. Together, they will risk everything for one another in this “beguiling story of friendship, deception, and women crossing boundaries in the name of freedom� (Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends).

Philadelphia, 1837. After Charlotte escaped from the crumbling White Oaks plantation down South, she’d expected freedom to feel different from her former life as an enslaved housemaid. After all, Philadelphia is supposed to be the birthplace of American liberty. Instead, she’s locked away playing servant to her white-passing father, as they both attempt to hide their identities from slavecatchers who would destroy their new lives.

Longing to break away, Charlotte befriends Nell, a budding abolitionist from one of Philadelphia’s wealthiest Black families. Just as Charlotte starts to envision a future, a familiar face from her past reappears: Evie, her friend from White Oaks, has been brought to the city by the plantation mistress, and she’s desperate to escape. But as Charlotte and Nell conspire to rescue her, in a city engulfed by race riots and attacks on abolitionists, they soon discover that fighting for Evie’s freedom may cost them their own.]]> 384 Ashton Lattimore 0593600177 Jess � 0 to-read 4.30 2024 All We Were Promised
author: Ashton Lattimore
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> Creation Lake 207595731
“Sadie Smith� is how the narrator introduces herself to her lover, to the rural commune of French subversives on whom she is keeping tabs, and to the reader.

Sadie has met her love, Lucien, a young and well-born Parisian, by “cold bump”—making him believe the encounter was accidental. Like everyone Sadie targets, Lucien is useful to her and used by her. Sadie operates by strategy and dissimulation, based on what her “contacts”—shadowy figures in business and government—instruct. First, these contacts want her to incite provocation. Then they want more.

In this region of centuries-old farms and ancient caves, Sadie becomes entranced by a mysterious figure named Bruno Lacombe, a mentor to the young activists who communicates only by email. Bruno believes that the path to emancipation from what ails modern life is not revolt, but a return to the ancient past.

Just as Sadie is certain she’s the seductress and puppet master of those she surveils, Bruno Lacombe is seducing her with his ingenious counter-histories, his artful laments, his own tragic story.]]> 416 Rachel Kushner 1982116544 Jess � 0 to-read 3.59 2024 Creation Lake
author: Rachel Kushner
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> <![CDATA[The Notorious Virtues (The Notorious Virtues, #1)]]> 48580056 A glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

At sixteen, Honora “Nora� Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.

And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.

With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls� sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.]]> 320 Alwyn Hamilton 0451479661 Jess � 0 to-read 4.29 2025 The Notorious Virtues (The Notorious Virtues, #1)
author: Alwyn Hamilton
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Huda F Wants to Know?: A Graphic Novel]]> 215805865 In the hilarious and poignant follow-up to National Book Award Finalist Huda F Cares?, Huda's life and worldview is turned upside down when her parents announce they're divorcing.

Huda Fahmy is ready for junior year. She’s got a plan to join all the clubs, volunteer everywhere, ace the ACTs, write the most awe-inspiring essay for her scholarship applications. Easy.

But then Mama and Baba announce the most unthinkable they’re getting a divorce.Ěý

Huda is devastated. She worries about what this will mean for her family, their place in the Muslim community, and her future. Her grades start tanking, she has a big fight with her best friend, and everything feels out of control. Will her life ever feel normal again? Huda F wants to know.]]> 224 Huda Fahmy 0593855620 Jess � 0 to-read 4.44 2025 Huda F Wants to Know?: A Graphic Novel
author: Huda Fahmy
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> One Dark Night 220160216 When a body is found the day after Halloween, a small British community must reckon with its past and the dangers lurking in its present in this spine-tingling novel from “not to be missed� (Hayley Scrivener, author of Dirt Creek) author Hannah Richell.

On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.

Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenaged daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death of one of her classmates. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.

Told from multiple perspectives and with Hannah Richell’s distinct “atmospheric and ever-twisting� (Emylia Hall, author of the Shell House Detective Mysteries) prose, One Dark Night is a white-knuckled and suspenseful thriller about urban legends, privilege, and how the past continues to haunt us.]]> 384 Hannah Richell 1668081334 Jess � 0 to-read 4.00 One Dark Night
author: Hannah Richell
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> Plays Well with Others 220053074 Beloved bestselling children’s author Lauren Myracle makes her literary fiction debut with a gripping suspense novel about the dark side of “perfect� parents in a tightly-knit suburb. Perfect for fans of Little Fires Everywhere and Big Little Lies.

There is no way to be a perfect parent, but there are a million ways to be a dangerous one �

Jacquelyn “Jake� Nolan had lost first her stillborn son, then her marriage, soon after her job and her reputation. Still grieving, she makes a determined effort to start over. She settles into a new house, and buoyed by a growing friendship with Mabel—a bouncy upbeat neighbor with whom she has found some common ground—begins to feel as if maybe, just maybe, there is a future for her that is not entirely bleak. But this charming little neighborhood across the street from an elementary school conceals an undercurrent of darkness and rage � and not just from the adults.]]> 415 Lauren Myracle Jess � 0 to-read 4.17 Plays Well with Others
author: Lauren Myracle
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.17
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]]> The House on Buzzards Bay 219848296 When a group of old college friends reunites for a summer vacation at a beach house in coastal Massachusetts, a sudden disappearance and the arrival of a seductive stranger threaten to unearth the darkest secrets of their relationships.

As they hurtle into midlife, Jim and his closest college friends get together to rekindle the bonds of their friendship in his family’s beautiful, generations-old vacation home along Buzzards Bay, the demands of work and family having caused them to drift apart over recent years. But what begins as a quiet and restorative seaside escape takes a darker turn when Bruce, an aloof but successful writer, disappears from the house without a trace, sending the group into an uneasy tension.

Meanwhile, a series of mysterious break-ins besets the town, which is the site of an old Spiritualist campground turned idyllic fishing village. After a series of uncanny disturbances at the house, Jim can’t help but feel that someone—or something—is watching them from the other side of the marsh. And with the arrival of a strange, seductive guest at their home, the group begins to question the very nature of their experiences—along with their already precarious ties with one other.

In The House on Buzzards Bay,ĚýDwyer Murphy returns with a chilling, atmospheric page-turner that explores the bonds of friendship, the growing accumulation of life's responsibilities, and whether our youthful dreams can endure the complexities of adulthood.]]> 288 Dwyer Murphy 0593833171 Jess âś� 0 to-read 3.86 2025 The House on Buzzards Bay
author: Dwyer Murphy
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/31
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]]> <![CDATA[Sloppy: Or, Doing It All Wrong]]> 220998996 From the James Beard Award-nominated author of Tacky, a boldly funny, warts-and-all tour of the bad habits that make Rax King who she is

"Most writers are boring people. King, though, seems Bettie Page meets Carrie Bradshaw."�Washington Post

With Rax King's trademark blend of irreverent humor and heartfelt honesty comes a new collection of personal essays unpacking bad behavior. Sloppy explores sobriety, begrudging self-improvement, and the habits we cling to with clenched fists.Ěý

In “Proud Alcoholic Stock,� King examines her parents� unwavering dedication to 12 step programs and the texture her family history has lent to her own sobriety. “Shoplifting from Brandy Melville� is a lighthearted look at, what else?, shoplifting from Brandy Melville—one of her few remaining indulgences now that she doesn’t drink. King writes about her overspending and temper control issues as well as her poorly managed mental health. These seventeen essays capture the personal and generational vices that make us who we are. From being a crummy waitress to using uppers to force friendships, from obsessing over the Neopets forums to lying for no discernable reason, these essays approach bad habits with emotional intelligence, kindness and—most importantly—humor.]]> 272 Rax King 0593688457 Jess � 0 to-read 4.06 2025 Sloppy: Or, Doing It All Wrong
author: Rax King
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> The Art of Vanishing 219848297 A stunningly original love story between a museum employee and the man in a masterpiece hanging on the walls—a breathtaking debut about time, art, and the enduring power of love.

Jean’s life is the same day in and day out. Frozen in time by his painter father, the legendary Henri Matisse, Jean observes the ebb and flow of museum guests as they take in the works of his father and other masters like Renoir, Picasso, and Van Gogh. But his world takes a mesmerizing turn when Claire, a new museum employee, enters his life.

Night after night, Claire moves through the gallery where Jean's painting hangs, mopping the floors, talking softly to herself to stem her loneliness and gazing admiringly at the masterpieces above. The alluring man in the corner of the Matisse—is he watching her? Why does she feel a deepening pull to him, like he can see her truest self, her secrets? Did he just move?Ěý

In an extraordinary twist of fate, Claire discovers she can step through the frame of Jean's painting and into a bygone era, a lush, verdant snapshot of family life in France in the throes of World War I. She and Jean begin a seemingly impossible affair, falling in love against the backdrop of the gallery’s other paintings come to life—glittering parties, exhilarating horse races, and windswept beach bluffs, that they can move through together and where Claire is seemingly the only modern visitor, alone in possession of this gift.

But as their happiness is threatened by challenges both inside and outside the museum, Claire and Jean find themselves in a fight to preserve the love they’ve only dared to dream of. Will their extraordinary connection defy the confines of reality, or will the forces conspiring against them shatter their carefully curated happiness?]]> 304 Morgan Pager 0593875389 Jess � 0 to-read 3.91 2025 The Art of Vanishing
author: Morgan Pager
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon]]> 218460312 A multiverse novel aboutĚýtwo women who fall in love despite living in worlds that are five months apart, as they try to find a timeline that doesn’t end in disaster, in this debut novel by Annie Mare.

Tressa Fay Robeson has never been shy, which is how she’s made a name for herself as an in-demand hairstylist and social media star. So she can admit that spending her days at her hair salon and her nights with her tight-knit group of friends (and one grumpy cat) is not the kind of exciting life she’d hoped for.

When a misdirected text from a stranger leads to a flirty exchange, she surprises herself by suggesting an impulsive meetup. But the woman, Meryl, never shows. Tressa Fay brushes it off—until Meryl’s sister and friend show up at the salon demanding to know what’s going on. Because, you see, there’s no way Meryl could have texted her. Meryl has been missing for a month.

Tressa Fay and her tight-knit group of friends soon discover they aren’t dealing with a catfish, but a temporal paradox. As they come to terms with the idea of parallel universes, they realize how many times their paths have crossed like this before. But even as they understand the multiverse more and more, nothing keeps Meryl from vanishing.

As it draws closer to the moment of Meryl’s disappearance, there’s only one question Have they done enough to change the outcome, or have they done so much that none of them will make it past that fateful day in September?]]> 384 Annie Mare 0593817486 Jess � 0 to-read 3.59 2025 Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon
author: Annie Mare
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Book Club for Troublesome Women]]> 216052751 Four dissatisfied sixties-era housewives form a book club turned sisterhood that will hold fast amid the turmoil of a rapidly changing world and alter the course of each of their lives.

By early 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan, Viv Buschetti, and Bitsy Cobb, suburban housewives in a brand-new "planned community" in Northern Virginia, appear to have it all. The fact that "all" doesn't feel like enough leaves them feeling confused and guilty, certain the fault must lie with them. Things begin to change when they form a book club with Charlotte Gustafson--the eccentric and artsy "new neighbor" from Manhattan--and read Betty Friedan's just-released book, The Feminine Mystique.

Controversial and groundbreaking, the book struck a chord with an entire generation of women, helping them realize that they weren't alone in their dissatisfactions, or their longings, lifting their eyes to new horizons of possibility and achievement. Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv are among them. But is it really the book that alters the lives of these four very different women? Or is it the bond of sisterhood that helps them find courage to confront the past, navigate turmoil in a rapidly changing world, and see themselves in a new and limitless light?]]> 384 Marie Bostwick 1400344743 Jess � 0 to-read 4.13 2025 The Book Club for Troublesome Women
author: Marie Bostwick
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Another 220652200 New York Times bestselling, acclaimed horror author Paul Tremblay delivers an unforgettable middle grade debut in this bone-chilling tale of an unsettling, unbreakable friendship.

When Casey Wilson’s parents tell him that his friend is coming for a sleepover, he has no idea who that might be. Ever since the Zoom Incident, everyone treats him like a pariah, and his tics are worse than ever.

When Morel appears, he’s not like any friend Casey has ever met. His skin is like clay, and he doesn’t speak. But Casey’s parents are charmed by the strange kid, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to besides his sister, Ally, who is away at college. As his normally loving parents grow distant from Casey, they gush and fawn over Morel. Casey knows something is wrong—but with no end in sight to the sleepover, he’s exhausted. And in the dark, out of the corner of his eye, Morel doesn’t look like a kid at all. . . .]]> 256 Paul Tremblay 0063396351 Jess � 0 to-read 4.21 2025 Another
author: Paul Tremblay
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[What I Should've Said (Red Bridge, #1)]]> 220599158 You don’t find love. Love finds you…in New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe’s tender and emotionally charged story.

When grumpy, muscled-up artist Bennett Bishop bothers to speak, it’s usually to say something you’re not ready to hear.

When he first speaks to Norah Ellis, a rambling runaway bride who hitchhikes a ride from him, it’s to tell her to get out of his truck and walk because she’s a pain in the�

By appearance, Norah Ellis is a fancy fashionista who’s spent the last several years living the good life in the city—expensive apartments, highbrow events, and a fiancé with wealth and good looks. The only problem is that she didn’t choose any of it for herself.

On the day of her July wedding, Norah’s world turns upside down, thanks to a letter from a stranger. She runs for the small town in Vermont she used to call home, but what’s waiting for her, between her estranged sister, the townspeople, and bad-boy Bennett Bishop himself, is way more than she bargained for.

Enemies turn to lovers, strangers become friends, dark secrets bust open like cans of worms, and most of all…summer will never be the same.]]> 352 Max Monroe 1649379056 Jess � 0 to-read 3.98 2024 What I Should've Said (Red Bridge, #1)
author: Max Monroe
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Blood on Her Tongue 213570812 "I'm in your blood, and you are in mine�"

The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angryâ€� and hungry.Ěý

Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.]]> 368 Johanna van Veen 1728281571 Jess � 4 to-read The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Thoughts:
Blood on Her Tongue is a gothic tale about two sisters and the lengths they’ll go to for each other, for love, for hunger and for survival.
This was my first read by this author and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
I loved this read. So atmospheric, suspenseful, beautiful, delicious, disgusting. Everything you want in a horror novel.
4 star read, easily.
& have already been recommending this read.

Thank you to Johanna Van Veen, Poison Pen Press, & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. ]]> 4.02 2025 Blood on Her Tongue
author: Johanna van Veen
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/22
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:
Blurb:
The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Thoughts:
Blood on Her Tongue is a gothic tale about two sisters and the lengths they’ll go to for each other, for love, for hunger and for survival.
This was my first read by this author and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
I loved this read. So atmospheric, suspenseful, beautiful, delicious, disgusting. Everything you want in a horror novel.
4 star read, easily.
& have already been recommending this read.

Thank you to Johanna Van Veen, Poison Pen Press, & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
]]> Nothing Ever Happens Here 212378262 When I Was You

Nothing ever happens in small towns�

When Shelby Dawson survives a harrowing attack that should have left her dead, she tries to move past it—for herself, and for her family. Fifteen months later, with the help of her best friend, Mackenzie, she finally feels safe again in the snowy Minnesota town she calls home. But when an anonymous note appears on her windshield bearing the same threats her attacker made, Shelby realizes that her nightmare has only just begun.

As new evidence surfaces, and a group of well-meaning senior citizens accidentally makes the case go viral online, the situation quickly goes from bad to worse. And with suspicious accidents targeting those closest to her happening all over town, Shelby can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. Fighting to stay one step ahead of disaster, she finds herself asking the question on everyone’s lips: Who attacked her that night?

But Shelby isn’t the only one with questions. Mackenzie’s husband, Leo, vanished without a trace on that terrible night, and over a year later, no one knows why. Until a deep dive into his finances reveals a history of debts, mismanaged funds, and hidden accounts—one of which is still active. Their suspicion that Leo is still alive only complicates things further, though, and when another person connected to Shelby goes missing, she’s caught in a race against time before her attacker becomes a killer.]]> 304 Seraphina Nova Glass 1525836722 Jess � 3 to-read When Shelby Dawson survives a harrowing attack that should have left her dead, she tries to move past it—for herself, and for her family. Fifteen months later, with the help of her best friend, Mackenzie, she finally feels safe again in the snowy Minnesota town she calls home. But when an anonymous note appears on her windshield bearing the same threats her attacker made, Shelby realizes that her nightmare has only just begun.
Thoughts:
This was suspenseful enough of a read. Kept my attention throughout.
It is told in mulitive POV. There are a lot of characters, but they are distinctive enough that you can keep them apart.
I rated this a three star because the momentum started out SO GOOD, but then fell flat for me in the end.
I will recommend this author and this read in the future.

Thank you to Seraphina Nova Glass, Harlequin Publishing & Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. ]]> 3.47 2025 Nothing Ever Happens Here
author: Seraphina Nova Glass
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:
Blurb:
When Shelby Dawson survives a harrowing attack that should have left her dead, she tries to move past it—for herself, and for her family. Fifteen months later, with the help of her best friend, Mackenzie, she finally feels safe again in the snowy Minnesota town she calls home. But when an anonymous note appears on her windshield bearing the same threats her attacker made, Shelby realizes that her nightmare has only just begun.
Thoughts:
This was suspenseful enough of a read. Kept my attention throughout.
It is told in mulitive POV. There are a lot of characters, but they are distinctive enough that you can keep them apart.
I rated this a three star because the momentum started out SO GOOD, but then fell flat for me in the end.
I will recommend this author and this read in the future.

Thank you to Seraphina Nova Glass, Harlequin Publishing & Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
]]> The Ones We Love 199236743 Tensions bubble to the surface in a family of four newly transplanted to L.A. when the oldest daughter wakes up bruised and battered from a night she can’t remember� and no one wants to talk about it.

Meet the Jansen family:

Since the weekend of the party � the one Liv can’t remember, the one that left her covered in bruises � there’s been a padlock on the door of her bedroom. Her parents said they found mold, and it needs to be decontaminated, but they’re behaving oddly. Her friend Leilani isn’t answering her texts, so maybe Liv did get a little out of control that night. Sharing a room with her younger brother Casper for a while isn’t the end of the world, as long as he doesn’t tell their parents that she’s started sleepwalking. They’re already acting strangely enough.

The guilt over that weekend is getting to her father Janus. He’s forever looking over his shoulder. Janus, a horror author, is on a deadline to adapt his book into a screenplay. ĚýNow he’s now finding it hard to stomach the violence of his own stories. But Janus brought his whole family from Australia to LA to chase his dream, and he can’t let them down. Not again.

Kay wasn’t sure she wanted to be a mother when she got pregnant with Liv, but she gave up everything for her daughter and then her son, Casper. She’ll do whatever she has to do to take care of her kids. Her marriage, though, is a different story. And the neighbors � well, she’ll just have to be more careful.

Casper was away that weekend, but he knows something isn’t right. His parents don’t look each other in the eye anymore. His father’s hands tremble for no reason. And where does Liv keep disappearing to in the middle of the night? Casper decides to find out what no one will tell him about that weekend, and what lies behind the padlocked door.]]> 336 Anna Snoekstra 0593475720 Jess � 0 to-read 3.70 2025 The Ones We Love
author: Anna Snoekstra
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Barbarian's Hope (Ice Planet Barbarians, #10)]]> 219848316
But then a terrible thing happened…and my world was never the same again.

Now resonance is giving us a second chance, but…I’m afraid. What if what I have with my mate is too broken to be fixed? What if there’s no hope left for us at all?]]> 256 Ruby Dixon 0593954777 Jess � 0 to-read 3.36 2016 Barbarian's Hope (Ice Planet Barbarians, #10)
author: Ruby Dixon
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Wilderness 222658339 "Wonderfully ambitious.... Flournoy explores the complexity of friendship, family, and home in a voice that is expansive yet intimate, humorous yet devastating. I loved this book."Ěý—ĚýBrit Bennett, author ofĚýThe Vanishing HalfĚýandĚýThe Mothers

An era-defining novel about five Black women over the course of their twenty-year friendship, as they move through the dizzying and sometimes precarious period between young adulthood and midlife—in the much-anticipated second book from National Book Award finalist Angela Flournoy.

Desiree, Danielle, January, Monique, and Nakia are in their early twenties and at the beginning. Of their careers, of marriage, of motherhood, and of big-city lives in New York and Los Angeles. Together, they are finding their way through the wilderness, that period of life when the reality of contemporary adulthood—overwhelming, mysterious, and full of freedom and consequences—swoops in and stays.

Desiree and Danielle, sisters whose shared history has done little to prevent their estrangement, nurse bitter family wounds in different ways. January’s got a relationship with a “good� man she feels ambivalent about, even after her surprise pregnancy. Monique, a librarian and aspiring blogger, finds unexpected online fame after calling out the university where she works for its plans to whitewash fraught history. And Nakia is trying to get her restaurant off the ground, without relying on the largesse of her upper middle-class family who wonder aloud if she should be doing something better with her life.

As these friends move from the late 2000’s into the late 2020’s, from young adults to grown women, they must figure out what they mean to one another—amid political upheaval, economic and environmental instability, and the increasing volatility of modern American life.

The Wilderness is Angela Flournoy’s masterful and kaleidoscopic follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut The Turner House. A generational talent, she captures with disarming wit and electric language how the most profound connections over a lifetime can lie in the tangled, uncertain thicket of friendship.]]> 304 Angela Flournoy 0063318776 Jess � 0 to-read 4.43 The Wilderness
author: Angela Flournoy
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sunny Side Up 217388243 From body-acceptance advocate and MEGABABE founder Katie Sturino comes a heartwarming and hilarious debut novel for fans for Emily Henry and Sex and the City

Sunny Greene is thirty-five, recently divorced, facing the looming prospect of going solo to her little brother’s wedding, and currently trying to find anything plus-sized in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit department that doesn’t make her want to cry. It’s not going well. But isn’t rock bottom the perfect place to start a climb?

She decides it’s now or never. Sunny has her PR empire, her gorgeous Chelsea apartment, her two dogs, and her loyal best friends. Maybe it's time to just love her body and accept herself for who she is. With a new commitment to confidence, her journey begins. Who says a plus-sized divorcee can’t put herself first, feel beautiful, and date up a storm?

Of course things are never straightforward in the dating world. Is fate knocking at her door with Dennis, the charming and down-to-earth mailman, or should she be with Ted, the business tycoon who seems ready to make her size-inclusive swimsuit brand a reality? And what should she do about her ex, who shows up unexpectedly, eager to reconnect?

With the same candor and confidence her followers love, Sturino brings us Sunny Greene, a Carrie Bradshaw for the next generation, and her journey through the trials and triumphs of dating, friendship, and finding yourself.]]> 304 Katie Sturino 1250344204 Jess � 0 to-read 3.91 Sunny Side Up
author: Katie Sturino
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Favorites 211399784 To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER � An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

“P˛ą°ůłŮ Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones & The Six, this novel is as brilliantly choreographed as a gold medal performance and will keep you guessing until its last page.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story� through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.]]> 448 Layne Fargo 0593732049 Jess � 5 The Favorites - Layne Fargo
5 / 5 â­ď¸Ź
Romance / Fiction / Contemporary / Sports Romance


“The Favorites� is told through multiple storylines - both from Katarina Shaws point of view as she falls in love with Heath Rocha as a kid and begins her Olympic journey; and that journey told by others via an unauthorized documentary celebrating the tenth anniversary of Shaw and Rocha’s final skate.

Per the books description “to the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession. An epic love story set in the sparking, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice�

I listened to the audiobook.
Chefs kiss!
Full cast! & I loved them!
(Johnny Weir, I love you! ]]> 4.19 2025 The Favorites
author: Layne Fargo
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:
Book Review ‼️
The Favorites - Layne Fargo
5 / 5 â­ď¸Ź
Romance / Fiction / Contemporary / Sports Romance


“The Favorites� is told through multiple storylines - both from Katarina Shaws point of view as she falls in love with Heath Rocha as a kid and begins her Olympic journey; and that journey told by others via an unauthorized documentary celebrating the tenth anniversary of Shaw and Rocha’s final skate.

Per the books description “to the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession. An epic love story set in the sparking, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice�

I listened to the audiobook.
Chefs kiss!
Full cast! & I loved them!
(Johnny Weir, I love you!
]]> The Gilded Heiress 59972550 From USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe comes a spicy Anastasia story full of secrets and betrayal, set among the glittering streets of New York City's Gilded Age.

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.]]> 352 Joanna Shupe 0063310317 Jess � 0 to-read 3.91 2025 The Gilded Heiress
author: Joanna Shupe
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Conform 223239535
Centuries after a catastrophic world war nearly decimated the human population, a city arose from the ashes, ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum.

At twenty-seven, Emeline lives in limbo, wasting away her days in a job sorting ancient human art for destruction and waiting to be selected as a Mate for a procreation contract. Where others look forward to being chosen, Emeline has never felt like she fit into a society where a person’s worth is determined by constantly monitored genes, health, and the ability to procreate. She’s struggled to keep her discomfort secret, but when she is finally chosen, her Mate is revealed to be a member of the Illum named Collin, a man who seems to be harboring secrets of his own.

It is the first time an Illum has taken a Mate in decades, leaving Emeline—and others—baffled as to why she was chosen. Soon, she is swept into the dangerous game of Courting, filled with ballgowns, lavish dinners, and watchful eyes, where one wrong move can mean elimination. While parts of this elite lifestyle are unexpectedly appealing, the more embroiled she becomes, the more she sees its dark underbelly—and a rebellion rising in secret. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders.

As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything—most of all whether she’ll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them.]]> 416 Ariel Sullivan Jess � 0 to-read 4.22 2025 Conform
author: Ariel Sullivan
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wayward Girls 217223357 FromĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans ofĚýBefore We Were Yours,ĚýOrphan Train, andĚýThe Berry Pickers.

It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world.ĚýA sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.�

Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.

In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd�merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin� free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela�denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen�the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary� stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa�caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise�sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.

Janice�deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay�except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Sister Bernadette�rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.

Wayward GirlsĚýis a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.]]> 400 Susan Wiggs 0063118270 Jess âś� 0 to-read 4.30 Wayward Girls
author: Susan Wiggs
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Jill Is Not Happy 220851796 An ill-fated road trip resurrects a married couple’s darkest secrets in this new thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of Best Day Ever and The Next Wife.


Some secrets keep a couple together.



If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you she and her husband Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though they’ve grown distant in recent years. Newly empty nesting with their daughter Maggie away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to reconnect.



Jack would rather do anything else than drive to Utah with his wife. He’s only stayed in this marriage because of a shared secret, a tragedy in the past he wanted to keep buried. And for his daughter’s sake. But Jack is finished with the charade of his marriage. He’s filing for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what.



But he doesn’t realize what else Jill is hiding.



So begins a cat-and-mouse road trip as a cunning wife—think Ripley in yoga pants—and a reluctant husband match wits and drive each other to the edge. But everything will be fine. Jill still loves Jack and believes he’s the only one for her. She’ll do anything to keep him. Anything. She always has.
]]> 256 Kaira Rouda 1613166761 Jess � 0 to-read 3.95 Jill Is Not Happy
author: Kaira Rouda
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.95
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic, #1)]]> 216364830 Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment. This breathtaking custom deluxe edition

Shimmery jacket with holographic foilGorgeous designed endpapersFoil case design with a quote from the novelStunning holographic edgesQuantities are limited for this deluxe editionĚýso be sure to preorder now!

James Anderson had a plan.ĚýOr half of one. All that matters is that he managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. In the past decade no outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James isĚýin. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.

It’s been ten years since the fall of The Reestablishment. Ten years since the notorious duo—Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson—led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But after a decade of unsettling quiet, The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect person for the job.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan.ĚýShe always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. A trained assassin, her every movement is monitored by synthetic intelligence—and when she’s given an order to kill, she never hesitates.

Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance,ĚýWatch MeĚýis an explosiveĚýjourney through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt moreĚýimpossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate questionâ€�

Who are we when no one is watching? ]]> 368 Tahereh Mafi 0063425181 Jess � 0 to-read 4.60 2025 Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic, #1)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> All the Other Mothers Hate Me 214746680 "The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit."

Florence Grimes, age thirty-one, always takes the easy way out. Single, broke and unfulfilled after the humiliating end to her girl-band career, she has only one reason to get out of bed each day: her ten-year-old son Dylan. But then Alfie Risby, her son’s bully and the heir to a vast frozen-food empire, mysteriously vanishes during a class trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect.

Florence, for once, is faced with a task she can’t quit: She’s got to find Alfie and clear her son’s name or risk losing Dylan forever—never mind that she has no useful skills (let alone investigative ones) and that all the other school moms hate her. Oh, and she has a reason to suspect Dylan might not be as innocent as she’d like to believe.]]> 383 Sarah Harman 059385148X Jess � 0 to-read 3.76 2025 All the Other Mothers Hate Me
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]]> The Devil and Mrs. Davenport 162505604 The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.

The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.

Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquillity—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening. Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse.

With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work. As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.]]> 347 Paulette Kennedy 1662514875 Jess � 3 RTC 4.21 2024 The Devil and Mrs. Davenport
author: Paulette Kennedy
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/11
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RTC
]]> Dianaworld: An Obsession 218569869
In Dianaworld, Edward White offers both a portrait of the princess and a group portrait of those who existed in her orbit—from her royal in-laws, her servants, and the dilapidated ranks of the British aristocracy from which she rose, to drag performers, artists, Britain’s ethnic minorities, and the Gen Z superfans who maintain her status as a cultural icon.

Drawing on a wide array of sources and perspectives, many never used in books about Diana or the royal family, White vividly recreates the world Diana lived in, explores the growth of her global reputation, and illuminates her lasting impact on the world she left behind.]]> 416 Edward White 132402156X Jess � 0 to-read 4.29 2025 Dianaworld: An Obsession
author: Edward White
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.29
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]]> Wild Reverence 222376906
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> 544 Rebecca Ross 1250373352 Jess � 0 to-read 4.70 2025 Wild Reverence
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.70
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]]> Loved One 221473262 336 Aisha Muharrar 0593655842 Jess � 0 to-read 3.92 Loved One
author: Aisha Muharrar
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.92
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]]> Beautiful; Crazy 219805565 255 Eric Rickey Jess � 0 to-read 4.12 Beautiful; Crazy
author: Eric Rickey
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]]> <![CDATA[Honestly, She Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]> 221598430
Determined to win her parents' approval as the perfect daughter, Wick marries the son of Republican royalty and joins them in Washington, D.C. to begin her fairy tale in the nation's capital—or so she thought. What follows is her firsthand look behind the scenes at the gilded age of the Reagan years in Washington, D.C.—an era now long gone.

Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, and always insightful, Honestly, She Doesn't Live Here Anymore chronicles Wick's journey to penetrate D.C. society at the highest levels—from Christmas Eve at her family home with President Reagan dressed as Santa Claus, to intimate dinners at the White House. But behind the golden gates Wick's marriage is unraveling, and her father's high-profile political scandal threatens to destroy their carefully constructed life. Soon she's trading in glitzy state dinners for congressional hearings attacking her father, and at the center of the Reagan revolution Wick's personal uprising begins.]]> 232 Pamela Wick Jess � 0 to-read 3.69 Honestly, She Doesn't Live Here Anymore
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]]> The White Crow 220161570 “No one does suspense better.� —Stephen King

Ambitious young police officer Philomena McCarthy, the daughter of London’s most notorious mob boss, returns in the latest propulsive thriller by author Michael Robotham.

Philomena McCarthy has defied the odds to become a young officer with the Metropolitan Police because her father and her uncles are notorious London gangsters.

On patrol one night, Philomena finds a barefoot child, covered in blood, who says she can’t wake her mother. Meanwhile, three miles away, a London jeweler has a bomb strapped to his chest in his ransacked store and millions are missing.

These two events collide and threaten Philomena’s career, her new marriage, and her life. In too deep, and falling further, Phil must decide who she can trust—her family or her colleagues—and on what side of the thin blue line she wants to live.]]> 368 Michael Robotham 1668031027 Jess � 0 to-read 4.54 The White Crow
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]]> The Antidote 214537790 FromĚýPulitzer finalist, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and bestsellingĚýauthor of Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove. A gripping Dust Bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town

The Antidote opens on Black Sunday, as a historic dust storm ravages the fictional town of Uz, Nebraska. But Uz is already collapsing—not just under the weight of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl drought, but beneath its own violent histories. The Antidote follows a "Prairie Witch," whose body serves as a bank vault for peoples� memories and secrets; a Polish wheat farmer who learns how quickly a hoarded blessing can become a curse; his orphan niece, a basketball star and witch’s apprentice in furious flight from her grief; a voluble scarecrow; and a New Deal photographer whose time-traveling camera threatens to reveal both the town’s secrets and its fate.

Russell's novel is above all a reckoning with a nation’s forgetting—enacting the settler amnesia and willful omissions passed down from generation to generation, and unearthing not only horrors but shimmering possibilities. The Antidote echoes with urgent warnings for our own climate emergency, challenging readers with a vision of what might have been—and what still could be.]]> 432 Karen Russell 059380225X Jess � 0 to-read 4.01 2025 The Antidote
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average rating: 4.01
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]]> Swordheart 218624103 448 T. Kingfisher 1250400228 Jess � 0 to-read 4.10 2018 Swordheart
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2018
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]]> The Possession of Alba Díaz 221502398 When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust� from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them� and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood grows stronger.]]> 384 Isabel Cañas 0593641078 Jess � 0 to-read 5.00 2025 The Possession of Alba Díaz
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average rating: 5.00
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]]> The Backwater 216594963
The Kelly family has always been trouble

When a fire in a remote trailer park community kills nine people, including 17-year-old Sabine Kelly's mother and sister, Sabine confesses to the murders. Shortly after, she escapes custody, flees her broken hometown, and disappears into the thick forest and winding backwaters of her childhood refuge, the river.

Recently let go from marriage, motherhood and her career, journalist Rachel Weidermann has long suspected Sabine made her way back to the river—and now, twelve years after the "Trailer Park Murders," she has the time and the tenacity to corner a fugitive and land the story of the year, hoping the success would allow her to stitch back together the ragged edges of her life. But Rachel's ambition lights the fuse leading to a brutal chain of events, and the web Sabine weaves will force Rachel to question everything she believes.

As forceful and unrelenting as the river that drives its story, The Backwater is a stunning, suspenseful novel about class, corruption, truth, and justice by a powerful new voice in crime fiction.]]> 352 Vikki Wakefield 1464234884 Jess � 0 to-read 4.33 2024 The Backwater
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average rating: 4.33
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]]> Katabasis 210191773 Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.]]> 560 R.F. Kuang 0063021471 Jess � 0 to-read 4.30 2025 Katabasis
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average rating: 4.30
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]]> Universality 214269374 Remember—words are your weapons, they’re your tools, your currency: a twisty, slippery descent into the rhetoric of truth and power from a "powerful new voice in British Literature� (The Sunday Times).

Late one night on a Yorkshire farm, in the midst of an illegal rave, a young man is nearly bludgeoned to death with a solid gold bar.

An ambitious young journalist sets out to uncover the truth surrounding the attack, connecting the dots between an amoral banker landlord, an iconoclastic columnist, and a radical anarchist movement that has taken up residence on the farm. She solves the mystery, but her viral exposé raises more questions than it answers, Who wrote it? Why? And how much of it is true? Through a voyeuristic lens, and with a simmering power, the book focuses in on what we say, how we say it, and what we really mean.

The thrilling novel from one of the most acclaimed and incisive young novelists working today, Universality is a compelling, unsettling celebration of the spectacular, appalling force of language. It dares you to look away.]]> 176 Natasha Brown 0593977300 Jess � 0 to-read 3.47 2025 Universality
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average rating: 3.47
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]]> The Last Session 214151571 From the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat, a white-knuckled locked-room thriller about a social worker who, after coming face-to-face with her dark past, must infiltrate a mysterious wellness center in the deserts of New Mexico.

When a catatonic woman shows up at the psychiatric unit, social worker Thea swears she knows her from somewhere. She’s shocked to discover the patient holds a link to a traumatic time in her past. Upon regaining lucidity, the patient claims she can’t remember the horrific recent events that caused her brain to shut down. Thea’s at a loss—especially when the patient is ripped away from her as suddenly as she appeared.

Determined to find her, Thea follows a trail of clues to a remote center in Southwestern New Mexico, where a charismatic couple holds a controversial monthly retreat to uncover attendees� romantic and sexual issues. Forced to participate in increasingly intimate exercises, Thea finds herself inching closer not only to her missing patient, but also to tantalizing answers about her harrowing past. However, time is running out, and if she stays for the last session, she too might lose her mind…or worse.]]> 368 Julia Bartz 1982199490 Jess � 0 to-read 3.15 2025 The Last Session
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]]> Remember This 211934952 The author of Norumbega Park returns with a bravura novel about the secrets artists keep—from the rest of the world, and from themselves.

Even though Miranda Rando, a forty-year-old writer living in Brooklyn, is making breakthroughs in her biography of a powerful woman artist, she can’t escape the all-commanding presence of her father, Henry. And now that he has written a slightly embarrassing and shockingly successful self-help book, the seventy-year-old playwright is everywhere.

Henry’s sudden rise to prominence—along with his need to grapple more deeply with his own religious life� leads him to join a mission to Haiti. There, he meets a young man eager to come to America. But his motivation to help becomes complicated by his disturbing attraction to the boy. It also comes to threaten his relationships with his daughter and his wife, Lily, a successful actress.

Miranda and Henry play out their separate dramas until the lives of the father and daughter become hopelessly intertwined. Miranda’s drive to understand the mysterious artist she’s profiling becomes a journey into the past, into the lost New York of the 1970s, a time whose social and political fervency will always be wrapped up with her own childhood. That journey, existing alongside Henry’s need to test the boundaries of their relationship, leads her to a new awareness of how much artists will always withhold from their children, and from the world.

Anthony Giardina’s Remember This moves through the cutthroat contemporary art world, the New York theater scene, and post-earthquake Haiti to ask questions about artistic legacies, and about the root of family relationships. What secrets are necessary for us to keep? How much can we ask of each other? And what truths will remain forever hidden?]]> 384 Anthony Giardina 0374611343 Jess � 0 to-read 3.86 2025 Remember This
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]]> Too Old for This 221115923 A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.Ěý

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…]]> 400 Samantha Downing 0593101030 Jess � 0 to-read 4.49 2025 Too Old for This
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average rating: 4.49
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]]> Jar of Hearts 45046654 An explosive, edge-of-your-seat read about three friends, one murder, and a whole world of secrets...

Angela was one of the most popular girls in her high school before she disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever knew what became of her―not Georgina, her best friend, nor Kaiser, who was close with both girls. Then, fourteen years later, Angela’s remains were discovered in the woods near Geo’s childhood home and Kaiser―who became a detective with the Seattle police department―finally learned the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James.

To the authorities, Calvin was a notorious serial killer. But back in the day, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met, right up until the night Angela was killed. Geo carried the secret of Calvin’s dark deeds until the evidence landed her in prison. But now, just as Geo is about to be released, new bodies start turning up―killed in the exact same manner as Angela... and soon Geo, Kaiser, and local law enforcement officials realize that what happened that fateful night is more complex and chilling than anyone could have imagined.]]> 384 Jennifer Hillier 1250154200 Jess � 0 to-read 4.19 2018 Jar of Hearts
author: Jennifer Hillier
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2018
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]]> Pariah 220687854 An action-packed, adrenaline-fueled thriller about a disgraced comedian-turned-politician, who takes on the role of a infiltrating a corrupt Eastern European country to spy on their brutal dictator.

Hal Knight is a famous, if deeply polarizing, figure in Hollywood and on Capitol Hill. After a disastrous #MeToo encounter, Knight resigns from his seat, quits social media, and disappears to a Caribbean island. Upon his arrival, however, he is approached by a group of mysterious strangers, whom he discovers are CIA agents hoping to penetrate Bolrovia—a hostile, eastern European country. They want his help in doing so. Bolrovia’s oligarch, Nikolai Horvatz, is a fan of Knight’s movies, and the agents anticipate Knight will receive an invitation for an official visit imminently. Though Knight is skeptical about the mission, he realizes he has nothing more to lose and could—at last—do something truly meaningful with his life, whether or not anybody ever learns the truth about his hand in the matter. Reluctantly, he agrees to the job.

Arriving in Bolrovia as President Horvatz’s guest of honor, Knight is faced with his ultimate acting challenge. He brushes shoulders withĚýHorvatz, Branko Sarič—the President’s ruthless head of state security—shadowyĚýfigures in their orbit, and another group of Americans whose motivations are unclear.ĚýThe only people in his corner are a trio of agents led by Lauren Witt, who has her own troubles in the agency and despises Knight. What begins as an assignment to keep his eyes and ears open quickly turns into a life or death mission. With Pariah, Dan Fesperman has crafted a heart-pounding thriller about espionage, entertainment, and one man’s pursuit of redemption.]]> 368 Dan Fesperman 0593802233 Jess âś� 0 to-read 4.50 Pariah
author: Dan Fesperman
name: Jess �
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]]> Polybius 214152047 Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead in this shivery novel based on a terrifying urban legend about a small seaside town descending into chaos when an unusual video game is unveiled at the local arcade.

Having recently moved to the gentrifying seaside town of Tasker Bay with her mother, the only thing on high schooler Andi’s mind is saving up enough money for her escape to Silicon Valley. Though it’s owned by the shadiest resident in town, she takes a job at the dingy arcade Home Video World.

Pining over Andi is Ro, the son of Tasker Bay’s sheriff. With his friend’s matchmaking help, he begins spending more time at the arcade and soon, Andi finds herself opening up to Ro. But when the store gets an unusual new game of unknown origin, the floor is suddenly overwhelmed with players fighting to get some time on the machine. Seemingly overnight, a virus-like epidemic sweeps through the town while a major coastal storm rolls in, further isolating them from the outside world. Time is of the essence as residents collectively experience anger, paranoia, hallucinations, and even catatonia. And when one heinous act of violence goes unsolved, the town descends into utter chaos. Realizing no one is coming to their rescue, Andi and Ro take matters into their own hands to get to the bottom of the spiraling madness…until it begins affecting them, too.]]> 352 Collin Armstrong 1668044978 Jess � 0 to-read 3.82 2025 Polybius
author: Collin Armstrong
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.82
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]]> <![CDATA[Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years, #1)]]> 30241301 When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

]]> 406 Gregory Maguire Jess � 0 to-read 3.52 1995 Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years, #1)
author: Gregory Maguire
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.52
book published: 1995
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]]> Say a Little Prayer 214268970 A wry, heartfelt tale of a teen who's taking her church camp by storm—one deadly sin at a time.

Riley quietly left church a year ago when she realized there was no place for a bi girl in her congregation. But it wasn’t until the pastor shunned her older sister for getting an abortion that she really wanted to burn it all down.

It’s just her luck, then, that she’s sent to the principal’s office for slapping a girl talking smack about her sister—and in order to avoid suspension, she has to spend spring break at church camp. The only saving grace is that she’ll be there with her best friend, Julia. Even if Julia’s dad is the pastor. And he’s in charge of camp. But Riley won’t let a technicality like “repenting� get in the way of her true mission. Instead of spending the week embracing the seven heavenly virtues, she decides to commit all seven deadly sins. If she can show the other campers that sometimes being a little bad is for the greater good, she could start a righteous revolution! What could possibly go wrong? Aside from falling for the pastor’s daughter . . .]]> 320 Jenna Voris 0593692748 Jess � 0 to-read 4.12 2025 Say a Little Prayer
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name: Jess �
average rating: 4.12
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]]> Girl in the Creek 211004203 The Girl in the Creek by Hugo Award winner Wendy N. Wagner is an atmospheric and eerie story about a Pacific Northwest forest that seems to be devouring all who enter. A perfect read for fans of T. Kingfisher and Jeff VanderMeer’s cli-fi cosmic horror.

The Clackamas National Forest has always been a sanctuary for evil—human and alien. The shadows of looming trees and long-abandoned mines shelter poachers and serial killers alike. Then there’s the ruined hotel on the outskirts of picturesque small town Faraday, Oregon, nestled in the foothills of Mt. Hood. The one drowning in mushrooms and fungus not even the local expert can identify. Not to mention the stacks of missing persons cases. Freelance writer Erin Harper arrives in Faraday to find out what happened to her brother, whose disappearance in the forest has haunted her for years. But someone else has gone missing. And when Erin finds her in the creek, the girl vanishes again � this time from the morgue, and days later her fingerprints show up at a murder scene. Maybe it’s a serial killer, or maybe it’s the spores infecting the forest and those lost inside. Erin must find answers quickly, before anyone else goes missing. But she might be next�

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 272 Wendy N. Wagner 1250908647 Jess � 0 to-read 3.56 2025 Girl in the Creek
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average rating: 3.56
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]]> <![CDATA[Fable for the End of the World]]> 214466890 The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.]]> 448 Ava Reid 0063430010 Jess � 0 to-read 3.93 2025 Fable for the End of the World
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name: Jess �
average rating: 3.93
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]]> <![CDATA[The Iron Palace (Tangled Spirits, #2)]]> 223479581 Heian Capital, 1002: As Shrine Miko, Masako loves her job and her new home at Kamo, but her powers have vanished and rumors fly that she’ll be forced to leave. When the Crown Prince’s consort dies in front of her and a lady-in-waiting disappears without a trace, Masako volunteers for the perilous mission to battle a demon and save the innocent young woman from a gruesome end. But without her powers, she may be destined for the same fate.

Kyoto, 2019: Mina longs to return to the life of a normal college student, but unsettling visions and dreams won’t leave her alone. Her mysterious friend Kenji offers to help her search for Masako’s journal to find closure, but instead, they find desperate letters Masako wrote a thousand years ago.

Now Mina faces a return to the past to save Masako, or move on with her life and leave the ancient world - and her best friend - behind forever.

In this exciting sequel to Tangled Spirits, Kate Shanahan weaves Japanese history and folklore into a captivating tale of courage, strength, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.]]> 326 Kate Shanahan Jess � 0 to-read 4.33 The Iron Palace (Tangled Spirits, #2)
author: Kate Shanahan
name: Jess �
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]]> <![CDATA[The Red Letter (The Orphanage by the Lake, #2)]]> 221206053
A DEAD BODY. A MYSTERIOUS RED LETTER.

Hazel has everything she wants.

Business is booming at her boutique private investigation firm. She's dating the man of her dreams. Even her perpetually skeptical mother seems impressed. Then the NYPD finds a beloved neighborhood priest dead along with a mysterious red letter.

Hazel investigates the murder as a favor to an old friend and discovers that the priest wasn't the only recent murder victim to receive a red letter...and one victim has ties to a psychopath from a past life that Hazel thought she had buried. One by one, the red letters continue to appear, and with every letter, another killing, each more mysterious than the last.

As Hazel closes in on the killer, the killer closes in on her, and Hazel begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself and the people around her. Even worse, Hazel discovers that the only way to find the truth is to open one more...]]> 352 Daniel G. Miller 1464246394 Jess � 0 to-read 4.41 The Red Letter (The Orphanage by the Lake, #2)
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]]> Bitter Sweet 220239023 When a young book publicist finds herself in an all-consuming workplace affair with her literary idol, she learns that the things you love most can sometimes be the very things that tear you apart in this intoxicating and moving debut novel.

Charlie hasn’t always had high hopes for herself. But now at twenty-three, she’s landed her dream jobĚýas an assistantĚýat a historicĚýLondonĚýpublishing house, moved into a stunning townhome with two of the most glamorous, kind and generousĚýpeople she’s ever met, and her favorite author, the award-winning, generation-defining,ĚýcharmingĚýRichard Aveling, is about to publish his magnum opus—and Charlie is going to be working with him.

She couldn’t be more excited to help publish the man whose writing has inspired her since she was a teenager. When Charlie bumps into Richard while having a smoke in the rain, the attraction is immediate,Ěýand the moment feels nothing short of cinematic.

SoĚýwhen the Richard Aveling begins to take her advice over that of more senior staff, Charlie finds herself drawn to him despite their thirty-year age gap, his marriage, and the disparity in their power at the publishing house. Once Richard makes it clear that he’s drawn to her as well, they begin an affair that Charlie never saw coming;Ěýit is a relationship founded in control and silence.

Too soon, she can’t imagine her life without Richard, and too late, she understands that losing him will unravel more than just their relationship…it might also unravel her.

Tender and poignant, Bitter Sweet is an intimate explorationĚýof power, of vulnerability, of what it means to love another person, and of what it means to love yourself.]]> 304 Hattie Williams 059387420X Jess âś� 0 to-read 4.29 Bitter Sweet
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]]> Worry 214152235
It’s March of 2019, and twenty-eight-year-old Jules Gold—anxious, artistically frustrated, and internet-obsessed—has been living alone in the apartment she once shared with the man she thought she’d marry when her younger sister Poppy comes to crash. Indefinitely. Poppy is a year out from a suicide attempt only Jules knows about, and as she searches for work and meaning in Brooklyn, Jules spends her days hate-scrolling the feeds of Mormon mommy bloggers and waiting for life to happen.

Then the hives that’ve plagued Poppy since childhood flare up. Jules’s uterus turns against her. Poppy brings home a maladjusted rescue dog named Amy Klobuchar. The girls� mother—a newly devout Messianic Jew—starts falling for the same deep-state conspiracy theories as Jules’s online mommies. A trip home to Florida ends in disaster. Amy Klobuchar may or may not have rabies. And Jules struggles halfheartedly to scrape her way to the source of her ennui, slowly and cruelly coming to blame Poppy for her own insufficiencies as a friend, a writer, and a sister. As the year shambles on and a new decade looms near, Jules and Poppy—comrades, competitors, permanent fixtures in each other’s lives—must ask themselves what they want their futures to look like, and whether they’ll spend them together or apart.

Deadpan, dark, and brutally funny, Worry is a sharp portrait of two sisters enduring a dread-filled American moment from a nervy new voice in contemporary fiction.]]> 320 Alexandra Tanner 1668018624 Jess � 0 to-read 3.22 2024 Worry
author: Alexandra Tanner
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average rating: 3.22
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]]> <![CDATA[These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights, #1)]]> 50892212
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.]]> 449 Chloe Gong 1534457690 Jess � 0 to-read 3.82 2020 These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights, #1)
author: Chloe Gong
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average rating: 3.82
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]]> What If I Never Get Over You 216522748 One Day meets a contemporary Bridgerton in this high-drama, escapist wonder of a love story, Paige Toon’s best yet.

Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.

Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while interrailing through Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash. Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection—a bond deep enough for them to scrap their itineraries and plan to meet again in Spain. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.

Six years later, Ellie has landed her dream job working as a gardener for a viscount and viscountess on their sprawling five-hundred-year-old estate in Wales. She finds peace amongst the towering topiary hedges and colorful gardens, but her idyll is shattered when Ash crashes back into her life. And when it becomes clear why he didn’t show in Madrid, her heart breaks anew—for what the truth means for her, and for his fate.

But they have never been able to resist each another, and when the sparks of their attraction fly, Ellie’s life will catch flame. She will have to make a choice.]]> 416 Paige Toon 0593718739 Jess � 0 to-read 4.00 2025 What If I Never Get Over You
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]]> That Kind of Girl 219520669 In this gripping YA thriller perfect for fans of Jessica Goodman and Amber Smith, two girls from opposite worlds play a dangerous game of cat and mouse when a rich classmate is murdered and they’re both prime suspects. The race is on to find out which one is a killer.

Sixteen-year-old amateur sleuth Roxie is shrewd, nimble, cunning, and only a little bit damaged. She also has a real knack for finding things, making her the perfect go-to detective for her rich classmates at St. Margaret when they’re looking to retrieve the things they’ve “lost”� no questions asked. So when queen bee Kirsten Montgomery-Wiggins pays Roxie a hefty sum to track down a mysterious blonde who “stole� her phone, Roxie accepts. Although Kirsten is a bully and she and Roxie have bad blood between them, Roxie could really use the cash. But that same night, Roxie finds Kirsten murdered in her mansion, and police zero in on her as a prime suspect.

On the outskirts of town in a trailer park, Inez, a part-time maid and part-time sex-worker, keeps finding blood everywhere. Crusted in her earring, threaded into her shoelace. She should really toss her shoes so there’s nothing to tie her to the body, but these shoes cost her a few “favors� and several hours of cleaning houses. How could the night have gone so wrong? She really thought she was working her way to a better life, but now she could be headed to jail if the wrong someone puts two and two together.

Roxie doesn’t know who she’s looking for and Inez doesn’t know who she’s hiding from. But all roads seem to lead to Montgomery House, as Roxie works to clear her own name and Inez attempts to stay one step ahead of the law and the men who hurt her.]]> 304 Natalie C. Anderson 059340629X Jess � 0 to-read 3.74 That Kind of Girl
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]]> We Live Here Now 219833105
But these things happen only when Emily is alone, so are they happening at all? She is still medically fragile. Her post-sepsis condition can cause hallucinatory side effects, which means she cannot fully trust her senses. Freddie does not notice anything odd and is happy with their chance at a fresh start. She, however, starts to believe the house is haunted by someone who had been murdered in it even though she can find no evidence of a wrongful death. As bizarre events pile up and her marriage starts to crumble, Emily becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about Larkin Lodge. But just as the house has secrets so do Emily and her husband.]]> 304 Sarah Pinborough 1250394058 Jess � 0 to-read 4.16 2025 We Live Here Now
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average rating: 4.16
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]]> Overruled 219848320 Two divorce lawyers determined to share only beds but not hearts discover that love is something that can’t be overruled in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author of The Game Changer.

Danica Pierce has one great love in her life: work. As one of the top divorce lawyers in Austin, Danica lets her caseload keep her warm at night and has no problem being married to her job, not when love only ends in hurt. When the biggest case of her career gives her a shot at making partner, it seems like nothing could possibly stand in her way...except for her infuriating secret: she's sleeping with the enemy.

Ezra Hart is known for charming his way in and out of a courtroom. In the matter of winning Danica Pierce's heart, however, he's been far less successful. With her verdict to keep things purely physical with no chance of appeal, Ezra struggles to show Danica he's more than the insufferable playboy she's pegged him to be--especially since they find themselves on opposing sides of Danica's most important case to date.

While Dani and Ezra battle it out in the courtroom, the real trial is the one happening between them. When Dani realizes that everything she knows of Ezra might be hearsay--and that she's not the only one with emotional baggage--she must choose between her fear of trusting again and the feelings blossoming between her and the man she thought was her worst enemy.]]> 432 Lana Ferguson 0593549392 Jess � 0 to-read 4.25 2025 Overruled
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average rating: 4.25
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]]> <![CDATA[The King's Maiden (Camelot Court)]]> 223887874
Sign. Me. Up.

Most days, I did that for free and called it being female.
But it turns out the rumors circulating campus are true.
A secret society wants to pay me for their privilege.

Life has thrown me nothing but lemons since I lost my father.
Crippling student loans. Unpaid medical bills. Overdue rent.
Enter The Quest, the solution to all my problems.

To win it, I have to become a Maiden,
Navigate a snake pit of secrets and betrayal,
And fight to resist temptation, all for the chance at a fresh start.

Submitting to D’Arthur University’s brotherhood of Knights won’t be an easy feat.
Camelot Court’s most notorious members will test my honor and my limits.
But to the victor goes the spoils�

And The Quest is one game I can’t afford to lose.

~

The King’s Maiden is first in a four-book series and ends on a cliffhanger. The series will conclude with resolution and a form of happiness for the characters. This is a Why Choose romance, which means the FMC will end up with more than one love interest. If tensions rise high enough, swords may cross in future books or bonus material. Anything is possible when the ultimate prize is to love without limits. ]]> 429 Elle Parker 1966683014 Jess � 0 to-read 3.75 2025 The King's Maiden (Camelot Court)
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name: Jess �
average rating: 3.75
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]]> All the Men I've Loved Again 218615956 From Christine Pride, the beloved coauthor of the Good Morning America Book Club Pick We Are Not Like Them, comes a dazzling solo debut novel about a woman who finds herself in the impossible situation of being in love with the same two men who won her heart in her early twenties again as she nears forty.

It’s 1999, TLC’s “No Scrubs� is topping the charts, y2k is looming on everyone’s mind, and Cora Belle has arrived at college ready to change her life. She’s determined to grow out of the shy, sheltered girl who attended an all-white prep in her all-white suburb. Cora is ready to conquer her fears and find her people, her place in the world, and herself.

What she’s totally unprepared for is Lincoln, with his dark skin, charming southern drawl, and that smile. Because how can you ever prepare yourself for the rollercoaster of first love with all its glorious, bewildering contradictions? Just when Cora thinks she’s got things figured out, a series of surprises and secrets threaten to upend everything she thought she understood about love and loyalty.

In the wake of these developments and a shocking tragedy, a new man enters Cora’s life—Aaron—further complicating everything. He’s the only one who seems to get her, and the letters she writes to him when the two are separated reveal the truth of their inescapable connection. There’s only one problem—how can she fall in love with one man when her heart belongs to another?

Twenty years later, and Cora is all grown up, or mostly, and has cloaked herself in loneliness like a warm blanket. It’s the safest choice. But then an unexpected reconnection and a chance encounter puts her right back where she started. The same two men, the same agonizing decision.

Finding herself in this position—again—will test everything Cora thought she knew about fate, love, and most importantly, herself. All The Men I’ve Loved Again is a big-hearted coming-of-age story for anyone who’s thought what if about a past love and what it would be like to have a second chance.]]> 320 Christine Pride 1668049538 Jess � 0 to-read 3.51 All the Men I've Loved Again
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average rating: 3.51
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]]> <![CDATA[Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy, #1)]]> 221955020 Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever. An unputdownable debut full of hairpin twists, shock betrayals and world-defying love, for fans of The Atlas Six.

Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.

Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.

Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.

Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.

All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.

Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.]]> 512 I.V. Marie 059389880X Jess � 0 to-read 4.70 2025 Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy, #1)
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name: Jess �
average rating: 4.70
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]]> Bully (Fall Away, #1) 25402492
But he still won't leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I'm done hiding from him now, and there's no way in hell I'll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It's time to fight back.

I'm not going to let him bully me anymore.

***This novel contains adult/mature young adult situations. It is only suitable for ages 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.]]> 352 Penelope Douglas 0451477103 Jess � 0 to-read 3.84 2013 Bully (Fall Away, #1)
author: Penelope Douglas
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2013
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]]> Friends with Benefits 217388127 Lifelong best friends say 'I do' to a marriage of convenience, trading vows for a financial safety net and benefits. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Katherine Center.

Evie Bloom pays attention to the details. Her very job depends on it—as an aspiring Foley artist, she’s responsible for every crisp footstep, smacking kiss, and distinct sound in film and television. So when she’s selected for a fellowship opportunity that would make all her career dreams come true, she’s quick to spot the there are no health benefits, and for someone with a chronic illness, that’s a non-starter.

Theo Cohen is an elementary school teacher who can't afford to live on his own in LA, and is facing eviction after his roommates couple up and move out of their dream of a rent-controlled apartment. But there is one loophole in his each tenant must meet an income threshold, unless the tenants are married.

For Theo, the answer is obvious. Marry Evie, his best friend since forever. It’s not as if they don’t spend all their free time together anyways. Not only will Theo be able to keep his apartment, but Evie can be added to his insurance plan so she can accept her dream fellowship. It’s such a logical, practical solution. Never mind that Evie doesn’t really want to be married—not to Theo, not to anyone—ever. Or the small, complicating fact that Theo has always been a little bit in love with Evie.

But it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Marriage. It will just give them space to breathe, and much-needed relief from the daily financial stress. It won’t change anything.

It’s . . . going to change everything.]]> 384 Marisa Kanter 1250358892 Jess � 0 to-read 3.65 Friends with Benefits
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]]> The Younger Woman 212368672 A woman’s confession about her husband sparks a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in this riveting domestic thriller

Gabby and Fred have just begun to adapt to their new life as empty nesters when Gabby makes a stunning realization: she can’t stand her husband.

One night at a bar, Gabby meets an enigmatic younger woman named Ellis, and in a haze of drunkenness, she confesses that she wishes Fred dead. Surely she didn’t expect anything to come of it, but when she tries to track Ellis down again, she realizes that Ellis might not have been who she said she was.

As Gabby begins to unravel the truth about Ellis, and what Fred might be hiding, she is thrown into a whirlwind of lies and manipulation. How much is she willing to risk to expose the truth? And who is the real target?]]> 336 Cate Ray Jess � 0 to-read 3.68 2025 The Younger Woman
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average rating: 3.68
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]]> Pineville Trace 213732285
“This was an utterly compelling read. Blake’s prose is sparse and simple, whose short, almost broken, sentences sing with enormous power.� —SmokeLong Quarterly

"Blake’s writing provides a contemporary case-study on artful, effective minimalism. The effect is an introspective, haunting tale that remains with us." —Heavy Feather Review

Winner of the Etchings Press Novella Prize

After Frank escapes from a prison in Kentucky, his journey to find meaning in the absence of his former life as a charismatic traveling preacher leads him all up and down the US and Canada, delving into his own memories and questions of faith, family, self, and stories—and where those stories lead us. Taking only a cat named Buffalo and a desire to outrun his former life, he journeys to the fringes of society. As he struggles to survive, Frank confronts his past, seeking redemption amidst the wilderness. As Frank traverses the shadowy edges of society, he encounters remnants of his former self, forcing him to confront his deepest regrets and desires. Blake’s haunting prose captures the essence of a man on the brink of transformation, urging readers to ponder the thin line between redemption and damnation.]]> 140 Wes Blake 1955521344 Jess � 0 to-read 3.43 Pineville Trace
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]]> The Girls Who Grew Big 219520677 From the author of Oprah's Book Club pick and New York Times best seller Nightcrawling, here isĚýan astonishing new novel aboutĚýthe joys and entanglements of a fierce group of teenage mothers in a small town on the Florida panhandle.

Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant. Her parents banish her from her comfortable upbringing in Indiana to her grandmother’s home in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. When she arrives, Adela meets Emory, who brings her newborn to high school, determined to graduate despite the odds; Simone, mother of four-year-old twins, weighs her options when she finds herself pregnant again; and the rest of the Girls, a group of outcast young moms who raise their growing brood in the back of Simone’s red truck.

The town thinks the Girls have lost their way, but really they are finding it: looking for love, making and breaking friendships, and navigating the miracle of motherhood and the paradox of girlhood.

Full of heart and life and hope, set against the shifting sands of these friends� secrets and betrayals, The Girls Who Grew Big confirms Leila Mottley’s promise and offers an explosive new perspective on what it means to be a young woman.]]> 352 Leila Mottley 0593801121 Jess � 0 to-read 4.21 2025 The Girls Who Grew Big
author: Leila Mottley
name: Jess �
average rating: 4.21
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]]> Among Friends 219520678 The announcement of a major literary debut: What begins as a celebration takes a sudden turn when a shocking betrayal shatters the trust between families.

It’s an autumn weekend at a comfortable New York country house where two deeply intertwined families have gathered to mark the host’s fifty-second birthday.

Together, the group forms an enviable portrait of middle age. The wives and husbands have been friends for over thirty years, their teenage daughters have grown up together, and the drinks, dinners, rituals, and games that form their days all reflect the rich bonds between them.

This weekend, however, something is different. An unforeseen curdling of envy and resentment will erupt into an unspeakable act, the ramifications of which are enormous. Accusations, denials, and shattered illusions follow, driving wedges between friends, spouses, children and parents, and exposing the treacherous fault lines on which these families have dwelt.

Written with hypnotic elegance and molten precision, and announcing the arrival of a major literary talent, Hal Ebbott’s Among Friends examines the aftermath of betrayal within the sanctuary of a defining relationship. It explores themes of class, marriage, friendship, and power, as well as the things we tell ourselves to preserve our finely made worlds.]]> 320 Hal Ebbott 0593854195 Jess � 0 to-read 3.96 2025 Among Friends
author: Hal Ebbott
name: Jess �
average rating: 3.96
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]]>