Tag: reading

What I Read in April (2022)

Books Read in April: 11 (I think this is the smallest number ever.)

Books Read for the Year:  77/250

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George (re-read). I really enjoyed this. It’s been years since I read it, but I saw it at HPB for $2 and thought, “Why not?”

Look to Love, by J.L. Gerhardt (spiritual).

The Might, by Siri Pettersen (TBR). I loved this entire trilogy!

How (Not) to Save the World, by Hosanna Wong (spiritual).

Game On, by Janet Evanovich (TBR). WHY does she always go back to Joe?

For Review:

A Promise of Forgiveness, by Jo Ann Brown. The unforgiveness from the main character made me enjoy this a lot less than I could have.

The Memory of Her, by Bianca M. Schwarz. I’ve enjoyed the three books in this series, but this one threw me off a bit because it was set after the first book that came out, but before the third book.

This May End Badly, by Samantha Markum. I really enjoyed this! No, the MC wasn’t the greatest person, but she did learn, and the love interest was wonderful.

The Wrong Victim, by Allison Brennan. One of the MCs is borderline hard to like, but I ended up enjoying this read.

Funny You Should Ask, by Elissa Sussman. This was a decent read, even if the premise itself was a bit hard to believe.

The Kew Garden Girls at War, by Posy Lovell (review forthcoming). This was a lovely read!

Left Unfinished:

The Wedding Crasher, by Mia Sosa. Likable enough, but I was bored.

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier, by Sarah Bird. I read about 15% but it was just so slow I couldn’t get into it.

Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett. Just started off way too slowly for me.

End of the World House, by Adrienne Celt. I didn’t make it very far into this because I didn’t feel any connection with the main characters.

Book Review:  Funny You Should Ask, by Elissa Sussman

Image belongs to Random House/Ballantine.

Title:    Funny You Should Ask
Author:  Elissa Sussman  
Genre:    Romance
Rating:  4 out of 5

Then. Twentysomething writer Chani Horowitz is stuck. While her former MFA classmates are nabbing book deals, she’s in the trenches writing puff pieces. Then she’s hired to write a profile of movie star Gabe Parker. The Gabe Parker–her forever celebrity crush, the object of her fantasies, the background photo on her phone–who’s also just been cast as the new James Bond. It’s terrifying and thrilling all at once . . . yet if she can keep her cool and nail the piece, it could be a huge win. Gabe will get good press, and her career will skyrocket. But what comes next proves to be life-changing in ways Chani never saw coming, as the interview turns into a whirlwind weekend that has the tabloids buzzing.

Now. Ten years later, after a brutal divorce and a heavy dose of therapy, Chani is back in Los Angeles, laser-focused on one thing: her work. But she’s still spent the better part of the last decade getting asked about her deeply personal Gabe Parker profile at every turn. No matter what new essay collection or viral editorial she’s promoting, it always comes back to Gabe. So when his PR team requests that they reunite for a second interview, she wants to say no. She wants to pretend that she’s forgotten about the time they spent together, years ago. But the truth is that those seventy-two hours are still crystal clear, etched in her memory. And so . . . she says yes.

Chani knows that facing Gabe again also means facing feelings she’s tried so hard to push away. Alternating between their first meeting and their reunion a decade later, this deliciously irresistible novel will have you hanging on until the last word.

This was an entertaining read, despite the…sheer unbelievability of the premise. Chani was an open-mouth-insert-both-feet person, so I was alternately horrified and amused at her shenanigans. This was a light and fluffy read, so nothing requiring too much thinking, but it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

Elissa Sussman lives in Los Angeles. Funny You Should Ask is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:   The Wrong Victim, by Allison Brennan

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Title:    The Wrong Victim
Author:  Allison Brennan  
Genre:    Thriller
Rating:  4 out of 5

A bomb explodes on a sunset charter cruise out of Friday Harbor at the height of tourist season and kills everyone on board. Now this fishing and boating community is in shock and asking who would commit such a heinous crime—the largest act of mass murder in the history of the San Juan Islands.

Forensic profilers know there are two types of domestic terrorists: those who use violence to instill fear for political purposes but stop at murder because it detracts from the cause, and those who crave attention and are willing to maim and murder for their own agenda.

Accused of putting profits before people after leaking fuel that caused a massive fish kill, the West End Charter company may itself have been the target. But as special agent Matt Costa, detective Kara Quinn and the rest of the FBI team begin their investigation, they discover that plenty of people might have wanted someone dead on that yacht. Now they must track down who is responsible and stop them before they strike again.

I really enjoyed reading these characters again. I like Kara, although she’s a touch too brash and in-your-face for me. I loved the small town setting and even the supporting characters were well-done and vibrant. There’s a lot going on here, but the author handles it all so skillfully, I never got confused at all.

Allison Brennan is a bestselling author. The Wrong Victim is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  This May End Badly, by Samantha Markum

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books.

Title:   This May End Badly
Author:   Samantha Markum
Genre:   YA
Rating:  5 out of 5

Pranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos.

To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three, Winfield’s boy king and her nemesis. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three.

As the pranks escalate, so do her feelings for her fake boyfriend, and Doe spins lie after lie to keep up her end of the deal. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe has to decide what’s more important: winning a rivalry, or joining forces to protect something far more critical than a prank war legacy.

This book was just good, plain fun!  Sure, Doe did some pretty crappy things—and I never really understood her animosity towards Three—but I enjoyed this book from the very first page. Doe’s group of friends was great, and I liked that the guys were actually good guys, too, even if the girls couldn’t see that at first. Doe grows a lot in this story, and while sometimes that change was painful, I enjoyed the story very much. Especially the interactions between Doe and Wells. Her “stranger danger” made me laugh a lot.

Samantha Markum lives in St. Louis. This May End Badly is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   The Memory of Her, by Bianca M. Schwarz

Image belongs to Central Avenue Publishing.

Title:    The Memory of Her
Author:    Bianca M. Schwarz
Genre:    Historical fiction
Rating:  4 out of 5

Eliza Broad has overcome trauma and loss to become the confident woman and spy she is today, much in thanks to the care and attention of Sir Henry March, spy to the Crown. Fellow spy and good friend to Sir Henry, Allen Strathem has loved Eliza from the moment he first set eyes on her. But out of respect, he never told her and left England for a mission on the Crimea with his secret buried deeply. But the memory of Eliza kept him sane during the relentless horrors of his captivity.

 When he returns, Eliza is tasked with helping Allen recover, and she dedicates herself to restoring the sparkle in his eyes and banishing the specters of his Russian captivity.

 As Allen recuperates, and they realize danger has followed him back to England, Eliza is elated that Allen not only accepts her help, but respects her skill. Together they set a trap and defeat the man who tortured Allen, only to discover something far more dangerous afoot. With danger and intrigue around every corner, Eliza and Allen rely on and trust each other, and soon their once-buried love for each other becomes a driving force. The dangerous adventure they both share and thrive on binds them together, but will that be enough to protect them from those who wish to see them dead?

I enjoyed this read, like I’ve enjoyed the other two books in the series, but the when of it threw me off a bit, as it takes place between books one and two (unless I’m completely misremembering). I did enjoy seeing Eliza come into her own, though, and I liked Allen in the first book, so this was a fun read with characters I was already rooting for.

Bianca M. Schwarz was born in Germany but lives in Los Angeles. The Memory of Her is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   A Promise of Forgiveness, by Jo Ann Brown

Image belongs to Harlequin.

Title:    A Promise of Forgiveness
Author:    Jo Ann Brown
Genre:    Romance
Rating:  4 out of 5

Every little secret is a chain to the past…

 For Amish widow Naomi Ropp, moving back to her parents’ Bliss Valley home—with her boisterous twin toddler boys—is a chance to start over and bury the painful secrets of her marriage forever. But her life is turned upside down once again when she learns she’s not the only one hiding things. The parents she believed were always open and honest have been keeping a secret her whole life. And now her only confidant is her father’s new employee—a handsome Amish man who was once her childhood tormentor.

 Samuel King knows more than anyone should about mistakes—and the way he treated Naomi is at the top of his list. But the shock of seeing her pretty face again is quickly overshadowed when they find a slumbering boppli abandoned on his porch. Caring for the sweet newborn together is finally bringing some peace to their troubled pasts. But when a spark leads to growing feelings as they start to look toward the future, Samuel must find a way to convince Naomi to trust the man he’s become…and the promise of new love.

I enjoyed this romance, but Naomi really had a problem with holding a grudge. Like, to the extreme. And over something that seemed so childish and immaterial, too. She didn’t feel the slightest bit bad about wanting Samuel kicked out of her dad’s house. That really made it hard for me to like her, honestly. Despite that, I did enjoy this read.

Jo Ann Brown is a bestselling author who lives in Florida. A Promise of Forgiveness is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   The Burning Pages, by Paige Shelton

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:    The Burning Pages
Author:    Paige Shelton
Genre:    Mystery
Rating:  4 out of 5

One winter’s night, bookseller Delaney Nichols and her coworker Hamlet are invited to a Burns Night dinner, a traditional Scottish celebration of the poet Robert Burns. She’s perplexed by the invitation, but intrigued. The dinner takes place at Burns House itself, a tiny cottage not far from the Cracked Spine bookshop but well hidden. There, it becomes clear that Delaney and Hamlet were summoned in an attempt to make amends between Edwin, Delaney’s boss, and one of the other invitees, who suspected Edwin for burning down his own bookshop twenty years ago after a professional disagreement.

 But after the dinner, there’s another fire. The Burns House itself is burned to the ground, and this time there’s a body among the ruins. When Hamlet is accused of the crime, Delaney rushes to prove his innocence, only to discover that he might actually have a plausible motive…

This is the second Scottish Bookshop Mystery I’ve read, and it was a lot of fun. Not too light and fluffy, as some cozy mysteries are, but definitely an engaging read. I loved all the characters, and it makes me want to run away to Scotland right now. I don’t know anything about Robert Burns, so finding out more about him and the traditions associated with him was very interesting. This is a solid read!

 Paige Shelton lives in Arizona. The Burning Pages is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   The Echo Man, by Sam Holland

Image belongs to Crooked Lane Books.

Title: The Echo Man
Author:  Sam Holland
Genre:  Thriller
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Detectives Cara Elliott and Noah Deakin are on the case of a series of seemingly unconnected murders, each different in method, but each shocking and brutal. As the body count increases, they can’t ignore the details that echo famous cases of the past—Manson, Kemper, Dahmer, and more. As Elliott and Deakin get closer to unmasking the killer, the murders are moving closer to home.

 Meanwhile, Jessica Ambrose is on the run. She’s been implicated as the arsonist who killed her neglectful husband and injured her young daughter. With the help of disgraced and suspended detective Nate Griffin, Jess discovers a shocking link between her case and that of the ultimate copycat killer working on his horrifying masterpiece.

In the name of transparency, I’ll tell you I almost put this down at 10%. I didn’t find Jessica very likable at all to start with, and that trait in an MC is an almost guaranteed DNF for me. But I’m glad I persevered. Jessica improved a lot, and it was fascinating trying to figure out who the killer was. This is a very bloody and dark novel, so if you have a weak stomach, you might want to pass, but it ended up being pretty riveting as things progressed.

Sam Holland loves the dark and macabre. The Echo Man is his debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   In a Garden Burning Gold, by Rory Power

Image belongs to Random House/Ballantine.

Title:    In a Garden Burning Gold
Author:    Rory Power
Genre:  Fantasy
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Rhea and her twin brother, Lexos, have spent an eternity helping their father rule their small, unstable country, using their control over the seasons, tides, and stars to keep the people in line. For a hundred years, they’ve been each other’s only ally, defending each other and their younger siblings against their father’s increasingly unpredictable anger.

 Now, with an independence movement gaining ground and their father’s rule weakening, the twins must take matters into their own hands to keep their family—and their entire world—from crashing down around them. But other nations are jockeying for power, ready to cross and double cross, and if Rhea and Lexos aren’t careful, they’ll end up facing each other across the battlefield.

This was…I’m not sure how to describe it. It felt very different from anything I’d read before, and the setting and culture were fascinating to me. This family was pretty horrible, for the most part. Their sister was actually nice, but very sheltered, the dad was horrible, their emo-ish brother was a bit much. I didn’t care for either twin initially, but Rhea grew on me as she started to become an actual person instead of some automaton who did everything her father expected. I’m interested to see where the next book takes them.

Rory Power is a bestselling author. In a Garden Burning Gold is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:   Fool Me Once, by Ashley Winstead

Image belongs to Harlequin/Graydon House.

Title:    Fool Me Once
Author:    Ashley Winstead
Genre:    Romance
Rating:  DNF

Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company (that’s better than Tesla, thank you) and after work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…

 That’s because Lee’s learned one big lesson: never trust men. After four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school—who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.

 Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated—and competitive as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.

I read less than 10% of this before stopping. Lee might have learned never to trust men, but she sure hasn’t learned anything from her own bad behavior, and I just can’t stand to read any characters that are horrible people. And Lee qualifies. So no, thank you. I prefer characters that are decent human beings, not caricatures of a “twenty-first century woman” which, in this case, seems to be code for “selfish, hurtful, and completely frivolous”—and showing no sign of redemption.

 Ashley Winstead lives in Texas. Fool Me Once is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Graydon House in exchange for an honest review.)