Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:

Finlay Donovan is―once again―struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.

On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like.

Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it.

With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it...

My Review:

So my review of the first book was only a three star too, but I said I liked the series premise and then I would read the second book, so here I am.  I still don’t care for Finley Donovan herself, she’s really whiny and pathetic for a lead character to me. So any of the parts that talk about what a mess her life is drive me up the wall. But once you get to the actual mystery part it’s good. I also really like Vero.

I really started to enjoy this book at about 50%…then things got rolling and Finn focused on solving the mystery rather than her life. I did not see FedUp being who they were, bit it was a fun twist at the end.  I’m also going to end up reading the next one because she left it on a cliff hanger…sigh…I just hope it focuses more on the mystery and less on Finn’s life choices.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones #1) by Laura Sebastian (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:
New trilogy from the NYT Bestselling author of Ash Princess
The plot: overthrow a kingdom. The goal: world domination. The plan: marriage.
Trained for from birth in espionage and seduction, the triplet princesses of Bessemia must travel to three distant lands to marry three princes and enact their Queen mother's plan to rule from sea to sea. But when they arrive, each sister discovers her task is not so simple, and their mother's motives may not be what they seem.

My Review:

I loved and hated the sisters.  I loved Sophronia, Beatriz I went back and forth on, and Daphne I hated more than I liked.  I admit I sometimes have a little bit of a problem keeping where everybody was straight, but I think that was more me and my frazzled mom brain than the book. I loved how twisty and devious the sisters and the storyline was.  I found my self becoming really attached to each sister, even Daphne.  I will not give spoilers, but the ending left me shocked and so so sad. I am praying for a plot twist at the beginning of the book too like there’s no tomorrow, the ending could not be the ending. And I cannot wait to read the next one in the series. At first I was going to give this 4 stars, but then I kept waking up in the night to think about the ending, and I had to change it to a 5 star read.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

The One Hundred Years of Lenin and Margot (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:
Life is short - no one knows that better than 17 year-old Lenni Petterssen. On the Terminal ward, the nurses are offering their condolences already, but Lenni still has plenty of living to do.

For a start, she has questions about her fate she needs answers to, and stories yet to uncover.

When she meets 83-year-old Margot, a fellow patient in purple pyjamas offering new friendship and enviable artistic skills, Lenni's life begins to soar in ways she'd never imagined.

As their bond deepens, a world of stories opens up: of wartime love and loss, of misunderstanding and reconciliation, of courage, kindness and joy.

Stories that have led them to the end of their days.

My Review:

I started off trying to do this as a buddy read, but I didn’t finish it in time for the discussion. This was a really good book, but it’s heavy. Even though I knew the ending, I still cried the entire last three chapters. It makes you feel all the feels, and you really come to love the characters and wish for a miracle. But I think that’s part of the magic of this book, is the expected outcome happens but you love the characters anyways.

The New Spring by Robert Jordan (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time. .

From America's premier fantasy writer---#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Crossroads of Twilight ---comes New Spring: The Novel For three days battle has raged in the snow around the great city of Tar Valon. In the city, a Foretelling of the future is uttered. On the slopes of Dragonmount, the immense mountain that looms over the city, is born an infant prophesied to change the world. That child must be found before the forces of the Shadow have an opportunity to kill him. Moiraine Damodred, a young Accepted soon to be raised to Aes Sedai, and Lan Mandragoran, a soldier fighting in the battle, are set on paths that will bind their lives together. But those paths are filled with complications and dangers, for Moiraine, of the Royal House of Cairhien, whose king has just died, and Lan, considered the uncrowned king of a nation long dead, find their lives threatened by the plots of those seeking power. "New Spring," the novella first published in Legends, related some of these events, in compressed form; New Spring: The Novel tells the whole story.

My Review:

This was a re-read for me, except I listened to it instead of reading it. This is a prequel from the series, and it really gets you attached to Moraine and Lan. Also because it was written after some the other books, it really lessen the groundwork for the plot twists that are later in the story.  I feel like it was solid Jordan raining, and the characters are ones I already knew and loved. I did lay a little bit of world building, but that may have also been because I already had the world built from the other books.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:
So begins The Christie Affair, told from the point of view of Miss Nan O'Dea, a fictional character but based on someone real. In 1925, she infiltrated the wealthy, rarified world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. A world of London townhomes, country houses, shooting parties, and tennis matches. Nan O'Dea became Archie's mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife. In every way, she became a part of their world--first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. 
The question is, why?
And what did it have to do with the mysterious eleven days that Agatha Christie went missing?
The answer takes you back time, to Ireland, to a young girl in love, to a time before The Great War. To a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together--until war and pandemic and shameful secrets tore them apart. 
What makes a woman desperate enough to destroy another woman's marriage? 
What makes someone vengeful enough to hatch a plot years in the making?
What drives someone to murder?
These questions and more are explored in Nina de Gramont's brilliant, unforgettable, lush, and powerful novel.

My Review:
This is told from the perspective of Archie Christie’s mistress Nan O’Dea.  It makes for an interesting storyline.  Nan is an unapologetic home wrecker, and you want to hate her. Yet I don’t, I wouldn’t say I like her, but I don’t hate her either.  I thought this book was about a disappearance, or even about a love triangle.  And on the surface it is, but when you look deeper, it is actually shinning a light on women’s reproductive rights.  The true story is telling of the loss inflicted on women in the early 20th Century, when their bodies were not their own.  And how when there was an unexpected and socially unacceptable pregnancy, what a woman faced and the unexpected ways it could change her life. 

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

The Night Burns Bright by Ross Barkan (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:
In this coming-of-age thriller, a twelve-year-old boy’s spark of courage to question the harmonious wooded commune he calls home may burn down more than just his own illusions.
Lucien has everything he needs: a loving mama, a library full of books, and House of Earth, a private school nestled safely in the woods of upstate New York. It’s where Lucien is taught the importance of living in harmony with nature and building a peaceful and sustainable future. But when his youthful curiosity draws him into town and to Gabrielle, a public-school student living a life wholly different from his own, Lucien’s inquisitiveness about life beyond the commune and questions regarding the events of 9/11 threaten to unbalance everything he thought he knew.
Slowly, things begin to change at House of Earth. The outside world is off limits. Security measures tighten. New rules are put in place, and anyone who violates them is asked to leave and never spoken of again.
As forbidden questions pile up, Lucien’s willingness to obey weakens. Continuing to meet Gabrielle in secret only reinforces his gnawing fear that something about his world is terribly wrong. Unable to remain silent any longer, Lucien will soon discover that looking for answers at House of Earth may be the most dangerous rule he can break. 

My Review:
This is a very different perspective, the experience of a cult from a young child’s point of view.  Lucien’s Mom joined the House of Earth when he was 6.  Lucien is now 12 and doesn’t know any other way of life. This reminds me of Room, where we get a tragic story from a child’s eye.   The early writing is that of a naive child, as Lucien ages and becomes aware of the situation the narrative becomes more  cohesive. 

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

The Perfect Home by Kevin Lynch (⭐️ )

Goodreads book description:

It’s a beautiful place to live. Or die.

June is very happy in her home. It’s where she raised her two kids – now college age – and every room is filled with memories, some beautiful, some painful. She loves the garden she has worked so hard to create. She likes her neighbours in this pleasant, leafy suburb.

But lately, something has changed.

There’s the new guy across the street. He seems rough, possibly criminal. And he’s been taking a definite interest in June’s rebellious daughter, Cathy.

And there’s June’s son, Sam. He’s always been open and friendly but recently he’s been sullen and secretive.

Even more disturbing, June’s cheating ex-husband suddenly seems to be everywhere. It’s almost as if he’s stalking her.

Then, when someone she knows is murdered, June begins to understand that all these different things are connected. And as she investigates further, she realises that she herself is in terrible danger.

Because someone out there wants June gone. Permanently. (less)

My Review:

I did not enjoy this book.  The characters were flat, and drove me crazy.  I know they made stupid decisions to drive “the story” forward, but it didn’t endear them to me.  At times I wanted to scream over the obtuseness of the characters. I felt it was a slow read, and I just couldn’t connect. I didn’t feel that it was twisting or innovative, it felt very run of the mill.  Not cute enough to be a cozy, and not hard enough to be called a thriller.   And to say I hated the ending is an understatement, the resolution with Cathy and Steve made me angrier than all the other poor decisions combined.  I’m not saying I wouldn’t give this author another chance, the writing style and voice were fine.  It was the story content I couldn’t connect to.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:
A dozen women join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition—and a sensational murder trial unfolds when some of them don't come back.
Eccentric Lady Jane Franklin makes an outlandish offer to adventurer Virginia Reeve: take a dozen women, trek into the Arctic, and find her husband's lost expedition. Four parties have failed to find him, and Lady Franklin wants a radical new approach: put the women in charge.
A year later, Virginia stands trial for murder. Survivors of the expedition willing to publicly support her sit in the front row. There are only five. What happened out there on the ice?
Set against the unforgiving backgdrop of one of the world's most inhospitable locations, USA Today bestsellng author Greer Macallister uses the true story of Lady Jane Franklin's tireless attempts to find her husband's lost expedition as a jumping-off point to spin a tale of bravely, intrigue, perseverance and hope.

My Review:

This was very dramatic and exciting.  I enjoyed the dual views of the expedition and the trial.   It kept me on the edge of my seat.  I got this as part of The Booked Traveler box and I enjoyed the gifts.  The story really kept me engaged and I had hated putting it down to sleep.

Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:
It’s official: Zoey Marks is the cursed bridesmaid that no engagement can survive. Ten years, three empire waist dresses, and ZERO brides have walked down the aisle.
After strike three, Zoey is left wondering if her own ambivalence towards marriage has rubbed off on those she loves. And when her building distrust of matrimony culminates in turning down a proposal from her perfect All-American boyfriend, Rylan Harper III, she and Rylan are both left heartbroken, leaving Zoey to wonder: what is it exactly about tying the knot that makes her want to run in the opposite direction?

Enter Hannah Green: Zoey’s best friend, who announces that she’s marrying a guy she just met (cue eye roll). At a castle. In gorgeous, romantic Ireland, where Rylan will be in attendance, and Zoey will be a bridesmaid. It’ll be fine.

Okay, the woman definition of fine (NOT FINE).

Determined to turn her luck around, Zoey accepts her role and vows to get Hannah down the aisle—all the while praying her best friend’s wedded bliss will allow her to embrace marriage and get Rylan back.

But as the weekend goes on, Zoey is plagued with more questions than answers. Can you be a free spirit, yet still want a certain future? Can you have love and be loved on your terms? And how DO you wrangle a bossy falcon into doing your bidding?

My Review:

I feel like this book was a bit of a conundrum for me. I liked it and I needed to know what happened, but I don’t feel like it fit as a rid a traditional romance, It wasn’t a romcom, but it wasn’t literary fiction either. I had the traipsing of a traditional romance, but the ending threw me.  This was a very character driven book, but some of the characters felt a little light…I wanted Graham and Ezra to have a little more depth.  Once Zoey got to Ireland I could not put it down!

I love when books have Spotify lists!

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Goodreads book description:

After angering a local gangster, seventeen-year-old Sena Korhosen must flee with her prize fighting wolf, Iska, in tow. A team of scientists offer to pay her way off her frozen planet on one condition: she gets them to the finish line of the planet’s infamous sled race. Though Sena always swore she’d never race after it claimed both her mothers’ lives, it’s now her only option. 

But the tundra is a treacherous place, and as the race unfolds and their lives are threatened at every turn, Sena starts to question her own abilities. She must discover whether she's strong enough to survive the wild – whether she and Iska together are strong enough to get them all out alive.

A captivating debut about survival, found family, and the bond between a girl and a wolf that delivers a fresh twist on classic survival stories and frontier myths.

My Review:

So first of all, I somehow missed that this was set on another planet. I thought it was in Russia or maybe Alaska, but nope this is sci-fi. That does not take away from this for me, but it made for some. My advice is to pretend that it’s in Russia or Alaska and read it anyways. I feel so lucky that the second book of the year was also a five star read. Admittedly it did start a little slow, but once the story got rolling it really went. I loved it, I loved the characters of Sena and Iska, and all the side characters too.  I really hope this becomes a series!

This is full of strong character development along with a strong action packed storyline. I’m not gonna lie I ugly cried at the end.  Twice in a row.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

At the End of Everything By Marieke Nijkamp (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

 

Goodreads book description:

The Hope Juvenile Treatment Center is ironically named. No one has hope for the delinquent teenagers who have been exiled there; the world barely acknowledges that they exist.

Then the guards at Hope start acting strange. And one day…they don’t show up. But when the teens band together to make a break from the facility, they encounter soldiers outside the gates. There’s a rapidly spreading infectious disease outside, and no one can leave their houses or travel without a permit. Which means that they’re stuck at Hope. And this time, no one is watching out for them at all.

As supplies quickly dwindle and a deadly plague tears through their ranks, the group has to decide whom among them they can trust and figure out how they can survive in a world that has never wanted them in the first place.

My Review:

I was really looking forward to this book, I loved Nijkamp’s book This is Where it Ends, and couldn’t wait to read this one.  It  is told from multiple perspectives: Logan a non-verbal female, whose verbal twin Leah is also in the facility, Grace a long-time female patient, and Emerson a non-binary new arrival. We follow these three though the discovery of the plague and the months that follow as they work to survive.

This book started my year off with a bang, and some tears.  This book gave me so many feels.  It was a gut wrenching read, but in the best way.  The characters made my heart ache, I wanted so much to hug the pain away.  As reader, you can’t help but too root for them.  You know that they won’t all survive, but you want them to beat the odds, and your heart breaks when they don’t.  Just like your heart sings when they do.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*