REVIEW: The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

 OUR REVIEW:

I suspect that Larissa and Chris will probably live rent free in my brain for a while; I think I'm not quite ready for their story to end, even though it has to be over because there are no more pages to read. Though, maybe when Mike gets his HEA, we'll see them more (I'm assuming he will...he has to, right?!). The angst Jimenez put them through (put us through) required a lot of patience on my part and while it was definitely worth the wait, I definitely was impatient for their love story to have its chance. 

I know this one had to be tough to write and the headspace she had to be in to write it was probably pretty awful too. There was a lot of pain and suffering so many of the characters had to go through and with the added burden of Larissa being Chris's best friend's girl friend at some point?! That must've felt like walking a tightrope to make sure it didn't get weird. Thankfully, it didn't get weird, if anything, it was frustrating because she was so very careful with how long they waited to succumb to their feelings. 

All of that to say, that I'm glad Chris and Larissa had each other (and their killer dog); they were perfect for each other and it was clear that they both needed the other one. 

Part friend love story, part romance, The Night We Met added up to a thoughtful and surprisingly quick read.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3Oay1jn

SYNOPSIS:A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend's best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy.

REVIEW: Every Version of You by Natalie Messier

 

OUR REVIEW:

Well, this was a pleasant surprise--if I'm being honest I can't remember what drew me to requesting this on NetGalley but I'm glad I did. And I wish I could tell you a lot more than I can (it would be so easy to spoil this one!), but since I can't I'll just tell you that this is one of those books that really stuck with me. The question that it starts with is one that I am still pondering the answer to. Luckily, this book isn't about me and my conundrum, it's about Joey and hers. She is way more definitive in her decision/answer and while she does struggle with the aftermath of it, she also makes the most of it. I enjoyed being a fly on the wall as she worked through each consequence from each decision and reveled in the good things that came her way. 

I definitely haven't read something like this and I really appreciated reading something that had me really pondering how I'd handle the situation posed. It's a definite must read.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3Y9iQbz

SYNOPSIS:

Joey Vasquez’s life is the definition of good on paper. At thirty-two, she’s a Los Angeles lawyer on the cusp of making partner, but while she’s a professional success, she’s a personal disaster. Her social life mostly consists of nights spent watching TV with her elderly cat. Life isn’t quite what she dreamed when she was younger, but really, whose life is?

But a dinner party with the best friend she’s secretly pined after for years and its aftermath changes everything.

When Joey is given a second chance at life, she finds herself in college again. Armed with memories from her first life, Joey is certain she’s come back to finally convince the one man she ever loved to love her back—so why does she find herself strangely drawn to the man she thought she hated?

REVIEW: A Song Only We Can Hear by Elliot Wake

 

OUR REVIEW:

Has it really been a decade since we've had a new Elliot Wake novel? Yes. Yes it has. What a great surprise to have him return and give us a thoughtful take on falling in love while battling cancer. 

The story of Cam and Brynne begins with a fender bender, continues as chemo partners, and ends in love. Not a simple premise and not one that just anyone could take on and do well, but Wake does. He blends the harsh reality of what it's like to experience cancer treatment with the soft edges of the love story of these two. Add to that some drama with their exes, and you have the making of an unconventional, dark, romcom. Their story is a blur of the effects of the toxic poison that's flooding their veins --days turn into weeks of discomfort and exhaustion-- and then before you know it, they've reached the end of chemo. Interspersed with that, they have nights with these moments that feel straight out of an 80s John Hughes movie--romantic and filled with good music and big feelings. And of course, it wouldn't be romance...or a John Hughes movie...without evil exes. 

I think I'm rambling because I'm trying not to spoil things? So let me end with this: this novel won't be for everyone, I know. Not because it isn't well done (it is), but because there are so many of us who are living with or living through or coping with or struggling with the impact that cancer can have, so for some this may hit a little too close to home. I know that when I read it, I had to take breaks because there were many instances when it mirrored some of my experiences with cancer and chemo. I'm glad I took the breaks I needed, and I'm glad that I stop reading; the ending felt so hopeful and promising and cinematic. 

One more thing: Ro and her family? *chef's kiss* I enjoyed them so much. 

If you've been missing the lush prose of Elliot Wake and are looking for a romance unlike most you'll read,  A Song Only We Can Hear should be your next read.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4syTWyX

SYNOPSIS:CAN A LOVE STORY THAT STARTS IN CHEMO REALLY HAVE A HAPPY ENDING?

GETTING DUMPED the same day he’s diagnosed with cancer is pretty on-brand for Cam LeClerc. He was the darling of the Chicago indie music scene until his ex aired their dirty laundry online. Now he’s the fallen star everyone loves to hate, shivering in a hospital gown, coming to grips with losing his girlfriend, his reputation, and the family jewels.

Of course, things won’t be that easy.

On the way to chemo, Cam collides (literally) with a fellow cancer patient: Brynne Bogdan, a popular podcaster who’s exactly the sort of music nerd he writes songs for… and who’s just rear-ended his car. But what starts as the worst day of both of their lives becomes one of the best. They’re kind of messily perfect together. Because of Brynne, Cam actually looks forward to chemo. He’s falling fast. He’s making music again. He’s finding the will not just to survive, but live.

Which is probably too good to be true.

When ugly realities resurface, Cam begins to question his bond with Brynne. And the past isn’t the only their futures aren’t guaranteed, either. They’re both fighting the battle of their lives.

Can a love story that starts in chemo really have a happy ending?

VIBES:

dark romcom
witty banter
cancer humor
music nerds
beautiful, lyrical prose
emotional rollercoaster
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets High Fidelity

REVIEW: Catch Her if You Can by Tessa Bailey

OUR REVIEW:

If I've said it once, I've said it every time a new book in this series comes out....this series has a hold on me and as soon as I see it on my Libby app, I'm reserving it like it's my job. 

After reading so many emotionally heavy books, Catch Her If You Can was such a pleasant break from it all, which is interesting because there were some ugly aspects to this book. Madden and Eve have been circling around each other (and my imagination) for a while and we finally go to the bottom of their story. It's a tale as old as time. Not really, I just felt like typing that. It's a story of secrets and love and desire and friendship and how all of those things feel impossible and big...and yet. And yet, Madden and Eve manage to build years and years of friendship while suppressing and denying all of the real and intense feelings that zap between them until Madden learns the truth and refuses to let Eve hide from it. What happens next is the natural push and pull of these two trying to figure out if it can work, the fear of wanting it too much, and the love and care they have for each other-so much so that they almost lose it all, as per all romance novels. 

I don't care what anyone else says, I will continue to jump on the newest release in this series until there isn't one to jump on.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4mmqFGh

SYNOPSIS:

Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point, now that Eve’s sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition—marry him for the much needed health benefits.

Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there’s one problem—her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she’s not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden’s proposal—on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She’s not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden’s shiny new career.

Madden won’t let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it’s up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than a business arrangement. As the passion builds, can their fake marriage become the real deal?

 

REVIEW: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

OUR REVIEW:

Theo of Golden has been on all of the lists for a while and so of course I reserved it on Libby. I had to see if it lived up to the hype; it, in my mind, has been linked with The Bright Years and The Correspondent and those were so good that I had hopes that this one would be too. 

There were definitely touching moments in Theo of Golden. I liked the protagonist and his merry band of small town characters; he was kind and considerate and mysterious. This had all of the pieces and parts that work for me: good characters and a question that was begging to be answered. The writing was solid. So what didn't work, if anything? Afterall, I gave it 4 stars, so what's my issue? For me, it dragged. I need more breadcrumbs to lead me to the big reveal and it felt like there were times they came sparingly. In retrospect, maybe that was part of the point? He didn't want to be known, really; he wanted to know others, to serve others, to elevate them and but by doing that his mysterious background became even more intriguing, not less.

So ultimately, yes, I enjoyed Theo of Golden; I'd definitely read another of Levi's books--I appreciate that he gave me a character to aspire to. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4bW1TYv

SYNOPSIS:

One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…

His name is Theo. And he asks a lot more questions than he answers.

Theo visits the local coffeehouse, where ninety-two pencil portraits hang on the walls, portraits of the people of Golden done by a local artist. He begins purchasing them, one at a time, and putting them back in the hands of their “rightful owners.” With each exchange, a story is told, a friendship born, and a life altered.

 

REVIEW: Sweet Spot by Staci Hart

 

OUR REVIEW:

When Staci Hart publishes, I read it. Period. She has never let me down. Not ever. Sweet Spot continues that streak. In this newest addition to the Roseville Ramblers series, we get to learn more about why Grey is so grumpy and how, exactly, Molly breaks through. 

This was fun, y'all. Molly is just so sweet and Grey is so broody and it shouldn't work but it does. It really, really does. These two cannot get enough of each other, even though Grey tries really hard to deny it, and so what we get is a novel full of these two exploring all of the things Molly wants Grey to teach her-from softball, to house stuff, to anything Molly's heart desires. And y'all, Molly has some desires. Hooooboy, this one is a steamfest. So steamy. So spicy. And yet, so sweet and cute and so very easy to read and adore these two, and really, all of the extended cast of characters.

Looking for a sweet and spicy spring break read? This one is the exact one you need.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4tkAxT0

SYNOPSIS:

I should absolutely, under no circumstance develop a crush on my co-worker--the grumpy, wolf-daddy, much older high school baseball coach.

First problem? He's twenty years older than me. Second? I've never even been kissed. Third? When I ask him to teach me, he said yes.

In my defense, Grey Brooks is a great coach. As an elementary school librarian, I know more about books than swinging hammers or baseball bats. I thought I was a lost cause, but from showing me how to throw a baseball to fixing up my rickety old house, all he does is teach me. And somewhere between the lessons and the laughter, we become friends. So asking him to teach me to kiss...etc, just makes sense. Right? Right?

He makes rules. Keep it casual. Keep it secret. Keep the feels in check.

But in a small town where everyone's watching, nothing stays secret for long. Every rule we break blurs the line between lessons and love, the rumors are getting louder, and Grey thinks he's going to ruin me.

He might be right. But not for the reasons he thinks.

Because there's more than gossip hiding in Roseville. And by the time I see the danger coming, the only person who can save me is the one everyone says I should stay away from.

REVIEW: The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

 

OUR REVIEW:

If I were a sobber, I'd have sobbed by the end of this book. I'd heard that this book, The Bright Years, would do that to you, but since I'm not typically one to cry, I didn't think I'd cry. There were tears, y'all. Good tears. Sad tears. Tears because of the truth this novel revealed. Gah. So good. For a novel that spends so much time examining grief and the complexity of love and relationships and being human, you'd think that I wouldn't feel so warm and fuzzy about it, but I do. I needed this. I needed to be reminded of how fleeting and precious our time on this earth is, even when it feels so arduous and dull and monotonous and excessively difficult or challenging, it ends way sooner than maybe we want it to. It reminded me that yes we make mistakes but we also create opportunities. We aren't binary, we contain multitudes and as complicated as that may be to acknowledge, if we can, it may ease some of the complicated things we carry with us. How many times can I write complicated?  All of that to say, that when I put this novel down, I felt sad for these characters and the time they lost to hard to process feelings and it made me want to just try to live life a little better with, and for, those who are walking on this ground around me. 

The Bright Years surprised me. I read it in one day. I absolutely could not put it down. With its spare diction and raw emotion, quick pacing, complex characters, and unflinching stare into the pain that comes with living and dying, I could not stop reading it until it was over. 

I love that this is Sarah Damoff's debut because it means that I'll have years of upcoming releases to look forward to. I also hate that it's her debut because I don't have a backlist to read. Also...it's so good, how is it her debut?! Kudos to her! 

If you're a mood reader like I am and need an emotional read, read this. You won't regret it. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4c19bvN

SYNOPSIS:

One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.

When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.

Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.

REVIEW: Rose Hill Series by Elsie Silver

OUR REVIEW:

On the advice of a book blogger I gave this series a try and it was the perfect way to start my new reading challenge. As soon as I finished one book, I was downloading the next. This series reminded me of some of my favorite comfort read authors in that nothing about these novels was earthshatteringly new but they entertained me, made me care about the characters, and fall in love with the small town of Rose Hill. 

In each of these novels, there was a character searching for a partner who could really see them, to see past the armor put up and see the soft inner vulnerable part of them. Each of our male characters were used to pushing their own needs and wants aside and while they each wanted a relationship with a good, kind, caring person, they never felt that they deserved it. So naturally, when a woman comes into their lives and seems like the perfect fit, it takes time for them to accept that it'll work. Each of our female main characters also has to overcome some things-but mainly they each have to relearn how to trust and believe in the potential for greatness with these men. Clearly they all figured it out, with a few bumps and bruises along the way, but I truly appreciate that Elsie Silver didn't torture us too much before she gave each couple their HEA.

If you're looking for a good, quick, easy to love series to consume, definitely give the Rose Hill Series a shot.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3Zyar1X

SYNOPSIS: click on the link above to get to know each book.

 

REVIEW: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

 

OUR REVIEW:

I think I overhyped this book and so the high expectations I had going in, which weren't fair, that I felt a little let down when I finished. I liked the idea of it and I liked the execution, for the most part, but I predicted much of the ending or the *gasp-y* parts and so it ended up being a solid four star read, rather than the five star I was hoping for. 

For me, I enjoyed the excerpts from Lorelei and the ideas she was pondering. I liked thinking about the morality and ethics of AI because of all of the unanswered questions. The annoyances of Noah and his kids felt realistic and based on the keen observation of teaching and working with young adults that the author's experience has given him. (Ugh, that was an awkward sentence that I am too lazy to fix). The fears and worries that the accident heightened or created was also interesting. 

I think if I'd been able to get into the head of all of the characters, I would've felt a little more engaged than I felt, but all in all a good read that asked me to consider, or reconsider, some of the big ideas that are coming our way. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4qxH8rH

SYNOPSIS:

Set at a summer rental on the Chesapeake Bay, a riveting family drama about moral responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence, from the bestselling author of the “wise and addictive” (New York Times) The Gifted School.

When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident.

During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.

Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.

REVIEW: 107 Days by Kamala Harris

 

OUR REVIEW:

Honestly, it feels a little weird to review this but I read it and want to record my quick thoughts. In some ways I feel like this felt satisfactory when I finished--it gave me a sense of how all of it went down--from Harris being the Vice Presidential candidate to Presidential candidate and many of the days of her campaign. She gave some insight into her thoughts and emotions in a way that was diplomatic (which in my mind, is a signal that she is leaving the door open for future campaigning). I definitely got a sense of what she felt strongly about, what she cares about, and just how thoroughly prepared she was for what she hoped was coming next. I think the thing I wanted more of was the dirty details, the more emotive response about things, which is why it's weird for me to review this, because who am I to say how she should feel and express it?

Ultimately, very informative and I'm glad I read it.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3LvTBNM

SYNOPSIS:

For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.

Your Secret Service code name is Pioneer.
You are the first woman in history to be elected vice president of the United States.
On July 21, 2024, your running mate, Joe Biden, announces that he will not be seeking reelection.
The presidential election will occur on November 5, 2024.
You have 107 days.

Written with candor, a unique perspective, and the pace of a page-turning novel, 107 Days takes you inside the race for the presidency as no one has ever done before.

REVIEW: Avenging Angels: Bad Medicine by Kristen Ashley

 

OUR REVIEW:

Bad Medicine is the latest Kristen Ashley novel and you know we had to read it as soon as it went live. This series, Avenging Angels, has been a great companion to the Rock Chicks series and the more I get into it, the more I've enjoyed these characters. They have the zaniness of our favorites from the previous series, but they also have their own thing too. They're interconnected through work and their less than easy upbringings, which I like as a contrast to the Rock Chicks. In this book we get Willow and Gabe's (STARK...yes, related to THAT Stark) romance. And apparently Gabe's not one to deviate from his uncle's tradition of locking in early with his woman...much to Willow's chagrin (and eventual delight). These two are sweet and romantic and hilarious...all things that keep me coming back for more. Once a KA reader, always a KA reader. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/49bP6zG

SYNOPSIS:

Willow Knightley has just been through it with her ex-mooch of a boyfriend. But sadly, he’s just the latest in a long string of men (starting at birth) who didn’t treat her right.

She decides her only recourse is to give up on men forever.

The problem is, her friend/acquaintance/one-time bodyguard, member of the Nightingale Investigations & Security team, Gabriel Stark, has targeted her as His One.

Gabe’s been through it at the hands of women too, so he knows exactly what he wants.

And he wants Willow.

Willow states her case against them being an us, but she doesn’t count on the fact that not only does Gabe love a challenge, he lives for them.

Up against an onslaught from a man who rinses his own whiskers out of the sink, Willow might not stand a chance.

But then, while the Angels are trying to figure out what’s got one of their informants very jittery, she gets a hint that there are demons in Gabe’s history, and she has to know.

The bets are on…

And luck favors a Stark.

REVIEW: Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace

 

OUR REVIEW:

Holiday Ever After is a cute holiday romance, though it doesn't really have to be read during the holidays to be enjoyable. That being said, if you crave a good holiday read, grab this one and hold on to it until late October and it'll quickly get you in the spirit. 

Clara and Jack are fun. They're both opinionated and stubborn and are great compliments to each other. They're both take action type people and competitive, which really works in the favor of Jack's small town-the town Clara is trying to win over. In the course of her trying to win everyone over, they win her over, for the ultimate swoony HEA. 

It's a little slower of a read, or it was for me, but I stuck with it and enjoyed imagining myself in Fraser Falls.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3Le9f0k

SYNOPSIS:

Clara Davenport wants to solve Fraser Falls’s biggest problem. According to Jack Kelly, Clara is Fraser Falls’s biggest problem.
All Clara Davenport has ever wanted to do is climb the ladder at Davenport Innovation Creative, her family’s toy business. Everything was going according to plan, until the company was accused of stealing a doll design from an independent toy maker, creating a flurry of bad publicity. With a promotion dangled in front of her like a carrot to a reindeer, Clara is tasked with charming the locals of the small town to solve the PR nightmare, by any means necessary.

Jack Kelly would be happy to never hear the name Davenport ever again. Less than a year after a guy in a fancy suit appeared on his doorstep with a sleigh-full of promises, the company that once falsely claimed they wanted to sign him to their small business program has copied his design. So when Clara prances into town hoping to convince Fraser Falls that her company is not the enemy, Jack is determined not to be fooled by Davenport twice.

But Clara has a plan to win over the community only to realize that beneath Jack’s frosty demeanor lies the key to the town’s heart—and maybe her own.

REVIEW: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

OUR REVIEW:

The Correspondent is one of my favorite reads of 2025. It's heartfelt.  Emotional. Engaging. How do you write a character who is so unlikeable and yet so loveable? Sybil is onery. She's stubborn. Opinionated. So hard on herself, which causes her so much loss and sadness. She's also thoughtful, kind, and inadvertently hilarious. Her grumpy-sunshine personality really won me over and, admittedly, I saw parts of myself in her. 

I loved learning about Sybil through her various correspondence exchanges-her successes and tragedies and her ability to learn and grow and change all the way up to the very end. 

This was my last five star read of 2025 and I cannot recommend it enough. A truly engaging, lovely read.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/45niRwn

SYNOPSIS:

Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has—a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime. Sybil Van Antwerp’s life of letters might be “a very small thing,” but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever find.

 

REVIEW: It's Different This Time by Joss Richard

 

OUR REVIEW:

Another new to me author, another good read! It's Different This Time follows the story of June and Adam. June is an actress--one who was successful on Broadway and struggling in Hollywood. Adam is a notable chef in NYC. That's their now. What this novel offers us is a look at their present with chapters interspersed that show us their past and how they went from best friends to being estranged. We get to see them go from strangers trying to make a name for themselves..the jobs, the successes, the risks, the rewards but the question that lingers is how in the world did they go from being so close to being so distant? It takes a good portion of the book to get a definitive answer (one that many will figure out before it's confirmed), but I didn't find it annoying that I had to read many pages to get there. I liked their stories. I liked reading their past but also how they were managing now. I liked the conflict and tension and revelations. And of course, I loved the last part...the part where they finally figure things out and find the happiness everyone wanted for them. 

Consider me a fan; I can't wait for her next book!

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/45a2ByK

SYNOPSIS:

Subject 74 Perry Street

So begins the email that turns June Wood’s entire world on its head. Five years ago, she lived on Perry Street with her former best friend Adam Harper. But why is the management company reaching out to her about it now? 

Still smarting from the news of her hit TV show being canceled, June has nothing else to lose. She boards a plane from Los Angeles to New York City to find out more about the mysterious email and the promised opportunity it alludes to. It turns out that, thanks to an unbelievable legal loophole, if she and Adam can live together in the stunning West Village brownstone for a month, it’s theirs. Any true New Yorker knows you don’t pass up prime city real estate, and that fall in the city is magical—so what’s there to think about?

And yet, though most things have changed in the time since they last spoke, one thing hasn’ June and Adam have unfinished business. They didn’t exactly end on good terms when they each went off to chase their dreams. Now, confronted with the consequences of their choices, they must navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know together.

Every day they move closer to owning Perry Street reveals misunderstandings, long-term resentments, and long-buried feelings . . . which are suddenly feeling very, very not so buried. But they’ve already lost their friendship once before, devastating them both. Can they risk losing it again for something a little different this time?

REVIEW: Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Bohm

OUR REVIEW:

If I recall correctly, this was advertised for fans of Ali Hazelwood-which to me meant smart romcom and so, of course, I was interested. Not knowing anything about Hannah Brohm or her writing, I dove in and found myself instantly engaged. The story of Frances and Dr North and the way they wound up fake dating was interesting, but I think the unknown to me politics of post graduate research jobs was even more so. The blatant misogyny wasn't surprising--as anyone living in the world knows it happens--but I guess I just thought that science would be better than that--clearly I was wrong. And yes, I know this story is fiction but it definitely like that part of the novel could be based on some real things. I also enjoyed the build up of their relationship and their love story and enjoyed how all of that played out. 

A little spicy. A little romcom-y. A lot of commentary on being a woman in the world of science. And a lot of learning how to trust when you've been screwed over. Most definitely a good read. 

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SYNOPSIS:

Neuroscientist Dr. Frances Silberstein has success on the brain. As a grad student, she was offered a job by her brilliant boyfriend, but determined to make it on her own, she turned it—and him—down. Now, stuck in postdoc purgatory with no job security and no personal life to speak of, Frances is desperate to make a breakthrough. Her best shot is a summer conference packed with her field’s leading scientists. The only problem? It’s organized by her ex, who has found the success that’s eluded her. But backing out is not an option, because Frances desperately needs to network to save her career.

Enter Dr. Lewis North: her perceptive, meticulous, and inconveniently attractive rival. When their academic sniping gets mistaken for flirtatious chemistry, Frances doesn’t deny it—putting her integrity and career on the line. As soon as her prefrontal cortex is operational again, Frances realizes she needs to keep up the charade, or risk everything she’s worked for. Faking data is out of the question, but fake dating? That might just be the solution she needs.

But as Lewis starts to make her reward centers spark and a major setback has Frances questioning everything, she must confront what she’s willing to chase—for love, for science, and for the future she thought she wanted.

 

REVIEW: Chasing the Ring by Lauren Rowe

 

OUR REVIEW:

This one was cute, y'all. I love a good romance that involves sports and this one definitely fit that...heavy on the romance, light on the sports, but it worked. Iris and Roman meet and fall in love in one romantic week in Hawaii. She's enjoying what was supposed to be her honeymoon and he's killing time before he meets up with a former coach...there's no way that they should've ever been together, never even met, but they do and the first two thirds of the novel ...or maybe first half...is all about that. It's the aftermath of that week where the swoon comes in. The steps Roman takes to prove that he is who she thought he was...and the steps she takes to show him that he can trust her and himself, is sweet and full of romance.

New to me writer, Lauren Rowe, gave me a solid romance reading experience. 

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SYNOPSIS:

Iris Benedetto’s wedding day just went viral . . . for all the wrong reasons.
After a heated blowout with her lying, cheating fiancé at the altar, Iris storms off on a solo honeymoon—loudly announcing that she’s finally going to find out what good sex is all about. Rebranding from small-town preschool teacher to #Horny Runaway Bride was not the plan, but the insanely hot stranger who ends up double-booked in her bungalow on the island of Kauai is an opportunity even devastated Iris can’t ignore.

It’s not often NFL quarterback Roman Maguire meets someone who doesn’t recognize him. Even rarer to have that someone barge in while he’s taking a shower and quickly make him an irresistible offer. Roman is in Hawaii to secure the deal that could finally land him a Super Bowl ring—and closer proximity to his son. A sexy fling in paradise is a perfect way to spend a week with a surprise roommate . . .

Except . . . suddenly a week doesn’t seem nearly enough. And once the truth about Roman’s identity, Iris’s internet infamy, and all kinds of loyalty-testing secrets are revealed, will they both be willing to step into the real-life spotlight together?

REVIEW: Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad

 

OUR REVIEW:

I first came across Suleika Jaouad when I watcher her husband's documentary, American Symphony, and as someone who had recently undergone chemo for cancer, I found her to be inspiring. When my book club selected Between Two Kingdom, I immediately downloaded the Audible version (highly recommend) and began. My youngest daughter and I would read it as we drove to school and we were both deeply engaged in her experiences with her diagnosis and various treatments. Not one person's cancer journey will be like anyone else's, but there are things that feel so similar. The isolation, even when surrounded. The desire to be stoic and not needy. Independent. The exhaustion and being sick of being sick. The hope and fear that walk side by side when you have your next scans or bloodwork, waiting to hear what's going on inside your body. The allowing of speculation for a minute before you banish it and focus on the good, the here, the now. 

Is it strange to say I enjoyed it? I related. I appreciated it. I want to read all of her everything now.

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SYNOPSIS:

A searing, deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery that traces one young woman’s journey from diagnosis to remission and, ultimately, a road trip of healing and self-discovery.

In the summer after graduating from college, Suleika Jaouad was preparing, as they say in commencement speeches, to enter "the real world". She had fallen in love and moved to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a war correspondent. The real world she found, however, would take her into a very different kind of conflict zone.

It started with an itch - first on her feet, then up her legs, like 1,000 invisible mosquito bites. Next came the exhaustion, and the six-hour naps that only deepened her fatigue. Then a trip to the doctor and, a few weeks shy of her 23rd birthday, a diagnosis: leukemia, with a 35 percent chance of survival. Just like that, the life she had imagined for herself had gone up in flames. By the time Jaouad flew home to New York, she had lost her job, her apartment, and her independence. She would spend much of the next four years in a hospital bed, fighting for her life and chronicling the saga in a column for The New York Times.

When Jaouad finally walked out of the cancer ward - after three and a half years of chemo, a clinical trial, and a bone marrow transplant - she was, according to the doctors, cured. But as she would soon learn, a cure is not where the work of healing ends; it’s where it begins. She had spent the past 1,500 days in desperate pursuit of one goal - to survive. And now that she’d done so, she realized that she had no idea how to live.

How would she reenter the world and live again? How could she reclaim what had been lost? Jaouad embarked - with her new best friend, Oscar, a scruffy terrier mutt - on a 100-day, 15,000-mile road trip across the country. She set out to meet some of the strangers who had written to her during her years in the hospital: a teenage girl in Florida also recovering from cancer; a teacher in California grieving the death of her son; a death-row inmate in Texas who’d spent his own years confined to a room. What she learned on this trip is that the divide between sick and well is porous, that the vast majority of us will travel back and forth between these realms throughout our lives. Between Two Kingdoms is a profound chronicle of survivorship and a fierce, tender, and inspiring exploration of what it means to begin again.