The Mystery Guest

“The Mystery Guest” by Nita Prose
Published by Ballantine Books
 
Molly the Maid continues to be one of my favorite characters.  I just love everything about her.  She is inferred to be a high functioning autistic woman that tends to find herself in precarious situations while working as a hotel maid.  In this book, a renowned mystery author dies in the hotel tearoom during a press conference and Molly takes it upon herself to assist in the police investigation to find out who did it.  Her attention to details proves quite useful to the detective in charge. 
 
This is the 2^nd in a series, and I do highly suggest you read “The Maid” first.  You don’t have to but why miss out.  These aren’t action packed, suspenseful mysteries but they are fun, warmhearted, quick reads that I recommend.  They make for a great “palate cleanser” after a tough read or a book to get you out of a slump.
 
Finished 1/18/26 – 4/5 stars
 
#themysteryguest #nitaprose #ballantinebooks #botm

 

Skylark

 
“Skylark” by Paula McLain
Published by Atria Books
 
This is one of those instances where I enjoyed it and recommend it, but……. I didn’t love it. This is a dual timeline novel with two very different stories. And honestly, it could have been two separate novels instead because the only thing truly tying them together was the setting of Paris and the tunnels underground.  I enjoyed each story, but the alternating sections felt more like interruptions rather than additional pieces to a puzzle tying them together.   I also felt like the 1600s storyline was perfectly closed yet the 1900s storyline felt open ended and needed more to it.  Overall, I enjoyed the stories but wish they were separate books and that there was a little more to the 1900s storyline.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 1/15/26 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#skylark #paulamclain #atriabooks #netgalley

Wildwood

 
“Wildwood” by Amy Pease
Published by Atria (Simon & Schuster)
 
Almost exactly 2 years ago, I read and reviewed the author’s debut novel and first in this series, “Northwoods”.  I enjoyed it and gave it 3 stars.  With “Wildwood”, I found her writing improved and thus enjoyed this one even more.  Not quite a 4-star read, but close.  It’s a “small town, big crimes” thriller.  Not an edge of your seat thriller, but one with danger and action throughout.  And it has the same 3 main characters from the first book – a cop who is a former soldier with PTSD as well as a recovering alcoholic; his mother who is the town sheriff; and an FBI officer based out of Chicago.  Their personalities are all quite different, but they work well together.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 1/5/25 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#wildwood #amypease #atria #netgalley

The Collected Regrets of Clover

 

“The Collected Regrets of Clover” by Mikki Brammer
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
“The secret to a beautiful death is living a beautiful life.”
 
Clover is a Death Doula in New York City, collecting people’s final words within her notebooks titled “Advice”, “Confessions”, and “Regrets”.  While helping others prepare to die and hearing of their regrets in life, she actually learns a little more about herself, challenging herself to live a fuller life.  It’s similar to a coming-of-age story but not quite.  What I enjoyed most is the way the author took something scary and sad and turned it into something peaceful and beautiful.  This book isn’t for everyone – if you are struggling with the loss of a loved one, this might not be the right time to read this.  But if you won’t be triggered by that, I would recommend it.
 
Finished 12/31/25 – 4/5 stars
 
#thecollectedregretsofclover #mikkibrammer #stmartinspress #2025reads

Wild Dark Shore

 

“Wild Dark Shore” by Charlotte McConaghy
Published by Flatiron Books
 
Well, this is another one in which my rating is lower than others.  So many people loved this book, but I just found it to be OK.  I think part of the issue for me was the descriptiveness related to the seeds.  I know the seed bank itself plays a large part in the storyline, but I found myself skimming through paragraphs about the seeds themselves.  Some would call it beautiful writing, but to me it seemed like unnecessary fluff to lengthen it from a novella to a novel.  Obviously, just my opinion though.
 
Side note – this is my 100^th book read in 2025 (62 physical / 38 audio).
 
Finished 12/21/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#wilddarkshore #charlottemcconaghy #flatironbooks #botm

Becoming

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama
Published by Crown
 
The United States has had many First Ladies come and go but Michelle Obama is by far my favorite so far.  Politics aside, she is not only a strong, well spoken, intelligent woman, she is kind, compassionate, and down to earth.  She strove to provide her daughters with as normal a life as possible, outside of the limelight.  She also strove to help all children live healthy lives and provided opportunities for them to see their own potential.  In this autobiography she shares with us her childhood in Chicago, her courtship and marriage with President Obama, their family life, and of course, her job as First Lady.  I listened to the audio that she narrates herself but also had a copy of the physical book to be able to see all the pictures.  I definitely recommend it.
 
Finished 12/12/25 – 4/5 stars
 
#becoming #michelleobama #crown #2025reads

The Attic Child

“The Attic Child” by Lola Jaye
Published by William Morrow / Harper Collins
 
This isn’t just a powerful book, it is an emotional one as well.  And beautifully written too.  It is the story of two young children and the people they become.  One is a young boy taken from his home in the Congo, brought to the UK to become a gentleman’s companion, only to later be locked in an attic and forced to become a servant.  The other is a young girl who loses both her parents and is then locked away in the same attic by her stepmother about a century later.  They both must find a way to escape, struggle to find their self-worth, and to find love for themselves so that they can then love others.  Their struggles will take you through a multitude of emotions.  And although I enjoyed both storylines, I absolutely love the Dikembe/Celestine character.  He pulled on all the heartstrings and I believe he will stay with me for a long time.
 
Finished 12/11/25 – 5/5 stars
 
#theatticchild #lolajaye #williammorrow #botm #2025reads