All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

 
“All the Ugly and Wonderful Things” by Bryn Greenwood
Published by Thomas Dunne Books (St Martin’s Press)
 
The 1^st half of this book introduces you to a sweet and innocent relationship between a young girl in need of an adult in her life to love and take care of her and a man is his mid-20s who does just that.  The 2^nd half of this book takes an uncomfortable turn.  At one point, I truly didn’t want to keep reading but I did because I needed to know how this troubled young girl’s life turned out.  She had such a horrible childhood, you just wanted her to find true happiness and safety.  It’s well written and I gave it 3 stars, but I have such mixed feelings about it that I don’t know that I can recommend it.
 
Finished 7/9/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#alltheuglyandwonderfulthings #bryngreenwood #thomasdunnebooks #stmartinspress #botm #2025reads #genxreads

The Unraveling of Julia

“The Unraveling of Julia” by Lisa Scottoline
Published by Grand Central Publishing
 
I had to suspend some of my beliefs in reality to enjoy this book, but enjoy it I did.  There is romance, mystery, and a touch of the spirit world.  She is an auto-read author for me, but this is not my favorite of hers.  I loved the setting and some of the characters, but there were times I just felt it unrealistic and frustrating in that an area was not investigated that to me, would have been one of the 1^st places I would have gone at the time (can’t say more to avoid spoilers).  Overall, it was a good read and kept me very entertained, just not as believable as some of her other stories.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 7/8/25 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#theunravelingofjulia #lisascottoline #grandcentralpublishing #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads
 

Finding Grace

“Finding Grace” by Loretta Rothschild
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
Chapter 1 had me hooked and chapter 2 had me crying.  Overall, it was a predictable romance, but I truly enjoyed it (and I don’t read a lot of romance).  Actually, it wasn’t completely predictable.  I was expecting one twist that never came.  I really liked the characters and the development of relationships, although one character completely frustrated me, but I’m pretty sure that was supposed to be the case.  I also felt there were a couple plot holes, but it didn’t take away from the storyline.  For a debut novel, I think the author did great.  I definitely recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 7/6/25 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#findinggrace #lorettarothschild #stmartinspress #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads 

The White Crow

 
“The White Crow” by Michael Robotham
Published by Sphere UK
 
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the 1^st in the series.  I like the main character and the dynamics surrounding her relationship with her family, but I felt the storyline was slower this time around and not as smooth. If this series continues, I think the focus needs to be much more on the main character and the cases she’s involved in, and less involvement with her criminal family.  They should be a side story, not part of the main plotline.  I enjoyed it but I think it is much more mystery than thriller.  If you are looking for a mystery, I would recommend it.  But if you are looking for a good thriller, this isn’t it.  There just isn’t a lot of suspense throughout, just at the end.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere UK for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 7/4/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#thewhitecrow #michaelrobotham #sphereuk #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads

The Girls Who Grew Big

 

“The Girls Who Grew Big” by Leila Mottley
Published by Knopf
 
At times I felt like there were 2 different authors writing this.  Maybe it was done purposefully because the 3 POVs had different levels of education.  I’m not sure, but at times the writing was beautiful.  With regards to the story itself, I enjoyed it but felt it dragged at times and some of the storylines were a little hard to believe.  Granted, I’ve never been in these girls’ shoes.  Although, I do know I would do anything and everything to keep my kids safe and healthy, but it seemed to take these girls a little longer to grasp that part of motherhood.  Overall, I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 6/25/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#thegirlswhogrewbig #leilamottley #knopf #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads

The Survivors

 

“The Survivors” by Jane Harper
Published by Flatiron Books
 
When I saw Netflix made it into a show, this book moved to the top of my TBR.  I didn’t find it to be a fabulous read, but it is definitely a good one.  And I think it will make for a good show, although I’m curious to see if they’ll change the ending at all.  There are a couple mysteries in one town, 15 years apart, with potential guilt insinuated on a few characters for each one.  It’s not fast passed, but it will hold your interest to keep turning the pages until the end, when everything is revealed. 
 
Finished 6/21/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#thesurvivors #janeharper #flatironbooks #botm #netflix #2025reads

Remarkably Bright Creatures

 

“Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
Published by ecco (HarperCollins)
 
I put off reading this because I wasn’t sure how I’d do with an animal as a main character.  I should have known it wouldn’t bother me since I loved Racing in the Rain and that has a dog as a main character.  Sure enough, I loved this one too.  The intertwined storylines were all good, the character development was great, and it made me wish I lived in a little town like Sowell Bay where everyone looks out for one another (and knows all your business).  It even made me tear up in a couple spots.  I highly recommend this heartwarming book.
 
Finished 6/20/25 – 4/5 stars
 
#remarkablybrightcreatures #shelbyvanpelt #ecco #harpercollins #2025reads