Too Good to Be True

 
“Too Good to Be True” by Carola Lovering
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
I have conflicting opinions about this book.  I like the way it was written from three points of view, using journal entries to tell parts of the story.  I dislike the characters, completely (although that’s not always a bad thing).  I like the suspenseful feel it has throughout but dislike the ending because it’s too “wrapped up in a bow” for my liking.  With all that said, I did enjoy reading it.  The things I like about it outweigh the things I dislike, and my curiosity kept me turning the pages.  So, although I’ve mixed opinions, I still recommend it.
 
Finished 3/12/26 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#toogoodtobetrue #carolalovering #stmartinspress #botm

A Gathering of Old Men

“A Gathering of Old Men” by Ernest J Gaines
Published by Random House
 
What an incredible and powerful book!!!  You have a group of older black men standing up to make a right from prior wrongs, with nothing to lose.  You have a young white man standing up to make a change, with everything to lose.  Then of course you have the racists in town….enough said there.  But you also have a sheriff caught in the middle, who understands where both sides are coming from, trying to keep the peace.  And throughout, you have the bond of friendship and family prevalent.  The story takes place in a matter of hours, with stories of the past thrown in, and all of it is significant.  All of it with lessons to learn.  The story takes place in the 70s and was published in the 80s but, unfortunately, I feel it should continue to be a must read all these many years later.  I would love for it to be taught in high school literature classes but I’m guessing the dreaded “N word” would keep it out of some schools.  It is used throughout the book, but it is used properly both historically and contextually and the author is African-American so I don’t see an issue with its use.  Granted, I’m a white woman so I don’t know that my opinion matters in that sense.  Regardless, I highly recommend this book.  If you haven’t read it yet – go read it.  If you have, go read it again.  It is a story that needs to be read and understood.
 
Finished 3/8/26 – 5/5 stars
 
#agatheringofoldmen #ernestjgaines #randomhouse #5starread
 

A Far-Flung Life

 
“A Far-Flung Life” by M. L. Stedman
Published by Scribner
 
I truly loved the majority of this book.  There are pieces of some of the storylines I didn’t like, I sometimes felt there were too many side stories, and I felt it dragged a bit in the middle, but even with that said, the writing is beautiful and the character development is great making it a solid 4.5 star read for me.  I highly recommend it.  It definitely won’t be a book for everyone, due to some of the relevant topics that I can’t give away here, but I feel like the majority of people will love it and want everyone to get their happy endings.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 3/5/26 – 4.5/5 stars
 
#afarflunglife #mlstedman #scribner #netgalley

Where the Girls Were

 “Where the Girls Were” by Kate Schatz
Published by The Dial Press / Penguin Random House
 
This is a great piece of historical fiction about a time in the United States when women’s rights were quite weak, sex-ed wasn’t very informative, and illegal abortions were killing young girls.  A time when unwed pregnant girls, no matter the circumstances, were sent away to “homes” to hide, have their babies, give them up, and return home as if nothing happened, to never speak about it again.  These girls were forced to experience pregnancy and labor without guidance or the support of their family or friends, to give up their children sight unseen without any emotional support or therapy.  My heart goes out to all woman who went through this experience – I hope you have found a way for your heart and mind to heal.
 
The book itself is very well written.  During a time in which abortion is again illegal in many states, this book could have been quite political, but it’s not.  It’s a story of an 18-year-old girl who has a world of opportunities in front of her, becomes pregnant, and suddenly has no say in her future.  Her freedom is stripped from her to the point she’s not even allowed outside.  It’s heartbreaking but yet, as her baby grows inside her, she grows as an individual.  It’s a combination of historical fiction and coming of age story and I highly recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press (Penguin Random House) for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 2/27/26 – 4/5 stars
 
#wherethegirlswere #kateschatz #netgalley #thedialpress #penguinrandomhouse

Saoirse

 
“Saoirse” by Charleen Hurtubise
Published by Celadon Books
 
I stayed up late to finish this one because I was fully invested in the main character and needed to know what the future held for her.  She had a very complicated and unsafe childhood that she eventually escaped by stealing someone else’s identity and fleeing the United States for Ireland.  Living a lie, never knowing when your true identity might be revealed, is a stressful life, but she is able to find some peace through art.  And that art tells part of the story…. her past.
 
I greatly enjoyed this book and highly recommended it.  It’s fairly short with only about 250 pages, but there’s no fluff within those pages.  It’s solid read that will keep you turning the pages, wanting to continue the story.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 2/19/26 – 4.5/5 stars
 
#saoirse #charleenhurtubise #netgalley #celadonbooks

My Friends

“My Friends” by Fredrik Backman (translated by Neil Smith)
Published by Atria Books
 
What a treasure of a book!  I love the characters, the story, and the way it’s told.  Plus, it’s just absolutely beautifully written.  It a book to be enjoyed by all – male, female, young and old.  I think everyone will find a small piece of themselves in at least one character.  I highly recommend it.
 
Also, I don’t annotate books when I read, but on a rare occasion I’ll jot down a quote that made a strong impression.  That happened 3 times while reading this book, so I have to share them….
 
“I’m not worried you’re going to die.  I’m worried about you being dead.  I’m worried about being alive without you.” (page 106)
 
“You can’t love someone out of addiction, all the oceans are the tears of those who have tried.” (page 215)
 
“In a library.  You don’t have to put up with reality there.  It’s as if thousands of strangers have given away their imaginary friends, they’re sitting on the shelves and calling to you as you walk past.” (page 306)
 
Finished 2/15/26 – 5/5 stars
 
#myfriends #fredrikbackman #atriabooks #5starread

 

"Someday, Maybe"

 
“Someday, Maybe” by Onyi Nwabineli
Published by Graydon House
 
I may have finished it, but I didn’t really enjoy it.  It’s very depressing and just drags.  It’s the story of a woman who finds her husband dead via suicide and then essentially stops living her own life.  I understand that losing the love of your life can emotionally destroy you, but most don’t have the luxury to just fold into themselves and essentially hide away from work, friends, and family for months on end without a care for needing to be a responsible adult.  She didn’t need to work to pay bills and didn’t have any children to support emotionally or otherwise.  Because of this she was able to be completely self-centered in her mourning process, not caring that others lost a son, a brother-in-law, an uncle, and a best friend, which just annoyed me.  I have friends and family that have been gutted by losing their spouse and none of their experiences have been anywhere close to this.
 
With all that said, it could be that this just wasn’t for me.  The average rating on GoodReads is 3.88 so obviously plenty of other people have enjoyed it.
 
Finished 2/10/26 – 2/5 stars
 
#somedaymaybe #onyinwabineli #graydonhouse #botm

Everything You Want Me to Be

 
“Everything You Want Me to Be” by Mindy Mejia
Published by Atria Books
 
I truly enjoyed this one.  It’s a murder mystery told in multiple points of view, including the victim prior to her death.  I thought for sure I knew the twist very early on, towards the end I thought I was about to be proven correct, and then the rug was pulled out from under me, proving me wrong instead.  But that’s OK, I love a good twist.  There is a definite “ick” factor to the story though, but I can’t reveal it.  When you read it for yourself, you’ll understand.  And I do hope you do – I highly recommend it.
 
Finished 2/6/26 - 4/5 Stars
 
#everythingyouwantmetobe #mindymejia #atriabooks #minnesotaauthor

Keeper of Lost Children

 
“Keeper of Lost Children” by Sadeqa Johnson
Published by 37 Ink
 
One of the reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction is because I’m able to learn something new or gain additional insight about something that happened in the past.  In this instance, it was ALL new information.  I knew absolutely nothing about the “Brown Babies Program” following WWII that is depicted in this novel.  If you didn’t know either…. google it.  Or just read this absolutely fabulous book.  Honestly, the best book I’ve read in a while. I HIGHLY recommend it.  Not just for the historical pieces, but for the storylines themselves.  Just know, it might make you cry (a couple of times)
 
Side note – I also didn’t know that DC’s basketball team used to be the Washington Capitals.  I read it, laughed, and immediately texted my kids that there was an error in my book that I hoped they fixed prior to publication because that’s a hockey team, not basketball.  Nope, I googled that too and found that was initially their name prior to being the Bullets (now Wizards) and they had the first African American athlete to play for an NBA team.  More facts learned while reading historical fiction.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and 37 Ink for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.
 
Finished 2/3/26 – 5/5 stars   (release date is 2/10/26)
 
#keeperoflostchildren #sadeqajohnson #37ink #netgalley #5starreads

Alice in Black

“Alice in Black” by Bebe Duncan
Published by Pettygrove Press

To be completely honest, when I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to just be a typical YA novel about teenagers.  It’s anything but typical in my opinion.  Granted, I don’t read a lot of YA so my experience is limited, however, I really enjoyed this one.  It’s the author’s debut novel, but it doesn’t show.  She is definitely a talented writer.

This is the story of Alice, a junior in high school who lost her mom in a car accident a couple years prior, followed by her dad leaving her with her maternal grandmother to go play guitar.  What teenager wouldn’t have issues after such losses?  Truly, Alice just needs to learn to love herself and realize that she is deserving of being loved by others as well, whether romantically or through friendships.  The relationships and bonds built and sometimes broken throughout this book all have meaning and are significant in Alice’s growth as a person.

Because it is YA, I feel the need to include some trigger warnings that I normally wouldn’t include in a review.  If you are considering this for your teen, please know that there are drugs, self-harm, sex, and assault within this story.  There is plenty of good to outweigh the bad though, so I do recommend it but as a mom of girls (now women) I feel the need to throw that out there.

Thank you to Blackberry Book Tours and Pettygrove Press for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this honest review are completely my own.

Finished 1/29/26 – 4/5 stars

#aliceinblack #bebeduncan #pettygrovepress #blackberrybooktours

 

Let Us Descend

 
“Let Us Descend” by Jesmyn Ward
Published by Scribner Books
 
I know many people loved this book but it just wasn’t for me.  The story just dragged and there is a lot of ghost/spirit interaction with the main character, which I never really enjoy.  The premise of the storyline is good and could have been something to keep my interest, but every time the spirit arrived (which was often), I found myself speedreading. And yet, it took me a week to read it.   
 
Finished 1/25/26 – 2.5/5 stars
 
#letusdescend #jesmynward #scribnerbooks #botm

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