⭐️⭐️ I don’t say this lightly: I loathed this book. Macallister’s writing is fine—it’s her subject that’s the problem. Aimee Crocker is about as appealing as a hangover. A real-life Gilded Age heiress, she indulges in everything: sex (threesome included), booze, drugs, the occult, and all things paranormal. There’s no emotional arc, no humility, and not a shred of remorse. Just page after page of debauchery wrapped in arrogance. I kept waiting for some glimmer of depth or self-awareness, but it came too late. Even the supporting cast felt like a lineup of deplorables. Yes, themes of female autonomy and rebellion peek through, but they’re buried under so much indulgence […]
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Royals, Rascals, and a Rattled New Mom: We Three Queens Is a Cozy Escape Worth the Read
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rhys Bowen’s We Three Queens is a delightful entry in the Royal Spyness series, blending royal intrigue, murder, and new-mom chaos. Lady Georgiana Rannoch has barely figured out how to burp her baby when she’s asked to hide someone far more troublesome—Wallis Simpson. Yes, that Wallis. As Georgie tries to keep the soon-to-be Duchess of Windsor out of sight, a film crew shows up to shoot a period drama about Henry VIII. Cue the chaos: egos, costumes, and a murder on set. Between diaper duty and damage control, Georgie has her hands full. I alternated between the eBook and audiobook, and the audio version was extraordinary. The narrator nailed […]
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A Bold, Beautiful Shift for Baldacci
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strangers in Time is a refreshing change of pace for David Baldacci—and an absolute triumph. Best known for his pulse-pounding thrillers, Baldacci trades high-tech espionage for wartime Europe, and the result is a deeply human, emotionally rich novel that’s hard to put down. Set during World War II, this story isn’t just about battles and strategy. It’s about people—flawed, brave, complicated people—thrown into impossible circumstances. Baldacci’s gift for plotting is still here, but this time he leans hard into character. The relationships feel real, the dialogue is sharp, and the stakes are personal in all the right ways. He doesn’t just recreate the era—he brings it to life with […]
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Gorgeous Setting, Questionable Choices
⭐⭐⭐ If you’ve ever dreamed of escaping to the Amalfi Coast—eating lemon pasta, sipping crisp white wine, and staring out at the sparkling sea—One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle has your name on it. The book’s setting in Positano is downright dreamy. I loved the sensory details. The food, the wine, the charming seaside streets—I felt like I was there. On that level, the book is a five-star getaway. Unfortunately, the plot and characters didn’t live up to the scenery. The premise—grieving daughter somehow meets her mother as a young woman—requires a huge suspension of disbelief. I’m fine with a little magical realism, but this one felt too far-fetched, even […]
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A Gritty Legal Thriller That Hits Close to Home
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ As a Minnesota native, I always get a little thrill when a novel captures the setting with real authenticity—and Allen Eskens *nails* it in *The Stolen Hours*. From downtown Minneapolis to the courthouse corridors, his descriptions feel lived-in and true. I’ve been to many of the places he references, and it made the story all the more vivid. This is a fast-paced legal thriller that follows Lila Nash, a young assistant county attorney still haunted by a brutal assault in her past. When a woman is pulled from the Mississippi River barely alive, Lila starts connecting dots that others have missed—and realizes a predator has been hiding in plain […]
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Three Timelines, One Tough Choice
★★★★½ Gabrielle Meyer’s In This Moment is book two in the Timeless series, and once again, she nails it. Maggie lives three full lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001—waking up in a different era each day. She’s a nurse in every life, but each role comes with its own joys and heartbreaks. On her 21st birthday, she must choose just one life to keep… and lose the other two forever. No pressure. These books are always so heartwarming. Meyer writes with such heart and care, I wish she could crank them out faster. Her ability to make each timeline feel vivid and authentic is impressive—she clearly did her homework on […]
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Coben’s Twisty Thriller Keeps You Guessing
(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½) Nobody’s Fool was my fourth Harlan Coben book—and hands down, my favorite. It kicks off with a jaw-dropper: twenty-something Sami Kierce wakes up in a Spanish hostel, covered in blood, with his girlfriend Anna dead beside him and no clue what happened. So he panics and runs. Fast forward 22 years—he’s now a struggling PI, new dad, and night school teacher in NYC. And one evening, in walks Anna. Alive. Or is she? That’s the moment this twisty thrill ride really takes off. Coben juggles multiple timelines and threads—a decades-old kidnapping, a released killer, and a deeply personal mystery—with sharp dialogue and a healthy dose of dark humor. Sami’s […]
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Amy’s Picks and Pans, Issue 37
This month, I packed my bags (well, metaphorically) and globe-trotted through time and place—from the sunbaked Outback of Australia to the shadowy alleys of WWII France, with side trips to Iran, Florida, and the Civil War South. Along the way, I found time to read and review everything from page-turning thrillers to heart-tugging historical fiction to a few charming picture books that stole the show (and my heart). Buckle up—there’s a little something for everyone in this literary itinerary! Make sure to follow my reviews by signing up for my newsletter, or by finding me on Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. All the Little Animals: A Bedtime Book from A-Z […]
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Not Exactly a Joyride
⭐⭐⭐✰✰ (3.5 stars) When I picked up Fun for the Whole Family, I expected a breezy, heartwarming story about quirky siblings reuniting for some chaotic-but-lovable family drama. I blame the cover—it practically screams “rom-com road trip.” What I got instead was a slow-burning, emotionally tangled reunion where nearly everyone is famous, everyone is frustrated, and North Dakota is the punchline a few too many times (especially annoying if, like me, you have family ties there). The Endicotts are a wildly improbable bunch: a novelist, a pro soccer player, and a movie star, all from the same family. Jude, the actress, calls her siblings together in a remote North Dakota town […]
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Agent 355 by Marie Benedict – A Revolutionary Story That Ends Too Soon
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ I’ve always appreciated Marie Benedict’s mission to spotlight the untold stories of women throughout history. Some of her books are hits, others are misses—Agent 355 lands somewhere in the middle. It’s a quick novella that I whipped through in no time, but it left me feeling unsatisfied. The premise is compelling: a mysterious female spy working within the Culper Ring during the American Revolution. There are moments of intrigue, particularly in the espionage scenes and political maneuverings, but they’re buried under repetitive inner monologues and uneven pacing. Readers hoping for a vivid, pulse-pounding spy thriller may find this more subdued and speculative than satisfying. The story feels underdeveloped, and the […]
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