Alan Hlad’s A Light Beyond the Trenches offers a unique and deeply moving perspective on World War I, told from the German side—a refreshing change from the usual focus on the Allies. This novel gives a vivid portrayal of the horrors of war, but what struck me most was how the author focused on the resilience of people and their partnerships with dogs, and how these bonds changed lives in the most unexpected ways. The story centers around Anna Zeller, a German Red Cross nurse, and Max Benesch, a Jewish soldier blinded by the brutal effects of chlorine gas—a terrifying reminder of the chemical weapons that wreaked havoc during the war. […]
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Funny, Quirky, and Totally Entertaining!
Vera Wong is back, and she’s nosier than ever. In Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man), Jesse Q. Sutanto serves up another delightful cozy mystery with a side of dumplings and unsolicited advice. This time, Vera stumbles upon a case involving a drowned influencer with more aliases than a spy. While cat-sitting for her son Tilly and his detective girlfriend Selena, Vera finds a file in Selena’s briefcase about the mysterious death. Naturally, she takes it upon herself to investigate, because why let the professionals have all the fun? What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming romp through San Francisco’s Chinatown as Vera inserts herself into the lives of her suspects—who […]
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Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr: A Hot Mess in More Ways Than One
You know that feeling when you pick up a book that should be amazing… and then it just kind of punches you in the face with bad decisions? Welcome to my experience with Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr. On paper, it sounds like a slam dunk: a young journalist chasing down a stolen masterpiece tied to Nazi lootings. Art! Secrets! Betrayal! I was ready for a high-stakes thriller that kept me up at night. Instead, I got a melodrama that kept making me mutter, “Oh, come on.” Let’s start with the audiobook. Oof. The narrator, who is originally from Italy, had a strange tonality that didn’t match the American […]
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A Lush Return to India That Takes Too Long to Get Going
★ ★ ★ ½ Alka Joshi’s Six Days in Bombay kicks off with a bang—a famous painter dies under suspicious circumstances, and Sona, a young Anglo-Indian nurse, is suddenly the prime suspect. What follows is a globe-trotting journey from Bombay to Europe as Sona tries to clear her name and untangle the truth about Mira Novak, the enigmatic artist who changed her life in just six days. The setup is rich, and the premise has real intrigue. Joshi brings exotic locations to life with her usual flair. But where The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur gripped me from the start, this one took a while to warm up. The first third drags, bogged […]
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A Time-Crossed Tale of Duty and Destiny
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ Book One in the Timeless series What if you had to choose between two lives? I’ve always been a sucker for time travel—especially when it’s wrapped in history, heart, and just enough tension to keep you flipping pages past bedtime. Gabrielle Meyer’s When the Day Comes does exactly that. I loved this story so much. The setup is gold: Libby lives two lives—one in 1774 Williamsburg, the other in 1914 New York. On her 21st birthday, she has to choose which life to keep living. I mean… talk about a high-stakes birthday. Both timelines are richly drawn. In colonial Virginia, Libby faces an arranged marriage and the sparks of revolution. In […]
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She Writes About Killers. Now She Might Be One
Talk about twists and turns—The Writer is a wild ride from page one. It checked all my boxes: tense, gripping, fast-paced, and flat-out fun for anyone who loves thrillers. The plot is a maze. Just when you think you’ve cracked it—boom—another twist hits. Patterson’s name is everywhere, and let’s be honest—some are hits, some are misses. But teaming up with J.D. Barker? Total win. The story opens with a bloody crime scene, a true-crime author covered in blood, and one big question: did she do it? NYPD Detective Declan Shaw thinks it’s an open-and-shut case. The deeper he digs, the murkier it gets. The pacing is classic Patterson—short chapters, punchy […]
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Wish You Were Here Starts Strong, Then Takes a Hard Left
Jodi Picoult is a smart writer, no doubt about it. Wish You Were Here starts off strong, with Diana O’Toole heading to the Galápagos solo when her surgeon boyfriend Finn stays behind in New York to deal with COVID. Stranded on Isabela Island with no luggage, no Wi-Fi, and no plan, she finds shelter with a local woman and bonds with a troubled teen named Beatriz and her (very available) dad. Diana begins to rethink her carefully plotted future. The first half is beautifully written, full of rich detail and emotional weight. The island setting pops, and the early pandemic backdrop is all too real. Picoult’s research shows—whether she’s describing […]
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A Journey of Hope and Friendship: The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book! The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb is historical fiction at its best—deeply emotional, incredibly well written, and unputdownable. Webb’s word pictures are spot-on. I could practically hear the chaos of Ellis Island, smell the salt air, and feel the anxiety and hope radiating from every corner of the page. She built a world I could truly see. The story follows Francesca, a brave Italian immigrant, and Alma, a young American woman working at Ellis Island. Their unlikely friendship unfolds against a backdrop of corruption, prejudice, and the longing for something better. Both women are impressively developed—flawed, relatable, and fiercely strong. They felt so real, […]
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Secrets, Lies, and Baby Bumps: A Twisty London Thriller
Greenwich Park starts with prenatal yoga and ends with a punch to the gut. Katherine Faulkner’s debut is a twisty domestic thriller that unwraps like a baby shower gift with something sinister inside. Helen is pregnant after years of loss, married to a charming architect, and living in a dreamy Victorian home. But when she meets Rachel—a chain-smoking, wine-guzzling hot mess at her prenatal class—her carefully built life cracks. Rachel latches on fast. She’s fun, unpredictable, and clearly hiding something. So is everyone else, apparently. We get multiple narrators (Helen, her chic sister-in-law Serena, and Katie, a dogged reporter), all tied together by a dark event from their Cambridge days. […]
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Unveiling a Hidden Heroine: A Review of Let Us March On
Shara Moon’s Let Us March On brings overdue attention to Elizabeth “Lizzie” McDuffie, a maid in FDR’s White House who quietly advocated for civil rights. Known as the “Secretary-On-Colored-People’s-Affairs,” Lizzie acted as a vital bridge between the Black community and the President—an incredible feat for a woman in her position during the 1930s. Told through Lizzie’s eyes, the story offers an inside look at the Roosevelts and the political landscape of the time. Moon captures Lizzie’s strength and determination, showing how she used her role to push for justice in subtle but powerful ways. That said, the pacing lags in spots, especially when it gets too bogged down in politics. […]
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