4.5 stars Talk about dysfunctional families! Everyone in Karin Slaughter’s This Is Why We Lied has secrets, but only one of them is a killer. From the first scream at McAlpine Lodge, the tension never lets up. This locked-room mystery—the 12th book in the Will Trent series—had me hooked from the start. Will Trent and Sara Linton just wanted a quiet honeymoon. Instead, they stumble upon a murder and a web of lies so tangled it’s hard to know who to trust. Mercy McAlpine, the lodge manager, dies whispering her last words to Will, and every family member and guest quickly becomes a suspect. Mercy’s abusive ex, her ice-cold parents, […]
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Smart and Sassy: A Book Club Worth Joining
This one reminded me so much of Lorna Landvik’s Angry Wives Eating Bon Bons—strong women, suburban setting, and a whole lot of heart. Set in early 1960s Virginia, The Book Club for Troublesome Women follows four women who start reading The Feminine Mystique and suddenly start seeing their own lives in a new light. From tea and cake to personal revolutions—it escalates quickly. The real beauty of this novel is in the friendships. Margaret, Bitsy, Charlotte, and Viv are flawed, funny, brave, and loyal. Their bond feels authentic, and their individual arcs show how liberating (and scary) it can be to start dreaming again after years of playing it safe. […]
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The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) This novel had so much going for it—a dual timeline, a real historical figure, and a mystery rooted in the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. I went in eager to learn more about Eleanor Dare, a woman I find absolutely fascinating. And while the premise had great potential, the execution didn’t quite live up to it. The story follows Alice, a war widow, and her daughter, Penn, as they return to their family’s ancestral home in the 1940s. There, they begin to uncover secrets tied to their lineage and the legacy of Eleanor Dare. The emotional threads—grief, identity, forgiveness, and healing—are the strongest parts of […]
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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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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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A Journey Through Love and Loss in Venice
Rhys Bowen’s The Venice Sketchbook is an emotional dual-timeline novel filled with love, loss, and hidden truths. When Caroline Grant’s beloved great-aunt Lettie passes away, she leaves behind a cryptic inheritance—a sketchbook, three keys, and one last word: “Venice.” As Caroline embarks on a journey to scatter Lettie’s ashes in the city she loved, she uncovers a decades-old story of passion and sacrifice. In 1938, art teacher Juliet Browning arrives in Venice, reconnecting with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loves but cannot have. As war looms over Europe, impossible circumstances test their star-crossed romance, forcing Juliet to make heart-wrenching choices. The novel weaves together Caroline’s modern-day search for answers […]
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Slow Start, Steamy Distractions, and a Solid Twist in Blood Moon
3.5 stars Sandra Brown delivers another suspenseful thriller in Blood Moon, in which a troubled detective and a determined TV producer race against time to prevent another disappearance. Detective John Bowie, teetering on the edge of professional disaster, teams up with Beth Collins, a true crime producer convinced that a series of teenage girls vanishing under a blood moon isn’t a coincidence. With only four days until the next blood moon, they dig into a case riddled with corruption, danger, and an undeniable attractio The plot had promise, with an intricate mystery and a solid twist at the end. However, the book struggled to keep my attention. The pacing was sluggish […]
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Peanut Butter Chaos: A Whimsical Recipe for Laughs
Picture this: you’re starving. What better fix than a peanut butter sandwich? That’s when How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich in 17 Easy Steps arrives, accordion in hand, turning your snack craving into a woodland adventure. This isn’t your typical how-to guide. It’s a laugh-out-loud, over-the-top journey featuring a donkey in clogs stomping peanuts, an accordion-playing raccoon, and synchronized squirrels spreading peanut butter with a knife carved by a beaver. And, of course, there’s a skunk adding its own flair. For kids aged 4-7, including four of my grandkids, this book is perfect for giggles. The steps are hilariously absurd, and the story emphasizes teamwork and accepting differences. Each […]
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A High-Octane Battle Between Good and Evil
Dark Angel, the second entry in Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson’s Shepherds series, delivers a gripping and intense military thriller with a unique faith-based twist. Former Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson is back, now training with the Shepherds, an elite organization of warriors tasked with confronting spiritual threats. But the challenge of stepping into his role as the rookie leader of a new team is just the beginning. Jed’s visions of an imminent overseas attack force him into action, and what follows is a pulse-pounding mission that blurs the line between the seen and the unseen. Andrews and Wilson skillfully weave together elements of counterterrorism, faith, and supernatural warfare, creating a […]
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A Gripping 1960s Courtroom Drama
A Calamity of Souls transports readers to 1968 Virginia, where Black Vietnam veteran Jerome Washington is on trial for the murder of his white employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph. Jerome, caught at the scene covered in blood, is immediately arrested. Jack Lee, a white defense lawyer with no experience in murder trials, reluctantly takes on Jerome’s case. Out of his depth, Jack partners with Desiree DuBose, a Black attorney from the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund. Together, they fight to save Jerome from the electric chair, navigating a flawed legal system entrenched in racism. Baldacci draws from his own experiences as a former attorney and his childhood in 1960s Virginia to […]
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