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Explore honest, spoiler‑free book reviews across genres — from romance and contemporary fiction to memoirs and thrillers. Use the search bar or browse by category to discover books you’ll love.
Romance
Latest Book Reviews
3.5
Thank you #netgalley and #smp for the advanced audio copy. Out today (09/03)
Awoken by his upstairs neighbor, Dylan, who literally falls through the ceiling onto his bed, Derek can’t handle another stressor, adding to his strained relationship with the HOA. However, it soon becomes apparent that these two must share one apartment while the repairs occur! Hello, forced proximity. Do your thing!
This book had a lot of good moments. I found the writing amusing yet warm towards the more complicated topics.
Dylan was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, and his messiness, hyper fixations, and often the brunt of family jokes felt all too familiar (it’s okay, Mom, I don’t mind, honestly). I loved the way the ADHD contributed to some social anxiety, very relatable.
Derek, a stereotypical oldest child, felt he needed to care for his family, specifically his youngest sister. I enjoyed him grappling with why he felt he had to do this and who he would be if he did not care about responsibility. Plus, he is a dog lover!
Burke’s writing flowed effortlessly from intimate moments to family drama, and despite not having read the companion novel, I felt I had a good understanding of each character. The dialogue was well-developed, and the intimate moments were descriptive and deftly delivered (like Dylan, I also love alliteration).
The narrators handled both the jokes and the more serious topics with ease. I listened to this one around 1.75x, and it never sounded too fast.
My biggest problem with this book is that I found it confusing as an audiobook with two male characters with similar names and voices. I generally prefer dual point-of-view chapters to be labeled with the individual perspective, which I think would’ve assisted here. Once I could distinguish the excellent narrators’ voices, my experience improved significantly. However, the extra layer of thinking took away from my ability to absorb the story.
Historical Fiction
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4
A powerful telling of two siblings separated for nearly 50 years, The Berry Pickers details the events shaping their lives. It explores the meaning of family and love that binds families together. A Mi’kmaq family of seven from Nova Scotia travels each summer to Maine to pick berries. One year, the youngest child, Ruthie, goes missing, and this novel details how siblings Joe and Norma (Ruthie) grow up, experience the challenges of adulthood, and follows the invisible string tying them together.
The emotional depth of this novel held my attention. It delves into heavy topics such as child loss, residential schools, alcoholism, and racism. However, I felt that the impact of these issues on Joe and Norma was not fully explored, but rather presented in brief anecdotes.
Written in a dual POV audio, this novel is shorter in size and a quick read despite the heaviness. Both narrators did an excellent job of capturing the emotional trials of their characters. I thought it was predictable during the first 20%, but I was surprised by all the events that ultimately unfolded. While I appreciated the handling of so many deep topics, something was missing. Perhaps it would have benefited from another perspective (possibly Joe and Ruthir’s mother) or just more details of how the rest of the family experienced this grief.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this novel and was emotionally invested in it from the beginning. However, I got bored by the end despite the narration and writing quality. I still recommend Berry Pickers and look forward to reading her future novels.
Science Fiction
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5.0
Witches, a strict ruling party, and main characters who pretend they aren’t falling combine in this spellbinding read. Ya’ll, am I going to be romantic girly now?
I am the first to admit I am not a huge fantasy reader. To be honest, there are a few things I could be critical of here, but I am ignoring them because I DEVOURED this book.
General Fiction, Thriller/ Horror
Latest Book Reviews
4
Mysterious, gripping, and full of references to fabulous food and a tiny Italian village, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 is yet another genre-crossing book. Per usual, I am a sucker for strong female friendships, and Piazza crafted them beautifully. I loved the detail she took to define the many facets of womanhood from the beginnings of motherhood, feeling powerless, the unspoken code of conduct, and the care with which she discussed the seemingly impossible tasks of managing a home, a job, and maintaining societies expectations of the ideal lady.
From the opening pages, I was absorbed into a tale of two different yet oddly similar women: Sara, whose restaurant and marriage have fallen apart on a quest to solve the mystery of her great-grandmother, and Serafina, a woman fighting convention and embracing the freedom given to her with a husband working far away to care for the women in her village. Along the way, we have a murder to solve, land rights to dispute over, the mob to avoid and gorgeous Sicilian men to lust after.
The Dual timeline and POV allow you to follow Sara and Seraphina’s footsteps through altering chapters and a precise sequence of events in each timeline. The further the novel progressed, the more invested I became in the outcome of both women’s stories. Piazza’s writing was descriptive, engaging, and fast-paced. I loved her precise descriptions of Sicily and found the personal connections in the author’s note touching.
I hate to admit it, but the ending did not work for me. After so much build-up, drama, and excellent character development, I was left wanting after the conclusion of the epilogue. Perhaps the author meant to leave some elements up to the reader’s imagination, but I wanted more definitive answers.
Between the messages on womanhood, the Italian setting, and unraveling the twists, this would be a great book to digest and unpack with a group (thank you Megan) Overall, it is definitely worth a read!
Thriller/ Horror
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4.5
Long Bright River transports you to the streets of Philadelphia where sisters Mickey and Kasey grew up and now where they both work. However, their jobs couldn’t be different as Mickey is a cop on patrol, and Kasey an addict making her living selling herself. Moore’s thriller explores the dynamics of sisterhood, living with addiction, and the vulnerability of those who make their living on the streets. This book will haunt you until you finish it, not only to unravel all the plot secrets but also to see how these sisters turned out to be such outwardly different people.
When a killer appears to be targeting women working on the streets remains on the loose, Mickey’s identity as a cop conflicts with her identity as a sister. Despite not speaking to Kacey in years, Mickey feels personally responsible for her well-being and begins a quest to find her missing sister. Throughout the book, we receive flashbacks of Mickey and Kacey growing up. Through these flashbacks, we find the origins of Kacey’s addiction and explore the background to the mystery surrounding Mickey’s solitary lifestyle. At times, I struggled with Mickey and her constant need to be independent however I think this is part of the book’s intent: to keep you wanting to learn more. The ending is satisfying with all the sister’s secrets revealed by the end.
Throughout the novel, we experience heartbreak for both sisters and the undoing of their relationship. I loved the family dynamics and felt the representation of generational addiction was well portrayed. I would recommend this for lovers of intense family dynamics, thrillers, and cop drama.
General Fiction
Latest Book Reviews
4.5
Thank you netgalley, henry holt books and Macmillan Audio for free copy
Can one conversation, one chance encounter in an elevator, change someone’s life? Have you stopped to wonder what happened to a stranger you met in a waiting room or shared a table with at a coffee shop? Did that moment touch them? In her latest novel, Alison Espach explores the power of human connection through the eyes of a woman who feels she has no connections left.
Pheobe Stone travels to Newport, RI, intending to kill herself from an occean point of view. Instead, she finds herself inserted into an over-the-top wedding week, the confidant to the bride, Lila, and befriending the sister and daughter of the groom. Through her interactions with ‘the wedding people’, Phoebe somehow finds herself beginning to enjoy life again. There is so much heartbreak and yet so many optimistic moments along the way.
Dark yet uplifting,𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 is the perfect blend of humor, life’s unpredictability, and what happens when we truly let ourselves be honest. Espach’s writing is engaging, thoughtful, and full of the messiness of life. She takes the seriousness of suicide and several other complex themes and infuses a heartening character study and, quite frankly, a deep insight into the things that truly make life good. (Note: Check content warnings as needed.)
Helen Laser’s narration perfectly captures Pheobe’s emotions, from sorrow to joy, as she reinvents how she presents herself to the world. Through her impressive range, she makes each character sound unique and deepens the reader’s connection to each one. There is a rich tone to her voice that elevates this impressive narrative even higher. I frequently replayed the audio to hear the many insightful quotes. This novel tugs at your brain and your heart.
Through wit, unique bonds, and wonderfully written prose, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 will capture your heart and leave you missing the wedding people long after they have all left Newport. I am so excited for this book to make it out into the world and cannot recommend it enough.