Editor’s Note: I hope you like the selections we’re sharing here. If you have a book you’d like reviewed or you’d like to write reviews for us (250-350 words please), you can reach us through the contact box on the home page. No guarantees because my TBR stack is always high, but you might have just the story I’m looking for. You’ll never know unless you ask.
- Tom Lake
- By Ann Patchett
- ISBN # : 978-0063327528
- First published August 1, 2023 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Insight, Depth, and Following Your Heart
Summer stock is a great place for actors to hone their craft. But what do you when factors beyond your control, like attraction or a snapped Achilles tendon, or self-doubt alter your path? Do you keep pursuing, medicate your obsessions about success, or find a new path? These are just some of the issues that Ann Patchett explores in Tom Lake: A Novel.
Two threads run through this novel and Ann Patchett makes it easy to figure out where we are in each scene the timeline. In Spring 2020, Emily, Maisie, and Nell Nelson, young women in their twenties are quarantined with their parents on the family’s cherry farm. They ask their mother, Lara, to tell them about the summer she performed Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in summer stock with Peter Duke, who became a famous Hollywood actor. They asked about her crush on him and how their dad, who was also in the play but went to the family farm to help out his parents, fit into the story. TMI for three daughters? Not at all in the narrator’s skillful, mature hands. She knows exactly what to share, and what to leave out, so you’ll learn some details that the daughters don’t.
Tom Lake is a story about the changes in the way a woman experiences love depending on her age and her level of maturity. It’s about the paths we choose and the ones we take because of things beyond our control. It’s about good and bad judgment as well. Ultimately, it’s about finding happiness and seeing the gifts that life gave you, even if you did not recognize them at the time.
In beautifully written prose Ann Patchett explores family dynamics and the sources that create them. Her work is revered because of her writing skills and the insight, depth, and heart in her stories. If you cannot afford a copy, check it out of your local library.
If art imitates life, then the art of Our Town is imitated in the lives of the characters in this story. In turn Ann Patchett’s art will give you perspective on your own life. Highly recommended.
Editor’s Note: I found this on the giveaway cart outside our library’s book store. You never know what treasures a public library or little free library might contain. Check them out and share your gently used books with all kinds of libraries.
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- Shell Games
- Written by Bonnie Kistler
- ISBN #: 978-0063378964
- Harper Paperbacks (November 19, 2024)
Conspiracy, Gaslighting, or Paranoia?
No one should be controlled by another. Not by a mother. Not by a husband. But what does it take to rise above fears and imaginings? To protect a savvy mother whose new husband claims to be responsible for Chicago’s Tylenol murders, a real, unsolved series of deaths in 1982 involving pain pills injected with poison? To figure out who is gaslighting whom? If you like twisty thrillers, you’ll love Bonnie Kistler’s Shell Games. What a perfect title! There are so many shell games that the characters play, trying to protect what is theirs and control those who have more.
Julie, who’s Kate’s daughter and Eric’s wife, tells the story of her glamorous mother’s wedding, followed by a call to the police when her long-lost sweetheart marries her and confesses to an unsolved mass murder on their wedding night. Kate, a real estate mogul, calls the police in hysterics. In the days that follow, she wanders the beach outside her Florida estate while most of Eric’s family wonders if she’s showing signs of dementia. Always the dutiful daughter, Kate stays at her mother’s place, while her husband begs her to come home as soon as she coerces her mom into cognitive tests.
Julie, who loves her mother even though she knows that the woman manipulates everyone, is befuddled, and the only person she can trust is a police officer, Brian, who listens and cares.
So, what’s really going on? Is Kate controlling her daughter from the grave? Did Kate’s new husband and Eric conspire to have her declared incompetent and take her money? The truth, whatever it may be, is hidden under a shell and the author is like a carney worker moving those three shells around and showing us the world as Julie sees it. This psychological thriller is deftly plotted. You’ll root for Julie and be shocked as more and more is revealed. Who is paranoid and what do the men in this book really want?
Bonnie Kestler is a graduate of Bryn Mawr, a former trial lawyer like her main character, and the author of Her Too, The Cage, and House on Fire. If you love digging around in people’s brains and recognize that psychological thrillers are the place to do this, you should read Shell Games and revel in the journey.
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- The Trip
- By Phoebe Morgan
- ISBN #: 978-0063416789
- William Morrow Paperbacks (October 8, 2024)
What Could Go Wrong?
Have you ever been on a trip that turned into a nightmare? Or done a deed that haunted you? If so, you’ll identify with the characters in Phoebe Morgan’s The Trip.
Two couples in their thirties take a trip to beautiful Thailand. What could go wrong? Okay, so the hotel they were to stay at lost their reservations, and Theo lost his Rolex, and a spooky picture was taped to their locker in the hostel they stayed in that first night. It could happen to anybody, right?
When Holly loses her bag and a stranger named Caleb finds it and seeks her out, that removes all the glitches for her. But the foursome can’t get rid of Caleb. He shows up whether they’re having dinner, touring, or going to another island. Why can’t he take a hint and leave them alone? I promise you that there’s an ulterior motive and more than I can say here without revealing the character’s secrets in this carefully plotted story of a vacation gone awry.
Although the first half is a little slow, since the wording on the back cover warns readers of an impending murder, the building sense of dread, frustration, and inexplicable mystery will intrigue you. Characters, plot, setting, and even the drinking contribute to a story told in four points of view moving ever closer to controlling the problem that haunts them. Halfway through I thought I had it figured out, complete with complications, but the author’s complications were much better than mine.
This book is about guilt as well as unscrupulous behavior, jealousy, and money that’s flaunted too freely. If you love watching characters explore both bad behavior and its ramifications, you’ll love The Trip. If you’re a travel buff, you’ll appreciate the temples, food markets, and the details of this excursion to Thailand. If you love circumstances beyond a narrator’s control, you should definitely read this story.
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Author Phoebe Morgan is an award-winning editor as well as a bestselling author whose works have been translated into several languages. She studied English at Leeds University and lives in London. You can learn more about the author at https://phoebemorganauthor.com.
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- We Are Watching
- Written by Alison Gaylin
- ISBN #: 978-0-06-327518-8
- William Morrow, January 2025
The Stalking Is Real
Ever felt like someone was stalking you? Like there are too many coincidences shaping your life? Ever regretted something you wrote as a teenager? Every been obsessed about anything? If so, you don’t want to miss Alison Gaylin’s newest psychological thriller, We Are Watching.
Meg Russo was behind the wheel when her husband Justin was killed in a car accident. It wasn’t her fault. Another car drove them off the road as they were taking their daughter Lily to Ithaca College. In an instant the family was changed forever.
After Meg returns to work at the bookstore she and her husband owned, freaky messages and bizarre visitors threaten Meg, throwing rocks through the window and vandalizing the children’s section with a pyramid of books topped by… Oops! That could be a spoiler alert.
When she was 15 Meg wrote a young adult novel tiled The Prophesy , and a cult-like group is convinced the book promotes Satanism. These conspiracy theorists want revenge on three generations of Meg’s family, making Meg suspect that Justin’s death may have been deliberate and is the tip of an iceberg she’s on. Desperate to find answers and save herself and her father and daughter, she must force the conspiracy theorists to leave her family alone. Join her as she fights and discovers more and more enemies in her community… waiting for revenge and repentance.
One of Gaylin’s skills is telling a psychological suspense story that seems real. Her plot moves swiftly, but it’s the combination of vulnerability and fierce loyalty in her characters that will keep you turning pages. A USA Today and international bestselling author her work has won the Edgar and Shamus awards.
Read about her at https://www.alisongaylin.com/. You might find yourself looking over your shoulder and staying away from the news as you read this startling story. Why? Read the book.
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“And in two months I’ll be thirty,” she muttered to no one in particular, since the shop was empty.
- The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore
- Written by Laurie Gilmore and Reviewed by Karin Cooper
- ISBN #: 978-0-00-864158-0
- Publisher: One More Chapter, August 2024
Secrets of a Highlighted Sentence
Hazel, the bespectacled and introverted manager of the Cinnamon Bun Book Store, finds herself trapped in monotony despite being surrounded by tales of love and adventure. Her routine is disrupted when she notices a crooked book in the romance section. Initially irked by its dog-eared page, she discovers a highlighted sentence: “Come with me, lass, if you want adventure.” This proves to be the first of many secret messages, sparking Hazel’s desire for change. In an uncharacteristic move, she recruits Noah, a handsome and friendly fisherman who frequents her store, to help her follow the clues. And Noah, is more than up for a scavenger hunt because he has a secret too.
Together, this unlikely pair follows cryptic clues around Dream Harbor, seeking adventure before Hazel’s thirtieth birthday. The mystery of the message-leaver adds intrigue to their quest, which unexpectedly evolves into what Hazel believes is a casual fling with Dream Harbor’s most eligible bachelor. Noah joins the hunt not just for adventure, but because he has long had a crush on Hazel, though he fears he’s not accomplished enough for her. As they chase clues and grapple with growing feelings, their undeniable sexual chemistry threatens to transform their relationship into something neither anticipated.
As the summer progresses, Hazel begins to suspect that Noah might be behind the elaborate scavenger hunt, interpreting it as his clever way of courting her. This belief deepens her feelings, transforming what she initially saw as a casual fling into something more meaningful. However, their adventure takes an unexpected turn when the final clue leads them to a surprise party for Hazel’s 30th birthday. The revelation that her fathers and friends orchestrated the entire hunt leaves Hazel feeling hurt, disappointed and humiliated at the implication that her loved ones saw her as boring and incapable of finding her own excitement. In this moment of vulnerability, it’s Noah who sees through her facade behind her forced smile. Noah confesses his long-held love for Hazel. Hazel admits that she too has fallen in love during their summer of adventure.
The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore is Book 2 in Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor Series. A writer who dedicated the book to her readers, thanking them “for coming back to Dream Harbor.” It returns readers to the quirky and charming seaside town of Dream Harbor. The author focuses on Hazel, the bookstore manager, and Noah, a local fisherman, while reacquainting us with familiar and recurring characters from the first book. These characters are set to appear in subsequent books, weaving a continuous thread through the series and deepening the reader’s connection to Dream Harbor’s colorful community. On the All About Romance sensuality scale, which ranges from Kisses to Hot (1 -5), this book is rated #4 as “Hot -explicit sensuality.” Grab a copy today.
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Karin Cooper often reviews for www.writeradvice.com. Her book choices bring variety, to our list and we like what she has to say. We might like your reviews too. Want to give us a try? Pitch us through our Contact Box on the home page. BTW, Ms. Cooper is also one of the winners in one of our Flash Memoir Contests.
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“I can’t be because of me, right? Hannah
- Loathe to Love You
- Edited by Ali Hazelwood and Reviewed by Karin Cooper
- ISBN: 978-0-593-63883-5
- Publisher: Berkley, January 2023
Navigating the Complexities of Love
Loathe to Love You is a collection of three interconnected novellas celebrating the friendship of three brilliant women—Mara, Sadie, and Hannah—who first bonded during their time in graduate school at Cal Tech. Now, with freshly minted Ph.D.s and thriving in their dream careers, each faces a new and unexpected challenge: navigating the complexities of love.
Under One Roof
When environmental engineer Maya inherits half of a historic D.C. townhouse, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot—until she meets her new co-owner. Liam, an arrogant big-oil lawyer, seems determined to drive her out by messing with the thermostat and flashing ever-higher buyout offers.
Stuck with You
When Sadie’s elevator gets stuck between floors, she thinks her day can’t get worse—until she realizes she’s trapped with Eric, the infuriating rival engineer who just swiped her career-making project.
Below Zero
When aerospace engineer Hannah’s plane goes down near her Arctic research station, she figures things can’t get worse—until her only hope for rescue is Ian, the cocky NASA rival she’s spent years trying to avoid. Now, with a deadly storm bearing down and her injuries worsening, she’s forced to trust the last person she ever wanted to see again.
Ali Hazelwood’s second novel follows her New York Times bestseller, The Love Hypothesis. Drawing from her own experiences as a Ph.D. in neuroscience, Hazelwood creates a world she knows intimately. When she’s not writing romance novels, she contributes to academia by publishing peer-reviewed articles.
The stories are entertainingly interwoven as the three friends stay connected through regular Zoom calls. These virtual gatherings provide readers with deeper insights into their unique personalities, shared histories, and the enduring bond that carries them through life’s challenges. On the All About Romance Sensuality Scale, which ranges from “Kisses Only” to “Burning” (1 to 5), this book earns a rating of 4, classified as “Hot – explicit sensuality.” Whether you only have time for novellas or love stories grab and hold you, this book is an excellent choice.
What books are you reading? Do you recommend any of them? Want to review them for us?
Watch for the next review, which is coming soon.