See a pearl form a diamond in the rough: THE STAND-IN.

The Stand-In by Lily Chu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute romance about a regular girl falling for a famous guy.

This is one of my favorite tropes, so I was really excited to read this book. After getting fired, Gracie Reed reluctantly agrees to serve as a stand-in for famous Chinese actress, Wei Fangli, who needs someone to appear as her at various engagements. And, with some primping, Gracie is a ringer for Fangli. The only issue is that she'll be babysat by Fangli's best friend, the handsome but annoying actor Sam Yao. Gracie needs the money Fangli promises to help her mom, who has Alzheimer's, and requires expensive care.

What follows is a fun, sometimes convoluted story, as timid Gracie attempts to come into her own while impersonating Fangli and slowly falling for Sam. THE STAND-IN deals with a lot of topics--sometimes well, sometimes a little rushed. But there's also movie premieres and romantic gestures!

Gracie is a sweet character, and the book does a wonderful job of exploring her biracial identity, and how she often feels less for being half Chinese and not knowing which world she fits in. Gracie grows as she tries to stand up for herself, finding she almost enjoys being in the spotlight, but her constant vacillation about the morality of the scheme can be a bit much.

Sam and Gracie's chemistry is a tough one. Gracie is immediately drawn to Sam's handsomeness. While they do eventually spend some time talking, it never truly feels like the two have a deeper connection. Considering that Sam dislikes being thought of as just a pretty face, it's frustrating to not see more here--more banter, more chemistry, more tension.

The book focuses on mental health issues (panic attacks, depression), sexual harassment, and Alzheimer's, as well as the personas stars must put forth to the public. Gracie's love for her mom is palatable, and Chu deftly highlights how hard it is to have a parent with dementia. At times, the whole "stars have problems like us" angle is pushed a little too hard. There's also an entire side plot revolving around Gracie creating a productivity app; it did not seem necessary, but I enjoyed that she had her own thing.

Overall, even with some issues, this story makes you smile. It's cute and shows the strong influence of family, whether good or bad. 3.5 stars.

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I struggle to find any truth in your lies: SCORCHED GRACE.

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mixed feelings on this one.

Always glad to see a queer protagonist, and I love the idea of a smoking, cursing nun who solves mysteries. Unfortunately, the concept feels forced and overdone at times, as if the author is trying too hard.

Sister Holiday, our tattooed, lesbian, former band member protagonist, joins the only "progressive" convent that will take her after a series of horrible life events. Because of this acceptance, she feels extra protective of Saint Sebastian's School and her order, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood, particularly their Mother Superior (and principal), Sister Augustine.

When there's a fire at the school--clearly arson--which kills the janitor, Sister Holiday is upset, even though she's lauded for rescuing two students in the fire. For some reason (it's never fully explained why), she deems herself an "amateur sleuth," but this mostly seems to translate into her nosing around where she shouldn't (hiding evidence) and pontificating about various things. We're supposed to believe that because nuns have less access to digital devices and material items, Sister Holiday is more attuned to notice things and hence detect clues? It's odd.

SCORCHED GRACE is filled with lovely prose and lyrical descriptions. Its portrayal of New Orleans brings the smoldering summer heat and lingering fire to life. But, often, it's too much. Again, it feels overdone at times. Even the smoking/cursing/gay nun trope gets overworked from time to time. All of this would be fine if the mystery was not so obvious--the culprit is telegraphed from the beginning, making the "big reveal" seem anything but.

Still, there's a lot of potential in Sister Holiday, and we're introduced to a troubled fire investigator who looks like she may appear in the second book. There's enough to like that I will likely try book #2 (it's already on my bookshelves, of course, since I seem to run my own personal home library).

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I'm just trying to find out exactly who I am: DIRTY DIANA.

Dirty Diana by Jen Besser
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Whew, lots to unpack here.

This is definitely a NSFW book, and if you do not want to read graphic depictions of sex, you will not enjoy DIRTY DIANA.

However, DIANA is more than its various descriptions of sex, which come through flashbacks, fantasies, artistic discussions, and more. This is a heart wrenching book in many ways, an unflinching and emotional look at growing up, marriage, and how hard it all can be.

We see Diana in various phases of her life. She's in Dallas, TX, with her husband Oliver and young daughter, Emmy, but her marriage is falling apart (often graphically) and she's alone and scared. Other parts show a younger, Diana, maybe still scared, but also filled with passion for her art. She's in New Mexico, a struggling artist, and falling in love with a photographer who may or may not feel the same for her.

No matter where we find Diana, she's raw, real, and honest--presenting an open look at her life, including her sexuality. At times her story is hard to read, it's almost too real (and sexual), but the emotion is well-done. It's a lot to take in sometimes, but a different sort of read that pulled me in. The plot ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it looks like there will be more books, and I'd be intrigued to see where Diana's journey takes her next. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House/Dial Press in return for an unbiased review.

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Time stands in a duel: THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM.

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a beautifully written story about love and loss, all wrapped in the layers of a mystery.

Nora and her somewhat estranged half brother Sam do not believe that their father Liam's death--a fall over a cliff--was an accident. Nora reluctantly joins with Sam to investigate and in the process, learns a great deal about Sam, about herself, and about her father.

Liam was a wealthy man, with three ex-wives, and Sam and Nora have much to untangle about their father's life. There are a variety of twists and surprising turns about Liam's life (and death), but also a plethora of emotional moments as we watch Sam reckon with his father's death and his own life choices. Nora, meanwhile, grapples with her flailing relationship with her fiance, Jack, seeing it within the prism of the loss of both her father and mother.

While present-day chapters focus on Nora and Sam's quest to find out what happened to their father, other chapters describe Liam's love story with a mystery woman, showing a surprising depth and emotion not expected of this meticulous, rich man who seemingly discarded so many wives. In fact, much of this book is tender and thoughtful, including Sam and Nora's slowly renewed sibling relationship.

This is a lyrical story about family and grief, yet it remains captivating as we unravel the events surrounding Liam's fall. 4+ stars.

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And I've got my side of the story and he's got his side too: THE CO-OP.

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wow, the people in this book were very angry!

I'm all for enemies to lovers, but, geez, LaRynn and Deacon had so much anger and resentment they nearly sucked all the fun from this story. Teenage lovers turned enemies, LaRynn and Deacon are thrust together again when their grandmothers (who were married to one another) pass away and leave their house to the pair. It's fallen into some disrepair, and they must fix it up if they want to sell it. Thanks to their teenage romance falling apart, along with plenty of other childhood baggage, LaRynn and Deacon bring lots of anger, tension, and general hatred to the renovation.

At first, I had no real interest in the two getting back together thanks to their vitriol--it didn't even seem like it would be possible, honestly. The story does get better with time, as they cool down and get used to one another again. However, there's nothing like mixing passionate, angry love with the highs and lows of home renovation drama. And there's certainly a lot of fierce love and sexual tension here--and spice, too! (So much spice.)

I have to admit I found their (romantic) relationship a little weird since their grandmothers were married, even if it happened when they were in their teens. But I did love the lesbian grandma angle-so cute.

The story is told mainly in present day between LaRynn and Deacon, but we do flash back to the past, so we can see what tore the two of them apart. It's a little more anti-climatic than it's all made out to be. There are so many feelings and pent-up emotions from these teenage years, which manifest into a lot of passion as adults. However, you can't help but think that a little communication--either then, or now--would have made all of this easier (and a lot less dramatic).

LaRynn and Deacon wind up getting married so LaRynn can access her trust fund, allowing them to pay for some renovations for the house. The whole "fake marriage" concept gets very glossed over, with no one seeming to really care about being deceived. There's also a lack of closure with some business ideas of LaRynn's, too. There's a great epilogue, but I wish it had tied up the threads of the plot more.

This is a very passionate story, with two strong-willed main characters, a fun beachy setting, and lots of drama. It's all a bit much at times, but it's a cute romance overall. 3+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.

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What would you say to me if we met one day: PERFECT FIT.

Perfect Fit: A Novel by Clare Gilmore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While these characters were only in their upper 20s, I like Clare Gilmore books because they feel like grown up romances, with a focus on business settings and (sort of) the real world (more on that later).

It also features a great quote:

"I sometimes wonder how much of myself I let Corporate America take. How much I could take back if I stopped participating."

(If you work in Corporate America, that hits hard.)

Josie has been running her clothing business, Revenant, since college. She's now the CEO, and her business comes first, above everything. Will runs into Josie--literally, his bike hits her car--the two haven't seen each other since an ill-fated kiss in high school that ruined Josie's relationship with her best friend, Zoe, who happens to be Will's twin sister.

But, as Will discovers that Josie is on the search for a consultant for Revenant, he figures out a way to get the job, and the two wind up spending plenty of time together, even if he is based in NYC and Revenant is in Austin, TX.

Will and Josie ooze chemistry from the beginning, even if they refuse to act on it at first. It's almost as if that kiss was yesterday and not 10 years ago. Josie is a poster child for guilt and anxiety. After the incident with Will, she faced a lot of social media backlash, so she avoids it, taking each angry comment or negative news article personally. She wants to be all things to all people. Will, meanwhile, feels he breaks what he touches, particularly relationships.

The Austin vibes in this book are extra strong, and the diverse cast of characters is great, especially Josie's BFF/co-worker and her "Biker Gang" pals. Will seems like the perfect guy with basically no flaws, so you can't help but want him and Josie to get together.

My only issue here was that while I loved the business angle, as the story progressed, eventually it felt a bit like a fantasy world, with two folks in their late 20s with plenty of money and the ability to take leave from work, follow their dreams, etc. Not exactly typical of most mid-20s experiences anymore.

Still, this was a fun and different read, exploring the fashion industry and the trials of anxiety. It had some very smart commentary on the power of social media and the ability to go viral--for both good or bad. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.

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If I could go back in time, I would in a second: THE SWEENEY SISTERS.

The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Exploring the DNA surprise genre through literary fiction, THE SWEENEY SISTERS is an interesting and dynamic read.

The three redheaded Sweeney sisters find their lives upended when their famous writer father, Bill, dies unexpectedly. Tricia and Maggie return home to Connecticut to join Liza, go through their father's belongings, and deal with his estate. They also get the surprise of their lives when they learn that their father has left part of said estate to a fourth Sweeney sister, Serena Tucker, the girls' next door neighbor, who recently learned about Bill via a DNA test.

The race is on: to find Bill's unpublished memoir; to discover what Serena's presence will mean for Bill's legacy; and for the original Sweeney sisters to learn more about their new sister.

While the slightly misogynistic author father trope and the surprise DNA discovery trope are both fairly done, this book still feels fresh. Dolan has a witty, easy way with words, and each sister springs forth from the pages, unique and memorable.

Each sister has formed their life around Bill Sweeney, but, in fact, they may indeed be the own stars of their lives. Liza works through marriage issues; Maggie finds her place in the world; and Tricia may just find love. And Serena grapples with her new discovery, balancing her old family with the drama of the Sweeney sisters.

I quite enjoyed this book, which explores the bonds between sisters, the strength of family, and how family shapes us into who we are.

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