All the noises in my head stop to listen to my heart: FALL FOR HIM.

Fall for Him by Andie Burke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andie Burke's first book FLY WITH ME was such a fun and witty read, so I was so excited to read FALL FOR HIM! FALL even has some ties to FLY, as one of the main characters, Derek, is the best friend of the book's star Olive.

FALL FOR HIM starts off with a literal bang, when IT guru and construction genius Dylan literally falls through the ceiling and lands on his neighbor Derek's bed, thanks to a leaky floor and some shoddy building issues. Derek is horrified, not only because he was almost crushed, but because he hates Dylan, believing Dylan treated his old friend/flame, Jake (Olive's brother) badly. There's a lot of angst related to Jake, as he has since passed away. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything related to Jake, as he has ties to Dylan's older brothers, as well.

Dylan agrees to help fix the ceiling and Derek's water damaged place in return for Derek keeping the damage a secret from Dylan's uncle, who owns where Dylan is staying. This means the two enemies are stuck living together. But the more time they spend together, they realize they may not actually hate each other as much as they thought.

Dylan is such a cute and relatable guy. He has ADHD, which the book explores quite thoughtfully. Derek, a nurse, has a need to save everyone, thanks to having to care for his family after his father's death, which can sometimes be a bit much. But his willingness to stand up for Dylan is adorable. Our duo has some strong chemistry and enjoyable banter.

This story gets a little long thanks to a bit too much miscommunication and a few too many obstacles thrown in, but overall, it's a fun read.

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



View all my reviews

And I need you when the dark gets true: NECESSARY LIES.

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in North Carolina in the 1960s, Chamberlain deftly explores rural poverty and racial discrimination through her characters Ivy and Jane. Ivy is a white teenager living in a shack with her grandmother, her teenage sister, and her young nephew. They work on a tobacco farm alongside a black family that has also tended the land for the same family for generations. Ivy's sister, Mary Ella, gave birth to William when she was 15, and their family is struggling.

Jane, young, naive, and newly married, is new to social work and the welfare system and assigned to Ivy's family's case. She’s shocked to learn that Ivy is scheduled to be sterilized as part of a eugenics project through her agency. Jane soon grows attached to Ivy and her family to the detriment of her marriage and professional life.

NECESSARY LIES highlights the horrible situation poor people or black people faced in the 1950s and 1960s (Chamberlain points out that NC sterilized people until 1975!). Many were given no choice, or not even told what was done to them. Decisions were made in the name of mental incompetence, being feeble minded, epilepsy, and more. Families like Ivy's were at the whim of the state and also those who owned the land they worked.

This story was moving and quite well-done, especially as it delved into Ivy's dreams of a better life than the tobacco farm. As with many of Chamberlain's books, sometimes complex topics are presented a bit simplistically at times and can wrap up easily, but I do enjoy how her books explore and give light to complicated issues.

View all my reviews

The kind of man it feels good to be around: WHAT WE FIND.

What We Find by Robyn Carr
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I picked this up off my shelves as part of a "read my shelves" project, but didn't find it too enthralling. Neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan flees to Colorado and her father's camp/general store after a series of traumatic events and lawsuits upend her personal and professional life. Once there, there's more upheaval, and she finds herself caring for her older father, Sully, who's been running the campsite for years. She meets Cal, who is staying at the camp, and waiting until the weather warms to hike the trails. The two grow close as they help Sully take care of things.

There's nothing wrong with WHAT WE FIND, it's just that nothing really happens. Maggie cares for her father and meets Cal. Repeat. There's no real depth to either Maggie or Cal, making it hard to get attached to either one. Maggie is supposedly facing bankruptcy thanks to issues with malpractice lawsuits and trouble with her medical partners, yet she can escape for months and continue to keep her home in Denver. The middle of the story is bogged down by a tangent related to Maggie's lawsuit.

The scenic descriptions in this one are good, and I enjoyed Maggie's gruff but kind father, but overall, this bland story wasn't a real winner for me.

View all my reviews

She might be priceless but they're blind to it: BY ANY OTHER NAME.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

As an English major, I found myself totally enthralled by BY ANY OTHER NAME, a fascinating story about two women--centuries apart--who are storytellers, yet can only get their voices heard behind a male counterpart.

In the 1580s, we meet Emilia Bassano, a young woman who serves as a courtesan to a Lord many years her elder and later finds herself sold into a loveless and violent marriage. Throughout it all, Emilia perseveres, finding solace in her writing, and eventually selling many of her plays to a man named William Shakespeare.

In the 2020s, we hear from Melina, Emilia's ancestor, also a playwright. She writes a play about Emilia's life, but can only sell it to a festival when she changes her name to "Mel Green" and uses her male friend as a stand-in.

Between Melina and Emilia's stories, we see the power of the written word to effect change. But we also see how much the world prioritizes the male story and voice above all others, instead of recognizing that others in society may want to hear and see their own story reflected in art--or tell their own story. NAME explores who controls the narrative, and how those who control it have the power to be heard.

By telling Emilia's story, Picoult posits a theory of Shakespeare as a collective of writers, including women. Honestly, it's pretty easy to leave the book at the end going "I buy this," but even just reading it as a work of fiction (she explains her sources and the liberties she's taken in some places in comprehensive notes at the end), it's intriguing. Emilia's sections are fascinating, highlighting just how much women endured in the time period, but also how strong they were.

Yes, the book is long, but honestly, once it got going, it flew by for me, especially as I found myself caught up in Emilia's life. The writing is wonderful, the story is tragic but inspiring, and the message about the power of the written word to last after we are gone is stunning. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Ballantine Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews

Wake up one day, you find that everything had turned to dust: ONE PERFECT COUPLE.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Agatha Christie's book AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is one of my all-time favorites, so I was fascinated to see this modern take on it. I wasn't expecting a lot, but this was actually an enjoyable read!

Lyla is upset when her post-doctoral research doesn't pan out, leaving her potentially jobless. That's about the only reason she would consider her actor boyfriend Nico's ridiculous desire to go on a reality show, THE PERFECT COUPLE, where couples compete in various challenges on a far-off island.

To Lyla, the show seems questionable at best, with five couples being sent to a half-constructed island and filmed and watched over by a skeleton crew. They only make it through the first challenge, eliminating one contestant and leaving the remaining members upset, when a storm decimates the island. Suddenly, they've lost contact with the crew, some contestants are dead, others injured, and for the rest: it's a new challenge--survive, for real, or they're all dead.

Locked island mystery doesn't do this book justice; it's incredibly captivating in the way it explores group dynamics and the psyches of people faced with imminent death. This is a quick read that draws you in, both through the exciting narrative; diary snippets that make you question said narrative's validity; and descriptions of radio calls from the island.

COUPLE delves into the power of social media and reality TV and the effects of "car crash TV" on society. It's quite a thriller, with some great twists, but an excellent examination of character as well.

View all my reviews

She starts to dream and then she stops herself: SHAE.

Shae by Mesha Maren
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This story is horrifyingly brutal yet wonderfully written, taking you directly to small town West Virginia. Sixteen-year-old Shae thinks she's found a new friend in Cam, who is a year her senior, when they meet at school. Soon she and Cam are hanging out, listening to music, and parking by the town lake. Suddenly Shae is pregnant, and everything she planned for her life changes. At the same time, Cam starts changing, wearing Shae's clothes and makeup. Shae's birth story goes terribly wrong, requiring an emergency C-section, and the doctors cut her bladder during the procedure. She's given opiates for the pain, and her whole world tilts.

The oxy blurs Shae's frayed edges, helping her cope with being a teenage mother and with the fact that Cam is transitioning. Shae can't confront reality or change, including Cam's transition. She's unable to talk to Cam, her mom, or anyone, really. As Cam transitions, she pulls away from Shae's small life: going to college, making friends, moving away. But Shae, she's stuck in her rural little life, running with the wrong crowd and increasingly hooked on drugs.

Maren illustrates how drug use and addiction can unravel a person's life. She does so starkly and in terrifying detail, introducing us to the cast of small town lowlifes who help keep Shae hooked on drugs and displaying how easy it is for them to find opiates--and eventually what lengths they'll go to keep their supply up. It's horrible that Shae's addiction stems from her teen pregnancy and subsequent botched C-section. She loves her daughter dearly, but she's not enough to get Shae away from the drugs. Neither is Cam.

Cam does not always come across as sympathetic, but she's the foil to Shae: she comes from a background of even greater poverty, with a harder road due to her transition. But Cam works hard to better herself, be authentic, and to give Eva the best care possible. Watching her grow and flourish while Shae regresses only makes the situation more depressing.

This book is difficult to read sometimes because it's so real and so sad. This is a powerful read about young motherhood and the hold addiction carries. 4.5 stars.

View all my reviews

But safe only gets you so far: NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT.

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very, very rarely will I read a book by an author right after reading one of their previous works, but I loved Annabel Monaghan's SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER so much that I read NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT shortly after. It was just as enjoyable, and now I'm addicted!

After her worthless husband leaves, Nora writes a script about their failed marriage. Her script is picked up by Hollywood and famous (and handsome) actor Leo Vance plays her ex-husband, Ben, in the movie version, part of which is being filmed at Nora's house. After filming, Leo asks to stay in town a few extra days (at Nora's house no less) and he and Nora fall in love.

This is such a cute, fun fluffy romance. I love how Monaghan can take a romantic comedy formula (famous actor falls for regular mom, then there's a misunderstanding) and make it engaging and charming. Nora's such a realistic mom of two, beleaguered after years of putting up with her ex, but she's engaging and tough, too. Leo is certainly a spoiled celebrity, but has an endearing side, and he excels at charming the small town, especially when he helps with Nora's son's school play. The jerk, in fact, is Nora's ex, who makes you want to murder him with your bare hands.

This is a fast read, totally breezy and enjoyable, which just makes you smile.

View all my reviews