To see my sister laid into the ground: BETH IS DEAD.

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Beth March is dead, and there is no shortage of suspects, including her beloved sisters.

The four March sisters are famous thanks to their father's book, Little Women, which exploited their lives for literary fame. The book also killed off Beth, devastating her and making her both a fan favorite and a joke.

Beth is Dead excels at weaving in the original themes of Alcott's tale with a refreshed, rather graphic story. It plays on the tropes and stereotypes, accentuating certain traits of each sister. Meg is at Harvard, Jo is trying to hang on to a publishing deal, Beth is exploring boarding school for musical study, and Amy is reeling from a fight with Beth the night she died.

The problem is that the book goes too far, taking these character traits off the rails and eventually turning everyone into caricatures. The plot gives off whiplash, veering from one suspect to the next every chapter, without taking the time to fully the develop the characters, or allowing us time to care about any of them.

The book depicts what happened to Beth via flashbacks as the sisters conduct their (wild, uninformed, emotional) investigations. There are definitely moments that I loved, but overall this wasn't my favorite. 2.75 stars.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in return for an unbiased review.

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The windows of my soul are made of one way glass: LOVE ME LIKE A ROCK SONG.

Love Me Like a Rock Song: A Novel by Shelly Jay Shore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Shelly Jay Shore's writing and how they always come up with original stories that expertly portray queer Jewish identity.


Singer-songwriter Delilah has just had her wedding called off by her fiancée, Sam. Complicating things is the fact that she and Sam work together as a well-known musical duo. About to record her own solo album (filled with love songs about Sam), Delilah decides to take their planned honeymoon solo and use the time to write a whole new record. As she begins, she picks up a hitchhiker: Emmett. But Emmett just happens to be a golem, a creature from Jewish folklore made out of clay and designed to serve their master. Emmett's master is now dead and they have been ordered to return to their origins (aka disappear).


It sounds wild but Shelly Jay Shore has the ability to make the mystical both believable and fun. The more time Delilah and Emmett spend together, the closer they become. The story explores Delilah's history of mania, deftly looking into how mental illness can affect relationships (and life).


This is such a wonderfully queer story--with many of their road trip stops, the duo explore queer landmarks, meet other queer people, and immerse themselves in queer stories. As they do, Emmett comes to learn more about themself, unearthing an identity hidden by years of serving a harsh master.


Shelly Jay Shore gives us a captivating and complex queer story that explores Jewish identify and folklore, the concept of places as memory, and the importance of self-acceptance. Delilah and Emmett are not your typical couple, but this book benefits from its original storytelling that still captures humanity at its heart.


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

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Love is the rhythm of two hearts beating: LOST AND FOUND.

Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the Spunes, OR series; the novels are interconnected but can be read on their own. You'll apparently know a bit more about Silas if you read them all but I survived (I have read book #1, but don't remember it well).

Honestly, the subject matter of this book is a little weird. Bea's best friend, Merritt, passes away and wills her eggs to Bea. (Truly.) A horribly grieving Bea decides to use IVF to get pregnant using Merritt's eggs. Her own family disapproves and Bea has to rent her place out to save money for the IVF. She winds up living with Silas, a longtime friend. A handsome firefighter who has survived a terrible accident, Silas is going through his own "stuff." The two agree to be friends only, but while living together... it's hard to keep to that pact.

This story has a ton of emotional depth and sooo much focus on grief. It is not a lighthearted romance in any shape or form. Bea and Silas are certainly cute together, but they are, in many ways, not the focus of the story. Through flashbacks we learn about Merritt and Bea's childhood friendship, which, honestly is quite toxic. Not only does Merritt seem to expect Bea to bear her child, she spent most of her living life keeping Bea and Silas apart, as Merritt had a crush on him and if she couldn't have him, neither could Bea. But in Bea's eyes, Merritt can do no wrong.

All of this makes it hard to connect to Bea and root for her. Silas is sweetheart and you love him pretty quickly, but hate that he's been strung along all this time. This is a very touching romance but not always an easy story to read. 3.5 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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When this world feels crazy I'll always fight for you: WHERE HE LEFT ME.

Where He Left Me: A Novel by Nicole Baart
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this tense read down!

Sadie, a professor and aspiring writer, and her husband, Felix, an astronomer, move to his childhood home--a dilapidated place in the middle of nowhere, as part of their sabbatical. The house is old, filled with memories of Felix's unhappy childhood, and isolated. When Felix doesn't return home from a business trip, Sadie has no idea what to do, especially as a major storm looms. Then she spots weird images on the security cameras and soon, strangers show up in her greenhouse.

As the storm intensifies, Sadie must try to survive--and find Felix. Doing so unearths some secrets about her husband that she may not want to know.

This is such a well-written story that's part mystery, part character-driven tale. It's incredibly claustrophobic, with the snow sealing Sadie in her home. Both she and the reader feel trapped and slightly terrified. The tension ratchets up at the book goes on, with secrets and surprises piling on. Yet this story is touching at times, with emotion at its core.

I really enjoyed this creepy and suspenseful yet fascinating thriller.

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

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You don't even know who I am: THE PERFECT HOSTS.

The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you want a wild ride of a thriller, THE PERFECT HOSTS fits the bill.

It starts off with an explosion at an over-the-top gender reveal and just keeps going.

Madeline and Wes Drake run Lone Tree Ranch. Their gender reveal party goes terribly wrong, resulting in the death of a close friend.

Agent Jamie Saldano is sent to the tiny town of Nightjar to investigate--but Jamie has his own mysterious ties to Nightjar. Add in a couple of surprise visitors to Lone Tree Ranch, and you have the perfect recipe for a crazy mystery.

Go in blind to this one -- sure, it's a little preposterous at times, but it's also twisty, maniacal, and fun!

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

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I don't mind not really knowing when it's me and you: ALICE RUE EVADES THE TRUTH.

Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zipps
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So While You Were Sleeping is perhaps my favorite movie of all time. A sapphic homage to the movie definitely piqued my interest.

The beginning definitely echoes the film. Alice saves the life of a man in her office building whom she's been lusting after from afar. The EMTs then tell his family that she's his girlfriend and Alice finds herself unable to tell the truth. Saving Nolan's life is winning her points with her hateful boss, but more importantly, long orphaned Alice finds herself swept up in the warmth of Nolan's boisterous, loving family.

She's soon spending a lot of time with Nolan's butch sister, Van--and Alice, who identifies as bisexual--is quickly drawn to her. There's forced cuddling on the couch and long chats in the car, but it does seem like the two bond a bit quickly. Alice also has a side plot with the reintroduction of a long lost family member and her children.

This story is cute and even funny, but often dark. Alice's backstory is sad, and there's an emotional depth to her feelings for Van. There's nothing wrong with this--just be prepared that it's not always a chipper romcom. It's surprising that this is a debut--it's nuanced and complex, with much depth of feeling.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback in return for an unbiased review.

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And maybe she'll be your karma: DESTINATION FUNERAL.

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Didion and Sammie's mother, Babe, passes away on Mercy Island, at the family's beloved home, Birdsong. Didion has been mostly estranged from her mother and sister for some time, but she returns home for the funeral. There she also finds her childhood friends, Austin and Matt.

It is soon revealed that Babe's will stipulates that the foursome will have to spend the funeral weekend together at Birdsong -- no phones allowed -- if they want to inherit the house. Didion can't think of anything worse, but she reluctantly agrees. They spend a painful, resentful Saturday together, only to wake up and discover... it's still Saturday! Again and again.

The Groundhog Day aspect is cute and whimsical; much of the story itself is not. Didion is such an unlikable character that you find yourself having very little desire to spend one Saturday with her, let alone infinite ones. She carries a grudge against everyone--some of her anger against her late mother, who was rather tough on her, was justified, but still. This girl is angry and mean. Said anger extends to her sister, her friend Matt, and her once boyfriend, Austin.

Since most of the plot involves these characters stuck at Birdsong, rehashing old gripes, it gets a bit stale. We do get flashbacks to beachy summers past--some happier, some not--giving us a chance to learn a bit more about our characters. And yes, again, there's a reason for some of the bitterness. But while the story can have its light and funny moments, I often found this more of a rant rather than an enjoyable, magical tale.

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

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