Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Now the quietest noise I'm told, is the sound of letting go: NORTHWOODS.

NorthwoodsNorthwoods by Amy Pease
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An oft depressing but intriguing debut novel!

Eli North was an investigative officer in the elite U.S. Forestry Service, but everything changed after his time in Afghanistan. He returns home to the small Midwestern town of Shaky Lake to see his marriage crumble and the only job he can keep is the one offered by his Mom at the local sheriff's department. Just alcohol brings Eli solace and comfort. When he finds the body of a boy in a boat, the trauma only deepens Eli's pain, even as he works to find the murderer and locate a missing teenage girl, whose disappearance they believe is related.

NORTHWOODS is sad, emotional story that focuses just as much on how war affects those who make it home and its far ranging effects on their family and friends as it does on Ben's murder and Caitlin's disappearance. Eli is a very complex individual, where you find yourself simultaneously sympathetic and frustrated with him. How is it possible for one man to make so many bad decisions or consume so much alcohol? Yet what he's endured is unimaginable, and Pease does a wonderful job of showing how much he's been through. His relationship with his mother Marge, the town's Sheriff, is especially well-done.

This is a character-driven story, which doesn't move quickly, so do not expect a fast-moving thriller. The investigation takes a backseat to character exploration and then wraps up quickly (while leaving a few loose ends, it seemed) at the end of the book. I saw a few plot pieces coming a mile away and needed a few details to back everything up. There's so much happening and sometimes I wish the story focused on one area more in-depth.

Still, I listened to part of this on audiobook and was so moved that I found myself in tears at parts of the story, so that bumps my rating up. What it lacks in investigative detail, it makes up for in emotional depth. This is a very intense and timely look at opiate addiction, as well as the effects of violence and war, which will tear at your heartstrings.

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Monday, March 25, 2024

And love wounds with such simplicity: REGRETTING YOU.

Regretting YouRegretting You by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Quick read with lots of drama!

Getting pregnant as a teen wasn't part of Morgan's plans. But it brought her her beloved daughter Clara, now 16. Morgan made things work with Clara's dad, Chris, and they have a good life. But Morgan and Clara's lives are upended after a tragic accident involving Chris changes everything.

This is a quick read, somewhat cheesy, but addictive. Morgan marries young after getting pregnant and always dreams about what could have been. As a teen, she was close with her husband's best friend, Jonah, who reappears in their lives after he gets her sister, Jenny, pregnant. There's plenty of drama, compounded by her daughter, Clara, now a teen herself, falling for her own boyfriend, Miller. Luckily this is actually a pretty cute relationship and practically could have been its own book.

Plenty of silly things happen, but many sad moments occur too. There's lots of tension and excitement as well, much of it overly so, causing some eye rolling, especially as it occurs without proof. Is there a lot of character development? No. But it's still somewhat easy to get caught up in the characters and their stories. The ending is cute, even if it wraps up very easily.


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Friday, March 22, 2024

That song that's in my soul is why I left: AT HER SERVICE.

At Her Service (Out in Hollywood, #2)At Her Service by Amy Spalding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Charming sapphic romance!

When I requested this incredibly fun queer romance, I did not realize this book was the second in a series. Luckily, it can certainly stand alone, but I loved it so much, I'll be reading book #1 soon now. Because it's me, of course, I had book# 1 already sitting on my shelves. My house is basically the equivalent of a small library now...

AT HER SERVICE is so charming, featuring a wonderfully relatable main character. Max moves to LA from Kentucky with a dream of a new life, where she climbs the corporate ladder and discovers the love of her life. Instead, she finds herself the assistant to a Hollywood talent agent, stuck in the thankless job with no plan to move up. And don't even get her started on love, where she can do nothing but scroll dating apps and suffer through a series of hapless first dates.

When her (gorgeous, popular, queer) influencer roommate Chelsey suggests Max be the face of Chelsey's latest promotion, a self-actualization app called You Point Oh, Max reluctantly agrees. Suddenly she's receiving career counseling, joining queer kickball leagues, and making the big move with Sadie, the hot bartender she's had a crush on for ages. But when Chelsey crosses line with how much of Max's life she shares with her followers, all of Max's forward progress threatens to tumble. She has to take what she's learned and truly apply it, especially if she wants to keep Sadie.

This is such a "lesbian in your 20s book," and I mean that with the highest praise. Max is so relatable with her fears; thoughts that she is waiting around for life to start; and anxieties about being unable to stand up for herself. Only the most self-assured among us (aka not me) will be unable to find some kernel of truth in Max's story. As she pines for Sadie, you cannot help but desperately want the two to get together, longing to jump into the pages and push the pair closer. Sadie, of course, has her own baggage, worrying she's not good enough for Max, and struggling to realize her dream of buying her uncle's bar.

This is an engaging romance that blossoms without tossing in a bunch of contrived problems for our protagonists to solve. Sure, they face plenty of issues, but for the most part they seem realistic. It makes excellent points about the importance of queer spaces, friendship, and community. The romance is sparkling and winning. In fact, AT HER SERVICE is a winner. 4.5 stars.

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

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Wednesday, March 20, 2024

She got eyes that cut you like a knife: THE GIRL WITH STARS IN HER EYES.

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes (The Lillys, #1)The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An all too realistic story of a female rock band

The idea of an all-female rock band is great, and Xio Axelrod uses personal experience to infuse the story with lots of realistic tidbits and facts about the music scene. Unfortunately, the characters don't have that same realism and ability to resonate. Growing up, Toni Bennette (yeah, yeah, she's heard it all) had one love: music. But her best friend Seb Quick was a pretty close second, even if she kept her romantic feelings hidden. When Seb disappeared when they were both teens, it broke Toni's heart. She thought she moved on until Seb shows up again in Toni's life. Toni's on the verge of her big break, but she's not sure she wants it if Seb is involved.

I found this story to be good but not remarkable. The tale of The Lillys--the female rock band that Toni could potentially join--is an interesting one. Axelrod's in-depth exploration of the music industry is certainly accurate (it seemed) but sometimes too much. STARS often feels long and repetitive. It's hard to love the rekindled romance between Seb and Toni if you do not feel the strength of their original childhood connection or forgive Seb as easily as Toni does. The inability to quickly connect to those two made the book feel longer and less plausible.

Toni is so strong that it seems as if she could solve her own problems and have her own dreams. I easily tired of many manufactured dramas that could be quickly solved (just hire security, etc.). What's funny is that I was intrigued by each band member's story and wanted more. There was just a lot of drama and too much repetition to delve into what I truly wanted from the story.

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Monday, March 11, 2024

You are silver lining with bad timing: STONE COLD HEART.

Stone Cold Heart (Cat Kinsella, #2)Stone Cold Heart by Caz Frear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Detective Constable Cat Kinsella works for the London Metropolitan Police but her work life hides a darker past with her family, covering up secrets and transgressions. Cat sees a lot of secrets at work too, especially when she and her partner Luigi Parnell investigate the death of a young Australian woman, Naomi, who is found murdered after attending a party at her boss Kate's home. The clearest suspect is Kate's brother-in-law, Joseph, who claims he was with his wife, Rachel, but Rachel refutes that claim. As Cat digs into the mess surrounding Kate, Joseph, and Rachel, she discovers deep tensions and lies.

This is a strong follow-up to the first book in Cat's series. Cat is a nuanced and complex character with her fair share of flaws, but she's also a great detective with excellent insight into people and their motives. This book will stand alone, but you will have much better insight into Cat's past, especially her history with her father, if you read the first.

The mystery surrounding Naomi's death is well-written, presented as a bit of a mind game to both the detectives and the reader. There are lots of twists and surprises and plenty to guess about as the book goes on. Just when I was convinced I had things figured out, Frear threw me for a new loop. The plot can feel a little long and overly-complicated at times, especially with Cat's family drama thrown in, but overall, this is a tightly written and enjoyable thriller. 4 stars.


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Friday, March 08, 2024

Once I thought that love was something I could never do: HOW YOU GET THE GIRL.

How You Get the Girl (Nashville Love Book 3)How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A queer romance with a basketball theme, be still my beating heart!

I am such a sucker for sports romances, and Kelly writes a great queer one about women's basketball, my favorite of all sports. Julie Parker coaches high school basketball, but isn't prepared when the team's newest addition, Vanessa, is picked up by her foster parent, Elle Cochran. Elle just happens to be one of the most famous college basketball players in their state of Tennessee, but hasn't been seen since she left the WNBA six years ago. Julie worshiped Elle growing up and feels completely awkward around her hero. Elle, meanwhile, is trying to adjust to be a foster parent to Vanessa, her niece.

This is such a fun read! I love that a queer basketball romance for adults exists. There are so many good sports tidbits here and the joy of Julie's team discovering themselves on the court. We get references and mentions of Elle's life at UT and in the WNBA... I just love all of this stuff, so I was in seventh heaven.

Of course, at its heart, this is a romance. Julie, we learn, is figuring out who she is and how she relates to others romantically and sexually. Does she believe in labels and do they even apply to her? More practically, does she want to be in a relationship, especially one with Elle? Elle is bringing up feelings Julie hasn't felt in a long time, maybe ever. And Elle herself is attracted to Julie, but finding it hard to come out of the safe cocoon she's made for herself. Kelly allows the characters to be raw and vulnerable, especially as they explore Elle's mental health struggles and Julie's fears and worries about her sexuality.

Elle volunteers to "fake date" Julie to help her learn about relationships and see if it's something she would like. The result is a slow burn romance with funny banter, excellent chemistry, and lots of exploration. The two women are often serious as they explore love, foster parenthood, and queer labels, but the story is really hilarious too. When Julie's cat Snoozles gets sick, for instance--a moment that should seem dire winds up being so amusing.

There are a few times where Julie pontificates a bit much for my taste and the book feels long. This is also the third book in a series. While it's one of those interconnected series where each book stands alone, there are a lot of references to the characters in the previous two books and it sometimes feels as if you're missing out on inside jokes by not reading the earlier books. Overall, though, this is an excellent story that explores queer romance through the prism of basketball and much more.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in return for an unbiased review.

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Wednesday, March 06, 2024

I'm the center of attention in the walls inside my head: MY DARLING GIRL.

My Darling GirlMy Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "possessed by a demon"

Alison had a horrible childhood, growing up with an abusive, alcoholic mother, Mavis, who made her life miserable. She survived, going on to marry her cheerful husband, Mark, with whom she has two children, teenage Izzy and young Olivia. When Mavis' assistant reaches out with the news that Mavis is dying of cancer and wants to spend her final days with family, Alison is torn. She finally agrees, dreaming of closure with her mother. But when strange things start happening, Alison is convinced her mom is the cause.

This was such an eerie book! Even better, it's set around the Christmas holidays, making all the terrifying events even more awful against the backdrop of holiday pageants and movies and cookies. Alison is clearly (justifiably) traumatized by her childhood, leaving us to wonder if her suspicions toward her mother are true, or just paranoia. These feelings of paranoia weave across the story as weirder and creepier incidents occur once Mavis arrives at Alison's house. Alison begins to suspect her mother is not who she seems, going so far to wonder if she's possessed by a demon.

The plot sounds far fetched, but works surprisingly well. McMahon, as always, creates expert creepy, crackling tension. It's easy to fly through the pages of this one. The cast of characters is limited, but intriguing, and there's the dynamic of wondering whether Alison remembers her childhood correctly and then what exactly is happening with Mavis. The result is a terrifying, spooky read that also explores the issues of motherhood and family. 4 stars.

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