Every sweet memory I can recall she got it all: THE SHIPPERS.

The Shippers by Katherine Center
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute story, mainly set on a cruise ship, as JoJo tries to ensnare her childhood crush Finn with the help of her childhood BFF Cooper. Wait, what if the right guy for her was Cooper all along? 🙄 Lots of hijinks and adventures follow.

I would have loved this a lot more if JoJo had any common sense (she’s a mathematician after all!) or the ability to communicate ever. She was incredibly self-centered and completely oblivious not only to Cooper's devotion, but really to life around her. The amount of insane ideas this woman clings to in the name of love -- ugh! Meanwhile, there's poor Cooper, the sweetest guy in the world, revealing childhood trauma and caring for her at every turn, just to be basically ignored.

There was so much miscommunication here -- you wanted to shake JoJo and tell her to just grow up! I did enjoy the cruise ship setting, probably because I'm going on my first cruise in a few months and I'm curious. Overall this is cute and readable, but a bit frustrating.

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

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All the ugly things will come back around: WHERE THERE'S SMOKE.

Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams


Newly divorced, Dolores Hawthorne has returned to Wisconsin from California, becoming a local medical examiner. She's living closer to what's left of her family and adjusting to her new life. She's called to the scene of the local slaughterhouse, Marcy's Meats, when a worker finds a body (yuck). Soon, the case has gotten big and FBI Agent Paul Turner is back, along with newly recruited Kate Butcher.

This is an excellent follow-up to what was an excellent first book in the Coldren County series. Dolores is a wonderful, complex, and nuanced character, still struggling with getting to know her brother and teenage sister. Once a forensic pathologist, she's pretty bored as a medical examiner in a small town--until someone's dropped in with the pigs.

Sound gruesome? These books aren't for the faint of heart. They are grim and gross and full of plenty of details about the slaughterhouse, autopsies, death, and so much more.

But they are so worth it. Adams weaves a dark and horrifying story, linking together the slaughterhouse and the local prison along with local secrets and a whole lotta small town lies. As she does, she delves into the ties that bind siblings and family, along with the power of men--and exactly how much they can get away with.

I highly recommend this series!

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


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Like a whisper inside me each and every day: THE ME I USED TO BE.

The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a lovely story of friendship and loss.

Audrey, Micah, Jasmine, and Beck were known as the Core Four; they grew up incredibly close. They spent their high school years together, with much of their time at Audrey's farm, where they were deeply loved and mothered by her mom, Dr. Kate. But right after graduation, a horrible accident tears the Core Four apart. Now it's their 25-year high school reunion and Audrey has asked her friends to come back together at the farm one last time. She has something to tell them--she has early onset dementia and intends to end her life before it worsens.

The story flashes between the group's adventures and times in high school and their present-day lives. We see how none of them are as happy as they felt in their Core Four days. It's easy to get lost in their lives and Higgins depicts their emotions and worries incredibly well. Each woman has a lot to deal with, honestly! There's a wonderful side plot with Audrey and her stepdaughter that especially tugged at my heartstrings.

This isn't always an easy story to read, but it's a great exploration of friendship, forgiveness, and grief.

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



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Should have seen the warnings signs: THE DYING LIGHT.

The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves


I adore the Matthew Venn / Two Rivers series for many reasons. One is the fact that Ann Cleeves excels at writing characters, writing people. She delves into the why: what makes people tick and work. Her books may not always be driven by constant action, but you keep reading as each page reveals more about our characters and what and why led them to be killed (or to kill).

And, Matthew Venn is one of my favorite detectives. I love his steady nature that also comes with a quiet, lingering insecurity, making him relatable and human. I love that he's not all ego and brash anger, like so many crime solvers, but intelligence and thoughtfulness. And I love the relationship between him and his husband Jonathan, which is portrayed honestly and lovingly.

This is an excellent mystery, which kept me guessing the entire time. We get a multi-POV story, including Matthew, his colleague Jen, and Catherine, a wealthy woman who has just lost her teenage daughter, Hannah, to an apparent murder. Both Hannah and her friend Lottie are found dead at the family's country home, and it's up to Matthew and team to determine why--with added pressure as Hannah's father is high up in politics.

There's a small cast of characters, and each is well-drawn, often with a potential motive. Cleeves does a good job of playing up the small-town versus big city rift and how it's affected locals in Devon. As with every Venn tale, there's so much more going on than "just the mystery," making it a complex, nuanced tale that will keep you flipping the pages. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in return for an unbiased review. Look for the U.S. version in September 2026!


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Deep in my heart you’d been hiding out: TRUST FALL.

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book gives off Gossip Girl vibes, if GG had a bit more heart.

Julia lives a content life in Nebraska with her twin brother and parents. Then a mysterious benefactor leaves their fortune to her family, with a few strings attached: including the fact that they must move to NYC, live in his brownstone, and Julia and her brother must attend a posh private school there.

She meets Damion, a wealthy kid with a bit of an attitude. In part because Julia's benefactor was his beloved uncle, who did not leave Damion or his entitled parents anything. Damion vows to find out what happened and becomes Julia's math tutor.

This one took a bit to get its footing; for a bit, it swung a little too far with the whole "Damion is a misogynistic jerk" bit, making it a little hard to root for him, while keeping Julia as a complete doormat who is too scared to trust/love again after a breakup. When the story pushes out of those tropes and lets us get to know our main characters a bit better, it picks up.

Damion and Julia definitely have chemistry, helped along by some excellent slow burn banter. Meanwhile, I'm reading and feeling terrified of how mature these wealthy high school kids are, out partying, drinking, and attending fabulous balls (no regular prom here!). There is also a lot of intense, intense feelings, though I suppose that's par for the course for teens!

The story explores grief and loss in a thoughtful manner, as we watch Damion working through the passing of his uncle. His growth arc was much needed to turn him into a love interest worthy of sweet, kind Jules.

This is a great book for a YA audience, filled with passion and intensity and lots of NYC (and Nebraska!) vibes.

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

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We got the life that we wanted: SO IT GROWS.

So It Grows by Andie Burke


This is a cute story, but with a slightly weird premise that I shall not reveal as I believe it's a bit of a spoiler. Felicity has inherited a plant shop in Kansas from her aunt. She's still trying to figure things out, but all is complicated by the popularity of the mac and cheese restaurant next door, run by chef Nicholas Holm-Bozic. Nic's restaurant threatens the sanctity of Felicity's shop--and he gets under her skin like no one else. Unfortunately the two will have to work together to try to save both their shops against some machinations from city hall.

This story has a sloooow burn start. If you've read any of Andie Burke's other books, you'll see some interconnected characters, including references to Aunt Jeannie, Marshall, Courtney, Thea, and more. That's kind of fun!

As Felicity and Nic spend more time together, we learn how Felicity has always felt too much, while Nic is recovering from a difficult childhood and the pressures of his father. The two share some good banter, and we get a lot of references to plants and food!

The writing felt a bit choppy, without fully developed characters, and I was a bit thrown by the overall premise, but the book really picks up in the second half and had me quite invested. It also makes some excellent points about mental health and sexual assault. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review. Look for SO IT GROWS in September 2026!

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And bid her world goodbye: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK.

It's Not What You Think: A Novel by Clare Mackintosh


An excellent, twisty thriller from Mackintosh!

Nadeeka is convinced her new boyfriend, Jamie, is cheating on her. He's been acting shifty and secretive lately. She overhears a woman's voice on the phone when she calls home, so rushes back to confront him. But she's too late: Jamie is already dead, brutally murdered.

What follows is a very thrilling story, with lots of plot turns to keep you guessing! There are a few truly shocking ones and a few that I had suspicions about. No matter what, it's best to go into this one blind so you can enjoy all the surprises. It's well-written and captivating.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark in return for an unbiased review. The U.S. version releases in September 2026!

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