Down this road, there's only one way: THE HOLLYWOOD JINX.

The Hollywood Jinx by Sariah Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When an embezzling scandal hits the small town of Patience, only the town librarian Jane's job is still standing (long story). Her sister-in-law hatches a plan: invite movie star Nick Haddon to come to the town's harvest festival and let the tourist money do the rest. No one thought he'd actually say yes, let alone Jane, who has to promise his publicist that she'll watch over Nick, who has a reputation for drinking and getting into trouble. With Nick staying with Jane at her parents' bed and breakfast, they have plenty of time to get to know one other. The two feel an instant connection, but Nick is wary due to feeling he ruins everything he touches, while Jane is scared of getting hurt again.

This is a cute very slow-burn romance. The slow slow burn felt a bit like reading a Hallmark Christmas movie. Nick is very firmly entrenched in thinking he's a jinx who destroys all he touches. Jane has a sad romantic past, making her scared of getting hurt again, yet she clings to the idea of a long term commitment and needing reassurance. These two take scared to a whole other level.

Nick appeared way too good to be true--wanting to help this tiny town, Jane, and a host of others (and being happy with such a chaste relationship). However, I'm a complete sucker for Hollywood people falling for regular folks, even if they seem perfect! There's always that bit of glamour and dreaminess that comes with such a relationship. Jane was a tad annoying at times, but this is a sweet and funny story. The small town setting is on point and the side characters humorous. It's a bit long and a little jerkily written at times, but cute. 3 stars.

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

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Put a little more time into meter and rhyme: THE CELEBRANTS.

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle have been friends since college. Though they might not see each other all the time, they are united by their pact to attend each other's "living funerals." They chose to do this for each other after a sixth friend died in college and they realized the fragility of life. Each person can ask for their funeral at a time of stress or need. Jordan is now calling for his, but he has a secret that may pull the group apart.

THE CELEBRANTS is a lovely read, though it does lack some of the heart and charm of Rowley's previous read, THE GUNCLE. It focuses most on Jordan and his husband, Jordy ("The Jordans"), but we hear from all the friends as well. There's no huge plot movement, but Rowley deftly explores friendship, death, grief, love, and loss. This is a well-written story, and it's thoughtful, sad, and tender. A worthy read. 4 stars.

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Take me home and leave me there: LONG SHOT.

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

August West is about to play a huge game in the NCAA tournament. The night before the big game, he meets a beautiful and mesmerizing woman, Iris, and they have a wonderful conversation. Nothing more happens, but August cannot get over Iris. At the game, he realizes that Iris is the girlfriend of his greatest basketball nemesis, Caleb. Iris and August cannot be together, but they also cannot stop thinking about one another.

This is the first book I've read by Kennedy Ryan, and I was totally into it. I *love* basketball so living in the world of the NBA (August is quickly drafted), even a slightly fictionalized NBA, was so much fun. I need more NBA romance in my life.

The first thing to know about LONG SHOT is that it's not a light and fluffy read. It offers a very realistic (and potentially very triggering) look at rape and domestic abuse. This part of the story can sometimes be horrific and hard to read. However, I think it's very respectfully done--even educational--and really debunks the awful "well, why didn't she just leave?!" argument so well. But, if this is a tough subject for you, I would recommend skipping this book.

Otherwise, LONG SHOT offers an emotional, sexy story. August is a wonderful character, and I just adored Iris. There's a cute kid and tons of basketball references. You will cry, you will swoon, and you will root for Iris and August forever. 4 stars.


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I'll leave the luggage of all your lies behind: WITH TEETH.

With Teeth by Kristen Arnett
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Sammie dreams of a perfect life with her wife Monica and their son, Samson. But it seems like that life always slips through her grasp. She can never bond with Samson, who grows from a strange kid to an angry teen. She tries--driving him to swim lessons, cooking meals, and working on school projects--but it's never enough for Samson, or Monica.

"How strange that she always wanted to be home, Sammie thought--because when she finally got there, it felt like she was being smothered under a pillow."

I'm sure WITH TEETH is a wonderful piece of literature that makes deep statements about its topics--motherhood, marriage, and more--but for me, this was a really weird book. It did not seem to be doing us lesbians any favors, either, with its portrayal of two rather bad mothers and their messed up marriage. The ending was totally confusing, leaving me frustrated. There are some great gems in the book--it really does offer great insight into motherhood and marriage, but overall, I didn't enjoy it. 2.5 stars.



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Oh, we could make a good thing bad: SAMMY ESPINOZA'S LAST REVIEW.

Sammy Espinoza's Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Sammy Espinoza ruins a great job to try save her relationship with her girlfriend. She's got one chance left to salvage her music column, but it will involve heading to her hometown, of sorts, in Washington, to track down an old flame, Max Ryan. A former and beloved rock star, Max has been in hiding, and rumor has it, he's recording a new album in their hometown. If Sammy can review it, she'll win back her job. But can she forgive her history with Max to do so?

I loved this book very much! It's such an ode to music, but also has great banter and romance. There's a lot of lies and miscommunication and family issues! Sammy's mom is a bit of a mess, always abandoning her daughter for her latest love (including leaving her in Washington for a year with a whole other family). But Sammy can't see that: she's constantly making excuses for her. So Sammy has a whole host of frustrating excuses for her mom--and life--due to these abandonment issues: shutting down, bailing, and just being a general doormat for her mother. Apply this to Max--and you can see a whole train wreck about to happen. Oh Sammy. Some of the miscommunication was a bit too much (just tell him what happened with your job, Sammy!).

But the rest of the story was really picture perfect. Max and Sammy have amazing banter and chemistry. The small town setting is just lovely while the theme of found family is so well-done. The book is filled with diverse characters, including pansexual and queer folks. Parts of Sammy's story truly made me cry. It's such a funny, sweet, and touching tale. The book deftly explores abandonment and anxiety as well as love and music. Overall, a truly lovely read. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of Sammy Espinoza's Last Review from Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in return for an unbiased review.


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My heart still holds the memories forgotten from my mind: THICKER THAN WATER.

Thicker Than Water by Megan Collins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Julia Larkin sometimes thinks she loves her sister-in-law, Sienna, more than her own husband, Jason. Though to Sienna, Jason can do no wrong. For Julia, things are more complicated, especially with Jason working long hours to try to earn a promotion--and a recent betrayal that has Julia questioning everything. Things get even worse when Jason's boss, Gavin, is brutally murdered and Jason is then in a car accident. While he's in a coma, the police tell Julia and Sienna he's the main suspect in Gavin's murder. The two have to try to clear Jason's name while keeping their own friendship intact.

This is a character-driven exploration with a mystery behind it, as Julia and Sienna attempt to discover who killed Gavin. This story focuses more on Julia and Sienna at its core than Gavin's death, delving into their friendship and each of their (oft complicated) relationships with Jason. Sienna, it seems, is infinitely loyal to Jason, while the revelations about Jason make things more complicated for Julia, a pushover in her relationship with her husband. It also seems that she has no problem pretty much abandoning her 14-year-old Aiden, the poor kid, who is left at home while his father festers in a coma and his mother is off doing who knows what.

There's a lot of talk about the past and an incident with Sienna and Jason as teens. For me, there was too much repetition and discussion of feelings (so much angst and emotion) and less forward movement on finding out what happened the night Gavin died. There are no huge surprises in this one--there are some twists, but none were too surprising. Overall, I liked the story, but it wasn't too memorable or spectacular. 3 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.

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Hold me tight so I don't have to think: FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.

Forever Hold Your Peace by Liz Fenton
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

June and Amy are not thrilled when their young (but grown, mind you) children come home from a trip abroad with the news that they are engaged. June thought she was close to Olivia, but bungles it when her daughter reveals the engagement, creating distance between them. Amy and Zach have been close since she divorced his father when Zach was a toddler, and no girlfriend has ever measured up to Amy's standards. She cannot believe that Zach didn't tell her about the engagement until coming home. But nothing beats June or Amy's surprise when the parents meet for the first time, and the two women realize that they know each other: they were once best friends in college, but a shocking event broke up their friendship for life. June and Amy are horrified to realize their kids are getting married, but try to shift the focus to breaking up Zach and Olivia's rapid engagement.

I had assumed this was a thriller, as per the authors' usual MO. It's not, but it's still a really captivating read. There is drama supreme here with the parents' saga! Some of the characters are quite annoying (I'm looking at you, Amy). Still, I couldn't help but keep reading. It's a silly story but a quick read. No character felt particularly fleshed out, but I felt engaged by June and Amy's story. The book is really just as much about the older characters as the young, even if it opens on Zach and Olivia's whirlwind romance.

There's a bit of romance thrown in here (beyond our young couple) and the ending is fairly cute. I do hate the trope of lying and miscommunication, though--I sure wish that happened a little less here. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Alcove Press and Netgalley in return an unbiased review. Look for FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE on 07/11/2023!!

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Healing as the colors in the sunshine and the shadows of her eyes: HELLO STRANGER.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
My rating: 4+ of 5 stars

Struggling artist Sadie Montgomery finally gets her big break when she places in a portrait contest. But everything goes awry when Sadie is injured, and the doctors reveal she needs brain surgery... now. The surgery goes fine, but leaves Sadie with the inability to recognize faces (face blindness). Something that happens to affect her career painting faces just a BIT. Sadie frantically tries to adjust to her new life while preparing for the contest. She meets two men--one amazing: her dog Peanut's new vet; and one not so much: her annoying neighbor, Joe. Can she recover in time to win the contest and the man of her dreams?

I think HELLO STRANGER might be my favorite Katherine Center book to date, and I'm not just saying that because I read it in sunny Cancun! It was just so sweet and charming, and I really loved Sadie. A lot of terrible things happen to this poor woman--her mom died when she was young and her doctor father checked out on her, leaving Sadie with a hard time accepting help from anyone. She has an absolutely horrible stepsister, Parker (I mean, seriously awful) and then, finally, she gets a break and boom, face blindness? Sometimes I had a tough time reading because I couldn't handle all the bad things been thrown at poor Sadie!

Even worse, once she gets out of the hospital, her beloved dog Peanut (given to her right before her mom passed away) gets sick. Seriously, world, we haven't given this woman enough to deal with? The only positive is that she meets the dreamy vet, Dr. Addison. Thank you. Sadie needs a win here. But she has to contend with Joe, of course, whom she keeps seeing in the elevator with a variety of women (or coming out of various apartments--all female--in her building).

Sadie's story is sad sometimes, but overall it's so sweet. The romance is just lovely, and I found myself laughing and smiling while I read. The supporting cast is awesome--Sadie's building super is just a trip, along with his family, and even her stepmother and Parker provide some great comic relief. This is truly a tender story about accepting a new life, learning to ask for help, and, yes, falling in love. 4+ stars.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway (thank you) and also received a copy from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review. Look for HELLO STRANGER on 7/11/2023!!

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Until then we'll walk through the gloaming: THE BONES OF THE STORY.

The Bones of the Story by Carol Goodman


Twenty-five years ago at Briarwood College, Professor and literary fellow Hugo Moss died while searching for a missing student. Now the Briarwood community is coming together to pay tribute to Moss and celebrate the creation of a literary fellowship once again at the school. But as donors, alumni, and faculty gather, the snowy weather turns treacherous and many guests leave. Those who remain are Moss' old students, sharing stories of their testy professor. But when one of the group dies very similarly to a story she wrote back in the college days, they realize something is very wrong.

I love Goodman's books--she's great at capturing that ominous foreboding tone. Briarwood College is a locked room mystery, with our cast of characters trapped in the building where they spent their college days with Moss. BONES is told in a then and now format featuring nearly the same characters, as most of our present-day folks are returning to Briarwood where they went to college. Our main constant is Nell, a scholarship student in her Briarwood days who has now risen to Dean at the college. Nell was swept up in the charms of her wealthy roommate, Laine. The book does a wonderful job of showing the power and intensity of college friendships--both the good and bad. There's much angst at college and a ton of drama during the present.

I thought I had everything figured out here, but Goodman threw in some great twists! The story is filled with literary references, especially as our college core struggles with the need to outbest each other in their writing. At times, this is very grim and dark--often gory with lots of death in the cold, stark setting. There's certainly an Agatha Christie feeling. The ending wraps up a little quick, but it's still a really enjoyable read. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review. Look for THE BONES OF THE STORY on 07/11/2023!

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