Book Review: Weather Girl

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer.
In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.
Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

☔️

Another easy and fun read from Rachel Lynn Solomon! I loved everything about this one and especially appreciated that - FINALLY - we get a male love interest who is an average attractive guy. 

👏🏻🙌🏻

I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to have our MMC be something other than the dude whose muscles have muscles. Good for the dudes with the ridiculously sculpted abs, but shout out to all of those soft belly guys who are no less hot! 

🌧 

I always love when those of us who have less than perfect bodies are represented well in a l romance novel. Thank you for that, RLS!

💜

 

Book Review: The Love That Split the World

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Natalie Cleary must risk her future and leap blindly into a vast unknown for the chance to build a new world with the boy she loves. 

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start... until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

Quick and dirty review: I didn’t love this as much as I wanted to, but it wasn’t bad.

Emily Henry has become one of my favorite authors and this is her debut novel, published in 2016. The cover is probably the most beautiful book cover I’ve ever seen and the summary grabbed me by the collar - I’m a sucker for a good multiverse story!  My biggest issue with this one was that, in the end, I had no idea what actually happened to Natalie and Beau.

🤷🏻‍♀️

I can’t say for sure if my need for answers is just a personal preference or if other readers would also be left with a feeling of “Say what?” as well. Nevertheless, it was a compelling story with relatable characters and supernatural elements that I quite enjoyed. I’ll be buying a physical copy for my shelf because that cover and would still recommend this as a good, if a little confusing, YA paranormal romance. 

Book Review: The Great Gatsby

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story is of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his new love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.

💜

Well, there's a reason why this book is widely known as a literary classic. As hard as it is to believe, I've managed to exist for 43 years without ever having read this book. I've never even seen the movie - unfathomable, but true - despite the lure of Leo Dicaprio & Toby McGuire. So, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered there was more to The Great Gatsby than tales of a rich playboy who throws good parties. Seriously, that's what I thought it was about.

🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I love a book with twists and this one surely delivers on that front. I also love a story that challenges me to have a little sessiom of self examination. After I finished reading this one, I began questioning my own priorities and how I measure success.  Gatsby was a tragic figure despite his ability to project himself as the definition of the most popular and intriguing man in any room.  It was a reminder that we never know what another person may be struggling with, even if they seem to be living their best life. Give this one a read if you enjoy a story with unexpected depth. I quite liked it.

Book Review: The White Ship

 

The White Ship by Charles Spencer 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

The sinking of the White Ship is one of the greatest disasters in English history. Here, Sunday Times bestselling author Charles Spencer tells the real story behind the legend to show how one cataclysmic shipwreck changed England’s course.

In 1120, the White Ship was known as the fastest ship afloat. When it sank sailing from Normandy to England it was carrying aboard the only legitimate heir to King Henry I, William of Ætheling. The raucous, arrogant young prince had made a party of the voyage, carousing with his companions and pushing wine into the eager hands of the crew. It was the middle of the night when the drunken helmsman rammed the ship into rocks.

The next day only one of the three hundred who had boarded the ship was alive to describe the horrors of the slow shipwreck. William, the face of England’s future had drowned along with scores of the social elite. The royal line severed and with no obvious heir to the crown, a civil war of untold violence erupted. Known fittingly as ‘The Anarchy’, this game of thrones saw families turned in on each other, with English barons, rebellious Welsh leaders and Scottish invaders all playing a part in the bloody, desperate scrum for power.

One incredible shipwreck and two decades of violent uncertainty; England’s course had changed forever.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🤴🏻

Full disclosure: I’m a huge fan of Medieval History. If that’s not your jam, this book may not be as enjoyable for you as it was for me. This is a brilliant piece of nonfiction work from Charles Spencer. The sinking of The White Ship is an event I was mildly familiar with (Didn’t we all read Beowulf in junior high?), but this book was very educational. Wait! I mean that in the absolute best way! It was an enjoyable read and I never once felt bogged down by the details.  

🏰⚔️

This well written account covers the pivotal years at the end of William the Conqueror’s line before the Plantagenet reign began.  I’ve found that there is a more bountiful offering of enjoyable but historically accurate books about the Plantagenet and Tudor Dynasties than the preceding royal bloodlines.  I highly recommend this to anyone interested in England’s monarchy in the High Middle Ages. 

Book Review: Black Cake

 

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫4.5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

We can't choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett's death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage, and themselves.
Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor's true history, and fulfill her final request to "share the black cake when the time is right"? Will their mother's revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
Charmaine Wilkerson's debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

🍰🌊🏊🏾‍♀️

This was my January pick for my Book of the Month subscription and I am so glad I flipped a coin in favor of this book.  When a debut novel is this incredible, it just gives me warm and fuzzy feels all over. *sigh* Confession: I’d never even heard of black cake before reading this book, so I don’t know which emoji best depicts it and will be using them all.

🥮🤷🏻‍♀️

As you can imagine from my 4.5 star rating, this book was near perfect.  Beautifully written and successfully weaving multiple timelines, I was particularly drawn to the “flashback” timeline being shared by Eleanor Bennett.  However, the characters in the present day timeline, Eleanor’s two adult children, were the weakest part of the story for me.  I did not connect to or care about Byron or Benny and find myself skimming over their parts in the last quarter of the story. Because I found both of those prominent characters in this book to be flat and uninteresting, I knocked off half a star for this otherwise stellar debut.

🎂

Thank you to the author along with NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Finlay Donovan is killing it... except, she's really not. She's a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay's life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn't written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she's mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet... Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

 📚💻🕶

Finlay Donovan might not actually be killing it, but author Elle Cosimano most certainly is! This book was wildly entertaining, y’all. I’d file this under contemporary murder mystery comedic thriller with a hint of romance. If you’re anything like me, you never even knew you needed a book that hits on all of those genres at the same time - but, believe me, you do!

As if the brilliant execution of this book wasn’t enough, I’ve finished it just in time for the sequel! Elle Cosimano’s follow up to this hilarious book, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead, was just published on February 1st.  I recommend you binge read these two back to back because when I reached the end of this story, I was not ready to say goodbye to Finlay, unlikely heroine that she may be. 

😂

Book Review: A Million Junes

 

A Million Junes by Emily Henry 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

For as long as Jack “June” O’Donnell has been alive, her parents have had only one rule: stay away from the Angert family. But when June collides—quite literally—with Saul Angert, sparks fly, and everything June has known is thrown into chaos.

Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away? And why has June—an O’Donnell to her core—never questioned her late father’s deep hatred of the Angert family? After all, the O’Donnells and the Angerts may have mythic legacies, but for all the tall tales they weave, both founding families are tight-lipped about what caused the century-old rift between them.

As Saul and June’s connection grows deeper, they find that the magic, ghosts, and coywolves of Five Fingers seem to be conspiring to reveal the truth about the harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations. Now June must question everything she knows about her family and the father she adored, and she must decide whether it’s finally time for her—and all the O’Donnells before her—to let go

✨

Basically, Emily Henry is a witch! Already, she proved to be a master author of the contemporary romantic comedy (IMO).  Now, I find that her sorcery is no less powerful in the YA fantasy realm.  How, Emily? HOW?

This story was flawless. The magical realism was intoxicating and the characters were three dimensional and relatable.  They made me care and feel so much!  This is one of those times when I finish an audiobook and I’m like, “OOF, I need a copy of this book on my shelf!”

I can’t recommend this book enough. Also, Emily Henry just went from being “one of my favorite romcom writers” to simply one of my favorite authors.  

Book Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 🎧

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

💍💍💍💍💍💍💍

This is the fourth book I’ve read from Taylor Jenkins Reid and by far the most enjoyable for me.  As a fan of historical fiction, I was quickly drawn in by Evelyn’s storytelling of her life as an up and coming actress in the Golden Age of Hollywood.  When she discloses the name of who she considers to be the love of her life, the plot thickens and it soon became clear that there was so much more to this story than the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

🎥

I tend to have a soft spot for any story that can genuinely surprise me with a plot twist - bonus points if it happens a bit late in the game 🙌🏻 Let’s just say that Evelyn Hugo serves one up just the way I like it! I loved everything about this book and believe it to be the best Taylor Jenkins Reid has written to date.  I highly recommend this to lovers of historical fiction and contemporary romance. 

Book Review: The German Wife

The German Wife by Debbie Rix 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Germany, 1939: Annaliese is a doctor’s wife, living in an elegant grey stone house with ivy creeping over the balcony. But when her husband is ordered to work at the Dachau labour camp, her ordinary life is turned upside down by the horrors of war. And Annaliese finds herself in grave danger when she dares to fight for love and freedom…

America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again. It makes her heart skip a beat as a rush of wartime memories come back to her. As she reads on, she realizes the past is catching up with her. She must confront a decades-old secret – or risk losing everything…

Germany, 1942: Annaliese’s marriage is beginning to crumble. Her husband, Hans, has grown cold and secretive since starting his new job as a doctor at Dachau. When a tall, handsome Russian prisoner named Alexander is sent from the camp to work in their garden, lonely Annaliese finds herself drawn to him as they tend to the plants together. In snatched moments and broken whispers, Alexander tells her the truth about the shocking conditions at the camp. Horrified, Annaliese vows to do everything she can to save him.

But as they grow closer, their feelings for each other put them both in terrible danger. And when Annaliese falls pregnant she has to make an impossible decision between protecting herself and saving the love of her life…

📚PUB DATE IS IN TWO DAYS📚

🥰

Full disclosure:  WWII era historical fiction is my ✨favorite✨ genre.  The title of this book caught my eye, inspired by true events on the cover caused a pitter patter of my heart, and reading the description made my soul sing!  I was absolutely giddy at having been approved for an advanced copy of this audiobook for review.  I’m talking this level of excitement:

  

I’m happy to report that this book lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations!  Every layer of this heart-gripping story is so beautifully written, I could not suggest even the slightest improvement.  But do not think for a moment that I am not picking up the pieces of my heart as I type!😭❤️‍🩹

I suppose, if hard pressed to find a fault, - if it can even be called that - I would have loved an added Author’s Note to accompany this story.  I am always fascinated to hear about the inspiration and research involved when writing such a shining piece of historical fiction.  

Thank you 🙏🏻 to the author along with Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for early access to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review 💐

 

Book Review: The Echo Wife

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Star Rating 

The Summary: 

I’m embarrassed, still, by how long it took me to notice. Everything was right there in the open, right there in front of me, but it still took me so long to see the person I had married.

It took me so long to hate him.

Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be. 

And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband. 

Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and both Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up.

Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.

😱🤯😱

This. Book. Was. WOW!  I feel like I need to personally thank Sarah Gailey for sharing their brilliance with mere mortals such as myself.  This was my first time reading one of their books and now I’m making room on this year’s TBR list for more. The Echo Wife is a science fiction thriller of the domestic variety that delivers all the suspense and plot twists one loves about this genre. The story, told from Evelyn’s POV, was gripping from beginning to end. I listened to the majority of this eight hours long audiobook in one sitting (shout out to the snow day) and it just ticked all the boxes for me.

I loved, loved, LOVED this book and highly recommend that you get your hands on a copy of your own 😍