Review: The Women (by Kristin Hannah)

My Rating: 4.5 stars

"There were no women in Vietnam."   As Kristin Hannah states in the Author's Note to her magnificent new novel The Women, this sentiment – that no women served in Vietnam, despite numerous first-hand accounts of women who were there as nurses, medical personnel, news correspondents, volunteers, etc. --  was the prevailing one during a time period that saw a country torn apart by a senseless war that should never have happened in the first place.  As someone born in the late 1970s, long after the war was over, I of course had to rely on history books to learn about the Vietnam War – books that I realize now were mostly lacking in detailed information.  In fact, the mentions of the Vietnam War were always so brief to the point that I had no idea how bad things actually got in America:  that there had been a period of "collective amnesia" spurred on by the government where even the mere mention of "Vietnam" was taboo; that Vietnam vets were shamefully mistreated by both the government and ordinary citizens to the point that many had to go into hiding and were even afraid to mention they had served;  and most frustratingly, that women's efforts in the war were rarely (if ever) acknowledged and their experiences were largely discounted – in being constantly told that "there were no women in Vietnam," they were rendered invisible, forcibly forgotten and "disappeared" from history.  With this novel, Hannah brings these women's experiences to the forefront and once again, delivers a heart-wrenching, emotional story that provides more depth of insight into aspects of American history than many history books are able to do.

The woman at the center of the story is Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a nursing student from a wealthy, conservative family, who decides to follow her brother's footsteps when he ships out to serve in Vietnam in 1965.  At the age of 21, inexperienced and with barely any training, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and arrives in Vietnam without the faintest idea what she would be up against. Surrounded by devastation and destruction everywhere she turns, Frankie comes face-to-face with the atrocities of war on a daily basis and learns to survive amongst the chaos.  In Vietnam, she meets two other nurses – Barb and Ethel – and together, they endure horrific violence, death, loss, and heartbreak mingled with moments of incredible courage, bravery, and hope.  In circumstances where both life and death hang by a thread, the deep friendships that Frankie forms with those whom she works untiringly side-by-side every day, along with a strong belief in the good they are doing for the war effort, carry her through the darkest of days.  But when Frankie and her friends return home to a country deeply divided, where tensions run high and the overwhelming sentiment is to forget the war ever happened, the women realize that what they endured in Vietnam was only the beginning of a long battle for justice — for themselves as well as for those who sacrificed life and limb for a country that doesn't want to recognize their existence. 

I will be honest in saying that this was a difficult read for me, but also one that I couldn't put down (I finished this one in two sittings, as I couldn't stop myself from turning the pages, desperately wanting to find out what happens next).  Hannah has proven time and time again that she definitely knows how to tell a gripping, atmospheric story with complex female characters who are deeply flawed, yet realistic and relatable in ways that you don't see coming until you're so immersed in their world that it's too late to pull back. It wasn't until I finished the book that, upon reflection, I realized that perhaps the book was a little longer than it needed to be and some scenes were a bit repetitive and maybe not really necessary.  But overall, this was a well-thought-out, meticulously researched story, poignantly told in a way that, I felt, did justice to the history and complexity of the Vietnam War era.  I especially appreciated Hannah's Author Note where she talked about the decades-long process of how this novel came to be and I definitely feel she made the right choice to wait until she was ready to tackle this subject.  In my opinion, she did a magnificent job!

Kristin Hannah has become one of my favorite historical fiction authors whose works are high on my "must-read" list (though admittedly, I still have many books in her extensive backlist that I need to get to at some point).  While initially, I had felt bad about not getting to this one before publication date (I realize I missed it by a few days), I now know that I need not have worried, as Hannah's work pretty much speaks for itself.  I'm sure this will be one of the buzziest, most-read books of the year (and deservingly so in my opinion).  

Review: No Two Persons (by Erica Bauermeister)

My Rating: 4 stars

I read Erica Bauermeister's previous novel The Scent Keeper a couple years ago and absolutely adored that book.  Two of the things I had loved about that book were the story itself (with its unique structure, interesting subject matter, and fascinating characters) as well as the gorgeously lyrical and immersive writing.  Given this experience, it's probably no surprise that when I was approved for an ARC of Bauermeister's newest work No Two Persons, I was ecstatic knowing that I would be in for another mesmerizing read.  While in the end, the experience was a little different from what I expected, I still really enjoyed this one overall.

In this book, Bauermeister once again employs a unique structure — this time, through a series of linked short stories — to explore the impact that one book has on 10 different people, starting with the young author who writes the book, Alice Wein.  Each story presents characters from different walks of life who are struggling in some way (whether it's with love, relationships, grief, illness, financial insecurity, etc.) but then they encounter Alice's book, simply titled Theo, which opens the door to a different perspective — and in some cases, a much-needed path forward — for each person.  I found it fascinating how Bauermeister was able to weave Theo so seamlessly into each character's story and adapt it to meet the situation they were in.  As I was reading each story, I knew Theo was going to make an appearance somehow, but I didn't know when or how, which made me want to keep reading to find out (and then marveling to myself afterwards how brilliant each instance was).  Each story also gave us insight into Theo's plot and while we never got the full story arc of course, enough details were revealed that it made me wish it were a real book, as it was one that I'd definitely be interested in reading. 

As an avid reader, I definitely resonated with the messages in this book — that no two persons will read the same book in the same way; that certain books have a way of meeting the reader where they're at in their lives; that some books have the power to change lives, but sometimes, we need to be willing to let them in and give them a chance.  In that sense, this was also an ode to books and reading, which I absolutely appreciated.  

The other thing I really liked about this book was the writing, which was beautiful and lyrical, similar to what I saw in The Scent Keeper.  I also found it refreshing that this book was written from the third person perspective — which normally wouldn't matter to me, but because most of the books I've read lately were written from the first person point of view, it was nice to finally read something where I got to see things from all the different characters' perspectives instead of having to remain in one character's head through the entire story. 

My one complaint — which I always have with short story collections (though more accurately speaking, this was actually a "novel in stories" where various characters cross over into each other's story) — is that each story is incomplete, so we only get glimpses into each character's background.  This made it hard to form a connection with the characters, which is important for me seeing how much I love character- driven stories — though having some of the stories be linked to each other (i.e. the writer, the agent, the publishing assistant for the same book all have their own stories) as well as having some of the characters "pass through" each other's stories did help.

Overall, I enjoyed this one immensely, though I didn't love it the way I did The Scent Keeper. Having said that, I still highly recommend this one, especially with its interesting structure and the way it explores various life situations that will likely resonate with many readers. I also think that people who love books and recognize the importance of reading will really appreciate this one.

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: The Soulmate (by Sally Hepworth)

My Rating:  2.5 stars

Before I start, just a quick disclaimer:  I'm one of the outliers who didn't like this book much, so I won't have too many good things to say about it in my review.  If this is going to be an issue for those reading this, then I suggest stopping right here.  Don't say I didn't warn you!

Ok, so here's my unpopular opinion: overall, I really really disliked this book — to the point that I  struggled to write this review because I had trouble choosing which of the myriad of "issues" to rant about.   Below is just a smattering of things I had a problem with (not all-inclusive of course). 

First, the writing, which to me, felt quite different from the previous Sally Hepworth novels I had read.  The writing this time around felt stilted and choppy and a bit elementary if I'm being honest.  There was a lot  of "I did this, then I did that, then I did this" (and by A LOT, I mean pretty much every chapter — there are 87 chapters) — with much of the detail being about unnecessary stuff that had nothing to do with the plot (honestly, does it matter to me that a character 'went to the supermarket, pulled out a cart, walked down the aisle, put stuff in the cart'? Nope!).  What made this worse was that the entire story was told from the first person point of view, so it sounded super awkward to hear the characters describe their own mundane actions (I.e.:"I picked up the laptop, I walked over to the table, I put it down and I opened the lid").  This also made the story feel unnecessarily long and dragged out — which normally wouldn't be a problem except that this is supposed to be a domestic thriller / suspense novel and mundane details like this bog down the plot.

Speaking of the plot, that was another thing that didn't work in this story.  Many of the plot points felt contrived and forced, but what bothered me the most was the ridiculousness of the main character Pippa's story arc — for much of the story, I found myself alternating between wanting to slap Pippa (more on this later) and suspending my disbelief every couple pages at the repeated stupidity of some of the characters' (mostly Pippa's) actions/behaviors/decisions (wait, she swept his behavior under the rug AGAIN?!?!?!).

And that brings me to what irked me the most about this story — the characters, all of whom weren't just unlikable ("loathsome" is probably more accurate), but frustratingly so, to the point that I couldn't bring myself to  feel anything but annoyance with all of them (but especially with Pippa).  The way Pippa's character was written, she felt like a caricature rather than a real person.  It didn't make an ounce of sense to me how Pippa was portrayed as a smart, confident lawyer and doting, assured mother of two young daughters one minute, but the next minute, as soon as her husband Gabe walks into the room, she becomes someone who deliberately buries her head in the sand, ignores all red flags (even the obvious ones that even she herself says are problematic), gets defensive whenever anyone says anything remotely critical about Gabe, second guesses and lies to herself over and over (and over and over and over again), and basically adopts an incredibly naive (not to mention frustratingly stupid and irrational) "I can't live without him so I must turn a blind eye and find excuses for his repeated s**tty behavior regardless of how that negatively impacts me or the kids" attitude.  To be honest, Pippa is exactly the type of nonsensical character that I absolutely cannot stand in any story — basically a twisted variation of the "damsel in distress" archetype but a hundred times more annoying because she is actually capable of "saving" herself and getting herself out of the many bad situations she finds herself in, but she chooses (repeatedly) not to do so, then justifies her decisions / actions with one lame excuse after another.  To me, it seems that even the author Hepworth finds this behavior problematic, as there is a scene near the later part of the book where Pippa's sister Kat confronts Pippa about the irrational way she constantly excuses her husband's behavior/ actions…Kat basically lays into Pippa, asking her point blank "how long [is she] going  to live like this?"  When Pippa gives a by-her-own-admission pathetic response (the exact quote is "A pathetic response, I know, but the only one I have."), Kat replies: "Fine. But I can't support you anymore. Not when you keep acting so damn stupid."  My sentiments (toward Pippa) exactly!!

As I stated earlier, there were a lot of things I disliked about this book and I honestly only touched on a few main ones, but I will stop here.  One thing that I did like was the ending, which I thought was done well, but unfortunately, coming at the tail end of the story, it was "too little, too late."  This was also one of those rare instances where, throughout the entire time I was reading, there were multiple moments that I was tempted to DNF the book (I have a rule about finishing every book I start, which I don't break often, so the fact I felt like DNFing is a big deal for me) — but I ended up plowing through it (albeit painfully).  

I think I will be taking a break from Hepworth's books for the time being, as this one obviously left a bad taste in my mouth and I honestly wasn't too keen on her previous book, The Younger Wife, either (I detailed the reasons why in my review of that book so if you're curious, feel free to check out that review). But then again, this is just me and my specific tastes — I didn't take to this newest book but many others did, so I suggest checking out those reviews as well for a more balanced perspective.

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: It All Comes Down to This (by Therese Anne Fowler)

My Rating:  2 stars

Therese Anne Fowler is a "new to me" author whose books I've heard good things about but never got a chance to read.  When I heard she had a new book out and I happened to get approved for an ARC, I figured now would be as good a time as any to acquaint myself with Fowler's works. Now having finished this book, I'm thinking I probably should've started with a different book of hers, as this one turned out to be a huge disappointment.

While the premise had sounded interesting, I quickly discovered, a few chapters in, that this book would be different from what I originally expected.  To me, the basic gist of this book could be summed up this way:  a bunch of privileged, self-centered people endlessly try to justify the foolish (and at times downright stupid) life choices / decisions / actions that they may (or may not) regret making.   None of the characters were likable (and that's putting it mildly) — nearly every character was whiny to the point of grating on my nerves and the more they complained about their messy lives (and even messier relationships), the less sympathy I had for any of them.  The only character I was able to tolerate (and probably the only character I didn't find annoying) was 10-year-old Arlo— unfortunately, his scenes were too few and far between.

In terms of the writing — well, let's just say that it left much to be desired.  There were way too many instances where scenes and dialogue were drawn out unnecessarily in what I would call "stating the obvious" type of writing ("he picked up the newspaper, opened it, read it, folded it back up, put it back down" — not a direct quote, but it conveys the general idea) — which, of course, is the type of writing I absolutely cannot stand.  

Basically, I could not get into this one at all — many of the scenes (in fact, the plot in general) felt contrived, the characters were frustratingly whiny, the writing felt stilted and rudimentary — so much so that each time I put the book down, I dreaded picking it back up again.  I did end up finishing this one (I'm the type of reader who finds it extremely hard to DNF a book once I start it), but not without A LOT of skimming through nearly 50% of the book.  While I don't intend to write Fowler off based on this one experience, I'm not necessarily in a rush to read another book of hers yet either, as I need some time to get the bad taste from this one out of my system.  

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: Bloomsbury Girls (by Natalie Jenner)

My Rating: 4 stars

Natalie Jenner's Bloomsbury Girls can best be described as a companion novel to her 2020 debut novel The Jane Austen Society.  While the story itself is completely different, with an essentially new cast of characters, there are a few overlapping characters from the original story who also make appearances this time around.  First and foremost, of course, is Evelyn (Evie) Stone, the servant girl from the Chawton Great House who was a side character in that story, but is one of the main characters this time around.  Evie, along with Vivien Lowry and Grace Perkins, are the only female employees at Bloomsbury Books in London, a centuries-old bookstore helmed by general manager Herbert Dutton and his unbreakable fifty-one rules.  Though the Second World War is over and the city has pretty much returned to normal, struggles in society still exist, especially for the women who find themselves back in a world run once again by men who feel that the workplace where business is conducted is "no place for a woman."  It is against this backdrop that Evie, who despite her scholarly achievements (a degree from Cambridge as part of the first female graduating class), impeccable work ethic, and several years of meticulous research work, is passed up for a research assistant position in favor of a male colleague who did less work, but managed to ingratiate himself with the powers-that-be at the school.  Through her connection to fellow Jane Austen Society member Yardley Sinclair (the director of museum services at Sotheby's), Evie is able to secure a position at Bloomsbury, where she is tasked with cataloging the bookstore's collection of rare books on the third floor. There, she meets the stylish and vivacious Vivien Lowry, an aspiring writer whose job it is to man the front desk in the fiction department on the first floor, as well as Grace Perkins, a wife and mother who works to support her family (a rarity at that time) as the secretary for the general manager.  Together, these three women navigate an environment where they are expected to conform to certain roles, are largely taken for granted, and most frustratingly, must deal with the daily biases of the well-intentioned but misguided male staff who run the store.  As Evie, Vivien, and Grace seek to pursue their dreams and try to build a future for themselves outside of the conventions allowed by society, they are assisted along the way by some of the most famous names from the literary and publishing world of the time, such as Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, etc.

Going into this book, I wasn't sure at first whether I would enjoy this as much as I did Jenner's first book, since this time around, I knew the story would have nothing to do with Jane Austen (as I wrote in my review of that book, I'm a huge Austen fan).  Even though I recognized Evie's name as one of the characters from The Jane Austen Society, I honestly didn't put two and two together until about halfway through the Prologue, when Mimi's name came up, then Yardley's, then recollections of Chawton and the Great House and the auction — that was when the details of that story started coming back to me. The realization that this was a "sequel" of sorts to that book definitely changed the reading experience for me, especially as I anticipated, perhaps, there would be the chance to reunite with some of the other endearing characters from that story.  While I was delighted that this happened to be the case (though only two of those characters had cameos, but that's fine, lol), I also ended up liking the characters in this story as well.  As an avid reader, I also loved the literary bent to this story, with the bookstore setting and the literary references, plus all the famous literary figures who interact with the various characters. This made for a fun and interesting read — in fact, Jenner did such a good job incorporating the literary figures into the story that I actually felt transported to that time period (to the point that I found myself fangirling over Daphne Du Maurier at the moment Vivien meets her and realizes who she is, lol). 

The "fun" part aside though, Jenner didn't skimp on addressing some of the societal issues that were prevalent during that time, such as gender bias and the role of women as well as discrimination towards those of a different race (through the character of Ashwin).  With this story, I felt the balance between serious and lighthearted was quite well done.

While it's not necessary to have read The Jane Austen Society in order to read this one, I'm actually glad I did, as having the familiarity with Evie's backstory definitely enhanced this story for me.  I look forward to reading what Jenner has in store for us next!  

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: The Younger Wife (by Sally Hepworth)

My Rating:  3 stars

I finished an ARC of this book yesterday and to be honest, I'm still trying to process how I feel about it.  While this was a good story overall and Sally Hepworth is no doubt a talented writer (I've read other books she's written and liked them all well enough), I will be honest in saying that I wasn't particularly enamored with this one after I finished it.  For one, I didn't like the ending, and two, the way some of the female characters in the story were portrayed (especially in relation to the male characters) bothered me more than I expected. Also, plot-wise, there was way too much ambiguity throughout the story in my opinion (yes, I know this is a thriller and in a sense, some ambiguity is expected, but still…) — this annoyed me a bit because I felt like I had to suspend disbelief way too many times (especially with Tully's and Heather's story arcs) — not only that though, some parts of the story actually didn't make sense, (including the ending). When I finished reading this book, my first reaction was to scratch my head and try to parse what exactly I had just read.  My second reaction was an urge to go back and re-download the ARC because I thought, perhaps, I was missing a few pages at the end somewhere, because the ending of the book frustrated me.  My third reaction was a curiosity to read through reviews to see 1) what other readers' reactions were, and 2) whether I was the only one who didn't really "get" the story. And this is where my entire reading experience with this book veered off into something I had never encountered before.  

As I was reading reviews, I came across various comments that mentioned about the finished copy of the book actually having a very different ending from the ARC version.  Given that I wasn't keen on the story's ending (in the version I had read), I was curious, so naturally, I hunted down a finished copy of the book so I could read the "new" ending. As it turns out, it wasn't just the ending that changed — majority of the last chapter (the one right before the epilogue) had changed as well.  Now of course, I've read enough ARCs to understand that changes between the advance and finished copies are common…but the thing is, these changes were actually QUITE significant— to the point that it took the story in an ENTIRELY different direction.  In fact, in my opinion, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that those changes, even though only to the last chapter and the epilogue (at least I think that was it, as I didn't re-read the entire book), turned this into a completely different story from what I had originally read.  

While I have to admit that the changes did make the entire story more believable (not to mention the parts that didn't make sense earlier actually made sense now), the overall experience itself (reading the ARC, then finding out that the finished copy had significant changes and subsequently having to hunt down a finished copy to read the changes) unfortunately left a bad taste in my mouth.  In a way, I felt cheated, but more upsetting was that I felt like I had wasted my time reading an ARC when I could've just read the finished copy (this is exacerbated by the fact that I already don't have much time to read due to work and life obligations, plus I have a mile-high TBR that I'm trying to get through).  Perhaps I'm overreacting and I wouldn't fault anyone for saying that, but for a reader like me, who views the reading experience as being just as important as the contents of the book being read, this type of thing affects me more than it probably should.

Having said all that, I decided to rate this one based on my initial reaction to it, which is that I thought the premise had a lot of potential and Rachel's story arc especially kept me engaged and absorbed in the story, but overall the way things went down with the plot, (and the ending) left much to be desired.  So I ended up rating this 3 stars based on the ARC (of course, if I had read only the finished copy in its entirety, my rating would most likely be different).

Lastly, I will say that I am very obviously the outlier with this one so definitely check out other reviews as well.  And if you do decide to pick this one up, might be better off reading the finished copy rather than an ARC, as it will likely impact the way you react to the story.

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: The Next Thing You Know (by Jessica Strawser)

My Rating:  4 stars



The  past 2 months have been extremely exhausting for me due to having to deal with several major crises at work. Things have been rough and even though we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I anticipate that it will take several more months for things to truly settle down.  I mention this because, as much as I tried to prevent it, the physical and mental exhaustion from work unfortunately seeped into my personal life as well.  Over the past couple weeks especially, there were way too many moments where I struggled to summon up enough energy (both physically and mentally) to pick up a book and just read — either my mind would wander (inevitably to something related to work) or I would be so tired physically that I would doze off after a couple pages. Normally, reading is a "de-stressor" for me;  it's something I look forward to after a long, difficult day filled with more challenges than I feel I'm equipped to handle.   Because of this, my current circumstances of not being able to concentrate as much as I want to on something I love and enjoy is extremely frustrating, to say the least. Having said all this though, one thing I do know is that this situation is only temporary and I'm pretty confident that, in the not too distant future, I will be able to emerge from this difficult period and get back into the groove of my usual reading routine.

Part of the reason I decided to start this review with the above (aside from me just needing to vent so I can finally get this off my chest), is because going through what I did the past few months helped me to better relate, on some small level, with the main characters in this book (though of course, my situation pales in comparison to the truly "life and death" struggles that the characters face).  Nova Huston is an end of life doula whose job is to help the terminally ill who are seeking to make peace with their impending deaths.  Mason Shaylor is a singer-songwriter facing the grim prospect of a debilitating condition not only putting an end to his career, but also to life as he knows it.  The two cross paths when Mason hired Nova to help him come to terms with his decision.  As they spend more and more time together, Mason and Nova find that they have more in common than either of them expected, and when a connection forms that deepens their relationship, that makes it all the harder to let go.

Truth be told, prior to reading this book, I had absolutely no clue what a "death doula" was.  With the marketing for this book comparing it to Me Before You (which I personally feel is unjustified, as both stories are nowhere near similar), I had the misconception at first (as it seems many other readers did) that a doula was someone who helped with assisted suicides.  That's an incorrect assumption of course, and the story goes to great lengths to explain what a doula actually does.  In this regard, I felt that the author, Jessica Strawser, did a good job shining a light on a profession that few people know much about.  As I'm usually big on learning something when I read, I definitely appreciated this aspect of the story and Strawser's efforts here. 

Overall, I liked this one quite a bit — it was a solid story with an interesting premise that was well-written and obviously well-researched.  Having said that though, the story itself was the slow-burn type and also meandered a bit at times, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it did leave me wondering at some points where Strawser was trying to go with the plot and characters.  I felt that the structure of the story was interesting as well, with the narrative alternating between the perspectives of both the two main characters as well as a few others — though with that said, the timeline jumping back and forth between past and present as often as it did made parts of the story a little hard to follow at times.

Ever since her debut novel 5 years ago made a pretty big impression on me, Strawser has become an auto read author for me.  While not all of her subsequent works were "hits" for me, most were enjoyable enough that I would say my overall experience reading her books has been a positive one. One of the things I really like about Strawser's books in general is that she does try to reinvent herself every so often by attempting different genres, often while exploring difficult themes.  I continue to look forward to Strawser's upcoming works.

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley

 

Review: Under the Golden Sun (by Jenny Ashcroft)

My Rating: 4 stars

I remember starting off my 2021 reading year last year with Jenny Ashcroft's previous novel Meet Me in Bombay, which I had been apprehensive about at first, but ended up truly enjoying.  At the time, Ashcroft was a "new-to-me" author writing in a genre (historical romance) that could sometimes be a "hit or miss" category for me. After having enjoyed that novel, I went into her newest release, Under the Golden Sun, with higher expectations and I'm happy to report that this one definitely did not disappoint.  In fact, I actually ended up enjoying this one more, perhaps because I found the story more emotionally resonant, for one, and two, I loved all the characters in here — Rose, Walter, Max, Vivian, Esme, Lauren, etc. — to the point that I didn't want their story to end.  

Of course, going into this, I already knew it would be a love story, but unlike Ashcroft's previous novel, this one definitely felt more well-balanced in terms of the way the historical elements and setting (Australia during WWII period) were incorporated into the story. In other words, the love story didn't overwhelm the plot, but rather complemented it.  Much of this is attributed to the beautiful, atmospheric writing, with its vividly-rendered descriptions of the lush Australian landscape against the backdrop of the historical events of the time period.  Even though there were moments of frustration with some of the characters and at times, I felt like yelling out in exasperation during a few scenes, I found myself captivated by the story overall and felt compelled to keep turning the pages in order to find out what happens to these characters that eventually grew on me.  

One thing that surprised me about my reading experience with this book is the resonance I felt with the story, especially on an emotional level.  I wasn't expecting this book to both make me laugh and make me cry at various points of the story, but that's exactly what it did.  I appreciate a book that makes me feel as much as one that makes me ponder and reflect and this one definitely fits the bill.  With this newest release, Ashcroft adds yet another solid historical novel to her repertoire— I can't wait to read what she comes out with next!

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley

Review: The Golden Couple (by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen)

My Rating:  4 stars

This is the fourth suspense / thriller novel by writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen that I've read.  Up to this point, I have read all the books they've written and while all were good, none have lived up to their debut novel The Wife Between Us (which was one of those rare thrillers that actually blew me away to the point that I still remember most of the story several years after having read it).  For me, what had set their debut novel apart was the fact that the "shocking twist" in the story was written in a way that truly and unexpectedly floored me — something that doesn't happen often given the number of suspense / thriller novels I read.  However, unfortunately, their subsequent novels weren't able to capture that same level of "excitement" for me (don't get me wrong though — I still enjoyed reading each one, just not to the extent that I enjoyed the first one). Given that context, I went into their newest release, The Golden Couple, already anticipating that it wasn't going to live up to the "thrill" of their first book (and I was right).  While the story definitely did have a lot of compelling moments that were unexpected (and I actually did not figure out the ending), I felt like the writing was a little less smooth this time around, which at times broke the flow of the story for me. 

On the surface, the premise of the story sounds like one that we've heard countless times before: wealthy, suburban couple Matthew and Marissa Bishop live the perfect life, with a marriage that's the envy of the town. However, their idyllic bliss is shattered when Marissa has an affair.  Desperate to repair her marriage, Marissa seeks the help of Avery Chambers, a therapist whose unorthodox methods have proven so successful that she is still highly sought after despite having lost her professional license.   As Avery embarks on her "ten sessions" therapy with the Bishops and enters deeper into their orbit, she begins to realize that there is more than meets the eye with this "golden" couple.  

Not wanting to give away the story of course, I don't want to say too much more about the plot other than what I mentioned above. I will say though, that Avery's story arc was much more interesting than Marissa's — partly because I felt there was too much repetition with Marissa's sections that ended up dragging out the plot a bit more than necessary.  

With all that said, I did enjoy this one overall and I think that those who are already familiar with Hendricks' and Pekkanen's previous works won't be disappointed.  If this is your first time reading this writing duo's books though, I would definitely recommend going with The Wife Between Us, and then moving on to their other works after that.

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley

Review: The Last House on the Street (by Diane Chamberlain)

My Rating: 4 stars

Diane Chamberlain is quite a prolific writer, with over two dozen novels to her name, yet so far, I've only read three of her novels.  However, with that said — seeing that I've enjoyed all 3 of the novels that I've read, Chamberlain has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I'm hoping I'll be able to find the time to explore more of her backlist at some point!  

Chamberlain's latest novel, The Last House on the Street, follows a similar pattern as her previous novels in that it features a dual timeline narrative with two strong yet flawed female protagonists and its center.  The first timeline starts off in the year 2010, in the small town of Round Hill, North Carolina, where a young architect named Kayla Carter is trying to piece her life back together after her beloved husband Jackson dies in a freak accident while working on their dream house.   Kayla knows that she needs to stay strong for her 4-year-old daughter Rainie, and even though it pains her to move into the house that she feels took her husband from her, she also doesn't want to throw away all the hard work that her husband (who was also an architect) put into designing it.  As she is about to move in though, a red-haired woman repeatedly tries to dissuade Kayla from moving in, and soon, all sorts of strange things start to happen.  The story then jumps back in time to 1965, where 20-year old Ellie Hockley, a privileged white girl who lives on a street in Round Hill that is named after her family, decides to join SCOPE, an organization whose purpose is to persuade the black population to register to vote once the Voting Rights Act is signed into law.  Raised in the Deep South, in a little enclave that was essentially isolated from the rest of the world, Ellie is shocked to realize how much her family as well as the entire community as a whole opposes her participation in the civil rights movement, but she comes to realize that this is her passion.  

The story alternates between the perspectives of these two courageous women (Kayla and Ellie) who couldn't be more different in terms of personality, but share the common struggle of having to stand up for what they believe in, even with the odds stacked against them.  I couldn't help but be drawn to both women and found myself rooting for them throughout the story, even during those moments when they made decisions that frustrated me.  Chamberlain does a wonderful job telling both women's stories, but what I loved the most was the way the two timelines merged near the end, in a way that was both unique and satisfying.   With these types of dual timeline stories, I usually prefer one timeline over the other, but I actually liked both this time around — though character-wise, Ellie was definitely my favorite.  

Just as she does with her previous works, Chamberlain once again presents an emotionally resonant story that defies categorization into any particular genre.  While there were elements of suspense with the "mystery" that unfolded in Kayla's timeline, the historical elements were also strong, especially in Ellie's timeline with the civil rights movement and everything that went on during that time period. 

This was definitely a worthwhile read and while I don't want to say too much so as not to give away the story, I will say that if you liked Chamberlain's previous book Big Lies in a Small Town (which came out back in 2020), you will probably like this one as well, since both were written in a similar vein (though they cover different time periods). Also, this story is extremely timely given the social justice theme that it covers, though a word of warning that some parts will be difficult to read (especially in Ellie's timeline given the historical context with the civil rights movement and the injustices that occurred during that time).

I personally can't wait for Chamberlain's next book, though of course, there are plenty of backlist options for me to explore in the meantime.  

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley

Review: Three Sisters (by Heather Morris)

My Rating:  3.5 stars

In her third novel, Heather Morris once again brings us a tale of tragedy, heartbreak, and survival through the story of Slovakian sisters Cibi, Magda, and Livi Meller.  When they were only a few years old, the three sisters made a promise to their father that they ended up keeping for the rest of their lives:  that the three of them would always take care of each other and watch out for one another no matter what happens in their lives. Several years later, their beloved father is dead, but the promise they made to him continues to live on.  When Livi, the youngest of the sisters at 15 years old, is ordered to Auschwitz, 19 year old Cibi decides to go with her.  Though Magda is spared due to being away while the Nazis make their rounds, she is captured a few years later and also sent to Auschwitz.  Together again, the sisters not only fulfill the promise to watch after each other, they also make another promise — the fierce will to live and survive the horrors of the camp, no matter what.   During the death march, the sisters are able to find a way to escape, but after they return home, they realize that their lives will never be the same.  

While I like the story and appreciate Morris's efforts in relaying the Meller sisters' experiences through each of their perspectives, I felt that the writing was bit too simplistic and oftentimes felt detached from the narrative.  I found it difficult to engage with the story on the emotional level that I was expecting to, primarily because the writing lacked depth and so the emotional scenes felt like they had less impact.  I don't know if what I'm conveying makes sense, but after having read both of Morris's previous novels (both of which had moved me deeply), I unfortunately didn't feel the same connection to this one, despite how much I wanted to.  The way some parts were written I felt bogged the story down, to the point that I actually ended up skimming some sections instead of actually reading each word like I normally would.  

Having said all that, I do appreciate what Morris tried to do here, which was to relay the sisters' courage and resilience in surviving the camps and rising above the tragedies they experienced to ultimately live full and flourishing lives.  This third book definitely has a more hopeful and uplifting tone than the previous two, which I also appreciated.  The sisters' story is amazing on its own merit and absolutely a must read, especially given how few Holocaust survivors remain who are willing to share their stories.  Despite the issues I had with the writing, I'm glad I got the chance to be introduced to the Meller sisters and no doubt I'll be seeking out more of their story on my own.

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley

Review: A Million Reasons Why (by Jessica Strawser)

My Rating:  3.5 stars

In her fourth novel, author Jessica Strawser takes on the recently trend of mail-in DNA tests, which, in this story, becomes the catalyst that brings together two half-sisters who previously didn't know each other existed.   Caroline lives a happy but busy life with her husband and three kids as well as an extended family of parents and in-laws who dote on her.   One year for Christmas, her husband Walt jokingly buys the entire family DNA test kits as gifts — not thinking anything of it, Caroline submits her test and is shocked to find out that she actually has a half-sister, born of the same father.  Sela is an artist who lives a less-than-happy existence — in the face of a devastating health diagnosis a few years ago that caused her son to be born premature and her marriage to crumble under the constant stress of their situation, Sela also must grieve the death of her mother (who was also her best friend and fiercest supporter).  In an act of desperation when her illness progresses to the point that it requires her to get a kidney transplant in order to live, Sela is driven to reach out to her long-lost half-sister Caroline for help.  Suddenly, Caroline's perfect life is upended as one secret after another comes to light, leading her to question what she thought she knew about her family. 

Having read Jessica Strawser's three previous works in addition to this one, I have to say that I still like her debut (Almost Missed You) the most. While all her novels so far have been enjoyable and engaging to the point that, at the moment I pick them up, they keep me wanting to continue reading — however, for some reason, her novels lack the memorability factor in that neither the stories nor the characters stay with me for long. With that said, I did end up liking this book — her fourth novel and newest release — more than her previous two, mostly because I felt there was a depth to her characters this time around that I didn't really see with her other works.  I like the way Strawser presented the relationship between Caroline and Sela — half-sisters who can't help being drawn to each other, yet at the same time, understanding the precarious nature of what they have.  I feel like the portrayal of their relationship — the various nuances that existed and the challenges that needed to be overcome — was the strongest aspect of the entire story.  I mention this because the story overall was the "slow burn" type where I felt like some parts of the plot dragged a bit.  Also, some sections of dialogue — specifically some of the scenes where the characters "reminisce" about the past — seemed unnecessary to me and bogged down the story rather than moved it along.  In addition, I did feel that some parts of the plot were a bit melodramatic, especially as it pertained to Sela and her situation, but that might just be me.

I also continue to have the same issue with this book that I had with Strawser's previous two books — namely that they are being categorized as "suspense" or "thriller" when in reality, they should go more appropriately into the contemporary fiction category.  The main reason is that I feel like the story as written lacks the suspenseful atmosphere that I expect from works in the genre.  With this book in particular— while there were indeed a few "surprise" elements in the story, none of them were "jaw-dropping twists" that brought me to the edge of my seat or elicited a strong reaction from me in the vein of what I would feel reading an actual suspense / thriller novel.

A few issues notwithstanding, this was still a good story overall and I continue to look forward to Strawser's next novel.  

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: The Four Winds (by Kristin Hannah)

My Rating:  5 stars

As a fan of Kristin Hannah's work, it should come as no surprise that I went into her newest novel The Four Winds with a high amount of eagerness and anticipation.  Having read and loved several of Hannah's previous novels, the bar was already set high and of course, Hannah did not disappoint – this book was every bit as good as I expected it to be, and then some!

 

Set in the rural Great Plains in Texas, the story centers around 25-year-old Elsa Wolcott, who longs for a different life other than the sheltered existence she grew up in.  Her parents view her as "unattractive" due to her plain looks and looming height, which also makes her "unmarriageable" and therefore not worthy of their love and attention.  One day when she goes into town, Elsa meets Rafe Martinelli, who finds her beautiful and gives her the affection she has yearned for her entire life.  When Elsa becomes pregnant, her parents disown her and abandon her at the Martinelli's farm, giving Rafe no choice but to own up to his actions and marry her.  Over the next 13 years, Elsa grows into her role as wife and mother, but more than that, she comes to love both the land as well as the people who cultivate it – namely, her in-laws, Tony and Rose, who see the strength and beauty in her that her own parents never did.  In 1934, as years of drought devastates the land and threatens the farmers' livelihoods, the Dust Bowl arrives and further decimates the land.  When the destruction gets to the point where her children's survival is at stake, Elsa must make the difficult decision to either endure and continue to fight for the land she loves or head west to California in hopes of more opportunities and a better life.

 

This story is not an easy one to read, as it covers one of the darkest periods of the Great Depression where there was a lot of suffering all across the country.  The characters go through hardships both natural and man-made, enduring horrible circumstances so bleak and heartbreaking that it's hard not to admire the indomitable nature of the human spirit and a person's will to survive.  Kristin Hannah always manages to create realistically drawn and memorable characters – flawed characters who mess up and who may not even be entirely likable, yet no matter what, you can't help rooting for them.  For me though, it was more than just rooting for these characters – they ended up endearing themselves to my heart, to the point that I just didn't want to let them go.  I love all the strong, courageous women in this story – from Rose to Elsa to Loreda – all of whom are fictional, yet they felt so real to me.  Hannah states in her Author's note that Elsa and several of the other characters represent the thousands of brave and courageous migrants who headed west back then, bringing with them "nothing more than a will to survive and a hope for a better future."

 

Hannah is a masterful storyteller at the top of her game, whose beautifully immersive writing style never fails to impress me.  The atmospheric way in which she describes the landscape and the characters' surroundings, along with rich historical details seamlessly woven into the narrative, combine to evoke a strong sense of time and place, which is one of the aspects of Hannah's writing that I love.  I also appreciate the depth of research that went into establishing the historical context for the story – not only did I learn a lot about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era, I was also compelled to do additional reading on my own after finishing the book.  

This is my first 5 star read this year and it was definitely well worth the time (though I actually surprised myself by finishing this nearly 500 page book in just 2 sittings).  As I wait (impatiently) for Hannah's next book, I hope I'll have time to continue working through her backlist at some point.

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley 

Review: Meet Me in Bombay (by Jenny Ashcroft)

My Rating: 4 stars

As my first official read of the new year, Jenny Ashcroft's Meet Me in Bombay is a book that I found difficult to put down as soon as I started reading it.  When I first read the book's summary and saw that the premise would be a love story set in Bombay, against the backdrop of the Great War, I admit that I was a little apprehensive, as I'm not usually one to gravitate toward love stories for one, and two, I wasn't sure what to expect with Ashcroft being a "new-to-me" author whose previous works I've never read. Also, while I'm a fan of historical fiction, I'm not too keen on historical romances, which I knew this one would be going into it.  In the end though, the setting of pre-WWI Bombay won me over, mainly because there are so few historical fiction novels nowadays that are set in this time period, so to come across one, even if it's a romance, I felt it would still be worth my time.  I'm glad I went with this one, as it turned out to be a good story, well told (even though there were definitely moments where I felt frustrated with parts of the story).

 

The story revolves around Madeline ("Maddy") Bright, the daughter of a British diplomat stationed in Bombay, India during the early 1900s.  Having spent most of her childhood and adult life in England, Maddy returns to the place of her birth thinking it will only be a temporary visit to see her parents – however, due to unforeseen circumstances back home, she ends up remaining in Bombay indefinitely.  At a New Year's Eve party in 1913, she meets charismatic Luke Devereaux and over the course of the next few months, they fall deeply in love. As Maddy and Luke are on the brink of planning for a happy future together, World War I erupts and as Luke is in the reserves, he has no choice but to join the ranks and fight in the war.  Forcibly separated due to circumstances beyond their control, Maddy is consoled by Luke's promise to return to her after the war – a promise that becomes difficult to keep after Luke emerges from the war broken and unable to remember the woman he once loved.

 

Based on the summary, I initially went into this one thinking the story would be predictable, but was pleasantly surprised that the author ended up taking an entirely different direction than I anticipated.  Right off the bat, the structure of the story was already unique, as it started off with snippets of what sounds like a letter from a soldier to his lost love, and then from there, the narrative goes back and forth in time, slowly revealing bits and pieces of a story that we don't get a full picture of until the very last pages. It was an interesting structure and I came away with a sense of awe at how the story turned out (with my immediate reaction being to go back through some of the previous sections in the later timeline to validate the way the threads came together). 

 

In terms of the writing, Ashcroft's style here was very descriptive, and like most good historical fiction, atmospheric to the point that I felt transported to the time and place and circumstances that the characters were experiencing.  With that said though, some parts were a bit too descriptive and unnecessarily drawn out, but fortunately it didn't detract too much from the overall story (at least it didn't to me).   I found this to be an immersive read – so much so that I ended up finishing it in two sittings without even realizing it.  My one complaint though, as I alluded to earlier, was that some parts of the story frustrated me, especially as it pertained to a few of the characters (i.e. Maddy and her mother Alice) and the (at times) seemingly intentional lack of communication between some of them which resulted in things happening that I felt were preventable.  I saw these instances as "melodrama for melodrama's sake," which never fail to annoy me whenever they occur in any story (not just this one).  Luckily, these moments were few enough that it didn't negatively impact the story in a huge way.

 

So far, it looks like my 2021 reading life is getting off to a good start.  While there's no way for me to anticipate how this new year will turn out, one thing I can always rely on is that I will encounter at least a few (hopefully way more) good books that enhance my reading experience.  I'm excited and definitely looking forward to it!

 

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

 

Review: Don't Look For Me (by Wendy Walker)

My Rating: 4 stars

This is the third of Wendy Walker’s psychological thrillers that I’ve read and I feel like with each book, the way she crafts her stories gets better and better.  Oftentimes with this genre, it can be quite difficult to come up with a fresh story that doesn’t feel like it’s been done before, but with her books, Walker consistently manages to come up with a story that is not only unique, but also creative as well as intricately plotted.  What also stands out with her works is that there is substance to the story in the form of specific issues that are being grappled with in society or sometimes a moral dilemma that there is usually no resolution for.  A lot of thrillers simply entertain and end up being forgettable afterwards – but Walker’s books (the 3 I’ve read so far at least) all ended up giving me “food for thought” on certain issues, which is actually what I hope to get from all my reading experiences.

This time around, with Don’t Look For Me, Walker presents us with another strong but flawed female protagonist in Molly Clarke, whose family is still shattered by a tragedy that occurred 5 years ago.  After a particularly devastating argument with her eldest daughter Nichole, Molly decides to make the 4 hour drive across town to visit her son Evan at his school.  On her way home, she is caught in the middle of a storm with her car dangerously low on gas.  Hours later, her car would be found abandoned by the side of the road, with her cell phone left in the charging dock.  A few days later, a note would be found at a nearby hotel – a note signed by Molly, containing an apology to her family and requesting that they don’t look for her.  Based on this, the case is closed, with the assumption that Molly decided to “walk away” from the aftermath of a tragedy that made her life no longer worth living.  All efforts to find her are stopped and her family is advised that this type of thing happens all the time, and that they should find a way to move on with their lives.  But did Molly Clarke really just “walk away” to start a new life, not wanting to be found?  Or is there something more sinister at play?  

Through an alternating timeline -- starting with Molly on the day she disappeared, then 2 weeks later from her daughter Nichole’s perspective – the premise drew me in from the getgo and from there, I found this one hard to put down.  Of course, I don’t want to say too much, since the rule of thumb is always to go into these suspense / thriller novels knowing as little as possible.  With that in mind, this review will be deliberately brief and vague.  One thing I do want to mention is that this story was definitely well-plotted and suspenseful, but in more of a “slow-burn” rather than “action-packed” manner (though this didn’t prevent me from wanting to turn the pages and find out what was coming next).  Also, unlike many of the suspense / thrillers I’ve read lately, this one actually kept me guessing from beginning to end, which meant I wasn’t able to figure out the culprit or how things would pan out in the end – definitely a good thing, since a thriller that is “easy to figure out” takes all the “fun” out of reading it.  With all that said though, while the “big reveal” at the end was definitely surprising and not at all what I thought it would be, it wasn’t the “jaw-dropping, shocking twist” type of reveal that I had been expecting – in fact, it actually felt a bit anti-climactic for some reason, at least to me.  Regardless though, this was still overall a great read.  Wendy Walker is absolutely on my short list of “go-to” authors now in terms of psychological thrillers and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for us next.  Meanwhile though, I need to find time to squeeze in her backlist books at some point – hopefully sooner rather than later.

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.