The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold by Ally Carter

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold by Ally Carter (NetGalley ARC, pub date 8/5) ⭐⭐⭐  I really enjoyed the Blonde Identity, so was really excited for the sequel, but this one did not retain the magic. I think the biggest issue was the decision to make the storytelling so choppy as it bounced back and forth between present day and 8 years ago, with each chapter being about 3-5 pages long. Between the time and location jumps, the story was hard to follow and with so much of it being backstory, there wasn't much dramatic tension or stakes until the final pages. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce

Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce (NetGalley ARC, pub date 8/5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Oh how comforting it was to be back with these beloved and familiar characters. This book made me cry several times, but in a good way. I appreciated the issues it raised while also offering a view of how humans persevere through the most difficult of circumstances.