Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves (NetGalley ARC, pub 7/7) ⭐⭐⭐💫This was both beautiful and painful to read. The formatting of the dialogue was unfortunately very frustrating, and in some ways the stories felt repetitive. I ended up skimming some sections since I couldn’t commit to reading the full book closely. I did read the note at the end and appreciated the life-affirming message. Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC.
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella (NetGalley ARC, pub 6/30) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I finished this a couple days after the publication date because I needed to take my time with it. If you can embrace the sadness, it is a really beautiful story. But yes, it made me cry multiple times. It is the kind of book that makes you reflect on the goodness and beauty in life, and that you want to hug at the end.
Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts (Marlow #5) by Robert Thorogood (NetGalley ARC, pub 7/7) ⭐⭐⭐💫 It was fun to be reunited with these characters, but the storyline confused me for a chunk of the book. It felt a bit more campy than mysterious at times, but I liked how things tied together at the end of the book. I saw some pieces coming, and some surprised me. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.
Food is a Feeling by Carla Lalli ⭐⭐⭐ This book started with an emotional wallop of the author describing her first night alone during a divorce. And as I kept reading, I realized this book couldn’t device if it was a divorce memoir or a cookbook. I guess I went into this expecting more of a cookbook as I own and enjoy one of her earlier books, but the narrative sections caught me by surprise and was trying hard for resilience but often felt like a bummer. Some of the recipes looked appealing, but some felt more like just vibes (e.g. cereal and milk, seltzer and fresca, etc.). Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter for the ARC.
The Shippers by Katherine Center (NetGalley ARC, pub 5/19) ⭐⭐⭐ This was my fifth Katherine Center novel, and unfortunately not my one of my favorites. The writing for the first half of the book felt rather manic and wacky. It had that jubilant bouncy style, but cranked up a few too many notches for my taste. I found the female main character annoying and was unconvinced by the repeated statements that she was brilliant. For the last third of the book, the story hit its stride and had more of the elements I’ve enjoyed in her other books, but this one felt more cloying than sweet.
The Anniversary by Alex Finlay (NetGalley ARC, pub 5/12) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I took a chance on this book after reading a Minotaur sampler preview. I am usually wary of anything labeled thriller, but this one focused more on character development than gory details. I appreciated getting to see the two main characters mature over time as their lives intersected and the book created a strong sense of place. I read half the book in one sitting, and finished it on May 1, the anniversary day. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC.
Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer (NetGalley ARC, pub 5/5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I didn't take this book immediately, but once I did, I was all in. You know those times when you are out doing other things, but you just want to get home to read your book? That's how I felt with this book. Much like Brammer's previous book, Collected Regrets of Clover, this book was a warm hug mixed with some real reflection on the human experience and the wisdom that comes with age. It confronted real challenges but always with humor and warmth. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung (NetGalley ARC, pub 5/12) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book proved to a very propulsive thriller, with plenty of danger and suspense without being gruesome (a reason I am often wary of thrillers). I wasn't sure how this would flow having two authors, but it didn't feel disjointed and particularly in some of the descriptions near the end I could sense Penny's familiar voice. Many of the themes felt eerily timely which added a layer of realism. I found some of the characters annoying but appreciated their evolution throughout the novel. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC.
The Minotaur Sampler, Vol 21 (NetGalley ARC, pub 2/3) ⭐⭐⭐ Another collection of new mystery/thrillers. I sampled the following excerpts: The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten - definitely spooky and suspenseful, but the main character felt unrelatable which was a turnoff. Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan - creepy vibes but also kind of sad. Possibly animal cruelty. Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox - this didn’t grab me much. But I liked how the end of the last chapter from the excerpt was a bit of a teaser that would have kept me reading if I had the full book. Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead - the writing style for this one didn’t work for me. Killer Vibes by Jack Friday - I already have the ARC for this from a word of mouth recommendation and so it was fun to read through the initial teaser, which went in some unexpected directions already. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Liar’s Creek by Matt Goldman (NetGalley ARC, pub 5/5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫The story felt slow paced for me for about the first third, but it was intriguing enough with excellent writing to keep this impatient reader going. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the setting and the second half was fast-paced enough to keep me turning pages quickly to uncover the story's resolution. It looks like this may be the first in a new series which I would definitely read more of. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Double Shadow by Andrew Ludington (Splinter Effect #2) (NetGalley ARC, pub 4/21) ⭐⭐⭐⭐This was a bit slow for the first 25% and then started to pick up and engaged me a lot more. A lot of the ancient history goes over my head but I like the descriptions and the character development, plus this book had some pretty exciting action in the final third. The two primary characters in the first book got a lot more development in this one and both become more likeable. I also enjoyed that some of the story included more modern times. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
A Far-flung Life by M.L. Stedman (NetGalley ARC, pub 3/3) ⭐⭐⭐💫 Beautiful writing, interesting setting (Western Australia), and a good family drama, but just too dark for me and just too sweeping to hold my attention properly. It is definitely an uncomfortable read. Multiple content warnings. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
