Goodreads

Release date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Little Brown

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hotel Nantucket : After tragedy strikes, Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages in her life to spend an unforgettable weekend on Nantucket.

Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.

So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.

The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it hap- pens, has many secrets.

The Five-Star Weekend is a surprising and captivating story about friendship, love, and self-discovery set on Nantucket. It will be a weekend like no other.

Review:

Since I have been reading the authors books once a year for many years now it almost feels like I’m getting my own sort of Nantucket vacation through her summer reads. She does such an incredible job at creating a sense of place you truly feel like you’re right beside the characters and this was no exception. She has a knack for describing food in the most mouthwatering and appealing way and I swear if I ever actually visited Nantucket for real it would be mostly for the food. Her characters are always so well drawn too, even though her books are the ultimate beach reads there’s always some depth because of her great characterization. This book had some super messy and relatable women in this group of “friends” and then you also get cameos from characters in previous books which is such a treat. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading one of the authors books to get you ready for summer this is a great place to start!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Bantam

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Summer and Leo would do anything for each other. Inspired by the way each has had to carve her place in a hostile and unforgiving world, and united by the call of the open road, they travel around sunny California in Summer’s tricked-out Land Cruiser. It’s not a glamorous life, but it gives them the freedom they crave from the painful pasts they’ve left behind. But even free spirits have bills to pay. Luckily, Summer is a skilled pickpocket, a small-time thief, and a con artist–and Leo, determined to pay her own way, has learned a trick or two.

Eager for a big score, Leo catches in her crosshairs Michael Forrester, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist. When her charm wins him over, Leo is rewarded with an invitation to his private island off the California coastline for a night of fabulous excess. She eagerly anticipates returning with photos that can be sold to the paparazzi, jewelry that can be liquidated, and endless stories to share with Summer.

Instead, Leo disappears.

On her own for the first time in years, Summer decides to infiltrate Michael’s island and find out what really happened. But when she arrives, no one has seen Leo–she’s not on the island as far as they know. Plus, there was only one way on the island–and no way off–for the coming days. Trapped in a scheme she helped initiate, could Summer have met her match?

Review:

I was super into the premise of this one, the whole off the grid nomad life style combined with a grifter was super interesting and I was immediately drawn to both Summer and Leo as characters. The fast pacing didn’t hurt either, it definitely kept my attention and I was so invested I finished in just a few sittings. It’s an ideal read if you want a thriller that dabbles in darkness but is mostly light, definitely a juicy popcorn style read perfect for the summer. It does get a little wild in terms of believability but I had fun with it overall.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 20, 2023

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Stars. Lovers. Liars. Killers. This is Hollywood, and everyone has a part to play in a shocking novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.

Actress Nora Kemp loves two men. One is Hugh Iverson, a philanthropic movie star who gives Nora security and respectability. The other is Hugh’s twin brother, Trent, a Hollywood bad boy who brings out Nora’s wild side. When Trent and an unidentified woman are found dead on the Iversons’ Beverly Hills property, more than Nora’s and Hugh’s reputations are at stake.

An investigation suggests murder-suicide. But there’s more to the crime than first meets the eye: suspicions of a serial killer with a bizarre motive, Hugh’s unnerved and cautious staff, and a missing mother and son. As two LA detectives sift through the deceptions of the innocent and the guilty—some living and some dead—solving the case becomes a cunning cat-and-mouse game.

Because in a city of illusions, the truth—no matter how dangerous—is so easy to hide.

Review:

This read almost exactly like watching a juicy and dramatic soap opera style show and I mean that in the best way. Sometimes I just want brain candy and this fit the bill for my mood. It’s told via a bunch of different perspectives and while at first glance I thought maybe there were too many, once I settled into the story it actually worked well. There are lots of chapters from one of the detectives working the case so it gave it a strong police procedural feel, so keep that in mind whether you like that style or not. I enjoy it and love the feeling of solving a case alongside a detective so again, that aspect worked for me. There were some really fun twists too, yes they were over the top and you may have to stretch your beliefs a little but they were entertaining. This would be a really fun poolside read, it’s scandalous and fast paced.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 16, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

When a woman who’d rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Timesbestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who’s dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn’t interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

Review:

Ok this one was adorable and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would which is always such a pleasant surprise. I wanted to read it based on the title alone, I mean how could a bookworm not want to read a book called Summer Reading?! I’m not even sure I fully read the synopsis before I started it but I’m glad, every little nugget that was revealed was like another little treat for me. I love foodie fiction so Samantha being a chef was great. Sibling stories also always appeal to me and you don’t often see brother and sister stories where there is such a wide age gap and Sam and Tyler’s relationship was so cute and funny. It also had all the summer vibes and a great Martha’s Vineyard setting so definitely consider it for your own summer vacation TBR. There was great dyslexia and neurodivergence representation as well, which is a topic I haven’t seen much in books and the authors not was so great and informative. Ben was the best kind of cinnamon hero, so endearing and charming and him and Sam were the sweetest match. Really enjoyed this one!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 9, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Two sisters have one summer to crush their comfort zones and save their grandmother’s legacy in this sweet, sexy, and heartfelt novel by Ali Brady, author of The Beach Trap .

Hannah and Libby need a miracle. The PR agency they inherited from their grandmother is losing clients left and right, and the sisters are devastated at the thought of closing. The situation seems hopeless—until in walks Lou, an eccentric self-help guru who is looking for a new PR agency. Her business could solve all their problems—but there’s a catch. Whoever works with Lou must complete a twelve-week challenge as part of her “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program.

Hannah, whose worst nightmare is making small talk with strangers, is challenged to go on twelve first dates. Libby, who once claimed to have period cramps for four weeks straight to get out of gym class, is challenged to compete in an obstacle course race. The challenges begin with Hannah helping Libby train and Libby managing the dating app on her sister’s behalf. They’re both making good progress—until Hannah’s first love rolls into town, and Libby accidentally falls for a guy she’s supposed to be setting up with her sister.

Things get even more complicated when secrets come to light, making the sisters question the one relationship they’ve always counted each other. With their company’s future on the line, they can’t afford to fail. But in trying to make a comeback to honor their grandmother, are they pushing themselves down the wrong path?

Review:

I loved the author duos debut last year so I had high expectations for their follow up and let me tell you, they delivered! This is a quintessential summer read, a total delight and I loved every single page. This is truly a story about sisters and their close relationship but you also get two romance storylines, one for each sister too. You get a second chance romance, Jewish representation deep themes of family and what that can mean and look like and mental health issues. It’s definitely multifaceted and so are Libby and Hannah. I kind of wish I had saved this for summer vacation reading because it would’ve been ideal but definitely add it to your own summer TBR, it was so so good!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s—and the reunion special, thirteen years after their scandalous flameout, that will either be their last chance at redemption, or destroy them all for good.

Back in 2004, The Daydreams had it all: a cast of innocent-seeming teenagers acting and singing their hearts out, amazing ratings, and a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that steamed up fan fiction forums. Then, during the live season two finale, it all imploded, leaving everyone scrambling to understand why.

Afterward, the four stars went down very different paths. Kat is now a lawyer in Washington, DC. Liana is the bored wife of a famous athlete. Noah, the show’s golden boy, emerged unscathed and is poised to become a household name. And Summer, the object of Noah’s fictional (and maybe real-life) affections, is the cautionary tale.

But now the fans are demanding a reunion special. The stars all have private reasons to come back: forgiveness, revenge, a second chance with a first love. But as they tentatively rediscover the magic of the original show, old secrets threaten to resurface—including the real reason behind their downfall.

Will this reunion be a chance to make things right? Or will it be the biggest mess the world has ever seen? No matter what, the ratings will be wild.

Review:

This was very middle of the road for me and I’m not exactly sure why because the setup had so much potential for me but there was something missing in the execution. I think I wanted more depth in the characters, things jump back and forth between 2004 and 2018 so I had assumed the characters would show some growth but sadly they didn’t for me. Kat narrates the majority of this with snippets from the other cast members and I didn’t connect with her at all either. The conflict was also lacking in my opinion, I expected something more juicy so overall this one was just ok for me.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.