Goodreads

Release date: July 23, 2024

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

In a hazy 1960s Rhode Island summer, three disparate lives converge and combust in this riveting story of the empowerment women find in friendship, solidarity, and rage, from the author of Halfway to You.

Winifred is blunt, opinionated, and outrageously colorful. In a community that demands domesticity, she simply doesn’t fit. When her wealthy husband suddenly dies, Winifred’s fellow society housewives no longer have a reason to play nice. Cast out entirely, Winifred throws roaring parties for the clerks and waiters that serve the town, finding the connections she’s been craving—and upsetting the gentle balance of her elite neighborhood in the process.

Flailing artist Marie wants to paint over her past before the painful memories consume her. On the brink of making a longtime dream come true, her newfound friendship with Winifred might be the key to finally moving forward—or her undoing.

High-society housewife June weathers a chronic pain that would make other women faint. With her veneer crumbling, she has no patience for the free spirit shaking up her community. Filled with a mixture of obsessive hatred and fascination for the outcast, June’s determined to destroy Winifred and return her life to the way it used to be.

When slow-simmering summer secrets and resentments finally reach the boiling point, everyone is at risk of being burned. Polite Calamities explores what “community” really means when societal survival is at stake, and what happens when women decide it’s time to stop behaving and start living.

Review:

When I first read the synopsis of this one I immediately thought of The Last Great American Dynasty and the author said that was part of how she pitched it, so if you wanna read a book that embodies that song SO well this is it! This follows three women over the course of one summer and each woman had a unique and distinct voice. They were all incredibly well crafted and authentic, I adored Winifred so much! She was progressive and very modern for the time period, inclusive in a way that wasn’t common and in turn her acceptance and bucking of traditional rules and societal norms caused the women of the town to shun and isolate her. June was the leader of the pack so she was hard to like but as the book progressed I came to understand her more. Even though I never truly liked her I did come to a place where I realized she was a product of her environment and truly just didn’t know any better. Marie was definitely more likable, her pain and suffering was evident through the authors writing and portrayal, you could feel her sorrow yourself. This would be a perfect book club choice, there is a lot to unpack here. It’s emotional, deep, tragic and sad but it’s also at times hopeful and uplifting. I was totally captivated by this one and highly recommend it!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 16, 2024

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago. 

With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized. 

What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together. 

As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they’re building isn’t the something old that ruined them—it’s a chance at something new.

Review:

Gah this was sooo good and definitely will be one of my favorite romances at the end of the year. This is what I would call an incredibly well rounded romance, it’s full of messy angsty moments, the characters are well drawn and relatable, the setting gives all the amazing vibes and provides a beautiful backdrop for an emotional second chance romance and besides the romance the core friend group is everything you want in a secondary plot and more. It’s also deeply romantic and there were so many gorgeous quotable moments. I can’t say enough good things about this one, no notes. If you’re a romance reader this is a must!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 16, 2024

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

I don’t want the perfect marriage. I want revenge… 

If you had met me a year ago, you wouldn’t have noticed me. A beautiful woman, but a struggling nobody in a tiny apartment, invisible…

Meeting Paul changed that.

And now here I am in Paris, after a whirlwind courtship and a stunning beach proposal. I smile at my handsome husband, my eyes shining in the candlelight, my huge diamond ring sparkling on the starched white tablecloth. Other women look at me in envy. They see a couple completely in love.

They’re wrong.

Despite this incredible luxury vacation, my husband and I can’t escape our problems. I can’t get over what he did with that woman just after our wedding, and my bright smile can’t hide the hardness in my heart.

I wonder if Paul knows the truth. That our first meeting, when we fell in love, wasn’t the coincidence he thinks it was. That what I want from him has nothing to do with his money.

And now that he’s wronged me, I’ll stop at nothing to get it…

Review:

It’s been years since I read Best Day Ever but Paul is the type of character that is unforgettable and being back inside his world was so entertaining. It’s not often that a thriller makes me laugh but Paul is so unhinged and over the top I couldn’t help myself. I think going into this knowing as little as possible is the way to go, it’s such a fun and wild popcorn thriller, knowing nothing really made it a blast for me. If you like domestic suspense with unlikable and untrustworthy narrators this is for you. If somehow you missed the first book definitely read it first, you’ll be happy knowing the backstory of this man.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 9, 2024

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Berkley

Synopsis:

Growing up, Jessie and Hillary lived for summer, when they’d be reunited at Camp Chickawah. The best friends vowed to become counselors together someday, but they drifted apart after Hillary broke her promise and only Jessie stuck to their plan, working her way up to become the camp director. 

When Jessie learns that the camp will be sold, she decides to plan one last hurrah, inviting past campers—including Hillary—to a nostalgic “adult summer camp” before closing for good. Jessie and Hillary rebuild their friendship as they relive the best time of their lives—only now there are adult beverages, skinny dipping, and romantic entanglements. Straitlaced Hillary agrees to a “no strings attached” summer fling with the camp chef, while outgoing Jessie is drawn to a moody, reclusive writer who’s rented a cabin to work on his novel.

The friends soon realize this doesn’t have to be the last summer. They’ll team up and work together, just like the old days. But if they can’t save their beloved camp, will they be able to take the happiness of this summer away with them?

Review:

This book is a love letter to summer camp, and even though that’s not something I ever did as a child I really enjoyed this one. It’s part friendship fiction and part romance, you actually get two separate romances for both Jessie and Hillary which was fun. The authors did a great job at making me feel like I was right alongside everyone at camp and the adult camp aspect was unique and entertaining. This is the author duos third summery book and I have to say, they nailed it again, I’ll be looking forward to reading their summer releases for as long as they continue writing them. If you wanna a seasonal read that has a little something for everyone this was great!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 12, 2024

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

She knows everything about you… but can you trust her?

I walk in to my interview with Ava Green and carefully hand over my application. It’s all made up, of course, but Ava doesn’t have to know that.

There is so much worry in her blue eyes. Her phone pings with constant messages and a small stain marks her crisp shirt. Breakfast with her two little girls before heading out to this high-flying job every morning can’t be easy.

Ava needs me, I think. More than anything.

The interview goes perfectly, because I have made myself into the perfect assistant. Now I just hope Ava never finds out why I’m really here. Not before she lets me into her home, and I meet her charming husband, and get to babysit her children.

Because I have plans for Ava. She just has to trust me… 

Review:

I’ve read a couple of the authors books before and I really enjoy her style of suspense, there’s a quiet subtlety to it that I appreciate. I was very invested in this one from the start, I was so curious about Grace’s intentions and wondered where it was all going. I continued to be engaged throughout, there were plenty of smaller twists and turns to keep my attention but the big final reveal fell a little flat and lost me a bit. When the characters motivations were exposed I was underwhelmed and had hoped for a bit more but overall this was still an enjoyable read for me and I’ll definitely continue to read the authors books.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 9, 2024

Publisher: Poisoned Pen

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Regan Peters knows her husband John wants to give her and their children a good life. The long hours he puts in as a financial advisor prove his dedication, and despite how mysterious he is about his past, that’s been enough for her to get through the hard days. Until the FBI shows up at their door looking for John, and Regan learns that her husband has been running a Ponzi scheme, is mixed up with dangerous criminals, and has been living under an assumed identity all these years. Everything she thought she knew about her husband has been a lie.

That includes the outrageous birthday present John gifted her the day before he disappeared—a lake house, bought with cash, and put in her name only. With her life falling apart, Regan must make a split-second decision: does she tell the FBI about the house? Or does she buy some time to forge her own path to saving herself? But one compromise inevitably leads to another, and one dangerous secret builds on the next.

When her lies of omission to the FBI agents begin to raise questions, Regan becomes inextricably embroiled in John’s crimes, the true extent of which are just beginning to be revealed. Now that her comfortable life is clearly over, Regan is learning she is capable of far more than she ever imagined. She will do anything to protect herself, her children, and their future. Anything.

Review:

Give me a domestic suspense where a spouse has hidden things from their partner and I’m always interested but I’m even more invested if the author can put their own unique spin on things and I think the author managed to do that here. This is character driven, and as much as there is a solid plot it really is more about Regan and John and it dives deep into who they truly are at their core. I really relayed to Regan as a mother who will do anything for their kids. People say this all the time as a type of throwaway comment but she really proved it here. There were some really solid reveals and one in particular was unexpected for me but I don’t want to say much more to keep things a surprise. Overall I have no major complaints, this was an engaging mystery.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 23, 2024

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Leo Balanoff is a diagnosed pathological liar with unthinkable skeletons in his family’s closet. He’s also a crusading attorney who seeks justice at all costs. When a ruthless drug dealer is found dead and Leo’s fingerprints show up on the murder weapon, no one believes a word he says. But he might be the FBI’s only shot at taking down the dealer’s brutal syndicate.

Risk his life going undercover for the feds or head straight to prison for murder? Leo accepts the FBI’s offer—but it comes with a price, including a collision course with his ex, Andi Piotrowski, a former cop and “the one who got away.” Forced to walk a tightrope between an ambitious FBI agent and a cruel, calculating crime boss, Leo’s trapped in a corner. But he has more secrets than anyone realizes, and a few more cards left to play …

Review:

Based on the title you obviously know this will be full of secrets and lies but I was actually surprised by how many twists and turns this had. There were so many reveals I lost count, it was a constant and steady stream of subtle turns and sometimes downright shocking twists. It definitely kept me engaged and ready, I truly never knew exactly what would happen next. This is complex and intricately plotted, I would describe it as a smart thriller where not every single thing is spelled out for you but the author lays a trail and allows you to put the pieces together yourself. While it’s heavily plot driven there was also really good character development and depth making it such a multifaceted read. Fans of Harlan Coben will like this one, definitely similar vibes for me.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.