Goodreads

Release date: June 20, 2023

Publisher: Minotaur

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door in a chilling story of murder and intrigue set in a well-to-do DC suburb.

Sometimes the darkest acts occur in the most beautiful houses…

When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.

In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.

Review:

Ooffff I just really didn’t like this one so I’m gonna keep it brief. This was a quick read and I was very curious to see where it was going but unfortunately I really didn’t like where it was going. Leading up to the freaking odd and silly ending everything was a slow burn with very unlikable characters and not in the fun love to hate them type of way. It was just a mess for me and about the only thing I liked was that at least it was a quick read.

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 18, 2023

Publisher: St. Martins

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

Review:

This one was just pure fun, if you like gossipy neighborhood domestic suspense you’ll enjoy this I bet. There’s a lot going on here as it basically follows every resident on Alton Road so there’s quite a few characters to keep track of but they intertwine in a scandalous and satisfying way. It alternates between present day and then a year prior leading up to the night of the murder and the slow unraveling of so many people with so many secrets was juicy and fun. This is the perfect poolside summer read, lots of drama, betrayal and it doesn’t require a lot of brain power which is basically my summer mood.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.

Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.

After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.

Review:

I absolutely adored the authors last book, The Dead Romantics so I was thrilled to be able to read this one early. The authors brand of romance is such a delightful mixture of tender and quirky and it just works so well together. This is a gentle romance, everything is handled in such a soft and sensitive manner and it gives the whole thing a deeply romantic feeling. The addition of a time slip just adds a magical quality to everything and the balance between that uniqueness and Clementine working through her grief just worked out so beautifully in the end. There’s something special about this authors books, this one shouldn’t be missed.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 18, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of My Lovely Wife comes a reckless, delicious thriller about a young couple that gives a whole new meaning to the dangers of modern dating.

Wes and Ivy are madly in love. They’ve never felt anything like it. It’s the kind of romance people write stories about.

But what kind of story?

Because when it’s good, it’s great. Flowers. Grand gestures. Deep meaningful conversations where the whole world disappears.

When it’s bad, it’s really bad. Vengeful fights. Damaged property. Arrest warrants.

But their vicious cycle of catastrophic breakups and head-over-heels reconnections needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy–and she’s a detective.

There’s something Wes and Ivy never talk about–in good times or bad. The night of their worst breakup, when one of them took things too far, and someone ended up dead.

If they can stick together, they can survive anything–even the tightening net of a police investigation.

Because one more breakup might just be their last…

Review:

If you like reading about toxic relationships this was one dark and twisted tale. I was immediately drawn into this one, the way the author wrote and left little tidbits and clues throughout kept me so intrigued and flipping the pages to see what little bit of information she would reveal next. Ivy and Wes were both super interesting characters and I could never quite figure out who was reliable or if either of them even were. You also get to the perspective of a detective and this was another interesting aspect that gave everything a cat and mouse feeling. I really enjoyed this addictive read, if you like Carola Lovering this had a similar vibe.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 20, 2023

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

Review:

Nothing says summer like a new Riley Sager thriller for so I was excited to kick off my own summer reading with his latest. This one was pretty wild with some solid twists but things did feel a little unnecessarily complicated and convenient at times. Not a huge deal for me, I was super entertained but something to keep in mind if suspending disbelief is an issue for you. The setting of this one was so good, a creepy and crumbling old mansion set on a precarious cliff side?! Say less. For some reason when I started this I didn’t recall that it was set in the early eighties but when I realized it I was even more excited. Something about a creepy and sinister house in the past just worked for me. If you like solving long buried mysteries, fantastic settings and plenty of delicious twists this was fun!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: Dell

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

When a single dad meets the former rock star crush of his youth, everything they thought they knew about happiness and love is thrown into chaos in this hopeful, heartwarming romantic comedy

Billy Perkins is happy. No, for real. It’s kind of his thing, actually. And why wouldn’t he be? He loves his job as an independent music teacher and his apartment in Baltimore above a record shop called Charm City Rocks. Most of all, he loves his brainy teenage son, Caleb. Although not the world’s most traditional parent, Billy has plenty to teach his son about art and manhood before Caleb goes off to college.

Margot Hammer, on the other hand, is far from happy. The former drummer of the once-famous rock band Burnt Flowers, she’s now a rock and roll recluse living alone in New York City. When a new music documentary suddenly puts Margot back in the spotlight, she begins to realize how much she misses her old band and the music that gave her life meaning.

Billy has always had a crush on Margot. But she’s a legitimate rock star—or at least, she was—so he never thought he’d actually meet her. Until Caleb, worried that his easygoing dad might actually be lonely, cooks up a scheme to get Margot to perform at Charm City Rocks.

It’s the longest of long shots, but Margot’s label has made it clear that any publicity is an opportunity she can’t afford to miss. When their paths collide, Billy realizes that he maybe wasn’t as happy as he thought—and Margot learns that sometimes the sweetest music is a duet.

Review:

I’m a fan of the author and was curious to read a book that seemed like a slight departure from his usual straight up fiction style. I’ve seen this labeled as a romance in a few places and while I kind of see it, I wouldn’t solely call it a romance. I think it’s more of a general fiction with a romantic subplot but it’s about much more than just a burgeoning romance between Billy and Margot. It’s about family and what that can look like in modern times, it’s about second chances, not only in love but in life in general and it’s also about just a typical family and a snapshot of their lives. The romantic elements here also have a feel of maturity and that’s probably because Billy and Margot are in their forties but I appreciated their growth as well as their relatable humor. This was really sweet, charming and a total love letter to Baltimore, a city I’m unfamiliar with but really enjoyed reading about.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 27, 2023

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Finding the truth seems impossible when her own dark past has her seeing lies everywhere she looks…

From the outside, criminal psychiatrist Dr. Madeline Pine’s life appears picture-perfect—she has a beautiful family, a successful mental health practice, and a growing reputation as an expert in female violence. But when she’s called to help investigate a mysterious death at a boarding school for troubled teenage girls, Madeline hesitates. She’s been through tragic cases before, and the one she was entangled in last year nearly destroyed her…

Yet she can’t turn away when she hears about Charley Ridley. After Charley was found barefoot and in pajamas at the bottom of an icy ravine on campus, the police ruled her death a tragic accident. But the private investigator hired by her mother has his doubts. If it were Madeline’s daughter who died, she’d want to know why.

Arriving at the secluded campus in upstate New York, Madeline’s met by an unhelpful skeleton staff and the four other students staying on campus during winter break. Each seems to hold a piece of the puzzle. And everyone has secrets—Madeline included. But who would kill to protect them?

This stunning suspense debut is told with a narrative that intertwines with the transcript of an anonymous interview, beginning a twisting path where nothing—and no one—is what it seems. It’s sure to appeal to readers of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley—fans of locked room mysteries and jaw-dropping twists.

Review:

Ok this one snuck up on me and the ending kinda flipped my entire rating on its head. It was kind of an odd reading experience for me. I was initially into it, things started off pretty good and the setting was strong. The whole isolated boarding school on 300 acres thing was a pretty creepy vibe and then it flipped back and forth between Madeline’s viewpoint and a year prior with a transcript between two anonymous people. As I really settled into the story I did get a little frustrated though, there were lots of things about Madeleine that irritated me, it was the whole damaged female character who doesn’t know if she can trust herself because she takes meds schtick that I’m getting real tired of. But I pushed on despite this and the slow burn because I just had a feeling it may pay off. It mostly did I guess? The ending was pretty shocking and definitely not what I was expecting, it verges on banana’s territory but it surprised me, so I’ll take it. If you have patience with this one I kind of feel like the ending makes it worth it.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

The ultimate summer nostalgia read, about an engaged woman who comes face to face with her first love who she hasn’t seen in fourteen years, but who she spent every summer with from age five to seventeen when he broke her heart, calling into question everything she thought she knew about their love story, and herself.

Beach Rules:
Do take long walks on the sand.
Do put an umbrella in every cocktail.
Do NOT run into your first love.

Sam’s life is on track. She has the perfect doctor fianc�, Jack (his strict routines are a good thing, really), a great job in Manhattan (unless they fire her), and is about to tour a wedding venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. Everything should go to plan, yet the minute she arrives, Sam senses something is off. Wyatt is here. Her Wyatt. But there’s no reason for a thirty-year-old engaged woman to feel panicked around the guy who broke her heart when she was seventeen. Right?

Yet being back at this beach, hearing notes from Wyatt’s guitar float across the night air from next door as if no time has passed–Sam’s memories come flooding back: the feel of Wyatt’s skin on hers, their nights in the treehouse, and the truth behind their split. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.

Review:

I absolutely adored the authors last book, Nora Goes Off Script so to say this was a highly anticipated read for me is putting it mildly. This was a mix between a second chance romance but also friends to lovers as Wyatt and Sam started dating as teens and were friends first. Sam is about to marry someone else and I don’t usually enjoy a love triangle but it was well done here so it didn’t even bother me a little bit. There was some serious nostalgia here as the author captured the magic of first love so perfectly and combine that will all the summery vibes and I was swooning. Overall this was such a well rounded romance with amazing characters you will connect with, a fun setting and a love story that will give you all of the feels.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

What makes life sweet?

When Harper Shaw’s life falls apart, she knows it’s time for a change. She removes everything that doesn’t spark joy—from her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making lists—and sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldn’t feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery. With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace she’s never experienced since…well, forever.. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secrets… When those secrets explode, it changes Harper’s new world, and she’ll learn, it’s never too late to start over, it’s never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, it’s never too late to let yourself believe in love.

Review:

Reading a Jill Shalvis book is like a warm hug for me. It’s soft and cuddly and never fails to make me feel squishy inside, seriously such a delight. She writes the most adorable and hilarious romances but there’s always something a little bit extra too making her books such multidimensional reads.

This is the fourth book in the Sunrise Cove series but you don’t have to read them in order. Each book follows a completely new set of characters but they’re all in the same town. When I saw this one followed Harper as she opens a bakery I was so excited, it doesn’t get cuter than that. Bodie was exactly the type of swoony worthy hero I expect from the author, he’s a closed off and quiet guy but he has his reasons and those reasons really tugged on my heartstrings. Ivy broke my heart and made me want to mother her so hard and her dynamic with both Harper and Bodie was almost as fun for me to read about as their burgeoning romance. Loved this one so much, JS just keeps getting better and better!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 30, 2023

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle.

It’s been a minute—or five years—since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves.

But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.

A deeply honest tribute to the growing pains of selfhood and the people who keep us going, coupled with Steven Rowley’s signature humor and heart, The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.

Review:

I was drawn to this one because of the unique premise and the whole concept of living funerals, what a wonderful idea. Initially the idea of that can sound a little bleak, but the thought of making sure loved ones know exactly how you feel and what kind of impact they have had on your life is so special and touching. I love the authors brand of humor and wit and there was some wisdom here that really spoke to me. While there is a lot of emotional trauma here the balance between the heavier stuff and lighter moments was great for me and I found it to be heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Fans of The Guncle will be pleased.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.