Back After This by Linda Holmes

Back After This by Linda Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for gifting me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Cecily Foster loves to make podcasts. She fiercely protects her colleagues, dearly adores her friends, and never misses dinner with her sister. But after a disastrous relationship with a colleague who stole her heart and her ideas, she’s put romantic love on hold.

When the boss who’s disappointed her again and again finally offers her the chance to host her own show, she wants to be thrilled. But there’s a catch—actually, two catches. First, the show will be about Cecily’s dating life. And second, she has to follow the guidance of influencer and newly minted relationship coach Eliza Cassidy, whose relentlessly upbeat attitude seems ready-made for social media, not real life.

Cecily would rather do anything other than put her singledom on display (ugh) or take advice from the internet (UGH). But when her boss hints that doing the show is the only way to protect a friend’s job, she realizes she has no choice.

To make matters more complicated, once she’s committed to twenty blind dates of Eliza’s choosing, Cecily finds herself unable to stop thinking about Will, a photographer she helped to rescue a very big and very lovable lost dog. Even though there are sparks between the two, Will’s own path is uncertain, and Eliza’s skeptical comments about Cecily’s decision-making aren’t helping. On the one hand, Will seems great. But on the other hand . . . don’t they all?

As Cecily struggles to balance the life she truly desires and the one Eliza wants to create for her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Can Cecily sort through all the advice and find a way to do what she loves without losing herself in the process?
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This book was a very fun read. I am a big fan of podcasts, so the behind-the-scenes insight into them was enjoyable to explore, and I really liked getting to know Cecily and hearing her story. I am a sucker for any novel that has a dog in it, so Buddy was a welcome addition to the action. I also liked that it wasn't predictable...I was pretty sure I knew what the HEA was going to be, but I was never quite sure how we were going to get there.

There were also enough "bad guys" thrown in for me to have someone to root against, which upped the satisfaction I felt when our heroine ended up sticking it them in the end. My only complaint is that some of resolutions felt a little tepid after the consistent action of the first 3/4 of the book. All-in-all, however, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a smart romance with some humor thrown in.

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Beach Read (an oldie but goodie) by Emily Henry

Beach Read by Emily Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the past, if you were to ask me what my favorite Emily Henry book was, I would tell you without hesitation that it was this one. When I first read it back when it was released in 2020, I devoured it in one day and LOVED it. However, at that time, I didn't write a review because, well, I really usually only write reviews for books that I read advanced copies of, and this was not one of those.

Recently, I have gotten in the habit of going back and listening to some books that I have loved. I OD'd on political podcasts over the course of the last year, and now I like to spend my driving time listening to audiobooks, and this has given me the wonderful opportunity to revisit some of my old friends like Abby Jimenez's masterpieces and some of my favorites from Christina Lauren, and I have spent the last ten days or so listening to Beach Read. I am happy to report that it is still my favorite Emily Henry book.

Everything I loved about this book is still true. The setting, the characters, the plot...the way this author can just transport me into the middle of her story. The narrator for this audiobook is amazing. And because it had been 4 1/2 years since I had read the book, while I still had the impressions of what I loved about the book, I didn't have total recall of all the details, so rereading it was almost like reading it again for the first time. While Emily Henry has given us some wonderful works in the years since this one, I don't know that any will ever compare to this, my first. I once again give it an enthusiastic five stars and have loved the time I spent immersed in it.

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The Love Haters by Katherine Center (SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The Love Haters by Katherine Center
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WHAT IS THIS IN MY EMAIL? An invitation to read an advanced copy of Katherine Center’s new book? BRB, I have some reading to do!!

Thank you SO MUCH to St. Martin’s Press (via NetGalley) for not making me wait until May to read this!

There is something about opening a Katherine Center book that just brings a smile to my face. I know that I can look forward to a strong, relatable FMC, a swoon-worthy MMC, and a story that has some meat to it. I have been divorced for over a decade now and have no desire even to dip my toe into the dating scene, but I devour romantic comedies like this one, and once again, this author has delivered.
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Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past―now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim―but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue―along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.
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Less than seven hours have passed since I got the email offering me the opportunity to read The Love Haters, and I just finished it. To say that I accomplished nothing else today is an understatement. I carried my Kindle around the house with me as I did what little I did get done so that I could just keep reading. I loved Katie and found her so relatable, as she struggled with some of the very same things that I have in my past, and I enjoyed so much the dance that she and Hutch did around each other. The supporting cast of characters lent so much to the story, and as always, the research into the details was impeccable...I even learned a little something! All in all, this was an amazing way to spend my afternoon, and the only downside is that I now will have to wait over a year to have another new Katherine Center book to enjoy!

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You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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When renowned anonymous author J. R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance—particularly since she has an ax to grind with one of the invitees. The guest list? Six thriller authors, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem.

Confess the crimes, survive the tropes.

Alastor and Mila have masterminded a week of games, trope-fueled riddles, and maybe a jump scare or two—the perfect cover for Mila to plot a murder of her own. But when a guest turns up dead—and it’s not the murder she planned—Mila finds herself trapped in a different narrative altogether.

One by one, you’ll lose your turn.

With a storm cutting off the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who knows literally every trick in the book.

Until only one of us remains…
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I first was drawn to this book because it reminded me a little bit of the movies Murder by Death and Clue, both long time favorites of mine. Murder, a mansion, writers, games, riddles...all of it seemed to have the makings of a good, twisty story. I have been a casual thriller reader in the past, but this year I have really leaned in and have been tearing through thrillers, and I was looking forward to reading this one when it was released. Reading it before its release date was an unexpected bonus!

It did take a little bit of time for the action to ramp up in this book, but once it did, I was all in. The twists and turns kept coming, and there were plenty of times that I was truly surprised by what happened next, which is what I think we always hope for when we are reading a thriller. The final twist at the end was not one that I saw coming, and I came away feeling very satisfied with the outcome.

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The Note by Alafair Burke

The Note by Alafair Burke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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It was meant to be a harmless prank.

Growing up, May Hanover was a good girl, always. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule-follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up, let alone fail. Her friends didn’t call her the Little Sheriff for nothing.

But even good girls have secrets. And regrets. When it comes to her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey, she's had her fair share of both. Their bond—forged when May was just twelve years old—has withstood a tragic accident, individual scandals, heartbreak and loss. Now the three friends have reunited for the first time in years for a few days of sun and fun in the Hamptons. But a chance encounter with a pair of strangers leads to a drunken prank that goes horribly awry.

When she finds herself at the center of an urgent police investigation, May begins to wonder whether Lauren and Kelsey are keeping secrets from her, testing the limits of her loyalty to lifelong friends.

What had they gone and done?
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I have been deep in my thriller era in 2024, so I was excited to try out a new-to-me author in the thriller genre. I will definitely check out Alafair Burke's backlist after having read her newest! The Note had some of the elements that really make me appreciate a great novel...a setting that I can imagine myself in the midst of, characters that I really resonate with, enough intrigue and suspense to keep me reading, and twists that aren't so twisty that they feel forced. I enjoyed the friendship among the three FMCs, especially since I was also a summer camp girl in my past and know well the kind relationships that can be forged there. Once I got through the beginning chapters, I settled in and finished the entire book in one sitting. I do have to admit that I figured out who the "bad guy" was a little bit before the big reveal, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the journey to get there. All in all, this was a fun read and one I would definitely recommend to any thriller fan.

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Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. For the past seventeen years, they have had each other’s backs through all of life’s ups and downs.

But Sarah has begun to wonder . . . who is she without her other half?

When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memory of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter after all, independent and capable.

That is, until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.

The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances and doubts. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?

In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.

What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.
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I was a HUGE fan of the book that preceded this one, Out on a Limb, so when I got the email letting me know I was approved to receive an advanced copy of Out of the Woods, I was BEYOND excited! Bo and Win's story was just so much fun, and I was so excited to hear more from Hannah Bonam-Young, who I know is going to be an auto-buy author for me. I started this book sometime this afternoon, and I basically sat on my couch reading it until it was done. Was it just as good as Out on a Limb? Maybe not. Was it still a solid five-star read for me that had me believing in the power of love and HEAs? Absolutely.

Something I loved in this book is the relationships among the minor characters in the book, almost to the point that there was a small ensemble cast of characters that lent a found family element to the book. Found family is one of my favorite book tropes, so I was all there for it, and anyone who has read Out of a Limb knows that found family is a major part of Sarah and Win's story. I loved learning more about their early years, and I loved seeing how people who have known each for so long can continue to grow in their relationships with one another.

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Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Knopf, via NetGalley, who provided me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.

Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer at the height of her powers.
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Anne Tyler is such a special kind of writer because she can take such ordinary subject matter and weave it into a beautful story. This book takes place the day before, the day of, and the day after Gail's daughter's wedding. How much of consequence can really be crammed into that story? But in telling the everyday story of everyday people doing everyday things, Tyler somehow crafts such a lovely tale, and at the end of it, I just found myself wanting to read more of these wonderful stories. It looks like 2025 is going to be the year of Anne Tyler for me because I have only read one other of her books, so I am lucky enough to have many more to explore. I am not even kidding you when I tell you that I read the last words, CLASPED MY ACTUAL HANDS OVER MY HEART, and said aloud in my living room that was empty except for me and my dogs, "Oh, perfect," as I teared up a little bit. So obviously this was a five-star read for me.

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