#elyrria'sbookreviews

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Book Review: Late Bloomer

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Late Bloomer was such a cute book! It satisfied all of my cottagecore, sapphic fantasies from the special interest in flowers to the sprawling farm in Asheville. It was an adorable comfort read straight out of Taylor Swift's folklore music album. One of the characters buys the other character greenhouses… What is more classic than that?

I loved Opal and Pepper's story. I deeply enjoyed the character development alongside the romance. For example, I thought (at first) that Opal was going to be a major pick-me with all the people-pleasing tendencies, but I was completely wrong. As the plot progresses, we see what a strong, smart, and loyal person she is to the people she loves. That was a refreshing arc! Both characters are neurodiverse (though Opal isn't sure what label fits her exactly), which was very relatable to an autistic person like me.

If there is a cozy, comforting (sapphic) version of Gilmore Girls, then this is it. Every detail was spot-on from autistic sensory issues to shoe art to niche special interests. (I loved Opal's fleeting special interest in the Victorian era. I felt seen.) The epilogue was so perfect! I wish I lived in Opal's and Pepper's world! If you like sapphic romance, this will pander directly to your most iconic and cottagecore princess fantasies!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at St. Martin's Griffin for my e-arc! I hope Mazey Eddings keeps writing sapphic romances, because I will most definitely be reading them all.

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Baby X Book Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Wow, what a fun ride!! Baby X is a unique and fast-paced science-fiction/medical/bioethics thriller about the dangers (and rewards) of engineering children. Baby X takes place on a future earth where, instead of having sex to create children, parents provide DNA samples to a lab. The lab then creates pluripotent stem cells from the sample, creates eggs and sperm, and engineers several embryos for the parents to choose from. The parents then choose (based on the stats and risk assessments) which embryo will be implanted for pregnancy.

This book contains everything we want in a sci-fi thriller: Morally grey heroines, total psychopaths, engineered babies, stolen DNA, kidnappings, celebrity stalking, family secrets, and a good dose of bioethical moral dilemmas. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! Baby X is described as Black Mirror meets Gattaca, and this was so true. I am always looking for sci-fi books that parallel the existential themes in Black Mirror, but it is so hard to find good ones that are grounded and focused. Kira Peikoff nailed it!

Kira Peikoff was compared to Blake Crouch and John Marrs in the book's description, and I could not agree more. Since science-fiction can be extremely intimidating to newcomers, especially if it is "hard" sci-fi, the niche sci-fi/thriller genre is an incredibly attractive entry point for people who want to dive in for the first time. As a science-fiction veteran reader, I can honestly say that some sci-fis are just flat out dry. I am so grateful to authors like Kira Peikoff for demonstrating that science-fiction can be speculative in a grounded way, while meeting the needs of readers who want more than jargon and engineering blueprints from their reading experience. Science-fiction does not always have to occur in the "out there" regions of space. Sometimes the most poignant stories are the ones that feel much closer to home… This is one of the ways Baby X sources its power.

Baby X made me feel hopeful, even though it also caters to that delicious "angst" we love from Black Mirror. Perhaps we are not so very far away from a similar earth experience where we can bring children into the world with the confidence that they will have the best chances of succeeding in life without dealing with horrific diseases or unnecessary suffering. Baby X is a symbol of how we are asking the big questions and preparing ourselves for such a time in the near future!

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC, so I could read this early. I feel incredibly lucky, and cannot wait to buy the hard copy version! Can someone please convince the author to write more Black Mirror-esque books? I am obsessed!

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The Dinner Party by Rebecca Heath Book Review

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Forty years ago, a baby went missing at a dinner party, held amongst family and friends. Now, Ruby Costa and her team are hosting a podcast to explore what really happened to Meghan Callaghan all those years ago. When a woman shows up claiming to be Meghan, her niece (Billie) is not quite sure what to make of the situation. Billie's mother, Meghan's sister, has been hurt before by imposters pretending to be her long lost sister. Billie's mother is very vulnerable and just wants to believe that Meghan/Donna is who she says she is. As the plot develops, it becomes clear that this new woman claiming to be Meghan has some big secrets, but nothing compares to the ones that Billie's family is keeping…

I loved The Dinner Party. Before I read it, I saw some of the reviews describe it as a slow burn, but I most definitely did not experience it that way. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, just racing to the end!

Things I loved:

I felt like I was listening to a true crime podcast

It felt fast paced to me

I love stories with hidden family secrets

The characters were really good. I enjoyed Billie's character a lot.

The double identities of some of the characters kept me guessing

The build up and investigation sides to the story were awesome

What I didn't like: I just wish the ending had explained just a teeny bit more about what happened to one of the villains. I don't want to spoil anything, but I wanted that to be a little more fleshed out. Nevertheless, I loved the book!

Thank you to the publishers at NetGalley and Aries for sending me an e-ARC! This was a very enjoyable thriller by a new author I haven't read before. Off to read the rest of her books!

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Rating: 5/5 Stars

I absolutely loved this book. I typically don't read YA, and I'm not the biggest romance reader, but somehow this just worked. If I do read romance, I always prefer the sapphic ones, so that was a delightful bonus.

The real power behind The Luis Ortega Survival Club is that every girl/woman knows a Luis Ortega. Every single one. In the same vein as Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, TLOSC approaches very difficult subject matter(s) while channeling them through the lens of an autistic FMC. As an autistic person myself, I feel that the representation of an undiagnosed autistic person was very good. The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School was one of my favorite books from last year, so it is no surprise that TLOSC clocks in at the top of my list this year as well. Sonora Reyes is an incredibly talented author, and they handle intense topics in a way that is tasteful and appropriate for young-ish readers.

The ending was quick, but satisfactory. Read the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book! Any SA in the story is off-page, so it may be more accessible to people who are sensitive toward that issue. I cannot recommend TLOSC enough! It is the perfect read for people navigating trauma in a post-me-too world.

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Book Review: Delta-V by Daniel Suarez

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Delta-V is one of my favorite techno-thriller sci-fi books of 2023! I wish I could erase the plot from my memory just so I could read it again for the first time. I am so glad there is a sequel (Critical Mass), which just came out last month. I came to this book at the perfect time because I don't have to wait to continue the adventure.

James Tighe is a cave diver with a traumatic past who is recruited by a billionaire to (potentially) become an asteroid miner. The technology the billionaire is proposing seems a little ahead of its time, and the mission is kept under wraps from the public. It is presented as a possibility for the future… Not something that will actually be happening in the coming months/years. Tighe must go through intense physical and mental training to be selected as a candidate for the mining operation, which will occur in deep space (farther than any human has gone before). As he accepts the opportunity to make some healthy cash and mine asteroids for resources that could aid deep space travel in the future, he finds himself caught in a web of technological catastrophes, business politics, and a massive secret that will compromise his mission's success.

This book checks all the boxes I want in my sci-fi reads. It is fast-paced, has that yummy but horrifying boot camp style "you have to earn this" experience we all love (the sci-fi version of trials we find in fantasy books), is technologically intriguing, and scientifically educational (this is a hard sci-fi), but it also has heart. In a lot of sci-fi books, it can be hard to really get good characterization and connect with the people you are reading about since some authors focus a little too much on the tech and not as much on the characters. Not so here! Though romance is far from the biggest plot theme, it does make appearances that will punch you in the gut. I truly cared about the relationships among/between characters. Each one received thought and development. Even though this book is heavvvyyyyy on the tech descriptions and challenges, the human aspect is not lost. The challenges will make your heart pound because you love everyone so much and you don't want anything bad to happen to them. (Also, the tech parts are amazing and will make you feel smart even if you know nothing about astrophysics, economics, or geology.) I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! If you love The Expanse, then you will want to read Delta-V, because it is even better. Just FYI you might want to flip to the back of the book before getting into the middle of the story because there are pictures of what the mining shuttle and its components look like. I didn't realize this until the end. There are also great book recommendations at the end, which helped to inspire Delta-V!

This book came out in 2019 and, therefore, is not a NetGalley read for me, but Daniel Suarez will be added to my NetGalley profile as one of my new favorite authors. I want more!!

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Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey ARC Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Stars Collide is a lovely sapphic romance that takes its time with all the delicious details!

Anna and Eden are two stars in the music industry who decide to collaborate for a shared tour. Anna is a 27-year-old rising star who wants to grow her fan base and generate a larger presence in the music world, while Eden, a 36-year-old, seems to be fading out of the limelight as a recent divorcee whose most recent album release did not do as well as she had hoped. Anna has been obsessed with Eden since girlhood, and since she has left her abusive ex (Camille) in the past, she can't help being starry-eyed over touring with her childhood idol. Eden is lonely after ending her marriage with her husband and is uncertain about what to do next with her life and her career. Anna is an out and proud pansexual while Eden is hetero… Or so she has thought for many years.

As the two women launch their tour and deal with the difficulties of being celebrities in the spotlight, they develop a close relationship with each other. Anna is afraid of scaring Eden off since all initial signals indicate that Eden is straight, and Eden's role as Anna's newfound mentor- and the fact that she has the upper hand in their tour contract- reminds Anna of the old power dynamics between Anna and her abusive ex. Eden has always believed that she just can't connect to romance in the same way other people seem to, so when she starts experiencing fireworks around Anna, it throws her for a loop. Can sexuality change over a person's lifetime? Has she learned something new about herself that she simply did not know before? The need to generate positive responses from fans to save Eden's failing career, alongside Anna's inexperience in the music industry creates an urgent background as the two women bond and develop feelings that have the power to change the course of their futures.

I loved the entire ride! Stars Collide is a slow-burn romance with two extremely likable FMCs. I read a lot of sapphic romances, and sometimes I skew toward really liking one character and not liking the other one at all, which ruins the book for me. Not so with this one! Lacey has done a superb job creating flawed characters who are 100% human, but who are people I would love to meet in real life. Watching Anna mature as a stage performer and Eden find her confidence in intimate relationships made the book unputdownable. I read it in a single afternoon! I am so thankful the author wrote an older (not old, just older than the average 19-year-old FMC in romances) character who discovers her sexual orientation later in life, rather than in teenagehood. I often find myself going to read YA contemporaries to find coming-out stories, but there aren't as many in adult fiction. I know so many people will feel seen because of this representation since many people do not figure out their entire sexual or gender profile in their teen years. Self-discovery takes place all throughout a person's life, and I love the fact that this was explored in Stars Collide!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Lacey, and the publishers at Montlake for sending me an e-ARC! I will definitely be placing this on my list of top sapphic romances to recommend to friends and followers.

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When It All Syncs Up ARC Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

When It All Syncs Up was so good, I was shocked to learn that it is a debut! Sixteen-year-old Aisha is experiencing racism and bullying at her ballet school in Alberta, so when she is given the opportunity to audition at a new school in Toronto and be closer to her best friend (Neil), she leaps at the chance. She is forced to reconcile with Neil's hardships while holding space for her new love interest (Ollie) and her own mental health issues. Aisha has a complicated relationship with her body and food thanks to an abusive mother and previous dance teacher who pushed her to conform to the standard, "ideal" ballerina body. When she and Neil have a difficult time connecting during their dance duos, her estranged mother starts contacting her again, and Aisha starts noticing that her mental health is spiraling, she is forced to choose between who she has been told she has to be to seem worthy to others and how to find her worthiness in who she naturally is.

This book made me cry, and it gives some valuable insights into how harsh the ballet world can be, specifically for Black people. We've heard plenty of stories about white ballerinas and the struggles they face in the industry, but this narrative adds many more layers and delineates how much harder it is for Black ballerinas just to exist in the same spaces as their white peers. The mental health journeys in the book are relevant and relatable, and the author did a fantastic job of representing them. As someone who experienced depersonalization a lot in my teen years due to abuse, I really resonated with that precinct of Aisha's story. I am not flippantly saying this because it is Black History Month (this book came to me unexpectedly)- When It All Syncs Up is truly one of my favorite books so far this year, and I think it is a staple in contemporary YA readership. Buy it for yourself, buy it for your age-appropriate teens, and take the time to really digest it. (The author has clear content warnings at the beginning of the book for those who want to make sure they can read it safely.)

I will read anything Maya Ameyaw writes in the future. These characters were so real and well-developed. When It All Syncs Up should be required reading for any dance school's students in order to cultivate awareness, acceptance, and allyship of/for Black people's experiences in the industry. High school libraries should have this on their shelves as well. Thank you to Netgalley, Maya Ameyaw, and the publishers at Annick Press for sending me an e-ARC of this gem. I will be recommending it to everyone!

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Book Review: The Lodge by Sue Watson

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Lodge is a murder mystery set at a wintery lodge in the middle of a snowstorm. A family, including the new wife of a successful businessman and his ex-wife, gather together for their mother-in-law's birthday. When police show up at the door because they have discovered a hit-and-run (which is clearly no accident), everyone at the lodge falls under suspicion. Complicated family dynamics with children, exes, and a hired chef who isn't who she says she is, supercharge the atmosphere with anxiety and dread. When a member of the family at the lodge goes missing and everyone is required to stay there until the investigation is complete, true personalities come out of the woodwork, and the villain is more difficult to pin down than ever before.

This was so good! The Lodge was a slow burn, but instead of taking away from the story, it added to it and allowed plenty of time for good character development. The story is told from alternating POVs between the ex wife and the new wife. Each chapter had me bouncing back and forth saying, "THIS one is the villain… no…. THIS one!" The plot was well-woven and kept me guessing right up until the very end! I was terrified when I reached the epilogue, because there were still many questions left unanswered, but rest assured, they are all addressed by the end.

The Lodge is a heart-pounding read with an interesting cast of characters that will keep readers up late into the night! I highly recommend adding it to your TBR. The family drama, personal secrets, interconnected relationships, and nuanced ending gave me exactly what I wanted from the story. This is a book that you will want to read on a cold day curled up with a blanket and a warm drink. Thank you to the publishers at NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me an e-ARC!

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Book Review: Her Perfect Revenge by Lesley Sanderson

Rating: 5/5 stars

Her Perfect Revenge is a murder-mystery/thriller that I struggled to put down, even while traveling to Scandinavia from the U.S. I loved it!

Felicity and Alex are due to be married, but on the night of their wedding after the ceremony, Alex drowns during a celebratory group swim. This is incredibly strange since Alex, Felicity, and all of their friends are accomplished swimmers who are part of the same swimming group. Felicity is a heartbroken widow after only being married for a few short hours. A few years before Alex's death, his fiancee, Beth, drowned in a similar fashion. Felicity, Alex's co-worker at the time, helped him work through his grief, which led to the start of their romantic relationship together. As the police investigation unfolds and authorities delve into the mystery of how a well-trained swimmer drowned on his wedding night, new information emerges about a mistress, a battered wife, and the woman who knows most of Alex's secrets.

Things I loved:

Her Perfect Revenge was paced perfectly. It was fast right from the start!

The cast of characters with perspectives shifting from past to present, with an anonymous character every now and then to ramp up the mystery was awesome.

Alex's character has that ominous aura that every woman has seen in a man at least once in her life. We know it because it is scary, and my heart was pounding through many of his scenes throughout the book.

All of the twists and turns near the end were chef's kiss!

I love it when a book isn't necessarily a police procedural, but we get to be part of the investigation through the lens of the authority figures conducting it.

The fact that technically this could all happen in real life really kept me engaged. I think the best thrillers are the ones that tap into realistic potentials.

I appreciated how Felicity's character kept me guessing right up until the very end.

The interrogation scenes were really good and helped me stay afloat in terms of what was going on. Sometimes thrillers can derail if twists aren't properly structured, but this was not an issue at all.

What I didn't like:

I didn't like the fact that this book made me angry whenever someone tried to interrupt me while I was reading it haha! I have no complaints. Her Perfect Revenge has everything I want to experience while reading a thriller!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bookouture for sending me an e-ARC to read. I really appreciate receiving this so close to the publishing date. Since this book had me on the edge of my seat, it was easy to get my review back in on time! In the future, I will be sure to request books by Lesley Sanderson, because I am addicted!

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Book Review: We All Keep Secrets by Sheryl Browne

Rating: 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

We All Keep Secrets is a heart-pounding thriller that will keep you up past your bedtime. When Ellie, a nanny with a controversial past, is hired to help her boss and his wife watch over their children, she is excited for a big pay increase and stable lifestyle. Her friends think Ellie is making a bad choice by leaving her corporate job (where Jake is the boss) to go be a nanny for him, but the appeal of upgrading out of her moldy, subpar flat is just too enticing. Jake and Megan have a beautiful home with a little boy (Ollie) and an infant baby girl (Fern). When Ellie, who is very attracted to Jake, meets Megan, she is shocked at Megan's vitriol and anger toward her. Jake seems to have sprung Ellie (as a nanny) onto Megan, and Megan is extremely hostile to her. Then, a switch seems to flip, and Megan becomes friendly and invites Ellie to be a full-time nanny for her and Jake's family. As Ellie integrates into her new life, she wonders why Ollie is so lonely, why Megan seems to hate her husband so much, why Jake (gorgeous, successful businessman) stays with someone hateful like Megan, and what on earth happened to Phoebe, the nanny before her. When Ellie is accused of a horrific crime, she must pull back the proverbial curtain to see what was hiding in plain sight all along.

This book was a fun ride! My least favorite character was Ellie, because she has all the pick-me/emotinoal cheater vibes you can imagine. We all know an Ellie. However, characters who are bad people do not equate to bad storytelling. Ellie's character really drives the story forward and makes it realistic. We all know the type of person who likes to stick their head in the sand and only see what a person looks like instead of who they are.

Things I loved:

The fast pace and sinister tone right from the beginning

How there really aren't any "good" characters in terms of moral aptitude

Domestic thriller

How Megan's diabolical character kept me guessing

The twists at the end

A bit of a murder mystery

The author really took her time to get us into Ellie's head and help us see everything from her perspective… If you want a good look at a pick-me girl, then this is it! Reading fiction as an autistic person helps me understand others.

Things I didn't like:

I wish the story had way more detail about Ellie's past

The flashbacks in part 2 with Jake and Megan could have provided more insights into their motivations. Some were there, but Jake's character could have been more fleshed out.

We All Keep Secrets was a 3.75 star read for me rounded up to 4. That is not a bad rating, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at Bookouture for sending me an e-ARC! I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to go read all the other ones Sheryl Browne has written.

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Book Review: The Clinic by Cate Quinn

Rating: 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

Meg, who works in a casino as undercover security, finds out that her sister Haley has passed away at The Clinic where she went to receive mental health support. The Clinic helps recovering addicts detox and find their footing again. However, Meg discovers that The Clinic is hiding some big secrets, and that her sister's death is not as straightforward as it seems. Meg decides to check into The Clinic as a patient to find out what happened to her sister. A Hollywood actress with Haley's strong will choosing to commit suicide so randomly just doesn't make sense. As notes warning Meg to get away from The Clinic start appearing in her pockets ,and she is forced to submit to treatments that are… unique… to say the least, Meg realizes that she must hurry to uncover what happened to her sister and what secrets The Clinic is hiding deep inside the premises.

Things I loved about the book:

Exploration of trauma that is relevant to the author's experience. Those stories need to be told. So many people will find comfort in flawed and recovering characters.

Quirky characters that I couldn't quite pin down personality-wise (they kept me guessing)

Murder mystery

Main character's (Meg's) development and growth throughout the story

The setting at The Clinic and all the atmospheric "villain-scientist" vibes

Validation that neurodivergence (ASPD) does not always equate to violence or intrinsic personal corruption

Things I didn't like:

The story really dragged on in the middle and could have been a teeny bit shorter

I have mixed feelings about all the chaos near the end… I love twists, but it was a bit much at times… loved the ending overall though. The common thread of unresolved trauma will most likely speak to many readers.

The Clinic is a worthy thriller if you love institutional deception mysteries! It is so clear that Cate Quinn took her time to really care about her characters and give them each a distinct, yet fluid, personality that evolves and reveals itself throughout the story. This is very character-driven, and I loved it. Thank you to the publishers at NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me an e-ARC for review!

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Like a Mother Book Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Like a Mother is sure to become one of the big thriller reads everyone is talking about this winter! When Sarah's husband dies of terminal disease and she finds herself pregnant with their second child, she is shocked to discover that Adam's mother is actually alive and interested in assisting Sarah financially. Adam had told Sarah that his mother died many years before, so she is shocked to discover secret after secret coming to light shortly after Adam's funeral. Why would Adam hide the fact that his mother is alive and well? Sarah, who is hurting for money, agrees to live with Adam's mother, Candace, in her small town while Sarah prepares for her baby and gets back on her feet. Adam kept his entire past hidden from Sarah, and now that Sarah has another child on the way, there are many people interested in the child and what its birth means to them...

I truly did enjoy this book! Like a Mother kept my pulse racing while I flipped through the pages late into the night. I absolutely loved the heavy nods to Jewish culture and the twists and turns that kept coming all throughout the story. This most definitely was not a slow burn! If you like domestic thrillers where a woman is trapped in a bad situation and is low-key gaslit by the people around her, then this is for you. The only reason why this is not a full five-star read is because there were a couple of questions left unanswered that really needed to be addressed. Nevertheless, it was definitely worth my time, and I cannot wait to buy the hard copy so that I can have it displayed on my shelf! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at Crooked Lane Books for letting me read the e-ARC in advance. I genuinely loved it! For the questions that were left unanswered, please read underneath the spoiler heading below.

***** SPOILERS ****

I am still very confused as to why Ava was so adamant about being able to adopt Sarah's child. It was strange that Graham and Ava were basically threatening her about her child's future early on in her pregnancy, and then suddenly, they just seem to let her be. The book states that maybe Graham felt guilty about everything that happened, which is why he honors Adam's financial wishes for Sarah, but it still left a thread loose. I would have liked to understand why Ava felt so entitled to Sarah's child.

The other thing that was never explained was why Ellison kept seeing Adam in her room. Sarah wonders if her daughter is seeing a ghost, but other than that, it isn't addressed any further. Even if Ellie was seeing things, it would have been nice for it to have been resolved or mentioned at the end of the book. I was wondering if it was one of those plots where Adam faked his death somehow... The way the scenes where Ellie interacts with him are written so that they seem very real. Also, how did Adam's missing sweater get back under Sarah's pillow? Sure, Sarah could have been experiencing derealization and depersonalization, but it was never clear what happened there.

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ARC Review of Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

4/5 Stars

I absolutely loved Summer Reading and am considering changing my birthday plans to Martha's Vineyard, because the author made it sound so quaint and relaxing! I enjoyed this so much!

Our story starts when our FMC, Sam, accidentally knocks a cute guy's (Ben's) book out of his hands on her ship ride to Martha's Vineyard. Sam is going to be watching her 14-year-old half-brother (Tyler) for the summer while her parents travel abroad and will be trying to establish a strong sibling relationship with him. While dropping her brother off for summer robotics camp, Sam discovers that the cute guy she inconvenienced on the ship is actually the new local library director (and her best friend's boss). As Sam's BFF, Em, deals with the potential of serious illness and Sam's feelings for Ben grow more complicated, Sam has to face her fears about repeating the past and dealing with her own childhood trauma. Sam is a chef who has been passed over for a promotion at her high-end city job and is strapped for cash… and ideas for how to sustain herself for the future. Sam fears that Ben will reject her when he finds out that the reason she doesn't like to read is because she is dyslexic and struggles to absorb written material that isn't accessible to people with her diagnosis. Can an introvert and an extrovert, a book lover vs. a movie lover, and a successful director vs. an in-between-jobs couple make a romance work? As Sam tries to help Ben unravel the mystery of who his father is, she begins to discern between accepting what people have thrown at her in the past and truly claiming what she deserves.

There are so many things to love about this book:

Our FMC is dyslexic and I learned SO much about dyslexia from this book. The book is also written in a dyslexia-friendly font and makes words bold instead of italicized to increase accessibility for dyslexic people.

Sibling relationships are explored just as much as romance, and I found that entire arc fascinating and adorable.

I saw in the back of Summer Reading that Sam's best friend Em is getting her own book?? I am so hyped for that because I really related to her health challenges and want to see which direction she chooses to go with her life. If this turns into a whole series, I'm in it for the long haul.

The MMC makes mistakes, but overall he is extremely thoughtful and finds ways to bridge gaps between his and Sam's special interests. I do wish that he had clarified exactly how he would deal with stressful situations in the future, but his re-entry into Sam's life was pretty dramatic and entertaining. I think this works so well because Sam and Ben are not actually opposites. They both adore storytelling- Sam just needs to engage with content in a way that is accessible for her while working through her emotional wounds from a childhood that was hateful toward dyslexic people

Even though some parts of the book are sad, they are necessary for good storytelling. I've seen people asking why there is no lawsuit since Sam's workplace that basically fired her and didn't promote her seemed to discriminate against her for being dyslexic. While I think that would have been satisfying, the fact is that some people just want to move forward with their lives. Sam is also dealing with intense shame surrounding her diagnosis, so it makes sense that she is not in the headspace to jump into a legal fistfight. Maybe in a future book, this could be explored? Either way, I am satisfied with how things turned out. I would also love to find out what happened with the cookbook Sam was writing! The recipes in the back of the book look amazing, and I'm going to have to try them out.

All in all the author, Jenn McKinlay, jumped at the opportunity to make this book so much more than a romance, which is what really hooked me. I love it when authors take the time to develop an MC's relationships outside of romantic love and really delve into the side characters and backstories. I read this in a single night and I'm as invested in this story as I am in the Delilah Green series. Thank you to Netgalley, Jenn McKinlay, and Berkley Publishing for my ARC of this delightful read!

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ARC Review of Happy Place by Emily Henry

Rating 4/5 Stars

Let me start off by saying that even though I love romance in many forms, this is not the type of book that I normally like. The fact that it was so unexpectedly enjoyable and engaging speaks to the author's ability to write excellent characters and surprise you with their depth and interweaving histories. I usually get bored with forced proximity/fake dating tropes unless it's like a reality TV thing, but Emily Henry has made me re-evaluate that position for sure!

The cover of Happy Place is gorgeous and was one of the things that drew me to it when I requested it on NetGalley, but it didn't prepare me for how serious some parts of the book were. I thought it was going to be a fun, but fluffy romance read- I was so very wrong. There was a lot of fun, but even more depth than I expected as the author excavated what female friendships, aging, choosing what feels right to you instead of what you should do per societal standards, and truly evaluating the efficacy and importance of romantic relationships look like in 2023. All of the characters are young, but the aging aspect specifically peered into how friendships change as one grows out of college age into adulthood where lives often go in very different directions. (Think mid-twenties to early 30s when people are settling on careers and deciding if they want kids.)

Our two main characters, Harriet (Harry) and Wyn have broken up months prior to the friend's trip they are both invited to attend with their old university besties. The problem is that they have not told anyone about the breakup, and Harriet does not have the heart to tell her friends since she is still very much grieving the loss of the relationship. As the story progresses, the two MCs are forced to explore their relationship in depth as the complexities of adult friendship also rise to the surface. Harriet is in medical school but finds that she desires a life with fewer time constraints and with more availability to do what she loves- create art. Her fear of her family's judgment, grief over her failed romantic relationship, and the stress of putting on a "good show" for her friends force Harriet to come face to face with the question that plagues many people in young adulthood: Should I do what is stable and expected of me, or should I take the risk of acting on what brings me joy?

The characters are very compelling, and even though there is plenty of fun banter among all the characters, Emily Henry does not shy away from prying back the layers of social programming and exploring how authenticity emerges when we have the bravery to face who we really are. All in all, it was not what I expected from a book with a bright (gorgeous) pink cover with a bunch of people lounging and playing on the water! Not that pink indicates a lack of depth, but on romance books, it is something I usually correlate to something like a rom-com. There was humor injected throughout the book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the author's willingness to look at life "as it is" as well. I loved everything about Happy Place and truly enjoyed the development afforded to the side characters. The ending is fully satisfying, and I can officially call myself an Emily Henry fan!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Emily Henry, and Penguin Random House- Berkley for sending me an e-ARC of Happy Place! Given how much everyone enjoyed Book Lovers last year, I think that this is going to be the next contemporary romance "it" book!

[prose-mortem]

ARC Review of The Senator's Wife

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Sloane and Whit are newly married after a tragedy took both of their spouses (Peg and Robert) from them. Sloane was previously married to Robert and Whit was previously married to Peg, which creates a complicated dynamic right from the start. Sloane has lupus, an autoimmune disease, which affects her day-to-day mobility and requires her to get a hip replacement, so Whit and Sloane decide to hire a temporary live-in caretaker during her recovery. Athena is recommended to them by a placement agency and quickly becomes a daily part of their lives. As Sloane's health continues to decline and Whit spends more and more time in the political spheres he hopes to influence, Athena's intentions toward Sloane and Whit become unclear. Why is there strange white stuff floating on top of Sloane's drinks? Why can't she remember basic things Whit says he has told her? And why is it taking so long to get brain scan results from her doctor? The situation continues to spiral as Sloane hands over the majority of her philanthropic work to Whit, and Sloane realizes that the big expenditures she is seeing were never discussed with her. It doesn't help that her laptop and phone are missing because, as Whit and Athena say, they do not want her to "become more stressed by overexerting herself." Is Sloane the victim of a vicious disease or is something more sinister going on?

This book was a late-night page-turner, and I loved every moment I spent reading it! And that twist at the end?! *Chef's Kiss* Your hatred for certain characters will change to love and your love to hate more than once while reading this book! It was amazing, and I feel so lucky to have been able to read this before it officially comes out!

Thank you to Netgalley, Liv Constantine (Lynne and Valerie- the two sisters who write together under the pseudonym), and Random House- Bantam for sending me an e-ARC of The Senator's Wife! This read will keep you up all night with its high-paced plot and intriguing characters! It is a worthy book to add to your 2023 TBR.

[prose-mortem]

Meru by S.V. Divya Book Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Meru is a stunning space opera that took my breath away with its breadth and depth. The insights into what it means to be human combined with conjecture about what a potential human successor could be like (the Alloys in this story) give the narrative a lineage of richness and a tingle of possibility. It is very character driven and a little on the slow side at first, but the world build and characterization never get boring. There was so much thought that went into this book, it blew my mind. Friendship, queerness, romance, incarnation drama, and species hybridization are all key components to the story that will anchor the reader's attention from the get-go and hold them there with the fascination of determining how our future as humans could eventually play out. The old-school sci-fi elements coupled with cutting-edge "new age of sci-fi consciousness" make this tome a must-read! This is the direction modern sci-fi will benefit from following, and other authors of the genre may want to sidle up and take notes!