Summer 2023 Book Reviews

Title: The Mother-in-Law
Author: Sally Hepworth
Rating: 4/5
Comments: Truthfully, I forgot to make comments once I finished the book and now I can’t remember the details. But I do remember enjoying it and I love Hepworth’s writing style.

Title: Book Lovers
Author: Emily Henry
Rating: 4/5
Comments: So cute, so easy to read (or listen to). The dynamic between the two sisters is interesting, especially the way they both interpret their experiences with their mother. The most annoying thing about them is that they call each other “Sissy.” It’s basically a Lifetime movie in book form where two unexpected lovers find each other in a complicated situation. But I really enjoyed the ending, even if it is a little predictable. I have enjoyed both Henry books I’ve read so far but I would recommend People We Meet on Vacation before recommending this.

Title: Beneath Devil’s Bridge*
Author: Loreth Anne White
Rating: 4.3/5
Comments: WOW! So so so good. I enjoyed everything about it and I didn’t even mind the flipping from past to present. The premise is about a podcaster focusing on a case about a teenager who was murdered 24 years prior. Her guidance counselor confessed to the murder but the circumstances were questionable. Once the podcaster begins releasing episodes of conversations with the guidance counselor, the truth begins revealing itself. You learn how many secrets one little town is hiding and as everything unfolds, you won’t want to put the book down.

Title: We’ll Always Have Summer
Author: Jenny Han
Rating: 4.5/5
Comments: Belly is the most ANNOYING character of all time in this book. I have never ever felt such annoyance towards a character ever. I think I was especially annoyed because I didn’t feel this way about her with the first two novels of the series. In this final book of the trilogy, she is immature, naive, irresponsible, and just overall . If this series teaching you anything, it’s trust your gut. We all know deep down what we want and how we feel. Trust that instinct. As annoying as 90% of the book is, the other 10% really got me and tied everything up in a perfect little bow. I loved it and everything happened exactly how it was supposed to. Easily my least favorite book in the series but definitely my favorite ending- the only ending.

Title: The Daydreams
Author: Laura Hankin
Rating: 3.6/5
Comments: It is kind of Luckiest Girl Alive meets Daisy Jones & the Six but like not really. It is about a foursome who stars in this teen TV show hit 13 years ago but ended catastrophically, leaving them all to go their separate ways and avoid contact. They reunite after all this time for a live action reboot leading to secrets being revealed, relationships being tested, and trust being questioned. I feel like the reason for the show ending was not as dramatic as it could have been. After all of the type and mysteriousness, I was kind of disappointed. Then as things unwind, I found myself thinking “Oh that’s kind of lame” instead of the “Oh shit” I wanted to feel. And after everything, the ending was a little too happy for me. I don’t know…

Title: The Inmate
Author: Freida McFadden
Rating: 3.5/5
Comments: This was my first McFadden novel. I kept hearing so many good things about her, especially about The Housemaid, but The Inmate was available on Libby as an audiobook so I went for it. I enjoyed a lot of the book but the ending? Absolutely not. Was it shocking? Yes. Was it super far-fetched? Yes. It was literally unbelievable and that’s just not for me. I need something that is shocking but possible. The main character, Brooke, is also super annoying. Never trusts her gut. She’s super wish-washy with her decisions. Like girl, get it together. I was disappointed but not disappointed enough to not read The Housemaid.

Title: Every Summer After*
Author: Carley Fortune
Rating: 4.3/5
Comments: Love love love! So cute, so fun. I am loving these lighthearted, predictable books. They’re a nice little break between my thrillers. This is so cute. Two lovers reuniting after a tragedy? What could go wrong? It’s so easy to instantly love Percy, the main female character, and Sam, the boy at the lake she fell in love with all those years ago. This is Fortune’s debut novel and I cannot wait to read her second, Meet Me at the Lake. Brb, I’ll be looking for my very own Sam.

Title: Pretty Baby
Author: Mary Kubica
Rating: 1/5
Comments: HORRIBLE. 17 HOURS OF MY LIFE WASTED LISTENING TO THE AUDIOBOOK. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. SO DUMB. SO MUCH UNNECESSARY INFORMATION. DON’T BOTHER. If you’re going to read Kubica, I highly recommend Local Woman Missing.

*RRN: Read Right Now!