Title: What Have You Done?
Author: Shari Lapena
Rating: 3.4/5
Comments: There is an entire P.O.V. I did not need. In the author’s note at the end of the book, Lapena explains why she included this P.O.V. and I still don’t care- it’s not necessary. The story itself is interesting; Diana, a high schooler, gets murdered and there are several suspects. The boyfriend, the teacher, the weirdo who used to stalk her at work… There are so many points of view that it got pretty confusing especially because most of them were not necessary. We all know I love a good “Whodunnit?” but this one just did not hit. Want to read something else by Lapena? I recommend The Couple Next Door!
Title: Never Lie
Author: Freida McFadden
Rating: 3/5
Comments: Idk people love Freida but I am ready to tap out. Her writing style just ain’t it. It feels like she is more about quantity than quality. I am going to give The Housemaid a try, especially because it’s going to be a movie, but damn after The Teacher and this book… I can’t. This book is about a psychologist who disappears and her house goes up for sale. A couple goes to look at the house but the realtor never arrives and they have to spend the night in this mansion. Tricia, the wife, finds tapes of the psychologist’s conversations with her patients. Describing the book like that actually makes it sound pretty good. But the twists and revelations are sooooo corny and lame. There is nothing satisfying about it.
Title: Bad Summer People
Author: Emma Rosenblum
Rating: 3.2/5
Comments: I wanted to love it but I just didn’t get there. The story is about two couples whose husbands are best friends and they all vacation on Fire Island. There is cheating, lying, sexual harassment claims, and a murder to really elevate the drama. It should be so juicy but I just was not as intrigued as I normally am with a plot like this. There is so much going on and people are picking and choosing who and what to expose but I think the ending is not as stimulating as I wanted it to be. I felt like there is no real resolution and my final thought after finishing the book was “That’s it?” However, I enjoyed Rosenblum’s writing style and I would give her another shot.
Title: The Seven Year Slip
Author: Ashley Poston
Rating: 4/5
Comments: I need to start reading descriptions because I probably wouldn’t have read this knowing it’s magical realism. With that being said, I still really enjoyed it. Clementine is a publicist (a career I think I would love) and lives in her aunt’s old NYC apartment. One day, she meets a man named Iwan in the apartment and realizes the interaction is happening seven years in the past (eye roll because I cannot stand storylines that are impossible). However, Clementine is a very enjoyable character and you cannot help but want to know what happens with Iwan. There is love, grief, letting go of what doesn’t serve you anymore, friendship, and proof of what happens when you don’t give up on your dreams. A lot of things about this book are perfect (character development, detailed descriptions without being chewy, etc). and if it wasn’t for the magical realism, I would rate it higher. BUT, still worth reading!
Title: The Housemaid *RRN
Author: Freida McFadden
Rating: 4.8/5
Comments: LOVED LOVED LOVED. I get how this booked launched the McFadden hype. It is way better than the others I have read of hers. I finished this in just over a day- I could not stop. For the few of you who haven’t read it, it’s about a couple with a daughter who hires a live-in maid named Millie to cook, clean, and manage the home. We learn that Nina, the wife, is a little off her rocker, and Andy, the husband, is husband goals. Millie is trying to navigate the ups and downs of Nina’s personality while trying not to crush on Andy. There is also the landscaper Enzo and daughter Cecilia who both add to the chaos and move the plot. It gives the same vibes as The Last Mrs. Parrish (which came first) when truths are revealed. I was hooked until the shocking, satisfying end.
Title: They Wish They Were Us
Author: Jessica Goodman
Rating: 3.7/5
Comments: Will I ever grow out of high school teen drama books? Who knows. But for now, I’m still sat for most of them. This one felt like a few I’ve read before- local popular high school girl gets killed. I also read it fresh off of What Have You Done? which is very similar. Both are trying to figure out who killed the beloved teen. I do not love the back and forth on this- it would have been more digestible chronologically, We mostly get the story from the dead girl Shaila’s best friend Jill’s point of view. They are all a bunch of prep school kids sneaking out, bullying undies (undergrads), and wishing Shaila was alive to enjoy senior year, We meet a lot of characters but one in particular seemed off to me from the beginning… and it was satisfying to learn why. The spoilers may not have been able to trick me but I still enjoyed this.
Title: The Castaways
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Rating: 3/5
Comments: This is about four couples who live on Nantucket and call themselves “The Castaways.” There are interesting dynamics of love, cheating, jealousy, friendship, and all that comes with eight best friends. One couple, Tess and Greg, are killed in a boating accident leaving their twins Chloe and Finn in the custody of the police chief and his wife Andrea. Chief and Chloe are both in The Perfect Couple so it was interesting to learn more about why Chloe and her brother were raised by Chief. It’s verrrry chewy- so many words and so much backstory that I did not need nor care about. The tea is hot and the drama is good I just wish it wasn’t so long. I do, however, plan on reading Hilderbrand’s final book in her Nantucket series called Swan Song!
Title: Maybe Not (Maybe, #1.5)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Rating: 5/5
Comments: Not me writing this after reading Maybe Someday without knowing Maybe Not existed: “The real MVP of the book is Warren, Ridge’s roommate and lifelong bff. He is the friend who you can’t really take seriously and is always sleeping around but really has a heart of gold and the best advice. Give me a book from Warren’s POV.” I loved it. It was perfectly perfect and gave insight into his relationship with Bridgette. When I wished for Warren’s POV, this is the not info I expected to get but I am sure glad I have it. Loved it! Can’t wait to continue the story with Maybe Now.
Title: The Housemaid’s Secret (The Housemaid, #2)
Author: Freida McFadden
Rating: 3.8/5
Comments: Definitely not as good as The Housemaid but still a very easy read- I finished in two days. I knew there was going to be a twist similar to Nina’s in the first book and I was definitely shocked. The most interesting part of this is whether Millie is going to reveal her truth to her boyfriend. I won’t give it away but I will say I am pleasantly surprised by the return of a favorite character. I really enjoy Millie and all I want for Millie is for her to live a simple life where she is not running from her past and creating a chaotic present. She deserves peace and happiness! But I have a feeling the chaos isn’t over since there is a third book…
Title: The Housemaid’s Wedding (The Housemaid, #2.5)
Author: Freida McFadden
Rating: 3/5
Comments: McFadden said she wrote this because of the long gap between The Housemaid #1 and #2. It’s fine. Nothing too exciting except more of an insight into Millie and Enzo’s relationship, which is interesting considering how they met. I cannot wait to see who is cast as Enzo in the movie adaptation- he better be hot because the books describe him as one sexy hunk.
Title: Maybe Now (Maybe, #2)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Rating: 3.7/5
Comments: Nowhere near as good as Maybe Not. Maggie’s point of view is not at all what I expected and I am not sure I needed it. Of course, it was satisfying to see where Sydney and Ridge and Warren and Bridgette end up. There’s not much to this book except a repeat of all of the issues in Maybe Not so the redundancy is frustrating. Worth reading just to close out the series. Would LOVE to see this adapted on TV.
Title: When No One is Watching
Author: Alyssa Cole
Rating: 2/5
Comments: Hated. It felt very Leave the World Behind in a sense that it’s unbelievable. I know Leave the World Behind is an impossible story but that is kind of how I felt about this. The entire time I was wondering if it was a dream. Secret but in-plain-sight killers. Underground secrets (literally and physically). Neighborhood takeovers. I did not enjoy it at all, especially Sydney, the main character. She is so annoying and immature and every time she said “Mommy” I cringed. I still feel like whole thing is fake??? I really did not understand this book, therefore I cannot enjoy something I did not understand. I’m not even sure it deserves a two.
Title: The Lake of Lost Girls
Author: Katherine Greene
Rating: 4.2/5
Comments: I was hooked the entire time! It’s about several students at a small university in North Carolina going missing, specifically freshman Jessica Fadley. For most of the book, we get Jess’s POV from the past, her sister Lindsay’s POV in the present, and the POV of two podcasters who are covering Jess’s case. Personally, I did not need the podcasters at all- they provided nothing. Anywho- the whole premise is trying to figure out who is responsible for the disappearance of these girls. We are presented with three suspects and the entire time, I could not decide who it could be (which of course is the point). I am left with a few questions that I can’t share without spoiling so if anyone has read this, I would love to discuss!
Title: The Wives
Author: Tarryn Fisher
Rating: 2.9/5
Comments: The premise is very interesting: Thursday’s husband has two other wives. I thought “Polygamy?! Sign me up!” But I am here to say the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. It’s so long for no reason. It has you thinking what’s real and what’s not but not in the most intriguing way. I finished out of obligation, not out of curiosity.
Title: The Wife
Author: Alafair Burke
Rating: 3/5
Comments: It’s about Angela and Jason Powell, a married couple living in NYC with their son. Powell is an NYU professor and is very well-known for his book and podcast. Their world explodes when women come forward with allegations against Jason and even more when one of those women goes missing. We get Angela’s POV most of the time and when I say she’s dreadful, she’s DREADFUL. I called part of the ending from the beginning so the shock value didn’t hit as hard as I prefer. But there are a few surprises I appreciated. Angela’s past is the most interesting thing about her and I would have rather read about that.
Title: Lessons in Chemistry *RRN
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Rating: 5/5
Comments: LOVED! Cannot believe it took me so long to start this. Elizabeth Zott is a badass who all women should look up to. She is the intelligent and independent role model women needed in the 60s and still need today. It’s a story about not letting other people write your story- you are in control of your life no matter the obstacles and the people trying to limit you. Zott is such a unique character who I really loved getting to know. I would describe her story as powerful, heartbreaking, and courageous. There is one P.O.V. in the story I did not expect but LOVED! It’s so random but so necessary. I know I was late to the game on this one and most people have already read it, but if you haven’t, add it to your TBR list right now! I am looking forward to watching Brie Larson as Zott in the AppleTV series of the same name.
Title: The Wedding People *RRN
Author: Alison Espach
Rating: 4.7/5
Comments: LOVED LOVED LOVED! It’s about a woman named Phoebe who arrives to a hotel in Newport, RI to spend one last night on earth. However, all the other guests at the hotel are there for the wedding of Lila and Gary. When Phoebe encounters Lila and tells her her plans for the evening, Lila insists it will ruin her wedding and she will not have that. I won’t give any more spoilers but wow. It’s so good. There are themes of realization, purpose, friendship, instinct, and so much more. I really appreciate the way Espach talks about suicide- it removes the stigma around it. Espach is an incredible storyteller and leaves no stone unturned. An absolute must-read.
Title: The Housemaid is Watching (The Housemaid, #3)
Author: Freida McFadden
Rating: 4.1
Comments: The finale we all needed! Not as good as #1 but better than #2. I like that I wasn’t sure which housemaid was watching like the title implies. It takes place 10 years after #2 which always spices things up. Millie and her family move to the suburbs but of course, the chaos follows. There’s not much to say other than it ties the series up in a satisfying little bow. I’m sad Millie’s story is over but excited to watch her come to life through Sydney Sweeney.
*RNN = Read Right Now!
Sarcastically Callie 