Review: The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Pages: 342

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Charles and Lily, James and Nan. They meet in Greenwich Village in 1963 when Charles and James are jointly hired to steward the historic Third Presbyterian Church through turbulent times. Their personal differences however, threaten to tear them apart.

Charles is destined to succeed his father as an esteemed professor of history at Harvard, until an unorthodox lecture about faith leads him to ministry. How then, can he fall in love with Lily—fiercely intellectual, elegantly stern—after she tells him with certainty that she will never believe in God? And yet, how can he not?

James, the youngest son in a hardscrabble Chicago family, spent much of his youth angry at his alcoholic father and avoiding his anxious mother. Nan grew up in Mississippi, the devout and beloved daughter of a minister and a debutante. James's escape from his desperate circumstances leads him to Nan and, despite his skepticism of hope in all its forms, her gentle, constant faith changes the course of his life.   

Kritters Thoughts:  Two couples who both end up serving in the same church, but they couldn't be more different.  Charles and Lily AND James and Nan are married and working at a church in Greenwich Village and Charles and James see the work of church very very differently.  They have completely different upbringings that will greatly influence them and this story tells it all.  

I really enjoyed this book.  As a person who for a moment considered a life in church ministry, I appreciated reading a book that had real humans instead of the perfect molds that can be portrayed as those who work in a church.  Both the men and women had flaws and struggles and everything was told within the pages.    

This was a book that I physically passed onto a friend and am still thinking about it even a year after reading it.  (It took me awhile to get my keys on the keyboard to write this review!). A debut novel published in 2019 and oh how I wish there was more to come from Cara Wall.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: When I Kill You by B.A. Paris

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 292

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Who is watching Nell Masters?

Nell Masters is certain someone is following her. The hairs on the back of her neck rise when she travels to and from work, there are silent calls to her office, and a huge bouquet of flowers arrives without a card. And Nell has a reason to be looking over her shoulder, because she has a secret that she’s hiding from everyone in her life, including her new partner, Alex. But Alex also has secrets of his own.

Fourteen years earlier, when Nell went by the name Elle Nugent, she witnessed a student, Bryony Sanders, getting into a stranger’s car. When Bryony was found murdered, Elle became obsessed with finding the person responsible. She was convinced she knew who it was and her fixation with Brett Parker, the man she accused, led her down a dangerous path . . .

Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this unnerving feeling of being watched is all in her mind. Has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked? Or is there something even more deadly at play?

Kritters Thoughts:  Two timelines, one character AND a third set of chapters that were short sweet, but gosh darn creepy.  In the present day, Nell Masters is working at a charity and trying to move past a traumatic event - while it takes a bit for the reader to find out what this event is, it is all revealed in due time.  In the past timeline, Elle Nugent watches something from her window and wants to insert herself in order to help the truth to come out.  AND the third set of chapters is a killer who is threatening Nell and Elle's life and you watch as this killer gives the reader all the reasons as to why Nell/Elle should no longer be living. 

I love a dual timeline and while the reader knows the link between the characters from the beginning, there is still enough mystery to make for a great read that kept me on the edge of my seat.  There were twists and turns and even me being an avid mystery reader, I was surprised by almost all of them and kept wanting the author to keep writing and writing.  The third set of chapters were a great extra addition and I am glad the author included them, they took the book to the next level.  

My second BA Paris read and after finishing this one, I want to make sure I go into the backlist and get caught up on her books.  I absolutely loved how the reveal happened and it may have resulted in an audible gasp and a NO WAY!  I am quite judgy when it comes to how a mystery comes together and this one totally hit the mark in my book. 

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Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:   Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.

When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.

Kritters Thoughts:  A little enemies to lovers with a fake relationship on the side and I am sold!  Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have quite a few reasons as to why they would not work, yet they end up having to fake a relationship for their professional careers and antics ensue.  

I love an academic setting and while not from the perspective of the student, I still appreciated a story taking place in a place of learning.  Having smart characters made for smart conversations and for me the story felt smart - maybe less eye rolls than when I read other romantic comedies.  

After finishing the book, I enjoyed reading the reviews for this one to see if my thoughts aligned with others and I agreed when a few said that the middle drug on a bit - for me there were some bits in the middle that could have been cut down a little to keep the story moving along.  BUT this wouldn't keep me from reading this author again and hoping for another great romantic comedy to accompany me on a trip.  

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Review: The Housekeeper's Secret by Iona Grey

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 368

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Duty, desire, and deception reside under one roof.

Standing in the remote windswept moors of Northern England, Coldwell Hall is the perfect place to hide. For the past five years, Kate Furniss has maintained her professional mask so carefully that she almost believes she is the character she has created: Coldwell’s respectable housekeeper.

It is the summer of 1911 that brings new faces above and below the stairs of Coldwell Hall―including the handsome and mysterious new footman, Jem Arden. Just as the house’s shuttered rooms open, so does Kate’s guarded heart to a love affair that is as intense as it is forbidden. But Kate can feel her control slipping as Jem harbors secrets of his own.

Kritters Thoughts:  Kate Furniss is the head of the household staff at Coldwell Hall and this home has become basically her entire existence.  She spends days and days making sure this home runs smoothly while there is a large changing happening in the home.  In another timeline in the book, July 1916, a solider is writing letters to a Kate in the middle of a war.  

From the beginning of this book, I was invested and wanted to know all the things about all the characters.  There is a large cast of characters and I grew to love them all, there wasn't a one where I felt as though they fell short of adding to the overall story.  For me, the cook Mrs. Gatley was a fun highlight, she was so fun and I enjoyed the levity she brought.  

If you are a fan of Downtown Abbey then this book is just the right fix to fill the whole that a complete Downtown Abbey could have left behind.  I love reading the story of the people who are serving the family of the home and hear about what goes in their lives too.  There are two more Iona Grey books in her backlist and I would love to read those soon as I really enjoyed the writing in this one.

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Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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With a week in Mexico to end the month, I was able to read some in airplanes and by a pool!  I am hoping that I am back on the reading train and can find some more quiet moments this year to get lost in a book. 

1. The Housekeeper's Secret by Iona Grey

2. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

3. Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell

Total pages read, clicked and flipped:  1,008

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Northern England

Annapolis, MD

Review: Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau

Publisher: Mariner Books

Pages: 266

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Nineteen-year-old Zippy can hardly believe it: she's the newest and youngest salesgirl at I. Magnin, "San Francisco's Finest Department Store." Every week, she rotates her three spruced-up Salvation Army outfits and Vaseline-shined pumps; still, she's thrilled to walk those pumps through the employee entrance five days a week as she saves to buy something new. For a girl who grew up in a one-bedroom apartment above a liquor store with her mother and her mother's madcap boyfriend, Howard; a girl who wanted to go to college but had no help in figuring out how; I. Magnin represents a real chance for a better and more elegant life. Or, at the very least, a more interesting one.

Zippy may not be in school, but she's about to get an education that will stick with her for decades. Her fellow salesgirls (lifetime professionals) run the gamut from mean and indifferent to caring and helpful. The cosmetics ladies on the first floor share both samples and advice ("only date a man with a Rolex"); and her new roommate, Raquel, an ambitious lawyer, tells Zippy she can lose ten pounds easy if she joins Raquel in eating only every other day. Just when Zippy thinks she's getting a handle on how to be an adult woman in 1985, two surprises threaten both her sense of self and her coveted position at I. Magnin.

Kritters Thoughts:  What a fun book!  Zippy is a young woman in the 80s who has been working at a dress shop and is surrounded by the most fun cast of characters.  Zippy doesn't have a lot, but she does have the drive to make this job into a career.  

While Zippy was for sure the main character, the cast of characters surrounding here were so entertaining.  I loved Zippy, but I loved even more how she reacted with the ladies around her.  AND the inner workings of a dress shop were so fun.  The ladies coming and going and getting their outfits picked out - I wanted to watch a tv show based on this store and these women.    

I found this book to be the right amount of young girl big city and I loved following Zippy through the ups and downs of this book.  I would recommend this book to those who love this kind of story, who love to follow a young girl through a great story arc.  I love when I finish a story and I just wish a sequel was on its way because I could have used more of Zippy when this one was done.      

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With a newborn in the house, there was more vegging in front of the tv than curling up with a book, SO one book complete is good from my point of view!  I am hoping for more over the next few months and to end with a great 2026 of reading.  

1. When I Kill You by BA Paris

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 304

Where Have I Been Reading?:

London

Review: You Can't Hide by Emily Shiner

Publisher: Inkubator Books

Pages: 225

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:   Beth thought she’d escaped her past. But all this time, it’s been waiting for her…

Beth and Ian are desperate to have a child. So much so that they decide to sell his family cabin in upstate New York to pay for IVF.

When they arrive at the cabin, they meet Ryan, the caretaker. But Ryan is not who he says he is… He’s here because he knows Beth has a dark secret. And now he intends to use it against her.

He threatens to tell Ian everything about Beth's past unless she does exactly what he says.

Beth finds herself caught in a nightmarish trap. If Ian discovers what she’s been hiding from him, she’s sure he’ll leave her. She’ll lose everything she cares about, including the chance to have a child of her own.

On the other hand, what Ryan wants her to do is so dark and twisted it’s beyond horrifying.

Either way, Beth is sure her life is over, she can see no way out. Unless… Unless she digs deep and finds a part of herself that is willing to do something so awful it doesn’t even bear thinking about…

Kritters Thoughts:  A dark and twisty mystery that took me on an adventure and because of that it had me flipping pages one after the other, on my kindle of course!  Told from two different perspectives and I couldn't wait to see when and where these two women would collide.  

Beth and Ian head to their family's remote cabin to get it ready to sell and from the beginning there are eery feelings.  I loved that from the very beginning I was in the book and the mood was set; especially with the book being a little on the shorter side, I was glad the author dove in and got the story going.  And then Lizzie's story is hard to read from the start, it was difficult to read but I kept going wanting to know where these two worlds would come together.  

I would suggest you hold and read this book for the spooky season as it was quite the perfect read for that season.  It was also a quick read if your spooky season is busy! 

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