It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Very thankful for some quiet time this weekend to curl up with a book or two!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Curfew by Jayne Cowie

After the Wedding by Laura Elliot

The 4% Fix by Karma Brown (audiobook)

Currently Reading:

The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White

Next on the TBR pile:

The Girl in the Shadows by Marion Kummerow

Review: Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino

Smile and Look Pretty

by Amanda Pellegrino

Publisher: Park Row

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Online they're the Aggressive One, the Bossy One, the Bitchy One and the Emotional One. In real life, best friends Cate, Lauren, Olivia and Max all have one thing in common--they're overworked, overtired and underpaid assistants to some of the most powerful men in the entertainment industries. When they secretly start an anonymous blog detailing their experiences, their posts go viral and hundreds of other women come forward with stories of their own. Confronted with the risks of newfound fame and the possibility of their identities being revealed, they have to contend with what happens when you try to change the world.

Kritters Thoughts:  Four executive assistants have been meeting for drinks and sharing stories for a long time until one comes up with an idea where they create a website where they can share their stories with the internet and it easily spirals out of control!  

As an executive assistant I debated about reading this one, would it hit too close to home OR would it be entertaining reading about women in my profession and seeing their stories!  It was both!  I read this on a weekend when my job was quiet and it felt fun to see some fictionalized horror stories that I know are not blown too far out of proportion!  There were a few moments that really made me giggle because they weren't far from experiences I had and I wanted to join these ladies at a happy hour to swap stories.  

I would absolutely recommend this book, whether you are an EA OR you have an EA in your life.  I think many people don't know what the EA role can and does entail, so to see the spectrum through these ladies and other's eyes, I think would be enlightening to many.  

I loved this debut and hope that Amanda has many more to come, even if they aren't in the same vain.     

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 14 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  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: Hello Sunshine by Laura Dave

Hello Sunshine

by Laura Dave

Publisher: Simon Schuster

Pages: 256

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sunshine Mackenzie has it all…until her secrets come to light.

Sunshine Mackenzie is living the dream—she’s a culinary star with millions of fans, a line of #1 bestselling cookbooks, and a devoted husband happy to support her every endeavor.

And then she gets hacked.

When Sunshine’s secrets are revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. She loses the husband, her show, the fans, and her apartment. She’s forced to return to the childhood home—and the estranged sister—she’s tried hard to forget. But what Sunshine does amid the ashes of her own destruction may well save her life.

Kritters Thoughts:  Sunshine Mackenzie has been an online personality that went viral and is about to make the move to traditional media with a food show on tv, but her personality has been built on a complete lie and it is all going to be exposed.  On the way to a birthday party, Sunshine's twitter is hacked and all the secrets are revealed and it send her life on a completely different path.  

I flipped and flopped on this book.  There were moments when I loved Sunshine's story and I was excited to see how she would recovery and redeem herself and then there were times where I didn't like her at all and she would do something that was completely unappealing and I sort of pulled for the person that outed her.  I felt as though Sunshine felt flat a lot and she didn't have depth and I was worried she wouldn't be able to learn from this life blunder.  

I like Laura Dave's work and while this may not be my favorite, I am still excited to get caught up on her backlist and anticipate what is to come.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

February - for the love of books

source

A solid month of reading, but was hoping for more. A little behind on my goals, but only two months into the year!

1. The Duchess Countess by Catherine Ostler

2. The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst

3. My Mother, Munchausen's and Me by Helen Naylor

4. This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg

5. Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino

6. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

7. Moment in Time by Suzanne Redfearn

8. The Nazis Knew My Name by Magda Hellinger and Maya Lee

9. Lucky Leap Day by Anne Marie Walker

10. This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

11. Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave

12. Sleep Deprived by Therese Heckenkamp

13. Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim

14. The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 4,096

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Italy 

California (2)

New York City 

Washington, DC 

San Francisco, CA

Auschwitz, Germany

Ireland

Maine

Hamptons

Review: This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg

This Golden State

by Marit Weisenberg

Publisher: Flatiron

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The Winslow family lives by five principles:

1. No one can know your real name.
2. Don’t stay in one place too long.
3. If you sense anything is wrong, go immediately to the meeting spot.
4. Keeping our family together is everything.
5. We wish we could tell you who we are, but we can’t. Please—do not ask.

Poppy doesn’t know why her family has been running her whole life, but she does know that there are dire consequences if they’re ever caught. Still, her curiosity grows each year, as does her desire for real friends and the chance to build on something, instead of leaving behind school projects, teams, and crushes at a moment’s notice.

When a move to California exposes a crack in her parents’ airtight planning, Poppy realizes how fragile her world is. Determined to find out the truth, she mails in a home DNA test. Just as she starts to settle into her new life and even begins opening up to a boy in her math class, the forgotten test results bring her crashing back to reality.

Unraveling the shocking truth of her parents’ real identities, Poppy realizes that the DNA test has undone decades of careful work to keep her family anonymous—and the past is dangerously close to catching up to them. Determined to protect her family but desperate for more, Poppy must ask: How much of herself does she owe her family? And is it a betrayal to find her own place in the world?

Kritters Thoughts:  Poppy is the oldest daughter of two in this family that has been "on the run" her entire life.  While she knows they have been on the move, she has no idea why they are on the move and doesn't even know her parents real names.  They leave one city and head to a home that feels lived in and like it has a past and her parents start acting weird and then all sorts of things start to unravel!  

While there is a mystery in this book, no one dies, but there is definitely a secret that needs to be unfolded in this book.  Before you roll your eyes, the author doesn't obsessive over this secret, and instead the reader is brought into this young woman's world and the secret is in the background that dictates her decisions.  Yes, the secret will be revealed but in the right time!

This book is really about Poppy.  It is a coming of age and the reader gets to see her on the cusp of adulthood as she must decide what a future away from her family could look like - which for her may seem impossible as her whole life has circled around her family.  

While it took me a few days to read this book, each time I picked it up, I was engrossed and couldn't put it down!  My first Marit Weisenberg book, but will definitely not be my last and I want to dip into her backlist in the near future.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 13 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Macmillian.  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: The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti

by Jennifer Probst

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey haven't been close in years, but when the sisters are forced to come together to settle their mother's estate, they discover a secret. In an old trunk, they happen upon ownership papers for a house on the Amalfi Coast, along with a love letter to their mother from an anonymous man, promising to meet her in Italy during the summer of her sixty-fifth birthday.

Now they're questioning everything they knew about her history. In order to get answers about the woman they thought they knew, they'll have to go back to where it all started. The sisters embark on a trip to the stunning cliffside village of Positano, Italy, to track down the mysterious ex-lover, and figure out who their mother really was.

As Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey unearth the truth, they also experience the magic of Italy, the power of sisterly love, a little unexpected romance, and newfound hope for the future. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Three sisters who recently lost their mother suddenly find mysterious letters from a man with the initial "R" and a deed to a home in Italy.  Each decide to take a break from their lives and pursue the truth.  

I feel as though this kind of book could be a sub genre of the women's fiction world.  The I found something in a dead parent or grand parent belongings and I must go find the truth!  AND I love them!  I especially love when there are chapters that take the reader back in time to the deceased and you get to see their story through their eyes as their descendants experience it in the book.  

This book had another feature that I love when I am reading and that is chapters from different perspectives.  Not only does their mother narrate her chapters as it jumps through time to tell her story, but each of the sisters get opportunities to describe their time in Italy through their own eyes and I loved that.  Each of them are having their own "life crisis" moment in Italy that will hopefully forever change them and I am glad that they were given the chance to tell their own story.

I have only read a few Jennifer Probst books, but I much prefer the more women's fiction ones than the romance and I hope there are more to come from her.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 12 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  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: The Duchess Countess by Catherine Ostler

The Duchess Countess

by Catherine Ostler 

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 432

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  As maid of honor to the Princess of Wales, Elizabeth Chudleigh enjoyed a luxurious life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court. With her extraordinary style and engaging wit, she both delighted and scandalized the press and public. She would later even inspire William Thackeray when he was writing his classic Vanity Fair, providing the inspiration for the alluring social climber Becky Sharp. But Elizabeth’s real story is more complex and surprising than anything out of fiction.

A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a duke, a lust for diamonds, and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a gossamer dress—it’s no wonder that Elizabeth’s eventual trial was a sensation. Charged with bigamy, an accusation she vehemently fought against, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly.

Kritters Thoughts:  A nonfiction book that dives deep into Elizabeth Chudleigh's epic life.  From somewhat obscurity to sitting right next to a princess, Elizabeth had a sharp rise and a hard fall.  

I love when an author introduces me to someone in history that I didn't know anything about and makes me want to read more and more from that time and place.  Elizabeth Chudleigh had such a life.  Her quick marriage at a young age and then her quick return to her previous life and then the love that entered her life later, it was so interesting to read.  I also loved her time in Russia with Catherine as I am a fan of the Hulu show, The Great.  I haven't started the second season, so I am intrigued to see if Elizabeth makes an appearance in the show!  

While there were moments in the book where I felt like the author got a little too deep into the weeds, there was quickly some action that kept me reading and reading.  I would have loved to listen to this one as I tend to really enjoy non fiction via audio.  

After finishing, I found out this was a debut and I sure hope that Catherine has another woman up her to sleeve to research because I want to learn more about another woman who made an impact in history.    

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria Books.  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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

A holiday weekend with no plans!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

The Nazis Knew My Name by Magda Hellinger, Maya Lee, and David Brewster

Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker (audiobook)

Moment in Time by Suzanne Redfearn

Currently Reading:

Hello Sunshine by Laura Dave

Next on the TBR pile:

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

Review: If She Wakes by Erik Therme

If She Wakes

by Erik Therme

Publisher: Thecker Books

Pages: 278

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Who do you trust when everyone is lying?

My name is Tess Parker.

Two days ago, I was in a car accident with my sister-in-law, Torrie. Before she slipped into a coma, she asked my husband and me to care for her four-month-old son, Levi.

Yesterday, a woman claiming to be Torrie’s estranged sister knocked on our door. But Torrie has no siblings . . . or so she said. She and my brother were only together a short time before he left, and Torrie has clearly been keeping secrets.

Today, another of Torrie’s “sisters” has come to town. Both say the other is lying about who they are.

Neither of them is telling the truth.

Both of them want Levi.

Kritters Thoughts:  Book two in a series and before I get into my review, I completely suggest starting at book one as there are some definite character developments that the reader needs from book one to this one.  And while I didn't love book one completely, spoiler alert - I loved this one!

The second book is back with Tess Parker and this book starts with her in a car with her sister in law and they are still dealing with the loss of Tess' brother and they get in a car accident and Tess and her husband must look after Torrie's son Levi and hope that she recovers.  Tess quickly realizes that she doesn't know much about her sister in law as her sister shows up and starts giving a version of Torrie that she isn't aware of and telling her things about their childhood that Tess just can't comprehend.  

I loved the twists and turns of the story.  I loved how Tess was learning about her sister in law, but from a possible unreliable source and the reader knew it the whole time.  I also liked Tess more in this story, I felt as though since the "drama" didn't completely involve her, I enjoyed reading through her eyes but she was also sort of an observer and the story was happening to her - hard to explain, but I liked her as a main character more in this book.  

I am intrigued to see if there is another book and where Tess could go from here.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 11 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Another busy week and weekend!  

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

This Golden State by Marit WWeisenberg

Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino

Currently Reading:

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Next on the TBR pile:

Moment in Time by Suzanne Redfearn

Review: The White Rose Network by Ellie Midwood

The White Rose Network

by Ellie Midwood

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 281

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sophie was born to be a rebel, raised by parents who challenged the brutal Nazi regime. Determined to follow in their footsteps, she leaves for university, defying Hitler’s command for women to stay at home.

On her first day in Munich, Sophie’s brother Hans introduces her to his dear friend. When she meets Alexander, with his raven-black hair and brooding eyes, she knows instantly that she isn’t alone. There are more courageous souls like her, who will fight against evil.

Together, and with others who also refuse to back down, they form the White Rose Network. In an underground vault, Sophie and Alexander conspire in whispers, falling in love as they plot against Hitler. Promising her heart to Alexander is the most dangerous act of all––with each risk they take, they get closer to capture.

As snowflakes fall on a frosty February morning, Sophie and her brother scatter Munich University with leaflets calling for resistance: “We will not be silent; we will not leave you in peace!”

But their lives hang in the balance, with the secret police offering a reward to anyone with information on the White Rose Network. It is only a matter of time before the Gestapo closes in… And when Sophie is imprisoned in an interrogation room, staring a Nazi officer in the eye, will she take their secrets to her grave? Will she sacrifice her freedom for love?

Kritters Thoughts:  An interesting book to add to your World War II reading as the book unfolds in two time "spots."  One is as Sophie is getting into the group and helping subvert the Nazi regime and sprinkled amongst those chapters are a few chapters where you see her interrogated and you know that at some point Sophie got caught and she is trying not to give up the group.  

This was one of those books that felt familiar throughout my reading as I kept thinking about other World War II books that included different details that were in this one.  Although it felt familiar, I enjoyed it because I enjoyed Sophie.  She was such a fun character follow - I loved her tenacity and her drive to make sure that the "good side" won.  

This was my second Ellie Midwood read and because many of her books center on World War II, I would love to read her backlist, but maybe not all in a row as I like to pepper my World War II reading throughout my reading life and not back to back. 

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 10 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  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: Love & Saffron by Kim Fay

Love & Saffron

by Kim Fay

Publisher: GP Putnam's Sons

Pages: 208

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter--as well as a gift of saffron--to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she's never tasted fresh garlic--exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives.

Food and a good life--they can't be separated. It is a discovery the women share, not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen's decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen's friendship--a test that summons their unconditional trust in each other.

Kritters Thoughts:  A book mostly comprised of letters exchanged between two women as they swap recipes and stories.  Joan Bergstrom send a letter to an idol of hers - Imogen Fortier and this is the beginning of pen pal relationship that was enjoyable to read.  Through personal ups and downs and external events, these women supported each other and I enjoyed watching their friendship grow as the letters went back and forth.  

This book was short and sweet and the perfect read for an afternoon.  While epistolary novels aren't always my favorite, I like to read them every so often to sprinkle in different forms of literature in my reading.  I would suggest this one if you don't read this as often like I do.  The letters had enough content and there was a bit of traditional novel in the middle, so it didn't feel as though I was missing anything while reading this one.  

A great book to interject in my reading and I was thankful to curl up with this one on a weekend where I was recovering from a medical event.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 9 out of 100

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: Clean Air by Sarah Blake

Clean Air

by Sarah Blake

Publisher: Algonquin

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The climate apocalypse has come and gone, and in the end it wasn’t the temperature climbing or the waters rising. It was the trees. The world became overgrown, creating enough pollen to render the air unbreathable.

In the decade since the event known as the Turning, humanity has rebuilt, and Izabel has gotten used to the airtight domes that now contain her life. She raises her young daughter, Cami, and attempts to make peace with her mother’s death. She tries hard to be satisfied with this safe, prosperous new world, but instead she just feels stuck.

And then the peace of her town is shattered. Someone starts slashing through the domes at night, exposing people to the deadly pollen—a serial killer. Almost simultaneously, Cami begins sleep-talking, having whole conversations about the murders that she doesn’t remember after she wakes. Izabel becomes fixated on the killer, on both tracking him down and understanding him. What could compel someone to take so many lives after years dedicated to sheer survival, with humanity finally flourishing again?

Kritters Thoughts:  We are in a time after the Turning where trees and pollen are at a deadly level and one must where an extensive mask just to go out in public to do the things that one must every day.  There are more robots doing tasks while humans can work from home and operate these robots and keep everyone safe.  

I don't read a ton in this genre, but I can enjoy a look at our world at a different time with different perimeters and "rules."  It felt really odd to read a book about how you must were a mask to survive when we are still debating about if they help with keeping COVID from spreading.  

The basic plot of the book worked for me, but the serial killer aspect was just ok.  I loved the look at how the environment can take over and while we can debate climate change - but not here on a book blog!  I wish the book had dove more into the debate about climate and its affects and how that is changing people's lives in this book.  

My first Sarah Blake book and I am hoping to break into her backlist soon and see what else she has.    

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 7 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Algonquin.  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: The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird

The Night She Went Missing

by Kristen Bird

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: An intriguing and twisty domestic suspense about loyalty and deceit in a tight-knit Texas community where parents are known to behave badly and people are not always who they appear to be.

Emily, a popular but bookish prep school senior, goes missing after a night out with friends. She was last seen leaving a party with Alex, a football player with a dubious reputation. But no one is talking.

Now three mothers, Catherine, Leslie and Morgan, friends turned frenemies, have their lives turned upside down as they are forced to look to their own children—and each other’s—for answers to questions they don’t want to ask.

Kritters Thoughts:  Galveston, TX has quite a history in and of itself and there is a family that has generations of history - the Callahan family.  Catherine, recently had a mishap on her job that made for her and her family to move to her husband's hometown of Galveston and their children will attend the prep school that his grandfather founded.  In the prologue their daughter is found unconscious, alive but not responding and we go back in time to find out why this family ended up here and to solve all the mysteries.  

I absolutely loved this book.  Told through many perspectives, the author gives the mothers and Emily each a moment to move the story forward through their points of view.  I loved the twists and turns that this story took as the author is unfolding all the clues as to how Emily ended up in the water and all the secrets that are in this small town.  

This book felt unique with the combination of mom drama with the adults having their own issues while at the same time the kids do as well.  The combination of historical issues and Catherine's newness to the town and the people was fun to watch the interactions.  

When I finished this book - I wanted more.  Excited to see this was a debut and hope that there are more books to come.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 8 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  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.