Tag: Five Star Book Reviews

April 2026–Part Two:

April 30, 2026

Book #31:

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (317 pages).  This is the sequel to The Guncle, which I loved. Set 5 years later, Maisie and Grant meet up with their uncle Patrick in Europe, for the wedding of their father to Livia, their uber-wealthy European stepmother. Their uncle takes them on a mini tour of Europe before the wedding (in Lake Como!) using 80s song lyrics to show them different “love languages” to get them used to the idea of a stepmom, 5 years after their own mom’s death. I adored the setting, the pop culture references, the author’s humor and writing style and this book holds the same fun and charm as the first. A solid 4 stars from me.

Book #32:

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak (Length: 465 pages). This is my book club’s May pick. It’s literary fiction with elements of magical realism and features three main characters: Arthur, a young man in 1840 London; Zayleekah, a hydrologist in 2018 modern day London, and Narin, a 10-year-old girl in Turkey when ISIS is beginning its takeover. These three character arcs are connected with various symbols such as an ancient Mesopotamia poem and hybrid animal as well as a solitary drop of water. You do have to pay attention to every detail in this novel for it to work. I felt the author is telling more than showing with the repeated symbolism and the topics are depressing here. I may not have been in the right headspace to read this however, as the majority of reviewers seem to love this book. It’s not my favorite. 3 stars (for quality writing).

Book #33:

The Q by Beth Brower(Length: 612 pages).  While I’m anxiously awaiting this author’s next books in the Emma M. Lion series, I picked up this one, a self-published FUN story about Quincy St Claire, a 19-year-old genius running the “Q” in 1850s Rhysdon, outside London. The “Q” is a gossip style daily insert for major papers where society and others post questions. Quincy was rescued as an orphan by her Uncle (the original owner of the Q) and Quincy from the age of 9 is able to figure out the printing presses, marketing, typesetting and how to grow the business. Quincy is a quirky character (a clear forerunner to her later Emma M Lion character) and I adored her. The plot is a big laggy in the middle (and the book is just too long), but I couldn’t put it down. My issue with this book is it’s obviously self-published and is riddled with several errors (whose vs who’s, etc) and could have used a much more thorough editing. 4.5 stars (deducting .5 for the errors, which grew too distracting as the novel goes on).

Book #34:

The Better Mother by Jennifer Van Der Kleut (Length: 326 pages). This is an insane thriller that is fantastic on audio. Savannah Mitchell has a two-night stand, gets pregnant and the father of the baby gets back together with his ex. But his ex is willing to help raise the baby with him, and Savannah is cautious but excited to have co-parents. This is a WILD ride as hijinks ensue. This is well-told, in the vein of Freida McFadden, but better written. A lot of fun with plot holes you can drive a truck through. 4 fun stars from me!

April 2026–Part One:

April 15, 2026

Book #27:

Talking at Night by Claire Daverly (400 pages).  I don’t recall where I first heard about this novel, but it’s been in my Libby holds for awhile. Rosie and Will meet in high school in England. They experience a soul connection, but a series of tragedies and bad timing seems to keep separating them. This is told in flashbacks as well as in present day. This isn’t as angsty as I feared this would be, featuring younger people, thanks to the stellar writing quality and the help of fun supporting characters such as Marley, Rosie’s best friend as well as Will’s grandmother. A story with more emotional depth and enough of a relationship thru line is what I’ve found here. 4 stars from me.

Book #28:

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (Length: 380 pages). This is the first book in a series of 5. I’ve read this author previously so when I saw a few of her books in this series in the clearance section of Half-Price Books, I snapped them up. This is a fun pool/vacation book, and features Josephine Doyle who has been a loyal fangirl to Bad Boy PGA tour star Wells Whitaker for the past 5 years, even during his most recent 2-year slump. Josie’s family owns a pro shop in Palm Beach and after it gets destroyed by a hurricane, Wells joins forces with Josie to help one another through their tough times. This rom-com is VERY steamy, so a heads up to those avoiding open door romances. There is a great depiction of type 1 diabetes as well as the life of pro golfers. The plot is sufficiently propulsive, this author’s writing is continually solid and I enjoy how she introduces the next couple in this series; I’m picking that one up very soon. 4 stars.

Book #29:

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Length: 603 pages).  This is the second in the Magpie Murders trilogy and I was so excited to get to it after how much I enjoyed the first one. Here we are reunited with the previous book’s protagonist, book editor Susan Ryeland who returns to London/Suffolk to investigate another murder. This one is also inspired by an Atticus Pund mystery book she previously edited, so it’s another book within a book here. Both mysteries are very well-constructed, per usual, and I really enjoyed the connections between the two mysteries. This is LONG (a two for one) but it goes down very smoothly thanks to excellent writing, well-drawn characters and fast-moving plots. 5 stars.

Book #30:

So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder (Length: 384 pages). This came highly recommended by a book podcaster I listen to, but I’ve seen some other reviewers who didn’t care for it. The premise in this novel, labeled “friendship fiction” is the author follows a group of friends from college into middle age, tracking their personal changes as well as the changing dynamics amongst the friends. The novel starts with a funeral, but the reader doesn’t know who died; from there the author starts at the beginning of the friend group. It definitely reminded me of the movie The Big Chill, where not a lot happens plot wise but there’s a lot of introspection and navel-gazing with each individual character and how they relate to the others in the friend group. The writing is fantastic and while I didn’t like any of the characters, I really enjoyed the author’s perspective and characterizations here. If you must like your characters, skip it, but if you don’t, give it a whirl. This is a memorable read! 4 stars.

March 2026–Part Two:

April 1, 2026

Book #23:

A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan (415 pages).  This historical fantasy novel caught my eye because even though it’s about World War 2 (enough already, amirite?), THIS one is about a coven of witches who form a resistance against the Nazi regime in London. A few of the witches are tasked by Winston Churchill to track down an evil grimoire (a type of spellbook) before it gets in the hands of Nazis. This is so well-plotted, is pulse-pounding (and a bit stressful to read at times), with fully drawn and believable character dynamics. This is such a cinematic read and would be a fantastic movie. Such a fun ride! 4 stars.

Book #24:

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum (Length: 256 pages). This is a mystery with a duet recording on audio that I really enjoyed. Featuring two main characters, best friends Benny and Joy, who host a podcast entitled “This Story Might Save Your Life.” The premise of the podcast is they banter back and forth where one posits a scary scenario (such as being stuck in quicksand) and the other host, with zero research, guesses as to the best way to get out of said scenario. In the very beginning of the story, we learn that both Joy and her husband Xander go missing, and Benny tries to find them and solve the mystery of their disappearance. This is SUCH a fantastic listening experience on audio (especially with the bonus chapter at the end–only available on audio I believe) and that’s how I’m recommending you take this special book in. The characters are fully fleshed out, I enjoyed the side characters even and I just couldn’t stop listening. Such a fun and clever book. (Trigger warnings do apply so if you’re a sensitive reader, you may want to Google first). 4.5 stars from me.

Book #25:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (Length: 369 pages).  This is a very well-written enemies to lovers romance set in the publishing world where two warring assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company delight in playing various passive-aggressive and silly games to get through their workdays. This trope is executed perfectly here, with chemistry that jumps off the page, and the writing is excellent. I enjoyed the movie (and watched it right after reading this book), but the book is definitely better. 4 stars.

Book #26:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (Length: 349 pages). I finally picked up this literary read that was EVERYWHERE when it was published in 2017. The bardo is a Tibetan Buddhist term for the in-between, transitional state between death and the afterlife, where the physical body is decaying and the soul is departing. Willie Lincoln, the beloved 11-year-old son of Mary and President Abraham Lincoln, dies of typhoid fever and is laid to read in the Georgetown cemetery. This is historical fact, and the author has written a story about the inhabitants of the cemetery and their various stages here in the bardo. There are dozens of characters here (I can’t imagine reading this on audio for this reason) and the author intersperses snippets of their backstories and conversations with historical footnotes from real-life books and diaries that documented Willie Lincoln’s illness and death. This is a very inventive and odd story, and I am glad I read it as I do appreciate the genius of this author. However, I also think this author is a bit too obsessed with penises and that is very apparent here. Overall, I’d give it 3 stars.

March 2026–Part One:

March 15, 2026

Book #19:

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto (457 pages).  I own the gorgeous print version of this fantasy novel as the sprayed edges and gorgeous cover caught my eye at our local bookstore. This is set in Evermore, where 2 different worlds battle for power. Rose in chains refers to Briony Rosewood, the Princess of Evermore who is now imprisoned by Toven Hearst of the other kingdom. Mind and heart magic war here and play large roles in the plot. This is much more violent than many fantasy romances with rape occurring (off the page) and is very dark. However, none of it is exploitative and absolutely moves the plot forward. I absolutely want to read the next book of this trilogy (out December 2026) for sure as these characters are memorable and well-drawn. 4.5 stars.

Book #20:

The Sea Child by Linda Wilgus (Length: 291 pages). I picked this up because it was available at my local library and wow, am I glad I did! Set in the early 1800s in England, the young widow Isabel leaves London for a tiny shack on the coast in Cornwall, near where she was found as a 4-year-old orphan, dripping wet from the sea. With no memory of her parents or where she came from, Isabel was rescued by a wealthy couple and taken to London. After being newly married and losing her husband to the war, Isabel has no choice but to try to start over in a new community. This wonderful novel mixes bits of magical realism (think stories of mermaids/mermen) but the focus here is mostly on the smugglers who supply the community with the items that are heavily taxed to fund the war, and how those smugglers affect Isabel. This is very well-written, the plot is so much fun (although it takes a good 15% to get started) and is very memorable. 5 stars. LOVED!

Book #21:

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (Length: 341 pages).  If this stunning novel isn’t in my favorite top 5 books of 2026 I will be very surprised. This fairy tale fantasy novel turns the Cinderella tale on its head and is told from the point of view of the “wicked” stepmother. There’s falconry, the royal court, apple orchards, decaying estates . . . the background is so interesting here. But the interpersonal dynamics among all of the major players (the 3 daughters, the stepmother, the Prince, the Queen, the Queen’s advisor) are the best part of this fantastic novel. The plot is propulsive, the prose is rich without being stuffy, and this gorgeous book is absolutely unforgettable. This is the perfect beach read, if you can wait that long. 5 glorious stars from me.

Book #22:

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (Length: 189 pages). This is an award-winning collection of nine short stories all about the lives of black women and girls from four different generations. The author explores the divide between the expectations of the church and their own real lives and desires. The stories vary from a mistress listing the various rules she has for her male visitors to a young woman who falls for a pastor’s son, the same pastor who has taken her own mother on as a mistress. This is so well-written, engaging and interesting. I listened to these stories on audio and the narrator is fantastic!

February 2026–Part Two:

March 1, 2026

Book #15:

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (501 pages).  I’ve seen this murder mystery on the tops of so many best of lists so I was excited to finally get into it. A book within a book concept that is expertly executed here. A 1955 murder mystery series starring Attitcus Pund is the series at the heart of the novel where the present-day editor of the series, Susan Ryeland, is dealing with the series’ author’s death as well as the missing end of his last book of the series. Both mysteries in this fantastic novel are cleverly-constructed (a true two-fer!), both are well-written and are a lot of fun! I give this a resounding five stars!

Book #16:

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman (Length: 386 pages). This is the second installment in a series of 8 books, and here, Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat Princess Donut are still fighting monsters in a video-game like reality TV dungeon, post-alien invasion of Earth. They are now on the 3rd floor below Earth and are encountering some crazy scenarios such as an old circus with killer clowns and skeleton lemurs. There are still lots of LOL lines, a lot of heart and found family moments. There’s not a lot of new here, but it’s a great escapist read that made me laugh when I really needed it. I’m not sure I’ll continuing reading on unless I’m able to listen to this on audio. (One of my staff members recommends audio as the way to go here as they’re fantastic). 4.5 stars.

Book #17:

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (Length: 419 pages).  I have had this title on my TBR for a while as it’s mentioned on quite a few backlist rom-com gems. I loved this read! April, a plus-size geologist who has a secret cosplay/fan fic writer life outside of work meets Marcus, the star/resident heart throb of the biggest TV show ever (and for which April has been writing fan fic). Marcus has some secrets of his own and I really enjoyed the pair’s chemistry as well as the author’s writing. Very well done!

Book #18:

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (Length: 227 pages). This is Book 1 of 6 in the Shady Hollow Mysteries series, and is a cozy mystery with all of the typical cozy mystery components: cute village setting with coffee shop, no gore or violence on the page, lower stakes in the murders. The exception here is that all of the characters are woodland creatures. So Joe the moose owns the village coffee shop, Vera Vixen is a fox who is a journalist and is sniffing out who committed the murder, and the Beaverpelt family owns the sawmill which is the village’s main industry. I didn’t find the writing or the mystery to read as juvenile, and the central mystery is well-constructed for what it is. However, I’m not sure I’ll keep reading further in the series as cozy mysteries aren’t my favorite genre. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, give this one a shot! 4 stars from me.