Tag: Five Star Novels

June 2026–Part One:

June 16, 2026

Book #45:

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline (376 pages).  I was excited to pick up this historical fiction novel about the real-life Siamese twins, Eng and Chang Bunker, who married and lived with two sisters in the mid-19th century in North Carolina. This is a sweeping family saga covering 50 years, which is in my reading wheelhouse. There are obviously some harder themes here such as slavery, racism, and the civil war. These themes, along with gender roles, are explored by sensitivity by the author and this book is very well-written. I could not put it down and I really enjoyed this quick read. 5 stars from me!

Book #46:

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey(Length: 380 pages). This fun rom-com is the second in the Big Shot series and features best friends of the couple in the Fangirl Down book which I reviewed here. If you’re new to this series, I’d definitely start with the first book. In this one, Tallulah becomes an au pair for Burgess, a single dad to a 12-year-old daughter and a famous hockey player. The leads enjoy the same fun banter that this author is known for, and their chemistry leaps off the page. I enjoyed the glimpses of a professional hockey player’s life, and this is a good complement to the current Heated Rivalry and Off Campus shows on TV now. A fun beach read! 3.5 stars.

Book #47:

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (Length: 391 pages).  This popular novel is about a “tradwife” who essentially goes viral online; the plot alternates between present day and flashbacks to where it all started. Present day the protagonist Natalie, wakes up in her same house with her same husband and children in the early 1900s, but the husband and children are “different” from the ones in modern day. Now, Natalie is living the same “tradwife” life she portrays online but without the modern conveniences that are hidden from her social media audience and without the two nannies and her social media assistant/producer. This is a very gritty and at times disturbing account of both timelines but is well-written and is propulsive. There are some negative reviews out there about the ending of this book, but I thought it wrapped up both timelines well. The tradwife life does NOT come across well, which I appreciated as a modern feminist. 4.5 stars

Book #48:

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez (Length: 399 pages). I adore this author and her writing style. She writes banter so well and the chemistry between the two romantic leads is always believable, in my opinion. This book features many of the same characters from prior books as she’s known to include, and here Chris and Larissa are featured. Chris is a pharmacist and Larissa is working several part-time jobs trying to make ends meet, while dating Chris’s well-meaning best friend who is a bit of a clueless mess. The forbidden dating/lovers trope works well here, and I think the author treats Larissa’s anaphylactic peanut allergy with the appropriate care that it deserves. (Some reviews dinged this novel for this aspect of the book, but since I have a family member with the same allergy, I get the level of danger and I’m glad to see it showcased here). Bonus points for the cool animal, as always. Here’s it’s a rescue pup named Woofarine. 5 stars from me!

Book #49:

No One’s Coming by Kevin Hazzard (Length: 336 pages). This non-fiction book was recommended by one of my favorite book podcasts, Sarah’s Bookshelves Live. Phoenix Air is a private airplane service that no one’s heard of, but they’ve been a major player behind many events in our country’s history. Here, the author details the rescue of two American medical volunteers who are in the midst of a huge Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and who become infected themselves. With no one to care for them and the odds of rescue increasingly small, the US government asks this scrappy, intrepid band of pilots, engineers and medical crew to transport the 2 Americans back to the US before the 8-day timeline (organ failure and death) expires. This has never been done before, so you are getting a front row seat in this narrative nonfiction account of what boots on the ground truly looked like. A total nail-biter, excellent writing and an unforgettable plot. 5 huge stars from me. Would make an excellent Father’s Day gift, or a gift for anyone who enjoys an adventure/rescue account. This gave me the same feeling as reading Into Thin Air.

May 2026–Part Two:

June 1, 2026

Book #40:

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (288 pages).  I hugged this perfect novel as soon as I was finished. This is a sprawling family saga where the author features the point of view of 3 main characters (one at a time) throughout their relationships and their lives. The writing quality is excellent here, yet always accessible. It reads as literary fiction but EASY. The character development is stellar, and the author leaves no stone unturned with regard to each main character’s motivations and inner thoughts. You as a reader quickly come to root for these people and are invested in what happens to them. This is a FULL five stars from me; I get the hype and why this novel was such a favorite for so many readers last year.

Book #41:

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden (Length: 239 pages). This memoir is everywhere so I wanted to see what all of the fuss is about. For those who’ve been living under a rock, the author’s husband told her in the first week of Covid lockdown that he was leaving her after 20 years of marriage AND he didn’t want custody (legal or physical) of their 3 kids. The author’s family is VERY wealthy (reports indicate the author’s family trust fund is 60 some million dollars) and the family is a part of Martha’s Vineyard and NYC society, so the glimpses of this life are fascinating. Her writing is excellent and I couldn’t stop reading. I do think the author is self-aware, especially of her privilege, and you can’t help but root for her and her family to be okay. 3.5 stars.

Book #42:

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (Length: 101 pages).  This is novella 1 in the author’s Dorothy Gentleman trilogy. I listened to this on audio and it’s absolutely the way to go with this fun, cozy murder mystery set on board an interstellar spaceship heading to another planet. The narrator, Dorothy Gentleman, is one of the ship’s onboard detectives and she wakes up in a different body just as a (rare) murder has occurred. Passengers on this voyage are able to store their memories in the ship’s library to give their bodies a rest, and this conceit is what makes this fun little mystery work. I’ll absolutely continue on with this trilogy the next time I’m in need of a cozy mystery. 4 stars.

Book #43:

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (Length: 493 pages). This initial book in a fantasy duology is SO MUCH FUN! A retired female pirate in middle age takes one last job to rescue a kidnapped girl in order to earn a payday that will set up her own little family for generations to come. The tone here is fun, the adventure is top-notch, the camaraderie of her crew made me smile and the writing is excellent. There’s some magical realism and the author’s vivid storytelling made this so difficult for me to put down each day. I have already procured the second one in the series . . . released a few weeks ago. 5 full stars from me.

Book #44:

Start at the End by Emma Grey (Length: 389 pages). This is a Sliding Doors-esque romance which is very sad (fair warning!) but ends on a more hopeful note. The main characters are a classical music composer and a climate scientist; they are fully drawn and the plot is propulsive. The story splits into two different directions about midway through and this gives this romance more depth than the average novel, but I found the writing quality to be a bit cheesy in places, which was distracting. I know some readers love her writing, so this is likely a “me” thing. 3.5 stars from me.

May 2026–Part One:

May 11, 2026

Book #35:

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict (329 pages).  I adore this author and how she always features strong females from history. I listened to this one and it was a fantastic read on audio. Here, the author focuses on two strong females from real-life: Lady Evelyn Herbert (daughter of Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle) who is one of the only female archaeologists in 1920s Egypt and England, and the first female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, whose reign almost 3,000 years earlier has been forgotten in history. I loved the references to Highclere Castle (as a huge Downton Abbey fan) as well as ancient Egypt. The author bounces between ancient and more modern-day history with ease; the stories are propulsive and well-told with gorgeous language and crisp dialogue. Both timelines were easy to follow on the audio version thanks to the narrator’s different voices. So well done! 5 stars for this memorable historical fiction read.

Book #36:

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (Length: 401 pages). I’ve owned this historical fiction novel for several years and just decided to pick it up off my shelf, and I’m so glad I did. This is based on letters written between Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley. This is so well-written, and features so many esteemed writers and artists who Ernest and Hadley interacted with in 1920s Paris, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso and Gertrude Stein. The author’s writing is so evocative of this time and place, and I felt as if I was there with the couple. I couldn’t put this down and I am so glad I finally picked up this beautiful novel. 5 stars from me.

Book #37:

The Wall of Winnepeg and Me by Mariana Zapata (Length: 475 pages).  This rom-com features a premise where Vanessa is a personal assistant to the nation’s best defensive end, and after two years of dealing with Mr Grumpy Asshole, she just quits. Aiden comes to her a few months later begging her to come back so that he can get his green card (as he’s Canadian) in case he isn’t able to stay playing in the NFL. This novel is a LONG romance full of yearning where the will-they or won’t-they of it all doesn’t resolve until the 95% mark. I do enjoy the yearning part of a romance tale, but this is about 175 pages too long, as well-written and lovely as it is. 3.5 stars from me.

Book #38:

Future Boy by Michael J Fox (Length: 161 pages). I saw this slim book on the New Releases shelf of our local library, and having attended the recent re-screening of the original Back to the Future movie with my dad and my husband at our local movie theatre, I was happy to pick this non-fiction book up. Here, Michael J Fox reminisces about how the movie came about, specifically how he replaced the existing lead actor (Eric Stoltz–who played the part of Marty McFly with zero comic relief) about 9 weeks into filming. Fox originally wasn’t asked to play the main role due to his hit TV show Family Ties, but after Stoltz’s performance wasn’t clicking the film’s producer and director begged Fox’s Family Ties producer to let Fox shoot the sitcom during the day and the movie during the night. Fox details here how this crazy schedule was implemented as well as giving the reader a true insider’s look at the film’s creation. This is well-written, and Fox is self-effacing but is clearly a fantastic comedic actor with serious acting chops. This super-quick read would make a great gift for a Back to the Future fan. 4 stars.

Book #39:

Wreck by Catherine Newman (Length: 223 pages). This is the sequel to the fabulous novel Sandwich and features the same characters Rocky and Nick and their adult children as well as Rocky’s dad, two years later. Rocky’s mom has passed away during these intervening years. Here, Rocky is dealing with the diagnosis and stress of a mystery illness which is wreaking havoc on her body as well as worrying over the death of her son’s classmate in a collision with a train. I love Catherine Newman’s writing style, her sense of humor and her very relatable musings on motherhood and marriage. Just as with Sandwich, not much happens here plot-wise, but that’s okay. I really enjoyed the ride. 5 stars from me.

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.