Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson has been on my TBR for a while, so I was really excited to pick it up and finally give it a read. A beautiful debut novel. Black Cake follows two adult siblings, Byron & Benny, who receive an inheritance from their late mother, Eleanore Bennett. Eleanor leaves behind a black cake (family recipe/tradition) and an audio recording for her children who haven't spoken to each other in eight years. Eleanore's audio message leaves Byron & Benny trying to understand who their mother was as they follow her story that spans across decades. Family secrets, unexpected revelations, and so much more. I ... Read More
August 2022 Wrap-Up
I guess I was in the mood for dark and twisted this month because the bulk of my books were psychological thrillers. I'm not too sad about it though because they were all pretty entertaining, some more than others. The few that didn't fall into that genre were fantastic so overall August was a great month for reading! Click on the links below for the standalone reviews of each title. My favorite book this month was written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Maybe in Another Life was so beautiful. Of course, when it comes to TJR I'm very biased. I absolutely love the way she writes her characters and tells their stories and this one was no ... Read More
The Last Housewife, by Ashley Winstead
I've had The Last Housewife, by Ashley Winstead on my radar for months now anticipating it's recent release. It's no surprise that I grabbed my copy as soon as it hit the shelves and couldn't wait to see what all the fuss was about. After finding out that her college best friend, Laurel, died while listening to her favorite true crime podcast, Shay Evans returns to upstate New York from her suburban bubble in Texas in search of the truth. She recruits the help of Jamie, the podcast host (and her childhood best friend), to find out what really happened to Laurel and face the demons of her past. I guess I didn't really know what to ... Read More
When She Returned, by Lucinda Berry
I wasn't quite ready to switch to another genre after reading When I Was You, so I decided to finally pick up my copy of When She Returned, by Lucinda Berry. Back in June, I read Saving Noah (also by Lucinda Berry) and loved the way the author wrote the story so I figured this one had to be good, too. Kate Bennett goes missing from a Target parking lot one day leaving behind her husband and young daughter. Years after a futile search to find Kate, her husband, Scott, remarries and does his best to raise their daughter, Abbi, in her absence. 11 years after her disappearance, Kate returns home and here's where the story really ... Read More
When I Was You, by Amber Garza
After seeing this one pop up on my "suggested for you" page over and over again, I had to pick up a copy of When I Was You, by Amber Garza to see what the hype was all about. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed at all! This suggestion was spot on! When I Was You follows a middle aged woman named Kelly Medina who becomes a little obsessed with a much younger woman by the exact same name. It's the name that draws Kelly to this younger woman and eventually they become unlikely friends. The younger Kelly has a baby boy named Sullivan and the older Kelly takes them both under her wing. And I'm stopping right here because I really don't want ... Read More
Thank You For Listening, by Julia Whelan
If you're a fan of audiobooks like me, do yourself a favor and download Thank You For Listening, by Julia Whelan. The audiobook is narrated by the author who also happens to be my most favorite audiobook narrator of all time. If she's reading it, I'm listening :) Thank You For Listening is about a once hopeful actress, Sewanee Chester, who is sidelined by an injury as the result of a freak accident and now narrates audiobooks. Sewanee, or Swan as she's affectionately referred, has made quite a name for herself in the world of audiobook narration under a pseudonym. Romance novels are Swan's specialty although she no longer narrates ... Read More
The People We Keep, by Allison Larkin
If you enjoy the "found family" trope, I personally think you'll love The People We Keep, by Allison Larkin. Be sure to hold on tight to you're heartstrings though because this is a read that's certain to tug at them. April is a 16-year-old girl who's mother passed away and her father is absent most of the time only to drop by on occasion. Left to fend for herself, April drops out of high school and works at a local diner. April eventually leaves her small town after a fight with her dad with no intention of ever returning. The People We Keep finds us following April along her journey of self-discovery and the search to find a place ... Read More
Maybe in Another Life, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I'm at the point right now where I feel like TJR can't write a bad story. Maybe in Another Life was INCREDIBLE. Maybe I'm biased because I just adore her writing so much, but I thought this one one excellent. Maybe in Another Life is a story about the choices we make and how they impact our fate. Hannah Martin is almost thirty, jobless, no place to call home, and fresh out of a relationship with a married man. After moving back to her hometown of L.A., Hannah heads out to a bar with her best friend, Gabby. While at the bar, Hannah meets Ethan, her high school boyfriend. He asks Hannah to come home with him at the end of the night, ... Read More
Greenwich Park, by Katherine Faulkner
I was so excited to finally sit down and devour Greenwich Park, by Katherine Faulkner. I've had this one on my TBR for several months and after reading, I'm wondering why I waited so long to start! Such a great story! This debut novel is told from three different female POV's. Such a great flow to the story...compulsively addicting. In Greenwich Park, we meet Helen & Daniel, Serena & Rory, and Katie & Charlie. Siblings, significant others, and friends...some hiding big secrets. Those secrets are threatened to be exposed when Helen meets Rachel at her prenatal class. But who IS Rachel? And what does she want? ... Read More
Never Coming Home, by Kate M. Williams
Never Coming Home, by Kate M. Williams, has been on my TBR for a minute so I was excited to start the month with this one. A pretty easy, compulsive read, this is just what I thought it would be. Wildy unbelievable, but SO good! Never Coming Home is all about a group of ten young influencers who travel to the invite-only resort Unknown Island for a weekend. No one over 21 is allowed and an angel investor is funding the trip so it's completely free to those invited to visit. But if it's too good to be true, well, then it definitely is. Unknown Island isn't quite the destination social media portrays it to be (hello, Fyre Fest!!!) and ... Read More
