The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

From Sarah Pekkanen, comes a stunning new novel of buried secrets, mind-bending history, and one woman’s search for the truth . . .

Decades ago, four women at prestigious Marquis University were the focus of parapsychology experiments led by a pioneering researcher. Just as they seemed on the verge of a real breakthrough, the four women vanished and the program was abruptly shut down.

In the present day, Riley Bell is desperate for a new life when she lands a caretaker job for Betty Sadler—an elderly, wheelchair bound woman whose house seems suspended in time. No television. No microwave. And Betty has never even heard of a cell phone.

Newly widowed, Betty discovers notes in her late husband’s papers that spark her quest to answer one final unanswered mystery that has shadowed her for six what happened to her three best friends who disappeared on the same day?

Told in dual timelines, as Betty’s world of 5 o’clock martinis and increasingly rigorous experiments converges with Riley’s present-day search for the other three women, the danger and intensity grow white hot.

Because whatever was swirling around these four exceptional young women is rising again.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Expected publication August 4, 2026

 by St. Martin's Press

4/5 stars

This was my first time reading Sarah Pekkanen, I enjoyed the experience enough that I will be looking into more of her work. 

This unique premise story moved between two timelines. In 1964, four young women become the subjects of parapsychology experiments.  It's part of a program that mysteriously vanishes from history along with the women themselves. In the present day there is Riley Bell,  newly divorced and looking for a fresh start.  She takes a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty.  Betty has lived in near total isolation for decades.  Red flags right there!

Blending a decades old mystery with paranormal elements is not something I come across often and Pekkanen pulls it off well. The dual timeline is one of my favorites and this one kept me engaged as I slowly connected the dots between what happened to those women in the sixties and why Betty has spent so many years hidden away from the world.

The Women in White is  a twisty, original read that stood out from the usual dual timeline books I've read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press (via Netgalley) for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is back with her first novel in two years!

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are sisters—but the two have been estranged for years. They could not be more Maeve, a rule-follower and Therese, a rebel. But when their mother's death brings the family back together, the two find that they have inherited a painting—one that could be worth millions and could save each of them from their respective wolves at the door. 

The only issue is, the painting might be a fake and the only way the can solve the problem is to find the original. This means a road trip—to Ireland, to their family roots, and to a mysterious crime that occurred years ago. 

With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm. 

Can Maeve and Therese find the real painting, remove a family curse, solve a cold case, and actually survive without killing each other? 

Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.

Audiobook, 14 hours, 57 minutes

Published June 2, 2026

 by Macmillan Audio

3.5/5 stars

This is my second time reading Mary Kay Andrews,  she delivers another warm, character-driven story that hits all the right notes for a lovely beach read. Or listen, since I went the audiobook route.

Road Trip follows two estranged sisters brought together following the death of their mother. One stayed close to home, caring for their mother through her final days. The other was off chasing her dreams. Circumstance throws them together for a trip to Ireland and what unfolds is equal parts grief, humour and some long-overdue honest conversations.

At the heart of the story is a painting that has been in the family for generations, one their mother refused to sell just never said why. As the sisters travel, the history behind that painting slowly reveals itself, adding an intriguing layer to what is already a compelling family story.

Road Trip is a story about family, relationships and the complicated history that exists between some siblings. The trip to Ireland itself brings adventure, new friends and self-discovery as the sisters work to unravel this mystery. It's about resolving differences and coming to understand that every person - including the mother at the centre of it all - has their own story to tell. And true to the author's style, there is also a touch of romance woven in. 

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer

From the author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a vibrant, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.

Break the rules. Find your joy.

For over eighty years, Joy Bridport has played by the rules: she's been a devoted wife and mother, contributing to the community in her small Hudson Valley town. But her quiet existence is jolted when she learns that her best friend, Hazel, only has months left to live. Hazel has always been the more adventurous one of their duo, and she seems at peace with all that she’s squeezed out of her long life. Yet Joy realizes she can’t say the same.

Determined to live boldly and make the most of the time that she and Hazel have left together, Joy steps outside of her comfort zone—and into a bit of trouble. But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates into committing petty crime, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there's a way for her to embrace the liberation that "Bad Joy" offers without losing all that she holds dear.

Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? With laugh-out-loud hijnks and emotional heft, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a heartwarming and wise celebration of the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.

Audiobook, 11 hours 5 minutes

Expected publication May 5, 2026

 by Macmillan Audio

3/5 stars

This is one of those books that everyone and their uncle seems to absolutely love…but for me, it just didn't land in that category.

Good Joy, Bad Joy has such a great premise, lifelong friendship, facing the end of life and the idea of finally breaking the rules after decades of playing it safe. Joy and Hazel’s relationship was easily the strongest part of the story, I appreciated the themes around legacy, regret and what it means to truly live. There are definitely some heartfelt and touching moments.

That said, I never fully connected with the story the way I expected to. The emotional impact didn’t hit as deeply as I’d hoped and parts of Joy’s journey, especially the  'rule-breaking' and petty crime elements felt a bit uneven for me. I could see what the author was going for, but it didn’t always land.

I’m really glad I listened this to the audiobook, the narration helped keep me engaged, especially during the slower sections.  

All in all I can understand why this resonates with so many readers, it just didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. Not a bad read by any means, just not a standout.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

A nearly divorced housewife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to start questioning the strange antics of her classmates in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Retirement should mean long-awaited trips to the sapphire waters of Santorini or careening down a sand dune in Dubai. For sixty-three-year-old Mebel, retirement means her husband of more than forty years announcing that he's leaving her for their private chef. Mebel isn’t sure who's the bigger loss.

Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she’s going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her—after all, she's been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. Luckily, class at the renowned Saint Honoré School of Culinary Arts in France starts in just four days!

However, Mebel quickly realizes that her culinary school is not in illustrious Paris but rather in England—and some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program, who offers to help Mebel on their first day. When Gemma stops showing up to class, Mebel knows she must figure out what—or who—caused her friend’s sudden disappearance. After all, Mebel may not know the first thing about how to cut a potato, but she certainly knows how to identify a fraud, and there’s definitely something fishy going on.

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Expected publication April 28, 2026

 by Berkley

4/5 stars

This is my 2nd Jeese Q. Sutanto book, my previous read leaned more towards mystery, so this was something lighter with some humour sprinkled in.

After 40 years of marriage, 63 year old Mebel is stunned when her husband leaves her for a 24 year old chef.  Having been raised to be a trophy wife...well that's all she really knows.  But now she is forced to rethink things.

Determined to win her husband back through his stomach, Mebel enrolls in culinary school, which is funny in itself since she has never cook anything.  Trophy wives have people to do that for them.  Even though the story started a tad slowly, once it picked up I really enjoyed watching Ms. Mebel's journey.  Making new friends and gaining confidence.

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block, yea that is a mouthful, is a heartwarming story about friendship, reinvention and discovering life somethings takes you in different directions and that isn't always a bad thing.

My thanks to Berkley for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber

A detour. A chance encounter. Two women who alter the pages of each other’s story.

Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for.

Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books—and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way.

When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.

Kindle Edition, 346 pages

Expected publication November 4, 2025

 by St. Martin's Press

4.5/5 stars

This was my first time reading Heather Webber and what a delightful surprise it turned out to be! The Forget-Me-Not Library is a fun, quirky heart-warming story that blends small town charm with a touch of magical realism.

The story begins when Juliet unexpectedly finds herself stranded in the town of Forget-Me-Not after her car breaks down. What should have been a brief stop quickly becomes something far more meaningful. It didn't take long for Juliet to sense that this is no ordinary town, its where people seem to arrive for a reason. At it's center is the mysterious library where Juliet slowly uncovers that the town and its residents may be connected to her own past and what she truly needs to heal and move forward.

The town itself is a magical character that gently nudging people toward what (and who) they’re meant to find.  With a wonderful cast of unique characters - each one quirky, kind and full of heart. Even Deckle the librarian cat is a little aloof but knows what she's doing.

The Forget-Me-Not Library is a layered and uplifting story and was a pleasure to read.  I will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family

Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is... complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach about love, and what it actually means to be family.

Hardcover, 450 pages

Published February 11, 2025

 by Pamela Dorman Books

4/5 stars

Jojo Moyes latest book released this past February. It is the story of a newly divorced woman with two daughters and still grieving the recent loss of her mother. Her stepfather has moved in with her to help her cope, and her career is slowly spiraling down the drain . There’s a lot going on in this book, but weaves together nicely.

We All Live Here is a well written story of a woman who seems lost as her life is not turning out the way she expected. They were funny moments, there were cringe worthy moments as Lila struggles to be a mother to teenagers, write her latest book and then to top everything off her estranged father shows up on her doorstep. Coming in at 450 pages it seemed a little longer than necessary, but it was still an interesting read that felt authentic, I felt exhausted myself reading some of the things she was going through. There are a couple different points of view here besides Lila, one being her daughter who is being bullied at school. So yea there is some relevant subject matter going on.

All in all an entertaining read with likeable characters in real life situations.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge and is book #14. Yeah I read it back in February when it was released.

Summer in a Bottle by Annie Rains

In this tender, uplifting novel for fans of Josie Silver and Rebecca Serle, a young woman returns to her North Carolina hometown hoping to make new memories, but finds history repeating itself—literally . . .

Dumped by her fiancé, opinion columnist Lyla Dune returns to small-town Echo Cove to heal, and to help her parents prep their house for sale. When she decides to open a time capsule she buried in high school, past memories lead her to a diary filled with memorable moments from the last summer she spent at home, right before college. Some of the events feel like they happened yesterday. That’s normal. Not so normal is that they actually start happening all over again . . .

Lyla gets a flat tire in the same spot and is saved by the same person. The same movie is playing at the theater. Her house has the same leak it once had. As her current summer increasingly mirrors that last one, Lyla worries it will end just as with a category 3 hurricane—and with losing Travis, the best friend she was always secretly in love with. If only she hadn’t been too scared to admit it.

She revisits other fears too, like the fear of rejection that led her to abandon her passion for fiction writing. And when she reconnects with Travis, Lyla becomes certain that unless she does what her younger self was unable to do, she’ll suffer the same regrets. But if this time around she can gather her courage, maybe the life that was falling apart when she arrived will fall back together—even better than before.

Kindle Edition, 343 pages

Publishing date April 29, 2025 

by Kensington Books

3.5/5 stars

I have recently discovered Annie Raines, she is a refreshing, clean author.

Summer in a Bottle is a perfect summer, beach read, which is exactly what I did on a recent vacation. The story started out at a great momentum with Lyla returning home to help her parents pack up their house to sell. It is here that Lyla reflects on her past, especially as she digs up her time capsule from 10 years previous. It was a fun read as she returns to a town and friends she quite suddenly abandoned. As things start to happen that reflect her last summer home, it opens up old wounds.

Summer in a Bottle is a story of friendship, lost loves and discovering oneself. It started out great, petered out a bit in the middle with an ending that picked up the pace. There was one trope that I’m not a fan of so that didn’t help, I won’t specify which one as it will definitely be a spoiler.

All in all this was a great beach read and an author that I will be reading more of.

 

My thanks to Kensington Books for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review

The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy

Kim and Grant are at a turning point. A couple for thirty years, their "separate but together" partnership is running up against the realities of late middle Grant’s mother has died, the college where he taught philosophy was shuttered, and their twin girls are grown and gone. Escaping the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter for the hot desert sun of Palm Springs seems as good a solution as any to the more intractable problems they face.

When they arrive at Le Desert, a quirky condo community where everyone knows everyone’s business, Kim immediately embraces the opportunity to make new friends and explore a more adventurous side of her personality. Meanwhile, Grant struggles to find his footing in this unfamiliar landscape, leaving Kim to wonder if their relationship can survive the snowbird season. But when Grant goes missing on a hike in the Palm Springs mountains, Kim is forced to consider two terrifying either Grant is truly lost, or this time he’s really left her.

Is it ever too late to become the person we wanted to be—and is there still time to change into someone better? The exhilarating, but often confusing transitions of midlife are pitched against the promise and glamour of Palm Springs in this tender, honest story of what it takes to commit to someone for a lifetime. With compassion and humor, Clancy explores the redemptive power of finding ourselves, and of being found.

Kindle Edition, 295 pages

Expected publication February 4, 2025

 by St. Martin's Press

3/5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. When I started reading the e-book I really struggled and wanted to give up but then, McMillan Audio very graciously gave me the audio book and I went from there. This wasn’t a 'I can’t wait to sit down and read this' type of book. So I continued with Kim and Grant's story by listening to it.  

This story starts with the disappearance of Grant after what was supposed to be a day trip of hiking in the mountains. But Kim is giving off vibes as to whether he is truly lost or something else has happened. The book goes back-and-forth in time to a year previous and present day, with time reflected on the early years of their relationship. Now Kim's initial thoughts into his disappearance begin to make sense. It was an interesting story that showed their developing relationship, struggles and hidden feelings.

For me this just felt flat, I had a hard time feeling any emotion towards Kim, Grant and their story. Which, of course, makes it hard to have an invested interest.  Those are my feelings, but others seem to have loved it so it could just be a situation here.

The Snowbirds releases today. My thanks to St Martin’s Press for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.

Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.

June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.

Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.

But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” ( E! Online ), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood—and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published July 11, 2023

 by Gallery Books 

4.5/5 stars

The cover of this book immediately gives off a summery vibe, and let me tell you, it lives up to the hype. I haven't read many books by Kristy Woodson Harvey, but she has quickly become one of my go-to authors.

The Summer of Songbirds kicks off with three scared six-year-old girls meeting at Camp Holly Springs and becoming the best of friends. This story is all about friendship - the highs, the lows, the heartbreak, and the unbreakable bonds that hold them together. I could go into all the nitty-gritty details, but it's a story with many layers and quite capitvating.

The story is told from different perspectives and jumps between timelines, allowing me to really get to know these women. Despite staying in touch and remaining close over the next 30 or so years, they come together to save their beloved camp. There's a lot happening in this book - secrets, marriages, first loves, babies, family drama, and even more secrets. It's beautifully written and showcases how family isn't always about blood ties.  

The Summer of Songbirds has all the ingredients for a perfect summer read.

This book was part of my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge - #51

The New Mother by Nora Murphy

From Nora Murphy, author of The Favor, The New Mother is both relatable and nerve-wracking, sympathetic and bone-chilling—a fresh new twist on motherhood and murder in suburbia.

Isolated. Lonely. Tired. It's hard being The New Mother. Sometimes it's murder.

Nothing is simple about being a new mom alone in a new house, especially when your baby is collicky. Natalie Fanning loves her son unconditionally, but being a mother was not all she wanted to be.

Enter Paul, the neighbor.

Paul provides the lifeline she needs in what feels like the most desperate of times. When Paul is helping with Oliver, calmed by his reassuring, steady presence, Nat feels like she can finally rest.

But Paul wants something in return. It’s no coincidence that he has befriended Nat—she is the perfect pawn for his own plan. Will Nat wake up in time to see it?

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Expected publication May 30, 2023

 by Minotaur Books

3/5 stars

This is such a hard book for me to review. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's, previous book The Favour and jumped into this one expecting another addictive suspense read. But I didn’t get those vibes until the last 60%. To be honest, I almost gave up at 40% but since other reviews mentioned the action started later, I persevered. Also I was gifted both the audio and digital arcs and did listen to the last 40% in one go.

So what did I struggle with? The pacing was very slow and also very repetitive, but given the subject matter and reading the author notes at the end, kind of softened my view of how I felt. Does that make sense?

The New Mother is the story of Natalie, a professional attorney, highly educated, but this new, living creature named Oliver is now totally dependent on her. He doesn’t sleep so mom doesn't either, he cries all the time and she is at her wits end. Also, Nat believes she is the only one who can take care of Oliver properly, because she read that in a book or two, which then alienates her from family

Then there is Paul the neighbour, who is totally unreliable as a character but as Natalie’s new friend, he is someone she has come to lean on and trust. What follows is a twisty story that would have worked better for me if the last 40% was spread out a bit more and some of the repetitive detail was toned down.

The New Mother is a twisty story with a mystery as well as some serious subject matter for new moms. There should be trigger warnings for some which I won't mention but given the subject matter it should be obvious.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillian Audio for an early copy in exchange for a honest review.

Review: A Mother Like Mine (Hartley-by-the-Sea #3) by Kate Hewitt

 Welcome to England's beautiful Lake District, where a reluctant reunion forges a new bond between a daughter and her wayward mother.... Abby Rhodes is just starting to get her life on track. After her fiance's unexpected death, she returned with her young son to the small village where she grew up and threw herself into helping her ailing grandmother run the town's beach cafe. Then one evening, her mother, Laura, shows up in Hartley-by-the-Sea and announces her plan to stay. After twenty years away, she now wants to focus on the future--and has no intention, it seems, of revisiting the painful past.

Laura Rhodes has made a lot of mistakes, and many of them concern her daughter. But as Abby gets little glimpses into her mother's life, she begins to realize there are depths to Laura she never knew. Slowly, Abby and Laura start making tentative steps toward each other, only to have life become even more complicated when an unexpected tragedy arises. Together, the two women will discover truths both sad and surprising that draw them closer to a new understanding of what it means to truly forgive someone you love.

Amazon Marketplace Paperback, 384 pages 

Published August 8th 2017 

by Berkley Books

****

Laura and Abby, mother and daughter, similar yet vastly different. After many years separated (by Laura's choice) when thrust together when Laura decides its time. A Mother Like Mine is booked 3 in the Hartley-by-the Sea Series, I had no issues at all with the fact that I have not read any of the previous books, definitely works as a standalone.

Both of these women had babies while single and young. Laura leaves when Abby is only two years old and the interaction between the years is minimal at best, there is no real relationship here to speak of. Their stories unfold over this almost 400 page book.

It was an interesting read as I found myself wondering how a mother could abandon her child like that even if she was only a teen. The author has written a poignant story as these two attempt to build a relationship and come to terms with the past. It is well written and has the genuine feel of a small village environment. Even though I struggled a little bit in the first few chapters it wasn't long before I found myself curious and seeing what happened in the past.

 A Mother Like Mine is a book about family, or more specifically relationships,in this case between mother / daughter, forgiveness and second chances.  Thank you to TLC Tours for the opportunity to be part of this tour and introducing me to a new author.

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Kate Hewitt is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty books, including the Hartley-by-the-Sea novels Rainy Day Sisters and Now and Then Friends, and more recently, the Willoughby Close series. A former New Yorker, she now lives in Wales with her husband five children.

She also writes as Katharine Swartz.

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