Bless Your Heart has a lot to love with interesting family dynamics, light horror and humor, diverse characters, and a unique premise all wrapped up iBless Your Heart has a lot to love with interesting family dynamics, light horror and humor, diverse characters, and a unique premise all wrapped up in a Southern Fiction story.
There are also vampires, specifically, ones that are called Strigoi. In Romanian mythology, Strigoi are said to be troubled spirits that rise from the grave. They can be quite troublesome and in 1999, in a small town in Southeast Texas, they're giving Evans Funeral Parlor, quite the time of it.
The four generations of Evans women who own this local funeral parlor are doing their level best to get a handle on the Strigoi issue while protecting certain secrets that need to remain buried...
Bless Your Heart was more entertaining than scary and heads up if blood and gore aren't your thing. It's plentiful here. I did enjoy the strong female characters from the Evans family but I wanted more backstory about them and less Southern chatter that slowed things down. Was I the only one who thought the Strigoi felt more like zombies than vampires? That's just me wondering out loud.
This was an immersion read where I preferred the digital version over the audio, narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. Her voicing was stellar but again, the Southern chatter wore me down.
If you enjoy light Horror mixed with Southern Fiction Bless Your Heart may be the beginning of a great series for you!
3.5⭐
Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Lindy Ryan for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review....more
Devil Is Fine by John Vercher is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction with Touches of Magical Realism!
Our unnamed narrator is a biracial American auDevil Is Fine by John Vercher is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction with Touches of Magical Realism!
Our unnamed narrator is a biracial American author who leads us through this story speaking in his head to his recently deceased teenage son, Malcolm. He is ravaged with grief, resulting in debilitating panic attacks.
Days after the funeral, he receives a letter from an attorney concerning beachfront property Malcolm inherited from his estranged white maternal grandfather, Malcolm's great-grandfather. As his son's next of kin, this property now falls to him.
What begins as a quick trip south to view and sell the property, ends with unexpected news from an on-site inspection. Our unnamed narrator feels himself spinning in the aftermath of the tragic death of his only child and the shock of what is on this inherited land...
Devil is Fine is the first book I've read by this author and there is much to love about Vercher's beautiful writing, choice of sensitive topics, and flawed characters. This is one of the best books I've read this year and, at less than 300 pages and 9 hours, it's a perfect choice as an immersion read. The audiobook, magnificently narrated by Dion Graham and one of the best narrations I've experienced, was my preference, but either format will deliver a memorable read.
I felt compassion for our unnamed narrator who struggles with his biracial identity, his intense grief, and the bridges he's burned in his relationships. His spiral was hard to witness as he continued making poor choices, yet, I was mesmerized by the author's use of Magical Realism which left me questioning what was real, imagined, or mystical, and feeling much like the unnamed narrator felt.
If you enjoy a blend of Family and Literary Fiction with touches of Magical Realism that leave you wondering, Devil is Fine is a satisfying option I highly recommend!
5⭐
Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and John Vercher for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review. ...more
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is Friendship and Women's Fiction With a Touch of Suspense!
Billie and Cassie met during the summer before seventh grade aBye, Baby by Carola Lovering is Friendship and Women's Fiction With a Touch of Suspense!
Billie and Cassie met during the summer before seventh grade and quickly became best friends. Whatever was lacking at home, their friendship filled. Connected at the hip, so to speak, each would do anything for the other.
After high school, they begin to drift apart. As Cassie becomes engaged to a wealthy man, Billie notices subtle changes in their friendship. When Cassie has a baby and Billie remains single and childless, she realizes there's not much left that connects them. Still, Billie remains hopeful...
Bye, Baby is told in Cassie's and Billie's first-person narratives through short, alternating chapters. The focus is on the 30 days before Cassie's 35th birthday, and on the backstory of their friendship. Initially, I didn't care for either protagonist but as the details of the friendship began to unfold, my understanding of both characters levels out. It's a complicated relationship, to say the least.
This was an immersion read-listen through the gifted DRC and ALC. The audiobook narrated by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker was my preference, but either format will deliver a great experience.
Bye, Baby feels more like Friendship and Women's Fiction with a touch of Suspense rather than a Mystery-Thriller. The pace is consistent and the contrast in personalities between the two main characters contributes to the emotional drama of the story. I enjoyed this far more than I expected to and I love the way it ended. Recommended!
4⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Carola Lovering for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review....more
Diva by Daisy Goodwin is a Historical and Romance Fiction Story!
I never would have imagined reading this story about the gifted and talented Opera Diva by Daisy Goodwin is a Historical and Romance Fiction Story!
I never would have imagined reading this story about the gifted and talented Opera Soprano Maria Callas. Not in a million years...
...but here I am devouring it as it describes bits and pieces of Maria's early life, in flashbacks, sandwiched between her brilliant career and her life before and during her relationship with Aristotle Onassis. To tell you anything more would spoil your experience of reading Diva...
What I will tell you is that there's much more to know about Maria than what was offered in the gossip columns. I found Maria's life to be impacted and influenced by the relationships she established through the years. A few were lasting ones, most were not. Maria developed self-control and acumen concerning her voice and performance. The rewards for her passion and commitment were thunderous applause, cheering, and numerous curtain calls that established her as “la divina", the divine one. As a result, her personal life took a backstage to her career.
This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted DRC and ALC. The audiobook is narrated by Lorelei King whose voicing skills are consistently excellent and, as a result, I recommend the audiobook as the preferred format for this story.
Daisy Goodwin has written an enjoyable and interesting book about Maria Callas's fascinating life. My only critique is the use of character dialog to relay information rather than focusing on creative writing skills to allow the story to flow more naturally. A little fluff is fun, often desirable, and this is fiction, after all.
The ending? It left me wishing the author had continued the story of Maria's life after Onassis...
3.75⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Daisy Goodwin for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review....more
You Only Call When You're in Trouble by Stephen McCauley is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction!
In alternating chapters, we hear from the three maiYou Only Call When You're in Trouble by Stephen McCauley is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction!
In alternating chapters, we hear from the three main characters who are related, co-dependent, and sucking the life out of each other...
Tom is a gay sixty-something architect and father figure to his niece Cecily. He's experiencing a bad break-up with his long-time boyfriend, Alan, and struggling with several challenges at work.
Cecily is a professor in the thick of a Title IX investigation at the university she's currently suspended from. The stress of the accusation is playing havoc with her career path and her relationship with her boyfriend, Santosh.
Dorothy is Cecily's egotistic single mother and Tom's high-maintenance sister. She's using her life savings to open a retreat center in Woodstock, N.Y. with her business partner, and wellness expert, Fiona Snow.
And now, after thirty-four years, Dorothy decides she wants to tell Cecily who her father is...
You Only Call When You're in Trouble is my first glimpse at McCauley's writing style and storytelling. I found it to be a read filled with the flawed characters he's well-known for and a story that's humorous, engaging, and entertaining.
The humor is the kind you hear in your head about situations and individuals but wouldn't dare to speak them aloud. It's this continuous narrative of honest thoughts and opinions streaming through the story that kept me glued and continuously giggling. As I listened and giggled, with AirPods in my ears, my hubby looked at me like I was nuts.
This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook narrated by André Santana is my preference, but either format will deliver a great experience.
You Only Call When You're in Trouble is full of family and relationship drama from beginning to end. It holds serious, life-changing topics delivered in a witty, honest, and fun-loving narrative. By the end, I found these characters to be slightly more tolerable in an oddly endearing way and I recommend this book to readers who might feel the same!
4.25⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co., Macmillan Audio, and Stephen McCauley for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review....more
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a Mystery-Suspense and Family Fiction Story!
"HEIRESS, PHILANTHROPIST, ONETIME KIDNAP VICTIM, RUBY MCTAVISH CALLAHAN WThe Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a Mystery-Suspense and Family Fiction Story!
"HEIRESS, PHILANTHROPIST, ONETIME KIDNAP VICTIM, RUBY MCTAVISH CALLAHAN WOODWARD MILLER KENMORE DIES AT 73." ~ The Asheville Citizen-Times, April 2, 2013
Ten years ago when Ruby's entire estate, immense fortune, and newsworthy family history, were passed to her adopted son, Camden McTavish, he turned his nose up at his inheritance and the entire McTavish Family.
Until now...
Now the home and family Camden ran from after Ruby's death are calling him back. The fifteen-bedroom mansion, Ashby House, is in serious disrepair and the tangled mess of Ruby's will makes it next to impossible for the family to request funds for maintenance without Camden's help.
Camden and his wife, Jules, decide together to travel from their home in Colorado to Tavistock, North Carolina, to see the condition of their estate for themselves...
The Heiress was a twisty ride and the first book I've read by Rachel Hawkins. I fully understood Camden's desire to flee the old homestead ten years ago. The McTavish clan was a despicable, disturbing, and dysfunctional family that resulted in a barrel of nasty fun for this reader.
Without a doubt, the most entertaining part of this tale was Ruby's story told through letters written to an unknown recipient. Jules' folksy point-of-view was interesting and enlightening, too, but poor Camden was a major stress case making his narrative no fun at all.
This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook has four narrators: Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin. Either format will deliver a great experience but if you have a choice, pick the audiobook. The voices of Ruby and Jules should NOT be missed.
The Heiress was a fun read/listen that I recommend to readers who enjoy mystery-suspense stories about complicated, messed-up families!
4.25⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Rachel Hawkins for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review....more
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is a WWI Historical Fiction Story with Paranormal Aspects!
Laura Iven, a field nurse during WWI, was woundeThe Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is a WWI Historical Fiction Story with Paranormal Aspects!
Laura Iven, a field nurse during WWI, was wounded, discharged, and sent home to Halifax, Canada. She is stunned when news arrives that her brother Freddie, a soldier in the Canadian Army, is missing and presumed dead. As she touches his bloody jacket and ID tags, she can't believe what she sees and reads to be true.
Despite struggling with a painful leg injury, Laura decides to return to Flanders, Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. She's determined to discover the truth of what happened to Freddie, in the hopes that he's still alive...
The Warm Hands of Ghosts is told through alternating timelines of the main character Laura Iven, and her brother, Wilfred (Freddie) Iven. This is my first read by Katherine Arden and there is something to be said about an author whose writing and storytelling can transport you to where the story is taking place. In this case, it's 1917-1918 in Flanders, Belgium* during The Great War and I felt like I was there.
This is a hefty tale to take on, with topics of severe injury, death, and the darkness of war. Blending the horrors of war with aspects of Paranormal gives this story a diversion and unexpected mystery. This is the type of creativity I love.
I thought the author did a remarkable job of making this story feel like it passes through one era into the next, sprinkling newness with the existing familiar, and you can recognize it in the character of Laura most profoundly. This might be the closest experience to Steampunk I've ever read without realizing it. Were there implied touches of Science Fiction in the mix, too?
The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a story with diverse characterizations and an original premise that I loved reading and I recommend it to readers who, like me, enjoy a blend of Historical and Fantasy Fiction. I believe I will be visiting this author's backlist very soon!
4.25⭐
*Flanders Fields in Belgium was a major battle theater on the Western Front during the First World War where a million soldiers from more than 50 countries were wounded, missing, or killed in action. Is it any wonder why there are stories of ghosts wandering this land?
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Del Rey, and Katherine Arden for a DRC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review....more
The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie is a Blend of Historical and Literary Fiction!
Sixteen-year-old Delphine Aber has nothing left to keep her in 1945 ParisThe Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie is a Blend of Historical and Literary Fiction!
Sixteen-year-old Delphine Aber has nothing left to keep her in 1945 Paris as the city begins rising from the ashes of war. Leaving her childhood behind, she embarks on the long-awaited journey in search of the father she has never met: Ernest Hemingway.
Upon arriving in New York City, an old friend of her mother's, Joseph LaBere, and his wife Delia provide Delphine with a room above their restaurant in Harlem. She works at the restaurant, attends school, and quickly learns to speak English.
Delphine leaves New York for Cuba and in Havana, she sees and speaks to her Papa for the first time. She is eighteen with dreams of becoming a famous writer just like him....
The Wildest Sun is a coming-of-age story told in a first-person narrative of the protagonist, Delphine, as she searches for her father and her own identity. I enjoy the book's structure with dates and places clearly labeled at the front and within the chapters of varied length. This is the first book I've read by this author and I found her writing to be clear, concise, and easy to read. I flew through the pages of this novel.
With that said, my struggle with the story is connecting with Delphine. She is mature for her age based on her upbringing, but I couldn't embrace her poor choices throughout the story. With palpable passion in the efforts to find her father, her methods sometimes seemed feral and off-putting. Her behavior and mindset kept me at a distance and I couldn't get to the other side of it.
The Wildest Sun was an immersion read with a physical Advanced Reading Copy and my own audiobook. Imana Jade Powers does a remarkable narration as she becomes the voice of Delphine Aber.
Although I enjoyed reading and listening to this well-written, engaging, and creative story, I believe it would have stood out to me more had I read it before, rather than after, one of the most beautiful books I've read this year. I plan to read Lemmie's debut novel Fifty Words for Rain soon and I recommend The Wildest Sun to those who enjoy the blend of Historical and Literary Fiction as much as I do!
3.75⭐rounded up!
Thank you to Penguin Random House - Dutton, and Asha Lemmie for a physical ARC of this book through Shelf Awareness Pro giveaway. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. ...more
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is a Blend of Family, Literary, and Romance Fiction with a Touch of Coming-of-Age!
Seventeen-year-old Marley West is the new gMercury by Amy Jo Burns is a Blend of Family, Literary, and Romance Fiction with a Touch of Coming-of-Age!
Seventeen-year-old Marley West is the new girl in Mercury, Pennsylvania, a town where few new people come to live. She gets noticed quickly by Baylor Joseph and eventually gets her place at the table of the Joseph Family. She's attracted to Baylor but when football season calls him away, it's his younger brother, Waylon, that Marley falls in love with...
Mercury is an intense Family Fiction story that begins in 1990 and travels with the characters through the years. The Joseph Family is at the heart of the story with parents, Mick and Elise, and their three sons, Baylor - the oldest, Waylon - thirteen months younger, and Shay - the youngest by quite a few years. This is one complicated dysfunctional family, and the dynamics are deep and ingrained.
At the center of this family is the business, JOSEPH & SONS ROOFING, and along with it are the expectations that each son will join the business in some capacity. The business, all it entails and consumes, is like another character in this story.
What stands out most about this book is the simple writing style that quickly connects you to the characters and the family drama. The way the story is written feels different and multi-layered, told from the 'outside in' and then from the 'inside out', and it works for this story, giving it a higher level of backstory and a character-study feel.
There's a mystery built into the story that takes a surprising twist. Still, it's our protagonist Marley who steers us through this story with her resilience, growth, and determination that kept me reading and listening until there was no more story left.
This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook is narrated by Maria Liatis, whose voicing skills are strong, however, either format will deliver a great experience.
I love Family Fiction and this one is surprisingly good. I have added both of Amy Jo Burns' previous books Cinderland: A Memoir and Shiner her debut novel to my TBR List. I highly recommend Mercury to readers who enjoy books with blended genres, engaging writing, fully fleshed-out characters, and discovering a surprise or two within the story!
4⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and Amy Jo Burns for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review....more
All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction!
Sunday Forrester lives in the same house she grew up inAll the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction!
Sunday Forrester lives in the same house she grew up in. She finds comfort in order and routine, eating light-colored food, caring for things that grow, sharing her love of Italian folklore, and being in the presence of her sixteen-year-old daughter, Dolly.
When a posh London couple, Vita and Rollo, moves into the neighborhood, unexpected friendships develop and Sunday feels what it's like to be accepted and loved. It feels special until she realizes there may be something darker brewing behind the masks of the couple living next door...
All the Little Bird Hearts is a beautifully written first-person narrative of an autistic mother, Sunday, relaying to the reader the trauma from her past, and her perspective on the present. It's heartbreaking to hear her views and yet there is such clarity in her thoughts it feels comforting listening to her words.
The best part of this book is getting to know Sunday, who is a remarkable and memorable character. She relies, often lightheartedly, on the social etiquette book that keeps her within the lines drawn by others when she senses herself straying too close to the edges. She seems to possess an innate ability to flourish and is voraciously introspective. Her resilience and her observations are the high points in the story. She is a character I would love to meet.
This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook may be the best listening experience I've had this year with the voice of the narrator, Rose Akroyd, flowing smoothly and easily. It was a perfect pairing for this soft yet stirring listen.
All the Little Bird Hearts, Longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize, is a quiet and moving debut novel. I will remember Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow's beautiful prose, self-reflective storytelling, and a point-of-view I appreciate learning more about. I look forward to what this author writes next and I highly recommend this book with the audiobook as the best format for gaining the full essence of the main character, Sunday Forrester!
5⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, Algonquin Books, and Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow for a DRC and ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review....more
After Annie by Anna Quindlen blends Family, Literary, and Women's Fiction beautifully!
After Annie is the first novel I've read by this author and althAfter Annie by Anna Quindlen blends Family, Literary, and Women's Fiction beautifully!
After Annie is the first novel I've read by this author and although it's a tough read emotionally, surrounded by sadness, it evokes resilience, hope, and inspiration.
Annie is a young wife and mother in her thirties who suddenly dies of a brain aneurysm, falling to the floor of her kitchen, just as the story begins. The oldest and only daughter, Ali, steadfastly attempts to hold the pieces together for herself and her three younger brothers while their dad, Bill, is completely overwhelmed...
Throughout the story, Annie’s lingering presence is felt beside, around, and within each family member. Loss and grief manifest themselves differently in each of them as the seasons pass in the year after Annie's death. One of my favorite aspects of this story is Annie's friendship with her best friend, Annemarie, and the impact Annie's death has on her. It is an inclusive perspective of "chosen family".
After Annie is a beautifully written character study about family, friendship, and coping with loss and grief. I love the simplistic writing style that focuses on the characters within a story, and that's what Anna Quindlen has delivered!
4.5⭐rounded up!
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Anna Quindlen for a DRC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. ...more
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is Book #4 in the Finlay Donovan Series!
Do you know how hard it is to begin this review without a spoiFinlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is Book #4 in the Finlay Donovan Series!
Do you know how hard it is to begin this review without a spoiler from the previous book?
Under the guise of a girls' weekend, Finlay and Vero are headed to Atlantic City when Finlay's mother, ex-husband Stephen, and their two adorable kids insist on tagging along. Finlay and Vera feel like their adventure is beginning with all the odds against them.
Experiencing roadblock after roadblock from family, friends, lovers, and bad guys, Finlay and Vero are doubling down on this crapshoot with every gimmick and wild card they can line up. This isn't Penny ante poker they're playing and the stakes are high for these two female super sleuths to hit the jackpot...
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice picks up right where Book #3 - Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun leaves off. It takes a while for the familiar rhythm of this series to kick in but once it does the shenanigans begin and the entertainment delivers full-on.
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice has an almost perfect ending with a segue into the next book that may take a different direction with a reoccurring character who was absent in this book taking center stage in the storyline. I'll be there for Book #5 in the Finlay Donovan Series and recommend all previous books to be read in chronological order for the best experience.
3.75⭐rounded up!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for a widget of this ARC through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review....more
