It’s 1962, and Beverly Diamond’s picture-perfect suburban life crumbles when she discovers her husband, Larry, in a compromising position with his secretary. Left with two kids, no degree, and little financial support, Bev refuses to play the victim. Instead, she dives headfirst into politics, joining the campaign of Larry’s underdog rival, Michael Landau. With grit,…
Category: 5 Star Reads
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective
Mrs. B, the formidable and big-hearted landlady of The Marigold Cottages in Santa Barbara, only rents to people she truly cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright; Hamilton, a chatty agoraphobe; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the meticulous Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro hiding secrets. Life in their charming, beachside bungalows…
The Witch’s Orchard
Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, an atmospheric and twisty debut introducing private investigator Annie Gore. Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie has traded military life for PI work, and her latest case drags her deep into an Appalachian holler much like the one she grew up…
The Love of My After Life
When Delphie dies choking on a microwaveable burger, she finds herself in Evermore, the afterlife waiting room, wearing her nightie and locked in an instantly electric conversation with the most charming man she’s ever seen. Just as she’s convinced fate has handed her a soulmate, a cosmic mix-up sends him hurtling back to Earth. Desperate…
Say You’ll Remember Me
Abby Jimenez delivers another emotionally resonant love story with heart, humor, and depth. Following Samantha and Xavier, two people carrying heavy burdens from the past while trying to navigate an unexpected but powerful connection. As life’s challenges including illness, family dynamics, and career ambitions, collide with their growing relationship, they must decide what love truly…
The Nature of Fragile Things
Set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, The Nature of Fragile Things follows Sophie, a young Irish immigrant who answers a mail-order bride ad in hopes of building a better life. But when she arrives in California, she quickly discovers her new husband is hiding dark secrets. As the earth begins to…
Lula Dean’s Library of Banned Books
I adored this book. From start to finish, it was a bold, brilliant, emotional ride. Packed with quirky characters, razor-sharp social commentary, and so many perfectly quotable lines I had to restrain myself from posting the whole thing to Instagram. The story is set in a small Southern town where Lula Dean, a wealthy and…
The Women of Wild Hill
Both Lula Library and The Change made my Top Reads lists for 2023 and 2024, so when I found myself in a bit of a reading rut, I turned to Kirsten Miller again to pull me out and The Women of Wild Hill did not disappoint. I loved about 95% of this book. It takes…
Weather Girl
Let me tell you… this book was like a cozy rainy day wrapped in a warm blanket: comforting, emotional, and surprisingly bright. In Weather Girl, we follow Ari Abrams, a Seattle TV meteorologist who’s passionate about weather but struggling under the emotional thunderclouds of a toxic workplace and her own lifelong battle with depression. When…
The Silent Wife
In The Silent Wife, Karin Slaughter returns with another gripping installment in the Will Trent series, this time weaving together two timelines—past and present—to unravel a chilling mystery. Will Trent is called to investigate a murder inside a state prison, but the case quickly spirals into something far more sinister when an inmate claims he…