Book Club November 2025- Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame

By: Olivia Ford
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Pages: 384

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A huge-hearted, redemptive coming-of-old-age tale, a love story, and an ode to good food

Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes.

Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.

With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?

What I thought

I listened to this book on audio in April and loved it. Recommended it to Denise who then ended up choosing it for book club. We also this month read a book picked by Denise’s 6 year old son. He picked The Land of Stories. I won’t do a full review o that one but I will do a quick review on that one too.

I thought I had written a review on Mrs. Quinn previously, so had planned on reposting that. However, I apparently did not and I didn’t re-read it for November. Therefore, my memory of the details of this book are a little foggy. I do remember really enjoy the storylines that were similar to Great British Bake Off. The audiobook was also very enjoyable.

Mrs. Quinn and her husband were both gems. I loved how this book wasn’t just a fluffy rip-off of GBBO but had a lot of substance to it. We realized at book club that this is Ford’s debut novel which made it all the more impressive.

For Land of Stories, I originally read this book back in 2015 and proceeded to read the next two books in the series. I was trying to think of books to recommend to Denise’s son and remembered how much the 2nd graders I had worked with loved this series. He listened to it and enjoyed it so much that he picked it and wanted us to read it for book club. I decided to listen to the book this time around since I had read the physical copy 10 years ago.

This series is so much fun. It has the magic of fairytales reimagined to appeal to kids in present day. I love how the series has little twists on the original Grimm fairytales so the dark stories are acknowledged but it’s light enough for children to read and enjoy. I will continue to recommend this series to children and am tempted to continue listening to the next few books and finish the series.

What Book Club Thought

We had a lot of great discussion regarding both of these books. Mrs. Quinn was fun to talk about because there are some heavier storylines within it that we got to pick apart and analyze. We also enjoyed comparing the baking show in the book to GBBO since we’re all fans.

Land of Stories was really fun to discuss, not just because we got to talk with a 6 year old about it, but because there are some fun adult jokes written in that we all got to enjoy. On top of that, we all like fairytales so it was fun for us to talk about what interpretations we liked and what we didn’t.

Both of these books are super fun reads. Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame, even though it seems like a light novel, has a lot of good discussion points. Land of Stories would be a great recommendation if you have kids in your life. You could read it with them and enjoy it just as much as they do.

Pickle Perfect

By: Ilana Long
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 368

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A second chance at love crashes one woman’s tropical pickleball vacation and serves up an adorkably swoony romantic comedy.

Lulu Gardner only takes predictable shots. After faulting on tennis stardom at eighteen, Lulu, now a thirtysomething single parent, is in control of her game. But when an unanticipated blunder threatens her teaching job, Lulu’s stable, well-planned—okay, boring—world spins out. And somehow, her godparents convince her to join them for a “de-stressing” destination pickleball vacation in Costa Rica. Maybe an all-inclusive picklecation is just the pick-me-up she needs to loosen her grip.

Or it would have been if she wasn’t backhanded by the sight of her high school fling Tyler Demming on the beachside courts. Fresh off the pickleball pro tour, the reigning bad boy of paddle sports is as studly and snarky as ever. Even though his public image took a hit with a ballsy publicity stunt, Tyler seems to be the big shot he’s always been.

But Lulu’s had years to steel herself against his rugged good looks and hypnotic charm. Despite the changes she sees in Tyler since their teenage days, Lulu will have no problem keeping her head in the game and her heart on the sidelines. Or so she tells herself….

First Impressions

I’m not personally into the pickleball trend, but one of my friends really enjoys it. When I was offered this book to review I figured it sounded cute so why not? The cover isn’t bad but I don’t know if it would’ve caught my eye on that alone.

What I thought

I should’ve realized this was a second chance romance…

Lulu was set to be a tennis pro until life got in the way. Her boyfriend at the time, Tyler Demming, went on to be a professional pickleballer. 15 or so years later, Lulu’s job is on the line so she takes an all inclusive pickleball trip with her aunt, uncle, and daughter. On vacation, she runs into Tyler who is doing some image rehab after getting kicked off of the pro pickleball tour. They then get thrown together on a separate adventure tour around Costa Rica that is being tested out by the resort.

I gave up on this book at about 70%. Like I said, this is mostly on me. I cannot stand second chance romances. Tyler disappears at 18, never contacts Lulu, she’s hung up on him for years and hates him. But then when she sees him again it’s all “my body immediately reacts to him”. Blech. Like, you don’t even know this man! I also found nothing redeemable about Tyler. He never appears to take responsibility for anything he did or does and just expects Lulu to fall back in love with him because they were in love at 17 and 18.

On top of that, I found the premise of this book to be very silly. Not only are they just thrown into the Costa Rican jungle to complete adventures such as zip lining and white water rafting, but then they’re also supposed to be playing pickleball? And Lulu who hasn’t picked up a racket in years is great? There also was a scene where Tyler’s wife/ex-wife literally just shows up in the forest. Like, Tyler and Lulu are in his cabin/hotel room situation and she literally just wanders up in the dark. It’s so bizarre.

Lulu didn’t redeem this book for me at al either. I found her daughter completely unnecessary to the story and she was insufferable. She doesn’t like new things because she doesn’t like the unexpected. So this entire adventure she doesn’t want to participate in anything. To the point of even giving up on ziplining after one try. I would be so over her.

Nothing about this book worked for me unfortunately. I didn’t like the plot, the characters, or even the writing. If you enjoy pickleball and second chance romances, you might end up enjoying this on. However, it was not for me and I only skimmed the last 30%.

Book Club October 2025- Finders Keepers

By: Sarah Adler
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Two estranged best friends find that a long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start—for both their futures and their feelings, from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler.

Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she’s single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.

Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now—surely things will be different.

Except, Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.

What I thought

We had previously read Happy Medium by Adler, and Logan enjoyed it so much she wanted to pick a second book written by her.

Nina moves back to her parent’s house after losing her job, boyfriend, and apartment in one week. When she pulls up to their duplex feeling like a complete and utter failure, she finds her old crush/best friend Quentin on the front porch. She hasn’t spoken to Quentin in over 15 years and isn’t ready to deal with the heartbreak over the friendship on top of the implosion of her life. When Quentin shares he’s back because his life has also imploded, he challenges Nina to join him in finishing the treasure hunt that ended their friendship all those years ago.

I really enjoyed this one. It was so much fun. Quentin and Nina were really cute together. They had some good banter that was never mean or over the top. I also appreciated that it was obvious that Quentin was trying to be clear in his feelings but he could tell Nina wasn’t picking up on things. So when there was a misunderstanding at any point in the book, he would catch it and explain it!

The treasure hunt itself was a little silly, but I did enjoy it in the end. I liked the action and activity of the hunt more than I liked what they were hunting for. The seltzer king felt a little Willy Wonka-esque to me and not like something that would’ve existed and I found the treasure itself to be a slight letdown.

I also liked Nina’s parents. I found her mom to add some good comic relief without being over the top. I think in general I enjoyed this book more than Happy Medium. I didn’t feel the pull to pick up more by Adler after reading that one, but I do now.

What Book Club Thought

The funny thing is that book club enjoyed Happy Medium more than I did, yet I enjoyed this one more than they did. One of our members even chose not to finish it because she couldn’t get into it. While we were talking about it, I did realize there were more parts of the book that bugged me than I had initially realized, but I don’t like to change my ratings when reflection changes my feelings. It was interesting to see how we differed on our feelings with the author’s writing. I don’t know if we’ve ever had and instance where we’ve read two books by the same author and had such differing opinions on their books. I would recommend checking Adler out if you’re looking for something light. She’s not a new favorite romance author, but I do enjoy her.

Overdue

By: Stephanie Perkins
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Saturday Books
Pages: 416

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship― and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.

First Impressions

When I got out of graduate school I had been in a reading rut for years. Stephanie Perkins’ novel Anna and the French Kiss was what got me out of it and back into reading. I was so excited to see that no only was she coming out with something new but that it was an adult novel. I could not wait to read it.

What I thought

Ingrid is a librarian who has just kind of sort of broken up with her boyfriend of 9 years. When her sister got engaged, she and Cory talked about how they had never dated anyone else and that if they were going to get married, they should take a break for a month and date other people. But that one month turns into another and another. Ingrid also realizes that her friendship with her coworker Macon might be something more and maybe she wants to explore it.

I found this concept interesting and relatable. I started dating someone at 19 and when we started talking about marriage, I worried about waking up at 40 and having regrets about never having dated anyone else. However, the way Ingrid and Cory talk about other people and not each other felt very obvious to me that they needed more than a break from their relationship.

This book moved month by month through a full year. It moves very slowly, but is definitely the kind of book that would be great in the cold winter months. You really get to live with Ingrid and Macon and all of Ingrid’s friends. It is more of a romance and more of a coming of age novel about Ingrid’s growth. Yes, she and Macon have a romance but she also explores who she wants to be as an adult. I found those parts of the story almost more interesting than I did the romance side.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Macon. And I thought he and Ingrid together were very cute. But to me, it wasn’t the center of the story. This story does kind of hammer home the “when it’s right you’ll know” kind of mentality. Both romantically and life wise. I am a believer in fate, so this didn’t bother me at all. But I could see it being annoying if you don’t think that way.

This is a solid 3.5 stars for me. I found a lot of it really enjoyable, but I also felt it could’ve moved a bit quicker. I think this is a solid first adult novel for Perkins and I hope she continues to write new stories. While this book didn’t have the same magic for me that I remember Anna and the French Kiss having, I still enjoyed it a lot.

Dead and Breakfast

By: Rosiee Thor & Kat Hillis
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): The new vampires in town are sinking their teeth into solving a murder…

Married odd couple Arthur and Sal are totally normal. They wear sunscreen, not because the sun can kill them, but because even the undead need a skincare regimen. They eat garlic whenever they want, though it gives Sal indigestion. They can talk to creatures of the night, but only the raccoons that rifle through their garbage. Really, they don’t bite… except into delicious baked goods.

Ready to settle down and stay out of trouble, the two have opened a bed & breakfast in the idyllic, if not-so-paranormal-friendly, town of Trident Falls, Oregon. But trouble finds them when the mayor is discovered dead in their begonias with two puncture wounds in his neck. With the help of a werewolf barista, the elven town coroner, and a very human city manager, Arthur and Sal will need to prove they aren’t literally out for blood by catching a killer…

First Impressions

The punny title and the cute cover definitely sucked me in with this one. I was intrigued by a cozy mystery that involved vampires and a bed and breakfast. Because of these factors, this book was on my list well before I was offered the opportunity to read it for review.

What I thought

Maybe my expectations were too high?

Arthur and Salvatore are two married vampires that recently moved to the town of Trident Falls and bought a bed and breakfast. Unfortunately, Trident Falls isn’t very paranormal friendly and it gets less so when the mayor’s body is found in their garden drained of blood with puncture wounds. When the Sheriff takes in Salvatore for questioning, Arthur decides to take it upon himself to solve the murder.

I don’t know what it was about this story but it just did not hook me in. I didn’t find any chemistry between Arthur and Salvatore and actually found both of them a little irritating, especially Salvatore. I felt more that Arthur found him irritating too rather than in love.

They frequently make fun of the sheriff for being a bumbling idiot, but Arthur runs off with any small clue to immediately suspect the next person. He rarely has anything more than one piece of evidence and then he becomes heavily convinced they’re the murderer. I honestly don’t know how he solved the murder other than pure lock.

I did like the medical examiner, but found she wasn’t in enough of the story for my liking. The mystery aspect was just ok. I found the murderer to be relatively obvious and even at the end wasn’t quite sure why he did what he did.

This story was fine. I don’t know if the miss for me was my high expectations or the writing itself. I wasn’t crazy about the two main characters and can tell this is going to be an ongoing series. I would be willing to try one more to see if it works a little better, but wouldn’t be surprised if I forgot it existed by the time a sequel comes out.

Lion Women of Tehran

By: Marjan Kamali
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 327

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): An “evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism” (People) set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran—from nationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali.

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions of becoming “lion women.”

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.

“Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing tale” (BookPage) of love and courage, and a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young.

First Impressions

This was a book club pick but I was unable to attend book club. Decided to read it on my own time. I was honestly a little hesitant about this pick and would not have picked it up off the shelf myself.

What I thought

This book was such a pleasant surprise!

Ellie is growing up in Iran in the 1950’s-1960’s. When her father dies, she and her mother are forced to leave their large home for the slum neighborhoods where she meets her best friend Homa. When Ellie moves back to the rich side of town, she and Homa lose touch until she shows up at Ellie’s high school. The story follows the two girls as they deal with the trials of friendship, womanhood, and political upheaval of Iran.

I was worried that this book was going to be really heavy and slow and it was not. Sometimes when dealing with heavier topics, these types of books can come off preachy but I never felt that way. Even though Ellie was frustrating a lot of the time, I couldn’t fault her. She was naïve and a lot of her actions were explained by her upraising.

I loved all of the relationships in this book. The friendship between Ellie and Homa was so interesting to see how it developed over time and maturity. I also adored Mehrdad and Abdol as well as Ellie’s high school friends Noomi and Sousana. Of course, her relationship with her mother was a bit tough but it felt realistic.

I did talk about the book briefly with one of the other book club members and we talked about how this book sparked curiosity about the Iranian revolution and taught us things we didn’t know before. I appreciated the history about the political activism in the country because the Iran we know now is so starkly different from the Iran of the 1970s.

This was a beautifully written story about friendship and life. It moved quickly and captured my interest from early on. I’m curious to read more by this author given how she took topics that could’ve been dry and depressing and made them so colorful and full of life.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

By: Sangu Mandanna
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

First Impressions

Last year I read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and fell in love. I had been a little resistant to read it but ended up loving it. When I saw Mandanna was coming out with a new book this year it immediately jumped to the top of my to-read list. I do think I like this cover a little more than Irregular, so I would have picked this one up off the shelf before the other.

What I thought

This one did not disappoint!

Sera is one of the most powerful witches in England until she uses her powers to resurrect her great aunt. 15 years after doing so, she is running an inn in England with her great aunt and a few misfit residents. When Luke, a witch historian, shows up at her inn, Sera realizes this might be her one chance to get her magic back.

This book is described as a grumpy/sunshine but I didn’t really find Sera to be grumpy or Luke to be sunshiney. Regardless, they had great chemistry and I greatly enjoyed them both. The cast of characters at the inn were great too. Clemmie, the with trapped in a foxes body, was maybe my least favorite but I think we’re supposed to have a bit of a love/hate relationship with her as the reader. I adored Matilda and Sera’s aunt Jasmine and also enjoyed her nephew Theo and Nathaniel. They each played off of each other wonderfully and brought balance to some of the heavier storylines.

The way that Mandanna balances whimsy with heart is unmatched. She also writes found family stories so well. I think this book and Irregular are great for people who might not have a family or aren’t super closer to their families. They show that even misfits can find their place.

I found it interesting that she chose to have an autistic child as a character in this story, but think it was written sensitively and realistically. On top of that, the magical mystery side of the story was so fun. I loved how Sera’s magic was described. Yet again, I would gladly live in this universe for multiple books.

I flew through this book. I loved living at the inn with all of these characters and wish I could go visit them. The romance was one to cheer for and Sera’s magical journey was beyond intriguing. If you enjoy whimsical romances with a magical twist I highly recommend this one.

Passion Project

By: London Sperry
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 368

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A compassionate and hopeful romantic comedy, Passion Project is a reminder that love is waiting for us to let it in

If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet Taylor is failing miserably . . . with a big emphasis on the miserable. Where’s that zest she keeps hearing about? She’s a temp worker in New York City with no direction, no future, and no social life. And at the painful center of this listlessness is grief over the death of her first love.

When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She’s not ready to date. In fact, it’s been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports—not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course.

As their “passion project” continues, the pair tackle everything from carpentry to tattooing to rappelling off skyscrapers, and Bennet feels her guarded exterior ebbing away. But as secrets surface, Bennet has to decide what she wants, and if she’s truly ready to move on. With emotional resonance and sparkling banter, Passion Project is a fun, flirty, thoughtful story of finding a spark—and igniting happiness.

First Impressions

I can’t remember how I came across this book, but it definitely made a strong first impression with the cover and title. The cover is so cute! I remember reading the summary and adding it to my to-read list immediately.

What I thought

I listened to this book and I think I’ve found a new favorite narrator!

Bennett is in her 20’s, living in New York City, and battling with depression. When she stands up a first date, she later runs into him multiple times. The second time she runs into Henry, he challenges her to be his friend and try to find her passion with him this summer. As he pushes her out of her comfort zone, she starts to realize just how far she has closed herself off from those around her.

I really enjoyed this story, even though Bennett drove me a little bit nuts at times. Bennett is dealing with the grief of her ex-boyfriend having passed away about 3-5 years ago. Can’t remember if they said specifically how long ago he passed away or if I just can’t remember. My irritation came with the fact that Bennett does absolutely nothing to deal with this grief. Trust me, I know grief personally and I know it’s not easy and that everyone deals with it different. But she makes comments about why she thinks therapy won’t help, yet she has been dealing with anxiety and depression her whole life. On top of that, she is so obviously self aware that she is struggling, yet refuses to do so.

I think this is why it bothered me a little bit at the end of the story because it felt like her healing journey came together so quickly and almost out of nowhere. I did love Henry, but wouldn’t have minded if he has been a little bit fleshed out. There’s a part of the story where Bennett mentions that she has only viewed Henry for his surface level personality and I felt a little bit like the author could’ve shown a little more why he was the way he was.

I id like how the story was more than just the passion project. Bennett’s relationship with her roommate as well as some of her coworkers helped to fill out the story. Although here is one work storyline that I’m realizing I would’ve liked to be handled a little differently, but obviously hasn’t impacted my enjoyment of the story.

This is a fun story with a serious undertone. I think the author deals with the grief storyline well, even if it isn’t the way I dealt with it in my life and I would’ve been yelling at my friend if they were dealing with it the way Bennett dealt with it. It’s not overly heavy, and I think if you’re looking for a romance that has a little more substance you will enjoy this book. I’m also shocked that this is a debut and can’t wait to see what she will write next!