A Holly Jolly Diwali

By: Sonya Lalli
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Twenty-nine-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya's wedding.

Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual.

When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband and their friends on a group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life--to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of.

First Impression

The title is what got me on this book. The cover is cute and fun and festive which didn’t hurt. I also had been hearing a lot about Diwali right when this book came out which felt like I was destined to read it. I’ve also read two of Lalli’s previous novels and enjoyed both of them so I knew this would be a solid pick.

What I thought

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, and I was ok with the ending, but the middle portion (or maybe the 3rd quarter?) was where I had a little issue.

When Niki gets let go from her job, she decides to jump on a plane to India to attend her best friend’s wedding. While there, she meets Sam who she immediately falls for. But he lives in London and she’s in Seattle. Will this just be a holiday romance? Or will it be able to blossom into something more?

For the first part of this book I really liked Niki. I felt she was a strong character who, while having doubts about her identity (always wondering if she’s Indian enough) she never came across as weak to me. Then in the second half of the book I feel like she was a completely different character. I got very annoyed with the conflict. I know that every romance story has to have a conflict, but I wasn’t crazy about this one. Maybe it was also because the love story played out so quickly?

The rest of the characters I liked the entirety of the book. I liked Sam and his chemistry with Niki. I really loved Niki’s parents. And I also liked Niki’s friends. Her sister I was a bit iffy about, but that’s how it’s supposed to be so I’m ok with that.

I did enjoy the was that Indian culture was written about in this story. I feel like I learned a lot about Diwali as well as some of the classism that exists. It was interesting seeing Niki struggle with being Indian in America vs being Indian in India.

While I got a little annoyed with the journey, I appreciated the ending. It felt realistic and I liked that everything wasn’t fixed with a magical snap of the fingers.

Even though I had a few issues with this book, it didn’t impact my overall enjoyment. I would say it’s more of a 3.5 than a solid 4, but I liked the cultural aspect of it a lot. I have enjoyed a few of Lalli’s other books and feel she is a solid writer. The story was fun and unique and I enjoyed reading it at this time of year.

By The Book

By: Amanda Sellet
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pages: 384

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.

Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking it—and the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself.

First Impressions

This cover immediately got me. It is just way too cute. The title also sucked me in as I am always drawn to books about books and readers. When I read the summary I knew that it was a book that was going to be right up my alley. When I needed a good quick summer read, this one immediately jumped to the top of my list.

What I thought

Oh yes. This book was so cute!

Mary is the second youngest of 5 and the youngest girl. Right before the beginning of the school year, her parents tell her that the progressive private school she’s been going to has closed and she has to go to public high school for her sophomore year. Not sure how to navigate the high school scene, Mary uses her knowledge of books to lead her through life and eventually help give advice to her new found friends. But when the people in real life don’t turn out like those in the books she has read, she learns that life is a lot harder than it seems.

I think a lot of people might find Mary unrealistic and naïve but I kind of related to her. I often find myself using knowledge I’ve gained from the mass amount of reading I do and applying it to real life. Now, I don’t tend to categorize real people as literary characters, but I understand where she’s coming from.

I also loved the friendship storylines and how it grew. Making friends is hard and I appreciate that Mary feels awkward making friends and doubts the friendships at first. But I also appreciate there isn’t any of the stereotypical conniving teenage girl drama. They’re all genuinely nice kids who don’t have any motives other than wanting to be friends.

And Alex? I was immediately in love. Swooned and taken in by his charm for sure. He was so fun and I almost wish he had been around a little bit more.

While I did appreciate the literary references, sometimes it did become a bit much. Mary seemingly knows every literary classic and can recite parts of the story off the top of her head. Now remember, she’s only 15, so it seemed a bit much to me. Then again, her parents are literary professors so it’s not completely implausible.

What made this book stand out from other YAs for me (besides the literary element) is that it seemed real. Nothing seemed overly dramatic or over the top and I appreciated that. I loved all of the relationships and found every storyline was a fun one. I would gladly read books about any other characters that appear in this one.

This book was a fun, quick read with enjoyable characters. I flew through it and it stuck in my brain when I wasn’t reading it. Mary is an easy character to root for in all of her awkward and nerdy glory (but not over the top awkward and nerdy). I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy high school stories with friendship as the main focus and love secondary. It was a delight to read and I look forward to other books by this author.

Book Club November 2021- The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

By: Stuart Turton
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 438

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.

For fans of Claire North, and Kate Atkinson, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man's race against time to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

What I thought

This was my book club pick. I’ve had it on my to-read list and just hadn’t gotten around to it but when I was looking for a book to pick it just felt right.

Evelyn Hardcastle is going to die and it’s your (the narrator’s) job to figure out who the murderer is. You have 8 hosts you will inhabit to relive the same day 8 times. If you don’t figure out who the murderer is by the end the day in your last host, you will start over again from the beginning with no memory of your last attempt.

This is going to be one of those books that’s hard to review because I don’t want to give anything away. It’s party mystery and part fantastical fiction with every page drawing you in further. You definitely feel a bit disoriented when the book starts, dropped into the first host with no idea going on, but it really puts your into the mindset of the narrator. Throughout the book you only know as much as he does at the time he is inhabiting that host. It’s nothing like I’ve ever read before and it was fascinating.

I will say because of the confusion the first 50-100 pages move a little slower. It wasn’t until then that it got to the point where I couldn’t put the book down and proceeded to read in hour long chunks until I finished. After the fourth (I think technically it’s the fourth) host is inhabited is when pieces of the mystery really tart to be explored and I just wanted to keep reading to find out who was going to be the next host and who killed Evelyn. Would the main character be able to save her? Save himself? Save anyone else?

It’s been a while since I’ve read a true mystery, let alone one that had me guessing until the end and that I couldn’t put down. And this isn’t a short book either! I will warn it is intricate and it has an element of magic? Fantasy? Not quite sure what to call it but basically, just go into it knowing that while the story couldn’t happen in real life (I mean… obviously… you can’t inhabit someone else’s body), the murder itself still ties to the real world.

I greatly enjoyed this book from start to finish. The style, story, and writing, were unlike anything I had read before. To not just hold my attention for 400+ pages but to keep a vice grip on it should say enough. I look forward to reading Turton’s newest mystery, but this is the kind of book that has given me a book hangover and I need to just sit for a day in its awe.



The Fastest Way to Fall

By: Denise Williams
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Pages: 384

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Britta didn’t plan on falling for her personal trainer, and Wes didn’t plan on Britta. Plans change and it’s unclear if love, career, or both will meet them at the finish line.

Britta Colby works for a lifestyle website, and when tasked to write about her experience with a hot new body-positive fitness app that includes personal coaching, she knows it’s a major opportunity to prove she should write for the site full-time.

As CEO of the FitMe app, Wes Lawson finally has the financial security he grew up without, but despite his success, his floundering love life and complicated family situation leaves him feeling isolated and unfulfilled. He decides to get back to what he loves—coaching. Britta’s his first new client and they click immediately.

As weeks pass, she’s surprised at how much she enjoys experimenting with her exercise routine. He’s surprised at how much he looks forward to talking to her every day. They convince themselves their attraction is harmless, but when they start working out in person, Wes and Britta find it increasingly challenging to deny their chemistry and maintain a professional distance.

Wes isn’t supposed to be training clients, much less meeting with them, and Britta’s credibility will be sunk if the lifestyle site finds out she’s practically dating the fitness coach she’s reviewing. Walking away from each other is the smartest thing to do, but running side by side feels like the start of something big.

First Impressions

Cute cartoon-y covers will get me every time. I also love a good unforbidden romance so I was sucked in by the summary. I was excited to get a chance to read this one.

What I thought

Britta is a journalist and she is writing a column about her journey with the FitMe app. Wes is the owner of the app and when looking for a distraction, he decides to get back into the coaching side and ends up being Britta’s coach. Their chemistry is undeniable from the minute they start talking while they both deal with the potential ethical dilemmas they both face.

I really did love Britta and Wes as well as their chemistry. The first half of the book had me completely sucked in. Britta was a lot flirtier with her coach than I probably would’ve been, but I appreciated his responses. He didn’t immediately flirt back, but tried to keep things professional by joking back and giving coaching advice. But you could still feel that he wanted to flirt back which I appreciated it.

I don’t know what it was exactly about the second half of the book but it slowed down a bit for me. Maybe it was because I was waiting for the conflicts I knew were coming and it seemed like it took a while to get there? I do feel like 400 pages was a bit long for this story and some parts could’ve been trimmed to keep the pace going strong.

This book dealt a lot with body image and acceptance as well as eating disorders and exercising. I felt like the author dealt with these problems very well, even if they aren’t things I can completely speak to. Not to say I haven’t had issues with body image and acceptance, but I’m an average size person and I would say I’ve had average size problems. Britta is plus size and she talks about the struggles of being a fat woman going to the gym, joining a fitness app, dating, shopping, and so much more. Her written pieces are done so well and I wish that her column had been a real thing.

If you’re looking for a standard, solid romance novel, I would recommend this one. The chemistry between the two characters jumps off the page which is what makes it so solid. I might have enjoyed it a little more if I had read it in the summer or if it had been a little shorter, but it was still very enjoyable and I was rooting for Britta and Wes the entire time. Even if I did get a pit in the bottom of my stomach knowing the trouble they’d get into.

Book Club October 2021- The Lost Apothecary

By: Sarah Penner
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Park Row
Pages: 301

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

What I thought

The cover of this book has been catching my eye since it came out. I was excited when Meghan picked it as a book club book so I could finally read it.

This is a book of two, or even three stories. Two stories occur in the 1700s, one about an apothecary and the other about a servant girl. The other story occurs in present day. The apothecary doesn’t just dispense healing remedies but also poisons. And only with the purpose of killing men. The servant girl walks into the apothecary to pick up one of these poisons for her mistress and their stories begin to intertwine. Present day follows Caroline on vacation in London when she finds a mysterious bottle with nothing on it other than a small etching. Determined to figure out where and when this bottle came from, she begins to unravel a mystery that was never solved.

The first half of this book was a bit slow. I enjoyed it, but it felt like it was taking me a while for such a short book. The second half of the book I couldn’t put down. I liked the ethical conundrum of Nella’s (the apothecary) shop. It felt kind of Dexter-y where murder is justifiable because it’s against bad people. I also really enjoyed Eliza, the servant girl, and how her innocent curiosity balanced out Nella’s pessimism.

Caroline’s story in present day was intriguing as well and definitely where I wanted to be during the first half of the book. I was just as intrigued by the lost bottle and where it came from as Caroline was. She also is dealing with her own marital troubles and I was curious to see how that was going to play out.

This story was a unique mystery that was being solved on both ends. The true unraveling doesn’t happen until the second half of the book but if you can enjoy the curiosity of the first half you will be well rewarded.

What Book Club Thought

Due to some scheduling conflicts we weren’t able to have a true book club this month, but we did discuss it informally. We all really enjoyed the book but agreed that the first half was slower than the last and up until the second half of the story we didn’t care much for what was happening in the past. There were definitely some twists and turns and I think if we had had more time to discuss everything that happened it would have made for a good discussion. I would definitely recommend checking this book out, especially if you can talk about some of the craziness with someone. It was a quick read and thought not completely what I expected, very enjoyable.

The Lighthouse Witches

By: C.J. Cooke
Published Year: 2021
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.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it's an opportunity to start over with her three daughters--Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she's frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she's initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers--except she's still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she'll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn't realize just how much the truth will change her.

First Impressions

It’s been a while since I’ve been in the mood for something spooky or a thriller so I was a bit hesitant when this offer came to me. But then I read the summary and I was immediately intrigued. Admittedly, the cover isn’t my favorite. There’s an alternate cover I prefer more, but the summary sucked me in and I was excited to read this as we got closer to Halloween.

What I thought

This was just the right amount of spooky and had a decently satisfying ending/explanation.

Luna is 32 years old. Her mother and two sisters disappeared in 1998 when they were living on a small Scottish island and she has been searching for them ever since. One day, she gets a call that her sister Clover has shown up. But when Luna goes to meet her, Clover is 7 years old. The same age she was when she disappeared.

This book alternated between multiple timelines and narrators, but each chapter was clearly labeled so it was easy to follow. At first, it alternated between Liv, the mother, in 1998 and Luna, the daughter in 2021. Then Luna’s older sister Saffy was brought in and even a few chapters from the owner of the lighthouse. I definitely was more into the chapters from the past because I wanted to know how and why the girls disappeared, but the present is intriguing too. Child Clover definitely gave me the creeps.

Lon Haven, the Scottish Island, has a history of wildlings, a lore of children being stolen and replaced with fairies in their bodies. So when the first of the daughters goes missing, the town is immediately suspicious and warns Luna about the history of the island.

I loved how old folk lore was brought into this story. I’ve always found Nordic folk lore fascinating and the combination of the Scottish tales and the Icelandic tales was what brought me to this book in the first place. This book was just creepy enough that I couldn’t put it down once I hit about 40%, but wasn’t so creepy that I was worried I’d have nightmares.

While the ending was satisfying, I was left with a few unanswered questions. You will have to suspend your belief of reality. This isn’t a book where there is a true real world explanation. There is some magic involved. But I think this time of year, that’s a good enough explanation.

I haven’t read a magical realism mystery in a very long time and I’m glad that this was the one I picked up. Take the book for what it is and you will not be able to put it down. I highly recommend this to people who want to read something for spooky season but don’t want to be left with nightmares. I do feel like I need someone else to read this so I can discuss it though!

Crazy Stupid Bromance

By: Lyssa Kay Adams
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 342

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.

Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush.

Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

First Impression

I have read and enjoyed the first two books in this series (but apparently never reviewed the second one. whoops) and was curious about the characters in this one. I am a cat person so I was excited about the cat on the cover and the fact that it was going to be a book about Alexis who owns a cat café. However, Noah appeared in the last book and he wasn’t someone that I felt super drawn to. Either way, I know this series is solid so I added it to my lit.

What I thought

While I did enjoy this book, it’s admittedly my least favorite of the series so far. It felt like a book that was being used as a tool to get us from book 2 to book 4.

Noah and Alexis have become best friends for a year and a half (since the end of book 2) but there are some obviously not-so-secret feelings. When Alexis finds out that the father she never knew needs a kidney transplant and she may be the only option, her world gets turned upside down. Noah is, of course, dealing with his own stuff as well as his feelings for Alexis.

It was kind of hard to get fully invested in Noah and Alexis at first because all of the history and groundwork was laid before this book even started. In the last book, Alexis dealt with a lot being the person to come forward against a celebrity chef about sexual abuse and in this book she gets an entirely different but yet no less traumatizing drama to deal with. I wouldn’t have minded if some if the stories had been toned down a little. It felt like Adams had a whole bunch of ideas that she could go with and so she put the all in but then forgot to take out the ones that didn’t work as she went. For example, there’s a disgruntled business owner who is brought in very early on for once scene and then it appears like it will be an issue in the future and well, spoiler alert, it just fizzles out.

I also felt like this book was a lot of setup for character stories in future books. I know the next book is about The Russian and he was in it a bunch and for the first time a lot of questions were being asked about his wife. There was another new male character introduced named Carlton, and he was in the book a lot even though Noah seemingly didn’t like him.

Speaking of the Bromance Book Club, I feel like this book had the least amount of relation to the lessons and the book club itself. Yes, Noah was inducted and asked to read the book, but it seemed like an afterthought to everything going in. Everything that happened in this story could’ve moved forward without the book club concept and that made me a little sad.

All that being said, Noah and Alexis did grow on me and while their conflict drove me nuts, I did enjoy seeing them get together and see how things played out. They had a lot of common ground and I liked their comfort levels.

Right now, I’m feeling like this may be one you’re able to skip in the series. I liked the first two books a lot but this one was just ok for me. That’s not to say it was bad, just that a lot of it fell flat to me. I’m still looking forward to the next book in the series and hope that it picks back up.

Ace of Spades

By: Farida Abrike-Iyimide
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 432

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?

With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.

First Impressions

The cover of this book caught my eye on Twitter. Someone had retweeted the author when she tweeted her cover reveal and I immediately had to check it out. The summary said that it was a mix between Get Out and Gossip Girl which sounded very intriguing. It jumped right to the top of my 2021 release list.

What I thought

I don’t know why I keep gravitating towards these Get Out type stories when all they do is give me anxiety!

Chiamaka and Devon are the only two black students at their private school, Niveus Academy. Their senior year Chiamaka is designated as Head Prefect, which she’s been working towards the past 3 years, and Devon is awarded Senior Prefect, completely out of the view. When the school starts to be harassed by an anonymous “Aces”, Chi and Devon are the targets. Everything they’ve worked towards starts to crumble around them as they try to find out why this is happening and who is behind it.

I was definitely sucked in at the beginning when everything started to go down. Devon and Chiamaka run in two completely different circles, so trying to figure out the commonalities  was fun. I appreciated that they were two well fleshed out characters. The both had a lot going on outside of who they appear to be on the surface.

I was able to figure out pretty early on who was Aces, so the mystery part started lacking for me in the middle. I was still intrigued, but I didn’t find myself completely sucked in and unable to put the book down. Once Chi and Devon started to figure it out, the book picked back up again and I flew through the last 100 pages wanting to see how it all played out.

Without giving anything away, I think this book does tackle some very important and current issues with race, education, and privilege. The book tackles the struggles that Chi and Devon deal with being the only two black students in an all white private school; such as Chi struggling with her identity as a black woman and Devon as a poor black man. I did find myself slightly irritated that neither Chi nor Devon thought to immediately involve their parents once stuff started happening but there were legitimate reasons that I was able to accept.

This book was definitely more of a 3.5 stars for me. I wanted to like it more and expected to be more sucked in than I actually was. The story and the writing were solid and I liked the character development. If you can handle the anxiety of a mystery where a lot is at stake then I recommend it. Having read two “Get Out” inspired novels, this one is more realistic and doesn’t have any magical elements, unlike The Other Black Girl. So, if you want to read something along those lines, you can use that to make your decision.