Only the Beautiful

By: Susan Meisner
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 400

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A heartrending story about a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter, and the winds of fortune that tear them apart by the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War.

California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined.

Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman's sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.

First Impression

Beautiful cover! I have reviews a few other of Meissner’s books and have enjoyed all of them. She is a solid historical fiction writer and there’s usually a twist in her stories that I don’t expect. This book did make me a little hesitant because I just read a historical fiction book that dealt with synesthesia, so I was a little worried they’d be too similar, but I knew Meissner wouldn’t let me down.

What I thought

Rosie is 17 years old, unwed, an orphan, and pregnant. Her guardians send her to what she thinks is going to be a home for unwed mothers, but turns out to be a home for the infirm and psychologically disturbed. She is forced to give up her child for adoption as well as live through some other trials and tribulations. Helen is older and lives in Europe during World War II. Her brother was one of Rosie’s guardians. When Helen comes back to the US, she learns about Rosie’s story and how closely certain parts mirror the experiences she saw in Nazi Germany.

This book is essentially two books in one. The first half is Rosie and her story, the second half is Helen and hers. Each story is told through flashbacks and their present day in the 1940s and eventually 1950s. The story deals a lit with eugenics and the side of Nazi Germany that dealt with the murder of the disabled and not just of the Jews. I do think that sometimes that can be forgotten I the shadow of all of the other horrors. It was interesting to read a WWII historical fiction that highlighted it.

The hard part for me was moving from Rosie’s story to Helens. It happens a little over halfway through the book and it made me a little sad to leave her story. I connected with Rosie a lot during her section and wanted to know that she was ok. It was a little harder for me to connect with Helen. I think this might be because her storyline isn’t quite as personal as Rosie’s, so while you’re in her head just as much, it’s different.

This book moves a lot quicker than expected. It touches on some extremely important topics that I think are, unfortunately, still timely today. I think I would’ve loved this book a little bit more if it had solely been Rosie, but it’s a solid and wonderful historical fiction. It also dealt with the synesthesia in a very different way than Hester, which is the other book I read earlier this year. So, if you’ve read one, you can absolutely read the other without feeling like you’re read the same story.

Sisters of the Lost Nation

By: Nick Medina
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

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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 young Native girl's hunt for answers about the women mysteriously disappearing from her tribe's reservation lead her to delve into the myths and stories of her people, all while being haunted herself, in this atmospheric and stunningly poignant debut.

Anna Horn is always looking over her shoulder. For the bullies who torment her, for the entitled visitors at the reservation's casino...and for the nameless, disembodied entity that stalks her every step--an ancient tribal myth come-to-life, one that's intent on devouring her whole.

With strange and sinister happenings occurring around the casino, Anna starts to suspect that not all the horrors on the reservation are old. As girls begin to go missing and the tribe scrambles to find answers, Anna struggles with her place on the rez, desperately searching for the key she's sure lies in the legends of her tribe's past.

When Anna's own little sister also disappears, she'll do anything to bring Grace home. But the demons plaguing the reservation--both ancient and new--are strong, and sometimes, it's the stories that never get told that are the most important.

Part gripping thriller and part mythological horror, author Nick Medina spins an incisive and timely novel of life as an outcast, the cost of forgetting tradition, and the courage it takes to become who you were always meant to be.

First Impression

This cover honestly isn’t my favorite, and I don’t think I would’ve picked this book up if it hadn’t been sent to me to review based on the cover alone. The thing that did make an impression was that it was about Native women, written by a Native author, and had a bit of mystery.

What I thought

I’ve heard a lot about the high numbers of Native women that go missing each year, so it was interesting and timely to read a book about that subject.

Anna is the eldest of 3 living on the rez in Louisiana. A few years ago, a casino was built on the rez and Anna and her younger sister Grace both work there. They also both go to high school in town. When Grace doesn’t come home, Anna is immediately worried. A few other young women have recently gone missing and Anna knows that there is something shady happening on the eighth floor of the casino hotel.

While I did overall enjoy this book, I do think it could’ve been a little shorter. In the middle it started to feel a little drawn out and I got anxious waiting for the resolution. Because of that, I started to skim more in the final 25% of the book. To me, that shows that there was a lot of unnecessary plot just to drag the mystery out a little further. I also felt like there were story points that were purposely left vague that would’ve benefited from being more specific. For example, Anna is being bullied at school. At the very beginning of the story, you find out that her graduating class nominated her as Homecoming King. But the exact reason she’s being bullied, which is a part of who she is as a person, are just left up to the reader to interpret.

Another part that bugged me was not knowing when exactly this story took place. I think it took place in the late 90s/early 00s? It’s not something key to the story, but just felt weird that it was never specified.

The unfortunate fact about this story is that it is so closely related to the truth. There is a disproportionate number of young Native women who go missing each year and no attention is brought to it. I appreciate what this book has done in bringing this story into the forefront. This book is full of bad men and strong women and I very much appreciated that.

As far as the mystery element, I don’t think it’s one in which you aren’t supposed to know who did it but more so how and whether or not her sister will be found. I won’t ding this story just because I knew what had happened. It kept me intrigued and invested the entire time, even with its weak points.

If you’re looking for a unique mystery, I recommend checking this one out. I haven’t read a story like it, and I think the perspective it brings is much needed. I enjoyed all of the characters, but do think they could’ve been more fleshed out. There are some plot points that felt unnecessary or maybe they felt unnecessary because they weren’t followed through. I think this book could be good for book clubs that enjoy mysteries and I’m curious to see what Medina writes in the future and whether or not his writing matures.

Legendborn

By: Tracy Deonn
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 501

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

First Impressions

Honestly this cover did not make a good first impression. I saw it all over the internet and people were raving about it but the cover just didn’t do it for me. I used to read more fantasy but haven’t in the past few years. When I read and enjoyed the sequel to Ninth House, it sparked my enjoyment of Urban Fantasy novels and I did some research about the best current Urban Fantasy. This book came up and I liked that it was by an author of color with a main character of color, so I added it to my list.

What I thought

I had more fun reading this book than I have in a long time.

Bree’s mother died in a car accident right after she got into the Early College program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. When she gets to UNC, she discovers that magic exists. Through that, she discovers a secret society called the Legendborn, that is based on the mythology of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Throughout this story, in addition to the fantasy element, Bree is dealing with grief. A huge storyline is Bree coming to terms with the loss of her mother. She even goes to therapy and uses both therapy and magic to try to discover who she is now in the after of her mom dying. I honestly haven’t read a book that deals with grief this well and honestly. I love that it is out there and especially that it’s in the YA genre for younger readers who need it.

When it comes to the fantasy element, I enjoyed every piece of it. The mystery, the legend, the magic, it all flowed so well. Part of the reason I gravitate towards Urban Fantasy is because the magic element can take a lot to follow without adding in a whole new world and language. There is a lot of back story in the fantasy element, but I found it super easy to follow. Not only was it pretty logical, but I appreciated that Bree would explain how to pronouns some of the unique words that came up as a result.

Honestly, I can’t find much to fault in this book other than the length and the fact I feel a love triangle coming. I got a little sick of love triangles back when dystopian novels were super popular. I also feel like, being a little older, I’m not immediately in love with the bad boy who may or may not have a heart of gold, but rather the good guy who is kind and dependable. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a factor this becomes in the future.

If you’re looking for a good, fun fantasy novel, I highly recommend this one. I can’t wait to see how the lore plays out in the future books. I hope that books 2 and 3 conclude in a satisfying way. This first book was very fulfilling and I hope the next ones can live up to the first.

Twelve Hours in Manhattan

By: Maan Gabriel
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pages: 312

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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): Two worlds. One heart. Twelve hours.

Bianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min, and he’s in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From walking along Fifth Avenue to eating ice cream at Serendipity to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. In that time, they talk about the big stuff: love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.

But real life is more than just a few exhilarating stolen moments in time.

As the clock strikes the twelfth hour, Bianca returns back to the life she detests to face a tragedy that will test her strength and resolve—and the only thing she has to keep going is the memory of a man she loves in secret from a world away.

First Impressions

Ooooo! This cover is pretty. I’m also a total sucker for books that have a secret celebrity too. It kind of sounded like an adult version of one of Maureen Goo’s books, so I was totally sold.

What I thought

This book was a little bit of a letdown and I don’t know if it’s because my expectations were too high or what.

Bianca is a Filipino-American living in Jersey and interviewing for a job in Manhattan. She meets a bar at a stranger and they hit it off. She recognizes that he’s a famous Korean Drama (K-drama) actor and lets him know. But because of their connection, they spend 12 hours together. When their 12 hours are over, they each return to their respective lives. Or at least, they try to.

I expected this book to be a lot about the 12 hours they spent together and less about Bianca’s life and then their eventual reconnection. The beginning was cute. It had their 12 hours together and each chapter was titles by the time, so you knew how much longer they have left. I enjoyed Bianca and Eric/Park’s initial connection, but will warn it then turns it over the top insta-love. I understand the chemistry attraction and meeting someone and immediately feeling like you know them. But then to not see them again for two years and yet somehow know you’re both in love? I struggled with that a bit.

The book takes an almost concussion inducing turn after Bianca gets home. The stuff revealed about her real life is wild, and while I did enjoy it, it took me a second. Between the cover and what I thought was the premise, I felt like I had to digest that this was going to be a very different book.

What I liked about this book were the relationships. I liked Bianca, Eric, and her friends Pam and Marco. I didn’t like the 17 different storylines. There was one weird one with her friend Miguel being in love with her that literally had nothing to do with anything in the story. It could’ve been eliminated and made zero difference. I tend to get irritated with those kinds of plotlines when there is so much else going on. I definitely feel like the editor could’ve done a better job.

The ending was another whirlwind and I was a little confused. There was something about Bianca being used in some way but I’m still not sure how she was used or why it was effective? And then her third act conflict with Eric made little to no sense and I wasn’t quite sure why they stopped talking. I did read an advanced copy so, again, I hope the editor went back and fixed the ending a little bit. There was just too much going on and not very clear or well written at all.

It was still a fun book with the concept and the characters, I just think there was way more content than pages. I don’t know if I would add Gabriel as a new go-to author because the writing wasn’t my favorite, but it’s not bad. I didn’t dislike the book but it did disappoint me a little and I feel like I will forget about it in a few weeks. If you enjoy books that have a lot of drama going on, I recommend checking it out. Otherwise you can probably pass.

The Last Russian Doll

By: Kristen Loesch
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 406

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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): In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land...

...a young girl lived happily in Moscow with her family: a sister, a father, and an eccentric mother who liked to tell fairy tales and collect porcelain dolls.

One summer night, everything changed, and all that remained of that family were the girl and her mother.

Now, a decade later and studying at Oxford University, Rosie has an English name, a loving fiancé, and a promising future, but all she wants is to understand--and bury--the past. After her mother dies, Rosie returns to Russia, armed with little more than her mother’s strange folklore--and a single key.

What she uncovers is a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin’s purges, and beyond.

At the heart of this saga stands a young noblewoman, Tonya, as pretty as a porcelain doll, whose actions—and love for an idealistic man—will set off a sweeping story that reverberates across the century....

First Impressions

A few years ago I read The Bear and the Nightingale which deals with Russian folklore. I was sucked in and wished that there was more Russian historical fiction I could read. At the time, there wasn’t really anything so when I was offered this book for review I was very excited. It’s not my favorite cover but it’s not bad.

What I thought

Ugh this book.

This book is a combination of romance, historical fiction, mystery, and paranormal fantasy. There was way too much going on and it took until at least 50% for me to even get into the book.

Rosie, aka Raisa, decides to return to Russia after the death of her mother to try to find out who killed her father and sister 14 years prior. This story alternates with Tonya in 1917 during the Russian revolution who is in love with a Bolshevik.

The writing for this story dragged and there was so much going on that it was hard to connect to anyone. The first half of Tonya’s story was all a love story. Then it would jump back to Rosie who was in Russia trying to solve the mystery. I was annoyed because I was more intrigued by the mystery/present day but when it went back to the past it didn’t feel like we were learning anything to help move that storyline forward. And when we finally did get to the mystery being solved, it wasn’t?

The entire historical story is based around Tonya’s romance and I never connected with it. I didn’t understand why she kept putting herself in danger over and over again for the man she loved when it seemed like he wasn’t worth it. There also was a love story in the present day that felt like it came out of no where and was unnecessary.

Add in the random kind of sort of haunting that only appeared when it was convenient to move the story forward and you had a lazy story that was confusing and poorly written.

I truly cannot find a single positive thing to say about this book. It took me forever to get through and I would’ve given up on it had it not been for review. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first and the only reason this didn’t become a one star review.

Hell Bent (Alex Stern #2)

By: Leigh Bardugo
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 496

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

First Impressions

I loved the first book in this series, Ninth House, when I read it 3 years ago and have been patiently waiting ever since to read the sequel. Complerely honest, the cover kind of creeps me out and I wouldn’t have picked it up based off of that alone.

What I thought

I did enjoy this book and it sparked a desire to get back into reading fantasy again, but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more had it come out closer to the original. If you haven’t read the first one and want to, I would recommend skipping this review because there will be some spoilers.

Darlington is stuck in Hell and Alex and Dawes are trying to save him. Alex’s past is coming back to make life difficult and she is unsure how far she will be able to go to accomplish her mission.

The hardest part of this book for me was that it had been so long since I had read the original. I should’ve done a re-read, but I didn’t have time. As a result, I was very confused for the first part of the book. I couldn’t remember some of the characters or their back stories, even though I read a review of the book. As much as previous book summaries kind of drive me nuts in series, I would’ve appreciated a little bit of a reminder.

As a result, it took me a little time to get sucked into the book, but eventually I did and I enjoyed the journey. Alex is an interesting character. I don’t think she’s what you would usually call likable, but somehow you still are on her side and cheer for her every step of the way.

Bardugo has created a really good world within Yale and Lethe. It made me realize that I’m a big Urban Fantasy fan, where demons and ghosts and other creatures exist within our world. A lot of what Alex does seems feasible, even though you know it’s fantastical.

I’m a little frustrated because even though there was a lot of resolution in this book, it’s left open to be continued in a series. I’m worried it’s going to be another 3 years before the next part of the story comes out and I will yet again be forgetful and confused.

I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first one. I think part of that was due to my memory, but I also think it moved a little slower than the first. I do appreciate that this series is more centered around mystery and personal growth than love or trying to save the world from ending. I think sometimes fantasy series reach too far and big or get swept up with the heroine falling in love and this one doesn’t. I highly recommend checking it out and still need to read more by Bordugo in the future.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise

By: Colleen Oakley
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

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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): Twenty-one-year-old Tanner Quimby needs a place to live. Preferably one where she can continue sitting around in sweatpants and playing video games nineteen hours a day. Since she has no credit or money to speak of, her options are limited, so when an opportunity to work as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman falls into her lap, she takes it.

One slip on the rug. That’s all it took for Louise Wilt’s daughter to demand that Louise have a full-time nanny living with her. Never mind that she can still walk fine, finish her daily crossword puzzle, and pour the two fingers of vodka she drinks every afternoon. Bottom line -- Louise wants a caretaker even less than Tanner wants to be one.

The two start off their living arrangement happily ignoring each other until Tanner starts to notice things—weird things. Like, why does Louise keep her garden shed locked up tighter than a prison? And why is the local news fixated on the suspect of one of the biggest jewelry heists in American history who looks eerily like Louise? And why does Louise suddenly appear in her room, with a packed bag at 1 a.m. insisting that they leave town immediately?

Thus begins the story of a not-to-be-underestimated elderly woman and an aimless young woman who—if they can outrun the mistakes of their past—might just have the greatest adventure of their lives.

First Impression

I’ve read a lot of books by Oakley and they have really run the gambit when it comes to type of story. This cover isn’t my favorite and I was even a little iffy on the synopsis. To be honest, if I hadn’t previously read and enjoyed books by Oakley, I don’t know if it would’ve made a good first impression.

What I thought

Tanner is in her early 20s. She has recently moved back home after an accident that caused her to lose her soccer scholarship. Louise is in her 80s. Her daughter has decided she needs a caregiver after she broke her hip. When Louise finds out that a long lost friend from her past is in danger, she takes off in the middle of the night and brings Tanner along with her.

While I enjoyed a lot of this book, it felt very long to me and a little bit slow. I think I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if like 50-60 pages had been edited out. I think there were definitely parts of the journey that could’ve been taken out without making any change to the major points of the story.

I definitely preferred Louise to Tanner. I don’t know if I would’ve liked her a little more if I had been reading this book when I was in my 20s, but she came off a little whiney and immature to me. I didn’t care much for the chapters that were from her point of view and wanted to shake her a little bit and tell her to get over herself.

I did enjoy that the chapters not only alternated with Louise and Tanner’s points of view, but with text exchanges between Louise’s kids, Tanner’s mom, and even the police. I liked the mystery of the story more than I liked the journey and there was a small twist I didn’t expect.

This wasn’t my favorite of Oakley’s novels. The story felt a little cliché and the characters a little boring. I think if it had been shorter I would’ve been much more entertained. I also think that novels with main characters where the focus of the relationship is geriatric and young adult it’s not for me. I think Oakley has some much better books than this one, and while I didn’t dislike it, I was a little disappointed.

The Love Wager

By: Lynn Painter
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 320

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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): Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it's time to become a full-on adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of.

After the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don't go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.

Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.

Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.

First Impressions

The cover isn’t my favorite. I appreciate that it’s different and yellow and might’ve caught my eye based on color alone, but I’ve seen better illustration. The summary on the other hand immediately caught my attention. I loved the idea of a couple that started being friends as a bet but fell for each other over time. This is the second book in the series, but since it’s a romance series you don’t have to read the first one to understand this one.

What I thought

Hallie and Jack met at his sister’s wedding where they had a one night stand. After that night, they are both convinced that it’s time for them to enter the dating app world. When Hallie comes across Jack on the app, she teases him over message and they begin to chat. Over time, they decide to motivate each other to find their soulmates on the app by making a bet. Whoever falls in love first wins.

Jack and Hallie were so good. They had amazing banter which I’m always a sucker for in romance novels. I immediately fell in love with Jack. I loved that even though he had his personal issues, they weren’t massive. Hallie also had some small issues, but everything felt very relatable. Their chemistry was off the charts. I honestly couldn’t understand how it took them so long to get together.

I also felt like Painter did a great job accurately writing about the world of online dating. The few dates that they went on made me laugh and I definitely understood Hallie being heart broken over the possibility of something more than losing the person you were dating.

One other thing I loved about this novel was that the conflict wasn’t ridiculous and was resolved quickly. I hate when the conflict is a huge overreaction that takes forever to get resolved. This didn’t happen in the book and it made me like it so much more.

I flew through this book. I thought it was funny, light, romantic, and a complete joy. Painter writes clever and relatable characters who I was rooting for the entire time. I will definitely check out more of her novels in the future and highly recommend looking into her if you like banter in your romance novels.