Book Club January 2026- The Spectacular

By: Fiona Davis
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 357

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and the glamorous Radio City Music Hall. . . .

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion is over the moon to have been selected to be one of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall’s glamorous precision-dancing troupe. It’s an honor to perform in the world’s most spectacular theater, an art deco masterpiece. But with four shows a day as well as grueling rehearsals, not to mention exacting standards of perfection to live up to, Marion quickly realizes that the life of a Rockette has both extraordinary highs and devastating lows.

Then one night a bomb explodes in the theater. It’s only the latest in a string of explosions around the city orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the "Big Apple Bomber." They have been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police, at Marion’s urging, turn in desperation to a radical new technique: psychological profiling.

As Marion finds herself pulled deeper into the investigation, she realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. But she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.

What I thought

I was really intrigued when Meghan picked this book because I love The Rockettes. I also love mysteries, especially ones that center around profiling.

Marion is living at home with her father and sister when she decides to audition for The Rockettes. When she makes it, it turns her world upside down. She originally thought she would follow the typical 1950’s house wife expectations, but instead she is pursuing her passion of professional dancing. While she lives in the city, the Big Apple Bomber, who has been targeting the city for 16 years, targets Radio City Music Hall. Marion ends up getting herself involved in the investigation and her life continues to be flipped.

I loved this book. I flew through it. From the very beginning, I was immediately sucked in. I loved Marion and her passion for dance. She was very independent and headstrong for a woman of her time and I am always a sucker for a strong female character. When the mystery of the Big Apple Bomber started to unfold, I was even more sucked in. I even paused to research whether or not this was based off of a real person (spoiler, it was).

This book was so well written. I am curious to look into more of Davis’ books because I had not heard of her before this book. I love reading historical fiction about places and events that are unique and now I feel I have learned so much about The Rockettes and New York in the 50’s. If you are a fan of unique historical fiction or The Rockettes, I highly recommend looking into this book.

What Book Club Thought

We all loved this book! We had so much to discuss. It was hilarious how many of us didn’t realize how much of a mystery this book was going to be because we either didn’t read the description or didn’t read it closely. We enjoyed talking about our theories throughout the book as well as some of the interesting expectations of women in the 50’s. This was a great book club choice that was enjoyable and also lead to a lot of discussion points. One of our book club members has already read another one of Davis’s books and a few of us are interested in reading more from her in the future. I would definitely recommend this book as a book club choice.

Death and Dinuguan

By: Mia P. Manansala
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 304

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Things are looking up for the Brew-ha Cafe, and Lila Macapagal can’t think of anything that could break the spell, especially with Valentine’s Day coming up—she can’t wait to celebrate with her boyfriend, Jae Park. Adding to the lovey-dovey atmosphere is Hana Lee, Shady Palms’s newest resident. She’s also Jae’s beloved cousin and chocolatier at Choco Noir, the latest addition to the town’s culinary offerings. Everything is coming into place for Hana, who left her old life in Minnesota behind to work at Choco Noir, owned by her best friend.

Unfortunately, beneath the sweet surface of Shady Palms runs a bitter undercurrent, as a series of attacks against women-owned businesses in the area escalates from petty theft to assault and murder when Hana is found knocked unconscious inside Choco Noir, and the chocolate shop owner is put out of business—for good.

With Hana left in a coma, a murderer hiding amongst them, and the safety of the women entrepreneurs of Shady Palms at risk, the Park brothers team up with the Brew-ha crew to put a stop to the villain before they strike again.

First Impressions

This is the 6th and final book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery Series. I started reading this series at book 3 and have enjoyed each one. The characters are fun without being over the top and the mysteries are cozy and sweet. I was excited to read this book and a little surprised it was the final one in the series.

What I thought

Lila gets herself involved in another investigation, though this time it involves one of her friends. There has been a series of burglaries at women owned businesses in Shady Palms. One of these burglaries results in the murder and coma of the two business owners. Lila and her friends involve themselves in the investigation, but this time it feels personal.

I don’t feel like this book feels like a final book in the series. It surprises me but I also understand not wanting to continue the series forever. One small town can only have so many murders being solved by a café owner. At the same time, I could see the story continuing since it wasn’t like they moved or made some grand speech about no longer investigating anything.

I did enjoy Lila, Adeena, Elena and Jae working together in the book. Last book, Elena expressed frustration with not being a part of the investigating and feeling like Lila didn’t trust her. Lila’s aunts were a little bit less involved in this story, but I didn’t mind that.

I can’t remember if I figured out the other mysteries as easily as I figured out this one. I feel like the others came together as slightly more of a surprise, so because of that this may not be my favorite of the series. I’m a little sad it’s coming to an end because I do find the setting and characters to be comforting.

This was a solid addition to the series, even if it wasn’t my favorite. I look forward to seeing what Manansala writes next as her characters and setting are always wonderful. If you are someone who enjoys cozy mysteries, I highly recommend checking out this series as a whole.

Book Club December 2025- 12 Dates of Christmas

By: Jenny Bayliss
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Pages: 320

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say "Bah, humbug." The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn't exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate's found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt's neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right?

Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before--and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures--Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it's least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it's been right under her nose all along. . . .

What I thought

Stephanie picked this book since she wanted a Christmas read and Hallmark has made a series this year based off of this book. We did read another book by Bayliss in 2022. I don’t remember much about it, but when I looked back I had only given it 2 stars, so I was a little nervous before starting this one.

Kate moved back to her small hometown in England about 4 years ago. Since living there, she has reconnected with friends and the community, but has yet to find love. Her friend Laura suggests she participate in a new program being put on called Twelve Dates of Christmas were between December 1st and the 23rd she will go on 12 blind dates in hopes of finding the one.

I did enjoy this book more than the previous one I read, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. I found it to be predictable within the first 5 pages. We meet Kate’s friend and café owner Matt and I thought it was pretty obvious that Kate and Matt would end up together. I was still excited to see how her dates played out though.

I feel like this is going to be one of those instances where I enjoy the show/movie more than I enjoy the book. I think it needs to be Hallmark-ified a little bit. Honestly, the horror of each of her dates was frustrating and disappointing. I got irritated by how at least half of these men were still in love with their exes. Also, she kind of slut shamed herself? Which, as someone who was in the online dating world feels weird. Like, she kisses two men and feels like she is a loose woman. I didn’t understand this because we’re in the 2020s and she had only been on one date with each of these men.

This book was a cute idea but the execution was meh. I also found her romance with Matt to be very underwhelming. There are definitely better Christmas romances out there, but after my last read it was nice to have one that was a little lighter and fluffier. I’m excited to see this play out as a show.

What Book Club Thought

I think book club enjoyed this a little more than I did. We had a lot of fun talking about it and the craziness of some of the dates. I was surprised we had as much to talk about as we did. We did all agree that it was predictable but it was interesting because some of the members felt this was the most warm Christmassy Christmas book that we have read. We usually read a holiday book in December, but some of them Christmas has been more of a background than a character and this book it really felt central to the story. We also talked about what we hoped Hallmark would change versus what we hope they keep the same. If your bookclub likes lighter Christmas reads, then you should pick this one up.

How My Neighbor Stole Christmas

By: Meghan Quinn
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Bloom Books
Pages: 480

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Every Kringle in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot.

But Cole Black on Whistler Lane, unfortunately, did not.

As his fellow citizens decorate their quaint town, brimming with carols and glad tidings, Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the winter away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Immediately, the new neighbor turns his life into a real nightmare before Christmas, especially when she decides to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest in honor of Cindy. And better yet, Storee is determined to win.

Over Cole's dead body, she will. With help from his friend Max, Cole decides to enter the competition as well, to beat Storee at her own game by pretending that this hometown grump's heart has grown three sizes this season and he's fallen for the girl next door. And unfortunately for Storee, she has to follow his lead to have a chance at the Christmas Kringle title.

But the competition isn't the only thing that heats up. Cole and Storee's fake relationship becomes very real, and before they know it, they're attempting to hide it from Aunt Cindy. Things get complicated, the competition gets tough, and all it takes is one single night for someone to steal it all…

First Impressions

I love the Grinch, so this cove immediately sucked me in. I was less convinced after reading the summary and hearing a few times about how it was very raunchy. However, a year later, I have read another Meghan Quinn novel and loved it, so I thought maybe I would give it a shot.

What I thought

This book was… odd.

Storee is back in Kringletown, a 365 day Christmas town in the mountains of Colorado, to help take care of her great Aunt Cindy. Her sister has also come to join her. They used to spend every Christmas there, but Storee hasn’t been back in 10 years. She left the same day that Cole, who lived next door, lost his parents. Unbeknownst to her. Now that she’s back, her Aunt Cindy has decided there is nothing she wants more than for Storee to enter and wind the Kringle competition to determine who is the most Christmassy in town. Cole refuses to let Storee come back to his town and win, so he enters too.

I enjoyed a lot of the story, but it dragged on too long and I really disliked the last 50 pages. Once I got over the Christmassy poems, Storee’s name, and Cole’s odd grudge, their chemistry was cute and I liked the competitive aspect. However, there was this weird Narrator who would show up randomly? And talk with Cole? And make changes to the story based off of his attitude towards them? It made zero sense and just confused me.

I did appreciate that Cole got over his history with Storee relatively quickly. He honestly was mad at her for a dumb reasonand I didn’t understand why he would have held that grudge for 10 years. I also liked his friend Max.

The internet wasn’t wrong about the spiciness rating. The first couple of hundred pages weren’t that bad, but when it took off, it really took off. And some of it was weird. I definitely skipped a few pages. I wanted more of the shenanigans with the competition and less of that. Plus then there was this storyline with her sister that came out of nowhere and completely turned the book around at the end.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the other one I read by Quinn. I should’ve listened to my gut instinct and skipped this one. It was cute at first but just was a little too long and a little off kilter for me. I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel, but I will continue to check out other books by Quinn. If you like spicier romances and you’re looking for one that centers around Christmas, I do think this could be a fun read for you. Just not my speed.

Happy Mum Happy Baby

By: Giovanna Fletcher
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Coronet
Pages: 368

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A positive and uplifting book about what it is to be a mother and all things mum and baby by Celebrity Mum of the Year and phenomenally popular vlogger, author, TV presenter and actress Giovanna Fletcher.

Being a mum is an incredible journey, a remarkable experience that changes how we look, how we feel, who we are. As mothers we are strong, protective, proud. We feel a love like no other.

But being a parent can be hard too. It challenges us physically, mentally, emotionally. There are the days where just managing to fit a shower in amidst the endless feeding, entertaining young children and surviving on a lack of sleep feels like an achievement. With so many people ready to offer 'advice' on the best way to parent, it can feel like you are getting it all wrong.

Since Giovanna and her husband Tom Fletcher have had their sons Buzz and Buddy, they have been sharing glimpses of their family life. With an infectiously positive outlook and happy take on all things mum-related, Giovanna has developed a following of fellow parents and mums-to-be.

This is not a book about how to have the perfect family experience - Gi would be the first to admit she is winging it just as much as the rest of us - instead it is an honest, upbeat and incredibly personal account of her own experience of having a family. In Happy Mum, Happy Baby Giovanna shares her own journey through parenthood and in doing so, she looks at what it is to be a mother today, encourages you to be confident in yourself as a parent and celebrates how putting a focus on being a happy and confident mum can really make for a happy baby.

First Impressions

I bought this book years ago not long after it first came out and it has sat on my shelves ever since. I have been a fan of her husband’s band for a long time and became of fan of hers through him. I listened to the podcast for a long time and that is what convinced me to order the book.

What I thought

I specifically saved reading this book for when I was pregnant or had children so that I could reference and relate to it. I expected a little bit more of an advice book than a memoir, but I enjoyed it regardless.

Gi is a 30 something year old mom who lives in England. She is married to Tom, who is one of the lead singers in the band McFly. This book talks about her experience getting pregnant with their first son and then the birth and babyhood of her first and second. One of the things I have always loved about Gi is how honest she is. She doesn’t try to sugar coat anything but she’s also not a negative Nancy.

Like I said, I thought this was going to be a little bit more of an advice book which is why I saved it for so long. Her podcast by the same name doesn’t necessarily give advice, but it does cover a lot of babyhood and motherhood topics while offering knowledge. I learned so much about pregnancy and birth through her podcast. It also made me feel like once I went through everything I would be less alone.

Gi does a great job writing about things without judgement. I would love everyone who is considering becoming a mom to read her book or listen to her podcast. She breaks down stigma for endometriosis, pregnancy loss, post partum depression, and every other topic women are told not to talk about.

Her writing style is to the point, relatable, and no bullshit. I also loved the style of dropping pictures of her boys through the chapters. I do know that now, she has three boys and they’re much older. I think the eldest, who was 2 at the time this book came out is 10 now? I haven’t listened to the podcast in a few years, but this definitely made me remember why I enjoyed it so much and makes me want to go and listen to more episodes again

If you are someone who is considering becoming a mother, I would highly recommend this book. It feels like you’re reading a chat with a close friend. It will make you feel like you have someone to go through this experience with and answer so many questions. Even if you don’t plan on becoming a mom, if you know someone who is a mom or wants to become one, this could help you relate to and support those around you.

Wild Card

By Elsie Silver
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Bloom Books
Pages: 464

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Sebastian Rousseau is a grumpy, hot as hell fire pilot who is too damn good with his hands.

It’s the perfect combination. But unfortunately for me, he’s also my ex-boyfriend’s dad.

A chance meeting brought us together and a missed connection has kept us apart.

One year later, a stroke of fate has us living under the same roof—which makes everything between us downright messy.

Because even after all this time, he’s still the man I think about when I fall asleep. The one I can’t get over no matter how hard I try.

He’s working on mending a fragile relationship with his son and we both know acting on these urges would be the ultimate betrayal.

But I see the heat in his eyes. That look of need that never fails to send a shiver down my spine.

The mutual longing is borderline unbearable and the simmering heat between us is downright palpable.

We both know there are rules when it comes to situations like this.

But then again…following the rules never has been my strong suit.

First Impressions

This is the 4th book in the Rose Hill series and I was so excited to read it. I love the color chosen and was looking forward to learning more about Bash who we have seen in the previous books.

What I thought

This series is just such a delight.

Bash meets Gwen when they’re stranded at the airport after he just met his 24 year old son he only just found out existed. After a missed connection, he runs into her months later, as the girlfriend of said son and the son’s birthday party. Months after that, Gwen shows up in town as the new yoga teacher and Bash has to decide whether or not he’s willing to rest his new relationship with his son for a new relationship with Gwen.

I’ve review some of the other books in this series and I have loved every one. The characters are all unique and so fun. While they might be rough around the edges at times, they always have good hearts. I also appreciate how realistically Silver deals with the miscommunication trope. While there are moments of miscommunication, the characters always acknowledge that they don’t have the full picture and then talk to each other about it! It’s great.

Bash has always seemed like such a good guy in the other books while also being so quiet and mysterious. I knew nothing about him before reading this book so I was excited to learn more. I didn’t put two and two together until I was reading the book that Gwen makes an appearance in the previous book.

I was a bit tentative when it came to the concept of this book. A dad dating his son’s ex girlfriend? Felt icky to me. But it’s much more than that. Semi-spoiler, but Gwen and Tripp (Bash’s son) barely dated. So the weirdness was significantly less. Gwen also was delightful. I wish we could’ve gotten a little bit more of her backstory and some resolution, but her maturity as a person is enviable.

While this wasn’t my favorite of the series, it was still absolutely wonderful. This entire series is delightful and I’m so sad to be leaving Rose Hill behind. I will definitely be checking out more of Silver’s series. IF you enjoy small town romances I would highly recommend this series.

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%.