Love in the Time of Serial Killers

By: Alicia Thompson
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Jove Books
Pages: 336

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn’t exactly conducive to modern dating—and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she’s used to suspecting the worst.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years.

It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). It’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.

First Impressions

This cover and the title are amazing. It sucked me in immediately. I’m a sucker for true crime and something about this comic book style cover speaks to me. I was immediately sold on a romance story that features a main character who is a true crime enthusiast.

What I thought

This book was cute! A little slow, but I enjoyed the character development a lot.

Phoebe is working on her PhD by writing a dissertation about True Crime. When she moves back to her deceased dad’s home to get it read to sell, she is immediately distrustful of her neighbor. His weird comings and goings reek of serial killer. But as they get to know each other they both realize that the other wasn’t what the other initially thought.

This book didn’t have quite as much true crime as I wanted it to. Or, I guess, it did, but not in the way I expected. I thought that she was going to suspect Sam of being a serial killer for much longer than she did. I don’t mind shenanigans and I think this story could’ve gone a little heavier on them than it did.

Instead, I think that Thompson chose to focus on the character development and their true motives for why they act the way they do. This book did an amazing job delving into Phoebe’s issues and working through them. I feel like this gets left behind in a lot of romance novels just to move the story forward. I really appreciated how we got to learn about why Phoebe was so into true crime and why she responded to men and other people in her life the way she did.

I enjoyed Sam and Phoebe’s relationship. I wouldn’t have minded a little more build of Sam and a little more tension before things actually clicked. But he was a genuinely good dude and I liked him a lot as a lead male in a romance.

I also adored Phoebe’s brother and the relationship that they had. It was so nice to read about the growth and reconnection they had.

This is a hard book for me to rate because it’s a solid 3.5 stars. I loved the characters (as you can tell since I’ve raved about them this entire time) but the pacing was very slow. I think if it had moved a little quicker it would’ve sucked me in a bit more. I never found myself unable to put this book down. I’m curious to see what Thompson writes next as this is a very solid debut!

Naturally Tan

By: Tan France
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 304

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): In this heartfelt, funny, touching memoir, Tan France, star of Netflix's smash-hit QUEER EYE, tells his origin story for the first time. With his trademark wit, humor, and radical compassion, Tan reveals what it was like to grow up gay in a traditional Muslim family, as one of the few people of color in Doncaster, England. He illuminates his winding journey of coming of age, finding his voice (and style!), and how he finally came out to his family at the age of 34, revealing that he was happily married to the love of his life--a Mormon cowboy from Salt Lake City.

In Tan's own words, "The book is meant to spread joy, personal acceptance, and most of all understanding. Each of us is living our own private journey, and the more we know about each other, the healthier and happier the world will be."

First Impressions

I absolutely adored Queer Eye when it first came out. When I saw that Tan had written an autobiography I was immediately sold. I love the yellow cover. I also listened to this book on audiobook and was excited that it was read by Tan himself.

What I thought

If you are a fan of Queer Eye I definitely recommend this book. It was interesting getting to know more about Tan as a person and about his history. It will definitely make me look at him a little differently in the next season.

I think that there are times where he gets a bit snarky and hypocritical, but also it makes you remember he’s just a random guy. He’s not perfect and he’s not necessarily someone who is meant to be looked at as a hero. He has done some great things and brought a light to a type of person that didn’t have one before, but that by no means means he’s faultless and can do no wrong.

My favorite parts of the book were learning about where Tan came from, how he met his husband, and how he ended up on Queer Eye. He went into a lot of detail about this and I really liked it. The parts I didn’t like were the ones where he was giving advice. I know that he’s in fashion, but it felt like it all came off very harsh. I also learned that he loves Salt Lake City and Mormons and that did explain a lot of it. For example, he is all about modest is hottest. He just sometimes used the excuse of “I’m blunt and honest” a few too many times for my personal taste.

While I now know that Tan and I would never be friends, I greatly enjoyed getting to know him more and understand him on a different level. I highly recommend listening to this on audiobook as it really let me hear the nuance and emphasis of his words. There also were a few bonus moments. If you’re a fan of Queer Eye and haven’t picked this up, you need to. I’m now going to try to devour all of the rest of the boys’ autobiographies.

Audiobook Round-Up

I started a new job in August. This job has pretty much quadrupled my commute, which, while unfortunate, has allowed me to take up a new hobby. Audiobooks. I love Podcasts too and I do have a few of them that take priority, but when I catch up on the new episodes for the week, I need something new to listen to. That’s when I decided to check out audiobooks.

A few of my friends listen to audiobooks on their commutes, so I asked for recommendations. I decided to start with Naturally Tan by Tan France. I get all of my audiobooks from my library. Luckily, I have access to Hoopla Digital, CloudLibrary, and Libby through my library, so there pretty much isn’t any audiobook I can’t get for free.

Since I’ve gone through 5 audiobooks over the last 3ish months, I decided to do a short roundup of what I listened to rather than individual reviews. The only exception is going to be Naturally Tan, because I did write a review for that one I do want to post eventually.

If you’ve never found yourself to be an audiobook person, I have a few recommendations. First, if you’re into podcasts and want to get into audiobooks, try memoirs. They’re usually read by the person who wrote them and are most similar in format to podcasts. It’s also nice because you don’t really have to remember a story so it’s easier to put down and pick up. They’re also much shorter than most fiction audiobooks.

My second recommendation is to speed up the book. While I do listen to my podcasts at normal 1x speed, I find that with audiobooks that moves too slowly. I don’t know if it’s because people slow their speech to sound like they’re reading as opposed to having a conversation, but I started off with listening to my audiobooks at 1.2x speed and now I’ve listened to a few at 1.5x speed.

Ok. Time to share about the ones I’ve listened to.

Naturally Tan by Tan France

Like I said, I do have a full review planned for this one. I’ve been wanted to read this book for a while, so it seemed like the natural first pick (no pun intended). This book was a lot of fun. It was short and easy to get into and I think it was the perfect first audiobook choice.

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness

This book was a recommendation from one of my friends and I figured it was perfect to keep on a Queer Eye roll after listening to Tan’s book. This book is a bit darker than Tan’s, but was still very interesting to listen to. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but it was eye opening. I’d recommend it if you’re a Queer Eye fan. I think it felt more true to the Jonathan you see in the show, whereas Tan at times felt very different.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harlow

The print copy of this book was a recommendation from the same friend who recommended Jonathan’s book. I decided to tackle it as an audiobook because it was practically October which meant, spooky season! This was also the first fiction audiobook I decided to listen to in a while. Admittedly, I should’ve started with something shorter. This book was a 16 hour listen because it’s a 500+ page book. Oops. I did enjoy the narrator. I found she did a good job changing voices for the sisters and some of the other characters without being too over the top. A good narrator can make or break an audiobook. I enjoyed the story a lot, even if it was a bit long, although I think I would recommend reading this book as opposed to listening to it.

The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton Morgan

This was by far my favorite audiobook I’ve listened to so far. The story was fascinating and different from your typical memoir. It’s also one that I think you need to listen to as opposed to read. I’m sure it’s good as a physical book, but the audio brings a magic to it that was undeniable. I didn’t want this one to end and I need to know more about Hilarie’s life on the farm.

If you have any audiobook recommendations please send them my way! I’d love to add them to my list. I also would be curious if there are any fiction recommendations that people have that are shorter. This has been a fun way to refresh my reading and I’ve enjoyed getting to tackle books that have been on my to-read list for a while that I haven’t been able to get to.

Finding Me by Viola Davis

This book was actually brought to my attention by my boyfriend’s mom who I thought said it was amazing, but then later learned she hadn’t read it so I think she actually said she heard it was amazing. I didn’t know much about Viola Davis but I’ve always thought she was talented so I thought it could be an interesting listen.

This is probably the heaviest of the audiobooks I listened to. Viola had a very dark and traumatic childhood, so if you think that would be triggering to you, I would not recommend it. I do think it was a well written and interesting book and I’m glad that I picked it up. However, I think because of the heaviness, it wasn’t my favorite of the books I’ve listened to. I did find it took me a little while to get through because of the content. If you’re a fan of Viola though, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The Vibrant Years

By: Sonali Dev
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Mindy’s Book Studio
Pages: 316

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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): When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she’s astounded―and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. On an impulse, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida.

The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu’s daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu’s son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for her own dreams.

As Bindu and Aly navigate their new dynamic, Aly’s daughter, Cullie, is faced with losing the business that made her a tech-world star. The only way to save it is to deliver a new idea to her investors―and they want the dating app she pitched them in a panic. Problem is, Cullie has never been on a real date. Naturally, enlisting her single mother and grandmother to help her with the research is the answer.

From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes a heartfelt novel about three generations of hilarious, unconventional, ambitious women who embark on a shared journey of self-discovery. Join the Desai women as they come together to embrace the hijinks and heartbreak of facing their greatest fears to finally live their most vibrant lives.

First Impressions

I was offered to read this book as the first in Mindy Kaling’s new imprint with Amazon, Mindy’s Book Studio. I absolutely love Mindy Kaling and think she is doing great things to highlight diverse authors. The cover for this book caught my eye. It was very cute. The summary I was a bit iffy on. I find multi-generational stories can be a bit hit or miss sometimes.

What I thought

Well, this multi-generational story was not a miss.

Bindu is 65 years old and just moved into a retirement community. Before moving, she lived with her ex-daughter-in-law Aly. Aly’s daughter Cullie lives across the country in California. This story follows all three women as they work to discover their love lives as well as themselves.

Each chapter alternates between each of the women and follows their current trials and tribulations. Bindu was left a million dollars from a person in her past who she has always kept a secret. Now that she’s decided to use the money, she’s worried that her secret is going to come out. I found that the “secret” wasn’t much of a secret to the reader. Each chapter starts with a snipped from Oscar’s journal, so it’s pretty clear early on what Bindu has been trying to hide. I did, however, really enjoy how it influenced Bindu’s life journey and her self-discovery in her later years. It was enjoyable to read about Bindu living her life.

Aly’s story was probably the least interesting to me. She was married to Bindu’s son until a few years ago. When they got divorced, Bindu stayed with Aly and lived with her. They have a very close relationship and I enjoyed reading it, since I don’t think I’ve read a story with one similar to theirs before. Aly by herself got on my nerves. I felt like she complained the whole book about things she could’ve changed but just chose not to.

Cullie’s storyline was interesting as well. I enjoyed reading about a young woman in coding and app development. She’s smart and unapologetic about her talent. I also enjoyed how some of her mental health was tied into her storyline. I didn’t love her app storyline though. In trying to come up with a new app for her company, she decides to create a new dating app. This just felt a little played out and I think it ended up getting lost in all of the other storylines. I would’ve appreciated if she could’ve been working on something a little more significant than a dating app.

Overall, this book was very interesting. I really loved Bindu’s storyline and think I might’ve enjoyed the book a little more if it had jut been about her and had flashbacks to her past. I don’t think it would’ve made much of a different to have storylines from Aly and Cullie told through Bindu as opposed to on their own. I’m looking forward to seeing what other books Kaling highlights with her imprint and hope that they continue to highlight strong women of color.

Meant to Be Mine

By: Hannah Orenstein
Published Year: 20202
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 288

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): What if you knew exactly when you’d meet the love of your life? Edie Meyer knows. When her Grandma Gloria was a young woman, she had a vision of the exact day she would meet her soul mate—and then Grandpa Ray showed up.

Since then, Gloria has accurately predicted the day every single member of the family has met their match. Edie’s day arrives on June 24, 2022, when she’s twenty-nine years old. She has been waiting for it half her life. That morning, she boards an airplane to her twin sister’s surprise engagement, and when a handsome musician sits beside her, she knows it’s meant to be.

But fate comes with more complications than Edie expected and she can’t fight the nagging suspicion that her perfect guy doesn’t have perfect timing. After a tragedy and a shocking revelation rock Edie’s carefully constructed world, she’s forced to consider whether love chooses us, as simple as destiny, or if we choose it ourselves.

First Impressions

I first heard about this book on a list of book recommendations based off of your zodiac signs. It was recommend for Cancers, which I’m not, but it sounded so cute that I knew I needed to read it. This is definitely the case of the summary getting me a little more than the cover, but I do think it’s super cute and definitely would’ve pulled it off of the shelves.

What I thought

This was a very cute book and just the perfect length.

Edie’s grandmother Gloria has predicted the day that everyone in her family would meet their soulmate. On Edie’s date she has her eyes wide open and meets a wonderful man but something doesn’t seem quite right. Is everything that she believed in real or will it be worth risking faith?

Edie is a Jewish fashion stylist who lives in New York City. She also has a twin sister Rae who, at the beginning of the novel, is getting engaged to her long term boyfriend Max. While Edie could be frustrating at times, I enjoyed her for the most part. I really liked her commitment and love for her family and friends. She is truly loyal and seemed exactly like the kind of person I would want to have as a friend. As someone whose family is Jewish, I love reading stories that have Judaism woven into the story like everyday life. It wasn’t something that was a central plot point, but it made Edie who she was and was obviously very important to her character.

This book is under 300 pages and I think if this book had gone on for much longer it would’ve been too much. I honestly could’ve seen this book as a novella because it felt like the central conflict was a little drawn out in my opinion. I wouldn’t have minded a little more pre-soulmate day and a little less in the middle part.

The way this story tackled the difficult notion of fate and soulmates versus choice was very well done. This is a question I constantly wonder and question. It was fascinating to watch it play out and see Edie battle between her feelings and her faith.

This was a very cute short story centered around romance. I could very easily see this as a Netflix or Hallmark movie. I loved the little sprinkle of magic but would’ve appreciated a little more explanation, especially at the end. I also wouldn’t have said no to a better epilogue. This was a good introduction to Orenstein and I look forward to checking out more of her other books.

Better Than Fiction

By: Alexa Martin
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn't anticipate inheriting her grandma's bookstore, the Book Nook. She's in way over her head even before the shop's resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best--meddle.

Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From river rafting to local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.

When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She's reminded that real life isn't always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he's writing a happily ever after just for them.

First Impressions

As a book lover, I tend to be a sucker for book themed books. I was intrigued by this one because the main character owned a bookstore but didn’t love books. I’ve read one previous book by Martin and enjoyed it, so when I was offered the chance to read this one I quickly agreed. I also love the cover.

What I thought

I feel like I’ve been on a roll with good books lately!

Drew’s grandmother owned a bookstore. After she died, she left it to Drew in her will. The only problem is that Drew doesn’t love books. She loves her grandma though and decides to keep the store and run it in her honor. When her grandmother’s book club invites a super hot romance author to the store, she’s intrigued but know it will never work. Until he asks her to be his tour guide in Colorado and challenges her to read books of his choosing.

This book made me want to visit Colorado. It also makes me want to explore more small bookstores. Drew isn’t just dealing with grief and romance, but also a lot of family drama. Her dad, who left their family when she was young, is an absolute jerk.

In the acknowledgements, Martin mentions that she wrote this book after losing her mom. I think that the way Drew deals with grief in this book is relatable and realistic and I could tell that it was written by someone who had experienced it. This book was such a nice balance between all types of relationships. While the romantic relationship is still the biggest focus, I always love when romance novels also have solid friendships and family relationships. This book also added in a lot of grandmotherly relationships with Drew’s grandma’s friends.

In addition to being a sucker for books, I’m also a sucker for travel. This book balanced these two loves of mine perfectly. Also, Jasper is the perfect book boyfriend. He is everything that any woman would ask for and I immediately fell in love with him. I appreciated that Drew’s friend Elsie helped to combat some of the typical romance tropes too. It added some fun dimension to the story.

Even though this book wasn’t a mystery, I found I couldn’t put it down. I kept looking forward to the next time I got to pick it up and fall back into the world of Drew, Jasper, and The Book Nook. I wish I could travel there and fully immerse myself in this world. I enjoyed this book much more than Martin’s other book that I read and now I was to go back and read some more. This book is one I feel like I could’ve seen myself writing and I related to the voice and a lot of little quirks in the book, such as the pop culture mentions without being named. Highly recommend.

Book Club November 2022- Must Love Books

By: Shauna Robinson
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 321

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Meet Nora Hughes—the overworked, underpaid, last bookish assistant standing. At least for now.

When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. Because, honestly, is there anything dreamier than making books for a living? But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.

With her life spiraling and the Parsons staff sinking, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parsons is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet…and maybe poach some Parsons' authors along the way.

But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or...herself and her future.

What I thought

Nora is an editorial assistant for Parson’s publishing, but working for publishing isn’t what she thought it would be. She’s worked there for 5 years and even her love of books is waning. When they cut her pay, she is presented with an opportunity to work part time for a competing publisher and decides to work both jobs at the same time, even though she’s not supposed to. Throw in a best selling author who is hot and looking for a change and you have Nora’s full debacle.

This book was cute. When I started it, I thought it was going to be boring and predictable. It’s described as having elements of the show Younger and it definitely does. However, as the book continues it delves into some deeper issues which made it feel more full. I think this is one of those few books that I enjoyed more as I read it than I did at the beginning.

Nora and Andrew (the author) had an adorable relationship. I liked their banter and the slow burn while navigating the complications of their work relationships. I was a bit nervous he entire time waiting for the moment her secrets came out, but there was enough going on that I was distracted.

What really made me like this book was when it started to attack mental health issues. Nora realizes that she’s not happy with her life and is worried about how that’s effecting her mental health. What I really appreciated was how Nora handled her depression. It felt different from how other stories have dealt with it and realistic. While the ending wouldn’t have been my first choice, I still really appreciated it and felt like it stayed true to the book.

I’m glad this story ended up being so much more than I initially thought it would be and I’m looking forward to reading Robinson’s next book.

What Book Club Thought

We were oddly split on this book! It lead to an interesting conversation because there were definite aspects that I enjoyed that one of my friends did not. We interpreted a lot of what happened differently and I think some of that is due to our personal life experiences. It did bring some perspective to the story and did change my feelings about certain plot points, but I still enjoyed it. It did make me realize that there was a lot going on and that it could’ve been scaled back a little bit. But I still fought for some of the points and ways that I interpreted the book over the way some of my other friends did. I would definitely recommend this as a book club pick because it’s an easy read, but lead to a lot of discussion.

Carrie Soto is Back

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 384

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.

First Impressions

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors. I have read all but 2 of her books (and they are high on my list) and greatly enjoyed every one. Not only did the gold color of this novel call to me, but the summary was intriguing and I knew I immediately wanted to read it.

What I thought

This might be my favorite book of the year.

Carrie Soto is 37 years old and retired from being the world’s best tennis player. That is, until a new tennis player ties one of her records. She decides to come out of retirement and take back her title.

The book starts in “present day” of 1995. This book also lives in the same universe as her previous two novels, Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu Rising. I haven’t read Malibu Rising yet, but there were a few references I picked up on. When Carrie Soto sees that Nicki Chan has tied her record for most Grand Slams won by a female tennis player, she decides she needs to come back and beat Nicki. She asks her dad to come back and be her coach again and he agrees. The book then flashes back to the beginning of Carrie’s career and follows all the way to her retirement where it picks back up in present day.

I was immediately hooked by this book. This book highlights how women who are strong and good at what they do are expected to be shocked by their abilities. One of the reasons Carrie is disliked is because she’s unapologetic in her talent. I was a little worried that this unlikable trait would make her an unlikable character but I loved her. I also loved her relationship with her dad. It was complex yet simple, perfect yet imperfect at the same time.

What makes this book so great is the writing. It’s not a book that is going to take you by surprise with twists and turns and unexpected plot points, but it’s done so extremely well that you just want to live in it. I was on the edge of my seat with the drama of the games and I’ve never watched a tennis match before in my life.

I need more of this world. I need a book from Carrie’s dad, Nicki Chan, and other tennis players. This book is everything that makes Jenkins Reid the amazing author that she is.

Everything about this book was perfect for me. The characters, the drama, the setting. I finished it in 4 days which, during the school year is pretty quick. I also plan on buying it so I can pass it on and make other people read it. If you haven’t read TJR before, I don’t know if I would recommend this as the place to start, but if this is the first one that appeals to you, you can’t go wrong.