Category Archives: Rated C

November 27, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Dinner on Primrose Hill by Jodi Thomas

Title: Dinner on Primrose Hill by Jodi Thomas
Honey Creek Series Book Three
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 322 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The delightful and touching new novel from the bestselling author of dozens of treasured romances. Return to the picturesque Texas town of Honey Creek—a place where friendship and warm welcomes can be relied on, and love always finds a way…

Benjamin Monroe is pretty sure how his life will play out. He’ll continue teaching chemistry in his small college, and spend his free time biking through the valley. Eventually, he’ll retire to putter around in his garden and greenhouse.

His colleague, Virginia Clark, is not one for routines. She’s chatty, spontaneous, and bubbly, and before Benjamin realizes what happened, she’s talked him into collaborating on a research project—studying the mating habits of college students. Virginia knows her desire to work with Benjamin is motivated by more than the potential prize money . . . and hopes he might not be quite as indifferent as he seems to be.

Ketch Kincaid, one of Benjamin’s star students, returned to college after serving in the army. He needs something to get his mind off his recent breakup and collecting research data might do it. And there’s another distraction on the horizon—a woman who looks like she, too, knows about heartache.

Soon enough, their project, “The Chemistry of Mating,” is gaining notoriety. Friends, neighbors . . . the whole town has become involved. But no matter what the data determines, one conclusion seems inescapable: love follows its own rules . . .

Review:

Dinner on Primrose Hill by Jodi Thomas is a sweet romance with a hint of mystery.

Professor Benjamin Monroe is in his early forties and has never been married. He teaches at the college during the week and on weekends, he helps his dad on the family farm. Benjamin’s office is right next door to Professor Virginia “Jenny” Clark and he tries to avoid her as much as possible. Which is why he is so surprised when she asks him to assist her on a research project. Benjamin is a little uptight and serious whereas Jenny is a little bit quirky and impulsive.  After they start working together, why is Benjamin suddenly having sexy thoughts about his curvy research partner?

Army veteran Ketch Kincaid is older than the rest of the students so he is focuses on his classes while also working construction. After receiving a “Dear Ketch” letter from his fiancée, Ketch throws caution to the wind and gets drunk to forget his heartbreak. Thankfully for him, bar waitress Tuesday Raine is there to help him get safely home after the bar closes. They find themselves unexpectedly drawn to each other but will Tuesday be open to a future with Ketch?

Town librarian Amelia Remington and bad boy Harrison “Hank” Norton meet in spectacular fashion during an accident. When Amelia needs care during her recovery, Hank offers to help her until she is back on her feet. Hank is a preacher’s son who left town years ago and he has cleaned up his act during the intervening years. But after someone begin planting pipe bombs around town, the truth about his career comes out when he collaborates with local law enforcement. In his downtime, he and Amelia grow closer but is there any chance of a relationship working out between them since they live in different towns?

Dinner on Primrose Hill is a homespun romance with eclectic but likable characters. The romances are lovely with the future of each of the couples uncertain. The slight mystery aspect feels a bit like an afterthought since it takes place late in the story. The story is engaging but a little repetitive.  Since there are three separate story arcs, the relationships are a little underdeveloped and take place during a short span of time. This third installment in Jodi Thomas’ Honey Creek is heartwarming with appealing characters and can be read as a standalone.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dinner on Primrose Hill, Honey Creek Series, Jodi Thomas, Rated C, Review, Romance, Zebra Books

November 4, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Every Hidden Thing by Ted Flanagan

Title: Every Hidden Thing by Ted Flanagan
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Big city politics, nasty secrets, a dirty cop, and a deranged sociopath set the stage for a riveting journey deep into the urban jungle.

The last scion of a once-powerful political family, Worcester mayor John O’Toole has his sights set on vastly higher aspirations. When night shift paramedic Thomas Archer uncovers a secret that could upend the mayor’s career, O’Toole is set on silencing him, and sends Eamon Conroy, a brutal former cop, to ensure the truth remains under wraps.

But O’Toole doesn’t stop there. With bribes, buried secrets, and personal attacks, he wreaks havoc on Archer’s life in an attempt to save himself. Archer’s troubles continue to mount when domestic terrorist and militia member Gerald Knak, who blames Archer for his wife’s recent death, sets in motion a deadly plan for revenge.

With two forces of evil aligned against him, Archer doesn’t stand a chance. But things aren’t always what they seem–and he may just have a few tricks up his sleeve in a last gambit to get out alive.

Review:

In Every Hidden Thing, author Ted Flanagan exposes the dark and seamy underbelly of politics.

Paramedic Thomas Archer has a strong sense of right and wrong.  Years earlier, he helped put away crooked cop Eamon Conroy. In the present, Thomas files an ethics complaint that puts him in the crosshairs of ambitious Mayor John O’Toole.  Thomas and his partner Julio Tavares unwittingly stumble into a secret that O’Toole wants to bury and he won’t just settle for trying to ruin Archer. As if trying to stay ahead of his latest trouble with the mayor is not enough, militia member Gerarld Knak is also gunning for Thomas.

Thomas has his share of serious problems in his personal life. He has gone through difficult times in the past that he managed to overcome. Thomas is undergoing a very challenging ordeal but he refuses to withdraw his complaint even when he knows Eamon is after him.

Newspaper reporter Lu McCarthy has a tumultuous past with Thomas. This figures into a decision she makes that comes back to haunt her. Trying to right her wrong, Lu learns just far Mayor O’Toole will go to achieve his political goals.

Gerald has plenty of grievances but his issue with Thomas is personal. He has been on the fringes of his father-in-law’s militia for years and he is a big believer of conspiracy theories. Gerald is out for revenge but will he accomplish his goal?

Every Hidden Thing is a well-written novel that is quite suspenseful. Most of the characters are decently developed but difficult to like. The action in the present is interrupted by flashbacks that provide interesting backstory. Some parts of the storyline drag a little which makes the pacing a little uneven. Readers can  expect plenty of moral dilemmas as loyalties are tested by greed.  Ted Flanagan brings this debut novel to an action-packed conclusion that is not completely satisfying.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Every Hidden Thing, Rated C, Review, Suspense, Ted Flanagan

August 2, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Sweetest Days by John Hough

Title: The Sweetest Days by John Hough
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

This “gorgeous and heartbreaking” (Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author) portrait of marriage explores the long union of a middle-aged couple as they grapple with secrets, illness, and loyalty from the author of the “original, profound novel” (Lee Smith, author of On Agate Hill) Seen the Glory.

Pete and Jackie were high school sweethearts. Everyone expected them to marry immediately but an explosive incident tore them apart before graduation. It took years for the two to heal and finally come back together. Now, decades later, they face an uncertain future with their only child out on her own and alarming news about Jackie’s health.

Determined to stay positive, the two travel to their Cape hometown for a book signing of Pete’s debut novel. But when a disastrous encounter in the bookstore with an old classmate brings their long relationship to the breaking point, they are forced to examine their marriage and explore their deepest feelings.

A “riveting exploration of the challenges and complexities of a long, loving marriage” (Stephen McCauley, author of My Ex-Life), The Sweetest Days is a rich, vivid, and enthralling look at the roads taken and not taken in love and life.

Review:

The Sweetest Days by John Hough is a reflective novel about a long-married couple facing a health crisis.

Jackie and Pete Hatch are long married, high-school sweethearts who return to their hometown for a few days. Pete’s first novel has just been published and he is doing some publicity at a local bookstore. Their visit is a bit of a disaster as Pete finally reveals the long-held secret that lead to their break-up when they were still teenagers. Jackie does not handle the revelation well and she makes a decision that she quickly comes to regret.

Jackie and Pete are not very likable characters. Jackie is, of course, worried about her health diagnosis. She is unhappy with a very negative attitude that she does not temper. As Pete looks back on the event that ended their relationship, readers learn the truth about his thoughts on their wedding day. This flashback is long-winded and does not paint him in the best light.  After this walk down memory lane, Jackie needs time alone as she comes to terms with his secret. Filled with remorse after her impulsive mistake, what will happen to Jackie and Pete’s marriage?

The Sweetest Days is an unevenly paced novel about forgiveness and redemption. The characters are not easy to like since they both seem a little self-absorbed. The flashbacks take the reader through Jacki and Pete’s high school romance, separation, and eventually, their reunion that culminates in their marriage. The best part of the novel comes occurs very late in the book as John Hough brings Jackie and Pete’s story to a realistic conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Gallery Books, John Hough, Rated C, Review, The Sweetest Days, Women's Fiction

May 29, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Happiness Thief by Nicole Bokat

Title: The Happiness Thief by Nicole Bokat
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 280 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Forty-one-year-old Natalie Greene lost her mom and her childhood memories in a car crash two decades ago. What remains is a haunting feeling that she was responsible for her mother’s death. After her husband leaves for another woman, Natalie accompanies her famous stepsister, Isabel Walker (aka “The Happiness Guru”) on a retreat to the Cayman Islands. There, a late-night collision triggers Natalie’s long-buried trauma and a heightened sense of guilt.

Upon returning home to Boston, Natalie tries to settle back into her life as a food photographer and single mother to a teenage daughter—but then, one day, an anonymous email arrives about the Cayman accident that suggests foul play. In her search for the truth, Natalie must deal with a mix of fear, confusion, and suspects. With the help of Isabel and an attractive journalist, she uncovers a trail of deceit that begins on that deserted Caribbean road, circles back home, and ends in the most unexpected of places.

Review:

The Happiness Thief by Nicole Bokat is an interesting domestic mystery.

When she was a teenager, Natalie Greene lost her beloved mom in a car crash.  Natalie received a head injury in the crash, so she has lost quite a few memories including the day of the accident. Decades later, she still blames herself for what happened and she hopes to one day learn the truth. Due to her inability to let go of her guilt, Natalie is not always the most reliable person. Now going through a divorce, she lives with her teenage daughter Hadley.

Natalie is very close to her stepsister Isabel Walker and a recent trip together to the Cayman Islands leaves her uneasy. She begins to have doubts about what happened their last evening in the Caymans. And Natalie grows obsessed with finding answers after she begins receiving vaguely threatening emails. Will she discover the truth about what happened to her mom? And the events in the Cayman Islands?

Natalie is a successful food photographer and she has a very small circle of people she trusts. She is still friends with her childhood friend Cate and she also has Isabel. Natalie is still trying to get used to single life as she grows increasingly consumed with finding out exactly what happened that last night in the Caymans. Natalie tries to surreptitiously investigate on her own but she soon regrets her foray into detective work. She is also preoccupied and a little frustrated with Isabel’s carefree assurances. And Natalie is a little confused about a new man in her life as she tries to navigate being single.

Isabel is a wildly popular happiness guru who is spending quite a bit of time on the road. Due to her fortuitous marriage, she is quite wealthy. She is also very concerned about her image. Isabel is sometimes impatient with Natalie’s tendency to catastrophize but she attempts to reassure her that she has nothing to worry her. Natalie is a little concerned about some of the recent changes that Isabel is making but she mostly tries to support her career.

The Happiness Thief is an intriguing domestic mystery but it is occasionally slow-paced. The storyline is engaging but sometimes repetitious and predictable. Natalie is a little irritating at her inability to let go of her continued guilt over her mother’s accident. Her anxiety is palpable as she attempts to unearth what happened both in the past and present. Isabel can be self-absorbed and a bit impatient.  Nicole Bokat brings the story to a bit of a surprising conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Nicole Bokat, Rated C, Review, The Happiness Thief

May 18, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Title: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Publisher: Celadon Books
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Hailed as “breathtakingly suspenseful,” Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot is a propulsive read about a story too good not to steal, and the writer who steals it.

Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he’s teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written—let alone published—anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot.

Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel: but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that—a story that absolutely needs to be told.

In a few short years, all of Evan Parker’s predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says.

As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?

Review:

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a slow-burning domestic mystery.

Jake Bonner’s life has been in a slow decline since achieving a modicum of success with his first novel. While teaching a creative writing class at an obscure college to make ends meet, Jake’s student Parker Evans eventually reveals the plot of the book he is working on. Jake realizes Parker’s arrogant bragging about his future success is on the mark.  Yet to his knowledge, the book has never been released. With his life continuing its downward spiral, Jake indulges in a bit of internet spying on his former student. Much to his surprise, Parker died not long after they met. In a moment he comes to regrets, Jake appropriates Parker’s storyline and as predicted, the book is a HUGE hit. But when he receives an e-mail accusing him of being a thief, Jake tries to identify who is harassing him before he is publicly disgraced.

Jake has become a defeatist in the years since his first book is published. Although he denies writer’s block is a thing, his latest work in progress has been languishing for many months. Jake turns to on-line editing in addition to teaching, but he eventually has trouble making rent. After “borrowing” Parker’s plot, Jake’s success is a double-edged sword as he fears someone will find out his secret. Just as his life is taking an unexpectedly upward turn, Jake begins receiving the threats he fears will publicly ruin him.

The Plot is an intriguing domestic mystery. Despite a very unique premise, the pacing for the first half of the novel is very slow. Jake gives off a defeated air until he finds success with his pilfered plot. With much to lose if the truth is revealed, he frantically tries to figure out who is targeting him. Astute readers will most likely ascertain the person’s identity long before the increasingly anxious lead protagonist.  Jean Hanff Korelitz brings this unevenly paced domestic mystery to a somewhat disappointing conclusion.

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Filed under Celadon Books, Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Jean Hanff Korelitz, Mystery, Rated C, Review, The Plot

April 26, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: My Ride or Die by Leslie Cohen

Title: My Ride or Die by Leslie Cohen
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

A timely and hilarious millennial women’s fiction novel about two friends who decide to give up their search for a perfect man and devote their lives to each other—but their careful plan soon begins to unravel with unexpected consequences. 

Fall in love.

Get married.

Turn to your female friends to be truly understood.

Friends for over a decade, Amanda and Sophie decide it’s time to flip the script. Why not spend their lives with each other and keep men on the side for fun, sex, and occasionally fixing things around the house?

Amanda is a lawyer who excels in her professional life but crumbles at the slightest sign of a common cold. Sophie is an aspiring artist who has lived all over the world and doesn’t crumble, period. Together, they’ve been through it all. But when their romantic lives implode at the same time, they decide enough is enough. Enough pretending that traditional relationships work for everyone. Enough fantasizing about an old-fashioned ideal.

They decide to form an alliance: They will rely on each other and give men the secondary role that they deserve. And much to their surprise, it actually works. They fix up a run-down brownstone and create the home they’ve always wanted. Soon, they have love and emotional support as well as a wide variety of male “crushes” on the side. But when one of their crushes becomes something more, Amanda and Sophie must reconsider the life they’ve begun to build and how far they’re willing to go to keep it.

In this brilliantly funny novel, Leslie Cohen asks: must friendship always be second to love? This is female friendship at its finest. Smart. Witty. And no holds barred.

Review:

My Ride or Die by Leslie Cohen is a friendship novel with an interesting premise.

Amanda and Sophie are college roommates who remained very close following graduation. Just as Sophie is about to walk down the aisle, she ditches her groom-to-be and swears off marriage. When Amanda’s friends with benefits arrangement blows up, the two women decide to move in together. They also make a pact to casually date and instead rely on one another for support and companionship.  Sounds like the perfect arrangement so what could possibly go wrong?!

Amanda is a lawyer with a few hang-ups but more common sense than Sophie. She uses sarcasm to deflect uncomfortable conversations. Which is fine for friendships but not so great for relationships.  Her previous romantic entanglement was with an unattainable man so she likes the idea of no longer searching for “the one”. Although sometimes way out of her comfort zone, Amanda likes the impact Sophie has on her.

Sophie is a free spirit who makes impetuous decisions that usually seem to work out for her. She is also an artist who is a bit flighty as she tries to find her niche. Sophie has a day job to pay the bills and fits in working on her art when she can. She comes up with some ill-thought-out plans but Amanda is usually able to talk Sophie down from some her more outrageous ideas.

Sophie and Amanda’s new arrangement works out really well until one of them unexpectedly begins to fall for the new man in her life. In the meantime, the other friend suddenly begins contemplating a big change.  The entire situation blows up when the romantic partner and the in the dark friend find out they have been lied to by omission. And if the worst does come to pass, what will happen to both relationships?

Written from alternating perspectives, My Ride or Die is an intriguing novel but it is slow-paced. The storyline is clever but a good portion of the dialogue is inane.  The story is a strange blend of serious, superficial and what seems to be satire (but is the satire feel intentional?). Amanda and Sophie lack character development but their friendship is rock solid. Although a little predictable, Leslie Cohen brings the novel to a satisfying conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Leslie Cohen, My Ride or Die, Rated C, Review, William Morrow Paperbacks, Women's Fiction