This is really more like my June and July reading list, but I haven’t had time to write a post in awhile, so I am just combining into one. I had a couple books I loved this summer and am excited to tell you about them!
First up is The Widow by Fiona Barton
Premise:
I don’t want to give too much away on this book. Jean’s husband has been accused of a crime and is suddenly killed. Since Jean “stood by her man” the entire time he was alive, everyone is now looking to her to tell the “truth” about what happened, but does Jean even know?
My Thoughts:
I liked this book. I read it on vacation and it went really fast. I was curious to find out if he really did it and if Jean was going to tell the truth or even if we were going to find out what the truth really is or was. I thought the character development of an unreliable narrator was interesting.
Overall Rating: A
Next up is The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll
Premise:
Five super successful millenial women agree to be on a reality show called Goal Diggers, two of whom are sisters. No one thinks the season will end in a murder, but it does.
My Thoughts:
I was super jazzed to get this book on my kindle and unfortunately, I was disappointed. I have read other books by Jessica Knoll and liked them, so I thought this one would be great. I just never really cared about the characters for some reason. If you are a reality tv junkie and watch the Housewives regularly, you will probably love all the behind the scenes reality tv stuff, but it bored me personally. There’s a lot of what’s for the show and what’s really going on in their lives. I may be alone in my feelings, but I just didn’t love this book and I was bummed I didn’t. I honestly just didn’t like any of the characters and didn’t care what happened to them, even the one that dies.
Overall Rating: D
Next is The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Premise:
Hal has a pretty crappy life until she receives a mysterious letter telling her she has a huge inheritance coming her way. She realizes it is a case of mistaken identity, but she needs money desperately and thinks her abilities as a tarot card cold reader may help her fool whoever is in charge.
My Thoughts:
This book is odd, but I liked it. There’s a ton of character description as you and Hal try to figure out who to trust and who not to trust. It’s a bit of a slow start, but I enjoyed it in the end. Overall, I like Ruth Ware as a writer, I probably liked this one better than the Lying Game, so if you’ve read it, you have something to go on. I hate to say much more because I don’t want to give anything away!
Overall Rating: A
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sara Pekkaren
Premise:
A wife has been traded in for a younger model.
My Thoughts:
An interesting twist on a common tale. I don’t want to give anything away, so it’s difficult to write my actual thoughts. This is one it’s better to read and we can talk about it after! It’s a great vacation read, it goes very quick and you want to finish it to see what happens.
Overall Rating: A
Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand
Premise:
A celebrity chef dies and his multiple ex-wives have to come together for his wake.
My Thoughts:
This book has been out for awhile and I actually bought it on vacation because I ran out of books to read. You should be able to find it pretty cheap.
I’ve read a lot of Elin Hilderbrand books and this one is no different. Decent story, decent read. I probably would have been more disappointed if I had paid more for it. Sad, but true. It was perfect for what I needed which was a beach read. I could put it down and pick it up and not think about it in between. There’s not much to say about the story, it’s kind of Lifetime movie-ish, but I don’t mind that in a cheap, beach read personally. I will say it’s probably my least favorite of her books. I’m not rating it high, but that doesn’t mean don’t buy it if you see it on a Barnes and Noble sale table.
Overall Rating: C+
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Premise:
Four adult siblings are due to gain an inheritance when the youngest reaches a certain age.
My Thoughts:
This is another book I bought on the sale table, but I loved it. It’s a great story about a truly dysfunctional family and their significant others. It deals with sibling rivalry, family roles and what a large sum of money does to a person. It truly has some horrible reviews, but I really enjoyed it. It’s not great literature, but I am not looking for that in my daily reading. I personally was interested in the story and characters of this book. I liked this much more than I thought I would.
Overall Rating: A
Killer Look by Linda Fairstein
Premise:
Alex Cooper is recovering from PTSD when she is caught up in a fashion world murder.
My Thoughts:
I call Linda Fairstein an airport author, because her books are almost always available in airport bookstores. This book is your usual basic murder mystery on par with a Law and Order episode. Again, I found it super cheap on the sale table, so it worked for a vacation read. Easy to pick up and put down.
Overall Rating: C
Have you read anything interesting this summer? I’d love some suggestions in the comments!
