The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

 

A toddler has been murdered. The townspeople are on edge. The police are conducting interviews and most parents are keeping a closer eye on their kids. Eight year old Chrissie continues as usual. She has little parental oversight. She's  stays out late, steals, treats other kids poorly and has a big secret. She is the killer. 

It's been twenty years and Chrissie now goes by the name Julia.  She spent years in a juvenile home, has changed her identity and has a young daughter named Molly. Julia's is trying to be the best mom possible but lives in constant fear that her daughter will be taken from her by the authorities. 

Tucker's debut novel chills you and takes you on a psychological rollercoaster. The story is told from both Chrissie and Julia's point of views flipping back and forth from current to present time. This is a dark intense read that is not for the faint of heart. 

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

 

Published May 5, 2026

The Calamity Club is character driven and full of unforgettable characters.  It explores a variety of themes and takes place in Oxford Mississippi in 1933. The Great Depression and prohibition play a major background role. This is a hefty book at at over 640 pages. Don't let that scare or sway you away because time flies and before you know it the book you don't want to end comes to a conclusion. 

The story is told in dual point of views and alternating storylines. 

Our main characters are Birdie and Meg.  Birdie is only 11 years old and desperately wants out of the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. Orphans in particularly older ones are treated poorly and the conditions are deplorable.  Birdie is a young, unmarried woman who carries the weight of her family on her shoulders and has come to Mississippi to ask her sister help. Their lives intersect which takes readers on an unforgettable journey. 

There is a wonderful cast of memorable female characters such as Charlie, Flossy and Mrs. Tart. Several other important storylines are explored making this book one you will want to revisit again in the future.

*** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas

 

Rose Napolitano has always known that she doesn't want kids.  When she meets Luke she makes it clear that she doesn't want children. Luke says he doesn't want them either until a few years into their marriage he changes his mind. Luke starts to pressure Rose for a child and after a fight about Rose not taking prenatal pills Rose the fight starts to repeat in different lives. Over the course of the book Rose lives 9 different lives. Some of those lives explore motherhood while others don't. 

At times it's a bit difficult to figure out which life Rose is on but the what ifs push the story forward and as someone who doesn't want children and has been judged by it this book struck a cord. It made me feel seen and I think it will do that to other readers like me.

The Divorce | by Freida McFadden

 

Typical love story. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl get married. Girl gives up her job to be a stay at home mom. Boy leaves Girl. He kicks her out, closes all their accounts and wants a divorce. 

Naomi isn't going to hin get away with this. She's going after Veronica, the new girl. She hires a Ezra as her lawyer and she is going to fight. 

The Divorce is told from Naomi and Veronica's point of view. This is a fast paced book and the audiobook narrators make this messy divorce story fly by. McFadden's work are quickly becoming one of my favorite guilty pleasure reads.

Worry Doll Laura McPhee-Browne

 

Worry Doll is about two women. Heloise and Lacey. They are unreliable narrators in a book that is already difficult to read. Not difficult because of the subject matter but difficult because it felt as though I was reading someones poorly written diary, I couldn't connect with the storyline or characters.

This book is around 192 pages and not for me. I wish I had never read this book. 

Love You More by Emily Giffin

 

Expected Publication Date: July 7. 2026

Billie grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. She left her family and friends behind to make her dream of becoming a physician come true. She is living in New York with her fiance. She is running a successful fertility clinic with her two friends. Her life is going well but it's about to be turned upside down.

Mick, her ex boyfriend calls with devastating news. Billie hops on a plane back home. Being back home bring back memories from the past. Billie also has to make some major decisions that will affect not only her life but that of others.

Love You More is told  in future and past tense. This is a story about love. Not just romantic love but the love we have for others. Giffin writes well developed characters. Her character's are so real you become fully invested in the story. Put some time aside to read this book because you won't want to put it down.

*** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Friend Zone (The Friend Zone, #1) by Abby Jimenez

Kristen Petersen is helping her best friend plan her wedding. Her boyfriend is in the military and on deployment. She has a adorable and fun dog named Stuntman Mike. She is running her own successful business and her life is going well until
Josh enters the picture and complicates things. 

Josh just relocated to LA and happens to be best friends with Kristen's fiance. Josh is a firefighter and boyfriend material. He is also a good friend and overall kind person. He is getting over a previous relationship that left him riddled with credit card debt. He is frustrated being the probie of the firehouse. The calls they often go on are frustrating leading him to question his career choice. 

Kristen and Josh have a chance encounter before they discover they have a connection via friends. Kristen and Josh form friendship of sorts and help one another out. There is passion and sparks between them. They both love fiercely but with love comes pain. 

The Friend Zone ihad me laughing and crying. It broke my heart more than once. Prepare yourself to be consumed by Josh, Kristen, Stuntman Mike and their friends lives. 

The Housewife | By Natalie Barelli

Publication Date: June 30, 2026

Jodie is not the first Mrs. Davies. The house is a shrine to the previous one. Her husband's friends and housekeeper keep her at a distance. They make it clear that they think she married him for money. Jodie doesn't really care what they think she's living her dream of being a housewife. She loves cooking and cleaning. She makes sure she looks her best everyday

Jodie is obsessed with Deborah (the previous Mrs. Davies). She needs to know what happened to her and if she really took her life. This means Jodie has to dig deep and be sneaky. As secrets are revealed, suspense levels increase which keeps you turning the pages. 

The ending wraps things up and leaves you satisfied. 

** I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

American Fantasy | By Emma Straub

Annie is newly divorced, an empty nester and on a cruise alone after her sister had to back out. 

The cruise will take place over 4 days and features a much loved boy band from the 1990s. She's sharing a cabin with a stranger and while Annie used to be a huge fan of Boy Talk time has changed her tastes but she's in for a surprise. 

Alcoholic drinks are a plenty, fans are decked out, Boy Talk is putting on shows but underneath it all there is drama,  tension and high emotions. Annie is trying to make the best of it while Sarah the bands production manager is doing everything she can to keep the band from falling apart. 

American Fantasy is such a fun read!
It wasn't what I expected. I had it on my TBR pile for a while as I didn't expect to love it. This is a perfect beach or vacation read. Emma quickly becomes the friend you wish you had.

Reached (Matched #3) | By Ally Condie

 

This is my second read of Reached. It's about the rising, which is a rebellion against the society. There is also a plague that is spreading and a search for a cure. This is the most interesting storyline of the book. There is also romance and further exploration into the love triangle. It is disappointingly predictable when the choice is made.

There are multiple points of views and we finally get to learn more about Xander. He is by far the most interesting character and without his point of view the book and the plague this book would have fallen flat. I wish Matched had been a stand alone because Crossed and Reached don't match it's energy or uniqueness. I expected an epic series but it ended up as mediocre at best. 

Crossed (Matched #2) | By Ally Condie

 

Crossed is the second installment in the Matched series. Cassia leaves the society behind despite knowing she might never seen her family or Xander again. She heads out into the outer providences to find Ky. Along the way she discovers more about the society and herself. 

This book feels completely different from Matched. It moves rather slow but action starts to take place in the 2nd half which saves the book. I had high expectations of this book which resulted in me being disappointed. The book is told in dual POV and has much needed new character's. 

This book suffers from the much known second book syndrome and I'm not sure if I like any of the main characters anymore. I was also left wanting to know more about Xander since so much of the focus is on Cassia and Ky. There are quite a few plot twists and while I didn't love this book I am too invested in the series and will have to re-read the third.

I did read this book back in November of 2011 and while looking at that review I discovered that I remain consist on my thoughts regarding this book. I find it interesting that I didn't remember much of this book but I after rereading it I can see why.