New York Times bestselling authorJill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming tale of three people who are brought together when they’re bequeathed an old Wild West inn that has the potential to pull their lives apart, but instead turns into the gift of a lifetime.
When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she’s stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home—and she’s inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren’t always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.
It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history—and secrets— causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.
Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace—rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn’t even know they were looking for—acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.
This is the third book of the series, but there are no cross-over characters, so it easily stands alone. In fact, I read the fourth book before this one – no harm, no foul.
Eleanor was a retired actress when she passed away. She left her famous Wild West inn in the small town of Sunrise Cove on Lake Tahoe to three young people she cared about. Only Lauren was related, but they were estranged even though Lauren was the only one who stayed in town (as a librarian!) Alice pretty much grew up at the inn, and she and Lauren were best friends, but that was a long time ago before she lost her brother and moved away. Knox had a troubled childhood, and Eleanor took him under her wing. Alice had a huge crush on Knox, but it went unrequited. The three of them haven’t seen one another in years, but this bequest came with strings attached; they have to agree to work together to restore the dilapidated inn or lose out on their inheritance.
Knox and Alice both feel the chemistry between them, and Lauren finds herself interested in a newcomer to town, a single dad with a precocious daughter. But the romances almost take a back seat to the three becoming friends again. It takes time and a lot of hard work, both physically and emotionally, to get to their happy endings. It was a joy to go along for the ride!
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE BACKUP PLAN by Jill Shalvis.Avon (January 17, 2023). ISBN: 978-0063095557. 384p.
In this charming romantic comedy, a hometown hero comes to the rescue of a chef unexpectedly left to care for three little girls—who may end up saving him too.
When disaster strikes and chef Bryce Weatherford is given guardianship of her three young nieces, her life goes from cooking with fire…to controlling a dumpster fire. Five‑year‑old Addison refuses to remove her fairy wings, eight‑year‑old Cecily won’t bathe, and tween June is majoring in belligerence. With all this chaos, Bryce jettisons hope for a life outside of managing her family and her new job.
It’s been years since Ryker Matthews had his below‑the‑knee amputation, yet the phantom pain for his lost limb and Marine career haunts him. To cope, he focuses on his vehicle restoration business. He knows he’s lucky to be alive. Yet, “lucky” feels more like “cursed” to his lonely heart.
When Ryker literally sweeps Bryce off her feet in the grocery store’s baby aisle, they both feel sparks. But falling in love would be one more curveball neither is ready to deal with… or is it exactly the change of plans they need?
“Newton skillfully combines pathos and humor in a first-rate small-town romance. … Newton handles heavy topics—including PTSD, death, and grief—with grace, and readers will be utterly sucked in by her lovable and believably flawed leads. This deeply felt love story proves irresistible.”―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Hilarity and heartwarming moments… a charming, candid romance.”―Kirkus
“Big on tenderness, and readers looking for depth and substance in their romance will find much to delight in here. Highly recommended.”―Library Journal, starred review
This is the third book of an unnamed series (which I found odd) and I didn’t know that. I didn’t read the first two books but I will hunt them down! I really loved this story and these characters.
Ryker Matthews is a former Marine who lost part of his leg and suffers from PTSD. He meets the completely overwhelmed Bryce in the supermarket. After her brother and sister-in-law perished in an accident, Bryce had to quit her sous chef job at a prestigious restaurant to move to this small town and care for her nieces – all three of them. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire!
Bryce is barely holding it together between working full-time at a bakery and taking care of the kids, all of whom are still grieving. She doesn’t have time for romance, yet something about Ryker and his steadfastness and kindness really draws her in. Ryker hasn’t felt comfortable with anyone until he meets Bryce; something about her honesty and empathy draws him in – not to mention their physical attraction to one another!
I loved all these characters with their baggage and their insecurities and how raw and real they felt, even the kids. This is a terrific small-town romance with a lot of laughs despite all the tragedy. Highly recommend.
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
CHANGE OF PLANS by Dylan Newton.Forever (August 1, 2023). ISBN: 978-1538703724. 368p.
To break out of a 24-hour time loop, all Jack needs is for Gemma to fall in love with him in a single day. All Gemma needs is to remember him first . . .
Gemma Peters is doing fine. She’s making a name for herself in the L.A. music biz as a radio producer. She’s got a ride-or-die best friend in Lila, and she gets to come home to Rex, her loving Labrador, every night. But ever since her rock star ex-boyfriend used her to get a record deal from her rock legend dad, she’s made a “no musicians” rule when it comes to dating that’s becoming more like a “no dating” rule, period.
So, when Gemma crashes (literally) into Jack one Thursday morning, at first she feels like fate might finally be doing her a favor. After all this guy is cute and, wait, is she imagining it, or is he staring a little too deeply into her eyes? And how does he know her name? Even harder to explain is the funny feeling of déjà vu she gets every time she looks at him. It’s not at all like Gemma to kiss a man and forget him completely, so then how can she explain the dreamlike memory of his lips on hers?
The truth is this is no ordinary Thursday. Not for them. In fact, they’ve lived this day over and over for months. And while Gemma has been totally oblivious to the time loop, Jack has been agonizingly aware of every single iteration. Luckily, Jack has a theory to bring his own personal Groundhog Day to an end. And it’s simple. Before the day is over, he just has to get Gemma to fall in love with him.
“James combines humor and heart in this sparkling story of love and friendship that is sure to enchant fans of Emily Henry and Rebecca Serle. Likable characters and a charming, funny premise elevate James’ latest above the crowded pack of contemporary rom-coms.”—Booklist
“James does a laudable job emphasizing Jack’s desperation and adoration, the sparks that fly between him and Gemma, and the way they make each other’s lives better….Readable and sweet.”—KirkusReviews
“With this cleverly constructed romance, James puts a fresh spin on the concept of a time loop…. This is a cute romp.”—Publishers Weekly
“Readers will love getting stuck in James’s uniquely sweet and heartfelt love story.”—Library Journal
This terrific rom-com is based on a time loop à la Groundhog Day, probably the most recognizable iteration of the concept and one of my favorite movies, so I should have been all in on this book. Except there was another book with this construct, Cassandra in Reverse, which came out in June. I was very excited to read it – it was a Reese Whitherspoon Book Club pick, and I almost always love those books. But I got about a third of the way through and had to put it down – I found it confusing, unwieldy, and tough to read. Maybe I’ll go back to it sometime, but for now, I can only say that this book was the time loop romance I wanted; I loved it.
Gemma is the progeny of Hollywood music royalty, but when her wannabe rockstar boyfriend meets her father and gets the record deal he was after, he dumps Gemma. Brokenhearted at being so used, she can’t bring herself to start dating again even though a year has passed. Until she bumps into Jack causing them both to be covered in coffee. But there’s something about him, some déjà vu-ish thing or maybe she’s just reading too much into a hot guy who seems really interested in her.
What Gemma doesn’t know is that Jack has been reliving the same day over and over again, and so has she. Jack is convinced he won’t be able to break out of the pattern until he gets her to fall in love with him – in one day. While Gemma is disbelieving, as one would be, eventually, he starts to wear her down, and she starts remembering a bit more each day.
I don’t want to give anything else away here, so suffice it to say this is a kinder, gentler version of Groundhog Day but the requisite happy ending. It is laugh-out-loud funny and sweet and all in all, a terrific read and I loved it.
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE DÉJÀ GLITCH by Holly James. Dutton (August 1, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593471586. 352p.
August Merriweather has always been good with animals. In fact, she’s known as Manhattan’s Dog Whisperer. Men, on the other hand? Not so much. She’s been falling for the wrong guys ever since her regrettable crush on Keaton Sax, older brother of her best friend, Leah, and the biggest jerkface this side of the Hudson.
Now an emotionally closed off widower, Keaton has become one of the most formidable men on Wall Street, but August knows his secret. He’s not driven by sales targets and bonus checks—Keaton just wants to give his family the security they never had. So when Leah asks Keaton to wrangle her over-the-top, dramatic husky at a weekend talent competition, Keaton says yes…and begs August to help him win the event for Leah.
Between obstacle courses, Molly’s husky temper tantrums and a cabin with just one bed, August is having a blast. Away from the pressure to have a “perfect life” with the “right guy,” she finds herself relaxing and getting to see the softer side of the man she once loved. Is this just a temporary truce? Or could Keaton finally be the right guy at the right time?
August has had a crush on her best friend Leah’s older brother Keaton since high school. But the one time he kissed her, she bolted and lived to regret it – he married someone else a short time later. Now he’s a widower and has closed himself off from love, other than for his family. Leah has Multiple Sclerosis, and he is always there to help her out. So when she has a relapse just before an important event, she asks him to fill in for her.
Leah has entered her dog Molly into a social media contest. There is no way she will be able to drive upstate for a few hours, then show off her dog for the next three days. Keaton just can’t say no to her, despite how much he and Molly don’t get along. He gets inspired to beg her best friend August, dog groomer to the stars in New York City, to help him out, and she can’t say no either. So off they go to the contest.
By the time they get there, there is only one cabin with one bed still available. Forced proximity, anyone? Leah has been trying to set them up together on several occasions, without much luck. They quickly figure out that Leah never reserved a second cabin for them. These two are so competitive that they deal with it like a contest, only neither is sure what winning will look like. But we know!
It looks like this may be the last book of the series, and it was so much fun to read. I’m looking forward to whatever London does next!
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
CONFESSIONS OF A CANINE DRAMA QUEEN by Stefanie London.Canary Street Press; Original edition (August 1, 2023). ISBN: 978-1335498212. 320p.
The perfect romcom for dog lovers! Pets of Park Avenue is the story of a self-confessed hot mess who learns that life is more fun when things don’t go according to plan.
What do you do when The One is also the one who broke your heart?
Self-proclaimed hot mess Scout Myers is determined to prove she’s finally got her act together. Raised by grandparents who saw her as her wayward mother’s wayward daughter, Scout’s used to being written off. So when the opportunity for a promotion arises at Paws in the City, the talent agency where she works, Scout is desperate to rise to the occasion. With shared custody of her little sister also on the line, Scout can’t afford a single mistake…like suddenly needing a canine stand-in for an important photoshoot. Luckily (or not) she knows the owner of the perfect pup replacement: the estranged husband she walked out on years ago.
On the surface, it appears Lane Halliday’s life has been blissfully drama free without Scout, but she suspects her handsome-as-ever not-quite-ex-husband doth protest too much. Working together even feels like old times—except for all that lingering, unresolved tension. But Scout’s not sure she’s ready to confront the reasons she left Lane, and when their plans to finalize the divorce become very real, Scout starts to wonder whether second chances might be worth a little hot mess.
“London pairs…satisfying romance with a deep dive into dysfunctional family dynamics, the corrosive power of secrets, and the importance of communication. This is sure to win hearts.” —Publishers Weekly
This is such a fun series! You can tell from the title of the series, Paws in the City, that this will especially appeal to readers who love animals. In this second book of the series, the focus is on Scout, the best friend and employee of Isla, who was featured in the first book. Isla has opened her own social media company for pets, and Scout is her only employee.
Scout has a terrible work history; losing so many jobs has fed into her low self-esteem. But Isla is more than willing to give her a chance and Scout is determined to do the best job possible. When she has to step in for Isla at the last minute, everything that can go wrong does, and Scout feels awful. She is determined to make it up to Isla and she knows exactly how to do that.
After accidentally dying the fur on their biggest doggie star hot pink, Scout quickly realizes that her husband’s dog is a dead ringer for the now pink one. The only drawback? Scout snuck out in the middle of the night just one month after getting married – five years earlier. She hasn’t had any contact with her husband, Lane, since, and neither one has bothered filing for divorce. They are both brokenhearted, but this may be a chance for them to get closure.
Lane agrees to help Scout out by subbing in his dog for the up-and-coming star. Turns out there are several events scheduled, and before you know it, they are spending a lot of time together, revisiting their past and possibly creating a future. But Scout has other problems she is dealing with; the grandparents that raised her and threw her out of the house when she turned 18 now have custody of her much younger half-sister, and they severely limit the time the sisters can spend together. Scout is afraid that if she doesn’t do exactly as she thinks they want, she’ll lose all visitation rights. This is a pretty serious hurdle to get over, but the happy ending is worth it all.
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
PETS OF PARK AVENUE by Stefanie London.HQN; Original edition (December 6, 2022). ISBN: 978-1335498199. 336p.
Welcome to the sweltering summer. Where I live, in South Florida, the temperatures have been staying in the 90’s, with a “feels like” hovering in the low 100s. But we have it better than most of the country where people are suffering from the hottest summer on record; everything here is air-conditioned. I go from my air-conditioned house to my air-conditioned car to my air-conditioned job to the air-conditioned supermarket, etc. You get the idea. (Just keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t get hit by any hurricanes this year and lose power and that precious A/C!) Arizona is probably similarly air-conditioned as well as parts of Texas, but most of the country is not.
Deaths from heat are becoming more common, and personally, I am still reeling from Governor Abbot (Texas) signing a new law that says employers no longer have to schedule water breaks for their employees who work outdoors. It’s even hotter in Texas than in Florida, and depriving workers of scheduled water breaks will surely lead to more deaths. Turns out Texas is not alone — from The Washington Post:
A worker in Houston digs fence post holes in late June during a historic heat wave in Texas. (David J. Phillip/AP)
“As the planet records some of its highest average temperatures, workers have barely any legal protections from extreme heat.”
And let’s not forget about the flooding in the northeast, the fires burning through Canada that are polluting the air along our northern borders, the landslides in California, and who knows what’s next.
Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins in the 1964 film “My Fair Lady.” “As a working-class kid I daydreamed about owning Henry Higgins’s library,” Michael Dirda writes. “While I’ll never have that wonderful room, I now have the books.” (Mary Evans/Ronald Grant Archive/Everett Collection)
Michael Dirda shares 29 of his rules for reading. They are not hard and fast.
This one spoke to me:
“Typeface troubles: My heart sinks when I see a desirable book printed in eye-strainingly small type. Publishers must imagine that only eagles will read it.”
A few months earlier, a handful of residents had begun demanding the removal of certain books in the children’s section of Warren County’s only public library. Most of the titles involved LGBTQ+ themes. Powered by support from conservative media, the group persuaded the county’s Board of Supervisors in June to withhold 75 percent of the library’s funding until something was done to address the complaints…moving books around will have to be enough. Banning them — removing books that the library’s trained professionals have determined to be in the interest of even a small number of people in the community — that can’t happen.
Schneider, G. S. (2023, July 23). Public libraries are the latest front in culture war battle over books. The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/46Y88Yu
By Nicole A. Cooke, 24 Jul 2023 (This time it’s personal!)
They now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves.
Despite misconceptions and stereotypes – ranging from what librarians Gretchen Keer and Andrew Carlos have described as the “middle-aged, bun-wearing, comfortably shod, shushing librarian” to the “sexy librarian … and the hipster or tattooed librarian” – library professionals are more than book jockeys, and they do more than read at story time.
They are experts in classification, pedagogy, data science, social media, disinformation, [I’m adding misinformation,] health sciences, music, art, media literacy and, yes, storytelling.
And right now, librarians are taking on an old role. They are defending the rights of readers and writers in the battles raging across the U.S. over censorship, book challenges and book bans. Continue reading…
Food News
I hadn’t heard of this type of “fruit ice cream” until I read this article about it. From what I can tell, it is not being sold in South Florida, where I live. There is a machine that mixes frozen fruit into vanilla ice cream, then dipsenses it in a swirl. I love ice cream, and this sounds intriguing. If you’ve tried it, please let me know in the comments!
We are getting ready for a visit from my son and his family – I can’t wait! We usually go up to NY to see them in the summer, and while airfare between South Florida & NYC is still pretty decent, the rates at hotels in the area have gone through the roof! We usually stay at the Brooklyn Sheraton, as it’s only a half a mile from their apartment. We paid about $900 for a week two summers ago, $500 for three nights last summer, but this summer, they want $800+ for three nights. It’s a nice hotel, but there’s nothing special or fancy about it to warrant those kinds of rates. They are not alone though; travel expenses this summer have risen dramatically. I kept seeing articles like this one but was hoping for the best – I am the eternal optimist! Sadly, my optimism here has crashed and burned.
My grandson turned two-years-old in March and can no longer be called a baby – he is a little boy, through and through. He loves playing outside on the playground, reading books, helping whoever is cooking, and palling around with his best friend, Ollie.
Jonah & Ollie
Cooling off!
Jonah loves his books!
A personal note: I moved from working in a public library (for almost 18 years!) to an academic one four years ago, and I’ve never regretted it. There are things (and people) I miss from my old job, but my new one has been fulfilling and brings me happiness most days. August 4 is looming, however – that is my current library director’s last day at Lynn University. Amy Filiatreau is moving to the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, to start leading their library with the fall semester, and they are incredibly lucky to get her.
I understand why she is leaving, but nonetheless, I am so sad about it. I have had a few good bosses in my life, but only two I can say who became good friends (looking at you, Ron Block!) and Amy. Amy is brilliant, empathetic, and kind, and it is such a rarity to work for someone that I respect and admire so much. With that comes fear for the future. Change is always difficult, but Amy and her amazing staff made my transition to Lynn easy. I wish that for her in her new position. Meanwhile, there will be a search for a new library director here at Lynn, and I am hoping for the best – Amy set the standard, and, it is, frankly, impossibly high.
As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Thanks to The New York Times and The Washington Post for allowing me to “gift” my readers with free access to these articles, a lovely perk for subscribers.
How do you start over when the biggest mistake of your life has more than one million views?
Forget diamonds—the internet is forever. Social media consultant Isla Thompson learned that lesson the hard way when she went viral for all the wrong reasons. A month later, Isla is still having nightmares about the moment she ruined a young starlet’s career and made herself the most unemployable influencer in Manhattan. But she doesn’t have the luxury of hiding until she’s no longer Instagram poison. Not when her fourteen-year-old sister, Dani, needs Isla to keep a roof over their heads. So, she takes the first job she can get: caring for Camilla, a glossy-maned, foul-tempered hellhound.
After a week of ferrying Camilla from playdates to pet psychics, Isla starts to suspect that the dachshund’s bark is worse than her bite—just like her owner, Theo Garrison. Isla has spent her career working to make people likable and here’s Theo—happy to hide behind his reputation as a brutish recluse. But Theo isn’t a brute—he’s sweet and funny, and Isla should not see him as anything but the man who signs her paychecks. Because loving Theo would mean retreating to his world of secluded luxury, and Isla needs to show Dani that no matter the risk, dreams are always worth chasing.
“London’s characters leap off the page… It’s a delightful start to a series that promises to be good fun.”—Publishers Weekly
Stefanie London is on my must read list – this rom-com is a prime example of why. Camilla is a long-haired dachshund with a serious attitude. Her owner was a famous, wealthy New Yorker who has passed away, leaving her beloved Camilla to the grandson she raised and loved – but neglected to tell him. Camilla is none too fond of Theo, to say the least, and her behavior has gone from bad to worse in her grief. Theo is a famous New York City recluse who has no patience for, well, much of anything. He likes his hermit status and has no plans of changing it.
After losing so many dog walkers that the agency refuses to help him anymore, he dons a disguise – hat, sunglasses – and takes Camilla on a walk through Central Park. There he runs into Isla and her sister. Isla was a professional social media influencer, or rather she worked for a management company that helps influencers raise their standing and their income. When she accidentally broadcasts her latest client, an underage Disney princess, drinking champagne, voicing some terribly un-Disney-like words with the grand finale of vomiting all over herself, that video goes viral, and Isla is fired.
Theo is amazed that Camilla goes right up to Isla and seems to like her – the dog likes no one, unless she is biting them. He offers Isla the dogsitting job on the spot. Desperate for some income, she jumps on the opportunity to restock her coffers while figuring out her next step.
There is something about Isla that gets under Theo’s defenses and he finds himself incredibly drawn to her. They both realize it isn’t the greatest idea, the power imbalance alone is a huge hurdle. But they can’t stop their feelings and they take things to the next level.
Meanwhile, slightly bored with her dogsitting job, Isla starts taking pictures of Camilla – not anything where she or Theo could be identified, and creates a social media account for the dog she calls “C” online. She is amusing herself and a few others, that is until the number of followers starts climbing and climbing. Inspired by her success, Isla sees this as the opportunity she has been looking for. She will start her own influencer marketing company for animals. Then she can quit dogsitting for her boss/lover and their relationship can move forward.
Of course, nothing goes quite the way Isla was hoping. Theo finds out about the social media account before she can tell him what she’s been doing, and he feels completely betrayed. The happy ending seems to be completely out of reach, but nonetheless Theo and Isla get their happily ever after. And we get a whole lot of laughs along the way. Looking forward to the next book in the series, Pets of Park Avenue, which I found through my library. I have the third book, Confessions of a Canine Drama Queen, ready to go – it comes out August 1.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE DACHSHUND WEARS PRADA by Stefanie London.HQN; Original edition (May 3, 2022). ISBN: 978-1335639837. 336p.
Three women search for joy in #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s new novel of hope, heartache, and the power of friendship.
Heather is happy . . . ish. She has a successful business, a cute but contemptuous cat, and best friends Daphne and Tori who know where she’s broken and love her anyway. So why does she feel crushed when her ex gets serious about someone new? No problem, she has a plan. More connections will hold her together while her world falls apart, so she finally reaches out to the stranger who might be her dad.
Daphne isn’t having an emotional affair, despite what her husband believes. He started the rift in their marriage when he said they weren’t ready for a baby. They used to be the closest couple she knew. Can they find their way back to one another before it’s too late?
When Tori forms an inconvenient crush on Daphne’s brother-in-law, she suppresses her feelings. Until her apartment floods, and she moves in with the dog-loving doctor. If things go wrong, she could lose her friends. . . but if they go right, she could lose her heart.
“This novel of emotional honesty and found family will appeal to readers of Jill Shalvis and Kristan Higgins…Mallery is a reliable star of relationship fiction, and her latest is a great choice for beach-read season.”–Booklist
Mallery excels at female friendship and romance; the combination is irresistible here. Heather didn’t have the greatest childhood, partly because she never knew her father. But when one of the online DNA websites confirms a match for her father, she is torn about what to do with the info. Daphne is married and a great step-mom to her husband’s kids from his first marriage, and they always agreed to having a child of their own. Daphne is a high powered lawyer who works a lot of hours. When one of her colleagues sends her flowers, she finds it a bit unusual but doesn’t think much of it. But when her husband finds out, he is terribly hurt and angry, and immediately assumes she is having an affair.
Tori has no family to speak of, and her two best friends fill that void in her life. She has strong feelings for one of her friend’s brothers, but is afraid to act on it because she’s afraid if things go wrong, she’ll lose her friends.
All three women work through their problems, helping one another until they reach their happily ever afters. I was immediately drawn into these characters and their stories, and couldn’t put the book down! Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE HAPPINESS PLAN by Susan Mallery.MIRA; Original edition (June 20, 2023). ISBN: 978-0778333555. 400p.
Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
“Lapena is a master of manipulation.” —USA Today
Welcome to Stanhope. A safe neighborhood. A place for families.
William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.
Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing.
Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. And William isn’t the only one on his street who’s hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery’s neighbors become increasingly unhinged.
Who took Avery Wooler?
Nothing will prepare you for the truth.
“As usual, Lapena offers a clever, disturbing page-turner with deeply flawed characters and a stunning conclusion.” —Booklist
“The suspense here is real; Lapena does a great job of exposing layers of domestic dishonesty and betrayal one conversation at a time…[Everyone Here Is Lying] succeeds as a domestic thriller and procedural.” —Kirkus
Shari Lapena has truly perfected the domestic thriller. She takes suburbia to the dark, twisted places that fill our nightmares and the local evening news. This story is based on a missing child, which seemingly happens way too often.
Avery Woolery is a nine-year-old problem child. She’s difficult, headstrong, and disobedient and has caused a lot of trouble in her parent’s marriage. Her mother only sees the good in her and is oblivious to her lying, manipulative ways. Her older brother is 12, and he recognizes how manipulative she can be, as does her father. He is a well-respected surgeon and is having an affair with a neighbor, Nora, who volunteers at the hospital where he works. Nora is also married with two children, and the guilt is really getting to her. She finally tells William that she can’t do this anymore and ends things.
William is upset and decides to go home so he can be alone for a little while. But when he gets home, Avery is there by herself. She is supposed to be at school, and her brother is supposed to walk her home. But she tells William she got ejected from choir practice for misbehaving and decided to walk home alone. She is very mouthy to him, and in his bad mood, he snaps and slaps her so hard that she falls to the floor. He is immediately contrite and begs her forgiveness, but she won’t even look at him. He takes off, leaving her home alone, and drives around for another hour or so.
Meanwhile, Avery’s brother goes to pick her up, but since she’s not there, he hurries home. When he can’t find her, he calls his mom. She starts panicking, running out of her office and heading home. Then William arrives, and there is still no sign of Avery. William figures she must have run away to teach him a lesson, but when a frantic search of the area is fruitless, the police are called. But he doesn’t tell anyone that he had been home and had struck Avery.
The two detectives are fairly new partners, but seem to work well together. They find some inconsistencies with William’s story of leaving work early and driving around for a few hours, ending up treating the home as a crime scene, with William as their prime suspect. But as they canvas the neighborhood and the parents do their TV plea for help, they start chasing down all the info they gleam. There is a lot of finger-pointing from the neighbors, and yes, everyone is lying – or at least appears to be.
The ending was a bit rushed, and not everything is tied up neatly at the end, but it is a page-turner for sure. Pamela Dorman Books never disappoints. Be prepared to see copies of this book everywhere this summer; it is the quintessential beach read, unputdownable, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena.Pamela Dorman Books (July 25, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593489932. 336p.
Opposites attract―and go head-to-head―in this cheerfully irresistible small-town romance.
With just ten days left till her folks’ loan comes due, ever-pragmatic Charlotte Delaney is officially throwing in the towel on the bet that she made with her sisters. It looks like it’s up to her to save their parents’ café and beloved home with a marriage of convenience to her family’s rival. It’s time to get the in-name-only nuptials over with. Of course, Charlotte’s never been one to easily admit defeat…
Aidan Strong has exactly zero intentions of marrying one of the Delaney sisters―even Charlotte, his first crush. He’s come to Majestic, Maine, to make things right…only Charlotte has other plans.
She’s challenging Aidan to a new wager. And the prize? His billion-dollar coffee empire. Now the tiny seaside town of Majestic is about to witness the ultimate game of hearts…and winner takes all.
Each book in the Majestic Main series is STANDALONE: * First Bride to Fall * Second Bride Down * Last Bride Standing
“There’s no denying the appeal of this quaint Maine town and the loves that blossom within it.”-Publishers Weekly
At one time, Aidan and Charlotte’s parents were best friends and business partners, but that time is long past. While Aidan’s parents turned their half of the business into a global empire, Charlotte’s parents ended up with a coffee shop. After a death in the family, the moms have cooked up a plan to marry off Aidan to Charlotte, as she is the only sister not engaged already. Charlotte is ready to do her part in saving her parent’s business, so she is shocked when Aidan arrives from England to announce he is not marrying anyone. He offers them half his business, but that’s not good enough for Charlotte. She challenges him to a wager: whoever sells the most cups of coffee at the upcoming town festival gets the entire company. And a bet is made.
What Aidan and Charlotte didn’t count on was falling in love. Spending all that time together has brought them closer than ever, but Charlotte is stubborn and has dug her heels into this competition. The happy ending is inevitable, and it is easy to suspend your disbelief until they get there. This is the third book in the series (somehow, I missed the second one,) and it is a good ending to the series. I’m looking forward to whatever Baird does next.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
LAST BRIDE STANDING by Ginny Baird.Entangled: Amara (June 27, 2023). ISBN: 978-1649373724. 384p.
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