Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

Spotlight Review: THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan

July 16, 2024

From the publisher:

On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house, lavender with gingerbread trim, a home that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane. There are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors, and dishes in the cupboards, even though no one has set foot there in decades. The house becomes a hideaway for Jane, a place to escape her volatile mother.

Twenty years later, now a Harvard archivist, she returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, a summer person from Beacon Hill, has gutted it, transforming the house into a glossy white monstrosity straight out of a shelter magazine. Strangely, Genevieve is convinced that the house is haunted—perhaps the product of something troubling Genevieve herself has done. She hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers—of lovers lost at sea, romantic longing, shattering loss, artistic awakening, historical artifacts stolen and sold, and the long shadow of colonialism—is even older than Maine itself.

Enthralling, richly imagined, filled with psychic mediums and charlatans, spirits and past lives, mothers, marriage, and the legacy of alcoholism, this is a deeply moving novel about the land we inhabit, the women who came before us, and the ways in which none of us will ever truly leave this earth.
https://amzn.to/47l5yuF

This highly anticipated novel from J. Courtney Sullivan (Friends and Strangers) was worth the wait. Our protagonist, Jane, is a Harvard archivist who is also an alcoholic, like her mother and sister. After getting blackout drunk at a work event, she finds her job in jeopardy, as well as her marriage, making this the perfect time to escape from all her troubles. She heads up to Maine to settle her mother’s estate, which is complicated by the fact that her mother was a hoarder.

As a teenager, Jane found an old abandoned Victorian house up high on a cliff nearby, which became her refuge. As an adult, she is surprised to learn that a wealthy young family has bought the house and turned it into a typical beach McMansion. The owner hires Jane to research the house’s history, as she fears the house is haunted, possibly due to some unsavory work she had done. That research is at the heart of this novel that spans generations, Colonialism, Native American history, spiritualism, the Shakers, and so much more.

Verdict: A beautifully written, expansive novel sure to please readers who enjoyed North Woods by Daniel Mason, or books by Kate Morton or Susanna Kearsley.

©Library Journal, 2024

7/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan. Knopf (July 16, 2024). ISBN:‎ 978-0593319154. 384p.

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THE MISTRESS EXPERIENCE by Scarlett Peckham

July 12, 2024

Society of Sirens, Book III

From the publisher:

The scandalous women of the USA Today bestselling author Scarlett Peckham’s Society of Sirens are back with the final stage in their fight for female rights—and this time the battle is to be waged in bed…

She’s the most infamous harlot in London…and she’s up for auction.

Thaïs Magadalene is a legend. The nation’s most notorious courtesan, she sells herself once a week, for one night only, and never to the same patron twice. Until now. To raise money for the cause of women’s rights, she has auctioned herself off for one month as mistress to the highest bidder.

But the winner is not who he seems.

Lord Alastair Eden is an earl, a radical politician, and a perfectionist in all things—except one. His confidence belies an unexpected secret: he doesn’t know how to please a woman in bed. He’s determined to change that before he marries. And who could be better than the most skilled lover in the country to teach him?

And love is never for sale.

Thaïs dreams of finding a man who will love her unconditionally, never mind her past and reputation. Eden dreams of finding a perfectly bred young lady to be his wife and helpmeet. But when a steamy month in the countryside breeds a connection both in and out of the bedchamber, the two of them must decide how much can be sacrificed for love—one’s dreams, or one’s reputation.

“This plot is a perfect match for Peckham’s mastery of erotic writing, providing multiple opportunities for breathtakingly intimate scenes and providing rich emotional development alongside the steam. Readers who like their historical romances big, bawdy, and over the top will be thrilled by the conclusion to Peckham’s Society of Sirens series, especially as it ties up some loose ends from the first two books. A scorching and compelling historical romance.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Peckham pairs polar opposites in a sexy, bawdy, fun, and yet deeply compassionate romance. A fitting end (after The Portrait of a Duchess) to the “Society of Sirens” series.” — Library Journal (starred review)
https://amzn.to/3XWRvu7

After reading Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle, I wanted to try one of this author’s historical romances, written as Scarlett Peckham. I’m not sure which is her real name (and I’m not feeling well or I’d be doing a bit of research on that.) This book got rave reviews, so I gave it a try. It reminded me why I started reading historical romances back in the 1970’s – the sex! And lots of it.

Thaïs Magadalene is a renowned prostitute who has a complicated backstory. She is involved with a group of women who are determined to help other women by giving them options besides marriage or whoredom. They want to educate them, train them, and get them jobs, not an easy feat by any means in Regency England. They have raised a lot of money, and Thaïs decides that she will help put them over the top.

Thaïs has strict rules – she never sees a man more than once, and they are not allowed to spend the night. Her plan is to auction herself off as a mistress for one month to the highest bidder. Luckily, a man she knows wins the bidding for a hefty sum, and sends his carriage to take her to the country for their month together. Except when she arrives, it is at a tiny cottage, not an English country manor. And the man waiting for her is Lord Eden, not the man who won her. Eden explains that his friend did the bidding for him to keep his identity secret. Eden has a plan; he is almost 40 years old and has decided it is time to marry. But he has very little sexual experience, and what he had wasn’t great. Determined to be a perfect lover for his wife-to-be, he enlists Thaïs’s help.

Thaïs is touched and amused and agrees to help. Things start off slowly as Eden needs to feel somewhat comfortable with Thaïs before taking her to bed. Eventually, they get there and Thaïs teaches him everything he needs to know and more. The only problem is that she feels herself getting attached, a definite no-no in her line of work. Eden is also getting attached, but a whore is not suitable marriage material for an Earl.

You can guess where this goes but it is so much fun getting there. As we get to know these characters, we can’t help but want a happily ever after for them. This is a very spicy novel, so if that is not your thing, look elsewhere. I loved it.

7/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE MISTRESS EXPERIENCE by Scarlett Peckham. Avon (June 25, 2024). ISBN: 978-0062935656. 368p.

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Spotlight Review: TANGLED UP IN YOU by Christina Lauren

July 9, 2024

Meant To Be, Book 4

From the publisher:

A witty and deeply romantic modern reimagining of Disney’s Tangled, by the New York Times bestselling author duo Christina Lauren, part of the acclaimed and bestselling Meant to Be collection.

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they’ve both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

“I dare you to not fall wildly in love with Ren and Fitz! Christina Lauren as a writing duo is a national treasure.” — Jesse Q. Sutanto

“This is a delight.” –Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3VI4gWE

I was surprised to see a new Christina Lauren book a month after the publication of The Paradise Problem. Then I realized that this new book is part of an unusual series, Meant to Be. It’s unusual in that each book in the series has been written by a different author. I’ve read three out of the four so far, and I’ve enjoyed them all. They are based on various Disney movies; this one is based on Tangled (which I must admit I haven’t seen, but probably should – my grandson is really into all the Disney movies now!)

Ren has grown up on a homestead; a farm where they worked and raised all their food, and she was homeschooled as well. But she is incredibly bright, fluent in several languages (all self taught) so when she decides to go to college, she isn’t sure how her parents are going to react. They agree that she can go, but she is under the same strict rules she had at home. She is not allowed to go off campus, use the internet or computers for anything other than classwork, and her parents will pick her up every Friday afternoon and bring her back on Sunday night. She has to continue to do all her chores on the farm, and Ren is happy to go along with it. Until her science professor asks them all to do a DNA test.

Fitz is the fair-haired boy of Corona College; an athlete, top of his class, good-looking, and rich. Except everything is not as it seems. When Ren shows up, he realizes she may edge him out as the top student, and without that, he won’t get his criminal record expunged. His childhood was not the idyllic upbringing that most people assume.

Ren returns to the lab late one night to double-check that her DNA test results are accurate. There is a match for paternity, but she knows there is no way her father would have ever done such a test. Flummoxed, she does a bit of research and finds out this paternal match lives in Atlanta, Georgia, clear across the country. When she catches Fitz in unsavory circumstances, she blackmails him into driving her to Nashville, where he is headed for spring break. Aggrieved, he can’t see a way out of it. That road trip leads to a lot of feelings that they both try to push away.

I have to say I figured out what was happening fairly early on, not that I was looking, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story. It’s a fast-paced, sweet romance with some serious family drama. Christina Lauren for the win!

7/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TANGLED UP IN YOU by Christina Lauren. Hyperion Avenue (June 25, 2024). ISBN:‎ 978-1368100649. 320p.

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JUST SOME STUPID LOVE STORY by Katelyn Doyle

July 5, 2024

From the publisher:

For fans of Emily Henry, a debut about a rom-com screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love and a divorce attorney who does, forced together at their high school reunion fifteen years after their breakup

Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—which is how she knows “romance” is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth—who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn’t seen in fifteen years.

Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well…one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he’s sought “the one” in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart.

When Molly’s friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she’s forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them.

Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she’ll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he’s delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong.

Wickedly funny, sexy, and brimming with laughs and heart like the best romantic comedies, Just Some Stupid Love Story is for everyone who believes in soulmates—even if they would never admit it.

“A flirty, sexy read…Fresh and fun as hell―Katelyn Doyle is absolutely an author to watch.” ―People Magazine

“Refreshing…A joy to read…Much like When Harry Met Sally but with way more angst (and sex). Doyle creates a strong, winning chemistry between Molly and Seth…A smart, slightly meta romance that plays out like the best movies.” ―Kirkus (starred review)

“Doyle, who writes historical romance as Scarlett Peckham (“Society of Sirens” series), pens her first contemporary, a unique, sizzling second-chance rom-com with an HEA that will leave readers cheering.” ―Library Journal

And this is fun – “Featuring bright purple sprayed edges!” on the hardcover edition.
https://amzn.to/4ck9YoZ

This is the author’s first contemporary romance, and as far as I’m concerned, she hit it out of the park. The timeline is occasionally bouncy, but it was done in a way that made it very clear, which is not always accomplished in fiction. The story takes place over five years, with a glimpse back fifteen years earlier when Molly and Seth were inseparable, and in love. But Molly dumps Seth with no explanation and ghosts him for the next fifteen years.

Molly has left Florida for the spoils of California; she has become a screenwriter, writing romcoms and hoping to the the new Nora Ephron. She has some success, but is sort of stuck lately. Her oldest friends convince her to attend their 15 year high school reunion, and she reluctantly agrees. Her doubts about this adventure come home to roost when she ends up sitting next to her ex.

Seth moved to Chicago and became a very successful family lawyer, AKA a divorce lawyer. Molly’s parents had divorced when she was a kid and he knew how devastating that was for her, so she is shocked to learn he is practicing in that area. So we have the woman who writes happily every afters, but who doesn’t believe in them, and the divorce lawyer who actually does.

Seth has dated a lot – he tends to rush his relationships to the next level in hopes of finding his soulmate. It never works out for him, maybe because he believes deep in heart and subconscious that you only get one soulmate, and Molly was his.

Molly and Seth end up having a very hot one night stand during the reunion weekend, and make a bet about the outcome of five couples currently in relationships. They are one of the couples. The next five years are a rollercoaster ride for both of them, and just when I was convinced that there was no way for this couple to ever get together and move forwards. the author takes me there.

This was a bit of an emotional read for me; my parents also divorced when I was a kid, and I still have issues with it. But it was also a fun and funny romcom – I wouldn’t mind seeing this on the big screen! I don’t think I’ve read her historical romances (written by Scarlett Peckham,) but I will be seeking those out.

7/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

JUST SOME STUPID LOVE STORY by Katelyn Doyle. Flatiron Books (June 4, 2024). ISBN:‎ 978-1250328090. 336p.

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RESORTING TO ROMANCE by Jennifer Shirk

July 5, 2024

From the Publisher:

Love checks in―even if it’s an unwelcome guest―in this delightful smalltown romance from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Shirk…

It was supposed to be L.A. attorney Loni Wingate’s perfect day. Instead, she got only chaos and heartbreak. Her fiancé stole her promotion and ended their engagement, leaving her career and her future dangling by a thread. Then when Loni tries to go to her safe place, her family’s quaint North Carolina resort, she finds it’s up for sale.

But Loni didn’t get to where she is without a fight. So if a developer is coming by to assess the property, the place she feels most connected to her long-gone Mama…well, Loni and her sisters will serve up a taste of Southern hospitality he’ll never forget.

Ian Hollowell hasn’t experienced “Southern hospitality” firsthand, but he’s pretty sure this is not it. Between the storage room accommodation, the all-sugar sweet tea, and a lethally hot pepper omelet, he’s getting the sense his welcome is anything but. Still, he didn’t get his ruthless reputation by quitting when the game gets interesting.

And Loni is one adversary Ian can’t resist… especially when family revelations start pushing Loni to question her loyalties.

Now a round of “keep your enemies close” might be flipped on its head in bestselling author Jennifer Shirk’s sparkling and stirring story about reconsidering the past in order to shape the future. Because sometimes it takes one last resort to find the place―and people―that truly feel like home.

https://amzn.to/4eLmNKK

I liked the premise of this story about a family owned resort being put up for sale by the family patriarch. There are three sisters whose mother died several years earlier, and now their father is engaged to be married and none of them have met their step-mother-to-be. And to make things even worse, the sisters are convinced he wants to sell their beloved resort to pay for his wedding, for some reason. There is some confusion about everything that is happening in this book, but it all plays out with good results in the end.

The story focuses on Loni, the middle daughter, who is the only one who left the resort. She became an attorney and is up for partner at her Los Angeles law firm. She is engaged as well, so life is looking good for her. But when she heads into the partnership meeting, it does not go as she was expecting. She is accused of emailing a client a half finished contract, making the firm look incompetent. She doesn’t remember sending it, but has been working so many hours she thinks that maybe she did. This plot point really irked me – would a bright attorney not even look into the allegation? Check her email? See when it was sent? To make matters even worse, her finance is offered the partnership, and he dumps her. Loni goes home to North Carolina to help her sisters with the resort and see what is happening with the possible sale.

Ian is known as “the predator” for both his business dealings and I think for the way he treats women. As his business partner points out, he has never passed seven dates with any woman. He has been befriended by the girls father, who asks him to take a look at the resort and see if he would want to buy it. Ian arrives and the girls basically torture him with horrible food, drink, and accommodations. But Ian is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy, and he is able to keep his eye on the prize. Until he meets Loni.

Lots of family issues need to be resolved here. Ian and Loni form an uneasy relationship based on mistrust, but this is a romance so something has to work out. I obviously had some issues with some of the plotlines here, but I liked the characters enough to stick with it until the happy ending. There were some laughs along the way, which always helps, and some real emotional drama. In the end, I did enjoy this story.

7/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

RESORTING TO ROMANCE by Jennifer Shirk. Entangled: Amara (July 2, 2024). ISBN: 978-1649376503. 352p.

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Spotlight Review: A HAPPIER LIFE by Kristy Woodson Harvey

July 2, 2024

From the publisher:

“New York Times bestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey” (Good Morning America) presents a touching novel about eternal love and the places we call home.

The historic houses in the seaside town of Beaufort, North Carolina, have held the secrets of their inhabitants for centuries. One of the most enduring refuses to be washed away by the tide: What happened to Rebecca and Townsend Saint James on that fateful night of their disappearance in 1976?

Now, the granddaughter they never knew, Keaton Smith, is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort on the market, she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, which has been closed for nearly fifty years, she wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Wading through the detritus of her grandparents’ lives, Keaton finds herself enchanted by their southern traditions—and their great, big love. As she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton begins to wonder if the stories she has been told about her grandparents are true.

Keaton’s grandmother, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James’s annual summer suppers are the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But, in the summer of 1976, she’s struggling behind the facade of the woman who can do it all—and facing a problem that even she can’t solve.

As Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of their family for generations.

“The novel to read this year” (Annabel Monaghan) explores the power of family, the boundless nature of love, and the idea that discovering where we came from just might lead us to A Happier Life.

“This is women’s fiction at its best.” ― Publisher’s Weekly

“Harvey delivers another beautiful and heartfelt novel filled with romance, mystery, and her signature Southern charm. A multigenerational story told through dual timelines, A Happier Life invites readers to deeply savor its pages.”—Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3RQR6pv

What a compelling read! I started reading it Sunday morning and finished it Sunday evening – and I hated turning that last page. And I’ think ‘m pretty sure I still have a load of towels in the dryer…

The dual timelines really worked here – I wish other authors had this kind of finesse. Keaton never knew her mother’s parents, they died in a car crash before she was born. She also didn’t know that they had a beautiful home in Beaufort, North Carolina, until her uncle asked her to go down there, clean it out and get it ready for sale. The house was essentially abandoned fifty years earlier. Since she just got fired from her job and simultaneously found out her ex and her boss were having a baby, it seemed like a great idea to get out of town.

This home has been in the family for generations; it is older than America, built in the 1700’s. But when Keaton arrives, she is in for a shock. The house has been left a shrine to the 1970’s – it’s as if the family went out one day and never came back. And that is exactly what happened.

Much to her surprise, Keaton is having a hard time throwing anything away. She loves learning to get to know her grandparents, especially her grandmother, Becks, through a book she left for Virginia, Keaton’s mom. The book contains life hacks and recipes, lists of dinner parties, what was served, and who attended. There are tips on conversation starters, how to pick a good mix of people for a successful dinner party, and so on.

Keaton is also getting to know the hunky single dad next door and his amazing son, as well as a group of older women who knew and loved her grandparents. The story moves between what was happening in the 1970’s with Becks, and what Keaton is learning.

I really don’t want to give anything more away except to say Keaton’s grandparents’ death is something of a mystery. The romance, while secondary to the story, adds something special as do the descriptions of the area, the historic homes, and the southern charm. As a bonus, there are a couple of recipes at the end that I can’t wait to try. This is only the second book I’ve read by Harvey, but she is most definitely on my must-read list now, and I’m seeking out her older books as well. If you love multigenerational family stories that really resonate and are filled with charm and lots of heart, you won’t want to miss this glorious read!

7/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A HAPPIER LIFE by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Gallery Books (June 25, 2024). ISBN:‎ 978-1668012192. 384p.

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THE SUMMER SWAP by Sarah Morgan

June 28, 2024

From the Publisher:

From the author of The Book Club Hotel, a widow’s plan to spend the summer in Cape Cod is upended by an unexpected guest and a secret that could change everything… Perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Jennifer Weiner.

Cecilia Lapthorne always vowed she’d never go back to Dune Cottage. So no one is more surprised than Cecilia to find herself escaping her seventy-fifth birthday party to return to the remote Cape Cod cottage—a place filled with memories. Some are good—especially memories of the early days with her husband, volatile artist Cameron. But then there are the memories she has revealed to no one.

After dropping out of medical school, aspiring artist Lily is cleaning houses on the Cape to get by, guilt-ridden for disappointing her parents. Unoccupied for years, Dune Cottage seems the perfect place to hide away and lick her wounds—until Cecilia unexpectedly arrives. Despite an awkward beginning, Lily accepts Cecilia’s invitation to stay on as her guest, and a flicker of kinship ignites.

Then Todd, Cecilia’s grandson—and Lily’s unrequited crush—shows up, sending a shock wave through their unlikely friendship. Will Lily find the courage to live the life she wants? Can Cecilia finally let go of the past to find a new future? Because as surely as the tide erases past footprints, this summer is offering both Cecilia and Lily the chance to swap old dreams for new…

https://amzn.to/3VZaZNs

I’ve read most of Sarah Morgan’s books and she is a reliably good storyteller. This is a story about an unlikely friendship and romance.

Lily had a crush on her friend’s brother, Todd, and they even kissed once. She never forgot that kiss and no man has lived up her expectations since. Unbeknownst to Lily, Todd was also a fan of that kiss. They haven’t seen each other in a very long time though.

Lily was enrolled in medical school before dropping out and disappointing her parents. Her guilt leads her to run far away, and she ends up on Cape Cod, earning money by taking care of the beautiful summer homes that have absent owners. One of them is Dune Cottage, and she has no idea whose home it is. No one has visited in many, many years so Lily decides to crash there. Island living is very expensive and she cannot afford to pay seasonal, ridiculously high rents. She has a key, she takes care of the place, so it doesn’t feel entirely wrong. Until someone shows up.

An elderly woman, Cecilia, is the unlikely visitor. It turns out that Lily has met her before – she is friends with her granddaughter and has that huge crush on her grandson, Todd. Cecelia is sharp as a tack and she quickly realizes that Lily has been living in the home, and she intuitively understands why. When Lily confesses she dropped out of medical school and wants to be an artist, Cecelia is intrigued. Cecelia’s husband was a world famous artist, and at one time, Cecelia wanted to be an artist, too, but her husband’s success planted her squarely in the muse/helper role.

Cecelia has some secrets, and when her favorite grandson shows up, she eventually shares some of them with him. Meanwhile, Todd and Lily are spending time together, and Cecelia is trying to help Lily with her painting career. Lots of intrigue and surprises make this a compelling read, and the romance is a nice cherry on top. I loved it.

6/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SUMMER SWAP by Sarah Morgan. Canary Street Press; Original edition (May 7, 2024). ISBN: 978-1335474940. 336p.

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NOT IN LOVE by Ali Hazelwood

June 28, 2024

From the Publisher:

An Indie Next and a Hall of Fame LibraryReads Pick!

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science—from New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through—and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business—one that plays for keeps.

“The chemistry leaps off the page and Eli’s intelligence and thoughtfulness toward Rue will have readers swooning. Crafting a relationship that is both raunchy and emotionally nuanced, this is Hazelwood at her best.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Hazelwood fills the plot with tension and stress and employs a dual point-of-view that allows intimate access to both Rue and Eli’s roller-coasting emotions. It is less quirky-charming than some of her past work but showcases much of what her readers love.”–Library Journal

“The politics of scientific and engineering development along with the rewards and piracy of intellectual property provide a fascinating backdrop for Hazelwood’s latest smart and sexy page-turner. The queen of STEMinist rom-coms is at the top of her game.”–Booklist

I’ve read many of Hazelwood’s romances and they are all excellent, including her latest. Rue has some issues but she is a brilliant scientist working on new technology to prolong the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. Her boss is a woman she admires greatly, and her best and only friend works there as well. She doesn’t do relationships, but she is on a hook-up app, and her primary rule is one and done. Until she meets Eli.

Eli rescues her from unwanted attention in a bar, and Rue thinks that will be the end of it. Except the next day at work, she meets him again, along with the co-founders of a company that buys up startups not to sell off the parts, but to bring tech to market better and faster. Nonetheless, Rue’s boss is very upset about the possibility of a hostile takeover and starts looking for ways around it.

Meanwhile, Rue and Eli are spending time together in her lab, and she is surprised to find that he is as good in the lab as he is everywhere else. A relationship starts building, but Rue is torn between loyalty to her boss and the undeniable attraction she feels for Eli.

Things get pretty complicated as the various factions start revealing their truths, but I’m happy to say that, much to Rue’s shock, she and Eli reach their happily ever after. This was a fun read (and trust me, I am no science nerd!) but even I could understand all the implications and motivations happening here. The characters are well-defined, even the secondary ones, the sex is hot, hot, hot, and the plot moves along at breakneck speed. I loved it!

6/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

NOT IN LOVE by Ali Hazelwood. Berkley (June 11, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593641040. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: HEY, ZOEY by Sarah Crossan

June 25, 2024

From the publisher:

Dolores O’Shea’s marriage collapses when she discovers her husband’s AI sex doll in the garage. When she moves “Zoey” into the house, they become oddly bonded, opening the door to a lifetime of repressed feelings and memories. “Brilliant, provocative, and darkly funny, Sarah Crossan’s Hey, Zoey explores the impossibility of connection, and the things we hide from ourselves and the people we love.” (Sarah Dunn)

43-year-old Dolores O’Shea is logical, organized, and prepared to handle whatever comes her way. She keeps up with her job and housework, takes care of her mentally declining mother, and remains close with her old friends and her younger sister who’s moved to New York. Though her marriage with David, an anesthesiologist, isn’t what is used to be, nothing can quite prepare her for Zoey, the $8,000 AI sex doll that David has secretly purchased and stuffed away in the garage. At first, Zoey sparks an uncharacteristically strong violence in Dolores, whose entire life is suddenly cast in doubt.

But then, Dolores and Zoey start to talk…and what surfaces runs deeper than Dolores could have ever expected, with consequences for all of the relationships in her life, especially her relationship to herself. Provocative, brilliant, and tender, Hey, Zoey is an electrifying new novel about the painful truths of modern-day connection and the complicated and unexpected forms that love can take in a lifetime.
https://amzn.to/40Ioy4r

Sarah Crossan (Here Is the Beehive) delivers a darkly comic, wholly original novel steeped in artificial intelligence, in this case, a sexbot named Zoey, who communicates using AI. David and Delores have been married for several years, but this is not a marriage of passion; their relationship seems more like two friends who are living together, but things come to a head when Delores finds the sexbot in their garage. David refuses to discuss it when she confronts him, and he moves out, leaving Zoey behind. More frustrated than heartbroken, Delores drags the doll into the house and sets up the app, making Zoey her new roommate and confidante. Delores’s mother is suffering from dementia, and she misses her sister, who has moved across the pond to New York City. As we learn more about Delores and all her relationships, it is easy to understand her fascination with Zoey; Zoey is a good listener and can hold her own in a conversation. What once seemed like science fiction is now reality.

Verdict: In light of the proliferation of AI into all aspects of life, this is a timely read, sure to appeal to book groups who enjoy Gary Shteyngart, Ottessa Moshfegh, or Dave Eggers.

6/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HEY, ZOEY by Sarah Crossan. Little, Brown and Company (June 25, 2024). ISBN: 978-0316428606. 304p.

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ONE-STAR ROMANCE by Laura Hankin

June 21, 2024

From the Publisher:

A struggling writer is forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend’s wedding with the man who gave her book a very public one-star rating in this fresh romantic comedy from Laura Hankin.

Natalie and Rob couldn’t have less in common. Nat’s a messy artist, and Rob’s a rigid academic. The only thing they share is their devotion to their respective best friends—who just got engaged. Still, unexpected chemistry has Natalie cautiously optimistic about being maid of honor to Rob’s best man.

Until, minutes before the ceremony, Nat learns that Rob wrote a one-star review of her new novel, which has them both reeling: Nat from imposter syndrome, and Rob over the reason he needed to write it.

When the reception ends, these two opposites hope they’ll never meet again. But, as they slip from their twenties into their thirties, they’re forced together whenever their fast-track best friends celebrate another milestone. Through housewarmings and christenings, life-changing triumphs and failures, Natalie and Rob grapple with their own choices—and how your harshest critic can become your perfectly imperfect match.

After all, even the truest love stories sometimes need a bit of rewriting.

“Hankin performs a magic trick with this book, turning the most unlikeable (and relatable) of characters into flawed protagonists worth rooting for. Natalie and Rob are the definition of “right person, wrong time,” and because the story spans multiple years, we get the pleasure of seeing them make mistakes, grow up and grow together. It’s real, refreshing and romantic.” —The Washington Post

“Fans of not only romance but women’s fiction as well will enjoy this multilayered, realistic novel from Hankin.” —Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3KG70ii

This is the ultimate slow-burn romance, but also a testament to friendship. Natalie and Gabby have been best friends since freshman year of college through sharing a ratty NYC apartment. Rob and Angus have been best friends since middle school, when Angus befriended the new kid, Rob. Angus and Gabby are engaged, and that’s how Rob and Natalie meet. And meet again. Several times, over several years of parties, the wedding, weekend getaways, and more.

Initially, there is some attraction there, but then Natalie figures out that the one-star review on Goodreads of her first novel was turned in by, you guessed it, Rob. That starts a hate relationship between them that occasionally veers towards a less than platonic relationship, but never quite gets there. At least not for many years.

Natalie’s first novel features a main character loosely based on Angus. Natalie is jealous of her friend spending more time with him, but more than that, she just can’t understand what her beautiful, brilliant, kind friend sees in this man she thinks is mediocre at best. Gabby realizes it halfway through reading the novel, and never finishes it. Rob instantly recognizes Angus, hence the one-star review. Luckily, Angus never even reads it. It takes Natalie quite a few years to realize it was probably a mistake to use Angus like that.

Eventually, Rob gets engaged to Zuri, and Natalie is on the fence about moving in with her boyfriend. Ultimately, she decides to break up with him instead – she is self-aware enough to realize that she is not in love with him and won’t ever be – thanks to a frank chat with Rob.

Then Natalie and Gabby have a huge blow-up and stop speaking for over a year. The only good side of that is she no longer has to endure Rob. But then Angus sends an email that Gabby is sick, and Natalie drops everything to show up for her friend, as does Rob. This time, Rob and Natalie are both single, and things take a turn towards romance, even while they both are heartsick about Gabby’s illness.

There is a very happy ending for everyone, but I have to say this book touched a little too close to home for me. I was bawling for the last quarter of the book.

I, too, had a best friend for many years. We met when my husband, son and I rented half a duplex from her husband. Shortly after we moved in, they moved into the other half. We were inseparable for many years, considered ourselves to be Lucy & Ethel, and the biggest fight we had was over who was Lucy and who was Ethel.

Eventually, we each bought a home a few miles apart, but we stayed close. Our kids were friends, and we spent many holidays together. Then, one Easter dinner, she made a remark about my husband and our marriage that he took great offense to. I thought she was kidding, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that while I wanted her to be kidding, she wasn’t, and we stopped speaking for many years, other than to say hello if we ran into each other.

One day she came to see me at work and told me she had breast cancer. I was shocked, but she was very upbeat and positive that she would beat it – most women do. She was one of the healthiest women I knew, ate mostly organic, and ran miles every day. Turned out that she had a very aggressive form that had already spread to her lymph nodes. She had a full mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and many, many holistic treatments – her husband was constantly researching and taking her wherever they could find a glimmer of hope.

After several years of struggling with sickness and surgeries and horrible drugs and pain, she finally begged me and her other friends to talk her husband into stopping all these treatments. She was ready to go, but he wasn’t. It was just about impossible for him to do that, but she eventually prevailed. We lost her in 2005, this beautiful, generous, kind 46-year-old mother of three.

I finished this book right before bedtime and woke up every hour or so all night long. It’s been almost twenty years since I lost my friend, and I still have a lot of regrets that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Sorry I veered so far off in a book review, but obviously, this book touched a nerve. It is a wonderful, emotional read and I loved the premise, these characters, their friendship, and the slow burn of romance. Highly recommend!

6/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ONE-STAR ROMANCE by Laura Hankin. Berkley (June 18, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593438213. 400p.