
2025 Book of the Year update

I am so far behind in posting for November!! Marking these 3 off of my TBR list. The Other Daughter was a slow build. I almost gave up on it. The Things we Cannot Say touched my soul in so many ways. The Thursday Murder Club was just plain fun. I watched the movie after I finished the book and was completely delighted!!

The drama and secrets in this family saga did not disappoint. The romance elements gave me the ick in some ways (the amount of growling and rumbling, for instance), but I still found it entertaining. I enjoyed the voice with the bracketed thoughts, and the ending was very satisfying.

Didn‘t love this story about a Succession type family where dad dies and the family members have to jump through some hoops to inherit his money. I didn‘t feel like I knew this cast of characters any better at the end than I did at the beginning. Some secrets, but nothing earth shattering. Cardboard characters and no big surprises make this book skippable.

Wasn‘t sure about this one, but my Libby hold came in quickly somehow… and I ended up binging this audio this weekend! There were some parts that were a bit repetitive, but I ended up enjoying (hence the binging) redemptive family story and the romance… kinda twisted really.

Really shocked at how much I enjoyed this. It was a recommendation from the NYT and it‘s a light, last book of summer vibe. I love the show Succession and this reminded me alot of that, but much less dark. Alice is the family outsider so when her billionaire father dies she must face them and the drama. But! She meets a stranger and sparks fly! Totally not my typical read but it was read by Julia Whalen and I was hooked!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a sufficiently fun summer read filled with billionaire family drama. I ended up wanting more from it, though! The characters felt one-dimensional and the inheritance “games” were controlling and manipulative, but somehow lacked intrigue. Still, it‘s a fine choice to pack in your beach bag! #BOTM

This book was a satisfying summer read! A story of family drama set on a island in Rhode Island

Inheritance games? Yes, please. I liked the whole idea of the MC going back home to her estranged family to play the game her father left behind. Unfortunately, the games were kind of tamed. I think I was expecting more of the games, which disappointed me a bit. However, it was a pretty decent read.
3.5 ⭐️
#BookspinBingo #bookgroup

I think I‘m going to have to pass on this one at the moment. The setup (estranged daughter of super rich recently deceased dad returns home to the family that‘s full of drama and there‘s a romance with guy she meets while she‘s there) sounds way, way too close to The Conditions of Will that I just finished. Like eerily close.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Not a storm in sight this evening here BUT this book was full of them!!! Oh, the drama these rich people weave in this one…so Good!!!!😱👍🏼

It‘s another 1%‘er family drama on another New England ocean estate so of course I‘m here for it. I especially liked the dynamics between MC Alice with Jack and with her bff, Gabi. …But you know in singing competitions when judges tell a contestant they've proved they can sing making so many vocal gymnastics unnecessary? This suffered similar writing gymnastics reading the MC‘s thought and too often immediately countered with a taming thought.

Just as the NYT said, this is a super fun summer read. When her estranged (billionaire) father dies, Alice Storm returns to the viper pit that is her family home for the first time in 5 years—so you know this is going to be a whole lot of no fun. A handsome stranger & an unforgettable night is all she has to fortify herself ahead of a week of squabbling family, secrets, her father‘s ridiculous will & more. Don‘t overthink it, just enjoy the read.

The NYT review of this book made it sound like the perfect summer read…and so far (three chapters in) it is. Entertaining so far.

Out tomorrow, this is a first contemporary novel from MacLean who is known for her historical romances of which I‘ve enjoyed a few over the years. With this great first effort, I‘m hoping to see more of these from her.
4.5/5⭐️
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7218304483

A romance read with a little bit of mystery and intrigue. This was a 5🌟 UNPUTDOWNABLE family drama read wrapped in a family inheritance game.
Alice Storm is a MFC you‘ll root for from page one. She‘s fiercely independent and determined to survive a week back on her family‘s private island with the ghosts (and living nightmares) of her past. Oooohhh, that mom of hers was something else! I loved to hate that woman.

I have today off for working Saturday. I'm reading the new Sarah MacLean. I really love her historical romances, so curious what she does with a contemporary family drama.

I picked 5 books between July's Book of the Month and Aardvark book clubs.😍📚
#botm #aardvarkbookclub

8 Bingoes this month! Not bad considering it was a busy work month :)

So good! MacLean‘s first contemporary novel was fantastic! This sharp, sexy story follows an uber wealthy New England family through ups and downs, secrets and lies, family members that you love and hate. If you are a fan of Succession, You really need to check this one out! Releasing July 8th, I highly recommend this one, it is the perfect summer read!