US pub date: 4/30/24 Genre: contemporary fiction, own voices Quick summary: At the turn of the millennium, intern and daughters of immigrants Lily fallsUS pub date: 4/30/24 Genre: contemporary fiction, own voices Quick summary: At the turn of the millennium, intern and daughters of immigrants Lily falls in love with suave, rich Matthew, heir to a pharmaceutical company. But twenty years later, her son Nick has no idea who his father is - and all the secrets to be revealed when he starts looking.
GOODBYE, VITAMIN is one of my favorite under-the radar reads, and Khong has created another strong story here. Love across classes is a timeless topic for a reason, and I savored Lily and Matthew's story. Would love be enough? If not, how would it all end? I also enjoyed the perspective shifts after the initial story, covering Nick and May, Lily's mother. I'm used to multi-generational stories being mostly historical fiction, so it was cool to see those elements translated to a more recent story. There's a scientific subplot as well that I won't spoil here, but it made for some interesting connections in the end of the novel!
If you like family sagas, give this one a try!
Thank you to Knopf for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
US pub date: 2/13/24 Genre: historical fiction Quick summary: 1906 San Francisco is a glittering city, and soprano Gemma and embroidery master Suling arUS pub date: 2/13/24 Genre: historical fiction Quick summary: 1906 San Francisco is a glittering city, and soprano Gemma and embroidery master Suling are hoping to make their fortune. But as the narrative counts down to an earthquake and massive fire, these women will find themselves in danger due to magnate Henry Thornton, whose support comes with a high price.
I love the trend of co-written novels, and this is a great match of authors! I loved the strong female protagonists Gemma and Suling - they had very different histories but were united by their goal to rise above their circumstances to achieve success. Quinn and Chang did a great job capturing the energy and potential of San Francisco, while showing the ugly truth of the virulent racism present at that time. Villain Henry was a character I loved to hate. This is a slower, character- and place-driven historical fiction, and I really enjoyed the chance to be immersed in this period of history I didn't know much about.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
US pub date: 1/24/23 Genre: contemporary fiction, family drama Quick summary: When Grace's husband leaves her, she has no excuse for skipping her Elvis-US pub date: 1/24/23 Genre: contemporary fiction, family drama Quick summary: When Grace's husband leaves her, she has no excuse for skipping her Elvis-obsessed mother's 70th birthday road trip to Graceland. As they start to rebuild their relationship, will they be able to put their past behind them?
Somehow I ended up reading two road trip stories at the same time, and they reminded me how much I love this subgenre. Road trips are a perfect setting for fun, conflict, and self-discovery, and this book had all of these in spades. I loved getting to know Grace's momma Loralynn - her love for Elvis was infectious. But behind the wigs and sequins, she had a lot to work through with Grace, and I enjoyed seeing them take the time to communicate honestly. Grace also really needed the trip - and her interactions with love interest Wyatt and BFF Asha helped move her character journey along.
If you enjoy stories about family, this is a great one to pick up. Kristen Mei Chase did a great job balancing lighter and heavier material, and I also really appreciated the Asian American representation. I enjoyed both audio and text, with a slight bias towards the audio since it made me feel like I was on the road trip with them!
Thank you to Forever Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I paired this with a library audiobook....more
Pub date: 10/31/23 Genre: contemporary fiction Quick summary: Singapore is a playground for the wealthy, including Black expats Dara, Amaka, and LillianPub date: 10/31/23 Genre: contemporary fiction Quick summary: Singapore is a playground for the wealthy, including Black expats Dara, Amaka, and Lillian. But the arrival of the mysterious Lani will turn all their lives upside down.
I love books about friends (especially friends with secrets), so this description sounded right up my alley. Out of the storylines, I most enjoyed Dara's. As a lawyer working for a promotion, she found herself in direct conflict with Lani, and wow did both of them fight dirty! Amaka and Lilian's obsessions with Lani also put them in dramatic situations. This was a fun read, but I was hoping for a few more fireworks at the end - it seemed like the issues were resolved a bit too neatly. But I enjoyed this look at a society different from my own, and I'd try another book by Fadipe. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Pub date: 10/10/23 Genre: mystery, ownvoices, family drama Quick summary: Jasmine arrives in NYC from China hoping to find the daughter who was taken frPub date: 10/10/23 Genre: mystery, ownvoices, family drama Quick summary: Jasmine arrives in NYC from China hoping to find the daughter who was taken from her. She becomes a nanny for the wealthy Rebecca - and that decision will change both of their lives.
Jean Kwok is a favorite author of mine - I love how she explores the immigrant experience. This book was easy to fall into from the beginning, and I enjoyed getting to know Jasmine and Rebecca. I've struggled with some slow-paced reads lately, but this one felt exciting and taut at only 288 pages. There are plenty of twists - some you may see coming, some you likely won't. If you enjoy contemporary fiction exploring family and motherhood, check this one out!
Thank you to William Morrow for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Pub date: 1/9/24 Genre: romance, ownvoices Quick summary: Artist Rooney believes in the concept of soulmates connected by the red string of fate. When sPub date: 1/9/24 Genre: romance, ownvoices Quick summary: Artist Rooney believes in the concept of soulmates connected by the red string of fate. When she meets Jack, they'll test the theory that the string may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
I loved Lauren Kung Jessen's previous book, LUNAR LOVE, and the concept of the red string is a great basis for a novel. As an art history fan, I enjoyed Rooney's large-scale art installations and her struggle with artistic inspiration, as well as living in the shadow of her famous artist mother. Scientist Jack provided a nice counterpoint to Rooney, setting up discussions of fate vs. choice. This one was a little too much of a slow burn for me to love it as much as LUNAR LOVE, but clean romance fans will likely enjoy this one!
Thank you to Forever Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Pub date: 9/26/23 Genre: historical fantasy, YA Series: Foul Lady Fortune, book 2 Do I need to read book 1 first? YES. You will be lost if you don't. HonPub date: 9/26/23 Genre: historical fantasy, YA Series: Foul Lady Fortune, book 2 Do I need to read book 1 first? YES. You will be lost if you don't. Honestly you should probably also read THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, but I read out of order, so I won't judge. Quick summary: It's 1932 in Shanghai, and Rosalind and Orion are in trouble. (This is about as much as I can write without spoilers).
Wow, there was SO MUCH going on in this book. I liked how it built on Rosalind's immortality from book 1 and introduced more dangerous potions to give the Nationalists and the Communists something to team up against. Book 1 was more Rosalind and Orion-focused, so I enjoyed seeing more from Phoebe, Alisa, Silas, and Oliver in book 2 to build out this world. I loved the twists that called back to THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, and the ending was fitting but surprising.
If you're a newbie fantasy reader like me, this is a fun series to try because it's grounded in reality, but the world is just a bit more magical. The books are a little on the longer side, but there's always a good payoff at the end.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Pub date: 7/11/23 Genre: romcom (second chance, spicy) Quick summary: Miriam is down on her luck until a $220 million lottery win changes her life overnPub date: 7/11/23 Genre: romcom (second chance, spicy) Quick summary: Miriam is down on her luck until a $220 million lottery win changes her life overnight. The trouble is - she's still married, so ex Leo is entitled to half. But he doesn't want the money - he just wants her back.
This book takes place in the same setting of Greenbelt, GA as Slaughter's first book BET ON IT, and I love this small town! Everyone knows everyone's business, and when Leo shows up to win Miri back, everyone has an opinion. I really liked Miri's support network of family and friends, including Aja from BET ON IT. Leo was a tougher sell for me - it was hard to understand why he wanted Miri back in the first place.
Normally I love second chance romance, but this book had the same issue as Emily Henry's HAPPY PLACE for me - I didn't feel like I cared enough about the central couple to really root for them. I also wanted more humor - that was what really made BET ON IT a fave for me.
However, if you love steamy small-town romance, you might like this one more than I did as there's plenty of spice!
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for my e-ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review....more
Pub date: 5/23/23 Genre: cozy mystery, book 2 in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries Quick summary: School principal Emily Smith is retiring and desperate tPub date: 5/23/23 Genre: cozy mystery, book 2 in the Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries Quick summary: School principal Emily Smith is retiring and desperate to have her goodbye dinner at Spice Isle. Then she ends up dead, and Lyndsay's mother, her former employee, is the number one suspect. Do I need to read book 1 first: This one can be a standalone, but you'll get more background on the family and their neighborhood if you start with book 1!
I’m a fan of this Grenadian family-owned bakery! MC Lyndsay is an excellent amateur sleuth, with her super-wise grandmother, supportive parents, and lawyer brother always there to back her up. There’s a glimmer of romance coming with a certain detective…if only he would stop accusing her and her family of murder. As I said with book 1, don’t read this one hungry. I think fans of other food-themed cozies will enjoy this one!
Thank you to St. Martin's Paperbacks for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Pub date: 5/30/23 Genre: romcom Quick summary: After being fired from her job, trans woman Luna finds herself fake dating French heir and trans man JeanPub date: 5/30/23 Genre: romcom Quick summary: After being fired from her job, trans woman Luna finds herself fake dating French heir and trans man Jean-Pierre. Just one problem - for him to inherit, they both need to become experts in cooking French cuisine - and neither knows how to properly crack an egg.
I absolutely loved the transgender representation in this story. Luna and Jean-Pierre have two very different philosophies of being trans, and TJ Alexander did a wonderful job showing their uniqueness. Seeing them fake date and learn to cook JP’s family French menu was so much fun, and their banter was perfect. You don’t need to have read Chef’s Kiss beforehand - but you totally should!
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Mary | maryreadstoomuch
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