The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson

A dysfunctional book club must pull together when one of their members goes missing in this bighearted new mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Nosy Neighbors.

The five members of the St. Tredock Book Club disagree on everything, from the books they read to the biscuits they eat. But when one of the group suddenly disappears and a dead body is discovered at his house, these bibliophiles must put their differences aside to solve the mystery.

Having recently moved to Cornwall, Nova Davies started the book club to impress her new colleagues at the community center, but so far it’s a disaster. To make matters worse, six thousand pounds is stolen from the community center during one of her meetings, putting both her job and the whole center at risk.

Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when a dead body is discovered at his house and Michael disappears. The police think he’s simply run away, but the other members have their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove he’s a murderer as well as a thief, while secret romance reader Arthur believes Michael’s eloped with his mistress, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark forces are at play.

While trying to find Michael and recover the money, each book club member has their own secrets to protect. With inspiration from their favorite fictional sleuths, they won’t rest until they’ve cracked the case and everyone is safe at home where they belong.

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published May 27, 2025

 by Berkley

4/5 stars

I don’t usually gravitate toward cozy mysteries—if this even fits that genre—but I have to say, this was a surprisingly fun read.

The story centers on a newly formed book club made up of five very different individuals, each with their own quirks, secrets, and backgrounds. What unites them is their shared love of reading—though not everyone is thrilled with every book pick, the meetings are more about connection than the literature itself. (The blurb gives a good rundown of who's who.)

Things take a dramatic turn when a large sum of money goes missing, and Nova finds herself accused. That accusation sets off a chain of events involving a dead body, long-buried secrets, and a determined effort by the group to clear Nova’s name—and save her job in the process.

The Busybody Book Club is ultimately a heartwarming story about unexpected friendship, healing old wounds, and solving a pretty compelling mystery along the way. The characters are delightfully quirky, easy to root for, and the plot had enough twists to keep me engaged throughout. It was a genuinely enjoyable ride.

 My thanks to the Berkley for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other. Who do you believe? 

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“My dad’s dead. My sister Sofia killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”

“My dad’s dead. My sister Alexandra killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”

One of them is a liar and a killer.

But which one?

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

First published September 3, 2020

Rereleased June 3, 2025

 by Atria Books

3.5/5 stars

Here is another chapter in the Eddie Flynn series, I have read book 8 and 1 - in that order and now the 5th book.  I think they work fine as a stand alone, though I am curious about some of the players.  I hope to read the rest of the series in order.

Fifty Fifty is a fast paced story about two sisters each charged with the murder of their father, both say the other one did it. The story alternates point of view between each of the sisters and Eddie along with another one. It was an intriguing read that kept my attention. There was action along with familiar faces from his other books and yes, I did have to suspend my belief a couple times.

If you like an addicting read with courtroom drama, twist and turns along with unreliable characters, mystery and suspense then I highly recommend Steve Cavanaugh.

Thanks to Atria Books for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Spotlight: The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne

THE LOST BOOK OF FIRST LOVES

By RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: June 3, 2025

Canary Street Press

  From New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new story about two women, a family secret and a lost manuscript that changes everything… 

Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Alison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister she never knew about, it’s clear there are things her father didn't tell her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next… 

Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently red—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives, her life will never be the same. 

Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they'll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters. 

“Readers can always depend on Thayne to provide a compelling story with lots of heart, featuring endearing characters and serious life issues.” —Booklist

 “RaeAnne Thayne will capture your heart with her beautiful, touching stories.” —Robyn Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Virgin River series 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 #1 Publishers Weekly, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including seven RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews magazine. RaeAnne loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at raeannethayne.com

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and each other—after their world is turned upside down.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

Beach House Rules is a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication May 27, 2025 

by Gallery Books

3.5/5 stars

There is a lot going on in Kristy Woodson Harvey’s new book, Beach House Rules.   

Beginning after Charlotte‘s husband is arrested for security fraud, she is at her wits end as she has to deal with no access to her bank account and even her home. Through a chance encounter, she becomes part of a community called mommune. A home for single moms struggling to get back on their feet.

Told from a couple points of view, one being Charlotte herself, but also her daughter and the owner of this mommune. What follows is a story of rumors, some mystery, family dynamics, trust and coming to terms with the past. It was an interesting premise with a few twists that caught me by surprise.

Beach House Rules is a perfect beach read, it is a story of friendship but maybe a little on the lighthearted side.

My thanks to the publisher for a print arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson

What does all the magic in the world matter if it can't save the ones you love?

It's 1944 Sutton, NY, and Poppy's family owns and runs, Rhyme and Reason, a magical bookshop that caters to people from all different places and time periods. Though her family's world is ravaged by World War II, their customers hail from their past and their future, infusing the shop with a delightful mix of ideas and experiences. The shop runs on a set of rules handed down from one generation of bookseller to the next, with their cardinal rule their most strict: shopkeepers must never use the magic for themselves.

But then Poppy's brother's best friend is killed in the war and her brother wants to use the magic to save him. Young Poppy is caught between her love for her brother and loyalty to her family, all the while knowing that her brother's actions could have devastating consequences that reach far beyond the bookshop, feeding an insidious, growing darkness.

Hardcover,  30 pages

Published October 26, 2021

 by Viking Books for Young Readers

4/5 stars

This was another one of those middle grade books that did some serious damage to my TBR, a book about books, that only stands to reason.

Taking place in 1944 in  Sutton, New York, the setting for Poppy‘s family and the bookstore that they run. But the bookstore is different than your average bookstore, it is magical in that you see people from different places and different time. Which all seems normal for Poppy.

Told from Poppy‘s point of view it also uses the shop Rhyme & Reason as a character, a character with feeling and emotions that it isn’t shy to express them.

When Poppy‘s brother tries to rearrange history, after the death of his best friend, things really go haywire in the magical world and young Poppy is left in charge to try to right the wrongs her brother does.

This was a fun read, it was unique in it’s story and it had authentic characters, characters with a wide range of emotions. There were times that I felt maybe the story might’ve been a bit too twisty for the target audience, the dark vs light and rules I had to pay attention to.

I did love all the references to other middle grade books from different eras. Yes I googled and yes my tbr has expanded, thank you very much Mindy Thompson.

All in all a fun story that I think would be geared more towards the girls than the guys. Also while I love the cover this book had more serious undertones than the whimsical feeling from the cover.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge and is book #26.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family

Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is... complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach about love, and what it actually means to be family.

Hardcover, 450 pages

Published February 11, 2025

 by Pamela Dorman Books

4/5 stars

Jojo Moyes latest book released this past February. It is the story of a newly divorced woman with two daughters and still grieving the recent loss of her mother. Her stepfather has moved in with her to help her cope, and her career is slowly spiraling down the drain . There’s a lot going on in this book, but weaves together nicely.

We All Live Here is a well written story of a woman who seems lost as her life is not turning out the way she expected. They were funny moments, there were cringe worthy moments as Lila struggles to be a mother to teenagers, write her latest book and then to top everything off her estranged father shows up on her doorstep. Coming in at 450 pages it seemed a little longer than necessary, but it was still an interesting read that felt authentic, I felt exhausted myself reading some of the things she was going through. There are a couple different points of view here besides Lila, one being her daughter who is being bullied at school. So yea there is some relevant subject matter going on.

All in all an entertaining read with likeable characters in real life situations.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge and is book #14. Yeah I read it back in February when it was released.

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison

A hilarious and heartfelt novel about how loves and lives are never truly lost, for fans of Rebecca Serle and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

With a leading role on a hit TV show and a relationship with Hollywood's latest heartthrob, Meg Bryan appears to have everything she ever wanted. But underneath the layers of makeup and hairspray, her happiness is as fake as her stage name, Lana Lord. Following a small breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she books an impromptu trip where she knows the grass is greener: Ireland. Specifically, the quaint little village where she and her best friend Aimee always dreamt of moving—a dream that fell apart when an accident claimed Aimee’s life a decade ago.

When Meg arrives, the people in town are so nice, treating her not as a stranger, but a friend. Except for the (extremely hot) bartender giving her the cold shoulder. Meg writes it all off as jetlag until she looks in the mirror. Her hair is no longer bleached within an inch of its life, her skin has a few natural fine lines, and her nose looks like… well, her old nose. Her real nose.

Her phone reveals hundreds of pictures of her life in this little town: with an adorable dog she doesn’t know; with the bartender who might be her (ex?) boyfriend; and at a retail job unrelated to acting. Eventually, she comes to accept that she somehow made a quantum slide into an alternate version of her life. But the most shocking realization of all? In this life, her best friend Aimee is alive and well…but wants nothing to do with Meg.

Despite her bewilderment, Meg is clear-eyed about one thing: this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reconnect with her friend and repair what she broke. She finagles an opportunity to act in the play Aimee is writing and directing and as the project unfolds, Meg realizes that events as she remembers them may not be the only truth, and that an impossible choice looms before her.

Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Audiobook, 10 hours, 22 minutes

Expected publication June 3, 2025 

by St. Martin's Press/Macmillian Audio

4.5/5 stars

From the time I requested this on Netgalley until I read it I totally forgot what this book was about. So I headed in blind, which is so much fun.

The book starts on Meg Bryan’s 30th birthday, she is a Hollywood star and out of sorts. On impulse she books a trip to Ireland and left immediately. The story begins when she steps off the plane and begins exploring her way through this acquaint little town.  But something just feels off. Turns out she stepped into a alternate timeline where things that happened in the past 12 years didn’t actually happen.

I really enjoyed this book, it was witty, had some great characters and the storyline worked. The changes in her life begin to mess with her mind, because maybe she just likes this  new life better.

The Other Side of Now is a story of family, friendship, grief, and forgiveness.  It's about second chances and following your heart. I love the Ireland setting, yeah it’s on my bucket list.

The blurb advertises that this is great for fans of a couple well-known authors, but I think Ashley Poston would be a better comparison.

This was a hybrid read for me, the audio and the digital e-book, I highly recommend both formats.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio and Saint Martin’s press for advanced copies of both the digital and audiobook.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.

Kindle Edition, 448 pages

Published May 6, 2025

 by Atria Books

4/5 stars

Fredrik Backman’s new book released last week, it's a tad different in writing style, but the story has his signature wit, one-liners and heartbreak.

There are alternating perspectives, even changes within a page or scene and Backman makes it work. The common denominator throughout is a painting, as the story alternates between present day and 25 years previous. It revolves around this painting and 4 teenagers, their unique friendship and their life.

A unique story by an auto-read author, it was full of memorable quotes that had me pausing to reflect on them. It took me back to my teen years and those carefree summers by the water.  It was filled with memories that explored many themes and the repercussions years later.   With authentic characters, a slow burn weaving of the past to the present, Fredrik Backman has again pulled at heartstrings.

Released just last week, I recommend both the print and audiobook.

My thanks to Atria Books for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Bookstore Family by Alice Hoffman

New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman takes her sweet bookshop series to Paris with an emotional short story about chasing your dreams—and finding your passion where you least expect it.

Growing up, Violet was so busy helping others realize their dreams, she found little time to pursue her own. But five years ago, she took the chance of a lifetime, leaving the family bookshop on Brinkley’s Island, Maine, to attend culinary school in Paris. Now she’s working her dream job as a pâtissiere in an upscale Parisian restaurant—yet all she can think about is home.

Feeling unmoored, Violet finds herself still searching for something…Connection? Maybe. She hasn’t made any real friends in the city. Inspiration? Possibly. Her desserts are lovely, but they’re definitely lacking something.

After her aunt Isabel urges her to keep on looking, Violet finally gets a taste of what she’s been missing in the café at the Museum of Romantic Life. But just as life begins to come into focus, she’s abruptly called home to Maine. Like her aunt before her, Violet soon learns that family could hold the key to discovering what she truly needs.

Kindle Edition, 43 pages

Published May 13, 2025

 by Amazon Original Stories

4/5 stars

This is the 4th book in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories. I’ve read the previous 3 and have quite enjoyed myself. They come in around 43 pages so a quick read and again I was left feeling that this would make a great full length story. But alas, this installment was still an enjoyable read.

It was great to get caught up with his family again. This installment takes place mostly in Paris as Violet is working for a Patissiere. She seems at odds within herself and feels a little lost. Then she meets someone.

Haven’t gotten to know the two sisters that run the family bookstore this point of view from Violet, the daughter/niece brought the story full circle. It was sad and happy at the same time. A powerful message in a short story

My thanks to Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

Paperback, 416 pages

Audiobook, 9 hours, 59 minutes

Published April 1, 2025

 by Piatkus/Forever

5/5 stars

This is Abby Jimenez's new book and I went into it totally blind. I had no idea what it was about, but it’s Abby Jimenez, so I knew that I would love it.

Told from the point of view of Xavier, a veterinarian who just happens to be gorgeous and that of Samantha, a spunky woman who brings her kitty in for a pet visit. What follows is the perfect date and then life gets in the way with Sam moving across the country.

I listened to most of this in audio format on a recent road trip.  The reader did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life, but ultimately it was the author that wove an intricate story about Xavier and Samantha's relationship and the struggles they faced. As someone who has dealt with dementia in an elderly parent, this book was spot on in all the struggles that come with that diagnosis. For Samantha, I could feel what this family was going through.

Say You’ll Remember Me is a story of caregivers, family, loss, past hurts and long distance romance. Along with all those serious subject matter, Abby was able to write a story that played on a pile of emotions, I laughed out loud, my heart broke for this family, I felt anger of past betrayals and I enjoyed the furry friends that rounded this cast out nicely.

The ending was nice and considering this is book one in a series I can’t wait to see what happens next.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge (#27) with the audio through the library via CloudLibrary