You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Can I just say that I have been a terrible blogger over the last few months? 

COVID-19 is doing a doozy on my passion for reading.  And by that I mean that it has taken any enjoyment out of reading all together. 

Blah. 

Cover provided by Netgalley

This book was sent over for review back LAST JULY (Yess... That's July 2020!!) and I'm sorry to the lovely people who gave me the opportunity!  As always with ARCs, they are sent over for an honest review.

Here. We. Go!

You Have a Match is Emma Lord's second book.  Her first book was Tweet Cute - which was a title that I reviewed in January of last year.  If you're interested in reading that you can click here. 

You Have a Match is a fun contemporary YA novel to read.  The story follows Abby Day, a 16 year old who is not only about to go away to sleep away camp that will prepare her for the SATs but she's going to spend the summer getting to know her older biological sister! 

The beginning of the book starts with an at home ancestry/DNA test.   Abby, Connie and Leo all each take a test with Leo, who is hoping to discover some of his biological relatives.  Unfortunately, Leo doesn't find any matches but Abby does... little does Abby know, her match is going to change her life. 

When a teenage named Savannah reaches out to Abby, Abby is shocked to learn that she has a full-blooded sister she doesn't know about! 

Now. 

I really liked this book in the beginning, and I was going to prematurely declare it a victory but as it went on, there were a few things I found myself not liking.  I liked the idea of the book, I thought that the concept of finding a full sibling with a DNA test was fun and I liked how they were going to camp together to know each other.  But all of that got lost! 

The focus of the book would be on Savvy and Abby but as it went on, it seemed like there was a lot of other background noise.  There was mention of Abby and Leo's relationship on the side, then there was mention of Savvy's relationship with Jo and Mickey. About halfway through the book, there was mention of matching Magpie keychains but then as quickly as that was mentioned, it was gone.  Then there was a guy named Finn, who was a little short lived.

Then about halfway through (give or take), Abby is out early morning and runs into Savvy's parents and then goes running back to the camo after they ask her if she's a junior counselor, all the while Savvy is running and they almost collide and they are trying to each other that the other's parents are here. 

It was a very Parent Trap moment. 

In my opinion, it took too long to get to the point. 

I want to thank St. Martin Press & Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review You Have a Match as an arc! 

- Jillian

We're Back....

Hi For the Love of Dewey Readers!

2020 has been something else, that's for sure.  You would think that we would have been posting more frequently, but NOPE. Even though we were home for 5 months from work we didn't post.  Instead, I spent my free time starting a new exercise program, ending past relationships, praying, and staring at Instagram and Youtube.... a lot.  If living in a global pandemic wasn't enough, today we began hurricane season! 

But it's all okay.  And I'm going to try to post more regularly here and on Instagram.  It's my vow to you.  

Over the past few months I've been reading a lot! One book that I recently finished and adored was Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton.  It was so good! SO, SO GOOD.

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but I absolutely devoured this novel , which is told during both present day and during the Cuban Revolution.  Part of why I think I was so drawn to it is because when I was younger I adored Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, which would often play during the summer on the ABC Family Channel.  

This novel opened my eyes to a new point in history and also entertained me with a love story.  It was perfect.

I give you a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  

Promise to see you soon!

~Jessica 

 

Social Distancing Check-In

Hello For the Love of Dewey Readers!

Today we are 1 week into social-distancing in NJ and it looks like it's not going to be getting better anytime soon.  So today we'd like to check in with everyone.  How are you doing?  What are you doing?  And how are you finding joy during this time.

So far I read 6 book! I was averaging one book a day, but then I had to let up on the reading because I sprained my left eye.  Heed this warning... Binge reading is a total sport and can be dangerous. 

I thought that I would be taking the time to write more blog posts, but instead I find myself being more active on our Instagram @ForTheLoveOfDewey.  

Here are the books that I finished so far and my For the Love of Dewey Coffee Bean Rating of each one:
Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Seritella - 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans 

The self isolation to-read / read pile.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover - 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans 
My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald -  5 out of 5 Coffee Beans 
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone - 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans 
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult - 3.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans (It was good! But the print was small and it was long... I think this book hot my eye.)
All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols - 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans (I read an ARC of this and it was hard to make out some of the words.) 

Currently Reading: 
Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley.  

Close Enough to Touch is about a librarian who is allergic to touch.  If someone touches her she'll die.  This seems like a fitting read given our current situation, and it takes place in NJ! 

What are you all reading?

~Jessica 

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Hello Dewey Readers!

Today I started (and finished) Colleen Hoover's novel Ugly Love.  This novel, like all of Hoover's novels, was a super quick read for me.  I became easily immersed in the characters lives and needed to know their stories... but it wasn't my favorite Hoover read. 

So a bit about the novel.  Tate is moving into her brother's apartment.  She meets a man in the elevator who looks at her and tries to flirt with her, but he's clearly hiding his wedding ring.  (Don't worry he isn't the love interest!) When Tate gets to her brother's apartment, a man is passed out drunk in front of the door.  Her brother isn't home, but when Tate calls him she tells him to let him inside.  The drunk man, named Miles, lives across the the hall, and he's filled with insurmountable grief.  We don't know why, or what happened, but we know words cannot describe his pain.  This man becomes Tate's love interest.  

The story is told in the present tense by Tate and the past tense by Miles.  I must say that I liked Miles' parts more than Tate's, and without giving too much away, wished that it was Miles' story that had a happily ever after.  Nonetheless I enjoyed it.  

I gave this book 5 stars of Goodreads, but here I'm going to give it 4.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  This is book 2 in my current #socialdistancing to read pile.  Comment below with how many books you have read / want to read!

~Jessica 

The Telling by Beverly Lewis -- Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I used to read Amish fiction back in college.  Probably not what you were expecting me to write, but there's something intriguing and comforting in books set in a simple life with problems that tidily resolve. Lately I've been missing those books (especially with everything that's been going on in the world).  

I had a copy of Beverly Lewis' The Telling in my to-read pile for a really long time. Like a ridiculously long time. So I thought, what better time to read it than right now?  Let me just warn you, this is the third book in a series and I have not read the previous two. 

This novel opens with the story of an Amish woman who has left her home and family to travel to Ohio in the hopes of tracking down a child whom she gave up for adoption many years ago.  Her daughter does not know why her mother left their home so abruptly, and with the help of a non-Amish girl goes after her mother in the hopes of bringing her home. 

This book was just what I needed right now, and I think that I want to start reading more Christian fiction.  I found comfort in the story line, and comfort in the faith the characters expressed towards God.  It was something that I have been looking for but missing. I would give this novel a For the Love of Dewey rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Do you read or have you read Christian or other religious / faith based fiction? Tell us in the comments!

Happy Reading!
~Jessica

 
     

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio - Resehlved Books

Hello Dewey Readers! 

My next book club pick is Sarah Jio's latest novel All the Flowers in Paris, which I just finished last night.  All I can say is wow.  

The novel follows two parallel story lines set in Paris, one in the present day and one during WWII.

Present Day: Caroline is riding a bike when a truck is coming towards her with no intention of stopping.  She has to make a quick decision to either run into the truck or run

into a mother and young child.  She chooses the truck and wakes up in a hospital with her memory as to who she is completely erased.  As she begins to search for who she is, in the back of her apartment she find letters written by a woman dating back to WWII. 

The Past: Celine's husband passed away before she was able to tell him that she was expecting their first child. He was hit by a truck while riding his bike home to her.  As the Nazis begin to occupy Paris, her family is singled out. The yellow star of David is painted on her father's florist shop, and the man she has now fallen in love with has gone away as a resitance officer.  One day he sends a note with a hidden message warning of danger.  Things then begin to unravel as evil creeps in and disrupts their once quiet lives.    

While I've read books that flip between the present day and the past, I haven't read a book where they story lines were so close and parallel, yet distinctly their own.  I think a lot of historical fiction novels seem total place during WWII, and because of this they came become overdone.  However, Jio's take is fresh and exciting, which leads me to give it a For the Love of Dewey rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!

~Jessica 

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - Reshevled Books

Can we take a moment to talk about how perfect The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman is? This book was MADE for bibliophiles everywhere.  

The Bookish Life of of Nina Hill follows the life of, you guessed it, Nina Hill.  Nina is a self

proclaimed bookworm who works inside a book shop.  She is an introvert, and as long as she has her planner, book clubs, and time alone with her reading material she avoids panic attacks and has a happy and comfortable life. That is until Nina discovers that the father she never knew has passed away, leaving her with siblings, uncertainty, and change.  More than just a celebration of the bookish lifestyle it's a novel about family, accepting change, and finding comfort in being yourself.  

For those who love books, making lists, and getting things done, you WILL ADORE this book.  For those who don't, I bet you'll find something inside Nina's quirky character that you'll adore as well.  I give this book a For the Love of Dewey rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.   

Until the next read!
~Jessica 

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher - Reshelved Books

What if your husband was “married” to three other women?  What if you didn’t know their names or what they looked liked?  What if you gave him permission? Such is the premise of The Wives by Tarryn Fisher, a psychological thriller rooted in polygamy. 

Synopsis: After Thursday met Seth, she found out that he was married to another woman.  Unable to bear his child, Seth’s wife gave him permission to find someone who could fulfill his desire to become a father.  Also unable to carry a child to term, Thursday gives Seth permission to obtain a third wife. The wives rotate between alternate days of the week, made easier because Seth is often out of town for work. But then one night Thursday finds a piece of paper in Seth’s pocket with the third wife’s name. She tracks her down and develops a friendship out of pure curiosity to see who the woman she shares her husband with is.  Noticing bruises on the third wife’s wrists, Thursday begins to question the type of man she married and ultimately everything that she knew about her own life.

My Thoughts: This thriller is encapsulating and impossible to put down.  Half way through the novel everything twists and turns making me unsure of what I believed to be the truth, just as Thursday did. The ending… well, I still can’t believe it.  It was a great start to a year of 2020 reading and worth a rating of 4 out of 5 coffee beans.

What is your first read of 2020?

~Jessica

We are the Perfect Girl by Ariel Kaplan- Reshelved Books

Are you all ready for a YA review? 

I hope so!

Has anyone ever been in that position where you like this person (as does your best friend) and you feel that your best friend (or even a friend) would be a better fit for that person you like.  So, you do everything in your power to help get them with that person, all the while, you're getting closer to that person and it's starting to get harder to suppress the feelings that you have.  These feeling, of course, are getting more and more intense; which is only adding insult to injury. 

We are the Perfect Girl is about 17 year old Aphra Brown and her friend Bethany Newman and how when they join forces, they essentially create "the perfect girl".  

 Aphra and Bethany are TOTAL OPPOSITES; Aphra is loud and outspoken, witty and full of sass.  Bethany is quiet and timid, hesitant and beautiful.  This is how Aphra sees everything. 

At the beginning of the book, I didn't believe that Bethany was someone who was rather quiet and kept to herself.  

Bethany likes this guy named Greg.  Greg is like the total high school junior package.  He's very good looking, he's on the swim team, he's super smart and super linguistic.  Bethany is very taken with Greg but the problem is that she's shy! She can't bring herself to talk to anyone.  To help Bethany, Aphra tries coaching Bethany with what to say to Greg. 

While Aphra is trying to help Bethany get the guy; Aphra is working on her app for her computer class, which is slowly becoming a flop.  The coding for her app, isn't yielding the results that she was hoping for.  In an effort to save her project (which was 35% of her grade), Aphra starts to answer the anonymous advice seeker.  Before she knows it, Aphra is getting attached to this anonymous chatter and she quickly puts the pieces together and discovers that she's been chatting with Greg.

For as much as I wanted to get annoyed with Aphra's character, I knew that I couldn't.  At the end of the day, she's very relatable.  She's a junior in high school, she's the middle child, she's on crew, she likes the same guy her best friend does.  Not only that but she doesn't think she's pretty.  Her nose is the elephant in the room for her.  She feels that it's nose better fit for a man. 

As crazy as it sounds, Aphra's nose is a topic that comes up quite frequently in the book.  Aphra's addresses that her and her sister looked identical to each other before she had her surgery.  She also went on to change her hair and that really made sure they didn't look alike any longer.  (I can see how that would hurt someone.)  It's an issue that Aphra had such a strong reaction to, that she ends up having to see a therapist. 

Adding to her dimension, she's also a funny character.  I found myself laughing out loud a lot.  The beginning scene in the book was hilarious.  A floating "chicken cutlet" in the pool, is pretty funny.  

But I'm telling you, how the beginning of the book is laid out, makes you feel like Bethany is the outspoken one and that Aphra is the introvert.  

All of this being said... I give this book 4 coffee beans out of 5. 

- Jillian

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella - Reshelved Books

Hi Dewey Readers!

Are you looking for a funny and quick paced read? If so, look no further than I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. 

Poppy is engaged, and the ring her fiance proposed with is an exquisite family heirloom, an emerald ring worth a fortune.  Poppy can't really believe it.  Not only does she get to wear a beautiful ring but she's also marrying the man of her dreams.  But then a terrible, terrible thing happens.  Poppy loses the ring, and shortly after her cell phone is stolen. Now she won't be able to get any phone calls should someone magically find her ring.  

The now ringless Poppy is supposed to meet her fiance's parents within a couple of hours, she can't let them see her hands, and she has no phone- until she finds one in a garbage can that belongs to a personal assistant of a business man who quit her job and tossed the phone away.  Poppy did what anyone else would do- she picked up the phone, gave the new number out as her own, and proceeds to carry on with her life intervening as a PA, while hiding her ring-less hand. Oh and as if that weren't enough, Poppy also just learned that her fiancé's parents were not happy to find out they were engaged.

Complete with witty footnotes and outrageous humor, Kinsella's novel is the perfect chick-lit read worth 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans!

Until the next read!
~Jessica

The Rumor by Lesly Kara

Hi Dewey Readers!

What would you do if a suspected murderer lived on your street? In Lesly Kara's novel, The Rumor, a mother named Joanna is forced to face that question head on.  Joanna moved back to her quiet seaside hometown after her son was being bullied at his old school in the city.  The move is little bit farther from her son's father but it isn't all bad, Joanna now has the help of her own mother.  


But then a small rumor sparks.  Someone who was convicted of stabbing a boy, when they were a child them self, may be living in their tiny neighborhood under a different name.  But who is it?  As the rumor spreads, partially at the fault of Joanna, everyone becomes a suspect, the innocent become the scapegoats, and no one is really safe... even within their own families.  

I read this book in ONE DAY.  I could not put it down!  It is an excellent fall thriller to sit on the porch with at night.  I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans. 

Until the next read!
~Jessica   

Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I am super excited to review an ARC of Gina LaManna's latest novel Pretty Guilty Women.  What would happen if a group of women all confessed to the same murder?  Only one person can be at fault, but who is it?

Three women who were friends in college reunite years later at a wedding after having a falling out.  They all now have lives and struggles of their own and are grouped at the wedding despite not really wanting to be there.  (Well, I guess the bride wants to be there.) But then someone ends up dead.

This novel is told part in expository by way of police interviews and part by the rotating perspective of the women.  It is light, yet deep, and is such a quick read!  It's the perfect beach read, but since it's to be published September is probably a better fit for fall porch reading.  One of my favorite things to do is sit on the porch in the fall with a good book and lavender candle!

I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  Add it to your to-read list ASAP!

Until the next read!
~Jessica 

P.S.  Can we take a moment to acknowledged the punctuation on the cover.  "Pretty Guilty Women" (the women ARE pretty guilty) vs. if there happened to be a comma between "Pretty, Guilty Women" (I'm sure the women ARE pretty too).

The Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I recently finished Elin Hildebrand's latest novel, The Summer of '69.  This novel takes place during, you guessed it, the summer of 1969.  This is a historical fiction turn for Hilderbrand because the novel takes that summer of 50 years ago - the summer of the first landing of a person on the moon and of the Vietnam War, and interweaves a story of a family dealing with war, infidelity, racism, and life. 

I am never disappointed with Hildebrand's novels.  The way she writes just pulls me in and has me devouring her words.  This book was no exception.  I could not put this book down! I think part of this is because I love the way Hilderbrand writes, but also because the topic is different.  I don't think I ever read a book set in this time period (except maybe for brief parts of Kristin Hannah's Firefly Lane.)  

Pick up this book and pack it in your beach bag! You won't be disappointed.  I give you a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!

~Jessica 

Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank - Reshelved Books

Don't you hate it when all of your library holds come in at once?  That's what happened this past week, which means I've been double fisting my reads, and also gives an excuse to why it took me so long to finish Dorothea Benton Frank's latest novel, Queen Bee. It also probably didn't help that I left it in my boyfriend's room for two days. 

Ironically, in my personal life hardly anyone ever asks me what I'm reading, yet while I've been reading this one, so many people have, and here's what I've been telling them:

I'm reading a book about a woman that's in love with her neighbor and his two little boys.  His wife died, but her love is secret because he started dating some trampy mean dentist he wants to propose to.  This chick hates his little boys.  The woman next door?  She keeps bees, and her sister is home contemplating a divorce because her husband wants to move to Las Vegas to be a drag queen.  He wants to stay in their marriage and be called Charlene. 

Are you intrigued?  I was.  This book is nothing like I expected it to be, but it makes the perfect fluffy summer read.  So Dewey Readers, I leave you with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  

Until the next read!

~Jessica

Very Nice by Marcy Dermanksy - Reshelved Books

Hello there Dewey Readers! 

I was privileged to review an Advance Reader Copy of Marcy Dermansky's latest novel Very Nice, which is to be published on July 2, 2019. 

This novel is the perfect literary summer beach read...or soap opera, whichever you prefer. Rachael is in college with the hopes of being a writer. Rachel has written a short story about a flight attendant with a wild life and venereal disease that her professor offered criticism on (a Chris Bohjalian reference?).  Rachael is totally enamored with her writing professor, Zahid Azzam, who is famous in the literary and writing world, but has stopped turning in her assignments due to the criticism.  She fantasizes about him, secretly loves him, even ends up watching his dog, and eventually sleeps with him. Zahid is a bit naive but also thinks a little bit too highly of himself.  When I was reading this novel, I kept comparing Zahid to Adelle Waldman's character of Nathaniel P. (Check out our review of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. here.)  After Rachael and Zahid sleep together, Zahid ends up traveling back to Pakistan because his grandmother is dying and Rachael ends up taking the dog home with her. 

Now, you see the dog is a poodle, and Rachel's mother's dog (who was also a poodle) recently passed away.  Her mother takes the dog right into her home and heart, filling the void of having lost the love of her companion. Her mother and father have also recently separated, her father leaving her mother for a young flight attendant who may or may not infect him with a disease.  (You'll have to read it to find out.) This is where things get weird.  Zahid ends up returning for his dog but ends up staying with Rachael and her mother.  He even falls in LOVE with her mother.  Rachael's mother hides her relationship from Rachel, and Zahid hides his one-time-stand with Rachael from the mother, throw in some guns, a strange relationship with a family who's son almost caused a mass shooting in Rachael's mother's classroom, a lesbian ex-babysitter and grown woman love story, and you get this messy literary soap opera with a wowsza of an ending I don't think anyone saw coming.  

Would I recommend this book as a beach read? Yes.  Do I really know what I read at the end?  Not really. Do I really care? Nope.  So Dewey Readers, this book makes a great addition to your beach bag and Days of Our Lives episodes.  I leave you with a rating of 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica    

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews - Reshelved Books

Hello there Dewey Readers!  What are you reading this Memorial Day Weekend!?  

I just finished Mary Kay Andrews' latest novel Sunset Beach.  This novel follows the story of Drue Campbell, a 36 year old bartender who was recently fired from her job.  Not only is Drue jobless, but her mother also recently passed away.  In her mother's will, a family beach house was left to her (one that Drue thought was sold many years ago) in a town near her estranged father who now wants to be back in the picture.  In a way to make amends, he offers Drue a job at his law practice (think about the injury commercials you see on t.v.).  Toss in the fact that Drue's new stepmother was her grade school friend, numerous missing person newspaper clippings found in Drue's new attic dating back to the 1970s, and a young woman who was murdered in the hotel down the street, and you get a perfect summer mystery!

While I devoured this book, I wasn't a complete fan of the twisty turns and conclusion of the mystery itself within the last 100 pages or so.  It seemed to be a little too fast, but is also something that I have felt while reading other mysteries. So Dewey Readers, I leave you with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  Add this novel to your summer TBR! 

Until the next read!
~Jessica   

Maid for Love by Marie Force - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers! 

At last year's Book Con, Jillian and I received signed copies of Marie Force's novel Maid for Love.  Because this novel is a mass-market paperback, I brought it with me on my recent romantic vacation to Cape Cod.  I didn't read much of on vacation...actually this book took me about 2 weeks to finish, which is not my usual reading pace. 

While I love a good love story, I'm not usually into the heavy romance genre.  Judging by the cover of this book, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.  This book is not raunchy or overly sexy.  But it IS light and fluffy.  It's a meet-cute, rich boy saves poor and innocent misunderstood girl story that's definitely kept PG-13.  Basically, it's a great book to throw in your beach bag.  

So if you're looking for a book to read pool side, give this one a try, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans. (The last line sort of irked me.) I guess we can't always judge a book by it's cover.

Until the next read! 
~Jessica 

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

Do you know what time it is!? That's right, it's book review time!  I recently finished  Yara Zgheib's novel The Girls at 17 Swann Street. This novel is fantastic.  

The Girls at 17 Swann Street tells the story of one young woman's struggle with anorexia. 

Anna is 25 years old and used to be a dancer.  Although Anna is happily married now to a wonderful man, her past relationship was controlling, especially when it came to her weight.  Coupled with the pressure of being the best and thinnest dancer, Anna began to restrict her food.  She would compromise with herself, if she were to go to the movies with her husband in the evening and eat popcorn, she would fast the day before.  After suffering an injury, Anna was unable to dance and was thus replaced.  Her husband was also transferred from France to America for work, causing Anna to uproot her life both in terms of where she lived and her career.  Her anorexia only became worse.

Anna's husband and family chose to ignore the signs, until her disease escalated to the point where if she didn't get help she would die, and so Anna enters a treatment facility for girls who suffer from eating disorders at 17 Swann Street.  This novel tackles the mental and physical aspects of anorexia, the struggles, the triumphs, and the setbacks.  Zgheib uses short chapters and short paragraphs to tell the story allowing for a quick pace, which compliments how the reader is immersed in the story and lives of the characters, wanting and needing to read more.       

This novel is a haunting and necessary read, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica     

Heartburn by Nora Ephron - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I recently just finished the e-audiobook version Nora Ephron's book Heartburn, narrated by

Meryl Streep.  If you read my earlier post Audiobooks vs. Print Books, you'd know that I have strict criteria when it comes to choosing which audiobooks to read.   While this book is fiction, it is only 6 hours long, was for my Read It & Eat book club, is narrated by a celebrity, and is funny thus making the cut to be read via my car's audio system. 

Let me tell you this book is HILARIOUS.  I loved listening the Meryl Streep narrate the main character and I left feeling like she was a friend inside my head... or at least a personality on the radio.  I could not wait to get back into my car to listen to more.  Isn't that what we all wish for in an audiobook?   

So, a bit about the book.  Seven month pregnant, Rachel finds out that her husband is having an affair.  But not only is he having an affair with a woman they were both sort of friendly with, he also claims to be in LOVE with her.  This novel is all about her finding out about her husband, living with heartbreak, pregnancy, and taking it all with a humorous and sarcastic twist mixed in with some yummy recipes.  Trust me, if you listen to this book, you will devour it. 

I give it 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I am super excited to be able to review an ARC of Megan Miranda's latest novel The Last House Guest.  This book is a psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Girl on the Train.

So a bit about the book. Littleport, Maine is a summer town.  When a friendship blossoms between a summer girl named Sadie and the year rounder named Avery, it's a little unexpected, but they remain good friends for close to ten years.  Then Sadie is found dead at the bottom of a cliff near the ocean, and the police believe it to be a suicide.  Flash forward years later and Avery is in the family home (she's employed by them as vacation property management) when she finds Sadie's cellphone.  It is a phone that the police were never able to recover.

So was Sadie's death a suicide?  Was it a murder?  And if so, is the murderer still out there watching them all?  I guess you'll have to read the book to find out.  

My thoughts without giving it all away? This novel was a quick read, but I think that I fell in love with the cover more than I fell in love with the prose inside.  I would rate it 3.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.   

Until the next read!
~Jessica