It’s time for my first half of March book review! I am sharing what I read in March so far, although I am skipping a few 5 star reads to share later in the month. I also read Loveless, which I reviewed separately here. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: A More Perfect Union
Author: Tammye Huf
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 1/11/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4)
I had both the print and audio version of this book and I decided to listen to it. This book was inspired by the author’s great-great-grandparents and is about Henry, who leaves Ireland to escape famine in 1848 and Sarah, who is enslaved on a plantation. The two meet and fall in love and the story follows their plans to escape and marry.
“Henry O’Toole sails to America in 1848 to escape the famine in Ireland, only to face anti-immigrant prejudice. Determined never to starve again, he changes his surname to Taylor and heads south to Virginia, seeking work as a traveling blacksmith on the prosperous plantations. Torn from her home and sold to Jubilee Plantation, Sarah must navigate its intricate hierarchy. And now an enigmatic blacksmith is promising her not just the world but also her freedom. How could she say no? Enslaved at Jubilee Plantation, Maple is desperate to return to her husband and daughter. With Sarah’s arrival, she sees her chance to be reunited at last with her family—but at what cost?”
Another character who has a point of view is Maple, who the author says is shown as a contrast to Sarah and Henry, whose love story isn’t the norm for the time period. Maple tries to get Sarah into trouble in order to make herself look better. It was hard to read about the manipulative master who tried to create the image of “happy slaves.” This book contains sexual assault, abuse, and death.
Title: From Hollywood With Love
Author: Scott Meslow
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Dey Street Books, 2/1/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This is a book about rom com movies that made me feel like I’d watched a marathon of them from When Harry Met Sally (my favorite) to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.
“No Hollywood genre has been more misunderstood—or more unfairly under-appreciated—than the romantic comedy. Funny, charming, and reliably crowd-pleasing, rom-coms were the essential backbone of the Hollywood landscape, launching the careers of many of Hollywood’s most talented actors and filmmakers, such as Julia Roberts and Matthew McConaughey, and providing many of the yet limited creative opportunities women had in Hollywood. But despite—or perhaps because of—all that, the rom-com has routinely been overlooked by the Academy Awards or snobbishly dismissed by critics. In From Hollywood with Love, culture writer and GQ contributor Scott Meslow seeks to right this wrong, celebrating and analyzing rom-coms with the appreciative, insightful critical lens they’ve always deserved. Beginning with the golden era of the romantic comedy—spanning from the late ’80s to the mid-’00s with the breakthrough of films such as When Harry Met Sally—to the rise of streaming and the long-overdue push for diversity setting the course for films such as the groundbreaking, franchise-spawning Crazy Rich Asians, Meslow examines the evolution of the genre through its many iterations, from its establishment of new tropes, the Austen and Shakespeare rewrites, the many love triangles, and even the occasional brave decision to do away with the happily ever after. Featuring original black-and-white sketches of iconic movie scenes and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers behind our most beloved rom-coms, From Hollywood with Love constructs oral histories of our most celebrated romantic comedies, for an informed and entertaining look at Hollywood’s beloved yet most under-appreciated genre.”
I had seen many of the rom coms discussed in the book and the essays on each brought them back in my memory and I was reminded of watching them throughout my life, with friends through with my husband. This book highlights actors who got their starts in rom coms and the ways they had to then convince Hollywood that they could act in other genres as well. I thought it did a good job discussing diversity or lack thereof in the earlier years of rom coms.
Title: The Storyteller
Author: Kathryn Williams
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harper Teen, 1/11/22
Source: Once Upon a Book Club
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I had a really fun time reading The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams and opening the gifts from Once Upon a Book Club while I was reading! Aside from enjoying the story, I was excited to turn the pages and make it to my next gift! The Storyteller is about Jess, who discovers a box of old diaries in her late great-great-aunt’s attic. She is intrigued, but needs help translating the Russian writing and finds a local college student, Evan, to help her. Together they are brought into the story of the long lost Romanov Princess Anastasia – and the mystery of whether Aunt Anna was actually the princess!
“It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna. For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax? With the help of a supremely dorky but undeniably cute local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery. But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.”
I thought it was unique to have the historical timeline told via diary entries and I was very interested in the story line. The question of whether Anna was actually Anastasia brought in the overall theme of the story – what stories we tell others and ourselves about who we are and who we want to be. Jess must confront her own life as far as who she is pretending to be and who she wants to be in her life.
Title: American Royals: Inheritance
Author: Katharine McGee
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Listening Library, 3/15/22
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Prequel to American Royals Series
My Rating: 4 Stars
I have enjoyed the American Royals books and was excited that there will be a third one coming out this year. I was also excited to check out this prequel novella, which takes place before the start of the series.
“Princess Beatrice realizes what’s expected of her as heir apparent—and it is not riding in cars, alone, with her Revere Guard. But what the Crown doesn’t know won’t hurt it…right? Princess Samantha is already bored of her own graduation party. She swears she isn’t looking for trouble, but when the king and queen are away, the spare will play….Nina never dreamed of acting on her feelings for Prince Jefferson. Tonight, though, anything seems possible: even a prince and a commoner. Meanwhile, Daphne is hiding more than one secret beneath her perfect exterior. A royal party might just be the window of opportunity she needs—until everything comes crashing down.”
This novella is meant for fans of the series and shouldn’t actually be read before reading the other books, as it does spoil some things that weren’t revealed immediately in the series. If you want to read more about what led to the start of the first book, you can grab this one while you’re waiting for book 3.
Title: In A Book Club Far Away
Author: Tif Marcelo
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books, 4/6/21
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: BOTM Catch Up
My Rating: 3 Stars
I am not sure what made this book a Book of the Month pick. It reminded me of some of the books I used to like reading, which followed a group of friends separately and together, but it just wasn’t that entertaining for me. In this one, the main characters are military spouses who meet when their partners are deployed. They start a book club, where they bond and become friends. Now when one of them needs help due to having surgery, she calls together the other two, even though they have been estranged from each other for many years.
“Regina Castro, Adelaide Wilson-Chang, and Sophie Walden used to be best friends. As Army wives at Fort East, they bonded during their book club and soon became inseparable. But when an unimaginable betrayal happened amongst the group, the friendship abruptly ended, and they haven’t spoken since. That’s why, eight years later, Regina and Sophie are shocked when they get a call for help from Adelaide. Adelaide’s husband is stationed abroad, and without any friends or family near her new home of Alexandria, Virginia, she has no one to help take care of her young daughter when she has to undergo emergency surgery. For the sake of an innocent child, Regina and Sophie reluctantly put their differences aside to help an old friend. As the three women reunite, they must overcome past hurts and see if there’s any future for their friendship.”
I couldn’t tell the women apart and had to actively think about which one was which. I also didn’t find the betrayal that happened years ago to be all that bad. It was mainly boring drama, and the book was too long overall.
Title: The Book of Cold Cases
Author: Simone St. James
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Berkley, 3/15/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / highly anticipated read
My Rating: 4 Stars
I loved The Sun Down Motel and was very excited to read Simone St. James’s next book. She is known for writing thrillers that include the paranormal, and I think I would have liked this book more if it included less of the paranormal, but it was still a good read for this genre!
“In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion. Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes. They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?”
I like the dual time line aspect of the book and finding out what happened in the past. I had predicted a further twist in the book but I was wrong, which I couldn’t decide if I was happy about! If you like thrillers and aren’t scared of ghosts, I think you will like this one.
Title: The Unsinkable Greta James
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio, 3/1/22
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Wanted to check it out.
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a Book of the Month pick this month but I didn’t choose it, and yet I still wanted to read it, so I listened to the audio. I liked that it takes place on an Alaskan cruise – it brought me back to the one I took in 2002! A common theme in books lately seems to be a focus on musicians, and this one is about Greta James, a singer songwriter who has a break down on stage after her mother dies.
“Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life. Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other. It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.”
The main focus of the book is the relationship between Greta and her father, which has been strained. The audio is narrated by Mae Whitman, and she kept me listening, even though I never felt fully invested in the story.
Title: All Fired Up
Author: Dylan Newton
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Forever, 5/17/22
Source: Traveling ARC
Why I Read It: Joined a group to read ahead of publication
My Rating: 4 Stars
All Fired Up is the second book following How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton. In All Fired Up, we meet Drake’s brother Zander, who had a one night stand with Imani, Drake’s publicist and Kate’s best friend. The two met at Drake and Kate’s wedding and now Imani is in town to care for her grandmother Gigi after surgery and to be there for Kate’s baby shower. While Zander wants to try a real relationship with Imani, she is more of a planner and scheduler while he is one who takes everything as it comes and lives to enjoy the present. Imani isn’t sure she can be with someone like Zander and worries that bad things happen when she doesn’t make solid plans.
“As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors. It’s her dream job, but she’s become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisioned…Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But he’s never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesn’t want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: he’ll help Imani fix up her grandmother’s house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone. Whether it’s repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imani’s stay is temporary and Zander can’t be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?”
I really enjoyed Imani and Zander and laughed out loud several times. Gigi was a great side character, as was her hilarious parrot! I also loved the hot air balloon ride – that’s something I really want to do someday! I have made some easy pottery before at camp, but Zander’s pottery mugs sounded amazing. I am looking forward to Ryker’s story next!
Title: Great or Nothing
Author: Joy McCullough, Carloline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotswood
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Delacorte, 3/8/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Great or Nothing is a unique retelling of Little Women set in the WWII time period. Beth has passed away and the sisters each set off in different directions to do what they can in the war effort. Each sisters’ voice is written by one of the authors, and Beth’s parts are told in verse, as a narrator who is looking over the lives of her sisters.
“In the fall of 1942, the United States is still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the US starts sending troops to the front, the March family of Concord, Massachusetts grieves their own enormous loss: the death of their daughter, Beth. Under the strain of their grief, Beth’s remaining sisters fracture, each going their own way with Jo nursing her wounds and building planes in Connecticut, Meg holding down the home front with Marmee, and Amy living a secret life as a Red Cross volunteer in London–the same city where one Mr. Theodore Laurence is stationed as an army pilot. Each March sister’s point of view is written by a separate author, three in prose and Beth’s in verse, still holding the family together from beyond the grave. Woven together, these threads tell a story of finding one’s way in a world undergoing catastrophic change.”
I enjoyed following each of the sisters in her own stories. I appreciated how the Jo / Laurie / Amy story was enhanced, explaining why Jo didn’t love him, the reason he actually proposed to her, and giving him and Amy a believable story in which she wasn’t a second choice to Jo. Meanwhile, Jo meets someone else and learns more about herself. The war is somewhat of a background to the sisters’ stories, though Amy interacts with soldiers and there is anti-Japanese racism experienced.
Title: The Love of My Life
Author: Rosie Walsh
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 3/1/22
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Wanted to check it out.
My Rating: 4 Stars
I read Ghosted by Rosie Walsh when it first came out and I remember being annoyed by the twist in it, as I don’t think I realized it was somewhat of a thriller. Going into The Love of My Life, I expected a twisty story, and that’s what I got!
“Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them. But almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie. And she might just have got away with it, if it weren’t for her husband’s job. Leo is an obituary writer; Emma a well-known marine biologist. When she suffers a serious illness, Leo copes by doing what he knows best – researching and writing about his wife’s life. But as he starts to unravel the truth, he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Even her name isn’t real. When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was . . .But first, she must tell him about the other love of her life.”
I was quite interested in the mystery of Emma’s hidden life and in finding out the secrets she had hidden from her husband. Above all, this is a story of love and the things one does for their family. This book does contain references to cancer and some upsetting scenes resulting from post partum psychosis.
There you have it – 10 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 6 were print and 4 were audio books. 7 were adult and 3 were YA. Genres included historical fiction, non-fiction, contemporary, thriller, and rom com.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?