Book Review: The Other Mrs., by Mary Kubica

I love a good twisted thriller, so I couldn't resist The Other Mrs. It was well worth my time.

Sadie, her husband Will, and their two children are leaving Chicago and starting a new life on an island off the coast of Maine. They need a new start--and the reasons are revealed as you read The Other Mrs. Sadie, however, is reluctant. Will's sister has committed suicide and left an old house and a seventeen-year-old daughter to Will. The daughter is the one who found her mother hanged in the attic of the house. She is an angry goth girl who wants nothing to do with her new guardians.

Sadie is a physician and has found a position at the clinic on the island. Will teaches part-time at a college and is home with the kids most of the time. Things take an even worst turn when a woman who lives in their neighborhood is murdered.

Another narrator is Camille, Will's mistress. And the third narrator is Mouse, a small child living in a house where she is abused by her stepmother while her father is out of town on business. There is actually a fourth narrator at the end, but I won't say who.

In fact, I don't want to say much more. I did figure out partly what was going on at about 25% through The Other Mrs., but it did not deter me from wanting to finish. I didn't have it all, and I wanted it!

The story is compelling, moves pretty quickly, and I didn't guess who the truly evil one was until the end. I can recommend The Other Mrs. to thriller fans, and I'm going to have to put The Good Girl on my list.

Published by Park Row, February 18, 2020
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
368 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Dreaming Darkly by Caitlin Kittredge

Dreaming Darkly did score well as far as the creep-factor, but you have to suspend some disbelief.

Seventeen-year-old Ivy's mother has committed suicide. She doesn't feel like she's lost much since she and her mother had a hard life, and at one point, her mother had tried to kill Ivy.  For real. Ivy is surprised that she has an uncle who lives off the coast of Maine in a huge house on an island.  She goes to live with him and plans to just bide her time until her 18th birthday when she can leave. Things are very weird and creepy around this house and on the island. There is a feud with the only other family living on the island. Ivy's great-grandfather killed six people. Her grandmother was in an asylum before she died.

Once on the island, Ivy begins to have very realistic dreams and hallucinations. And she's discovering a lot about her mother's life on this same island. She thinks her episodes have to do with the family history of mental instability. Is she like her mother?  Is she going crazy?

Dreaming Darkly is a quick read that is quite compelling and parts were very spooky. The atmosphere is very dark. The mysteries are abundant. But many of the plot twists are very convenient. However, I didn't really know what was going on until Ivy did. So if you can just go with the flow, it is a fun reading experience.

Teens who enjoy gothic mysteries with some creepiness will enjoy Dreaming Darkly.

Published by Katherine Tegen, April 9, 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Audio Book Review: Red Hook Road, by Ayelet Waldman

 I wasn't supposed to like Red Hook Road. But I did.

Red Hook Road begins with a tragedy.  Becca and John are killed in an accident on Red Hook Road just hours after they are married.  For the rest of the book, both families are trying to come to terms with their grief. Does that sound like a good book?

After the beginning, when I realized what this book was going to be about, I almost gave up.  But I'm more patient with audiobooks, and the writing was really great. I was caught up in these people's lives.  I could see the beautiful coastal village in Maine. The details are what kept me involved.

Red Hook Road isn't an action book, although there is a bit of suspense at the end.  It's a study of the characters and their interactions with each other--how they helped each other through.  And in some cases, how this tragedy divided them. Of course, it was sad at times, but there is a good balance of uplifting scenes too.

Like I said, this isn't my "type" of book.  But I love stretching my wings and finding something that I really enjoy, even if out of my comfort zone. Pick up Red Hook Road if you like atmospheric stories of family and love. I would highly recommend the audio version. Kimberly Farr does a great job.

Published by Doubleday, 2010, Random House Audio.
Audiobook obtained from the library
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith

This is What Happy Looks Like is a warm, delightful story of young love that must overcome some big obstacles.

I love how these two meet. Graham, our heartthrob, sends an email to Ellie by mistake. She responds, and they begin a funny, lighthearted banter that brings them closer and closer together. But Ellie doesn't know that she's corresponding with THE Graham Larkin -- a teen movie star.

Graham arranges to film a movie in Ellie's small town in Maine. And off we go. It's not all "happy" (even though they have ideas about what Happy should look like). Graham comes with a lot of baggage -- the popularity, the paparazzi, the manager who wants him to start a relationship with his co-star. But when Ellie finally meets Graham in person, the sparks fly.

Ellie has her own secrets, and because of that, she feels she must not pursue a relationship with someone like Graham. But they are definitely attracted to each other and end up not being able to stay apart. This causes some turmoil, of course.

I really liked the added elements that made the story tense. Ellie's secret (that she's also kept from her best friend) and Graham's difficulty dealing with his stardom make This is What Happy Looks Like more than just "two teens falling in love."

The dialog between Graham and Ellie is priceless, and you can't help but root for them. This is What Happy Looks Like is a feel-good book that teen romance fans are going to love.

Published by Poppy, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
404 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: The Love Goddess' Cooking School, by Melissa Senate

The Love Goddess’ Cooking School is a sweet, heart-warming book about family and romance (and food!)

Holly has just been dumped by what she thought was the love of her life. But, really, she knew she was kidding herself. So she retreats to her grandmother Camilla’s house on Blue Crab Island, off the coast of Maine. She has always spent vacations and summers with her grandmother, a place her mother hated, and she feels comfortable coming back to heal.

Unfortunately, after spending two weeks with her grandmother, Camilla dies. Holly inherits her home which includes Camilla’s Cucinotta (a little store that sells homemade pasta and sauces), and The Love Goddess’ Cooking School.

So Holly loses herself in her cooking, trying to recreate the special recipes that her grandmother was famous for, and trying to do it well enough to also teach others. In the process of conducting her first class, she meets some great people who will become her friends, and also meets Mia, a 12-year-old who wants to be Holly’s assistant so Mia can learn to cook and then her father won’t need to marry that awful, phony girlfriend.

Senate writes beautiful descriptions of the recipes and the cooking methods. I love to cook, so I soaked it up and it made me want to cook something, as well as eat it! There are a few recipes included at the end of the book, too.

This book is the kind of romance I love. It is simple story-telling, with rich characters and settings. The plot isn’t altogether unpredictable, but the journey to the end is delightful. I like that the romance ups and downs aren’t based on the usual lies and misunderstandings. I hate when you are reading about a couple and you just want to yell, “would you just be honest and TALK to each other?” This book, thankfully, was NOT like that. There was honesty, and hurt, and happiness. And it was all nicely tied up at the end.

I want to visit Blue Crab Island, but it doesn’t exist. I think I will plan a trip to Maine, and if not, I’ll be sure to read Melissa Senate’s other books set in Maine. I would suggest this book to adults mostly. There may be a few older, mature teens that would enjoy it too.

Published by Gallery Books, 2010

Personal copy

321 pages

Rating: 4/5

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