Everything I Read – March 2025 (part 1)
1. Jar of Hearts
I have enjoyed other books by this author so I had high hopes for this mystery/thriller. And thankfully it kept me engaged during the entire story! Georgina, Angela and Kaiser were close friends during high school and did nearly everything together. But when Georgina starts dating an older guy named Calvin, things become strained between the friends. Georgina is torn between her new relationship and her friends until one night when she is forced to make an unthinkable decision. At the end of the night, Angela is dead and there are more questions than answers. Fourteen years later, Angela’s remains are found and they can confirm that Calvin was the killer. But what did Georgina know? And what has she been hiding all these years? Rating: 8.5
2. The Love of My After Life
This was a cute love story and an easy read. Delphie has just died. Alone in her apartment – choking on a hamburger. And now she is in the after life trying to figure out how this could have happened and questioning everything about her life up until this point. While in this after life, she meets another person who has just died and they instantly have a connection. But his death was a mistake so he was sent back to earth leaving Delphie feeling ever more hopeless. Delphine makes a deal with one of her after life guardians to return to earth to find this man and see if he is her possible soulmate. I know the premise of the book sounds a little corny but it’s actually much cuter than you think. Rating: 8
3 The Lake of Lost Girls
There was a huge twist in this book that will really shock you. I did see it coming but that is probably because I read WAY too many mysteries and thrillers so my mind thinks this way already. LOL It’s 1998 and female students at Southern State University are disappearing at an alarming rate. Is someone kidnapping them? Is it all connected? Nobody can seem to figure it out. Fast forward 24 years and Lindsey, the sister of one of the missing girls, decides to search for answers on her own. Lindsey uses a true-crime podcast that focuses on cold cases as her guide and begins to discover things that will forever change her life. Things she didn’t want to know and things that will make her reexamine her entire life. Rating: 8
4. The Winemaker’s Wife
This was a slow burn but I still enjoyed it. The story goes between WWII and current day but is easy to follow. Ines lives with her husband in France during WWII. They run a small winery and are trying to survive while also contributing to the resistance against the Nazis. Fast forward to modern day and Liz Kent is watching her life and relationship fall apart right before her eyes. When her grandmother comes to visit her, she convinces Liz to come back to Paris with her and try to decide what she will do next. Liz doesn’t know much about her grandmother’s past but during this visit, she learns about her heroic actions during the war and the sacrifices she had to make to stay alive. Rating: 7
5. The Book of Lost Names
Another book that takes place during WWII, but this one was a bit more engaging and entertaining. I held my breath though many parts because I was so nervous! LOL Eva was a college student in Paris when she was forced to flee to escape the Nazis. She ended up seeking refuge with her mother in a small town far away from her home. During her time in this small town, Eva began forging documents for children so they could escape to other countries. It was dangerous but Eva was extremely skilled at it and felt she was contributing to something greater than herself.
In order for these children to escape, they had to take on false identities. To preserve their true identity, Eva wrote the real names of every child she helped in a secret book. Decades later that book would be found and held in a Berlin library for scholars to study. After reading an article about this book in the NYT, Eva knows she must go to Berlin and reclaim her book. The basis for this book is quite simple, but the scenarios and situations Eva goes through during her time hiding from the Nazis is captivating and heart wrenching. And the ending had me sobbing so be sure to keep tissues nearby! Rating: 8.5
6. The Midnight Feast
Meh. This book had so much buzz surrounding it but it was sadly not a favorite. There are tons of twists and turns which kept my interest but overall it was not a hit for me. A new luxury resort called “The Manor” has just opened up and is said to be one of the hottest places to stay. The owner of the resort wanted to create a place for people to escape their life and recharge in a luxe setting. But shortly after the resort is open, tragedy strikes and the authorities are called to investigate a deadly accident. There are a ton of characters in the book and it was hard keeping them straight but once I did, there were some really crazy twists that I didn’t see coming. Overall it was ok but not great. Rating: 6
7. When Cicadas Cry
While the last book was hard to follow and only mildly entertaining, this mystery/thriller was absolutely FANTASTIC! This is a simple “whodunit” kind of story with an easy to follow plot line but the ending had my jaw on the FLOOR! Wow, wow, wow! A white woman is found beaten to death in a rural church in South Carolina. A black man named Sam Jenkins was found at the scene kneeling over her body covered in her blood. Sam claims he came here to deliver documents that she requested but when he arrived she was nearly dead. He called 911 after trying to resuscitate her but was unable to save her life.
In a state and county already steeped in racial tension, Sam was instantly arrested and charged with her murder. Sam’s uncle hires a lawyer he hopes will represent Sam in the best way and provide him with the best chance at being exonerated. In most mysteries, I can normally guess the ending or the perpetrator at some point but I was completely blindsided with this. Complete shock in the best possible way! If you love a good mystery, this book is a must read! Rating: 9
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