book reviews

Everything I Read in March 2026 – Part 2

1. The Third Son

A disappointing ending but that did not stop me from LOVING this book. Carter and his wife Tori are newly married and settling into their life together. Tori has two sons from her first marriage and Carter wants to adopt both boys to make them all an official family. Tori’s first husband died in a tragic accident so Carter is now the only father they know. One day, Carter receives a message from social services saying that the one night stand he had more than a decade ago produced a son he never knew about. The mother passed away and they want to know if Carter would like to take custody of his 13 year old son, Francis. Carter is shocked at this news but gladly accepts the responsibility to make Francis a part of their blended family.

Unfortunately, Francis has had a difficult life growing up and exhibits odd behaviors that increasingly worry Tori. Things escalate and Carter must make a decision between his flesh and blood or his chosen wife and step sons. The suspense is palpable in this book and kept me guessing up until the end. The ending was a bit of a letdown but the rest of the book had me hooked. Rating: 9

2. These Summer Storms

I love a messy wealthy family story so this book was an immediate yes when I read the synopsis. Alice Storm has been apart from her family for the past 5 years after a devastating argument with her father where he told her to leave and never come back. But after a tragic accident takes the Storm patriarch’s life, Alice must return to her family home for his funeral. Time with her family is not something Alice enjoys. And the relationships she has with her mother and siblings are all strained due to years of complicated and dysfunctional family dynamics.

Her father’s immense wealth and status guarantees that his funeral will be a worldwide news event which adds only more stress to the brittle family bonds. Throw in a “game” of sorts that her father imparts upon them in his will which requires all her siblings and mother to complete a set of tasks in 7 days in order to receive their inheritance. Tempers flair, old grudges resurface and secrets buried for decades come to light which threaten to destroy everyone in the Storm family. Rating: 9

3. The Drowning Woman

A bit predictable at times but I still loved this book. There are a few twists that really keep you guessing and make the book hard to put down. After a series of business failures, Lee finds herself living in her car trying to rebuild her life. While parked one night on a secluded beach in order to try and get some sleep, Lee sees a woman trying to drown herself in the ocean. Lee rushes in to try and save the woman’s life. But she quickly finds out that the woman does not want to be saved. After a desperate struggle, this mystery woman, Hazel, allows Lee to save her and bring her back to shore.

Hazel confides in Lee that she is trying to leave an abusive marriage to a very wealthy and powerful man. Lee commits to helping Hazel plan her escape though things don’t go as planned. Lee realizes that Hazel may not be telling the entire truth about her situation and has possibly put her own life in danger. Rating: 8.5

4. Count My Lies

One of my favorite book plot lines is the same story told from two separate narratives. In the start of the book, we meet Sloane who is bored with her life and finds herself lying from time to time in order to help remove herself from her currently reality. She is working as a nail tech in a NYC high end salon after losing her job as a nursery school teacher. One afternoon in the park, Sloane sees a little girl get stung by a bee in her foot. Sloane rushes over to help stating that she is a nurse and can help remove the stinger. After this chance encounter, Sloane makes an effort to run into this family again. She eventually gains their trust in order to become their full-time nanny.

Sloane and the mother, Violet, quickly become friends despite their employer/employee relationship. The entire experience seems like kismet but Sloane is unaware of the motives behind Violet’s rapid acceptance of her into their lives. Everyone seems to be lying but it’s only a matter of time before the truth will come out. Rating: 8.5

5. We Don’t Talk About Carol

I almost abandoned this book halfway through because I could not get into it. The story seemed like it was going somewhere but it was taking forever to get there. LOL But I’m glad I stuck around because the last 1/4 of the book really captured my attention! After the death of her grandmother, Sydney is going through her belongings and finds a photo of a young girl who no one in the family seems to know anything about. Sydney decides to ask around and discovers that the young girl’s name is her aunt named Carol.

Based on the limited information people have, Carol went missing in the 1960’s along with 5 other young black girl in their North Carolina neighborhood. No one has ever investigated what happened to these girls and families were left with no answers. Sydney taps into her former journalism life and tries to search for more information surrounding the disappearance of these young girls. Through her investigation, Sydney will uncover secrets that can give the families closure while also putting her own family in jeopardy. If you can get past the slight slow beginning of this book, the last half will really make up for it! Rating: 8

6. Party of Liars

As soon as I realized the story would be told from MULTIPLE different character perspectives, I knew this would get good! The entire book takes place during the course of a birthday party but there are so many stories happening at the same time that you forget the entire book is occurring over just a few hours. It’s Sophie’s 16th birthday and her wealthy father has spared no expense for her celebration. He has invited all her friends as well as many of his business colleagues and friends to this lavish event. But before the night is over, a tragic accident will occur leaving everyone shocked and a dead body on the dance floor.

There are so many secrets and lies happening within this family that you will spend your entire time trying to figure out who is telling the truth and who is hiding something. It’s a slow burn of a book but in the BEST WAY! Rating: 9

Here’s part 1 of everything I read in March 2026!

Everything I Read in March 2026

1. The Good Lie

I love a good twisty psychological thriller and this one checked all the right boxes. Dr. Gwen Moore is a psychiatrist who specializes in treating people who have committed or fantasize about committing horrific crimes. She is one of the best in her field and has helped countless patients. When one of her patients ends up dead alongside his wife, Dr. Moore feels like she should have seen this coming. Something about this death unsettles her but she can’t identify exactly what it is. In the meantime, she is asked to help consult on a serial killer case where one of the victims managed to escape.

When the father of one of the serial killer’s victims steps up to represent and defend the alleged killer, Dr. Moore is asked to give her professional opinion on the case. But she can’t help feeling like she is not getting all the information from the lawyer especially since the conflict of interest between him and his client is so obvious. There are so many twists and turns that this book will keep you guessing until the very end! Rating: 8.5

2. The Last Party

I was so invested in The Good Lie that I wanted to read more from the same author. I chose this book next but it was a letdown sadly. Also, I struggled to get through it, though the ending did pick up a bit. Perla lives a life of luxury with her husband Grant and their daughter Sophie. But that has not always been the case. Perla’s early years were traumatic and she is hiding some big secrets from her husband and daughter. One of those secrets involves Leewood Folcrum who is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in the murder of two teen girls at a birthday party nearly two decades ago.

One day, a doctoral student visits the prison and asks to interview Leewood for the thesis he is working on in his doctorate program. The answers Leewood reveals could come back to haunt Perla and implicate her in a decades old crime. While the story did pick up speed towards the end, it wasn’t enough to make up for the entire book. Rating: 6

3. The Other Side of Now

I LOVED this book but absolutely hated the ending. I still recommend reading it because I could not put it down. But I felt so disappointed with the resolution of the story. Meg is living the life she always dreamed of. She is a star on a hit TV show, living in Hollywood and dating one of the most famous actors in the world. But despite all this, Meg feels disconnected and unfullfilled. On a whim she decides to book a trip to a place in Ireland that she had always wanted to visit. She books the cutest AirBnb and departs for a place she hopes will help her find what she is looking for. But once she arrives, Meg is confused because it seems like all the people in this Irish village already know her.

In fact, she has an entire life here that she is unaware of. Did she travel in time? Is she hallucinating another life? Then she realizes that this is the life she would be living had she made a different choice years ago. I loved every bit of this book until the end…..it was not an ending I was hoping for. So sadly, it was a bit of a letdown. BUT don’t let that stop you for reading it because it’s such a good story overall! Rating: 9

4. The Girl in 6E

After enjoying The Good Lie, I wanted to read more A.R. Torre books. The Last Party was ok but I hoped this book would be better. Sadly it wasn’t and I pivoted to other authors after finishing this book. Deanna hasn’t left her apartment in three years. In fact, she has someone lock her in every night to keep others safe from her homicidal tendencies. Deanna has only killed one person but knows if she is free to live a normal life, she may kill again. To make a living, Deanna is a web cam girl and tries to occupy every single minute of her day with work so she doesn’t have to sit with her thoughts. That is until one of her clients alludes to illegal things and Deanna must make a choice. Live with this information and do nothing about it or possibly leave her apartment and try to save a little girl. Rating: 6

5. The Academy

If you are an Elin Hildebrand fan, this is one of her newest books written with her daughter. I love her books and this one was another easy read that kept my attention the entire time. It is set at an elite boarding school in New England and follows a cast of characters beginning a new school year at Tiffin Academy. As with most Elin Hildebrand books, there is a ton of drama and a mystery woven throughout the entire story. The year prior one of the students at Tiffin committed suicide in the dorms shocking the entire community. There was never closure surrounding the suicide so many students are struggling with facing a new school year without their friend. The ending does leave you with tons of questions but there is a sequel coming out later this year! Rating: 8.5

6. The Reformatory

This story is loosely based on the author’s family member who was sentenced to a boy’s reformatory in his teen years. The book details the horrors that schools like this imparted on young boys in the south in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The story begins with Gloria and her little brother Robert living in Florida during segregation. After an encounter with a white boy who made Gloria feel uncomfortable, Robert felt the need to defend Gloria and ended up in a physical altercation. The court sentenced Robert to The Reformatory which was a juvenile detention facility for boys under 21. Once Robert arrives, he realizes he can see and talk to the spirits and ghosts of the dead boys who used to live at the Reformatory. This scares Robert but soon becomes a useful tool once the warden finds out about his special abilities. The book is VERY long and felt drawn out at times. The subject matter is hard to read but knowing it’s inspired from a true story made it even more heart breaking. It was good but sadly not a favorite for me this month. Rating: 7

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