book reviews

Everything I Read – March 2025 Part 2

1. Margo’s Got Money Troubles

This book was an up and down roller coaster for me in terms of my enjoyment of it. I ended up really loving the ending but the story and some of the dialogue is strange. Some may find it quirky, but I found it off putting at times.

Margo is a young college student trying to balance her academic life with her working life until she has an affair with her professor and ends up pregnant. With no support from family or the professor, Margo drops out of school and start working to provide for her child. But the only jobs available do not pay very well. So Margo decides to try something completely out of her comfort zone and makes an Only Fans account. Soon the money is rolling in but Margo is conflicted with what she does versus how society views it. Margo puts a different kind of spin on her content and finds an untapped market. I like the overall premise of the book and how Margo deals with adversity and fights to overcome so many obstacles but the story did get weird at times so just know that. LOL Rating: 7.5

2. We Solve Murders

Frankly, I have no recollection of what this book was about because it did not keep my attention in the slightest. LOL As soon as it was done, I completely erased it from my brain. Clearly I am in the minority with this though because it is a best selling novel. So don’t let my dislike of it completely dissuade you. Amy works in private security and is assigned to protect a famous author. Things seem calm and normal until a dead body turns up and someone seems to be trying to target Amy instead of the famous author. Amy reaches out to her father-in-law who is a former investigator and they try to find out who is behind this targeted attack. So many people loved this book but it was sadly not a hit for me. Rating: 4

3. The Return of Ellie Black

I enjoyed this mystery but did find it slow moving at times so it wasn’t my favorite out of this group. Ellie Black was a young teenage girl that disappeared a few years ago and then was found alive wandering the woods with no explanation of how she got there. Detective Calhoun is assigned to the case and struggles with trying to get a straight story out of Ellie. What is she hiding and why is she hiding it? It took me a bit to get through but overall was an interesting story. Rating: 8

4. The Perfect Daughter

My jaw was ON THE FLOOR at the twist in this book. It took me completely by surprise in the best possible way!

Penny is a 16 year old with an unknown traumatic past and has developed multiple personalities to deal with her experiences. Penny was adopted into a loving home but still struggles with demons from her past. When Penny is found at the home of her birth mother, covered in blood and standing over her mother’s lifeless body, she has no recollection of how she got here and what happened. The evidence against her is damning but Penny’s family is fighting to give her the best possible chance of an acquittal. They hire an amazing lawyer and try to get her care from a licensed professional that can understand Penny’s mental challenges. This book will keep you hooked from the very beginning and stun you with the revelation at the end. Rating: 9

5. Night Road

I love Kristin Hannah books so I already knew this would be a hit for me. I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of her other stories, but nonetheless I love the way Kristin Hannah tells stories and this one was no exception.

Mia and Zach are teenage twins that come from a loving and stable home. Lexi is the new girl in town and has left behind a ton of trauma in hopes of a new start living with a relative. On the first day of school, Lexi and Mia meet and become instant best friends. Over the years, Mia, Zach and Lexi all become inseparable and the closest of friends. That is until Lexi and Zach begin to have feelings for each other and this threatens the dynamic of their little group. A devastating tragedy puts this friendship to the test and changes the course of all their lives forever. As with all Kristin Hannah books, there is so much emotion in this story which makes it such a great read. Rating: 8.5

6. What Happened to Nina

This book is loosely based on the Gabby Petito case and was one of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a LONG time. Simon and Nina are a young couple in love and go away for a few days to Simon’s family’s cabin to enjoy some time together. When Simon returns home but Nina never does, Nina’s parents are frantic and want answers as to her whereabouts. Simon claims he and Nina broke up during their trip and he left her at the cabin. When Nina’s parents arrive at Simon’s house for more answers, Simon’s parents stonewall them and stand by their son’s story. The suspense in this book isn’t from the actual event in question but the search for getting justice kept me on the edge of my seat. I could NOT put this book down from start to finish! Rating: 9

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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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