babewithabookandabeer's reviews
340 reviews

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Thank you St. Martins Press  for my Netgalley copy of DARK CORNERS by Megan Goldin, out 8/8/2023.

I loved the Rachel Krall novel #1, The Night Swim, and I SUPER loved this follow-up to it!! Give me all the Rachel Krall books!!! I want 17,482 books with this character. Make Megan Goldin the new James Patterson, please please please. After recently reading PEOPLE TO FOLLOW, I love the inclusion of influencers in thrillers! It makes for fun and dramatic reading, and the twist in this is shockingly gripping.

Compared to the first book, I loved the addition of romance. I was so nervous of this inclusion (I hate when women sleep with a man and then find out he’s a killer after having such enticing intuition the rest of the novel) so I’m glad they didn’t go that route. 

I also liked how spicy Rachel was in this book compared to the first. She takes no ones shit and is incredibly sassy at times. I feel like we go to know her more as a character instead of just a bystander to the crime. She’s a whole piece to the puzzle as we uncover the story. 

This book is EXTREMELY readable - I read it in less than 2 days! I’ve said it a hundred times, but I will read anything Megan Goldin reads. Big thanks to the publisher for giving me early access to one of my fave authors!

Highly recommend checking this one out after you read The Night Swim (but it can also be read as a standalone!). 

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Thank you William Morrow for my Netgalley copy of JUST ANOTHER MISSING PERSON by Gillian McAllister, out 8/1/2023.

The twists in this book are insane! This book follows a detective named Julia who comes across a missing person case and she soon realizes this case could bring up her deepest, darkest secret. I was a little bored in the beginning, but then I quickly got sucked into Julia’s impossible moral choice she has to make. The first twist had me guffawed! Then, I kept reading and THAT LAST CHAPTER. WOW. It had me hollering, ngl.

I liked this book MUCH more than her other novel, WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME, and I’ll definitely pick up something next from her. Sometimes I get confused with references and slang from the United Kingdom, but I just keep trucking along. I’m going to seek out McAllister’s backlist next as I love how she writes about parenthood and fleshes out such deep characters, especially for the thriller genre. This book followed three parents forced to make different choices to protect the ones they love and it was done exceptionally well. 

Gillian McAllister is not afraid to write morally grey and flawed characters full of so much love. Definitely check out her writing if you’re looking for a twisty thriller with a dose of lengths a person will go to to protect their child. The acknowledgements at the end were beautifully written as well as McAllister is about to become a first-time mother. I never would have guessed based on how well she writes motherhood.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my Netgalley copy of THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins, out 1/9/24. 

TALK ABOUT AN UNPUTDOWNABLE THRILLER! This may be the fastest I’ve ever read a book because I could not stop swiping. It is the Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo meets the people of The Appalachia. 

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

From there, we follow dual POV’s of Camden and his wife Jules as they head back to Appalachia after years away and secrets come to light. Slowly, we learn about Ruby’s kidnapping, her failed marriages and the lengths her bloodthirsty and money-hungry family will go to get what they think they’re owed.

The twists and turns are a mess of fun and it’ll have clutching your pearls as you flip the page!

This book is pure entertainment and I guarantee if you read it, you won’t want to put it down. Perfect for the beach, a lazy day in bed or sipping a beer at the bar by yourself. 

People to Follow by Olivia Worley

funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you Wednesday Books for my Netgalley copy of PEOPLE TO FOLLOW by Olivia Worley, out 10/31/23.

Ten teen influencers come to a remote island to star in a reality show, but when one of them winds up dead, they realize that this time, the price of being “cancelled” could be their lives.

This book was outrageous! It was completely goofy and ridiculous, but also I finished it in practically one sitting, so…..

This book is a page-turning ride with multiple POVs that are pretty easy to keep separate with distinct voices and commentary on influencer culture that is very modern, very true and very disturbingly fascinating. Definitely for fans of Gossip Girl, Love Island, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Dance Moms, etc. This is a YA thriller so it is very juvenile at times, but it’s so fun and fresh. Compared to your run-of-the-mill thriller, you need to love pointless drama to really enjoy it (it’s me, I love drama). The ending reveal is nuts and I loved every second of it.

Would love to read more from Olivia Worley and hope she comes out with an adult novel next!

Mister Magic by Kiersten White

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Thank you Del Rey Books for my Netgalley copy of MISTER MAGIC by Kiersten White, out 8/1/23.

Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show—and discover the secret of its enigmatic host—in this dark supernatural thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide (which is now on my TBR!!!).

I loved this book a lot, which is funny because I was utterly confused just about the entire time I was reading it! Even when you finish, you find yourself a little lost in processing it. You’ll probably think you know the metaphor behind it, then you’ll read the acknowledgements and understand completely. The format is choppy and fast, and includes formatting choices that keep you on the edge of your seat (blog excerpts, reddit threads, podcast transcripts and more!). 

I think this book is best when you go in blind, don’t memorize the synopsis and don’t look anything up until you finish! It’s one of the most unique, eccentric, complex, weird and invigorating books I’ve ever read and it’ll probably top my ‘list of best reads’ for the year!

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you Scribner Books for my Netgalley copy of DEATH VALLEY by Melissa Broder, out 10/24/23.

I am a Melissa Broder super fan. Her book of essays, SO SAD TODAY, was one of the first books I reviewed on this account in 2016! I am so grateful I got an early copy of her newest literary brilliance. Death Valley is a darkly funny novel about grief that becomes a desert survival story.

Full of magical realism in the middle as she legitimately goes crazy from dehydration and sun poisoning as she gets lost in the dessert, this is my favorite Broder to date. It’s still weird, goofy and full of shit that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it’s also profound in its musings about grief over losing someone who is still alive.

Clearly a form of semi-autofiction, Broder has internal monologues about dealing with her dad in the ICU and her chronically ill and disabled husband worsening by the day. The book was very emotional, laugh out loud funny and puts you in a dream-like trance. 

Broder’s reflection on how the relationship with our parents impacts us in more ways than one is her superpower. If you’ve read other Broder books and didn’t like it, you won’t like this either. The voice is the same, with a unique and bonkers setting and plot. I could read a grocery list written by Broder and now it’s her - her voice lives in my head. She is me. I am her. I love her. I want to be her. I want to date her. I want to crawl in her skin and zip myself up! 

Read this one and become one with Melissa Broder like me.

Lush Lives by J. Vanessa Lyon

5.0

Thank you Roxane Gay Books for my Netgalley copy of LUSH LIVES by J. Vanessa Lyon, out 8/1/23. 

This is a novel about brilliant and bold women in Harlem, New York in the art and auction scene. I loved it! I almost DNF’d in the beginning because it’s slow to start, but I enjoyed the way it wrapped up and I really liked learning more about auctioneering and high-brow appraisals. If you were a fan of SIRENS & MUSES, I think you would enjoy this book. It has queer love (and messy and stubborn communication tropes) and a look into the rich Black history of the Harlem Renaissance.

I don’t want to spoil the twist in it, but just know you will be googling a lot about Black literary history! I found this to be less of a romance (how it is marketed) and more literary fiction. The writing can be pretentious at times and the dialogue/spicy scenes a little cringey, but overall I really enjoyed how I felt after finishing the book. It turned almost into a thriller at the end (does this book understand what it is trying to be?) and a lot of readers didn’t like it, but I think they are being a little harsh. If you are interested in learning about the NY art world, how it aids and abetts controversial wealth stacking on the backs of Black & Brown people, how the pharmecutical industry created an epidemic killing LGBTQIA+ people and a frustrating lesbian love plot, pick this one up.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

Thank you Penguin Random House for my Netgalley copy of THE RACHEL INCIDENT by Caroline O’Donoghue, out 6/27/23. 

I loved this book more than I thought I would. It is a laugh-out-loud lit fic novel about best friends in their 20’s before they figure themselves out, falling in and out of love with the wrong people and the right people at the wrong time. Sally Rooney taught me I love reading books about Ireland 20-somethings and Caroline O’Donoghue reminded me. 

The ending is incredible. I loved how everything wrapped up and I adore both Rachel and James as characters. There were moments (the dinner party scene!) that made me gasp out loud in public. There are also keen little details that are so universal, but haven’t seen them descfribed like that before and I loved it! I also enjoyed learning more about the Ireland abortion referendum and how it impacted Irish women having to travel to London for abortions and how the recession and financial crash impacted places outside of the US in the 2010’s with fresh college grads and boomers alike.

I would of loved if James had a POV in this book, but I also respect the authors choice to make Rachel the forefront voice. It also was enticing to read about a closeted man in his 40’s in contrast to a young gay man coming out for the first time. 

All in all, highly recommend this book! It’s a great read and will definitely seek out more from this author. I love that this book was clearly based around the authors lived experience and real-life best friend Ryan. The idea of “two friends trying to create huge, romantic worlds for themselves.” <3

Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero

5.0

Thank you Harper Collins for my Netgalley copy of FLORES AND MISS PAULA by Melissa Rivero, out 12/5/23.

I adored this tender, sweet and loving book. For fans of Angie Cruz’s HOW TO NOT DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER and Gabriela Garcia’s OF WOMEN AND SALT, this book follows thirtysomething Flores and her mother Paula, a firstgen daughter with student loan debt and Peruvian immigrant in alternating POVs living together in one apartment in Brooklyn over a single summer. Three years following the death of their beloved patriarch, MartÍn, Flores finds a note in her mother’s handwriting that says “PerdÍname si te falle. Recuerda que siempre te quise.” Forgive me if I failed you. Remember that I always loved you. Both women recall old memories, grapple with their grief and try to figure out their purpose.

Paula thinks her daughter should focus more on finding love instead of working tirelessly for an aquarium start-up her old college friend runs. Flores thinks her mother needs to learn to stick up for herself and stop aching for a married man. Suddenly, the mother-daughter duo learns they have to leave the one home they’ve shared together, and with the one they miss the most, and they are forced to confront each other with hard-to-accept truths. I cried, cried, and cried some more during the final chapters. It is so soft and caring. The two women’s voices are so distinct and cared for with such grace! Rivero is an author I am sure to seek out again with anything she writes. The ending is beautiful! Brava brava brava. Preorder this one.

The Glow by Jessie Gaynor

5.0

Thank you Random House for my Netgalley copy of THE GLOW by Jess Gaynor, out 6/20/23.

This book was SO fun to read and was right up my alley! It follows Jane, a desperate young publicist trying to save her career by turning a charismatic leader of a granola retreat center she found on her Instagram Explore page from #HealthIsWealth and #LoveYourself hashtags into a hot, new self-care wellness brand. A satirical lit fic read on wellness culture and social media influencing??? Say no more. 

This is the most millennial book ever following a woman struggling with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Forced to call everything as a part of self-care as ‘inherently’ feminist’ for her job, she simultaneously goes on lackluster dates with men she knows are not interesting but still hopes they text her back. Like, imagine dealing with women who do HoLiStiC colon hydrotherapy for hundreds of dollars when gay men have been doing at-home enemas for ages LOL.

If you liked Nine Perfect Strangers, Booksmart, Cultish, No One Is Talking About This, White Lotus, Dolly Alderton, and Lularich… you will love this book! This book is ridiculously deadpan and hilariously entertaining. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions and the authentic accuracy will make you gasp (you’ll relate if you’ve ever memorized the back of a shampoo bottle while taking a shit because you forgot to bring your phone into the bathroom). If the capitalist hellscape of wellness culture has you fractured and burnt out, pick up this book. 

The ending could have been more climactic maybe, but it worked. The blurb is, "Are helping people and making money mutually exclusive? And once you become a girlboss, can you ever go back?" LOLOLOL I loved this book. Jess Gaynor girlbossed too close to the sun with this one. Read it, please!