me_alley's reviews
1110 reviews

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

medium-paced

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

4.0

Lucie is a single mom who doesn't date.   Her daughter, Maya, thinks she is lonely, so she calls in to a radio station in their hometown of Baltimore to ask for advice.  Lucie is furious to see 12 year old Maya on the phone after 10 and hearing a grown man on the other line, so she takes the phone and meets host Aiden Valentine.   They talk about her dating life, and Aiden falls for her voice (ok, seriously?) and the interview goes viral.  

Soon Lucie becomes a part of the show as they work through her love life and find her a boyfriend.   Due to forced proximity, they naturally fall in love.  I loved that she was still good friends with Maya's father and his husband and her friends gave her a hard time and teased her about her relationship.   I could have used more Maya, she was a good and, I feel, underdeveloped character.   I absolutely loved the conversations between Lucie and Aiden, the author really helped me feel them falling for each other and realize it before they did.  

It got slightly slow in the middle but the beginning and end were definitely 5 stars.  I love the dialogue and the pacing.  I am not big on the spicy scenes so I skipped those, there were 3 specific skips.  I love characters that are flawed yet likable, and this definitely fits the bill.  

Perfect new release for Valentine's week!

Dead Money: A Novel by Jakob Kerr

tense fast-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

3.75

A crime procedural/thriller with a great setting- Silicon Valley tech center.  A billionaire is murdered in his office, the San Francisco police department fumbles the case. So the story begins 22 days after the murder, when the FBI starts an investigation.  They determine that his will has dead money- all of his billions cannot be allocated until his murder is solved.  

Mackenzie is the main character; she has a tragic back story and a disjointed POV that jumps back to years before.  This all sets up the twists at the conclusion of this gripping mystery.  Mackenzie is a “fixer” for a venture capitalist- someone very good at her job in pulling the strings to make things better for her boss.  She becomes the unofficial partner of the FBI as they question each of the inner sanctum of the executive team at Journy, the fictional firm cofounder by the slain CEO.  

I really appreciated how this author took the time to develop the characters and back story.  There is also a sneakily hidden “recap” every few chapters as the characters review what they have learned.  This is effective so you can determine what is important to the story.  Really loved the setting and engrossing world of politics and tech funding.  

If you like a thriller/procedural: this is a fun new release to pick up.  

Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau

lighthearted fast-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? No

3.0

All time loop stories now have a slight variation on the theme.  It is a fun premise, that someone lives the same day over and over again.  In this case, Noelle has landed in a time loop on June 20th, and quickly uncovers that another woman, Avery, is in the exact same loop.  They are complete strangers except that they both got dumplings the day before the loop.  Avery has been stuck in a bad relationship and Noelle has been stuck hiding away from relationships for the last 6 years.  Is this loop meant for them to take the next steps they need to?

Part two has a fun twist and good characters.   I liked Noelle and Avery and their friendship and partnership even more than Noelle's romantic connection with Cam.

Great for fans of Ashley Poston and Kate Robb. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.  Book to be published May 6, 2025. 

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

tense fast-paced

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

4.0

So twisty! I am dizzy from the twists.  Rosie has had some unfortunate moments in the past, and her ex Brad called her crazy.  A long history of men calling women "crazy" and it is unfortunate.   This is a murder Mystery and has themes of stalkers vibes and close friends.   There are a few people to keep track of.. 

Rosie
Morgan
Edith
Piper
Blair
Nina
Daphne

Keep track of all those people.

Karaoke Queen by Dominic Lim

funny inspiring reflective fast-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? No

5.0

This book was very sweet.  A closed door romance romcom about the drag community.  I was moved to tears several times.

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I hadn’t, until now, seen this book described as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. 

I did not get that vibe. 

I really loved this book before the magical elements were introduced at around 30%.  It read more like thriller/horror to me at that point. 

I loved the setting and writing style, but the story was only ok. 

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

adventurous reflective fast-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? No

3.75

This book is weird, but in the best way.  It feels similar to the Cerulean series in that it is a built family with two dads.  But instead of mutant kids, Alex and Nate have Artemis Darth Vader.  Nate has inherited his parents truck and cabin after their violent and untimely death.  His parents reacted poorly when they discovered he is gay. When he gets to the cabin he finds a marine and a 10 year old girl who are - for reasons unknown to Nate- in hiding.  

I don’t want to give away a lot of the plot points, but this is a pretty action packed book from about 40% on.   The set up feels a bit slow but- really- every page and scene is necessary.  It went in a direction I did not expect, this is basically a fantasy/magical book with realistic elements.  

The epilogue is great.  TJ Kline doesn’t miss.  

All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad fast-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

10/10 one of my best books of 2025 - contemporary literary fiction. 

Sandy hasn’t had the best luck in love.  A ten year relationship with a man who wouldn’t commit, another man she really didn’t love but still made her feel insecure.   She finds herself pregnant with a guy who she doesn’t like all that much that she met on a dating app.  She has a beautiful baby girl then finds out her child’s father has another child to a different woman.  

Because we have way too much information available to us all the time, she cyber stalks the other woman, Stephanie.  As she is pumping her breast milk, she accidentally hits follow.  Steph sees the follow request right away, which changes both of their lives forever.  

This is 2025’s heartwarming message fiction of the year.  Like Margo’s Got Money Troubles, we find ourselves empathetic and fiercely protective of a single mom, and cheer on her best efforts.   The men in this book are disappointing, particularly Justin, her baby’s father.   But for all his faults, Justin does bring together a family despite himself and his weird codependent relationship with his mom.  Sandy’s pre-mom friends also are caricatures of an unsupportive “friend” who is more self-centered.  

But over the course of the book Sandy discovers the real meaning of love, connection, and family.  

These CHARACTERS.  They are so well fleshed out, so complicated and compelling. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Madison at Random House Marketing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.   I was unfamiliar with the author and hadn’t seen any marketing for this book, special thank you to the team who made this book available to me. Book to be published May 6, 2025.  This review is uncompensated.

Isola by Allegra Goodman

slow-paced

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

2.0

A story of 1400’s France where a noble girl is basically shafted, exiled to Canada with her maid and her sweetheart.  She survives alone by fighting the elements. The first 10% is great and then it gets incredibly boring until around 60% when it gets a bit dramatic and gross.  I like the last 5%.  Overall this was very pretentious and boring.   

The Dogs of Venice by Steven Rowley

reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I was given an ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review, thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam.   A sweet yet sad redemptive story, this is a character study of a man who goes on a romantic Christmas trip solo to Venice.   His husband asked for a divorce and he was in denial, but decided to go on his own.  Paul seems like a lost soul, and he does a lot of soul searching and seeking connection on his trip.

Obviously this is a shorter story, I can't help but want to know more about Paul.   It is almost a creative writing challenge to tell a story in this short of a format.   It has sweet dialogue and I found Paul to be relatable.   Although he is heartbroken, he is not pathetic and grows over time.  

If you have the chance to read this, it is worth the hour it will take to read. It was released as audible only a few years ago, and now it is being released in hardcover.   Nice that it will reach a larger audience, but it is a pretty short book to cost $22.