Score by Kennedy Ryan

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Pages: 384 pages
Published: May 2026

I read Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan in 2023, and while many readers adored it and the subsequent books in the series, her writing style didn’t resonate with me. So, when one of my book club friends suggested I try Score, I was hesitant but made a genuine effort to approach it with an open mind. Unfortunately, I found more of the same: serious themes paired with superficial character development and a heavy reliance on open-door sex scenes that overshadowed the emotional core of the story. 

The story centers on Verity Hill and Wright “Monk” Bellamy, who meet in college and fall into what some might call love, but felt more like lust. Their relationship implodes after Verity experiences a life-changing event she never fully explains, and the two go their separate ways without another word. Fast forward 20 years and we find Verity, a successful screenwriter, and Monk, a celebrated musician who score films. Fate brings them back together on a major project in Los Angeles, and for the sake of their careers, they agree to work together amicably. As old feelings resurface, they must confront the possibility of rekindling their relationship, yet both are still withholding the truth. Verity has never been honest about what happened in college, and Monk can’t fully acknowledge his lingering feelings or the broken trust between them. 

I really wanted to like this book. Like the earlier book I read, this one attempts to explore mental health, identity, and emotional healing – all topics I find compelling. But what could have been a deeper, more nuanced examination of these issues was overshadowed by explicit scenes and limited relational development. By the end, I didn’t believe Verity and Monk’s connection was rooted in love. Their bond made sense in their young college years, but not in their later 30s. I never understood how either character knew the other was “the one” when most of their interactions centered on physical attraction rather than meaningful emotional intimacy. 

My other challenge with the book was the open-door sex scenes. It’s simply not my jam. I think it’s quite possible to craft an emotionally-resonant romance novel without giving the play-by-play of what happens behind closed doors. This is not something I enjoy reading, and I honestly don’t think it adds value to any story, especially when there were so many other facets that could have been explored more deeply in this novel: mental health and its stigma in the Black community. death, grief, healing, forgiveness, just to name a few. At times, it felt like the novel was trying to do too much. You can write a thoughtful, emotionally-rich story, or you can write smut. But trying to merge the two and present it as cerebral didn’t work for me.

Recommendation: I promised I would go into this story with an open mind and give Kennedy Ryan a fair chance. After finishing Score, I think the verdict is that her style of writing just isn’t my cup of tea. And that’s OK. She’s a prolific author with a huge and devoted following, so losing me as a reader isn’t going to make a dent in her success. Not every book is for everyone, and this one was not for me. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Firstborn Girls: A Memoir by Bernice L. McFadden

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 400 pages
Published: March 2025

Firstborn Girls by Bernice L. McFadden found me by way of a new virtual book club, TheBrowneGirlReads, that highlights and honors the work of writers across the African Diaspora. Being a part of a book club that celebrates authors who look like me and write stories about my community as well as discussing these non-fiction narratives and fictional stories with other relatable women has been one of my personal bright spots of 2025. In my quest to read more book club selections in general (I’m a member of several different clubs.), I pre-ordered this book without hesitation. And to be honest, the title piqued my interest as I, too, am a firstborn girl. 

The book is a non-fiction, personal account of McFadden’s life from about the age of two, where she survives a horrific car accident up until the publication of her debut novel, Sugar. Throughout the memoir, she not only details her coming of age in chronological order but also shares vignettes about her family members, specifically her grandmother, mother, and daughter who are also firstborn girls, Interspersed, McFadden includes timely historical accounts of current events happening at the time to help help provide context to her life stories while giving them depth and providing the reader with perspective. 

The author’s vulnerability shines through in her dedication to provide a descriptive picture of her life as she shares the challenges that her birth order and gender afforded her. McFadden details both the highs and lows she endured as a firstborn girl growing up in a dysfunctional household in New York. I do believe people who are able to withstand the toughest trials end up being some of the most brilliant talents, and this definitely holds true for McFadden. Additionally, she offers some beautiful accounts of her personal experiences when she explains how her angelcestors* have watched over her.  

America was and remains a powder keg, and often the match that lights the fuse is racism. -p. 5

Gwen made a face. “You mad or what? I ain’t wasting my vote on her. What a woman know ‘bout running a country, anyway, huh? And a Black woman at that! If you think dem white people are going to vote for her, you just as mad as that Patsy Hill girl!” -p. 94 [speaking of Shirley Chisholm’s presidential run not Kamala Harris’]

There weren’t just books, they were my friends, my security blankets, my pacifiers, and my safety nets. -p. 105

In America, she is legally white because the Supreme Court says that people from Syria/Lebanon are racially white. Which proves yet again that race is a construct without biologically meaning. -p. 164

She spoke like she knew her way around a plate of fried chicken, black-eyed peas, and corn bread. Like she might not have been able to double Dutch but could turn. The thing I’m trying to tell you is that girl clapped on the two and the four and not the one and the three. -p. 170

But I’m talking about it now because I’m tired if keeping it to myself, and I’ve learned that things that live in the dark, die in the light. -p. 184

At the age of forty-four, Amanda died in 1893 of neurasthenia- also known as nervous exhaustion. Being Black and female in America is still an exhausting existence. -p. 254

If damned if you do and damned if you don’t were a people, those people would be Black. -p. 301

In America, Black kids don’t get to be kids, especially in the eyes of white people. Black children have been adultified since slavery, perceived as older and less innocent than white children. For hundreds of years, they’ve used this as an excuse to exact violence on our children. -p. 302-303

Penance aids the sinner; it does not erase the crime or the people harmed. -p. 303

I suspect the peek into his family history made him feel less alone in the world, maybe in some strange way it made him feel powerful. Maybe that’s why America works so hard at erasing and rewriting the true history of Black people in this country. -p. 329

While reading this book, I had to remind myself that I was learning about someone’s real life because McFadden writes in such a gripping and arresting way, that sharing her life almost feels like fictional storytelling to the reader. Most of my reading of this book was done with my physical hard copy, but I also took advantage of Spotify to listen to the book while driving. I don’t often do this, but I was so invested in quickly learning more about the author, I wanted to utilize each free moment I had to dive in more. 

Recommendation: McFadden is a talented and prolific writer, and I am shamed to admit I had read none of her works until now. I have, indeed, been missing out. After quickly consuming this novel, I am sure to pick up another work by her very soon. I highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in history, genealogy, or want to get to know more about McFadden’s fascinating life. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

*Angelcestor is a term coined and trademarked by Bernice L. McFadden that combines the terms angel and ancestor to honor those who have passed but continue to guide and safeguard their descendants.

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Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 400 pages
Published: February 2025

A historical fiction delight by prolific author Victoria Christopher Murray, Harlem Rhapsody tells the long-hidden story of real-life Jessie Redmon Fauset who was the first and only literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP’s premier publication. Having been designated this distinctive title by the founder and her secret lover, W.E.B. Dubois, Fauset took this opportunity to not only hone her writing skills but spark a generation of legendary literary geniuses active during the Harlem Renaissance movement. 

The novel is, of course, set in Harlem, New York, and spans the six-year period covering Fauset’s reign as literary editor. Through Murray’s descriptive and captivating prose, we learn about this very real person who contributed much to modern-day literature by way of her mentorship, creative assets, and service to the Black community. As the author herself says, all Black authors today stand on the shoulders of Fauset who birthed a movement in the proper representation of the Black culture without frivolous stereotypes told by Black creatives themselves. 

While much of the novel focuses on Fauset’s work, there is an underlying plot that details the very true history of her affair with W.E.B. Dubois. Through Murray’s fictional storytelling, based on solid research and historical evidence, the reader learns of the conflict Fauset wrestled with in trying to make a career for herself in the 1920s and balancing that with a forbidden relationship that imposed limitations on how far she could excel. This multi-faceted story also introduces the reader to the origin stories of many literary legends, like Countee Cullen, Nella Larsen, and Zora Neale Hurston, who have name recognition today, but were young and relatively unknown during this time. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this complex and engaging novel. I appreciate a good story that not only entertains but informs, and Harlem Rhapsody did just that. Additionally, the author - a gifted writer of today’s time - shared so many beautiful passages when painting in-depth word pictures. Here are just a few I noted for memorializing. 

Literature can be useful in this fight for equality. That’s what I tell my daughter. She can change this world with words. - p. 5

Any art by Negroes must serve one purpose alone — to uplift the race and present Negroes in a way white folks have never seen. Art must serve to change more than minds, art must change hearts. Through literature, stories can be shared that recognize the contributions colored folks have made in just fifty years, post-emancipation. The written word can be more powerful than any speech I can deliver. - p.5

Negro women in America will continue to reach the highest levels, continue to be the best and the brightest, and then force others to tell us that with these qualifications, we are disqualified. We will force others to tell us that our credentials are fine; our complexions are what’s offensive. - p. 180

I’m so grateful to her for encouraging me to read. The characters inside books became my friends. I loved every story, even the tragic ones. Because even in tragedy, the words can make a pitiable life beyond beautiful. - p. 190

That one-drop definition comes from white supremacists. I’ve never understood why anyone would abide by the rules and rantings of madmen. How can men who hate me, without knowing me, define me? - p. 207

Recommendation: This book covers a lot of ground in an easily digestible format. It was an excellent choice by my book club to celebrate both Black and women’s history. I highly recommend this novel for literary fiction fans who also enjoy learning about historically hidden figures, who are, thankfully, hidden no more. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Pages: 372 pages
Published: October 2023

I snagged a copy of A Winter in New York by Josie Silver when I had a Book of the Month subscription in late 2023. I tucked the book away in one of my TBR (to be read) piles and quickly forgot about it. Then, I got stung by the Christmas bug in 2024 and wanted to read something light and happy that aligned with this joyful time of year. So, I opened up my Libby app and downloaded a copy of this book. I kept thinking, gosh that cover looks familiar. I soon realized a couple of pages in I owned a hard copy. So, I returned the library book for someone else and switched to the physical copy. 

Silver presents a heartwarming story that begins with a meet cute ... in a bookstore! ... between the two main characters Iris, a young chef, and Gio, whose family owns the local gelato shop in her neighborhood. Iris is recovering from a very difficult romantic relationship, and Gio is trying to figure out how to save his family's shop as his uncle, the only person who knows the secret family recipe to the one gelato flavor the shop is famous for, is ill and unable to recall. On top of those challenges, Iris soon realizes she has a familial connection to this shop that could jeopardize Gio's uncle and her budding friendship with Gio. 

The author is an excellent writer who beautifully captures the magic of the season and the New York setting. Her writing is engaging and creates a moderately-paced novel. As with most romcoms like this, the plot is mainly predictable, but there are definitely some deviations that took me by surprise. Overall, I enjoyed the story and found the novel delightful and meeting the needs of the read I was looking for this season. I wish some of the secondary characters were better developed and Iris didn't drag her lies (by omission) on for so long, as it became trite over time. 

Recommendation: I enjoyed the romance with a touch of holiday spirit that provided a cozy escape for the holiday season. The book reminded me of the movie While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock, so I watched that shortly after to continue the good feels! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 288 pages
Published: October 2023

Anne Bogel of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club raved about The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok during her 2023 Fall Book Preview event. I thought the synopsis sounded intriguing, so when Book of the Month offered it as a selection I chose it for my monthly subscription box. 

In short, the novel tells a believable yet fictional tale of a young woman, Jasmine, who escapes her abusive husband in China in search of her daughter who she believed to have died during childbirth. Her husband told her this horrible tale because of China's One Child Policy. Because of his position in the government, he only wanted - and could only afford - a male descendant. Jasmine learns her daughter has been adopted by a white American couple - Brandon and Rebecca - living in New York. So, she puts herself into impossible-to-overcome debt and absconds to the U.S. in search of the daughter she never knew with plans to recover her and for them to make a life of their own together. 

Each chapter is told either from Jasmine's first-person perspective or from the third-person perspective when developing and defining Rebecca's character. Both women are as different in personality and socioeconomic status as in the way their stories are presented. I struggled for most of the book with this, not fully understanding the change in perspective. However, later in the book, a plot twist is revealed that adds clarity to this incongruent approach. 

Overall, the story is relatively short - just shy of 300 pages, but there are so many details offered up with such beautiful prose that one cannot rush reading this book. My favorite thing about reading, especially fiction, is a beautifully-constructed sentence, and Kwok peppers these thought-provoking passages throughout her novel resulting in an engaging story that captures, commands and captivates the reader's attention. Some of my favorites are: 

Why was it that women had to pay the price for men’s desires? -p. 85
 

I was trying to hold on to the illusion that I could work in a place like this and do it on my own terms, but I already knew, deep inside, that Opium was going to infiltrate my skin, soak into my pores until I wouldn't be able to tell where I ended, and it began. Walk often enough by the river's edge and your shoes will get wet. -p. 126


In China, I’d seen posters warning girls of the danger of becoming leftover women, women that no one wanted. Leftover like scraps on a table, uneaten food, both sacrilege and wasteful, something that should have nourished our country squandered and turned into rubbish: unwanted, purposeless, of no use to anyone. -p. 167-168


When you love the house, you just love the crows on the roof as well. -p. 211

Recommendation: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In hindsight, I would not have read it near Christmas as it was sad in its themes, but it did provide a ray of hope in the uplifting, but not totally neatly-packaged, ending. This is a book you read not for a highly actionable plot, although there was some of that, but the journey in following the characters and their storylinles. I'd highly recommend this book for the lone reader or for invigorating discussing with a book club. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 292 pages
Published: May 2014

I was gifted The Vacationers by a coworker who read this Emma Straub novel during her honeymoon to Kaua'i. Since I was going to the same island for my honeymoon, albeit years later, I thought I'd save the book for a nice beach read during my stay. And I successfully implemented my plan. Husband. Check. Beach. Check. Book. Check!

The story is about the Post family who travels to Spain during the summer holiday where their teenage daughter, Sylvia, will be immersed in Spanish with a personal tutor. Joining them is their adult son, Bobby and his girlfriend and their two family friends, Charles and his husband Lawrence. Together, they will celebrate what will be Franny and Jim Post's 35-wedding anniversary. However, as with most families, dysfunction and secrets kept that eventually spill make for a challenging time over the course two-week vacation. 

This is one of those stories where there isn't a ton of action. It's more-so just a peek into normal character's lives and the challenges they face. There are some deeper topics, but nothing too heavy, and the book's pace allowed me to participate in the Posts vacation while I was on mine. The book is less than 300 pages, and made for a nice and easy read while soaking up some sun. 

Recommendation: I enjoyed this book. I suspect I enjoyed it because of circumstance and surroundings, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I would recommend it as a light read to help readers get out of a reading slump. And if sun, sand, and water can be your backdrop while reading it, I highly recommend that too! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Pages: 295 pages
Published: September 2021

Is there a such thing as too many plot twists? In Alice Feeney's latest novel, Rock Paper Scissors, I would say yes. There was simply too much going on in this story about a couple who win this weekend in a remote area of Scotland during a snowstorm.  The author provides the audience with an unreliable narrator through omniscient storytelling and letters from the wife. As the case in most mysteries, there is a plot twist toward the end of the book, and this one is pretty dark and twisty. 

This is an interesting, albeit unrealistic, story. For the most part, I enjoyed the journey of reading. I am interested to see what the screenwriters do with the Netflix adaptation. I liked the twist. I did not see it coming, and I think it was cleverly done; however, I just wasn't a fan of the ending. It's probably the just and fair side of me that felt a little cheated, but that's all I'll say without giving any more away. 

Recommendation: This is my first Feeney read, and I'd recommend it, especially during a cold winter weekend. It's a fast read that will get your blood pumping and warm you up in no time! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Pages: 381 pages
Published: January 2021

I am disappointed to report that it took me a long two weeks to complete Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour. A debut novel about a young black man currently working at one of my favorite places but also searching for himself and striving for success as eventually finds himself in a sales role in bumbling New York City.  

The book opens with Darren Vender living in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his widowed mother surrounded and supported by his close-knit community. A chance encounter with an exectuive from the top floor of the building where Darren works as a Starbucks barista lands him the opportunity of a lifetime at a start-up company run by that executive. From there Darren transforms into Buck, and the story quickly moves from one unrealistic scenario to another ultimately falling flat. 

While I did appreciate the nods to the culture and how music was incorporated in the first half of the book, I didn't really like the premise of a novel as a sales manual. If I wanted to read a sales manual or a motivational book on how to become a salesperson, I would have done just that - not purchased a novel disguised as one. I think the biggest issue for me was the treatment of women in general, but especially women of color, as characters in the book. They were grossly underdeveloped. And the cherry on top was Soraya being depicted as his ever-devoted girlfriend even though Buck treated her and her father so horribly. I'm all about forgiveness, but I just don't see how any real woman could have forgotten his behavior in the first half of the book to the point that she stuck with him in the end. (Note: This isn't a spoiler. If interested, you'd have to read the book to understand where Buck lands at the end to get my point.) 

Recommendation: I like giving debut authors a chance, especially often overlooked authors of color, and I'm glad I gave Askaripour a chance and read his book all the way through, even the acknowledgements. This book was not my cup of tea (or cup of joe), but he promises his next one won't be anything like this one. So, who knows, I might give his next novel a try.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pages: 343 pages
Published: June 2020

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett has won all kinds of awards including Book of the Month's Book of the Year Award for 2020, proving that a few good things came out of that horrible year. Because I am a BFF member, I was fortunate enough to snag my copy for free this January. A story delayed is not a story denied. I can certainly see why Bennett has become a fast favorite author in the world of literary and historical fiction. She is, indeed, a talented writer. 

So, the book is about the identical twin Vignes sisters who are extremely fair in complexion. As young adults, the two women take two very different paths in life - one sister ending up on the east coast with an abusive husband, who happens to have lots of melanin, and she has to take the walk of shame back home to their small town of fair-skinned residents with her dark-skinned child. While the other sister ends up on the west coast married to a white man who has no idea she is Black. The novel turns into somewhat of a coming of age novel that spans the twin's lives and those of their daughters (one very White and one very Black) who, by happenstance, meet each other as young adults. 

I truly enjoy the writing in this book. Bennett does a great job creating imagery, evoking emotions, and telling truths about her characters. In this particular novel, which is her sophomoric piece (The Mothers, her debut), she takes on the heavy topics of colorism, identity, and self-acceptance in a very careful, thought-out way. Specifically, she shares the fictional account, that is very much based in reality, of a Black woman "passing" for White. This practice was often used as a path to opportunities and surely an easier life in segregated America. 

I was heavily invested in this story from page one. I often kept reading past my bedtime to learn more. There has been some buzz about the ending. It seems to me that the expectation was that there be some type of bang-up, action-filled ending. Instead the book, just ended. I don't think every story (whether it be in book or film form) has to have some satisfying conclusion. Like life, sometimes, the story just ... simply ... ends. (As a side note, I think a lot of people felt this way about the movie "The Photograph.") 

Recommendation: This book wasn't about the ending. It was about the journey. Every story does not need a resolved conflict or a happy ending. Sometimes it's just nice to peek into the lives of fictional characters for 300-500 pages and enjoy the literature. And that's exactly what I did. I highly recommend this book for mature teens and young adults (~16-19) as well as older adults looking to lose oneself in a beautifully-crafted story. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Pages: 256 pages
Published: October 2020

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam is one of of those books where you love it or you hate it. I hated it. It seemed much longer than its 256 pages and ended with no real conclusion of any kind. The book is basically about a white family of 4 who rent an Airbnb for a vacation away from the city. Upon the first few days of their vacation, the Black owners of the home show up unannounced with news that something very strange is going on in the world that has hindered communication with people in New York and news media to electronic devices. From there, many random things happen that, I suppose, are to illustrate the uncertainty of the situation and how people react in a dire situation. The book goes on like this till the end that isn’t really an end. I seriously thought maybe I was missing some pages. 

This was a Book of the Month add-on selection for me. On one-hand I’m disappointed I spent my money on it, but on the other hand, it was only $9.99. So, membership does have its privileges. 

The over-attention to detail - the droning on and on of grocery list items and non-essential sexual activities just didn’t do it for me. The only reason, and I am so serious when I say this, the only reason I continued to the end is for the upcoming Netflix movie that will star my two favorite actors -  Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. I have a feeling this will be one of the rare cases where the movie will be better than the book - it has to be! 

Recommendation: Save your time and your coins - just wait for the movie. So little time; so many books. Choose something else.  

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Pages: 304 pages
Published: July 2020

The Beauty in Breaking by Dr. Michele Harper is a beautifully written memoir in which the emergency room doctor shares tales of her life growing up in an abusive home, being educated at Harvard, and her subsequent career in the medical field. I chose this book as one of my July Book of the Month selections. 

Each chapter in this book focuses on a patient or patients that Harper encountered in her career. While protecting confidentiality, she shares the ailment that brought them into the hospital and her treatment plan. That probably doesn't sound any different than what you could watch on a medical drama on TV; however, Harper also digs deeper beyond the diagnosing the patient's illness but learning more about their brokenness. In some cases, she is able to help them beyond a prescription or referral. And then, she shares how sometimes she never knows what happens to a patient once they leave her facility, or in more dire cases, the patient dies. Each story is unique, and Harper approaches each vignette with care and respect. If she heals the way she writes, she is probably an excellent doctor. 

Her overarching message is that we are all broken in some way - physically, emotionally, spiritually, economically. But like a broken piece of pottery, the cracks are what allow the light to shine through. Harper did an exceptional job sharing her life's work and story. The memoir is wonderfully written, and I am simply in awe that someone with such a demanding career was able to make time to also write such a succinct piece of non-fiction. 

Recommendation: While the topics are heavy, the prose is written in such a way that allows the reader to draw from it easily. I highly recommend The Beauty in Breaking. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Pages: 400 pages
Published: May 2020

What constitutes a good marriage? If you're looking for the answer, you're not going to find it in this book. However, the novel, A Good Marriage, is a legal mystery full of twists and revelations that keep you turning the page until you learn who the killer is. This Book of the Month Club selection features Lizzie, a former federal prosector who is now working as an attorney in the private sector. She gets a late-night call from her former college mate, Zach, who has been arrested and is the main suspect in his wife's murder. Lizzie reluctantly takes his case and becomes an amateur sleuth in trying to find out what happened to his wife, Amanda. On top of that, Lizzie is having some pretty serious marital problems of her own.

The book is told through the alternating perspectives of Lizzie and Amanda and also includes grand jury testimony and other correspondence to give the reader clues for solving the mystery. Having said that, I was unable to discern the killer until the very end. The author, Kimberly McCreight, included several red herrings in the story that threw me off.

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it to be very engaging, and I think McCreight is a masterful storyteller. There were a couple of elements she introduced that added more suspense to the plot, but I don't think she closed the loop on. These are very minor and don't affect the story greatly. There was also foul language that I don't think added value to the story, and at times, seemed forced. Overall, this was an entertaining read, especially during this time of quarantine.

Recommendation: I give this novel 5 stars. I highly recommend it. Fans of Law & Order might enjoy this book.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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