Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Pages: 336 pages
Published: May 2021

I snagged an electronic copy of Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann from my local library and read along with the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club’s study on Greek mythology themes in modern day fiction. The story is set in the fictional east Texas town of Olympus and opens with disgraced family member March returning after having been banished because of an illicit affair he had with his brother’s wife. Within days of his arrival, his half siblings are involved in the death of a local which results in a detrimental spiral of cascading events that further divide this already dysfunctional family. 

I really wanted to enjoy this story. I like being a part of the MMD book club and because this was a monthly selection, the author joined us for a chat. I also was intrigued with the story being set in Texas. And while I find Swann to be a skilled and talented writer, this plot just did not do it for me. The characters were unlikeable, and there was not much diversity. And the ending offered very little hope. I trudged through hoping to get a different perspective from my reading friends. Unfortunately, the author chat also fell flat, and none of my peers seemed to enjoy the storyline either.

Recommendation: Perhaps, if I was a smarter person who was more interested in Greek mythology, that aspect would have appealed to me, and I could have appreciated the novel more. My recommendation is a hard pass, but I wouldn’t mind trying another book by this author. 

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.

Read More

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 387 pages
Published: August 2023

Happiness Falls, at the surface, is a literary mystery about a father who goes missing in a Washington DC-area park, and the last person who was with him was his young son who has a rare genetic condition that prohibits him from speaking. What's more is the fictional story takes place during the summer of 2020, which posed additional challenges in solving the missing person case in the midst of a global pandemic. On a deeper level, the story is more philosophical and thought-provoking. It begs the questions, what does it mean to be happy? What is the difference between being non-verbal and non-communicative? How does verbal language communicate intelligence? What role does race play in how we perceive and are perceived? How do we protect the ones we love, especially in the most challenging of circumstances?

The book is narrated by the older sister, who is a twin. She and both her brothers and mother come together as a family to work out and reconcile what has happened to the patriarch of their family. The specific plot of the mystery is not necessarily the most important aspect of the book, but it helps propel the story forward. I found this story to beautifully written, and I appreciated the way it made me think about things. There's a lot to unpack beyond the mystery, which is resolved in the course of the books nearly 400 pages. This is one I slowly savored and wouldn't mind reading again.  

Recommendation: This book was on my TBR list for far too long. I am happy I read it. This is one of those books where you're not going to get a nice and tidy ending, but you will get a complete and fulfilling story. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy cerebral reads that can easily be discussed with others. 

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.

Read More

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 330 pages
Published: December 2021

What a fun little Christmas read The Holiday Swap by writing duo Maggie Knox (Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley) turned out to be! I was looking for a light, fun pick-me-up for the end of the year festivities, and this book did not disappoint. It's about identical twin sisters, Charlie, who lives the seemingly glamorous life of a celebrity chef in Los Angeles and Cass, who helps run the family bakery business in their quaint, cozy hometown of Starlight Peak a couple of hours drive away from LA. When a work accident causes Charlie to lose her sense of taste and smell at the most inopportune time, Cass steps in, and the sisters do a switcheroo for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. Thrown in the mix are two handsome love interests of both sisters who each think he is dating the other sister. It sounds like it could be a recipe for disaster but turned into one for holiday rom-com fun! 

I really enjoyed the fast-pace nature of the book as I was trying to get this one in just under the 2022 wire. (I succeeded.) But I also appreciated the love and loyalty each sister had for the other. I do wonder if the authors pulled on their relationship as friends to develop such realistic and thoughtful characters. This is a feel-good book with characters that are well-developed and it has all the plot elements of a holiday Hallmark movie - romance, comedy and some tasty food treats! 

Recommendation: The synopsis on Goodreads.com says this book is perfect for fans of One Day in December by Josie Silver, and having read that one too, I have to say I agree. This could be a fun read any time of year, but it is especially touching during the holiday season. I highly recommend! 

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.

Read More

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 336 pages
Published: October 2021

The cult following and book club chatter that has resulted from the publication of Colleen Hoover's Verity is absolutely unreal but totally warranted. The book gets a lot of hype, and I do believe it's worth it. It is well written, intriguing and suspenseful. 

The book begins when the main character, author and financially-and-emotionally-broken Lowen, is invited by Jeremy to the home he and his wife, successful and financially-sound author, Verity, to finish writing a book series that, after a traumatic injury, Verity can no longer write. While conducting her research, Lowen stumbles upon this manuscript seemingly written by Verity filled with horrifying admissions. What's more is Lowen starts develop feelings for Jeremy, yes, Verity's husband. 

I think I devoured this book in about two days. There's so much going on in the story, but the author writes in such a way that makes it easily to follow and the reader quickly invested. So much so that groups have been created on social media to discuss the verity of Verity - the character not the book - and the manuscript she allegedly left behind. As for me, I am not going to read too much into it. It was a roller coaster of a read. I enjoyed it very much, and that's the end of it for me. 

Recommendation: This would be a fast summer read for adults. Please note people who are sensitive to pregnancy and abortion may find parts of this novel triggering. 

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.

Read More

The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle

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

I signed up for the Book of the Month subscription nearly a year ago because the company touts their panel's ability to choose great reads, and for the most part they have not disappointed me. When I added The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle to my box, I figured it would be good. 

As a read along about these identical twin sisters who separated at the last possible moment in the womb and, as a result, were mirror images of each other (include their internal organs), I found the story to have the makings of a run-of-the mill mystery. As older teens, the sisters' father died and, in a most dysfunctional way, he leaves he entire fortune to the first child (and there are more than just the twins) who marries and produces his first biological grandchild. The "winning" heir cannot share the monies with any of his or her siblings. As the identical twins enter adulthood, they are the oldest and most likely to bear an heir. Summer who has the perfect life with her husband seems in prime position since her twin's, Iris, marriage has recently fallen apart. As luck would have it, Summer calls Iris out to help sail the family yacht back home due to a family emergency and on the way back, Iris finds herself without her twin in the middle of the Indian Ocean. When she makes landfall, she uses the unfortunate opportunity to seize her sister's perfect life and grab the inheritance while she's at it. 

The story is well written. It creates enough mystery to keep the reader invested to the finish, but the thing that makes this book great is the plot twist that literally doesn't come till the last page of the book. It has left many readers, myself included, jaw dropped. You might think throwing in a plot twist at the very end of the book would cheapen its effect, but it does just the opposite. It leaves the reader reeling and trying to figure out how it all happened for days. 

Recommendation: This was definitely a fast-paced, twisty sister novel. If you can get past the technical sailing terms included in  the novel, it's an easy and fun read over a lazy weekend. I highly recommend it. 

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.

Read More