BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Lies They Told
by Ellen Marie Wiseman

The Lies They Told Us (7/27/2025)

By Ellen Marie Wiseman
Narrated by Elizabeth Rodgers

How one young woman’s dream of a better life in America is shattered by eugenics…

Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia, and Kensington Publishing for both the audio and ebook, which I paired during my reading.

This historical …more

The Door-to-Door Bookstore: A Novel
by Carsten Henn

A Charming Read (7/27/2025)

THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BOOKSTORE
By Carsten Henn

Narration by Raphael Corkhill was very enjoyable. I paired audio with the book.

“A novel is like a bow, and the violin that produces the sound is the reader’s soul.” — Stendhal

A charming feel-good fiction read about a reclusive …more

My Friends: A Novel
by Fredrik Backman

A Beautiful Story of Friendship (7/27/2025)

MY FRIENDS
By Fredrik Backman

Read by, Marin Ireland, a favorite narrator, who always makes a story come alive. This is a tender, heartfelt, and beautiful story that explores the unbreakable power of friendship, the impact of art, and the lingering presence of the past. This …more

Wayward Girls: A Novel
by Susan Wiggs

Wayward Girls (7/27/2025)

By Susan Wiggs
Narrated by Susan Wiggs, Jane Oppenheimer, and Cynthia Farrell
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Set in 1968 Buffalo, Wayward Girls explores the heartbreaking reality of girls sent to Catholic reform schools.

We meet 15-year-old Mairin, who is sent to the Good Shepherd …more

The Names: A Novel
by Florence Knapp

A Compelling Debut (7/7/2025)

THE NAMES
By Florence Knapp

Florence Knapp’s debut novel, opens in 1987 with Cora Atkin, a young mother trapped in an abusive marriage. As she is preparing to register her newborn son’s name, she faces pressure from her husband, Gordon, to name the baby after him. Instead, …more

Before Dorothy
by Hazel Gaynor

There’s no place like home. (6/18/2025)

BEFORE DOROTHY
by Hazel Gaynor

I loved Hazel Gaynor’s 2023 release, The Last Lifeboat, so I wanted to read this historical fiction read by her. From only seeing Auntie Em in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, as an older woman, it was nice to see her transformed to Emily Gale — a …more

Homecoming: A Novel
by Kate Morton

A Family Drama Story (6/16/2025)

HOMECOMING
By Kate Morton

I paired the book with audiobook book that was wonderfully done by Claire Foy.

A woman discovers that everything she knows about her family is a lie.

A slow paced family drama story alternating between two timelines, 1959 and 2018, to unveil the …more

The Poppy Fields: A Novel
by Nikki Erlick

Speculative Fiction Read (6/16/2025)

THE POPPY FIELDS
By Nikki Erlick

Narration was well done by the cast of: Marin Ireland; Dan Bittner; Stacey Glemboski; Graham Halstead; Mia Barron; Callie Dalton; Janina Edwards; Shawn K. Jain; Christian Barillas; Jason Culp.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the
…more

King of Ashes: A Novel
by S. A. Cosby

A Southern Crime Thriller (6/16/2025)

KING OF ASHES
By S. A. Cosby

Narration by Adam Lazarre-White is always spot on.

A fast-paced dark gritty southern crime thriller set in a run-down Virginia town, Jefferson Run. Roman Carruthers has been called home because his father is in a coma after a car accident. He …more

The Girls Who Grew Big: A Novel
by Leila Mottley

A Raw and Emotional Read (6/16/2025)

THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG
By Leila Mottley

This is a raw and emotional read portraying teenage motherhood in a small town on the Florida panhandle. Centered around three young women navigating the complexities of raising children while they are basically children themselves. …more

Don't Let Him In: A Novel
by Lisa Jewell

How Many Red Flags Is Too Many? (6/16/2025)

DON’T LET HIM IN
By Lisa Jewell

Aisling (Ash) Swan’s father has suddenly died, and her mother begins to date again —Ash quickly becomes suspicious of her mother’s new companion.

This creepy psychological thriller intricately weaves the lives of three women—Nina, Ash, and …more

The Ghostwriter: A Novel
by Julie Clark

A Riveting Read (6/3/2025)

THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark

Can ghostwriting bring you closure? That’s what Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter is asking herself.

June, 1975, two teenage siblings are found dead in their home. Vincent, the only surviving sibling has never been able to shake the whispers and …more

Coram House: A Novel
by Bailey Seybolt

Haunting and Inspired by True Events (5/14/2025)

CORAM HOUSE
By Bailey Seybolt

You can leave Coram House but you can’t leave it behind.

3.5 stars
In 2016 Alex Kelley, a true crime writer hoping to redeem herself from her last book, takes a job as a ghostwriter for a book revolving around the shadowy inheritance of the …more

Home of the Happy: A Murder on the Cajun Prairie
by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Impressive Memoir/True-Crime Read (5/4/2025)

HOME OF THE HAPPY: A Murder on the Cajun Prairie
By Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Reading by: Christine Lakin was very well done.

A journey of reinvestigating a kidnapping and murder in 1983 and interwoven with Louisiana history.

Jordan LaHaye Fontenot’s great-grandfather was …more

The Bones Beneath My Skin
by TJ Klune

A Sci-Fi Whimsical Read (4/27/2025)

THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN
By T. J. Klune

Narration by Kirt Graves was very well done and brought the story to life with his reading, in this sci-fi whimsical storytelling by T. J. Klune.

Taking place in 1995 when Nate returns to his family cabin in Oregon after the violent …more

The Bright Years
by Sarah Damoff

Impressive Debut (4/25/2025)

THE BRIGHT YEARS by Sarah Damoff

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC ebook of this brilliant story.

This is Sarah Damoff’s debut and I have to say I was impressed by her incredible writing skills of telling this beautiful, heartbreaking, and …more

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
by Jesse Q. Sutanto

A Cozy Mystery (4/24/2025)

VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS
By Jesse Q. Sutanto

Reading by Eunice Wong was very good. I paired audio with the book.

A cup of tea, food, and a corpse …

A cozy mystery taking place in a small neighborhood of San Francisco. We meet 60-year-old Vera Wong who finds …more

The Women on Platform Two
by Laura Anthony

Based On A True Event (4/23/2025)

THE WOMEN ON PLATFORM TWO
By Laura Anthony

Narrated by: Jessica Regan, Shakira Shute, and Maeve Smyth The narrator’s all did a fine job reading this story.

1970s Ireland —— a time when women had no rights to their bodies and forms of contraception were prohibited.

Dublin, 202 …more

Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

An Impressive Debut (4/11/2025)

Daughters of Shandong
By Eve J. Chung

A work of historical fiction inspired by Chung’s family who was displaced during the Communist Revolution in China. The Daughters of Shandong is told through the eyes of Hai, the eldest daughter of the Ang family. Hai along with her …more

The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
by India Hayford

A Southern Gothic Story (4/4/2025)

The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
by India Hayford

Narration by, Zura Johnson, Matt Godfrey, and Laura Jennings was very good.

3.5 stars
A haunting Southern gothic story with sprinkles of magical realism, that takes place in rural Arkansas in 1967. Genevieve, at a young age …more