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Penitence
Penitence: A Novel
by Kristin Koval
A Suspenseful Debut (3/12/2025)
PENITENCE by Kristen Koval

Therese Plummer does a fine reading of this suspenseful story. This is Kristen Koval’s debut and I thought it was well written and I’m excited to see what she does next.

Opening family wounds and bringing dark truths to light with the guilt we live …more
The Edge of Water
The Edge of Water
by Olufunke Grace Bankole
A Beautifully Told Narrative (3/12/2025)
The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole

Nicole Cash does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of this debut book with her reading of this epic tale following the lives of three generations of daring women.

is told in alternating chapters by Esther, a strong-willed …more
The Oligarch's Daughter
The Oligarch's Daughter: A Novel
by Joseph Finder
Engaging Read (3/12/2025)
Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a bounty on his head. His security is breached and he must flee before Russian operatives locate him.

Alternating between two timelines — the present as Paul is struggling to …more
Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
by Clare Leslie Hall
Compelling Debut (3/12/2025)
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC read now ebook.

This is the author’s US debut and you will fall head over heels with this unputdownable read. A sweeping story set primarily in the 1960’s but toggles back in the past too, with so many layers it is …more
The Safekeep
The Safekeep
by Yael van der Wouden
A Beautifully Written Story (2/23/2025)
Narrated by: Stina Nielsen and Saskia Maarleveld both do a wonderful reading of this beautifully illustrated debut.

A historical fiction debut about obsession and loss…

Set in the eastern
Netherlands 1960s post-war; following Isabel, an awkward and closed off 28-year-old …more
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books: A Novel
by Kirsten Miller
The Power of Books (2/15/2025)
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kristen Miller

Narrated by: January LaVoy

This is all about the power of books ——

January does a wonderful reading of this provocative satirical read set in Troy, Georgia, a small southern town, in the spring and summer of 2024. …more
The Queens of Crime
The Queens of Crime: A Novel
by Marie Benedict
The Detection Club (2/11/2025)
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC eGalley — pub. date February 11, 2025

A historical fiction book that is well written and researched of a group of strong women, by Marie Benedict. Five great women crime authors …more
Isola
Isola: A Novel
by Allegra Goodman
A Timeless Story Of Survival (2/7/2025)
Isola by Allegra Goodman

4.5 stars
Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival. French noblewoman, Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, who lives to tell the tale of her exile on an island off …more
The Jackal's Mistress
The Jackal's Mistress: A Novel
by Chris Bohjalian
Inspired By A True Story (2/3/2025)
The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

Thank you to BookBrowse and NetGalley along with the publisher, Doubleday Books for the ARC to read.

This historical fiction read is inspired by a true story and set in Virginia near the end of the Civil War.

4.5 stars
We are …more
From Here to the Great Unknown
From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir
by Lisa Marie Presley
Profoundly Moving (1/25/2025)
FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

A raw and immersive look into the lives and complexities of this iconic family.

This book offers us a glimpse into the private world of Lisa Marie, who lived in the shadow of greatness. Though it is …more
After the Ocean
After the Ocean
by Lauren E. Rico
Compelling Multi-Layered Read (1/21/2025)
After the Ocean by Lauren E. Rico

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audiobook of After the Ocean

Narrated by Victoria Villareal, Robb Moreira, Frankie Corzo who did a fine job of making this book so enjoyable and come to life. I paired this with the book.

A …more
Count the Ways
Count the Ways
by Joyce Maynard
Family Saga (1/10/2025)
COUNT THE WAYS by Joyce Maynard

I paired the book with the audiobook. The narration was very enjoyable and read by the author herself.

Set in the 1970s and 1980s, this story goes back and forth between past and present.
“Count the Ways” is the story of Eleanor, a children’s …more
The Blue Hour
The Blue Hour: A Novel
by Paula Hawkins
Slow-Burn Psychological Thriller (1/10/2025)
THE BLUE HOUR by Paula Hawkins

The Blue Hour is a slow-burn psychological thriller and a different read from her other books. I thought this was well written and enjoyed reading it. A discovery is made in the sculpture of a well known artist that starts this story off. …more
Before the Mango Ripens
Before the Mango Ripens
by Afabwaje Kurian
Beautifully Written Debut (1/9/2025)
BEFORE THE MANGO RIPENS by Afabwaje Kurian

Thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audiobook

Dele Ogundiran does a great reading of this novel. I also paired with the book.

Set in Nigeria in 1970s just after the nation’s independence, Afabwaje Kurian has written a debut …more
The Stolen Queen
The Stolen Queen: A Novel
by Fiona Davis
Historical Fiction (1/7/2025)
Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the ARC ebook to read.

From New York City to Cairo and back, anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on a dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, in 1936 and jumps at the opportunity. A heartbreaking …more
Looking for Jane
Looking for Jane: A Novel
by Heather Marshall
Impressive Debut (1/3/2025)
I paired the book with the audiobook read by Sarah Borges who does a nice reading of this novel.

Looking for Jane is a historical fiction novel, following three main characters living in Toronto from the 1960s to 2010s. All three are deeply impacted by the struggle for …more
Night Watch
Night Watch: A Novel
by Jayne Anne Phillips
Post Civil War (12/27/2024)
Narration by, Karissa Vacker, Theo Stockman, and Maggi-Megan Reed, was very well done and enjoyed listening to all of them.

A PULITZER PRIZE WINNER 2024 — Night Watch is a historical fiction novel that follows ConaLee, a young girl in post-Civil War West Virginia, as she …more
The Coast Road
The Coast Road: A Novel
by Alan Murrin
Literary Fiction Debut (12/26/2024)
Reading by Jessica Regan was very well done. I paired this with the book.

This is a perfectly crafted literary fiction debut novel that is set in County Donegal in 1994, just before the critical referendum that would finally legalize divorce in Ireland. (Note that this …more
The Briar Club
The Briar Club: A Novel
by Kate Quinn
A Compelling Read (11/4/2024)
Narration by Saskia Maarleveld is always spot on. Her ability with accents and dialects is amazingly done to perfection. A favorite narrator of mine.

“It’s seen three wars, ten presidents, and countless tenants… but until tonight, never a murder. Now its walls smell of …more
The Boyfriend
The Boyfriend
by Freida McFadden
Domestic Thriller (11/3/2024)
THE BOYFRIEND by Freida McFadden

Victoria Connolly & Robb Moreira both delivered a very good narration of the story.

A domestic thriller set in New York City and centered around a past and present storyline. Tom, a teen in love with Daisy, is in the past and Sydney, a …more

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