Review: The Page Turner

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am afraid I will be one of the very few who did not fall in love with this novel. If it weren't for the retribution toward the 'villain' at the end of the book, I would not have finished it. Curiosity got the best of me, and I was disappointed.

The characters are annoying snobs with a hearty dose of pretentiousness and elitism thrown in. And this was just the secondary characters! The main character, Emma, is a composite of every cliche out there—strong yet childish, smart yet naive, and I could go on, but I won't bore you.

The 'villain' is just too evil, complete with evil laughs and mannerisms, and there is no subtlety whatsoever.

The parents...well, what can I say? Snobs, elitist, entitled, and on and on. And this includes the influencer sister Jess.

About the only person that I did like, and was an honest character, was VV.

Please read the other reviews. You might find that my opinion on this book is not in line with yours.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Graydon House/HarperCollins, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

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Summary: "A young romance writer finds success and vindication when she discovers a hidden manuscript at her family's summer home that throws her snobbish parents' high-brow literary careers into chaos. A sharp, insightful family drama for fans of Elinor Lipman and Jennifer Weiner.

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe that fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff” they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents’ business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide—as much as she’s dreamed of the day when her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?

From the wealthy enclaves of the Hamptons to the sparkling shores of Lake Michigan, The Page Turner is a delectable glimpse inside the world of publishing, and Viola Shipman’s most glittering achievement yet!

Review: This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir

This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I usually stick with fiction, but there was something about this book that  called to me. I am so glad I listened to my inner voice because this was the most intriguing book I have read this year.

I had never heard of Zarna Garg, but I love books set in other countries, especially those set in India. But this book was so much more than being about the life of a comedian. It was the story of a late-in-life daughter who could not grasp the fact that she was unique.   I think that her father had some mental issues going on, which led to Zarna leaving home at a very young age. But you must read this book to understand what life was like, what the culture was like (If you are not from India, of course), what it was like to maybe be married off at 14.

Zarna's trip to her comedic career was remarkable. This strong and powerful woman may have come a little later in life to knowing what would fulfill her, but once she knew, she ran into it headfirst and flourished.

 I laughed, and I laughed a lot reading this memoir but I also cried for all the crap Zarna had to put up with. Yes, I realize it's a different culture from the one I grew up with, so I can only look at it through my American eyes. But still, I had to cry when I read of what she went through living some of her life on the streets.

I am now going to have to Google this funny woman and see what all the hubbub is all about. If it is more comical than some of the things I read in this book, then I might have to stock up on Depends!

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Ballantine Books, the author, and NetGalley.

Expected publication date is April 29th.

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Description: "Award-winning comedian Zarna Garg turns her astonishing life story into a hilarious memoir—from narrowly escaping an arranged marriage in India to carving her own path in America and launching a dazzling second act in midlife.

Growing up in India, everyone called Zarna “so American” just for reading the newspaper, having deep thoughts, and talking back to anyone over the age of thirty. When Zarna’s dad tried to marry her off at age fourteen, Zarna fled the whole subcontinent for the glittering paradise of Akron, Ohio, where she got to become American for real.

On Zarna’s very American quest to find herself and her calling, she threw herself whole-heartedly into roles like dog-bite lawyer, crazy perfectionist stay-at-home mom, Indian matchmaker, prize-winning screenwriter, and more. It wasn’t until a dare led her to a stand-up comedy open mic that Zarna finally found her spiritual getting paid cold hard cash for her big fat mouth.

And as Zarna discovered, after surviving the brutal streets of Mumbai, the cutthroat world of stand-up comedy is nothing.

This American Woman is an exuberant story of fighting for your right to determine your own destiny and triumphing beyond what you ever dreamed was possible. And as Zarna always reminds If Zarna can do it, you can too."

Review: The Other Lata

The Other Lata by Kirthana Ramisetti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I very nearly didn't finish this novel. I dislike stories about liars, and all along, that is what Lata was—and a thief. She worried more about the crowd she was finally hanging out with and less about her morals.

 However, I gave it another chance and I am so glad I did. Lata redeemed herself wonderfully, the story became ever so intriguing, AND a mystery was solved. Lata even found herself a hottie!

The characters are very well drawn and most are even very likable. The writing flows smoothly, and the authors use of descriptions makes it easy for me to picture everything.

The perfect summer beach read or book club read.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher  Grand Central Publishing, the author, and NetGalley. It will be out on April 1, 2025.

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Description

"A compulsively readable story of mistaken identity set within high society New York and the sacrifices made to keep up appearances, “as lively and refreshing as a chilled glass of champagne.” (Kirstin Chen)

Somewhere in New York City, Lata Murthy knows there is another person with her name living a much more interesting life. That's because Lata often receives the other Lata's emails: invites to Hampton soirees, fundraising appeals from the New York City Ballet and reminders about sample sales at Soho boutiques. Lata's own life—working in digital content, watching Food Network marathons, spending recklessly on clothes she can't afford—feels pathetic in comparison. So, one day she decides to take on this other Lata's identity and jumps headfirst into the glamorous New York lifestyle ... but not without consequences.    

At first, it all feels like a fairy tale. All of Lata's NYC dreams come true: she gets a higher-paying job, moves into a chic Chelsea apartment and is embraced by an elite friend group that includes Rajeev, an up-and-coming fashion designer intent on making a splash at New York Fashion Week. But Lata doesn't just catch the attention of the handsome fashion designer—she also incurs the wrath of the mysterious woman she is impersonating. And this Other Lata wants Lata to pay...but in the oddest of ways. Other Lata's blackmail seems designed to humiliate Lata in front of her wealthy new circle, and Lata has no choice but to submit to her demands if she doesn't want to lose her new friends and lifestyle.   

Despite Other Lata's machinations, Lata and Rajeev's romance finds ways to blossom. But when Other Lata's demands change from mischievous to illegal, Lata must find a way to extricate herself from Other Lata's control once and for all."

 

 

Review: The Family Recipe

The Family Recipe by Carolyn Huynh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is supposed to be a family saga about an eccentric Vietnamese family. Unfortunately, I did not find this family endearing, the story enlightening, or the premise intriguing. The story really does not follow the synopsis since it is more than brothers and sisters battling for an inheritance. It seems to me to be more about insanity running in a family.

The story is overly drawn out and filled with hints, mystery, and neurosis galore.

Tons of others have loved this book, but I did not. I did not hate it, so that is why it got 2 stars instead of 1 star. I will say that I lost interest at about the 65% mark and have not bothered to finish it. Maybe someday I will just to find out what all the secretiveness was about. I can imagine, but...

*ARC Supplied by the publisher Atria Books, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

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SYNOPSIS: "A whip-smart family dramedy about estranged siblings competing to inherit their father’s Vietnamese sandwich franchise and unravel family mysteries.

Duc Tran, the eccentric founder of the national Vietnamese sandwich chain Duc’s Sandwiches, has decided to retire. With the help of the shady family lawyer, he informs his five estranged adult children that to get their inheritance, they must revitalize run-down shops in undesirable, old-school Little Saigon locations across Houston, San Jose, New Orleans, and Philadelphia—within a year. The only one without a shop is the bachelor son, but if he gets married before the year’s up, the inheritance goes to him.

Each daughter is stuck in a new city they don’t want to be in, battling gentrification, declining ethnic enclaves, messy love lives, and struggling to modernize their father’s American dream. The son wonders if he wants to marry for love or for money. As Duc’s children continue to work, family mysteries begin to unravel along the way as they learn the real intention behind the inheritance scheme.

The Family Recipe is about rediscovering one’s roots, different types of fatherly love, familial legacy, and finding one’s place in a divided country where the only commonality among your neighbors is the universal love of sandwiches."

Review: Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B?

Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B? by Terri-Lynne DeFino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! I don't know if this is the best book I will read this year, but it is sure the best book I've read so far...at least in this genre! Women's Fiction.

This book had me salivating, learning, thinking about going to downtown New Haven, which I haven't been to in years (I'm from CT!), and really getting into the characters.

As you can see from the excerpt, this book is about Queenie B and her notorious downfall from the top of the Chef's heap. But although Queenie B is supposed to be the main character, this book adds another main character named Gale. He, too, has had a magnificent fall from grace; he's just not famous...yet!

A poignant, sometimes heartbreaking story with a happy ending in more ways than one. This book teaches us that all of us can overcome nearly anything with determination, will, and the love of cooking and eating a great Italian meal.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, William Morrow, and the author, as well as NetGalley and ATTL/Edelweiss.


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SYNOPSIS - "For everyone who loved The Bear! An utterly winning, crowd-pleaser of a novel about a disgraced celebrity chef, her striving protégé, and their path through the kitchen to redemption.

Regina Benuzzi is Queenie B—a culinary goddess with Michelin Star restaurants, a bestselling cookbook empire, and multimillion-dollar TV deals. It doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous and curvaceous, with cascading black hair and signature red lips.

She had it all. Until she didn’t.

After an epic fall from grace, Queenie B vanishes from the public eye, giving up her husband, her son, and the fame that she’d fought to achieve. Her shows are in rerun, her restaurants still popular, but her disappearance remains a mystery to her legions of fans.

Local line cook Gale Carmichael also knows a thing or two about disaster. Newly sober and struggling, Gale’s future dreams don’t hold space for culinary stardom; only earning enough to get by. Broke at the end of the week, he finds himself at a local soup kitchen in one of the roughest parts of New Haven, Connecticut. But Gale quickly realizes that the food coming out of the kitchen is not your standard free meal—it is delicious and prepared with gourmet flair.

Gale doesn’t recognize Regina, the soup kitchen’s cranky proprietor, whose famous black mane is now streaked with gray. It’s been more than ten years since Queenie B vanished into her careful new existence. But she sees Gale’s talent and recognizes a brokenness in him that she knows all too well. The culinary genius in hiding takes him under her wing.

Teaching Gale, Regina’s passion to create is reignited, and they both glimpse a shot at the redemption that had always seemed out of reach. When Gale is chosen to compete on the hit cooking show, Cut!, it’s a turning point for them both.

It’s Gale’s time to shine. And that means Queenie B might just have to come out of hiding…"

Review: Fifty-Fifty

Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, Mr. Cavanagh sure can keep you at the edge of your seat feverishly reading until the very end. I had never read such twisty books until I hooked up with this author.

This book deals with sisters who hated their father. One day, the father turns up murdered horribly, and both sisters happen to be on the property calling 911 about it at the same time. Now, which sister committed the murder?

This author is so good that I never suspected anything like how this book ended.

This whole series is not yet out in re-print for the US, but little by little, it is being republished with at least one book free to borrow on Kindle Unlimited. You will have no problems  (at least not too many) by reading these out of order. That's what happened to me. I read the last published first and then turned around and started at the beginning with what I could get.

This is a perfect book for book clubs that want to investigate the darker side of the law and lawyers.

*The ARC was supplied by the publisher Atria Books, the author, and NetGalley. This book should be hitting the stores on June 03, 2025, with the next book, "The Devil's Advocate," coming out on August 05, 2025.

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SYNOPSIS: "Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other. Who do you believe? From Steve Cavanagh, the “wickedly clever” (The New York Times) master of twisty psychological thrillers.

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“My dad’s dead. My sister Sofia killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”

“My dad’s dead. My sister Alexandra killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”

One of them is a liar and a killer.

But which one?"

Review: The Library Game: A Secret Staircase Novel

The Library Game: A Secret Staircase Novel by Gigi Pandian
My rating: 1 of 5 stars









Under other circumstances, I might have loved a locked-door mystery. Unfortunately, this is one book that you most like SHOULD read the ones precious to this so you can understand what the heck is happening in this one and why. I couldn't make heads or tails out of this farce. I don't know; perhaps it's the cold meds I'm taking, but I don't really think so.

Maybe I'll try this again later, but the idea of magicians and hidden rooms, staircases, etc., as well as murder, just gives me an upset stomach.

However, please don't go by my review alone; please read some of the reviews written by the people who loved this book. Maybe you'll glean more insight from them.








*ARC Was supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "In The Library Game, Tempest Raj and Secret Staircase Construction are renovating a classic detective fiction library that just got its first real-life mystery.

Tempest Raj couldn’t be happier that the family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Known for enchanting architectural features like sliding bookshelves and secret passageways, the company is now taking on a dream project: transforming a home into a public library that celebrates history's greatest fictional detectives.

Though the work is far from done, Gray House Library’s new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner and literary themed escape room. But when a rehearsal ends with an actor murdered and the body vanishes, Tempest is witness to a seemingly impossible crime. Fueled by her grandfather’s Scottish and Indian meals, Tempest and the rest of the crew must figure out who is making beloved classic mystery plots come to life in a deadly game.

Multiple award winning author Gigi Pandian masterfully weaves wit and warmth in the Secret Staircase Mysteries. Readers will delight in the surprises Secret Staircase Construction uncovers behind the next locked door."