Review: The Means

The Means by Amy Fusselman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I just really don't know how the heck to review this book. To tell you the truth, I couldn't even tell you what the story was about unless you believe the story was about a woman and her house in the Hampton's obsession?

Some readers are going to think that this family, the Means, are wealthy. I think they are just upper middle class. However, my thinking may be skewed because I live around people like this. I'm not one of them, but I can understand them.

Apparently, this is supposed to be satire, and I can see that, but at certain points, this book seems to become nothing but stream-of-consciousness writing. There is no character growth, plot, or even a definitive ending. The parts where the dog talks to Shelly seem more drug-induced tho it's not...at least, I don't think so!

I did stick with the book, was a very fast read. It was easy to stick to as long as I wasn't looking for anything more than cliched fluff with weak-willed characters.

Good luck!

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

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SYNOPSIS: "The debut novel from "wholly original" (Vogue) memoirist Amy Fusselman, a tragicomic family saga that skewers contemporary issues of money, motherhood, and class through a well-to-do woman's quest to buy a Hamptons beach house.

Shelly Means, a wealthy stay-at-home mom and disgraced former PTA president, is poised to get the one thing in life she really wants: a beach house in the Hamptons. Who would have guessed that Shelly, the product of frugal Midwesterners, or her husband George, an unrepentant thrift shopper, would ever be living among such swells? But Shelly believes it's possible. It might be a very small house, and it might be in the least-fancy part of the Hamptons. But Shelly has a vision board, an architect, and a plan.

But what should be a simple real estate transaction quickly goes awry as Shelly's new neighbors disapprove of her proposed shipping container house at the same time that George's lucrative work as a VoiceOver artist dries up. But Shelly is dogged. She knows how to go into beast mode. But will it ever be enough to realize her beach house dreams?

A novel of real estate, ambition, family, and money from "one of our best interrogators of how we live now, and how we should live" (Dave Eggers), The Means is also a fantastical, fast-moving and very funny exploration of class, wealth, and the value of work."

Review: The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Happy Publication Day! And just in time for Halloween!

I couldn't do it. I just could not finish this book. I have loved other books by this author and felt that this one was going to be just as good. It was not. At least, not in my opinion.

This book just seemed to be a poorly written remake for teens of the book The Snake Pit, and you might as well just watch the movie.

What the re-cap leaves out is that the live twin gets her butt in trouble big time by ending up in this horrid place (and YES, there was such a place as Willowbrook) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willowb... , then to add insult to injury the author adds in a possible serial killer. As if there wasn't already enough horror in this novel!

This is the perfect kick-off for Halloween!

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

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Synopsis: "Willowbrook State School is the infamous Staten Island, New York, mental institution that shocked a nation when exposed in the 1970s as a dumping ground for unwanted children. A gripping narrative of social injustice, survival, and a young woman determined to find her sister.

Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world.

Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing.

Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined..."

Review: The Hidden One

The Hidden One by Linda Castillo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In all of my years of reading, I have never been even the tiniest bit tempted to skip to the end to see who-dun-it and why. However, with this book, I was sorely tempted, and it took a lot of effort to stay the course!

I have loved this author since the very first book, but this particular book was the most fascinating one of Ms.Castillo's that I have read, yet It was filled with twists, turns, action, mystery, and a ton of suspense.

If I try to explain just what this book is about, I just might give away a crucial spoiler so I won't even try. I'll just say that Kate has been called to help an old friend who has been accused of murder. She is out of her jurisdiction and can't use many of her recourses to help herself find out what happened. But she perseveres and, of course, solves everything But this is not a simple murder. Oh no, this is so much more.

I'm amazed at how the author came up with this idea, and I wish there would be a novella that would explain just how things would turn out for everyone involved.

I highly recommend this book, and no, you do not really need to read any of the other books in this series to get into this book.

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SYNOPSIS: "Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.

The town's elders arrive in Painters Mill to ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help, but she quickly realizes she has a personal connection to the crime. The handsome Amish man who stands accused of the murder, Jonas Bowman, was Kate's first love. Forced to confront a painful episode from her past, Kate travels to Pennsylvania's Kishacoquillas Valley, where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions she knows. Though Bishop Stoltzfus was highly respected, she soon hears about a dark side to this complex man. What was he hiding that resulted in his own brutal death?

Someone doesn't want Kate asking questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, she refuses to back down. Is she too close to the case-and to Jonas-to see clearly? There's a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop's secrets remain hidden forever?"

Review: With Love from Wish & Co.

With Love from Wish & Co. by Minnie Darke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Happy publication day!

Wow, I wish I had known that the author was from Tasmania. And that this book was going to be set somewhere in Australia! This knowledge would have helped me with the language of the book. But that is a bit silly of me to assume that a book is going to be set somewhere where I do know the lingo! Or at least my Kindle would have been able to translate some of the slang!

Bad Dianne! Very naughty to assume!

Wow, except for the last 20% or so of the book when Luke (the male protagonist) was making a complete jerk of himself, this was a great romance. This was also just a plain excellent fiction novel about a woman and her dreams.

Marnie is working her butt off to buy the building of her dreams. The building was owned by family members and brought memories of her childhood and her love of her grandfather to the fore. This part of the novel is complicated because Marnie's family (her father) wasn't the best example of a human being.

Marnie has a gift-buying business. She is what we might call a personal shopper. Still, instead of buying for a single person with their knowledge of what they are getting, she is doing the gift buying for those who don't have the time, imagination, or the ability to buy for friends and family. If some of those recipients are 'other women,' what can I say?

The way the story plays out at the beginning is relatively easy to figure out, but it is still devastating. The rest of the novel doesn't follow my expectations, which is a perfect thing. However, be aware that this is a romance novel, and all the tropes will be there.

An interesting meeting.
A slow build to a romance.
A few surprises for everyone.
A terrible downturn.
And a happily-ever-after!

*ARC provided by the publisher Dell/Random House, the author, and NetGalley.

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Review: Counterfeit

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book with a sneaky twist that I truly didn't see coming. Both characters were written with just the right amount of sweetness (Ava) and evil/bitchiness (Winnie). I'm not going to delve into the prejudice issues. I'll let others deal with that. I just loved these very shallow-seeming characters, and the end floored me.

This was an extremely fast read (if you love the book) and was only 271 pages. I loved learning about the high-end bag business, and learning about how counterfeits may be made was eye-opening. I'm glad I love my cheapie bags!

Perfect for a beach read or long flight. 

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SYNOPSIS-"For fans of Hustlers and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, the story of two Asian American women who band together to grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a global enterprise--an incisive and glittering blend of fashion, crime, and friendship from the author of Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners.

Money can't buy happiness... but it can buy a decent fake.

Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home--she's built the perfect life. But beneath this façade, Ava's world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn't been used in years, and her toddler's tantrums are pushing her to the breaking point.

Enter Winnie Fang, Ava's enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, twenty years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. But the shy, awkward girl Ava once knew has been replaced with a confident woman of the world, dripping in luxury goods, including a coveted Birkin in classic orange. The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business--someone who'd never be suspected of wrongdoing, someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left to face the consequences.

Swift, surprising, and sharply comic, Counterfeit is a stylish and feminist caper with a strong point of view and an axe to grind. Peering behind the curtain of the upscale designer storefronts and the Chinese factories where luxury goods are produced, Kirstin Chen interrogates the myth of the model minority through two unforgettable women determined to demand more from life. (less)"

Review: The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream

The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream by Jeannie Zusy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars

I understand that the author based this book on her experiences with her brother. My younger sister, my husband, and I had similar issues with a loved one (my mother), and we didn't have any money, so I think I see things from a slightly different perspective. It's either that, or I am just a cold-hearted bitch. Many issues could have been handled differently, but again I am seeing this from a different perspective. We had legal guardianship of my mother, and I had a steely heart. (enough about my life, I'm just letting you know that a lot of others have gone through similar things but had different outcomes.

Where anyone found humor in this book, I just can't tell you because I found absolutely none.

This book is filled with things that may set sensitive people or people being caregivers off. This seemed like more of a book about slow suicide than anything else, and the fact that the younger sister could not make consistent caregiver decisions.

My mom did not have developmental problems (she was a drinker), but in the end, she was no different than Ginny (Gin-Gin ).

Yes, this is a book about sisterly/caregiver relationships, but it took nearly the entire book for me to get the feeling that anyone was giving honest reactions. Yes, I realize that this is fiction, but for me, it just hit too close to home.
There were a couple of interesting twists at the end, but for some reason, this book didn't seem finished (If you know what I mean) to me.

All in all a good read but a mostly depressing one and no humor to be found.

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

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Synopsis: "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine meets Early Morning Riser with a dash of Where’d You Go, Bernadette in this very funny, occasionally romantic, and surprisingly moving novel about how one woman’s life is turned upside down when she becomes caregiver to her sister with special needs.

Every family has its fault lines, and when Maggie gets a call from the ER in Maryland where her older sister lives, the cracks start to appear. Ginny, her sugar-loving and diabetic older sister with intellectual disabilities, has overdosed on strawberry Jell-O.

Maggie knows Ginny really can’t live on her own, so she brings her sister and her occasionally vicious dog to live near her in upstate New York. Their other sister, Betsy, is against the idea but as a professional surfer, she is conveniently thousands of miles away.

Thus, Maggie’s life as a caretaker begins. It will take all of her dark humor and patience, already spread thin after a divorce, raising two boys, freelancing, and starting a dating life, to deal with Ginny’s diapers, sugar addiction, porn habit, and refusal to cooperate. Add two devoted but feuding immigrant aides and an ex-husband who just won’t go away, and you’ve got a story that will leave you laughing through your tears as you wonder who is actually taking care of whom."

Review: A Line in the Sand

A Line in the Sand by Teri Wilson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So, where do I start? Yes, I had high hope for this book. However, I was very disappointed with it. This didn't really seem like an adult or even a young adult novel. This book seemed to be geared more towards the pre-teen crowd. Several things I really disliked were that there was truly nothing about the main characters that made me 'feel' anything for them. They were childish, self-absorbed, immature, and silly. Also, the overabundance of dogs was a put-off for me; although dog lovers may like this aspect, I suspect that even the most avid dog-lover will be a bit put off by this many pups. These are some things that I did like: Clean -no sex whatsoever, just a lot of thinking about kissing. Sometimes I just need a book with no heaving chests, passionate thoughts, or explicit descriptions of sex. No, I'm not a prude-but I have to be in the mood!!! Some people won't like the elderly people in this story-it is the one trope that I did love. However, I like the trope of the feisty elderly person, and the twist at the end of the book made this aspect even better. I did like the idea of the dogs being able to sniff out the turtle's nests. It would be cool if they really could do such a thing. I loved learning more about how a rescue center like this works, and I also liked learning more about the sea horses. All in all, this was not a horrible book; it was just a bit too fairytale-ish for my tastes. *ARC supplied by the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca, the author, and NetGalley.

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Review: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I couldn't wait. As soon as I received my ARC, I dove right in (of course, I re-read the first two books before reading this one!) Now I know this book isn't going to be released until January 31st of next year, so I won't make this a very long review.

This book started off a tad slow, but when it took off when it was like an Olympic luge ride! I'm still checking to see if I wet myself.

I will let you know a couple of things-nothing too important:

This will be a continuing series. We are still going to be involved with the Russian Mafia. So look for another book, most likely in 2024. Darn, I wish Elle would write faster, but I guess she has a life to live while dealing with our petty fantasies, doesn't she?

Does Finlay finally get some nookie out of Nicky? (that's for me to know and you to find out when you buy this book!)

I put up a better review once I re-read this, and it gets closer to the release date, but for now, let me just say BUY THIS BOOK! IT"S WORTH IT!!!

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SYNOPSIS:From USA Today bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun—the highly anticipated, hilarious, and heart-pounding next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series…

Author and single mom Finlay Donovan has been in messes before―after all, she's a pro at removing bloodstains for various unexpected reasons―but none quite like this. When Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they had "borrowed" in the process of saving the life of Finlay's ex-husband, the Russian mob did her a favor and bought the car for her. And now Finlay owes them.

Mob boss Feliks is still running the show from behind bars, and he has a task for Finlay: find and identify a contract killer before the cops do. The problem is, the killer might be an officer themself.

Luckily, hot cop Nick has just been tasked with starting up a citizen's police academy, and combined pressure from Finlay's looming book deadline and Feliks is enough to convince Finlay and Vero to get involved. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with a tempting detective), Finlay and Vero use their time in police academy to sleuth out the real contract killer to free themselves from the mob's clutches―all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero's past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.