I have a lot of book reviews that have piled up in the past few weeks. (As of today, I have TEN book reviews to share, eeps.) I’m going to break my book reviews into a few posts so I don’t inundate you guys with all of my opinions all at once. This first set includes five books, ranging from 2 to 4 stars. Let’s discuss!

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Mystery • 1926

Short synopsis: The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. The widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of Veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling case involving blackmail and death that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.

I have to admit that I was confused for the majority of this book. There were just so many characters to keep track of and a timeline that was hard to make sense of. I don’t know if it was me or the book, but it was not the most pleasant reading experience. But this does seem to be a normal occurrence with Christie’s books, so I probably just need to keep some sort of character bible when I’m reading her books. I loved that this novel had one narrator and Hercule Poroit almost seemed like a side character, even though we all know he’s the main event. I had a suspicion of who I thought the murderer was and it was actually pretty delightful to be right! This was a great mystery, though, but I just wish everything didn’t feel so confusing for so much of the novel.

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian (★★★☆☆)

Print • Library • Queer Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: An emotional, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine, queer mid-century romance about grief and found family, between the new star shortstop stuck in a batting slump and the reporter assigned to (reluctantly) cover his first season.

Cat Sebastian is my reliable three-star romance author. I was hoping this one would be more of a 4- or 5-star read, but alas, it was just okay. I loved the setting of this romance novel – 1960s New York City – and that it was a queer romance involving a baseball player and a reporter. What a fun concept, especially the way the novel dug into the queer landscape of 1960s New York. While I enjoyed the romance between the two men and thought they had great chemistry, the novel was also a little boring at times. There were a lot of side plots that could have probably been cut out of the story because overall, it was just way too long and the pacing felt a little disjointed. I’d give this one 3.5 stars.

The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle (★★☆☆☆)

Audiobook • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: After her mother’s death, Jess struggles to let go of her childhood home, especially an old set of encyclopedias that hold deep sentimental value. In her search for a new home for the books, she discovers the Museum of Ordinary People, where she becomes involved in uncovering hidden stories and secrets, including those from her own past.

I loved Mike Gayle’s book All the Lonely People, and was excited to get my hands on this new one but ughhh, it was not my favorite. I think my main issue with the book was the main character and her relationship with her boyfriend. Do you ever read a book where the author doesn’t even try to add nuance to a relationship that’s doomed to fail, and you have no idea why this person is staying with such an awful partner? That was this book. I had no idea why Jess was with this person when he was such an obvious villain. He was rude, condescending, and a jerk. And look, I get that people sometimes stay in bad relationships but I’m not talking about situations where it’s unsafe to leave. I’m talking about relationships where people just put up with bullshit because it’s easier than being on their own. Stop dating bad people! Gah.

Anyway, that was my main issue with the book and the way it was resolved was not satisfying at all. It makes me wonder if Mike Gayle even knows how to write women properly? I don’t know… I got a weird vibe from the female main character throughout the novel. What I did like about this novel was the museum! What a wonderful concept – a museum filled with ordinary belongings that had extraordinary meaning to other people. I’m still not sure how a museum like that could find funding, but it’s a great idea.

There was a weird twist at the end of the novel that did not need to be there (and soured me even more on the book), so all in all, not a book I’m likely to recommend. Give his other book a try over this one!

When in Rome by Sarah Adams (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2022

Short synopsis: Pop star Amelia Rose, seeking a break from her high-profile life, escapes to small-town Rome, Kentucky, where she meets Noah, a pie shop owner wary of her celebrity status. As they grow closer, Amelia finds comfort in the town’s simplicity and Noah’s warmth, but both must face the reality that her return to stardom is inevitable.

This romance was simply delightful from beginning to end! I loved the rapport between Amelia and Noah, and I loved this small-town community of Rome, Kentucky. Authors can sometimes be a little too cutesy when creating a small-town dynamic, but this one completely worked and every character stole my heart. The way they all came together to welcome Amelia and keep out the paparazzi was heart-warming. And I just really, really wanted there to be a way for Amelia to get everything she wanted: a less hectic pop star schedule and the hot guy. The author wrapped up the book in such a realistic, sweet way and it’s a book that just made me happy-sigh when I finished it.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (★★☆☆☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Contemporary Fiction • 2024

Short synopsis: When Lauren returns home one night to find herself married to a man she’s never met, she discovers her attic mysteriously swaps out husbands and reshapes her life with each change. As her world shifts with every new “partner,” Lauren must confront whether constantly pursuing a better life is worth losing her sense of self.

I was so excited about this book! I loved the concept and thought it was going to be such a clever look at marriage, choices, and singlehood. Instead, I got a meandering book that never really had any important message and featured a protagonist who bordered on problematic at times. It’s hard to really explain why I disliked this book so much without giving away important details of the plot, but suffice it to say, I didn’t see any sort of character arc from Lauren and the ending made me feel really lackluster about the book as a whole. There was also a plotline that had Lauren engaging in some seriously stalkerish behavior that made me nearly DNF the book. It was so problematic! I think this concept was just too much for the author to handle, and I do wonder what this book could have been with a more adept writer at hand.

What are you reading?