Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.27.25)

Making Up by Lucy Parker (★★★★★)

E-book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2018

Short synopsis: Former circus star Trix Lane is thrust back into the spotlight just as her old nemesis, disgraced makeup artist Leo Magasiva, reenters her life, sparking a fiery, complicated romance.

I’m rereading all of Lucy Parker’s romances right now and this was a delightful read once again. It was such a unique setting—a Cirque du Soleil-type act where Trix performs on the silks—and I loved that Leo is a straight man who is also a makeup artist! (He mostly does special effects makeup, but had a mishap with an actor on a movie set, so he’s taking whatever work he can get at this point.) Trix is healing from an emotionally abusive relationship and I felt that the author did a beautiful job expressing how that relationship affected Trix in myriad ways, from her professional life to her romantic relationships. What I love most about Lucy Parker’s books is that she doesn’t rely on miscommunication subplots to create tension in the novel. She still manages to create high stakes between the couple, but it always feels so much more original and true to life.

Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Thriller • 2017

Short synopsis: When Adam Dunne’s girlfriend, Sarah, vanishes after a trip to Barcelona, he discovers her link to a cruise ship where another woman disappeared under similar circumstances. Determined to uncover the truth, Adam delves into their relationship’s secrets and faces a cunning predator on a deadly hunting ground.

This is Catherine Ryan Howard’s debut and it’s quite apparent that her writing and plotting got a lot better as she gained more experience as a writer (as one would expect!). This book was very uneven for me. I loved the first half of the book and it was hard for me to stop listening because I wanted to know what happened! But then the book took a turn that I didn’t love and I found it kind of a slog to get to the end. What’s more, there was a secondary plot to the novel involving an entirely different character and I could not figure out the connection to the main plot. Typically in these thrillers, these plots come together in a fascinating way, but that was not the case here. (I found a Goodreads Q&A with the author that explained the connection, which made sense but damn. It’s probably not a good sign to finish a book and then have to go down a rabbit hole, trying to figure out how all of the different threads were connected.) I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this novel, but it does have a 3.8 rating on Goodreads so YMMV. (For me, it was 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.)

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Literary Fiction • 1987

Short synopsis: Penelope Keeling reflects on her rich, complex life while navigating the challenges of aging, family dynamics, and the newfound value of her father’s painting, The Shell Seekers. 

My first 500+ page book of the year! As a reminder, I have a goal to read four books that are longer than 500 pages this year. Ideally, I’d like them to be in the 700-900 range (this one was slightly under that at 630-ish pages). For me, this book was just okay. It was well-written and I loved being taken through all the different eras of Penelope’s life, but it was intensely sad at times. I can’t tell you how many times I just knew bad things were right around the corner for Penelope, and it got hard to go through that grief again and again. I also really hated two of Penelope’s children, but they were written to be unlikable so… good job, Rosamunde Pilcher! I wanted to wring their necks, they were so selfish and horrible. This was the kind of long book where I definitely felt the length of it and I was just ready to be done with it by the time I got to page 500 or so. Near the end, I started skimming so I could finish it faster, which is never a good thing. So, while I can understand why this is a modern classic, it wasn’t really for me.

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Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.20.25)

Fly Girl: A Memoir by Ann Hood (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Spotify/Hoopla • Nonfiction • 2022

Short synopsis: In 1978, Ann Hood became a flight attendant for TWA during the golden age of air travel. She recounts her journey, sharing tales of adventure, romance, and the challenges of a rapidly changing airline industry. 

I’ve had this book on my TBR list for a long time; I think it was originally a Modern Mrs. Darcy recommendation, and I stopped reading her blog/listening to her podcast many years ago. I was excited to pick it up, though, because I find the lives of flight attendants (especially flight attendants from the 70s/80s) to be fascinating! Ann Hood became a flight attendant in 1978 but it wasn’t long before the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 took effect, vastly changing the experience of air travel and flight attendants. I was mesmerized by all of Ann’s training to become a flight attendant and what it’s truly like to be running around the plane all flight long, ensuring everyone has what they need and calming down irate passengers. Ann was there when a man died on her flight and a passenger got so drunk and belligerent that the cops had to be called. She got to meet celebrities and many men she would later go out on dates with. And while I found her stories to be fascinating, there was something about this book that tempered my enjoyment. Her stories felt scattered at times and I think the book could have been organized better. I wanted a bit more personality from her, too—she read the audiobook herself and took a very flat tone, even with the more insane stories she told. Also, I found it such a letdown that she told all of these long, drawn-out stories about her romantic relationships but we never got the story of how she met and fell in love with her husband (who I think she’s still with today!). (EDIT: She is not with her husband anymore. So now that makes sense, ha.) I found that to be a bit odd. All in all, a bit of an uneven reading experience but I did enjoy getting a glimpse into what it was like to be a flight attendant in the late 1970s/1980s.

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Elsy Merriweather is on her way to a solo weekend away when her car unexpectedly breaks down… and she suddenly finds herself in Eloratown, a city that only exists within the pages of her favorite romance series. 

This is the kind of book that’s not going to be for everyone. It is a very, very sweet romance novel with very little spice. But for me, it worked. I really loved Elsy’s character and I could relate to her so much, especially being resentful when all of her friends cancel on her (hence the solo trip) but not wanting to tell them how much it hurt. (Elsy’s an Enneagram 9, right?!) I loved how enamored she was with being in the world of her favorite fictional series and it made me do a lot of thinking of what world I would want to be in (maybe Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls series since it’s a town filled with queer people, ha). This town has a grumpy bookstore owner who seems to be the only one, aside from Elsy, who knows that they are in a fictional town, and Elsy believes she has been sent here to help him find his love story (which isn’t with her). At times, I wanted to shake Elsy because don’t you see that he’s perfect for YOU? I just wanted her to get it together. The novel did have a slow middle, so my official rating is 3.75 stars, but it was a satisfying read overall.

All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today by Elizabeth Comen, MD (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Nonfiction • 2024

Short synopsis: For centuries, women’s healthcare has been shaped by a history of objectification, ignorance, and male-dominated narratives, leaving women’s voices and experiences overlooked. In her exploration of this legacy, Dr. Elizabeth Comen, sheds light on the systemic biases and untold stories that have shaped modern medicine, offering a compassionate and insightful guide to understanding women’s bodies and health.

Wow, you guys. This book. THIS BOOK! It’s only January and I cannot see how this won’t make my favorites list at the end of the year. This book was sensational. And horrifying. And maddening. Dr. Comen structures the book around the body’s 11 systems—integumentary (skin), skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary, immune, nervous, endocrine (hormones), and reproductive. Each chapter delves into the medical field’s journey to understand a specific system, the conditions affecting women within it, and the many ways the medical community has historically failed to address women’s needs. And also how the medical community failed women doctors. Textbooks only had male bodies in them, cadavers were mostly men, X-ray machines weren’t even set up to protect a woman’s breasts, and even some of the medical instruments were more difficult for women to handle. What really horrified me was how so many women were labeled as hysterical and sent to asylums as a result. What a scary time to be a woman! Any simple symptom could earn a woman the label of hysteria, and worse, a woman’s husband could simply make up symptoms and send their wife to an asylum at any point. Good god. I am so grateful to be living in modern times where my anxiety and depression are treatable conditions and I’m not labeled with hysteria. Anyway, if you, too, want to be horrified but also enlightened by the history of medicine, I encourage you to pick up this book. Dr. Comen had a really friendly, personable writing style and I really enjoyed the audiobook.

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Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.15.25)

A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Library • Historical Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Reimagining Romeo & Juliet as not a tragedy, but as two people who fell in love, got married, and had a brood of children, A Daughter of Fair Verona starts with a murder. At the betrothal ball for their oldest daughter, Rosie, to a duke who is much older than her and has three wives who have met unfortunate ends, the duke ends up dead. Who killed him? And could they be after Rosie, too?

This is was my final audiobook of 2024 when I wanted something quick and light-hearted at the end of December. And this book definitely delivered in that department! I loved the voice in this novel; Rosie was smart and funny and yes, the dialogue did not stay true to the time period but I had to just go along with it. There were many times I laughed while listening along, which is not something I generally do when reading! However, all that said, I found the plot to be quite lackluster. The author is clearly setting this up to be a trilogy, but it meant that the book as a whole felt unfinished and the ending abrupt. I probably won’t continue reading the series; it wasn’t compelling enough for me.

The Fall Back Plan by Melanie Jacobson (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Jolie left the small town Harvest Hollow ten years ago for the big city. She returns to take over the beloved bar in town and runs into her high school nemesis, Lucas, nearly immediately. And not only has the bad boy turned good, as in the Sheriff of Harvest Hollow, but he’s also hotter than ever. 

If you love a chaste, simple romance, then this book is for you. If you want something spicy and exciting, then steer clear. This novel was a little too sweet for me and it didn’t have the level of character development that I want in my romances. As a character, Jolie wasn’t believable. For one, she seemed a bit immature and basically moved back to Harvest Hollow to get back at someone in her life, and that just felt like a crazy thing to do. There were parts of this novel I liked (I always love a small-town setting and I enjoyed the fall-like vibes) but mostly it was a miss for me. Also, I really need authors/publishers to stop labeling romances as “rom/coms” when there is no comedy to speak of! There was nothing funny in this novel; it was actually pretty serious. Gah.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Thriller • 2024

Short synopsis: Ellie Black has returned. After missing for two years, she is found disheveled in the woods but won’t say a word about what happened to her or where she’s been. 

This was a great thriller, but trigger warnings abound. This book was very dark with some grim themes. As a highly sensitive person, it was hard for me to handle at times but I powered through because the story was so compelling. The story alternates between the present day as Ellie returns and the past when Ellie disappeared. The present timeline is voiced by both Ellie and the detective who is trying to figure out what happened to her. The detective drove me crazy and I think that was the point. So, good job, Emiko Jean. I wanted to shake this detective so many times! Anyway, this is a propulsive thriller and a solid 4-star read to start my 2025 reading year!

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Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.6.25)

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Spotify • Thriller • 2024 

Short synopsis: Meredith Lee helped Aspen Palmer rise to social media fame, but after being cast aside, Meredith starts stalking Aspen. But when Meredith goes missing and threats emerge, Aspen must protect her perfect image before everything comes crashing down.

This was an excellent audiobook read, and it was one of those books that I could hardly stop listening to because I was so curious about where it was going. At times, these characters could be so frustrating because, well, they’re influencers and as such, they live a life I do not want to live in a million years. Documenting so much of their lives and making video after video, taking photo after photo, all to project a certain image to their followers… what an exhausting way to live. And yet… being an influencer gives women agency in their lives. Some of these women are making six figures! It is a legitimate business and as social creatures, we buy into what they’re selling. Anyway, this book was both an interesting look into the life of an influencer and a thriller filled with twists and turns I really wasn’t expecting. I loved the way I was constantly going back and forth between what I thought was happening, and how the two timelines in the book converged. It was truly a one-of-a-kind thriller that was really enjoyable for me to read.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Fiction • 2024

Short synopsis: When Phoebe Stone arrives alone at Newport’s grand Cornwall Inn, she’s mistaken for a wedding guest but is actually there to kill herself. As the bride navigates her meticulously planned weekend, an unexpected bond forms between the two women, reshaping both their lives.

I have heard so many rave reviews of this book so my expectations were super high. And wouldn’t you know it? This book met every single expectation! It’s the kind of book I was immediately drawn into and could hardly put down. The author has such an easy writing style and the characters were so well-developed. Phoebe was a woman who was at rock bottom and didn’t see a way out… until she meets Lila, a bride who has a week-long wedding planned at this hotel. I loved the scenes between Phoebe and Lila so much. They were so honest and raw and real. There’s a message throughout the novel about happiness and what we owe to ourselves. Why do we constantly strive for happiness and what happens when we get the thing we so desperately wanted? Because of course when we get the thing, we zip along to the next thing that we think will make us even happier. There are trigger warnings for this book, of course. Suicidal ideation, miscarriage, infertility, depression, and death/grief are some of them. It is a very sad book at times, but it is such an intimate look at the way life circumstances can so vastly affect our mental health. Life just sometimes really sucks, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Anyway, I really loved this book and I think it’ll be sneaking its way into my favorites list for 2024!

Suddenly One Summer by Julie James (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2015

Short synopsis: Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade and investigative journalist Ford Dixon team up to solve his sister’s case, but their sizzling chemistry forces them to confront their doubts about love—and each other.

This is a reread for me and I really have to condition myself to read this book through the lens of 2015. First of all, there was a reference to one of the characters moving into an apartment in Trump Tower, which was very triggering! But this book was written before his run for president so… deep breaths, Steph. There was a bit of toxic masculinity on the part of Ford, but I wonder how differently he would have been written today. (It wasn’t anything too troubling, but just some scenes that made me cringe a little.) I don’t think I loved this book as much the second time around; I found it really hard to get into Victoria’s head and root for her. But it was an easy romance to zip through around Christmas.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.30.24)

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Historical Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: In the summer of 1922, Jay Gatsby is found dead in his swimming pool, seemingly the victim of a murder-suicide. But when a diamond hairpin is discovered nearby, three women—Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Catherine McCoy—become entangled in the mystery. 

I loved this fun reimagining of The Great Gatsby. Instead of focusing on Jay and his friend Nick Carraway, we’re drawn into the lives of three women with their own roles to play in Gatsby’s murder. The chapters alternate between each woman (with separate narrators for each, which was great!) and a detective trying to get to the bottom of what happened to Gatsby. I thought the story flowed so seamlessly. There are so many themes at play in this story: the realities of being a woman in the 1920s and the limited choices women had, the strength and resilience of women, and the sweetness of supportive female friendship. I love that this book focused on the women surrounding Jay Gatsby and not on the terrible men. It was an excellent story that I highly recommend!

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (★★☆☆☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2007

Short synopsis: Led by her yapping corgis to the Westminster traveling library outside Buckingham Palace, the Queen finds herself taking out a novel. This awakens in Her Majesty a passion for reading so great that her public duties begin to suffer. 

This was a quick read (120 pages!) and if it wasn’t such a short book, I would have definitely abandoned it. Mostly, this book made me sad. It’s about the love of reading but at every turn, the Queen is stymied by her quest to read more. The traveling library disappears, her books are misplaced, and people just do not want to hear about what she is reading. This isn’t a book about the love of reading. It’s about how weird our hobby might seem to people who don’t read. So… blah.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Romance/Mystery • 2024

Short synopsis: Three days before Christmas, famed author Eleanor Ashley vanishes from a locked room during a snowbound house party. Cozy mystery writer Maggie Chase and thriller author Ethan Wyatt—rivals who can’t stand each other—must join forces to uncover the truth. As tensions rise and secrets unfold, they race to solve the mystery before the storm traps them with a killer—or drives them to kill each other first.

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS! This book was perfection from beginning to end. I could not get enough of this sweet love story—or the excellent mystery at the heart of this novel. Maggie is still healing from her bitter divorce a year ago and Ethan is the publishing world’s golden child who can do no wrong, but together they have to team up to figure out what happened Eleanor and to make sure they’re not next on the list. If you love enemies-to-lovers, you’re going to love this book because Ally Carter does a great job with this trope. I actually got butterflies in my stomach when the characters kissed for the first time; this is how invested I was in them! I did not want this book to end and I’m going to be shoving it into the hands of everyone I know. Read this book!

What are you reading?