Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (★★★★☆)

Brendan Slocumb is making a name for himself in the subgenre of musical literary thrillers. Super-niche, right? But somehow, it works. These are not fast-paced, page-turny thrillers, but rather more of a slow burn. This book is all about a man named Frederick Delaney. He’s one of the greatest musical composers of the twentieth century, but there’s a discovery that could lead to two people unearth the true secret of his greatness: All of his works were actually composed by a young Black woman whose name has been lost to history. This book is about the love of music, the way Black people’s contribution to music is often erased, and corruption. I listened to the audiobook, which was expertly narrated, and those last few hours of the book were incredible. I couldn’t stop listening! A fantastic book with a well-paced plot, vibrant characters, and a satisfying conclusion. (library audiobook, 2023)

Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh (★★☆☆☆)

This book has a pretty low Goodreads rating (3.49) so I didn’t have high hopes for it. I tried reading it as a print book, but I found the writing to be a bit cheesy and elementary, so I decided to listen to the audiobook. Sometimes, a book that’s not well-written comes off better in audio form! Unfortunately, this is not the case for this book. It’s 1946 in London and the city is trying to rebuild itself after the Blitz. It’s a tough time with food rations and few job prospects, which is why many Londoners seek “unseemly” professions like thieving. The best thieves are under the wing of Alice Diamond, dubbed “the Queen of Thieves.” Her all-female gang of thieves is the scourge of high-end stores throughout London, and when Alice takes a young, pregnant girl named Nell under her wing, Alice thinks she’s found a new right-hand woman. But is she? While I appreciated learning about this time and place in history, I just found this book to be rather boring. It should be exciting, right? Female thieves! London in the ’40s! But no, it wasn’t well-written and the plot was meandering. I’d skip this one. (library audiobook, 2023)

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas (★★★☆☆)

Ahh… this book. It was a nice, easy read but I finished it feeling a bit unsatisfied. It follows the story of Kathleen and Devon. Kathleen’s husband of three days was unexpectedly killed in an accident and in turn, it gives his cousin, Devon, the earldom and ensuing estate. He doesn’t want this responsibility—nor to be saddled with his cousin’s three young sisters and his widow. Not to mention, his cousin was in massive debt that Devon is now forced to deal with. And then, as these romances are wont to do, the more time Devon and Kathleen spend with each other, the more they realize their deep feelings for one another. This was a fine romance, but I found Devon to be particularly churlish and demanding. He was just an asshole, not a rake with a heart of gold. Eh. I’ll probably keep reading the series when I need a palate cleanser, knowing I’m not going to get much depth from the books. (library e-book, 2015)

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The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: It’s October 1947 and after a summer-long drought, out-of-control fires break out around the city. Grace’s husband, Gene, has gone to help with the firefighting efforts, leaving her alone—five months pregnant and with two toddlers. And then a fire breaks out in her town, and she has to flee with her kids, unsure where to go, what her home will look like when she returns, and if her husband is okay.

This book was engaging from beginning to end. The beginning chapters take us into Grace’s life as it is now, which is pretty sad, honestly. She’s in a loveless marriage and feels trapped, especially when she learns she has another baby on the way. After the fire breaks out and Grace has to leave her home with her kids, the story really picks up and I found myself fully engaged through all the twists and turns that happen to Grace as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life and move forward while taking care of her children. She’s unsure where her husband is or if he’s even alive, which makes things both more complicated and less so. (More complicated because being a single mother in the 1940s was a difficult prospect; less complicated because she got to experience life without being trapped in a loveless marriage.) I loved Grace’s character so, so much. She was such a strong woman and did whatever she has to for her family. Her evolution throughout the novel was stark, and it was so lovely to witness. (library audiobook, 2017)

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin (★★★☆☆)

Short synopsis: Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. Left with her father’s massive debts, she has only twelve weeks to save her family from ruin. So she leaves home and heads to London to find herself a titled gentleman. She doesn’t expect to encounter Lord Radcliffe. The worldly Radcliffe sees Kitty for the mercenary fortune-hunter that she really is and is determined to scotch her plans at all costs.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. This was our July book club selection, and while most of my friends enjoyed the book (and we had a good discussion about the roles of women and needing a husband in order to achieve wealth!), it just wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t find Kitty to be all that likable, nor did I feel the chemistry between her and Lord Radcliffe. This is a completely closed-door romance, too, which may appeal to some of you, but tends to bum me out (ha). I like a little steam with my romance novels! It’s not a bad book by any means, and is a debut so some of the lackluster writing is to be expected, but I was just hoping for something different. (library e-book, 2022)

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell (★★★★★)

Short synopsis: In 2017, Kim’s 19-year-old daughter Tallulah disappeared with her boyfriend, leaving behind their infant son. Two years later, her daughter still missing, Kim finally gets a break in the case.

This was such a satisfying thriller! The novel is broken into two timelines: 2017 when Tallulah originally goes missing and 2019 when her case is reactivated. Both storylines were so intriguing, as they both revealed important details that helped me unravel what was happening in the story. The pacing in this story was top-notch and it was just so well-written and propulsive. I’ve read quite a few of Lisa Jewell’s books and this one, by far, is a standout. (library audiobook, 2021)

ABANDONED – The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

I read a little over 100 pages of this novel, and I was just bored by it. The plot wasn’t very engaging and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. I wasn’t curious about the plot or what was going to happen to these characters, either, which is always my sign to abandon a book. Win some, lose some.

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