What I’m Reading (4.21.25)

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2019

Short synopsis: While starring in a live-action, choose-your-own-adventure TV play, actress Freddy Carlton clashes—and sparks fly—with sharp-tongued critic James “Griff” Ford-Griffin, who’s reluctantly hosting the production at his family estate. As their lives entangle through passion, secrets, and a shared love of theater, one revelation from the past threatens to upend everything.

I’m continuing my reread of Lucy Parker’s romances and it makes me so very happy. I love her romances! This romance has the tropes of enemies-to-lovers and grumpy/sunshine, which are two of my favorites. Freddy is a stage actress determined to have some fun with this live-action production while Griff is reluctant to have this whole production at his family estate. Plus, he has recently had a lot of mean things to say about Freddy’s recent stage performance so they are not on the best of terms. But, of course, these enemies indeed become lovers, and their whole relationship made me so giddy. I loved how Freddy broke down Griff’s walls and how he became a stable force in her life when things were crumbling around her. I enjoyed their banter and their sex scenes and even their dark moment because nobody does a dark moment like Lucy Parker. (They feel so normal and not as dramatic as a typical romance dark moment.) There’s a mystery happening around the book that I didn’t really care much about (hence the 4-star rating) but it’s still a fantastic read.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: With her life unraveling, Lila Kennedy is blindsided when her estranged father reappears after 35 years—but his unexpected arrival just might help her rediscover what love and family truly mean.

Lila’s having a tough time: her husband left her for another woman, her mom died suddenly and now her stepdad is living with her, she’s behind deadline on her new book, her older daughter is becoming distant, and to add insult to injury, her biological dad showed up unexpectedly. We All Live Here is a story about family and regret and learning how to move on after your world has been upended. I’ll be honest: This is probably my least-favorite book from Jojo Moyes. I found Lila extremely unlikable and I just really needed her to get her shit together for her kids. She was scatterbrained and displaying some avoidant behaviors. I found it hard to root for her when she kept making really stupid decisions. In the end, Lila did end up getting her shit together, but it all felt a little forced. It was almost as if Moyes wanted to tie things up in a tidy bow, but that’s not how real life works. I just wanted more from this novel and it didn’t deliver for me.

Notes On Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach (★★★☆☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: Told over fifteen years, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance follows Sally Holt as she navigates grief, longing, and growing up in the shadow of her sister Kathy’s tragic death—and her complicated connection to the boy they both once loved. 

I was looking forward to reading this book, as I adored Espach’s 2024 release, The Wedding People. I hoped it would have the same magic and readability, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. I found it hard to be in Sally’s head; she was so young and naive, and I didn’t feel any sort of connection with her. This is very much a character-driven novel—and a highly literary one at that—and these types of books are not my jam. (Sometimes I read these books and I just feel like I am not smart enough to “get it” and understand all of the different literary themes.) I also found the romance to feel a bit squicky and unnecessary, which tempered my enjoyment of the book. Many people have loved this book, so I am in the minority here, but it wasn’t for me.

What are you reading?