My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
Four day weekend! Due to a holiday this past Friday as well as Memorial Day today, I’ve had a nice long weekend to mainly just relax, read, and de-stress! Weekend plans included dinner with friends, a few errands and minor chores, and then all day Sunday on an outing with my husband for a walk through redwoods and then a visit to a cute seaside town.
Bookish odds and ends:
Another 2027 new release to get excited for!
Emily Wilde’s History of Dark Faerie by Heather Fawcett will be released in January 2027!
What did I read during the last week?
The Shippers by Katherine Center: A silly, light rom-com from a favorite author. My review is here.
A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz: Epistolary fiction with a quirky small town setting. Lots of fun. My review is here.
The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline: Fascinating historical fiction told from the perspective of a woman in one of the most famous marriages of the 19th century. My review is here.
My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows: A delightfully bonkers reimagining of the life and times of Mary, Queen of Scots. So much fun. My review is here.
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan: Loved it! Watch for my review later this week.
Pop culture & TV:
I was mostly satisfied with the outcome of Survivor 50. I can’t say that I cared all that much by the time we got to the end. My real favorites were all eliminated earlier, but of the finalists, I was happy for the winner.
I liked the season finale of Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and I’m glad the show will be back for a 2nd season. I’m enjoying being creeped out by Widow’s Bay, and I’m trying to find time for more episodes of For All Mankind — I have just one episode left from the first season, and I plan to keep going!
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
I finished my last read late Sunday, so I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be starting next, but I’m leaning toward…
Obstetrixby Naomi Kritzer: Sounds disturbing and so, so good!
Now playing via audiobook:
Take Me with You by Steven Rowley: Starting this audiobook today!
Ongoing reads:
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s newest classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 21%. Coming up this week: Chapters 13 and 14.
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier: My new Classics Club Spin book! I’ll be leaving it here until I get started — I have until July 5th to read it, so there’s no particular rush.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare: This is the 2nd play I’ll be seeing this summer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival — and while I’ve seen several different productions of it in the past, I’ve never actually read it on the page. I’m planning to take my time over the next month, probably reading a few scenes per week. Looking forward to getting started!
Title: My Contrary Mary Series: Mary, #1 Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows Narrator: Fiona Hardingham Publisher: HarperTeen Publication date: June 22, 2021 Print length: 512 pages Audiobook length: 12 hours 18 minutes Genre: Young adult Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Long live the queen: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane kick off an all-new historical trilogy with the classy, courtly tale of Mary, Queen of Scots—perfect for YA fantasy and romance readers.
Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?
Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.
Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn after the king meets a suspicious end. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis face a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.
With a royally clever sense of humor, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows continue their campaign to turn history on its head in this YA fantasy ideal for fans of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.
A shapeshifting queen, a perilous court, and a kingdom on the brink. What could possibly go wrong?
I can’t even begin to describe how much fun it is to be back in the world of the Janies… or in this case, a Mary! This author trio has already treated us to revamped versions of Lady Jane Grey, Jane Eyre, and Calamity Jane — and this first Mary book, with its focus on Mary, Queen of Scots, takes us back to the universe of My Lady Jane, with all sorts of fresh twists!
In this fictional version of history, the kingdoms of France, England, and Scotland are full of political maneuvering and manipulation, and the key source of tension within each kingdom is the divide between Eðians and Verities — those who can shapeshift into animal forms, and those who believe that only the truly human follow in the path of righteousness, and all others are abominations.
Mary, Queen of Scots, has been raised in the French court and is betrothed to Francis, heir to the French throne. Mary is also an Eðian — a highly guarded secret that could cost her life in France, where Eðians are despised and persecuted. Mary and Francis have been best friends (and betrothed) since they were children, but now that they’re older, there’s growing pressure to see them married off in order to secure the lines of succession, as well as for France to have a stronger claim on Scotland… and eventually, England as well.
My Contrary Mary is told through chapters that rotate through three different point of view characters: Mary, Francis, and Ari, daughter of court prognosticator Nostradamus. Ari doesn’t seem to have her father’s gift for visions, instead revealing her talents through an array of potions with astounding magical properties. When Ari does try to summon a vision, they seem to be nonsense:
Ari did sometimes see things, but nothing that made sense:
“I see a princess from the moon. She punishes all of the evildoers.”
“I see a girl with pale hair singing in the snow. She wants to let it go, but I don’t know what it is.”
“I see a child. He sees dead people.”
After that, her father stopped asking her what she saw.
Ari’s visions are so entertaining that I feel compelled to share one more:
Ari spoke softly. “I see a boy and a girl. They are floating in the ocean.”
She heard some oohs in the distance, and then a shushing sound.
“It’s very cold. The breath coming out of their mouths freezes instantly.” Ari shivered. “They are not in a boat. They are on . . .” Ari squinted and saw the metal hinges of a latch. “They are on a door? The boy is slipping into the water. The girl is holding his hand. She is promising to never let go. She will hold on forever and they will be together—Oh wait, she just let go.”
As the story unfolds, Mary and Francis seem to be in ever increasing danger. Francis’s mother, Catherine de Medici, wants to rule France through him… and when he pushes back, that evil gleam in her eyes bodes bad news for Francis. Mary’s uncles, a powerful duke and influential cardinal, claim to have her best interests at heart, but as she learns late in the game, what they say and what they actually mean are quite different things. Meanwhile, Mary’s ladies-in-waiting (a delightful group, all named Mary) know Mary’s secrets and will do whatever it takes to protect her… and also have secrets of their own.
The main thing to know about My Contrary Mary is that it’s very, very funny, with a cheeky, deliberately sassy sort of tone that keeps events rolicking along. If you’ve read My Lady Jane, you’ll know that tragic historical events have no place in this fictional world… so fear not for Mary’s head staying attached to her shoulders! It’s safe to assume from the outset that the characters we come to know and love will reach their happily-ever-afters… and for the readers, getting there is so much fun that you almost hate to get to the final chapters.
I listened to the audiobook (which makes it difficult to go back and pull out as many favorite quotes as I normally would with these books). Fiona Hardingham does a fantastic job with the assorted French, Scottish, and English accents, the dialects of the various royals, nobles, and servants, as well as the portrayal of certain Eðians (which I recommend experiencing for yourself!)
As you can probably tell, I adored this romp through an alternate historical world! And now that I’ve finished My Contrary Mary, I’m eager to dive into the other books in the Mary series, which focus on Mary Shelley and the pirate Mary Read.
Purchase links for My Contrary Mary: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Title: The Foursome Author: Christina Baker Kline Publisher: Mariner Books Publication date: May 12, 2026 Length: 384 pages Genre: Historical fiction Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline comes a boldly original reimagining of an astonishing true story of two sisters in nineteenth-century North Carolina—Kline’s own distant relatives—who married world-famous conjoined twins from Siam.
When Chang and Eng Bunker arrive in Wilkes County in 1839, they’re not just a curiosity—they’re a sensation. Everyone is eager to learn whether the salacious rumors about them are true. Within months, the twins have opened a general store, bought land, and begun building a plantation. Now, word has it, they’re looking for wives—and in a place that thrives on gossip and legacy, their ambitions set the community on edge.
Sarah and Adelaide Yates, daughters of a once-prominent local family brought low by scandal, are drawn into their orbit. Bold, beautiful Addie sees in the twins’ fame a chance to reclaim her future. Sallie, quiet and observant, isn’t so sure. When the twins’ lives become entangled with theirs, they must navigate loyalty, longing, and identity in a world where everything—including race, class, and gender—is rigidly defined.
Spanning five decades and unfolding against the backdrop of a fractured nation hurtling toward war, The Foursome is both intimate and a story of love and constraint, identity and reinvention. With piercing insight and emotional precision, Kline brings to life a forgotten chapter of American history and the complex, boundary-defying marriages at its center.
In this fascinating work of historical fiction, author Christina Baker Kline shines a spotlight on the conjoined twins for whom the term “Siamese twins” was coined, by showing their lives through the eyes of one of the sisters who married them.
Most of us take for granted that, at the very least, we come into this world alone and die our own deaths But this was not true for my husband and his brother. They could not escape each other.
The Foursome is narrated by Sarah “Sallie” Yates, a young woman with a damaged reputation as the novel opens in the 1840s. After a family scandal, she and her younger sister Adelaide face limited prospects. When the famous conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker (the “Siamese Double Boys”) settle in their North Carolina community, the sisters are as curious as everyone else, but when curiosity turns to courtship, it’s Addie who leads the way, seeing the twins as a way out of their difficulties and a route to a secure future.
The engagement and marriage is, of couse, scandalous. Chang and Eng are joined by a band of flesh at the base of their chests. They’re active, healthy, educated men who pride themselves on living as gentlemen, but to the people of North Carolina, they’re seen as foreigners and as freaks. When the brothers marry the Yates sisters, the gossip is intense and personal.
As Sallie shares with readers, navigating a marriage to a man who can never leave his brother’s side presents complex challenges, from the embarrassment of figuring out sleeping (and sexual) arrangements to sharing a household with her sister to never once being able to have a truly private conversation with her husband. Sallie’s marriage to Eng does eventually turn into one of love and compatibility, but the unavoidable presence of Addie and Chang is a constant source of tension.
Still, something must work. Between them, the two couples have a total of twenty-one children over the years! The sisters eventually demand separate homes, but even so, the rigid scheduling and presence of a husband’s brother mean that the families can never truly be separate.
I saw how they leaned on each other — how their bond became a kind of fortress, both shelter and prison. How, sometimes, it shut out even those who loved them.
Beyond the domestic, The Foursome explores the lives of the Bunker husbands and wives in the context of the looming Civil War. Chang and Eng are landowners — and in the North Carolina of the 1800s, that means that they’ve slave owners. Sallie accepts that enslaved workers are simply a fact of life, but over time, her eyes are opened to what this actually means for the people who raise her children and care for her needs. As their community is drawn into war, and as sons of both households go off to fight, Sallie increasingly finds herself at odds with Addie and their husbands about the Confederacy’s ideals and what it is that they’re fighting to preserve.
Sallie’s voice in The Foursome is open and revealing. She shares the joyful moments, especially as she gives birth to child after child, as well as the discomfort of being married to a man who’ll always belong more to someone else. The descriptions of the family’s adaptation to the brothers’ conjoined nature offer a fascinating look into a situation that seems practically beyond belief.
(L–R) Sarah, her son Patrick Henry, Eng, Chang, his son Albert, Adelaide
I did wish that Sallie’s awakening to the evils of slavery came sooner. I couldn’t help but feel that some of her change in perspective was driven by the purely personal, in terms of how slavery affected her rather than out of a sense of compassion and justice for the enslaved. She can’t make up for the past, but she eventually attempts her own version of reparation by offering new beginnings and opportunities to those she’d wronged.
There are sins of action and sins of inaction. I cannot forgive myself for the times I saw wrong and turned away.
Because the story is told through Sallie’s point of view, we only understand Addie through her eyes. This is understandable, yet sometimes frustrating. Addie is the catalyst for the marriage — I would have liked a deeper understanding of Addie’s inner life and why she felt so strongly that the choice to marry the brothers was their best (and only) option.
The Foursome is actually the second novel I’ve read about these historical figures. Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss, published in 2000, is a fictionalized account of their lives as told by Eng. I don’t remember a lot of the details at this point, but I do remember how interesting I found it. Reading The Foursome, I was reminded of many of the biographical details, and was entirely drawn in by this new approach and perspective on their lives.
The Foursome is a powerful, compelling read about remarkable lives, set against the backdrop of one of the most devastating and consequential periods in American history. Sallie’s voice is memorable, and the experiences she describes paint a picture of a particular family’s life that might seem unbelievable if it weren’t actually based on historical events. Highly recommended.
Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I’m hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in.
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. Have fun!
May’s birthstone is emerald. I love a vibrant green!
Emerald, the birthstone for May, has been beloved for millennia, evoking rebirth and renewal. Widely regarded as the definition of green, emerald is the perfect color for spring. From the poetic description of Ireland as “the Emerald isle” to the vibrant green of the famed gemstone itself—the May birthstone emerald has captured hearts and minds through the ages.
Variations of this rich green color suggest soothing, lush gardens. Legend has it that emerald has the power to make its wearer more intelligent and quick-witted, and it was once believed to cure diseases like cholera and malaria. Today, it’s the gemstone given for the 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.
First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers created by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here’s how to join in:
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
Finally… reveal the book!
This week’s lines are from an upcoming summer release:
There is a strange man on my sofa. A cowboy. A shirtless cowboy, no less — thick, sun-burnished muscles on full display, marked with bruises and what look to be smudges of charcoal.
So what’s the book?
Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood To be released: June 16, 2026 368 pages
Synopsis:
A heartbroken romance novelist is forced to address her writer’s block when the villainous cowboy character from her books shows up in the real world, desperately in need of his own Happily Ever After. . . from the bestselling author of GMA book club pick The Love of My Afterlife.
Gertie Bickerstaff writes happily-ever-afters for a living. . . . Or she did, until her own love life fell apart. Now her ex is thriving, her deadline is looming, and she can’t write a single word.
The last thing Gertie needs is more drama—like waking up to find a confused and rugged cowboy on her sofa. And not just any cowboy, but River Oakley, the villain from her unfinished novel. Somehow very real . . . and very shirtless.
River wants to go home. Gertie wants her life back. So they strike a deal: he’ll use his cunning ways to help her win back her ex, she’ll finish the novel, and, surely, he’ll return to whatever world he rode in from.
But as River Oakley proves to be so much more than just the bad guy, Gertie has to choose: the ending she thought she wanted . . . or the plot twist she never saw coming.
I loved this author’s previous novel, The Love of My Afterlife — and I’m always up for stories where fictional characters show up in real life. I’ll be listening to the audiobook version of Romantic Hero just as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Title: A Town with Half the Lights On Author: Page Getz Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Publication date: April 22, 2025 Length: 384 pages Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
For readers of J. Ryan Stradal and The Music of Bees (with a dash of FX’s The Bear) comes a quirky and refreshing epistolary novel about family of culture-shocked Brooklynites transplanted to Goodnight, Kansas and their fight for their unexpected lifeline: the legendary May Day Diner.
Welcome to Goodnight, Kansas.
Population: Many Kansans, three New Yorkers, and one chance to save the place they love most
With more wind chimes than residents, folks don’t move to Goodnight when their lives are going well. That’s why all eyes are on chef Sid Solvang and his family from the moment they turn down Emporia Road to the dilapidated Victorian they inherited.
While Sid searches for work and a way back to Brooklyn, his daughter searches for answers to the cryptic messages her grandfather left behind to save both her family and the town. But then Sid makes an impulsive purchase: the fledgling May Day Diner, an iconic eatery under the threat of the wrecking ball.
As the Solvangs search for their ticket out, they discover the truth of Goodnight: one of heart and tradition, of exploitation and greed, and neighbors you would do anything to save. And the Solvangs must navigate all of it—plus wayward girl named Disco, a host of rambunctious alpacas, and the corrupt factory sustaining the town—in order to find their way back home…wherever that may be.
Told through diary entries, emails, school notes, and an anonymous town paper of the Lady Whistledown variety, A Town with Half the Lights On is a tender testament to the notions that home isn’t just the place you live, family isn’t just your relatives, and it’s almost never easy to find the courage to do what’s right.
A Town with Half the Lights On is a fish-out-of-water tale of New Yorkers forced into exile in a tiny Kansas town, and how they inadvertently manage to save the town and themselves in the process. Told through emails, newspaper clippings, and even letters in bottles, this epistolary novel is a fast, light-hearted read that combines Southern quirkiness and small-town shenanigans with some more serious real world issues.
The Solvang family arrive in Goodnight, Kansas fresh from the disastrous loss of their family business in Brooklyn. None of them want to be there, but given their financial and reputational ruin, they really have nowhere else to go. Sid and Scarlet and their teenaged daughter Harlem are dismayed by the dusty little town, the boarded up main street businesses, and the incessant church bells — but having just inherited Scarlet’s late father’s Victorian home and all that goes with it (including three alpacas), they have no option but to settle in.
The Solvangs’ goal is to sell whatever is worth selling from Pop Bannister’s estate and build up enough cash to return to New York. There’s no way they’re going to spend a moment longer in Kansas than they have to! But Scarlet’s father’s will is mysterious: Written in Latin (which he doesn’t actually know) the translated document is full of strange wording and even stranger messages, including what appears to be a hint about a secret treasure. Harlem becomes determined to find this treasure — maybe it’ll be their ticket back to New York!
Meanwhile, the neighbors and various townsfolk are wary of these strangers, and practically hostile toward Scarlet, who left Goodnight over twenty years ago with nary a word to anyone. As we see through letters to the local paper, as well as assorted emails, outsiders aren’t exactly welcome in Goodnight, and New Yorkers must be in league with the Devil himself!
But Goodnight is a town in trouble. The Goodnight American Tire Company is the main town employer, and its frequent rounds of layoffs and pay freezes leave half the town in poverty, with everyone else vying for the few remaining jobs at the factory. The town social and eating hub, the May Day Diner, is about to close, which distresses everyone, especially a strange local girl named Disco who trails glitter and causes mayhem wherever she goes. While Disco would love to buy the May Day herself, she only has the cash she’s earned from weeding neighbors’ gardens — but she has an idea. Sid and Scarlet Solvang were chefs in their former lives: Who better to rescue the beloved May Day?
As Sid and Scarlet get involved, they continue to defer their return to Brooklyn, discussing each investment in Goodnight as a means to save up to leave, but really getting deeper and deeper into the fabric of the community. First the diner, then a food lifeline for out of work locals, then a rehab/rescue of the local hotel… before long, the Solvang family has started injecting life into this boarded-up little town. When the grandfather’s secrets are finally discovered, there’s even more change in store for Goodnight, but not everyone appreciates these outsiders’ interference, and a local battle looms.
The tone of A Town with Half the Lights On is upbeat and humorous, even when the subject takes a turn toward darkness. Sid is depressed and full of self-doubt, having run his generations-old family deli into the ground through his focus on tranforming it into a molecular gastronomy destination. Now, he’s sworn never to cook or enter a kitchen again. Harlem struggles to fit into such a strange environment, and is branded a “non-conformist” from day one in her new school, which is really a death sentence among the middle school crowd. Local girl Disco is a riot, but she has very real struggles with her homelife and her pariah status, and while she’s a force for positive change in the town, she also suffers for it.
A major plot thread throughout is the corruption of the tire factory, and what seems like a few funny statements early on become more significant when the factory’s damage to the community is revealed. As the community goes through a whistle-blowing scandal, labor organizing, and mass layoffs, we see the more serious implications of the situation. Even so, the individual letters and emails that narrate events retain their humorous, quirky tone.
A Town with Half the Lights On is an engaging read, although not everything worked perfectly for me. Oddly, while the story is told through emails and newspaper articles, almost all of these are undated. The opening emails are dated in 2002, and we see a few references to what month it is… but for the most part, everything is undated, other than being identified by days of the week (occasionally) or time of day. Because of this, it’s difficult to tell how much time has elapsed between events, which feels problematic. How long did it take to turn the diner around? How long did the factory collapse take? It’s puzzling to me that we don’t get a clear timeline, especially since the story is told through documents that so easily could have been dated.
The epistolary approach allows many characters, major and minor, to have their say. It’s enjoyable to see so many personalities and voices, which gives a good picture of the variety of people who make up the community of Goodnight. The downside is that we’re reliant on whoever’s writing in the moment to tell us about events — some feel glossed over or briefly summarized, when it might have been more effective seem these events unfold with more of a real-time description.
Those points aside, I did enjoy reading A Town with Half the Lights On. The small-town vibe is lots of fun, and varying viewpoints, opinions, and gossip provide plenty of entertainment value. I’m glad I checked out A Town with Half the Lights On — it’s a quick, joyful read with heart.
Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Title: The Shippers Author: Katherine Center Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Publication date: May 19, 2026 Length: 336 pages Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.
After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.
Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.
No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.
I usually love Katherine Center books, but The Shippers is a bit too slight and focused on silliness to entirely work for me.
In The Shippers, we open with main character Jojo’s wedding. She’s wearing her soon-to-be mother-in-law’s itchy, awful wedding gown — quite a clear sign that nothing about this wedding truly fits Jojo. She has a history of dumping guys as soon as they fall for her, and her fiancé’s distance and disinterest have kept her in the relationship far longer than made sense. As she’s about to walk down the aisle, her childhood best friend Cooper walks in. Cooper essentially ghosted her four years ago without explanation, but his sudden appearance (and suggestion to fake a faint at the altar) help Jojo realize how little she wants to get married. Fake fainting turns out to be her key to escape.
Six weeks later, Jojo is forced to endure endless gossip and family and neighborhood togetherness for her sister Ashley’s cruise-based wedding. But thanks to Ashley’s interest in psychology, the sisters seem to have figured out Jojo’s problem: They conclude that she’s fixated on her first kiss (at age 10), while carrying some serious abandonment issues courtesy of their distant dad, and will never be able to have a successful, healthy relationship until she resolves the feelings associated with that kiss. Fortunately, the kisser will be on the cruise too, and Jojo will have a week to get him to fall in love with her.
When Cooper unexpectedly shows up for the cruise as well, Jojo loops him into her plan — and when the obnoxious cousin Jojo is rooming with makes it clear that their cabin will be otherwise occupied most nights, Jojo ends up bunking with Cooper. With all that togetherness, it’s only a matter of time before Jojo and Cooper confront their pasts… but her fixation on the kiss may drive them apart for good this time, despite the fact that Jojo seems to be finally waking up to how awesome (and attractive) Cooper is.
“How did you turn into a Disney prince?”
“You think I look like a Disney prince?”
“I really do.”
“You think I look like a cartoon?”
“Not a cartoon like SpongeBob. A sexy cartoon.”
The vibe of The Shippers is mostly goofy. It’s hard to take Jojo’s emotional baggage seriously when it’s addressed in between comical scenes of her wearing inappropriate clothing, falling off her high heels, getting badly sunburned (I mean, that’s not actually funny, but it’s presented as yet another ridiculous thing that Jojo gets herself into), and entering a slow-dance contest with guy who’s clearly wrong for her. We’re obviously meant to be rooting for Jojo to wake up to the fact that Cooper has been her person — and love of her life — all along, but the frantic focus on Jojo making odd choices and getting into crazy situations makes it all seem rather frivolous and shallow.
To be clear, The Shippers is entertaining and zips along with never a dull moment. For me, it was just all so intentionally silly that I couldn’t take any of it particularly seriously, even when the characters attempt to address past hurts and issues in a more thoughtful way.
Still, fans of the author will find plenty to enjoy, and The Shippers would make a good choice for a sunny summer beach read.
Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters. I’ve decided to focus on supporting character from one particular series.
Last week marked the series finale of the Outlander TV series — but the book series continues, with author Diana Gabaldon still working on book #10, A Blessing For A Warrior Going Out. There’s no release date yet — here’s hoping it’s not too far off!
I have a lot of feelings about the series finale… but putting plot aside, what stays with me is how many wonderful characters are important to the story. With Outlander on my mind, I thought I’d highlight ten favorite supporting/secondary characters from the book series. (Yes, many of these appear in the TV version as well, but often with altered storylines and/or personality traits, so I’m focusing on the books!)
Just a bit of my Outlander collection!
My top ten are:
Brianna Randall Fraser MacKenzie: Bree is a controversial pick — plenty of people dislike her, particularly early in the series when she’s kind of bratty and mean to Claire (and it is NOT okay to be mean to Claire). Bree really grows up (and grew on me) over the course of the series. She’s smart, she’s fierce, she’s welcomed Jamie into her life, and she’s become a terrific daughter at long last. Plus, gotta love a woman who does things like inventing matches and plumbing in her spare time.
Roger MacKenzie: Total sweetheart and all-around wonderful soul. He’s devoted to Bree, is a man of faith, and has stuck with the Fraser clan despite truly terrible things happening to him because of his association with them
Ian Murray (Young Ian): The little baby nephew Jamie bonded with before being sent off to prison post-Culloden grew up into a teen in need of rescue, an adopted Mohawk warrior, and a surrogate son to Jamie. Ian’s devotion to the Frasers, to his wife, and to Rollo (RIP) are lovely.
Lord John Grey: Lord John gets his own books to star in (and they’re well worth checking out, for those who haven’t explored outside of the main Outlander volumes), but he’s also a fantastic friend to Jamie, Claire, and Brianna.
Hal Grey, Duke of Pardloe: He doesn’t appear much in the TV version, but book readers know and love Hal for his wit, his devotion to family, and the endlessly entertaining dynamic whenever he and Claire are in the same scene.
Fergus Fraser: From a wee French pickpocket to an American patriot of the printing press, Fergus is an excellent son to Jamie, with a lovely marriage and family. He lights up his moments on the page.
Dougal MacKenzie: Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that he’s the catalyst for so much of what happens early in the series.
Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser: While book Murtagh doesn’t last nearly as long as TV Murtagh, he’s a crucial character nonetheless. Jamie’s godfather has his back no matter what, and comes through for him in critical moments.
Jenny Fraser Murray: I love Jenny’s fire, her devotion to her husband and children, her brother, and their home. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and is just glorious whenever she gets a moment to shine.
Rollo, Adso, Donas, and the other animals of Outlander: I mentioned Rollo earlier in relation to Ian… but honestly, the various animals of this series deserve a shout-out of their own!
Stopping at ten means I have to omit so many others! So I’ll just a quick word of praise for all the rest of Diana Gabaldon’s amazing characters… including Marsali, Rachel, Denzel, Dottie, all the various grandchildren, William (can’t forget William!), Mother Hildegard… well, I could just go on and on until I name every single one!
If you’re an Outlander fan: who are your favorite supporting characters?
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
It’s been a busy week, both with un-fun (work) craziness and very fun (non-work) outings and activities! I’m already counting the days until the long weekend coming up — I need a break!
Last week, I drove across town to check out a newly opened romance bookstore. It’s quite cute, with shelves organized by romance trope (grumpy sunshine, mythology, dark academia, etc). I didn’t actually buy anything on this visit (I’m a bit overloaded with stacks of books waiting to be read at the moment), but I’ll be going back!
Bookish odds and ends:
It feels a little crazy to be getting excited about a book that not coming out until April 2027, and yet, here we are!
The Enigmas by Emilia Hart: I loved this author’s previous two novels, and this one sounds just as good. Yet another books for my (never-ending) anticipated reads list.
What did I read during the last week?
An Ordinary Sort of Evil (A Rip Through Time, #5) by Kelley Armstrong: An excellent new installment in a favorite series! Time travel + Victorian Edinburgh + detectives + a séance! My review is here.
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: How weird is it to review Shakespeare… and only give it 3 stars? I’d never read this play before, although I’ve seen adaptations (hello, 10 Things I Hate About You!). This is either a deeply misogynistic play… or a commentary on misogyny. I suppose a lot depends on how it’s presented, but just reading it on paper, it’s pretty awful. I’ll be going to a live production this summer in Ashland, Oregon (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and I’m eager to see how they spin it!
Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir: A creepy, gory novella that’s both fascinating and a bit frustrating. Don’t worry, the cats are safe! My review is here.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune: Another gorgeous love story (with a gorgeous setting) from a favorite author. My review is here.
The Shippers by Katherine Center: A silly rom-com that’s a quick, entertaining read. Watch for my review later in the week!
Pop culture & TV:
The Outlander TV series aired its finale this past week, and my reaction is very mixed. Overall, it’s been a beautiful journey over the eight seasons of the show, and yet, some of the story and character choices this final season have been deeply unsatisfying (and frustrating). I’m not thrilled with just where the show decided to end the story. Perhaps it was a moving ending for those who haven’t read the books, but as a fan of the book series, I’d hope for something different. Ah well… I’m still grateful that the series was brought to life with such loving care and so much talent. And now, I’ll be (not so) patiently waiting for the 10th book in the series!
Other than Outlander, I’ve been spending time with a few AppleTV series, including Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Widow’s Bay, and For All Mankind. I’ve only watched the first episode of For All Mankind so far, but I liked it a lot and I’m eager to keep going.
The Survivor 50 finale is coming up this week. I think it’s been a fairly “meh” season, with my favorite competitors all getting voted out already. I don’t particularly have a strong preference among those who remain, but I’ll be tuning in anyway to see how it works out.
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
A Town with Half the Lights Onby Page Getz: This book has been on my TBR for a while now, and I’m glad that I’m finally reading it.
Now playing via audiobook:
My Contrary Mary(Mary, #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: It’s so much fun to be back in this alternate (and very funny) version of history!
Ongoing reads:
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s newest classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 17%. Coming up this week: Chapters 11 and 12.
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier: My new Classics Club Spin book! I’ll be leaving it here until I get started — I have until July 5th to read it, so there’s no particular rush.
Earlier in the week, I shared a post with my list of books for the newest Classics Club Spin challenge (see it here), and today, this spin’s number was announced. (For those keeping track, it’s CCSpin #44, and for me personally, #16!)
Hosted by The Classics Club blog, the Classics Club Spin is a reading adventure where participants come up with a list of classics they’d like to read, number them 1 to 20, and then read the book that corresponds to the “spin” number that comes up.
For CCSpin #44, the lucky number is:
And that means I’ll be reading:
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier Published 1941
Synopsis:
Bored and restless in London’s Restoration Court, Lady Dona escapes into the British countryside with her restlessness and thirst for adventure as her only guides. Eventually Dona lands in remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds the passion her spirit craves in the love of a daring French pirate who is being hunted by all of Cornwall. Together, they embark upon a quest rife with danger and glory, one which bestows upon Dona the ultimate choice: sacrifice her lover to certain death or risk her own life to save him.
And here’s a synopsis from another edition:
A lady bound by duty. A pirate who lives by desire. Together, they risk everything in a historical romance of freedom, danger, and forbidden love.
Restless in London’s rigid society, Lady Dona St. Columb escapes to the Cornish coast. There, shadowed creeks conceal a daring French privateer who offers the adventure she craves. Their secret encounters unfold in a world of stolen passion, dangerous choices, and the intoxicating pull of a gothic love story that defies every convention.
I’m excited! I’ve had a whole slew of Daphne du Maurier books on my TBR for what feels like ages, and I’m happy to have a push to actually get started. To be honest, I hadn’t looked into the plot of Frenchman’s Creek at all before today… and learning that it’s a pirate story makes me even more eager to read it.
What do you think of my spin result this time around?
I’ll be back to share my thoughts before July 5th!
Are you participating in this Classics Club Spin? If so, what book will you be reading?
Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #44:
The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
White Fang by Jack London
Anna and Her Daughters by D. E. Stevenson
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Peony by Pearl Buck
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
Tevye the Dairymanand Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem
Bookshelf Fantasies 