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.
Another really busy week and weekend. I did quite a bit of running around on Saturday, visiting a bookstore before running even more errands for exciting tasks like buying my husband a new tie! Kidding aside, it was actually pretty fun. And seeing this sign while walking to the bookstore made me smile:
Once again, I didn’t have nearly enough time for reading this past week, and had to skip my weekend beach walks… here’s hoping I can do better in the coming week.
What did I read during the last week?
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien: What a treat! I’m so glad I had a book group commitment to push me to read this book again. It’s so delightful, and I had a great time bouncing between a few different editions and checking out the various illustrations. Also, it was lovely being reminded of how many great passages there are in this book; for example:
It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.
My audiobook of the week:
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez: Good entertainment, but not stellar. My review is here.
Pop culture & TV:
I finally caught up on Yellowjackets! I finished all of season 3… which left me with a lot of thoughts and reactions, and plenty of frustration that we now have to wait for a new season.
I also caught up on the last few episodes of Dark Winds. If you haven’t tried this show, you’re missing out! It’s excellent.
I even found time to try something new: Etoile, the new Prime Video series from Amy Sherman-Palladino. I’ve only seen one episode (of the eight available), but I liked it! Here’s a look at the trailer:
Fresh Catch:
Saturday was independent bookstore day, so I just had to stop by my favorite bookshop and show some support! Here’s what I came home with — one book I’ve read already, three new-to-me books… and a cute sticker to show I’d been there:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata: Oh, this book is weird! But intriguing too — and it’s short, so I should wrap it up quickly.
Now playing via audiobook:
All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle: This audiobook is giving me A Man Called Ove vibes, and I’m loving it!
Ongoing reads:
My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 82%. Up next: Chapters 40 and 41.
Title: Say You’ll Remember Me Author: Abby Jimenez Narrators: Christine Lakin & Matt Lanter Publisher: Forever Publication date: April 1, 2025 Print length: 416 pages Audio length: 9 hours 59 minutes Genre: Contemporary romance Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…
. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.
Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.
In what I’ve come to think of as signature Abby Jimenez, Say You’ll Remember Me presents two people who are perfectly, devastatingly in love… but who have family challenges and childhood traumas presenting seemingly insurmountable obstacles to their HEA.
But, as is also signature Abby Jimenez… there is obviously going to be a Happily Ever After, no matter how unlikely, so we can breathe easy as we follow along.
In Say You’ll Remember Me, Samantha and Xavier have a not-so-cute meet-cute, during which she shows up at his veterinary clinic with a sickly kitten (awwww, cute!!) and he rudely (not cute!) tells her that the kitten can’t be saved and should be given a merciful death to avoid suffering. She tells him he’s an ass, and motivated to prove him wrong, raises enough money through a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the kitty’s lifesaving surgery. Xavier, not actually being an ass, not only donates to the campaign, but reaches out to own up to being wrong.
Both Samantha and Xavier felt a spark at their initial meeting, despite the hostility bouncing around the room, and eventually, he asks her out on a date. She agrees, although she can’t stay out late because she has an early flight the next morning. They have a fantastic time, until they get stuck in an escape room (which, for the record, they solved — but they got stuck anyway), and are forced to wait until morning to be let out. During their one verrrrry long date, they open up and connect, and realize they have something special.
Except… what Samantha hadn’t told Xavier earlier was the reason for her flight the next day. She’s leaving Minnesota permanently and moving back to California to care for her mother, who’s experiencing intensifying early-onset dementia. Samantha’s ticket is one-way; no matter how great their date was, she won’t be back, and there’s no point in pursuing anything further. She tells Xavier to forget her — there’s no future for the two of them.
But he can’t, no matter how he tries. They each suffer through weeks of silence before reconnecting, and realizing that no matter how crazy it might be, they want to be together, in whatever way they can. Between Samantha’s family obligations and Xavier’s business (he’s deeply in debt from the loans he took out to open his practice), all they can have is fleeting weekends, whenever one or the other can afford to buy plane tickets. It’s not sustainable, but they also can’t give it up.
Layered beneath and around the love story are the emotional challenges and traumas each has to deal with. For Samantha, it’s seeing her beloved, vibrant mother fade to gray. Despite the entire family — her father, grandmother, and siblings — banding together to care for her mother so she can remain in her home, as they promised her when she was first diagnosed, caring for her is much more demanding than any of them anticipated. The emotional distress of witnessing her mother’s decline is matched by the physical toll of her increasing needs. The family is barely hanging on.
For Xavier, it’s the need to be strong and successful, to prove to his negligent, abusive parents that he’s made it without them. After cutting ties more than a decade earlier, he still feels an intense need to show that they were wrong, that he’s not stupid or worthless, that he was good enough to make something of himself. Part of that, for Xavier, is not letting his practice fail. He’s love to sell it and move to California to be with Samantha — but that would mean losing his investment, not being able to pay off his loans, and most likely declaring bankruptcy. His long-held childhood traumas won’t let him give his parents the satisfaction, no matter how much he and Samantha are suffering from not being together.
That’s the plot in a nutshell. Obviously, there’s quite a bit of nuance, but the overarching theme of Say You’ll Remember Me is: Long distance relationships are haaaaarrrrrrd.
This is not exactly a revelation, and I couldn’t help shrugging my shoulders a bit and feeling like Samantha and Xavier could do with a bit less whining. Yes, they’re both dealing with a lot — but they’re not the first couple in the world to be kept apart by circumstances outside their control. I got a little tired of hearing them describe their relationship as if it were the most special love story ever. I liked them together, and I liked them as people — but they come across as both unrealistic and too couple-centered to be utterly sympathetic.
Especially when Xavier says things like:
I think there are two types of people you fall in love with. The ones who are a good fit. Their lifestyle matches yours, you share the same values and beliefs, you find them attractive and you like spending time with them. It’s good. Great even. You can live your whole life with this person and be madly in love and never want anything different… unless you’ve already met the other type of person you fall in love with.
The One.
The person who was made just for you. And you only ever get the one.
Samantha was my one.
Something about that just got on every one of my nerves. Because the way he describes the first type makes it sound pretty perfect — that’s an ideal relationship! And yet, he’s holding up this ideal of the “the one” as if it’s something holy and destined and somehow above and beyond all other types of relationships. And just, no. Much too self-centered and sanctimonious for me, thank you very much.
There’s a bit of wording weirdness too. Samantha thinks of Xavier as giving her a “contemplative” look… like, a thousand times in the book. And eventually, they even talk about it between themselves, but it’s very overdone — or at least, via audiobook, it jumps out as being very overused.
Samantha and Xavier also discuss wanting to lead “parallel” lives:
“You can’t fake that kind of thing,” she said, softly. “It’s the result of a parallel life. A shared collection of experiences, like a snowball rolling downhill, getting bigger as it goes. And then you get to a point where you’re so far in, you can never replace that person. Not really. No one else can ever be the same kind of witness because you’ve through so much. It really is a once in a lifetime thing.”
First, I don’t think a snowball rolling down hill is a particularly positive metaphor for a relationship. And second, every time they talk about wanting to have a parallel life, I couldn’t help wondering if they understand what parallel means — side by side but never touching. I don’t think that’s what they actually want.
Criticism aside… there’s still plenty to enjoy about Say You’ll Remember Me. Quippy banter, humor in even dire situations, lots of silliness, and oodles of very cute animals (none of whom die or are ever at risk, so don’t worry!).
The audiobook narration is well done, with different narrators for Samantha and Xavier, each getting separate chapters. One thing I really liked is that they do their own characters in dialogue — so even if it’s an Xavier chapter, the Samantha narrator still does Samantha’s lines. (This isn’t always the case in audiobooks, and it can be jarring to switch deliveries for the same character from chapter to chapter).
By this point, Abby Jimenez has legions of fans, and I’m sure most will love Say You’ll Remember Me. I didn’t hate it — but I can’t say it was more than an okay story for me. Maybe it’s just how much Samantha and Xavier come across as special snowflakes… but I found myself running out of patience (and therefore sympathy) for their dramatics.
Still, I’ll be back for whatever this author writes next, whether a stand-alone or another story set in this world. Abby Jimenez writes stories with punch, humor, and emotion, and even when I think they’re only okay, they still hold my attention from start to finish.
Purchase links: Amazon – 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’m trying something new: I thought I’d start doing a semi-regular/recurring feature to highlight different categories of “stuff” I’ve bought recently and recommend.
Honestly, I’m a little on the fence… I’m not a big fan of consumerism, and I’m definitely pro-library, swapping, sharing, etc. But still, I do shop online for most of my day-to-day needs these days, so why not pass along a few recommendations when I find something worth talking about?
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you click through a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Today’s topic: Bookish Delights!
Below is a round-up of book-related goodies I’ve enjoyed in recent months. Any of these would be terrific gifts for a booklover… or why not treat yourself once in a while?
Glocusent USB Rechargeable Book Light:
I love this! It’s a small, portable, book light that clips on to your book (but I also use it with my Kindle). It’s been great for travel, especially for those jet-laggy sort of nights when I can’t sleep and want to keep reading with disturbing my partner!
It comes in five different colors, and is inexpensive too! I originally discoverd this light through a Wirecutter recommendation, and I’m so glad I gave it a try!
Found on Etsy, these bookmark holders don’t take up much space, and they’re just so cute!
They come in a variety of colors, so choose your fave. I got one to sit on my shelf, and another for my Little Free Library so I could have a way to give away bookmarks as well as books.
I bought one of these for my husband a couple of years ago when he first started using a Kindle, and he swears by it! The exact version that I bought him doesn’t seem to be available any longer, but if I had to replace it, I think I’d get this one. It’s a similar shape, plus it has pockets!
This might not seem obviously book-related… but who doesn’t love to be cozy while curled up with a good book? I bought this pack of six for myself, and when my daughter started stealing borrowing them from me, I ended up getting her a pack of her own.
Cute colors, super cuddly, and they hold up well too!
Stickers, T-shirts, notepads, and more for book fanatics via Kingdom of Threads:
This Etsy shop has everything needed to make a book nerd’s heart beat faster. Pictured is one of the awesome stickers I ordered from them (Wolfsong fans will instantly get the reference)… but I couldn’t stop at just one, and bought a LOT of stickers and other goodies. Everything is just so… epic & awesome!
This is a great source for artwork, cards, puzzles, and more!
I love everything on this site, and if I had unlimited funds, I just know I’d go way, way overboard. (I mean, I would like a custom piece of artwork featuring all of my favorite books!)
Meanwhile, for those of us on a budget, there are pins and prints and other fun items to choose from.
The book pictured here makes a wonderful gift for booklovers. Amazon has it available here, and you can also find it on Bookshop.org.
Book sleeves:
I love my padded book sleeves! My daughter gifted these to me a few years ago, and I use them all the time, whenever I want to read on the go. They’re perfect for travel, or even just for days when I’m running around locally but want to have a book handy.
My book sleeves were from an Etsy store called Beyond Booked, but they don’t seem to be active any longer. There are lots of other makers selling book sleeves, in many varieties — different fabrics, some with zippers or pockets, padded or not padded.
My preference is for the simple design, open top, with nice padding. I’ve found an Etsy shop — Carlton Quilts — that seems to have very similar work to the book sleeves I have, with these fabrics plus lots of other really cute patterns.
There are three sizes to choose from:
Small – fits mass market paperbacks
Medium – fits trade paperbacks (pictured above, left)
Large – fits hardcovers (picture above, right)
I’ve found that the medium size is also perfect for my Kindle! Even though I have a Kindle cover, I still prefer to have it cushioned when I travel with it, so I use my medium book sleeve all the time!
I’ve been a fan of the amazing array of bookish goodies sold by Out of Print for a long time now (and can prove it, if you feel like looking inside my t-shirt drawer or checking out my somewhat impressive collection of totebags)!
They carry such a great mix of products featuring book cover images, character images, and all sort of fantastic bookish graphics, and feature themes including everything from classics to hot-this-moment books (like Fourth Wing, Sunrise on the Reaping, and Emily Henry’s books, to name just a few).
Many of their items are available through their Amazon storefront, but you can also shop directly at https://outofprint.com/.
I would be remiss in not highlighting the fact that this weekend is Independent Bookstore Day! While I’ve provided Amazon links for some of the items above, I do encourage everyone to make an effort to support your local bookstores! Stop by in person if you can (I have it on good authority from my favorite local bookseller that they love seeing friendly faces come through their doors!), or if you prefer online shopping, don’t forget that purchases from Bookshop.org support independent bookstores.
On the topic of bookish goodies, do you have any favorite book-related accessories or gifts to recommend?
And — ta da! — that’s it for my first Retail Therapy feature! What do you think? Should I do more of these?
A treat for fans of the Mercy Thompson series! Here’s a look at the newly revealed cover for an upcoming new release by Patricia Briggs. Coming in October, it’s Blind Date with a Werewolf!
This should be lots of fun!
Here’s the blurb:
When the deadly werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous “friends,” his reclusive life will never be the same, in this enthralling novel in stories from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.
Includes two all-new stories as well as three previously published stories.
I’m off to place my preorder. A new Mercy-verse book is always worthy of a celebration!
Preorder links: Amazon – Bookshop.org Note: These are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no 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 Books that Surprised Me (in a good or bad way).
I’ve decided to embrace positivity! I’m going to talk about books that provided me with surprises that made me happy, intrigued, or otherwise amused and delighted.
My top 10 are:
Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum
What surprised me: I picked up this book just to read the chapters about Survivor… and ended up reading the whole thing, start to finish. I did not expect to be that fascinated by a book about TV!
What surprised me: Everything! I am not a sports fan. At all. I picked this book up, way back when, after hearing an interview with the author. I did not expect a book about football to interest me in the slightest, but I just couldn’t put it down.
(And yes, this is my 2nd non-fiction book in a row… I am not usually a non-fiction reader, so any time I enjoy a non-fiction book, it’s pretty surprising!)
What surprised me: I was under the impression that this book would be more “literary fiction” than what I enjoy, so I disregarded it whenever it popped up on my recommendations list. Once I finally gave it a try, I was immediately hooked.
Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
What surprised me: I misread the synopsis for this book and had a completely wrong impression of what it would be about! It worked out fine — I ended up loving the book — but seeing what the plot actually was was definitely a surprise for me.
What surprised me: The intricacy of the language and world-building. The Goblin Emperor is one of my favorite books, but the first time I read it, the storytelling style was not at all what I expected in a fantasy novel. The use of language itself as a key part of the story was one of the biggest surprises. This book is a masterpiece, and I had no idea before I picked it up and started reading it.
What surprised me: With the main character described as someone who hates books, I was prepared to dislike this book (which I got as a “blind date with a book” — otherwise, I probably never would have picked it up). It turns out, the book is delightful, and the issue around hating books is more nuanced than it might seem. And anyway, this is a sweet, upbeat romance — in a bookstore!! — that’s just so much fun.
What surprised me: I was skeptical — did we need another Hunger Games prequel? Surprise! The answer is yes. The story of Haymitch and the 50th Hunger Games pulled me in right away and was impossible to put down.
What surprised me: I suppose I can’t really say this one surprised me — whenever I pick up a John Scalzi book, I know it’ll be amazing. And yet, before reading this one, I just couldn’t imagine how a book about the moon turning to cheese could possible work. But it does! In totally fabulous ways.
What surprised me: Based on the cover, I thought this book would be a bit on the corny side… but it was actually really fun and endearing. I was surprised by how much I liked it!
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.
Ooh, I’ve been busy! But besides work craziness, it’s been a good sort of busy. We had family in town over the weekend, and had a terrific dinner with the big expanded group. On Saturday, I spent about four hours at a folkdance festival, and had a blast! My legs were feeling it later, but it was worth it.
What did I read during the last week?
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Loved it! I recommend starting with the first Vera Wong book, but you really can’t go wrong with either. My review is here.
Swept Away by Beth O’Leary: Survival while lost at sea may not be the obvious choice for a romance, but in this case, it works! My review is here.
I borrowed a new Passover-themed graphic novel from the library:
One Little Goat by Dara Horn and Theo Ellsworth: This is a fun read, and I could see it being a good choice for middle grade readers, especially prior to Passover as prep for sitting through a seder. But, the art style didn’t really appeal to me; the black and white illustrations made it hard to read the text, and I was glad to be done by the time I reached the end.
I suppose I should also mention the book I DNFd this week:
City of All Seasons by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whitely: The premise seemed promising, but I only stuck with it until about 25% before realizing that I didn’t care enough to keep going. If you’ve read this and think I should give it another shot, let me know!
Pop culture & TV:
Remember when I said I had a busy week??? Well, that means that I barely watched any TV, which is fine — except I still haven’t gotten to the last few episodes of Yellowjackets, and I really do want to know how the season ends!
Fresh Catch:
I got this ARC in the mail this week! I’m pretty sure this was from a Little Free Library giveaway opportunity for LFL stewards. I didn’t really expect it, so opening the package was a nice surprise. I put it in my LFL on my way out to run errands, and by the time I got back two hours later, it was gone! It feels great to be able to add a hot new release every so often, so thank you to the publishers!
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group book for April! This is probably my 3rd or 4th reread, but I’m delighted to have a reason to revisit the story. My Kindle edition is very cool — it includes snippets of the author singing some of the dwarves’ songs and reading some passages. What a great experience!
Now playing via audiobook:
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez: My hold request for this audiobook came in much sooner than I expected! I just started over the weekend, and I like it so far.
Ongoing reads:
My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 78%. Up next: Chapters 38 and 39.
I’m not a fan of influencers or gossip magazines or tabloid news. I’m not wowed by famous people, don’t select my clothes based on what the stars are wearing, and couldn’t care less about lifestyles of the rich and famous.
But books? That’s a whole different matter.
I’m here now to proclaim my heartfelt opinion: Celebrity book clubs are good for readers, good for authors, good for the publishing industry, and… dare I say it?… good for the world in general!
Why? Because they get people to read, of course.
If you’re here reading this blog, chances are you’re a book fanatic — like me! — and need no encouragement to pick up a book wherever, whenever. (The hard part is getting us to put the books down — amirite?)
But for plenty of less avid readers who sometimes need a bit of inspiration or motivation, celebrity book clubs can be the perfect way to spread the word and get books into more readers’ hands. And even for die-hard book lovers (*raising my hand*), checking out celebrity book club picks can lead to discovering books that might not otherwise have crossed our radar.
I think we can all agree that Oprah Winfrey is the godmother of the modern-era celebrity book club. There are plenty to choose from now, but in 1996, when she unveiled her first book and introduced the book club concept on her daytime talk show, it was a groundbreaking moment.
Per Wikipedia: The book club’s first selection on September 17, 1996, was the then recently published novel The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard.
Since then, Oprah has been joined by many, many other celebrity-sponsored book clubs — some with consistently great picks, some that make me give a little side-eye — and while I say (again) that anything that gets people reading is fabulous, not every club or selection will be for every reader.
Beyond that, being chosen for one of the high-profile celebrity book clubs is often a breakthrough moment for authors. These books tend to end up on bestseller lists, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the impact can be life-changing (and certainly career-changing) for authors.
These days, if I remember, I keep my eye on the monthly selections for Reese’s Book Club (Reese Witherspoon), GMA Book Club (Good Morning America), Read with Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager of The Today Show)… and Oprah too, of course.
I thought I’d share some of the books I’ve love that I’ve either discovered through these book clubs, or read and then discovered that they were book club selections.
And finally, going back to the GOAT of celebrity book clubs…
Among other wonderful things that Oprah has done by popularizing great books through her book club, she’s made a point of including classic fiction among her selections. Here’s a look at some of the classics she’s chosen over the years — I’m highlighting the ones that I’ve read, although until just now, I didn’t realize that they were Oprah picks!
And here are other Oprah books I’ve read. As with the other book clubs mentioned, I didn’t necessarily pick up these books directly because of Oprah… but I think for many, she gets the credit for making them so widely discussed and shared, which one way or another really raised awareness of these books.
I should point out that it’s thanks to Oprah that I first read a book by author Chris Bohjalian (Midwives)… and he’s become one of my favorite authors!
This round-up really just scratches the surface when it comes to celebrities promoting books! I’ve highlighted the book clubs that seem to consistently choose books I enjoy — although I certainly pick and choose which of their selections to read, even for the clubs I follow. Again, not every book is for every reader! And also, if I read every single one of their selections, when would I find the time to read anything else???
I’ll note that I’ve found some other interesting books that are tied to celebrity book clubs; notably, in the last year or so, I’ve read two of Mindy Kaling’s recommended books, and have a couple of others bookmarked to come back to at some point:
As I’ve said, there are lots of celebrities promoting lots of books, and while I might not be interested in all of them — either the celebrities or the specific books — I do wholeheartedly endorse anything that gets more people interested in reading and discussing books!
Do you follow celebrity book clubs? Are there any whose picks you find especially worthwhile? Have you ever discovered an amazing book thanks to one of these (or any other) celebrity book club? I’d love to hear your experiences!
Purchase links: There are obviously too many books in this post to provide links to every single one! But if you’re interested in clicking through, here are a few places to start:
Two strangers find themselves stranded at sea together in this epic new love story by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.
What if you were lost at sea…with your one-night stand?
Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend’s daughter.
Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.
With just a few provisions on the idle boat, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back home. But aside from their survival, they’re facing another challenge. Because when you’re stuck together for days on end, it gives you a lot of time to get to know someone—and to fall in love with them.
Beth O’Leary’s books have become must-reads for me. I love the way she blends engaging, unusual love stories with unexpected real-life situations and complications.
Swept Away offers all this… and in terms of unexpected situations, this one is off the charts. (Sorry, my feeble attempt at nautical humor…)
Lexi works at the local pub in Gilmouth, a small town on the northeast coast of England. She lives with her best friend/practically sister Penny and Penny’s four-year-old Mae, whom Lexi has helped raised since she was born. After a big fight with Penny, Lexi finds herself moping over a drink at the pub when her eye is caught by a gorgeous stranger. Zeke is charming and attentive, and he’s just in Gilmouth for one night. Sparks immediately fly. After a few more drinks, they head back to Zeke’s houseboat, both very clear that all they’re looking for is one great night. Which they have.
Things take a decidedly uncomfortable turn the next morning due to confusion about whose boat it actually is and which of them should leave… which all becomes moot when they head out on deck and see nothing but water in every direction. Due to a misunderstanding (plus fog plus drinks), each thought the other had made sure the boat was tied up properly, and neither actually did.
So what do you do when you can’t escape your one-night stand? The boat has no power, and because Zeke only bought it the day before, it has limited provisions. They expect to be rescued right away, but have no way to signal for help, and no ability to steer or navigate. All they can do is float, repair the things that break, and try to survive on what they have.
The longer they’re at sea, the more they open up. With nothing to do but wait, they talk and get to know one another in a way they hadn’t on their night together — and they agree early on to take sex out of the equation, so talking and sharing is really all they have. At first, they’re hesitant, but especially after a dangerous injury (no spoilers!), they’re forced into an intimacy they hadn’t expected. If they’re going to survive, they need each other, and with each passing day, their connection deepens and strengthens.
I won’t go too deeply into spoilers or divulge the major events of their ordeal or how it ends… although I think you can safely assume, even without me saying so, that given the cover and the marketing blurbs, this is not going to be a tragedy.
There’s a lot to love about Swept Away. It’s such an odd, offbeat setup. Lexi and Zeke’s struggle to stay alive and hold on to hope seems doomed at times, especially once the boat starts to break down bit by bit. And yet, their honesty with one another, their explorations of their pasts and their family tangles and secrets add a poignancy to each day, despite the stress of their dwindling supplies and options. As they come to care for one another more deeply, they each become committed to taking care of the other, and there are some sweet, more light-hearted moments as they find ways to bring joy into their otherwise bleak situation.
On the other hand, there are times when Swept Away feels tonally odd. There are plenty of typical romance beats along the way, and mixing these with a survival story can feel jarring. The more days they spend at sea, the more the dangers pile up — and the more out of place some of these cute romantic exchanges can feel.
Still, my occasional skepticism was overridden by the mounting tension as the stakes got higher and higher. I absolutely had to know what would happen! There’s even a Titanic-esque moment (even though this boat is so much tinier!) where I felt all sorts of dramatic feelings… but as I said, it was a safe bet all along that they’d get rescued, so mostly, it was a question of when and how, and in what condition Lexi and Zeke would be when they finally do get saved.
Now, is it realistic that a houseboat that hadn’t left a dock in years, and was designed for gentle river or canal floats, could actually survive the North Sea? Who knows! I doubt it, but it’s something we just have to go with in order to enjoy the story.
I did have a couple of quibbles with loose ends at the end of the book. We never do find out exactly where they were when they were rescued or how far they’d traveled… and I want to know! Also, there is one particularly scary injury that happens during their journey — we know they’re both fine in the end, but I wanted to know more about this in the immediate aftermath, and didn’t feel like I got closure on this particular element.
In general, though, I really enjoyed Swept Away. This isn’t a surprise — Beth O’Leary is a terrific writer who spins engaging tales about people we can’t help but care about. The survival tale provides captivating moments and a highly unusual story arc for a romance, and because Lexi and Zeke are both such layered, well-drawn characters, there’s not a moment where we don’t feel invested in both their well-being and their happiness.
The audiobook narration by Connor Swindells and Rebekah Hinds flows beautifully. The alternating chapters from Zeke and Lexi’s perspectives work very well as a whole, and the narrators bring out their characters’ personalities through their delivery. The funny bits really work, and the emotional moments are well done too.
Fans of Beth O’Leary will not be disappointed, and Swept Away is also a great introduction for those new to this author. Either way, if you’re looking for a book with high stakes, a love story to root for, and a plot to keep you hooked, don’t miss Swept Away!
Purchase links: Amazon – 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: Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto Publisher: Berkley Publication date: April 1, 2025 Length: 325 pages Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.…
Ever since a man was found dead in Vera’s teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly’s girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn’t be ungrateful, even if one is slightly…bored.
Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena’s, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena’s briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.
Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can’t seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.
Vera is determined to solve Xander’s murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn’t do for her future daughter-in-law.
If you love to laugh… if you love a main character who sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong… if you love a character who’s a force of nature… then Vera Wong is ready and waiting to entertain you! And, of course, to do quite a bit of snooping… er, investigating.
“The guy literally said that to you?” Aimes says. “Stop digging? And you’re not only continuing to dig, you’re involving us in the digging?”
“Yes,” Vera says. “I thought is very obvious. Why I have to spell it out for you?”
Author Jesse Q. Sutanto introduced Vera Wong in the 2023 novel Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers — a totally delightful romp starring a no-holds-barred busybody whose mission (besides solving murders) is to fix everyone else’s lives… and maybe ensure herself some grandbabies too.
Vera is the 61-year-old owner of a Chinatown tea shop, which had been on its last legs before the whole finding-a-dead-man-in-her-shop-and-solving-his-murder incident. Since then, the tea shop’s business is booming, but Vera herself is a bit bored. Sure, she’s got the circle of young people she’s turned into family (now that she’s cleared them all of the murder she’d originally accused them of), but she misses the excitement of an active investigation… not that she’s ever been hired to investigate anything, and of course, despite all the police warnings (including from her hopefully-someday-future-daughter-in-law) to stay out of police business.
When her beloved son Tilly and his police officer girlfriend Selena move in together, they make a rookie mistake — they ask Vera to feed their cat while they’re away. Well, once she’s in their apartment, how is she supposed to avoid looking inside Selena’s (locked) briefcase and reading the files there? And if it just so happens that the case she sees relates to the missing friend of a young woman she’s just befriended… well, it would be wrong for Vera not to get involved!
Vera is an absolute steamroller, who pushes her way into people’s lives, feeds them (very, very well!), and insists that they now belong to her (and for the younger folks, that they call her Grandma). She’s persistent and manipulative, putting on a show of being elderly when it suits her, but never misses her morning power walks… or the opportunity to boss people around.
“I am helpless old lady, I need to protect myself”
“For the last time, you are not old.”
As the story progresses, Vera digs deeper and deeper into all sorts of shady goings-on, and also gets a crash course on influencer culture and viral videos. I can’t even begin to express how amazingly blunt and funny and awesome Vera is.
“So, you were actually assaulted?” Julia says. “That wasn’t just you embellishing as usual?”
Vera looks sharply at Julia. “Embellish? I don’t even know what that is meaning, so how can I do it if I don’t know what it is?”
Meanwhile, the mystery itself is compelling. Several characters get POV chapters, so that we learn more and more about the mystery while also seeing why so many people feel guilty or worry that they’re implicated in something nefarious. They all have secrets to hide — yet Vera is not a woman you can hide things from for very long. Especially not when she feeds you like that!
I loved this newest outing with Vera Wong. The storytelling flows, the characters are terrific, and the laughs pop up in the most unexpected ways. Plus, the investigation is fun to follow, unveils some more serious and tragic situations, yet never is too much of a downer at any one time.
I enjoyed the author’s Aunties series, but in my opinion, the Vera books are even better. Great plotting, super enjoyable dialogue, and a terrific cast of characters. The Vera Wong books are a treat!
I do recommend starting with the first book before reading the second. Sure, most of the plot would work anyway without the prior book, but you’d be missing out on getting to know Vera and the rest of the characters.
If you’re looking for some light, silly entertainment with a memorable lead character, definitely check out the Vera Wong books. Perfect for a spring or summer getaway, or any day when you just need a good laugh.
Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org 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 My Unpopular Bookish Opinions.
That’s hard! But I’m up for giving it a try. Maybe these opinions are more popular than I realize, but here goes my attempt:
The Twilight series is actually better than people think. If you read them when they came out, then you remember how all-consuming and impossible to put down these books were. Sure, we can (and do) poke lots of fun at the more ridiculous plot points… but these books were an amazing read at the time.
Wuthering Heights will never appeal to me. I can’t see why this book is so beloved… and believe me, I’ve tried!
Many “classic romantic couples” are dysfunctional as hell. Romeo and Juliet, I’m looking at you… not to mention Heathcliff and Catherine, and many more.
Zombie fiction has passed its peak. Enough, already.
Assassins and killers are not compelling protagonists. Books about killers seem to be all the rage, and I’ve actually read a couple of good ones — but no matter how you dress it up, I still can’t get behind having a murderer (no matter how great the cause!) as a lead character we’re supposed to root for.
Grumpy love interests would just be jerks in real life. Romantic fiction is amazing, and I know people love the grumpy-sunshine trope… but I think so many of these guys would be actually insufferable if you met them in person.
Fourth Wing is nonsense. Don’t throw rocks at me! I know I’m in the minority on this — but to me, this book is a weird mash-up of a [insert any YA about a special school here] + death + sex + dragons. It doesn’t work.
Sprayed-edge books aren’t special anymore. I do love when there’s a gorgeous edition of a book I love, and I’ll happily buy one, but it seems like it’s becoming more and more standard for new releases to have the painted edges, no matter what it is (but especially in fantasy/romantasy). It’s starting to feel like too much of a good thing (and/or, just another excuse to raise prices for a new book).
Reading stats can have a negative effect on reading. I’m guilty of falling into this trap: We set a reading goal to read xx number of books in a year, then plan our reading to make sure we meet that target. I think readers (again, including myself) who focus on the numbers, page counts, etc often end up avoiding longer or more challenging books out of fear of missing their targets.
Celebrity books clubs are good for readers and the book industry. Don’t scoff! I have a post coming soon about celebrity book clubs in general, but my quick take is that there are some really great books that get attention because they’re book club picks, when they might have totally gone unnoticed otherwise. I think these type of clubs overall do a great service for the reading community.
I’ll just wrap things up with what I think should be a POPULAR opinion: People should read whatever they want! Read what makes you happy! That’s it, that’s all that matters.
What are your unpopular bookish opinions?
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!
Bookshelf Fantasies 