Audiobook Review: The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Neighbor Favor
Author: Kristina Forest
Narrators: Keylor Leigh & Malik Rashad
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: February 28, 2023
Print length: 403 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 6 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with.

Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children’s books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain–until he ghosts her.

Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author–her favorite fantasy author.

Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but–not when he can’t get her off his mind.

The Neighbor Favor is a sweet contemporary romance, set in the world of book publishing and sure to set booklovers’ hearts a-flutter! A random email exchange between a book fan and the book’s author turns into a deeper connection… and while it ends badly, the two people involved still manage to find one another and explore what it means to open up in real life.

Lily emails the author of her favorite fantasy novel on a whim when she discovers that the mysterious author finally has a website. She loved his book, but it seems to have faded away into obscurity after publication by a small indie press. She’s thrilled to hear back from N. R. Strickland, and soon their correspondence turns into an ongoing series of honest exchanges, where each reveals more of themselves than they ever have to other people. But when “Strick” reaches the point where he’ll have to truly show himself to Lily, he breaks off contact abruptly and leaves her heartbroken.

Months later, Lily keeps running into the new guy who just moved into the apartment down the hall from her. And he’s hot. Oh, and seems like a really nice guy, and she’s even noticed him carrying books with him — always a good sign. Of course, he notices Lily too, despite her shyness and awkwardness around new people. As they strike up an acquaintance and set off some early sparks, Nick puts the brakes on — so Lily asks him (as you do) to help her find a date for her sister’s wedding. (It’s complicated).

Of course, Nick IS N. R. Strickland, and he realizes pretty quickly that this Lily is the Lily from the emails, and knows he should stay far, far away. His life is messy and he’s sure he’d be no good for her, so despite how much he likes her and how attractive he finds her, he’s determined to stay away. But fate seems to keep throwing them together, and their chemistry really is undeniable.

Meanwhile, both are dealing with their own family situations and career struggles — and yet, it’s only a matter of time before they get together. Even when they do, they have to deal with the fallout of hidden identities and cover-ups, and figure out whether they can truly trust enough to let one another in.

I liked quite a bit about The Neighbor Favor, although in general, I think I’ve run out of patience for romances where a significant lie is the main obstacle between the love interests. Nick could have come clean much earlier, or he could have stayed away. Getting involved but not being honest feels like an overworn romance trope, and it irritated me here. Nick and Lily are both such likable people — it’s no fun seeing them tied up in knots over a problem caused by base-level dishonesty.

On the other hand, the fact that these two are such book lovers, and especially, that they love fantasy so much, makes this book a delight. The author has the characters name-drop a ton of great books (Ella Enchanted, Riot Baby, How to Win the Time War, The Poppy War) — some of which I’ve read, some I’ve immediately added to my TBR list — and it’s a geeky joy to see them gush over how much they love their favorite books and authors. (Although, I was so frustrated to learn their shared favorite author, Elena Masterson, and her books, The Nermana Chronicles, are fictional — I want them to be real!) (And I’d also love to read Nick’s books, The Elves of Ceradon… it sounds amazing!)

I listened to the audiobook, and it was very entertaining, with gifted narrators. In the Lily chapters, the narration did become kind of screechy while voicing certain characters (especially one of Lily’s sisters), but otherwise, the narrators did a fine job bringing Lily, Nick, and their friends to life. A downside, however, is the fact that part one of The Neighbor Favor is the initial email relationship between Lily and Nick… and at least as it comes across via audio, it goes on for a really, really long time. Maybe it’s better in print, but listening to this endless email exchange gets really tiresome after a while.

Other than that, I enjoyed the audiobook. The plot moves quickly, and there are lots of fun side characters and situations that sparkle. Sure, the plot relies a bit too heavily on coincidence (really? he moved not only to New York but into Lily’s apartment building? and the very same floor?), but given how much I liked the characters, I decided to just accept it and enjoy the ride.

The Neighbor Favor is an entertaining story about relatable characters who may make questionable choices, but are still fundamentally good people. The author has a new book that released earlier this year, The Partner Plot, with Lily’s older sister as the main character. It’s supposedly a stand-alone, but in the same general world as The Neighbor Favor. While I didn’t love this particular sister in The Neighbor Favor, the description of this book makes it sound like it’ll be another fun one to experience.

Meanwhile, if you enjoy contemporary romance with booklovers front and center, be sure to check out The Neighbor Favor!

21May2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’d Love a New Book From

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 Authors I’d Love a New Book From.

The prompt includes: These could be authors that have passed away, who have retired from writing, who have inexplicably gone quiet, or who might jut not be able to keep up with how quickly you read their books!)

My focus is on authors whose next book I’m eagerly awaiting. And while I can definitely come up with some no-longer-with-us authors I’d love another book from (hi, Jane Austen and L. M. Montgomery!), I’m sticking with living, breathing, writing authors for this list.

My ten are:

Diana Gabaldon — of course! Waiting for the 10th Outlander book…
Amy Stewart — She’s shifted her focus to non-fiction and artwork, but I’d love more in the Kopp Sisters series (or any new fiction, for that matter).
Becky Chambers — I haven’t found any info on what her next book will be, but I’ve loved every single book of hers so far.
Travis Baldree — I can’t wait to see what he writes next!
Lily Chu – I really enjoyed the audiobooks she’s released up to now, and hope there will be a new one soon.
Trish Doller – I loved the Beck Sisters trilogy (which I read last year), but haven’t been able to find info on whether there are any new books coming up.
Susanna Kearsley — On the other hand, there is a new book on the way for this author! But while it has a 2024 release date in the UK, we readers here in the US will have to wait until 2025.
Sarah Gailey — I don’t see any new books since 2022, and I’d love to read whatever they write next.
Fredrik Backman — Another author who doesn’t have a next book listed yet on Goodreads! Whatever it is, and whenever it arrives, I’m sure it’ll be great.
George R. R. Martin — I mean, I debated whether to even include GRRM on this list, because honestly, I’m not sure I even care any more. Will book #6 ever actually be released??

What authors made your list this week?

If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!

20May2024

The Monday Check-In ~ 05/20/2024

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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.

Not that I expect anyone but me to notice… but yes, I skipped a week last week! This is my first Monday post since 5/6, and that’s because my husband and I took a quick trip to New York last weekend for a family graduation.

And while the graduation was the prompt for the weekend, we decided to make a mini-vacation out of it. We stayed in the city, did a ton of walking around Central Park, mid-town, and elsewhere, saw an amazing show, visited with various family members, and all in all, just lived it up!

Of course, the flying and overall hectic pace meant I was exhausted by the time I got home (and went straight back to work) — but it was worth it!

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

With flights and some random moments of down time, I did manage to do quite a bit of reading (yay!). Here’s what I finished reading over the last two weeks:

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren: A total blast. My review is here.

The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry: A haunted house story with an unusual setup and main character. My review is here.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean: A dark, disturbing thriller with plenty of twists. My review is here.

Where Have All the Boys Gone? by Jenny Colgan: A backlist book by a favorite author which shows (sadly) that some books just don’t stand the test of time. My review is here.

Howards End by E. M. Forster: My Classics Club Spin book for spring! Loved it. Check out my reaction, here.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina: My book group’s book for May. Lovely and moving. Review to follow.

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath: A cute Regency romance between a busy naval officer and the governess he hires to care for his nieces and nephew. My review is here.

And, from the prior week — a review for a book read earlier but not yet shared:

Disturbing the Dead (A Rip Through Time, #3) by Kelley Armstrong: Another excellent installment in a favorite series. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Bridgerton is back! I don’t really understand why Netflix is releasing season 3 in two parts — I’ve already devoured the four episodes released this past week. and it’s frustrating to have to wait a few more weeks for more. Still… loving Penelope in the spotlight!

On a different pop culture note, my weekend in New York included a night on Broadway! We went to see & Juliet, and absolutely loved it. What a great production — so upbeat and entertaining! Highly recommended if you find yourself in New York, dying for a musical!

Fresh Catch:

Since I was away… no new books! (Okay, yes, I did grab a few deals for my Kindle, but no physical books purchased in the last two weeks)

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate: Just getting started — seems like this will be interesting and intense.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest: This audiobook popped up when I was browsing my library’s app, and since it was available right away, I decided to give it a try. Pretty fun so far, especially since book lovers are at the heart of the story.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 91%.
Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 11%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

19May2024

Book Review: All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: All’s Fair in Love and War
Author: Virginia Heath
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication date: May 28. 2024
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Historical romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

In the first installment of a Regency romp of a series, a governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges clashes with the children’s uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.

When the flighty older sister of former naval captain, Henry Kincaid, decides on a whim to accompany her explorer husband on an expedition to Egypt, he finds himself unwittingly left in the lurch with her three unruly children and her giant, mad dog. With no clue how to manage the little rascals, a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all of his attention, and no idea when his sister is coming back, Harry has to hire an emergency governess to ensure that everything in his ordered house continues to run shipshape. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls prepared to pay whatever it takes to get a governess quick sharp to bring order to the chaos.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything that hers wasn’t, filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational ethos. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely…

Georgie and Harry continue to butt heads over their differences, but with time it seems that in this case, their attraction is undeniable—and all is indeed fair in love and war.

All’s Fair in Love and War is a cutesy Regency romance with a kinda, sorta enemies-to-lovers vibe going on. The main characters aren’t truly enemies, but they definitely get off on the wrong foot and make terrible impressions on one another.

Harry is an up and coming naval officer run ragged by his duties, working practically around the clock in pursuit of an anticipated promotion (and ultimately, the goal of becoming admiral). When he gets saddled with his young nieces and nephew with no prior warning, he’s in desperate need of help, and is willing to pay any price to get a graduate of Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, reputed to turn out the very best governesses in England.

Who he ends up with is Georgina Rowe, a headstrong protégé of Miss Prentice who, despite years of excellent training, seems incapable of landing a governess job, largely due to her inability to stay quiet and meek when she disagrees or witnesses injustice. Harry’s desperate circumstances are a perfect opportunity for Georgie, and she starts her new job immediately… only to discover that the Captain and she have very different ideas of what constitutes a good learning environment for children.

Harry believes in discipline, serious study, and always following the clock (as evidenced by the two pocket watches he constantly wears). Georgie believes in a more holistic approach to learning, incorporating the children’s interests and getting them out of the classroom and into nature as much as possible. Harry is incensed to see his neatly ordered (dull) classroom transformed into chaos on the very first day of Georgie’s teaching tenure, and it would appear that her employment could be short-lived indeed.

And yet… the children seem to be thriving, and despite their anger and annoyance at one another, Harry and Georgie have both already noticed how very attractive they find one another. Smoldering looks abound, and before long, Harry thinks of Georgie in his more private moments as a siren, whose lure he’s having trouble resisting.

There are some pleasantly diverting scenes of Georgie’s chaotic influence on the household, comedy bits involving the children’s large dog, Harry being horrified by the lack of order, and even some sweeter moments when Harry and Georgie get a chance to recognize how great the other person is, underneath the outer annoying elements.

You can absolutely see where all this is going, but still, it’s fun to get there. Harry and Georgie are each hampered by their upbringings and consequent worldviews, so it takes quite a lot for each to unbend enough to recognize where they’re getting in their own way and what a compromise might look like.

The writing is a bit uneven. A generous view might be that the florid prose is showing the over-the-top thoughts of the characters, rather than just being how these scenes are written. Such as:

After their oddly charged moment on his landing ten days ago, the vixen had infested his mind and inserted herself so deep beneath his dermis that her essence had haunted him ever since.

And…

She was the sort who lured a man willingly onto the treacherous rocks of forever.

I also found some odd phrases here and there that sound much too modern, such as a man explaining that his wife has no boundaries, or a conversation between Harry and Georgie that starts “Well, this is awkward.”

All’s Fair in Love and War is a fun but not especially remarkable read. It’s light entertainment, but I didn’t love the writing style, and found the somewhat explicit sex scenes to be more cringe than steam. Still, it’s a quick book and a nice enough way to pass the time, and upbeat Regency romances in general have a way of boosting my spirits.

I see on Goodreads that this book is listed as first in a new series (Miss Prentice’s Protegees), which I assume will continue by focusing on Georgie’s friends in future books. I’m on the fence about whether I’ll continue, given that the writing didn’t totally suit my tastes. I also have an earlier book by Virginia Heath in my Kindle library (Never Fall for Your Fiancée), so if I do read more by this author, that’s probably where I’d go next. If you’ve read her books and have recommendations, please let me know!

18May2024

Book Review: Where Have All the Boys Gone? by Jenny Colgan

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Where Have All the Boys Gone
Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: 2005
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

From New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan comes this hilarious romance about a woman who trades in the comforts of city life in hopes of finding love in a small Scottish town in the middle of nowhere.

Faced with the harsh reality that there are 25,000 more women than men in London, Katie’s dating prospects are at an all-time low. While she’s glad it’s not a man’s world anymore, it wouldn’t hurt if there were more eligible bachelors.

More likely to get murdered than married, according to gleeful media reports, Katie resigns herself to the fact that there’s no sex in the city for her and decides to head for the hills—or the Scottish Highlands to be exact. Despite the fact she’s never been one for muddy rain boats—and Fairlish is in the middle of nowhere—the tiny town does have one major draw: men. LOTS of them!

But while Katie relishes the chance to do battle with armies of admirers, she’s not excited about going head to head with her shady new boss, Harry. At least there’s the local eye-candy to distract her, including gorgeous newshound Iain. But he is at loggerheads with Harry, and she can’t afford to get on Harry’s bad side any more than she already has.

Life in the country might not be one big roll in the hay, but now that Katie has taken the plunge, can she ever turn her back on the delights of Fairlish and return to city life…?

Jenny Colgan is a go-to author for me, and since I’ve read all of her more recent books, I’ve decided to go deeper into the backlist. Sadly, Where Have All the Boys Gone? was not the fun reading/listening experience I was looking for.

In this book, originally published in 2005, a London-based young woman who’s suffered through bad date after bad date gets assigned to a temporary job in a small town in the Scottish Highlands. Along with gorgeous forests and landscapes, Fairlish is also home to men — lots and lots of them. And they all seem super excited by the arrival of Katie and her bestie Louise.

Much silliness ensues. Katie’s job in Fairlish is doing PR for the local forest preservation society, whose director seems to believe it’s better to keep quiet about the threat of a new golf course moving in rather than upsetting all the locals. Doesn’t exactly make sense, but okay. Katie has to convince him to go public and make a splash — otherwise, the greedy corporate types will be chopping down Harry’s beloved forests in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Katie and Louise get into all sorts of mishaps, such as inadverently sharing secrets over a hot mic at a country fair, pissing off the local baker, and breaking the rules of their starchy, food-withholding boarding-house owner. Katie also gets drawn into a love triangle (the outcome seems pretty obvious), has to deal with a spoiled, irresponsible sister, and yet somehow manages to pull off a gala that’s the social event of the season (Ewan McGregor even attends!).

This is a lightweight novel, and it shows its age. At almost 20 years past its original release, Where Have All the Boys Gone? feels dated and full of cringey observations about dating, what men want, what women want, relationships, and more. Perhaps it might have felt more fun and breezy back in 2005; as a 2024 read, the attempts at humor seem slapstick, the sexism on display isn’t quaint or endearing, and there’s one element of the fundraiser that’s just awful. (A slave auction! They actually call it a slave auction. Noooooo. It’s just a terrible scene).

I usually love Jenny Colgan books, so it pains me to say that this one is a bust. I wholeheartedly recommend her more recent books — the Mure series is wonderful, the Little Beach Street Bakery books are terrific, and I loved the Sweetshop of Dreams books, not to mention some great stand-alones. But reading Where Have All the Boys Gone? has reminded me that sometimes backlist books are best left unexplored.**

**I do actually have a couple of other older Jenny Colgan books on my Kindle, so… never say never, but I’ll approach those with caution.

17May2024

Book Review: Howards End by E. M. Forster (Classics Club Spin #37)

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Howards End
Author: E. M. Forster
Publication date: 1910
Length: 246 pages
Rating:

‘Only connect…’

Considered by many to be E. M. Forster’s greatest novel, Howards End is a beautifully subtle tale of two very different families brought together by an unusual event. The Schlegels are intellectuals, devotees of art and literature. The Wilcoxes are practical and materialistic, leading lives of “telegrams and anger.” When the elder Mrs. Wilcox dies and her family discovers she has left their country home—Howards End—to one of the Schlegel sisters, a crisis between the two families is precipitated that takes years to resolve. Written in 1910, Howards End is a symbolic exploration of the social, economic, and intellectual forces at work in England in the years preceding World War I, a time when vast social changes were occurring. In the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes, Forster perfectly embodies the competing idealism and materialism of the upper classes, while the conflict over the ownership of Howards End represents the struggle for possession of the country’s future. As critic Lionel Trilling once noted, the novel asks, “Who shall inherit England?”

Forster refuses to take sides in this conflict. Instead he poses one of the book’s central questions: In a changing modern society, what should be the relation between the inner and outer life, between the world of the intellect and the world of business? Can they ever, as Forster urges, “only connect”?

To be honest, I don’t feel especially qualified to “review” Howards End. It’s a beautifully written, thought-provoking, even funny book, and I loved it, really and truly. But I’m no literary expert — not even an English major!! — so I’ll skip any attempt at deep analysis.

Instead, I’ll just mention what I especially liked:

The contrast between the Wilcox and Schlegel families. The Wilcoxes are wealthy thanks to the nonstop busy-ness of business. Life is practical, efficient, and sensible. The Schlegels, on the other hand, are dreamers and art-lovers, especially sisters Margaret and Helen. Left comfortably wealthy after the death of their parents, they don’t have to worry about work or practicality. They enjoy discussions of the more esoteric elements of life.
Excellent dialogue: Whether it’s scenes of Margaret and Helen engaged in yet another argument, or pointed examples of how obtuse and stubborn the Wilcox eldest son Charles can be, the bickering and disagreements are quite entertaining.
Examinations of class, without preachiness: We also meet clerk Leonard Bast, who is desperate to claw his way out of poverty despite his low beginnings and extremely low-class wife. Leonard’s aspirations make him susceptible to the influence of the Schlegels, whose attempt at do-gooderism instead dooms poor Leonard to an even worse situation than where they found him.
Lush descriptions of places, especially the beauty of Howards End itself.
A wide cast of characters that provides peeks at so many aspects of the society of the time.

A few selections to enjoy:

We are not concerned with the very poor. They are unthinkable and only to be approached by the statistician or the poet. This story deals with gentlefolk, or with those who are obliged to pretend that they are gentlefolk.

A funeral is not death, any more than baptism is birth or marriage union. All three are the clumsy devices, coming now too late, now too early, by which Society would register the quick motions of man.

If a man cannot lead up to passion he can at all events lead down from it […]

The interlude closes. It has taken place in Charles’s garden at Hilton. He and Dolly are sitting in deckchairs, and their motor is regarding them placidly from its garage across the lawn. A short-frocked edition of Charles also regards them placidly; a perambulator edition is squeaking; a third edition is expected shortly. Nature is turning out Wilcoxes in this peaceful abode, so that they may inherit the earth.

I so enjoyed the writing and the story, and heartily recommend Howards End. I’d love to read it again with a book group at some point — there’s so much in it that I’d love to pull apart and really examine at leisure.

As is, I read this book via Serial Reader, intending to stick to one little installment per day (out of 40 installments in total). Instead, by about the halfway point, I was too impatient to take it slowly, and read straight through to the end.

All in all, a very happy experience with this round of the Classics Club Spin!

Several years ago, I watched the excellent four-part adaptation of Howards End, starring Hayley Atwell and Matthew Macfadyen. Now that I’ve read the book, I’d love to watch it again!

16May2024

Book Review: The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Return of Ellie Black
Author: Emiko Jean
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: May 7, 2024
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Thriller
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state—but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsey with more questions than answers.

“I stayed up late into the night turning the pages until I learned the truth of what happened to Ellie—and gasped when Jean delivered a truly jaw-dropping twist.” —Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women

It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.

Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.

But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.

The debut thriller from New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean, The Return of Ellie Black is both a feminist tour de force about the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy and a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page.

The Return of Ellie Black is certainly a departure for author Emiko Jean, whose three most recent books are on the light, upbeat, quirky side. That description does not fit this new book at all — it’s a dark, disturbing book about abduction and abuse.

In The Return of Ellie Black, detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is defined by sorrow. As a teen, her beloved older sister was murdered, and she’s never gotten over the pain. As an adult, Chelsey investigates missing girls, dedicating herself to these difficult cases to the point of obsession. Loss is a constant for Chelsey, and despite being married to a lovely man who supports her every way he can, Chelsey has an emptiness inside that’s constantly with her.

As the story opens, Ellie Black — missing for two years — suddenly turns up on a hiking trail. She’s disoriented, has wounds on her body, and is wearing a bloody sweatshirt. Ellie is clearly traumatized, and although she initially speaks with Chelsey, she soon declares that she wants to be left alone and refuses to participate in the investigation.

But Chelsey doesn’t want to give up. Whoever took Ellie is still out there, and what’s to stop them from taking another girl? As Chelsey refuses to leave the case alone, she unearths an unexpected pattern, and before long, it’s clear that Ellie is far from the only victim of this unknown predator — and it’s also clear that there still may be girls to locate and save before it’s too late.

(Content warnings in the next paragraph — skip if you prefer not to know)

The Return of Ellie Black is very, very dark. (I know I said that already, but it bears repeating). Content includes kidnapping, imprisonment, mind control, cult-like conditions, sexual abuse, rape, physical assault, intimidation, and more. I don’t often get too into the details when it comes to trigger warnings, but this may be a very upsetting book for some readers.

(End of content warnings)

The case itself is fascinating. Chelsey is a complicated, damaged character, and her childhood traumas are all very much a part of her day-to-day life, informing her investigations and her approach toward evidence and witnesses.

In sections interspersed throughout the book, we also get glimpses of Ellie’s memories of her experiences while a captive, and it’s very harrowing and difficult to read.

As for the mystery element, there are clues that come together, as well as false leads and missteps. I didn’t love the ultimate resolution, largely because there were too many coincidences and overlaps for my liking. (Can’t really say more without getting into spoiler territory…) Still, the suspense is terrific, and the mounting sense of time running out and looming disaster is very well developed. I was on the edge of my seat throughout, and couldn’t put the book down.

The Return of Ellie Black is a gripping thriller that’s almost painful to read — but I’m glad I hung in there. The story is unfailingly interesting, with some unusual and unexpected twists, and Chelsey herself is a terrific, complicated main character. If you enjoy thrillers, definitely check it out.

15May2024

Book Review: The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The House that Horror Built
Author: Christina Henry
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: May 14, 2024
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Thriller
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets.

Harry Adams loves horror movies, so it’s no coincidence that she accepted a job cleaning house for horror-movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding gray-stone Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes as well as glittering awards from his career making movies that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.

Javier values discretion, and Harry always tries to keep the house immaculate, her head down, and her job safe. Then she hears noises from behind a locked door, noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help. Harry knows not asking questions is a vital part of keeping her job, but she soon discovers that the house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.

The House that Horror Built is a clever haunted house story, set in a post-COVID world in which the odds seem stacked against single mother Harry and her son Gabe.

The world is just reemerging from lockdown. 14-year-old Gabe’s school is open for in-person learning three days per week. After losing her previous restaurant work when everything shut down, Harry has finally found a decent job again, which means — if she’s frugal — she can still pay her bills and put food on the table for her son. Years earlier as a teen, Harry lived on the streets and in shelters, and she knows just how close to losing it all she and Gabe are — especially once she receives an eviction notice from her heartless landlord.

Fortunately, Harry’s part-time job pays very, very well. She works as a housecleaner for Javier Castillo, a world-renowned, Oscar-winning director who now lives as a recluse behind the gates of Bright Horses, his Chicago mansion. A life-long horror fan herself, Harry can truly appreciate Javier’s artistry and loves his movies, but even she is somewhat shaken by the replicas and original props that fill his house, especially the masks and costumes from one of his creepiest movies. It’s Harry’s job to keep all of these spotless, no matter how uneasy they make her.

Javier seems to take an interest in Harry and Gabe, and when he starts inviting them for meals at his home, it’s hard to say no, even though Harry isn’t comfortable blurring the lines between professional and personal. Still, Gabe is over the moon at being invited into such an icon’s home, and he develops an instant rapport with Javier. But Harry has heard and seen unexplainable things in the house, and when a dinner with two of Javier’s leading film stars ends in tragedy, Harry knows that something is very, very wrong. Yet with eviction looming, she may have no choice but to move into Javier’s home with Gabe… and there’s definitely danger waiting for them there.

The House that Horror Built is a slow-burn horror story. The terror is more of the psychological variety — no guts and gore spilling out of the shadows, and no buckets of blood. Instead, there’s a sense of menace pervading Bright Horses — the feeling that something is moving when Harry’s head is turned, unexplained noises from behind locked doors, glaring eyes from inanimate objects. It’s creepy, and Harry knows it’s creepy, so why does she bring her son into this place?

Here’s where I feel the book has such an interesting hook: We may scream at horror movie characters to walk away, don’t open that door, don’t go into the haunted house… but in reality, people don’t always have options. Harry and Gabe literally have nowhere to go. The building where they’ve lived for ten years has been sold and is slated for demolition. There aren’t any affordable apartments available, and anyway, with such little notice, Harry has no money saved for a down-payment, much less moving expenses. She knows she’s lucky to have gotten the job with Javier. If she loses it, she and Gabe will be on the streets, and while she survived her earlier experiences of homelessness, she’s determined to avoid that for her son by any means necessary.

So yes, Harry moves Gabe into Javier’s home, knowing full well that the place may very well be haunted, and that something malevolent lurks in the corners and very probably wants to hurt her. But at Bright Horses, Gabe has a room, plenty of food, and a safe way to get to school. Author Christina Henry does a superb job showing the choices and sacrifices a mother will make to care for her child.

In terms of the horror story, it’s somewhat of a mixed bag. There’s a creepiness to the book, and we know from the start that something seems off about Javier. We learn that he became a recluse after a family tragedy, and after the most recent scandal in Chicago, he’s once again being hounded by paparazzi. Javier seems determined to help Harry and Gabe, even when she clearly doesn’t want him in their lives. And then there are the noises and the inexplicable events in the house — how much is Javier aware of?

The secrets of the house aren’t revealed until close to the end, and although I’d guessed what was going on, there were still elements that surprised me. I did feel that the ending was too abrupt. We’re left with answers about Bright Horses and Javier, and the immediate situation is resolved, but we don’t actually get any big-picture resolution for Harry and Gabe. After investing so much in their struggles, it feels unfinished to not get an epilogue that lets us know what happens next for them (and, hopefully, to let us know that they’re doing well!).

Overall, I enjoyed The House that Horror Built. Christina Henry’s books are always intensely gripping, and this one is no exception. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. Apart from not feeling fully satisfied by the ending, I enjoyed the building tension of the story as well as having such an interesting, unusual lead character as Harry. Recommended for fans of haunted house stories and horror movie buffs!

9May2024

Book Review: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Paradise Problem
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: May 14. 2024
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction/romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Christina Lauren, returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

It’s no surprise that a new Christina Lauren book is fun, fast-paced, steamy, and full of delicious plot twists… right? I’m happy to share that The Paradise Problem continues this author duo’s winning streak — CL fans will be over the moon.

In The Paradise Problem, Anna Green is having a Very Bad Day. She’s been fired from her terrible convenience store job by its terrible 18-year-old manager. Her decrepit car has been sideswiped and damaged. Worst of all, her crappy job was her one means of attempting to pay off the mounds of medical debt related to her father’s chemo treatments. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that her artwork has failed to sell, and she hasn’t heard from her agent in a year.

So Anna is not in a great place when “West” Weston (aka Liam) knocks on her door needing her help. Five years earlier, she married Liam (on paper) so they’d qualify for campus housing… but when he moved out, she signed divorce papers, or so she believed. It turns out that the papers stipulated a divorce further in the future (along with a nice buyout) — and while Anna thinks it’s weird that they’re still technically married, she doesn’t see the problem. The time is almost up, after all.

The catch is, Liam’s sister’s wedding is coming up, and his family is demanding that he attend with his wife. Yes, his fake wife (that would be Anna), who he’s also told them is a busy medical student (okay, well, she was pre-med back when they shared an apartment.) Liam desperately needs Anna to come to the wedding, play the part of loving wife, and get him through the big family event. Once they make it to their five-year anniversary, Liam’s inheritance will be secure, and they can safely divorce. As incentive, he’s offering Anna a huge payment in exchange for her play-acting, which will more than cover the medical bills, and even give her enough breathing room to focus on her art. How could she say no?

Once they zip off to the private island (via Singapore) where the wedding will be held, it’s like something out of Crazy Rich Asians (if it had a baby with Succession). These people are so elitist and over the top that it’s impossible not to just laugh at how ridiculous they are. The money is insane… and Liam’s family is just awful. His father is a controlling pig, and his mother exudes wealthy passive-aggressiveness with every breath she takes.

And yet… Anna actually starts to enjoy some parts of this little escapade, especially sharing the over-water bungalow with Liam and getting to appreciate the hotness she never fully noticed back when they lived together.

I won’t go too far into the details — but use your imagination, and picture two hot, interesting, awesome people forced into constant close proximity on a gorgeous tropical island. To say sparks fly is putting it mildly. But on top of all this romantic chemistry, there’s a non-romantic plot too! Liam’s family is messy (and not in a good way). With Anna’s support, he has to navigate the awful family dynamics and try to come out of it unscathed, and no, it’s not just about the money. There’s more at stake than initially meets the eye, and getting to the bottom of it all is a big piece of the fun of this book.

My quibbles are truly very minor. Within the big lie about being happily married, why maintain the lie about Anna being a medical student, with stories about fake med school attendance and projects overseas? This seems like a detail that Liam could have explained away — the family has never met Anna and Liam has kept his distance from them, so surely he could have said she changed careers at some point? As is, this is the piece of the lie easiest to trip Anna up with, and it seems like it needlessly complicates an already complicated situation.

Another minor issue for me — Liam’s name! He’s introduced as West, his family calls him Liam, his name is actually William… Even writing this review, I wasn’t sure which name to use!

For those who like to know the steam levels in advance: Some scenes are more explicit than suits my taste, but fans of the open door approach will love it. I tend to enjoy the “implied” rather than “shown” approach to these scenes, and in The Paradise Problem, we see all! This didn’t stop me from enjoying the book in the slightest… I just sort of wanted to look away from time to time.

Overall, this book was a terrific read, and I finished it in one day. Seriously, I just couldn’t stop!

The Paradise Problem revolves around an intriguing set-up, opposites-attract characters in a fake (but getting more real by the second) marriage, an ultra-luxury setting, and crazy family politics. It’s a blast, plain and simple.

Christina Lauren fans will be delighted… and for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure yet of experiencing one of their novels, The Paradise Problem is a great place to dive in. Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with more than a pinch of humor and outstanding chemistry between lead characters.

8May2024

Book Review: Disturbing the Dead (A Rip Through Time, #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Disturbing the Dead
Series: A Rip Through Time, #3
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: May 7, 2024
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction/mystery
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley
Rating:

Disturbing the Dead is the latest in a unique series with one foot in the 1890s and the other in the present day. The A Rip Through Time crime novels are a genre-blending, atmospheric romp from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson. Though inhabiting someone else’s body will always be unsettling, even if her employers know that she’s not actually housemaid Catriona Mitchell, ever since the night both of them were attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart. Mallory likes her job as assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray, and is developing true friends―and feelings―in this century.

So, understanding the Victorian fascination with death, Mallory isn’t that surprised when she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When their host is missing when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, Gray and Mallory are asked to step in. And upon closer inspection, it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped, but a much more modern body.

Kelley Armstrong is rapidly becoming a must-read author for me. Disturbing the Dead is the 3rd book in her excellent A Rip Through Time series… and I’ve also been head-over-heels for the A Stitch in Time series (of which I’ve read half so far). While both series have a timeslip/time travel element, they are completely different in tone and focus… and I’m loving them both.

A Stitch in Time has a romantic focus, with a woman slipping through a “stitch” that allows her to travel back and forth between our world and the Victorian era. Each book in the series has a different woman as the main character, but in all cases, travel back and forth is possible, and the characters must learn to fit in and blend in where they land, while also sorting out the complications of love across time.

In the A Rip Through Time series, a different core concept comes into play. 21st century detective Mallory Atkinson accidentally gets pulled through a rip in time during a visit to Edinburgh. When she is attacked and strangled in a dark alley — and the same thing happens to a young housemaid in the exact same place but in the 19th century — Mallory’s consciousness ends up inhabiting the housemaid’s body.

(There’s a lot more to it, so check out my review of the first book for more details).

Fortunately for Mallory, Catriona is employed as a servant in the home of eccentrics, a brother and sister who are devoted to science and social reform. Dr. Duncan Grey is an undertaker and the unofficial coroner of the Edinburgh police force; his sister Isla is a widow known for her independent thinking and her skills in the chemistry lab. Over the course of the first two books, they come to understand that the person they knew as Catriona isn’t actually Catriona any longer. They befriend Mallory, and her knowledge of 21st century police work and forensics quickly makes her an integral part of the household.

Here in Disturbing the Dead, six months have passed since Mallory’s appearance in their midst. Mallory has been promoted and is now officially Duncan’s assistant. Besides Duncan and Isla, police detective (and close family friend) Hugh McCreadie is also in on Mallory’s secret. Together, this group uses Mallory’s advanced knowledge to carry out investigations and apply a more rigorous scientific approach to Victorian era police work.

The action kicks off with an invitation to a mummy unwrapping. Egyptian artifacts and archaeology are all the rage, and Sir Alistair Christie is hosting a party to share his latest find. When the mummy is unwrapped, however, a very fresh corpse is discovered inside, and Mallory and Duncan find themselves once more in the thick of a complicated murder investigation.

The mystery is the driving force of the novel, and it’s a good one, with plenty of subjects, clues, motives, and red herrings. There’s also a very entertaining side plot about a pulp writer who’s started publishing lurid accounts of Mallory and Duncan’s exploits, much to their embarrassment (and Mallory’s annoyance, as the writer portrays her as an empty-headed girl whose main function is to look impressed — and sexy — while Duncan makes all the discoveries).

One of the many delights of the series is seeing Mallory being herself in the 19th century. Unlike the situation facing the characters in the Stitch in Time series, Mallory doesn’t need to make an effort to conceal herself or blend while amongst her friends. Yes, she must adapt to the time by dressing in corsets and adopting the appropriate social customs, but at home, her speech and knowledge are full of 21st century expressions, swearing, and casual sharing of unknown facts.

“Like people in my world who still think you can catch the common cold — or catarrh — by going out in cold weather, despite the fact we’ve known for generations that it’s caused by a virus.”

“Catarrh is caused by… what?” Gray says.

“Whoops. Sorry. Spoilers. Moving right along…”

She’s just so much fun, and scenes of her with Isla and Duncan are always a delight.

He opens his hand to reveal a derringer pistol. I may let out the kind of noise others make on seeing a puppy.

There a shocking development in the latter half of the book that left me gasping and dismayed. I did not see that coming! The author does a fabulous job of making the situation (no spoilers!) vivid and real, and yet also manages to pull off a great resolution to this particular twist.

Overall, Disturbing the Dead is a fantastic addition to a great series, and I can’t wait for more! Highly recommended — but definitely start at the beginning of the series.