The Novelist from Berlin by V.S. Alexander

The Novelist from Berlin by V.S. Alexander, 400 p.

"An engrossing novel inspired by the mysterious true story of Irmgard Keun, a female novelist who defied all the rules during Berlin’s volcanic post-WWI years, as a young German writer exiled for her ideas flees her country and her Nazi-supporting husband, fighting for her art, her life, and her child.

1920s Though the world has changed in the wake of the Great War, it is still ruled by men. Even a woman as resourceful and intelligent as Niki Rittenhaus needs alliances in order to survive. Her marriage to Rickard Länger, a movie producer for Berlin’s Passport Pictures, seems convenient for them both. When Rickard succumbs to increasing pressure from the Nazis to make propaganda movies, a horrified Niki turns away from her own film aspirations and instead, begins to write.

Niki’s first novel, The Berlin Woman , is published under a pseudonym to great success. But Niki knows she cannot stay anonymous for long. The Nazis are cementing their power over Germany—and over her husband. Though she succeeds in escaping Rickard, he directs Hitler’s Brownshirts to do the kidnap their daughter. With her books blacklisted, her life in danger, and Europe descending into war, Niki travels to Amsterdam, joins the Dutch Resistance, and then returns to war-torn Berlin determined to claim freedom for herself and her child, and to write her own story at last." --Goodreads blurb

Niki, a woman of many names over her life, finds herself out of her mother's home and trying to make a name for herself. After acting doesn't exactly pan out, she decides to become an author. What she did get from trying to be an actor is a husband and family, and what she got from being a novelist was ire of the Nazis. When her husband makes decision having to do with the Reich that she doesn't agree with, Niki's life turns upside down and she must try to make a life for herself. Does that mean she will never see her daughter again? Will she ever find love again? Will she mend the relationship with her mother and will her friends survive this horrible war? This story had enough plot to pull me through it easily. I enjoyed Niki's voice and a perspective of a woman trying to make her way through life in WWII German and while not being a Nazi Party supporter. The relationships in Niki's life varied from the unwavering best friend to the brusque mother and I enjoyed following her as she navigated those. While I enjoyed the story, I can't necessarily say I enjoyed the writing style. There was little nuance to the story and everything was put very plainly. While this type of writing is sought out by many readers (often their complaint is there's too much "flowery language"), it's not my particular favorite. I would have liked more details of life and environment and just description in general. This was a 3.5 rounded up to a 4-star for me.

 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, 364 p. 

"Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees. Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?"--Goodreads blurb

Emily Henry has become a must-read author for me. Friendship, career, and love are on the forefront of this is engaging, funny, and well-written contemporary novel. 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, 350 p.

"Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena's a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn't even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song--complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn't this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That's what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.But June can't get away from Athena's shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June's (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang's novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable."--Goodreads blurb

I've loved everything I've ever read by Kuang, and this was no exception. She deserves the hype, and you want to know why? Because despite the fact of me hating every.single.character in this book, I still couldn't put it down. Her writing style, dialogue, and atmosphere of her stories is so engrossing. This book made me feel gross on so many levels. June's delusional thinking has the reader thinking "WTF" on so many levels.  She surrounds herself with enough 'Yes men' to completely buy into her delusions, and for a fleeting moment, be very lucrative in doing so. This book left me shaking my head, and I can't wait for more from Kuang. This is the first book I've ever rated 5 stars, loved completely, yet hated everyone in it. Now THAT'S good writing. 

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan Jumps (Finley Donovan #3) the Gun by Elle Cosimano, 304 p.

"Author and single mom Finlay Donovan has been in messes before―after all, she's a pro at removing bloodstains for various unexpected reasons―but none quite like this. When Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they had "borrowed" in the process of saving the life of Finlay's ex-husband, the Russian mob did her a favor and bought the car for her. And now Finlay owes them.

Mob boss Feliks is still running the show from behind bars, and he has a task for Finlay: find and identify a contract killer before the cops do. The problem is, the killer might be an officer themself.

Luckily, hot cop Nick has just been tasked with starting up a citizen's police academy, and combined pressure from Finlay's looming book deadline and Feliks is enough to convince Finlay and Vero to get involved. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with a tempting detective), Finlay and Vero use their time in police academy to sleuth out the real contract killer to free themselves from the mob's clutches―all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero's past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood."--Goodreads blurb

This continues to be such a fun and funny with an perfectly silly mystery. The side characters really pull this goofy series together and caused me to laugh out loud several times. I'm looking forwared to more of these from Cosimano. 

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan #2) by Elle Cosimano, 357 p.

"Finlay Donovan is―once again―struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.

On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like.

Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it. With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it..."--Goodreads blurb

The second book in this series lived up to the first. Cosimano delivers hilarity, drama, and relatable. Except for all the murdering...that's not relatable. But juggling, family, children, career, and potential romance is somewhere a lot of us have been. This book flew as it was such an easy, fun read. Looking forward to book 3.

 

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (Finlay Donovan #1) by Elle Cosimano, 355 p.

"Finlay Donovan is killing it...except, she’s really not. A stressed-out single mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: The new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written; her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her; and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet. She soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity, and heartfelt moments, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from award-winning Elle Cosimano."--Goodreads blurb

The premise to this story sounded so hilarious that I had to give it a try. And is was fun and funny, but you have to be prepared to suspend belief from what any sane person would do in real life. Cosimano drags the reader on one hell of a ride with Finlay's hijinks being quite entertaining. Fun read.

Infamous by Lex Croucher

Infamous by Lex Croucher, 336 p.

"22-year-old aspiring writer Edith 'Eddie' Miller and her best friend Rose have always done everything together-climbing trees, throwing grapes at boys, sneaking bottles of wine, practicing kissing . . .

But following their debutante ball Rose is suddenly talking about marriage, and Eddie is horrified. When Eddie meets charming, renowned poet Nash Nicholson, he invites her to his crumbling Gothic estate in the countryside. The entourage of eccentric artists indulging in pure hedonism is exactly what Eddie needs in order to forget Rose and finish her novel. But Eddie might discover the world of famous literary icons isn't all poems and pleasure . . .

Eddie Miller wants nothing more than to be a writer. Her best friend, Rose, is her biggest supporter, and the one that grounds her to reality. When Eddie meets the writer/poet she looks up to most, Nash Nicholson, her life is turned upside down. She loves his writing, but how else will he fit in to her world? When a whole artistic crowd decide to go to Nash's country estate, things turn chaotic, a bit drunk (among other things), and cold. Will Nash's promise to show Eddie's manuscript to his editor be her dream come true? And will Rose, who is not a fan of Nash, still be there by the time it happens?

A regency, sapphic romance? Yes, please! While I didn't always find Eddie to be a likeable main character, I wanted to follow her through her chaotic life to see if she could become a successful writer. There was much foreshadowing in the writing, and I had the big twist figured out before it happened, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the novel. Great writing from a new-to-me author, and I definitely recommend this to romance readers everywhere!

 

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan, 432 p. 

"For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers."--Goodreads blurb

As an avid audiobook lover, I loved the idea of this book being about an audiobook narrator. While I have listened to Whelan narrate several books, I've never read anything written by her, and I was pleasantly surprised. This was a fun and funny romance book about romance books. It was fairly easy to see what was coming from a mile away, but that didn't take me out f the story any and I really enjoyed this book. I will be reading Whelan more. 

 

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont, 320 p.

"In 1925, Miss Nan O’Dea infiltrated the wealthy, rarefied world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. In every way, she became a part of their life––first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. Soon, Nan became Archie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife, desperate to marry him. Nan’s plot didn’t begin the day she met Archie and Agatha.

It began decades before, in Ireland, when Nan was a young girl. She and the man she loved were a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together––until the Great War, a pandemic, and shameful secrets tore them apart. Then acts of unspeakable cruelty kept them separated. 

What drives someone to murder? What will someone do in the name of love? What kind of crime can someone never forgive? Nina de Gramont’s brilliant, unforgettable novel explores these questions and more." --Goodreads

This slow-moving spider web of a story was an imaginative account of the mystery surrounding Agatha Christie in 1926. Fun little historical mystery that wasn't groundbreakingly awesome, yet  was worth the read. 

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Spoiler Alert (Spoiler Alert #1) by Olivia Dade, 416 p.

CW: Theme of body image issues

"Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. While the world knows him as Aeneas, the star of the biggest show on TV, Gods of the Gates, he's known to fanfiction readers as Book!AeneasWouldNever, an anonymous and popular poster.  Marcus is able to get out his own frustrations with his character through his stories, especially the ones that feature the internet’s favorite couple to ship, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone ever found out about his online persona, he’d be fired. Immediately.

April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she’s hidden her fanfiction and cosplay hobby from her “real life” for years—but not anymore. When she decides to post her latest Lavinia creation on Twitter, her photo goes viral. Trolls and supporters alike are commenting on her plus-size take, but when Marcus, one half of her OTP, sees her pic and asks her out on a date to spite her critics, she realizes life is really stranger than fanfiction.

Even though their first date is a disaster, Marcus quickly realizes that he wants much more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. And when he discovers she’s actually Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to hide from her. With love and Marcus’s career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?"--Goodreads blurb

This was a fun summer read with some really serious talk within it. You really cheer on Marcus and April, but know there is that one issue that when found out, everything will blow up. And yup, it does. But true to the genre, things may just end up alright. The cover of this was a favorite of mine of the contemporary romances I've read!

 

 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry, 384 p.

"Nora Stephens' life is books - she’s read them all - and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away - with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again - in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow - what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves."--Goodreads blurb

Despite the fact that romance isn't my usual genre, I always have a good time when I read one. And this one WAS a good time. There was a great relationship between Nora and Libby (though their communications skills were majorly lacking), and the buildup of the friendship between Nora and Charlie. I loved the bookishness of this book, being a book lover myself. I can see myself reading more contemporary romance if they're like this one.
 

It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke

It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke - 288 pages

Alabama, 1947.

War's over, cherry-print dresses, parking above the city lights, swing dancing.
Beautiful, seventeen-year-old Violet lives in a perfect world.
Everybody loves her.
In 2012, she's still beautiful, charming, and surrounded by admirers.

Veronica "Ronni" Johnson, licensed practical nurse and aspiring writer, meets the captivating Violet in the assisted living facility where Violet requires no assistance, just lots of male attention. When she dies, she leaves Ronni a very generous bequest―only if Ronni completes a book about her life within one year. As she's drawn into the world of young Violet, Ronni is mesmerized by life in a simpler time. It's an irresistible journey filled with revelations, some of them about men Ronni knew as octogenarians at Fairfield Springs.

Struggling, insecure, flailing at the keyboard, Ronni juggles her patients, a new boyfriend, and a Samsonite factory of emotional baggage as she tries to craft a manuscript before her deadline.

But then the secrets start to emerge, some of them in person. And they don't stop.

Everything changes.

Alternating chapters between Homecoming Queen Violet in 1947 and can't-quite-find-her-crown Ronni in the present, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU is Southern Fiction at its hilarious, warm, sad, outrageous, uplifting, and stunning best. In the tradition of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and Olive Kitteridge, Duke delivers an unforgettable elderly character to treasure and a young heroine to steal your heart.

This book keeps you guessing until the end, and the twists and turns that it takes keeps you rivited.  

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Beach Read by Emily Henry -- 361 pages

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really. 

The Pirate / The Adventurer / The Cowboy by Jayne Ann Krentz

The Pirate by Jayne Ann Krentz - 248 pages
The Adventurer by Jayne Ann Krentz - 249 pages
The Cowboy by Jayne Ann Krentz - 251 pages

These were three of Jayne Ann Krentz's earliest books.  They are loosely connected as the female main characters of the three books are best friends.  Each one is a romance writer who finds the man of her dreams -- the epitome of the hero of their books.  You can definitely tell these books are from the 80s.  They are dated.  Still they were fun to read.

The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths

The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths - 239 pages

Andy and Terry are writing living in a 13-story treehouse.  This is the book of their adventures one eventful day.
I really didn't care for this book.  It reminds me of Wimpy Kid with the writing and illustrations.  I also thought the premise was bad - they are writers who have to write and story but keep getting interrupted.  They eventually just write / draw what occurred during the day.  It was a very fast read though.  I picked it up to read during lunch and I finished it with a few minutes to spare - so it took less than 30 minutes to read.