Audiobook Review: The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

Pages: 656

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: May 5, 2026

Publisher: Spiegel & Grau

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Help

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "In 1933 Oxford, Mississippi, Prohibition is on the wane, and the Great Depression is tightening its grip. Poor and rich folks alike have fallen on hard times, even as the old social order remains. For women on the margins, the options are few and the price of dignity and self-determination is unbearably high.

Eleven-year-old Meg, one of the unadoptable “big girls” at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford on a mission to ask her social-climbing sister to help the struggling family she’s left behind. And Charlie is a woman with a past, running low on luck but driven by fire, fury, and grit. When their fates converge, they come up with an audacious plan to take back control of their lives. Together, they form an unlikely sisterhood—but in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife, women’s freedom is fragile, and making an enemy can have dire consequences, will the price they pay for their outrageous risk-taking be too high?

The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to resilience, friendship, and the fierce, funny women who know that calamity can be the spark of new beginnings. This is Kathryn Stockett at her most confident, heartfelt, and hilarious—the triumphant return of one of the most beloved storytellers of our time."

 

 

Meg Lefleur is down on her luck. Her mother abandoned her around Christmas and left her to fend for herself. The year is 1933, and she finds herself at the orphanage in Oxford, Mississippi, under the "protection" of a mean director who seems to have it out for her. She is counting the days till she gets out of the orphanage. Once she turns twelve, she can head off to the cannery for work; unless, that is, her mother returns for her. That is the hope that keeps her going. Then there's Birdie Calhoun, who has returned to Oxford to visit her sister, Frances, and ask for money. Birdie, and her family live on the Delta, and their house is on the brink of foreclosure. They need some money from Frances who has married into a wealthy family, but once she gets to Oxford, she realizes that things are not what they seem at Frances's home or with her marriage. Birdie crosses paths with Meg as well as Meg's biological mother, Charlie, who has concocted a plan to make enough money to get Meg back, and she lets Birdie in on this plan as she needs money, too. Ultimately, The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett is a story about mothers, daughters, community, and the will to survive. It's one of those books that stays with the reader long after the final chapter is read.
 
Stockett creates such dynamic characters; I truly cared about all of them, even if I didn't always agree with their decisions in The Calamity Club. Meg is a spitfire of an eleven-year-old who deserves so much more than being abused in the county orphanage. I desperately wanted her out of there, and to watch how her life intersects Birdie's was also well plotted. Birdie's story was also a compelling one, and she was a character whom I came to enjoy. I wanted her to have her happy ending, too, and as the story progressed, Birdie grew as a person. Lastly, all of the secondary characters who enter the story were memorable and well developed; Stockett did a superb job bringing them to life. 
 
The setting of Oxford, Mississippi, during the Great Depression was outstanding. It's crazy to think that Stockett didn't even live then, because the setting, the atmosphere, the details all jumped off the page in The Calamity Club. It's A+ historical fiction and at times reads like a modern classic; it would make for a great TV show or movie.
 
But be forewarned. The Calamity Club is really, really, really long. I am glad I chose to listen to the audiobook as well as read the novel, as I jumped back and forth. I must be honest that I was drawn to the audiobook more as the narrators brought the characters to life so very well and really helped push the story along when it meandered a bit and slowed down much like a person on a hot, humid day in the south. I do think some parts could have been cut as the story really chugged along in some chapters; nonetheless, despite the slow pacing at times, it was a fantastic read, complete with everything a historical fiction fan could want.
 
If you love historical fiction, don't miss this one this summer. I recommend the audiobook for a more dynamic presentation. Despite its imposing length, The Calamity Club is a memorable read and one of my favorites of the year. 

 

Audiobook Review: Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller

Genre: Biography/Audiobook

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Pub. Date: May 21, 2024

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "A quarter of a century after the plane crash that claimed the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn, and sister-in-law Lauren, the magnitude of this tragedy remains fresh. Yet, Carolyn is still an enigmatic figure, a woman whose short life in the spotlight was besieged with misogyny and cruelty.

Amidst today’s cultural reckoning about the way our media treats women, Elizabeth Beller explores the real person behind the tabloid headlines and media frenzy. When she began dating America’s prince, Carolyn was increasingly thrust into an overwhelming spotlight filled with relentless paparazzi who reacted to her reserve with a campaign of harassment and vilification.

To this day, she is still depicted as a privileged princess—icy, vapid, and drug-addicted. She has even been accused of being responsible for their untimely death, allegedly delaying take-off until she finished her pedicure. But now, she is revealed as never before.

A fiercely independent woman devoted to her adopted city and career, Carolyn relied on her impeccable eye and drive to fly up the ranks at Calvin Klein in the glossy, high-stakes fashion world of the 1990s. When Carolyn met her future husband, John was immediately drawn to her strong-willed personality, effortless charm, and high intelligence. Their relationship would change her life and catapult her to dizzying fame, but it was her vibrant life before their marriage and then hidden afterwards, that is truly fascinating.

Based on in-depth research and exclusive interviews with friends, family members, teachers, roommates, and colleagues, this comprehensive biography reveals a multi-faceted woman worthy of our attention regardless of her husband and untimely death."

 

Many people believe they know Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy based on what the tabloids highlighted, but she was so much more than that. Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller explores Carolyn's childhood, formative years, career, and her relationship with John Kennedy Jr. If you want to learn more about Carolyn, her motivations, and the triumphs and struggles she experienced, this biography will help you appreciate her more deeply. It also sheds light on the challenges she faced with the media in the latter part of her life, evoking sympathy for her situation. Elizabeth Beller’s Once Upon a Time is a compelling biography of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, a misunderstood woman who was truly larger than life.
 
This debut biography starts with Carolyn's childhood, and it examines her relationship with her formidable mother, her sisters, and the often complex relationship with her father. As a teen, she was well-liked, popular, and often a little too social, which had her mother start her in a Catholic school instead of the public school in the neighborhood. Her mother remarried a successful doctor, so Carolyn's life was a bit more affluent after their marriage, and she lived in a nice house in New York. She attended Boston University, and the biography takes us through her college years, and I was surprised to find out she majored in education. This was just one of the interesting tidbits that challenged my original ideas on Carolyn.  
 
Always drawn to fashion, she ends up working at Calvin Klein and works her way up the ladder. Beller dives into some of her fashion and how that evolved through the years. At Calvin Klein, this is where she meets John F. Kennedy Jr., and then her life is forever changed. Once Upon a Time takes us through their first meeting, the dates, breakups, more dates, and eventual engagement. I adored the details surrounding their secret wedding on a private island, how she navigated the Kennedy family, and eventually how she deals with the overbearing media scrutiny. The last quarter of the book mainly focuses on how the tabloids destroyed Carolyn's sense of peace, and she couldn't deal with it in a healthy way. She was constantly portrayed horribly, and it wore her down. Readers can help but feel sympathy towards her and see her in a different light.
 
What inspired me to dive into Once Upon a Time was watching a few episodes of Love Story on FX, which is based on this book. I'm glad I made that choice because the biography filled in some gaps that the show couldn't fully explore. Was it the best written biography? No, it did feel repetitive at times and hyper-focused on Carolyn's looks, but if you're a fan of Love Story, I recommend picking up a copy of Once Upon a Time. Even though we know the sad ending, I still enjoyed learning more about Carolyn. It evoked a strong sense of 90s nostalgia, which I relished in! Also, I appreciated Carolyn as more than just a fashion icon. I hope she is remembered for her full legacy.
 
Are you a fan of Love Story? Do you want to read Once Upon a Time? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  

 

Audiobook Review: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: July 8, 2025

Publisher: Spiegel + Grau

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident.

During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.

Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative."

 

 

When the Cassidy-Shaw family is on their way to their older son Charlie's lacrosse tournament, and their autonomous family van collides with an oncoming car, their lives are impacted irrecoverably. Charlie, a seventeen-year-old, was "driving" the van at the time when the accident occurred with his father, Noah, sitting shotgun. In the back were sisters Alice and Izzy, along with their mother, Lorelei, who was working on her laptop as she holds a prominent position in the tech world of AI. The accident killed the people in the oncoming car and left the Cassidy-Shaws with various injuries, but they all survived the crash. Afterwards, they decide to escape to the Chesapeake Bay to recuperate at a rental house. But they can't escape the crash and the problems that have come up due to the complexities of the accident, as the car is considered autonomous. Charlie, a lacrosse star with a college scholarship, is now being investigated for this crash, and his parents are being dragged into it, as he is a minor. During their week on the bay, more secrets float to the surface about the crash, what each passenger saw, and the ramifications of it. To complicate matters further, their neighbor on the bay is a prominent tech guru, Daniel Monet, and Charlie starts to hang out with his teenage daughter. Plus, Lorelei seems to know him as they are in the same work circles, and what should have been a quiet week on the bay turns out to be filled with drama. Bruce Holsinger's Culpability is one of the smartest books I've read in a while. The audiobook was thought-provoking, compelling, and one of my favorites of the year.
 
The Cassidy-Shaw family is tragically flawed, but that is what I found most compelling in Culpability. Each family member is dealing with their own issues, and slowly, the issues come to the surface. I also felt like each character wasn't exactly likable and I was frustrated with their choices from time to time, but that is what made the story a page turner. Lorelei is brilliant, but is hiding something from her husband. Meanwhile, readers are wondering why Noah wasn't just driving the car? Why put Charlie at the wheel? What were Alice and Izzy texting about in the car, and did they notice anything before the crash? These are all questions that come up, and slowly Holsinger reveals this to his readers.
 
What was most compelling about Culpability was the AI storyline. Yes, this is a family drama, but the story also begs readers to think about AI. What are the implications of AI? What are the moral ethics surrounding AI and an autonomous car? Whose fault is it in an accident like theirs? It's a smart read that definitely got me thinking, and because of this, it would make for an excellent book club book as it lends itself to much discussion.
 
Culpability is one of my favorite audiobooks of the year. I really enjoyed the family drama, the beach house setting, and the moral questions that it poses. I will definitely read more of Holsinger's novels in the future. Have you read Culpability? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

 

Audio Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audio Book

Pub. Date: February 5, 2019

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author: The Fury

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him...."

 

 

The story starts with Alicia Berenson, a painter, who shot her husband in the face (for reasons we aren't sure of) and then stopped talking altogether. Her husband, Gabriel, a photographer, doesn't exactly seem like someone who raises too many red flags. Theo Faber, a psychoanalyst, takes a job at Alicia's institution for the sole purpose of interacting with Alicia as he thinks he can get her to talk. The story is narrated through Theo's experiences and point of view as well as Alicia's diary entries. Slowly, readers piece things together, but start to wonder if Theo is a reliable narrator and what his motives are. Alex Michaelides's debut, The Silent Patient, is part psychological thriller, part detective novel, and will keep readers guessing.
 
Immediately, I was curious as to why Alicia, a seemingly normal person, committed such a horrific crime and why she is now silent, hence the title of the story. I liked learning more about her through her diary entries, and slowly, a few suspicions arose once we got to understand her relationship with Gabriel, as well as others. Theo was also a questionable narrator in that the more readers learn about him, the more his motives are questioned. His relationship with his wife, Kathy, made him seem unstable more often than not, and both he and Alicia have had childhood trauma that impacts their adult lives. 
 
I will say that Alicia's diary was a nice touch in The Silent Patient; however, the details in the diary made it seem almost unbelievable, as no one would write a diary entry including such specific dialogue. After I got past that, I started to appreciate the novel more and could even guess one of the plot twists coming up.  
 
I have enjoyed Michaelides's The Fury, and I am glad I finally listened to his debut novel, The Silent Patient, as I know many readers have enjoyed it. The dual narration was outstanding and a perfect binge-worthy audiobook. 
 
Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Alex Michaelides and your thoughts on The Silent Patient.  

 

Audiobook Review: The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Pub. Date: September 30, 2025

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "It’s been years since the three Ryan sisters were all home together at their family’s beloved house on the eastern shore of Long Island. Two decades ago, their lives were upended by an accident on their brother Topher’s boat, a friend’s brother was killed, the lawsuit nearly bankrupted their parents, and Topher spiraled into a depression, eventually taking his life. Now the Ryan women are back for Thanksgiving, eager to reconnect, but each carrying a heavy secret. The eldest, Cait, still holding guilt for the role no one knows she played in the boat accident, rekindles a flame with her high school crush, Topher’s best friend and the brother of the boy who died. Middle sister Alice’s been thrown a curveball threatening the career she’s restarting and faces a difficult decision that may doom her marriage. And the youngest, Maggie, is finally taking the risk to bring the woman she loves home to her devoutly Catholic mother. Infusing everything is the grief for Topher that none of the Ryans have figured out how to carry together.

When Cait invites a guest to Thanksgiving dinner, old tensions boil over and new truths surface, nearly overpowering the flickering light of their family bond. Far more than a family holiday will be ruined unless the sisters can find a way to forgive themselves—and one another."

 

Twenty-five years after a family tragedy, the Ryan family returns to their beloved Long Island home for Thanksgiving. There's Nora, the matriarch and a devout Catholic who grew up in an Irish orphanage, and her husband, Robert, who is trying desperately to keep up on the upkeep of the Folly, their sprawling home on the coast. Their three daughters and their families will be coming to Thanksgiving, starting with Alice, who never left the small Long Island town. She is the dutiful daughter who takes care of her parents' needs, her children, and tries to do it all. Cait is returning home from London along with her twins; she is newly divorced. Then there's Maggie, who is dealing with a lot personally and at work, but is bringing home her new girlfriend for the holiday weekend. The only Ryan they are missing is Topher, who died tragically in a boating accident twenty five years ago, and the grief over his death is still weighing heavily on the Ryan family. Each Ryan sibling is dealing with something over Thanksgiving - some kind of heavy secret that is waiting to be exposed. Throw in some usual family dynamics over the holiday, and you've got yourself a pressure cooker waiting to bubble over. The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill is a debut novel with a lot of heart and is perfect for fans of contemporary family dramas.
 
The nice thing about the Ryan family is that you can find at least one family member to relate to in The Irish Goodbye. Each sister is dealing with their own personal struggles, and O'Neill dives into their stories as the points of view alternate between chapters. Alice is dealing with the struggles of midlife as she tries to reinvent herself after focusing on her own family for years. However, something happens to derail her plans. Cait is newly divorced and struggling to "single" parent her rambunctious twins and is wondering about her former crush, Luke, who is back home as well for the holiday. This is complicated because Luke was Topher's best friend, so having him around brings a lot of issues back to the surface. Maggie has a secret she is keeping from her girlfriend she brought home for the holiday - so throw that into the mix with the loud and nosy Ryan family, readers are in for a Thanksgiving that is anything but perfect.
 
I really enjoy family novels, so I enjoyed that aspect of The Irish Goodbye, but I felt that O'Neill really only scratched the surface of the characters. I felt like I could care about them more if she dived into what makes them tick and peeled back some layers. I did enjoy the flashbacks to their childhood as that helped paint a better picture, but overall, I enjoyed the Ryan family and all of their struggles, trauma, and quirks. 
 
The Irish Goodbye is a family story about grief, forgiveness, secrets, and moving on from family trauma. It's about forgiving and accepting people for who they are. I look forward to reading more of O'Neill's novels in the future. Have you read The Irish Goodbye? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

Audiobook Review: My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: January 20, 2026

Source: Personal Copy

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Other Books By Author: Beautiful Ugly,

Daisy Darker, Rock Paper Scissors and His & Hers

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife.

One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.

Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person's date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs.

My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems.

 

 

Eden Fox, an artist, is starting over with her husband in the sleepy coastal town of Hope Falls. It's the day of her opening at a new art gallery, and she wants to make a good impression on her new community. Before the opening, she goes for a run, as she always does, and leaves her cell phone and belongings behind, except her house key. Once she returns from her run, the key does not work. This has never happened before. When she struggles to open the door, another woman answers it, impersonating her! When she demands to talk to her husband, even he doesn't think she is who she says she is. In a parallel storyline six months prior, Olivia, whom they call "Bird," gets an upsetting terminal diagnosis that upends her life. She finds out she inherited a house from her grandmother called Spyglass in Hope Falls. While at this house, she finds a letter from a mysterious company called Thanatos predicting the exact date of her grandmother's death. Bird, a detective, dives into this mystery surrounding her family. The two stories blend perfectly in Alice Feeney's new psychological/domestic thriller, My Husband's Wife, which is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to.
 
How could readers not feel for Eden Fox once she comes home to someone impersonating her! The deception runs deep, and I was fully on board as she tried to figure out who was impersonating her, whether her husband was in on it, and ultimately why this person had hijacked her life. But things aren't always what they seem in a Feeney novel, and secrets abound. Slowly, readers make a connection between Bird, Eden, Eden's husband, and even more characters that slowly enter the plotline. I will say I was confused at times, but in the best way possible. Feeney kept me guessing; once I thought I knew where the plot was going, she turned the tables on me, and I was back to second-guessing my theories. Feeney truly is the queen of plot twists, and My Husband's Wife has quite a few.
 
My favorite aspect of My Husband's Wife was the listening experience. Not only were the narrators top-notch, but the audio was so immersive. I have never experienced an audiobook like this one before; I loved it! There were sounds to enhance the story, such as footfalls while Eden was running, the sound of windchimes, crashing waves, and more. It was so well done and really enhanced my experience of the story. 
 
If you love a good mystery with some psychological/domestic thriller aspects to it, look no further. Alice Feeney's My Husband's Wife is one of my favorite books of the year and an audiobook that shouldn't be missed. Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Feeney and if you have read My Husband's Wife.  

 

 

Audiobook Review - JFK: Public, Private, Secret by J. Randy Taraborrelli

Pages: 592

Genre: Biography

Pub. Date: July 15, 2025

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author: Jackie: Public, Private, Secret

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "In this deeply researched presidential biography, J. Randy Taraborrelli tells John F. Kennedy’s story in a provocative new way by revealing how public moments in his life were so influenced by private relationships with not only his family, but also Jackie’s.

But it’s the secret life that also surprises. As Congressman, Senator and finally President, JFK was a magnet for women. With exclusive interviews and meticulous research, Taraborrelli reveals not only the man’s many affairs but also the strength and resolve his wife showed in coping with them.

The JFK presented in Taraborrelli’s definitive biography is a complex and endlessly fascinating historical figure, despite—and maybe even because of—his many flaws.

 

 

 

JFK lived an extraordinary life, and there’s no doubt about it. J. Randy Taraborrelli, a Kennedy expert, takes readers on a journey through JFK's life, specifically examining how the relationships around him influenced his world. JFK: Public, Private, Secret by J. Randy Taraborrelli delves into his relationship with his father, his older brother, his religious mother, and Jackie, providing insight into how these interactions shaped his identity.

I have read many a JFK biography, but Taraborrelli manages to cover a lot of information I knew, and also provides some new information based on twenty-five years of his research. I liked learning more about his time in the military and his heroic efforts in the South Pacific. Taraborrelli also dives into his health issues and how that shaped his world. Also, Taraborrelli sheds a bit more light on Jackie and Jack's early marriage days and how they were on the brink of divorce. Lastly, I appreciated the depictions of Jack's family, how he was raised, Rose's behaviors, and how that all impacted Jack and turned him into the person who rose to the presidency. 
 
JFK is one of the most memorable presidents in history, and I always appreciate learning more about him, his struggles, and his family. After reading a JFK biography, I always wonder what life would be like if he weren't assassinated. It's heartbreaking all that the Kennedy family endured. However, Jack's story is one of hope. Even though he had questionable morals at times when it came to women, deep down, he cared about the American people and making a difference. Despite all his chronic issues, pain, and surgeries, he still endured, which I find inspiring.   

JFK: Public, Private, Secret as an audiobook is fantastic and will definitely be one of my favorites of the year. So, let me know if you are you a fan of JFK? Do you plan on reading JFK: Public, Private, Secret? Let me know in the comments below.  

 

Book Review: The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: December 2, 2025

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's a good life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time.

But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne - albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. But following a terrible accident, Lexi - the black sheep of her family and, until this moment, always destined to be the spare - is now the heir apparent, first in line to the throne once her grandmother, the elderly Queen, dies. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own. Palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other's secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just within her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep ... and what she is willing to leave behind."

 

Lexi Villiers is a medical doctor in Australia living on an idyllic vineyard in Tasmania. She is estranged from her family due to her life choices, but is living a happy life without them in Australia; she even has a sort-of boyfriend and a promising career. Except her family isn't just any family; it's the British Royal Family. One day, a helicopter lands on the property delivering the bad news that her father (the future King), her twin brother, and his best friend have all died in a tragic skiing accident due to an avalanche. Lexi's world is turned upside down, and her grandmother, the Queen, summons her home to England. Lexi is now the heir apparent, should she choose to take the title; she has one year to decide. If she doesn't accept it and all that it brings, the title falls to her awful uncle Richard. Once Lexi is back in England, all of the reasons why she left come flooding back to her, not to mention all the difficult emotions she has to deal with regarding the loss of her brother and father. This is all triggering to her in that she lost her mother, and the circumstances surrounding her death are still issues that plague her to this day. Also, she has to deal with her grieving and angry sister-in-law, her power-hungry uncle, her grandmother, and all the tabloids that harass the Royal Family at every turn. Ultimately, the question that stresses her out is whether she will accept the title as the heir apparent or choose to pass it along to her uncle. What will happen to her perfect life in Tasmania and her almost-boyfriend, Jack? Can she have it all? Rebecca Armitage's The Heir Apparent is an absorbing audiobook that fans of the Royal Family will enjoy.
 
Lexi has to return to the very life she tried to escape to pursue a career as a doctor, and when she returns, the problems are still there. The grief around her mother's death, now her brother's and father's death, and all the family issues that made her escape to Australia bubble back up to the surface. Lexi is reminded that no matter how far you travel, you still can't escape your problems. Her former life as a doctor is still calling to her, not to mention Jack, and she wonders if she can make this all work. Or does she have to give up her previous life? Heavy is the head that wears the crown!

So many moments in The Heir Apparent felt like they were ripped straight from the tabloids about the Royal Family. It's obvious Armitage has a wealth of knowledge regarding the British Royal Family; however, at times it felt a little too similar - almost fan fiction. Nonetheless, as a Royal Family lover, I enjoyed being lost in a world full of court intrigue, family secrets, tabloids, and extreme wealth.
 
My main issue with The Heir Apparent is the length. The plot meandered too many times around the same plot point, and at times, it got tedious. 416 pages were too much, in my opinion, and due to this, the pacing was uneven despite Shakira Shute's excellent narration of the audiobook.
 
Royal family lovers will especially soak up all the family drama in The Heir Apparent and appreciate the similarities to the current British Royal Family. Have you read The Heir Apparent? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

 

 

 

Audiobook Review: Heart the Lover by Lily King

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Publisher: Audible Audio

Source: Personal Copy 

Pub. Date: September 30, 2025

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "You knew I’d write a book about you someday. Our narrator understands good love stories—their secrets and subtext, their highs and their free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the simple rules.

In the fall of her senior year of college, she meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off-campus in the elegant house of a professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervor, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. They nickname her Jordan, and she quickly discovers the pleasures of friendship, love and her own intellectual ambition. Youthful passion is unpredictable though, and she soon finds herself at the center of a charged and intricate triangle. As graduation comes and goes, choices made will alter these three lives forever.

Decades later, Jordan is living the life she dreamed of, and the vulnerable days of her youth seem comfortably behind her. But when a surprise visit and unexpected news brings the past crashing into the present, Jordan returns to a world she left behind and is forced to confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self.

Written with the superb wit and emotional sensitivity fans and critics of Lily King have come to adore, Heart the Lover is a deeply moving story that celebrates love, friendship, and the transformative nature of forgiveness. Wise, unforgettable, and with a delightful connective thread to Writers & Lovers, this is King at her very best, affirming her as a masterful chronicler of the human experience and one of the finest novelists at work today."

 

The narrator, whose name isn't mentioned until the end of the novel, is at college in a 17th-century literature class swept away by two intellectuals, Sam and Yash. As she falls into their world, there's no turning back. After a date with Sam, she visits the Victorian house they are staying at for a professor who is on sabbatical at Oxford. The bookish house, the intellectual conversations, and obscure card games (hence the title of the book!) all lend themselves to an academia vibe that any former college student can appreciate. But as she spends more time with Sam, she realizes it's Yash she has strong feelings for, and after she and Sam break up, their story unfolds. At its core, Heart the Lover is a romance, but it explores the regret of things unspoken, the choices we make, sharing our truths, and finally letting go. Lily King's Heart the Lover captures a college romance that will stay with readers; it's one of the best audiobooks of the year.  
 
King effectively portrays an all-consuming college romance in Heart the Lover. I enjoyed following the journey of Sam, Yash, and Jordan. The characters refer to her as Jordan, a nickname inspired by Gatsby's friend, Jordan Baker, because like Jordan, she was an avid golfer and previously had a golf scholarship. The ups and downs of their relationship are well depicted, and the story continues beyond college, exploring unspoken truths and the mistakes they made that haunt them till this day. Ultimately, it illustrates how their time together in college profoundly changed their lives.

One thing is for certain: Lily King is an excellent writer. My issues with Heart the Lover have nothing to do with King's writing, as I thought it was very well done. My only issue with Heart the Lover is the fact that I wish I had read Writers & Lovers before picking this up. I didn't realize it was a companion novel (as it wasn't marketed that way at all!), and I think it would have resonated better with me had I read that one first. Readers certainly don't need to read Writers & Lovers first; however, I recommend it to fully capture some of the reveals and allusions.
 
While I could have done without a love triangle and illness used as a plot device, I overall enjoyed Heart the Lover and recommend it to fans of Ann Patchett.  A memorable audiobook!  

 

 

Audio Book Review: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: April 29, 2025

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Throughout her life Sybil Van Antwerp has used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings around half past ten Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has. A mother, grandmother, wife, divorcée, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness."

 

 

 

 

 

Sybil Van Antwerp has lived a carefully constructed life at first glance. She worked in law for years and lived a fulfilling life with her kids, although she is divorced. However, she gardens, possesses wonderful manners, and, more importantly, has spent her life writing meaningful handwritten letters to friends, work associates, family, and many others. The Correspondent is an epistolary novel, and as readers are privy to her letters, we learn more about Sybil, her relationships, and what makes her tick. The more we know about her, the more readers recognize that her life wasn't as perfect as it may look at first glance, as she was adopted, dealt with a lot of grief and heartbreak, and to this day, has made decisions that haunt her. Virginia Evans's debut novel, The Correspondent, is a fantastic audiobook and certainly one of the best of the year; this book is smart, moving, and surprisingly immersive. 
 
Sybil writes letters to communicate with family and friends, but also to process things herself. Readers are privy to her letters to and from her close friends, her brother, her sister-in-law, and even her literary heroes, such as Larry McMurtry. As mentioned, through these letters, readers learn more about Sybil's past as well as the way she operates. She can be a bit brash, stubborn, and point-blank, but half the time she makes very astute observations. Her life is forever changed when she receives a gift to trace her DNA origins and connect with her possible relatives. This is huge, as she is adopted and has always questioned her parentage, as all she was left with was a letter that her adopted mother shared with her. There's also a person that Sybil is writing to that she never sends the letters to, and slowly, readers piece together this part of the puzzle. 
 
An epistolary novel is hard to pull off, especially one that is absorbing; these days, we don't have time for lengthy letters. It almost seems like an archaic treasure from the past, but I really loved being lost in Sybil's words through her letters. To add to this delight was the superb narration of Maggi-Meg Reed. There was a full cast narration of the audiobook, which truly brought it to life, but the star of the show was Reed; a tremendous job! If you are looking for a thoughtful, absorbing audiobook to close out the year, I urge you to pick up The Correspondent .  

 

Audiobook Review: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: September 2, 2025

Publisher: Random House Audio

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "In Bonhomie, Ohio, a stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, to Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past. Cal’s wife, Becky, has a spiritual gift: She is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those they’ve lost. Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship, out of harm’s way—until a telegram suggests that the unthinkable might have happened.

Later, as the country reconstructs in the postwar boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie—but nothing stays buried forever in a small town. Against the backdrop of some of the most transformative decades in modern America, the consequences of that long-ago encounter ripple through the next generation of both families, compelling them to reexamine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

Sweeping yet intimate, rich with piercing observation and the warmth that comes from profound understanding of the human spirit, Buckeye captures the universal longing for love and for goodness."

 

It's 1939 in Bonhomie, Ohio, a small town that hasn't changed in years. Cal Jenkins runs his father-in-law's hardware store and is married to Becky, a local girl he's known for years. They have a son, Skip, and life is pretty hunky-dory, except for the fact that Becky holds seances in their home. She can communicate with the dead, and this puts a wedge in their marriage. Plus, Cal is dealing with the guilt that, as WWII approaches, he can't enlist as he has an orthopedic condition. This brings him great shame that he carries for years. Margaret and Felix Salt move to town from the big city due to Felix's work, and Margaret acclimates to the mundane small-town life. She has her own bag of trauma from her childhood, as she was pushed around from orphanage to foster homes. Felix, on the other hand, has been questioning his sexual identity for years, and this plagues him daily. With the war booming, he decides to enlist in the Navy and is sent to a cargo ship in the Pacific. As the years go by, Margaret must learn to deal with life in Bonhomie without him. On VE Day, Margaret hears on the hardware store's radio that the war is over, and in a moment of passion, kisses Cal. This sparks an affair that will reverberate through the years. The story follows the Jenkins family through the years - through postwar America, and the upcoming Vietnam War, and how that impacts their son, Skip's life. Margaret and Felix have a son of their own, and while younger than Skip, they cross paths with each other in the neighborhood, and they become friends. Cue the awkwardness! As another war looms on the horizon, it will impact these two families who are bonded together through secrets. Patrick Ryan's Buckeye is such a moving audiobook and one of my favorites of the year. It's heartfelt, desperately sad, emotionally charged, devastating, but beautiful - much like life.
 
I loved how Ryan developed these characters in Buckeye. I thought it was a masterclass on character development. He makes each character unique and tragically flawed, but I found myself sympathetic towards every one of them, showing no favorites, which is unusual for a novel of this type. Each character is grappling with a sort of problem. Cal has guilt about not being able to serve his country, Margaret has childhood trauma that bleeds into her marriage, Becky has an unusual ability which makes things difficult for her socially and in her marriage, and Felix is dealing with sexual identity issues and the guilt surrounding that, as the 30s were not very accepting, not to mention his parents definitely aren't. So he has to hide that part of himself, which is heartbreaking. 
 
The war transformed Felix in countless ways, and I believe Ryan did an excellent job of illustrating how the war affects not only the soldiers but also the families and communities left behind. Ryan effectively addresses the onset of World War II, the experiences during the war, post-war America, and the Vietnam War. He portrayed these historical periods in America with great accuracy and also captured the essence of small-town life and war's impact on the communities.

I have never read a novel by Ryan before, so I am very glad I listened to Buckeye. Ryan's writing resonated with me; many parts were poignant, thought-provoking, and beautiful. I rarely tear up while reading, but Buckeye made me tear up multiple times. I genuinely cared for these tragically flawed characters, and I will remember their story for a long time.
 
The audiobook was narrated by Michael Crouch and it was outstanding. If you are an audiobook fan, I highly recommend it. Have you read Buckeye? This would be a great book for a book club, as it lends itself to great discussion topics. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.   

 

Mini Reviews: The Last of the Beach Reads

I know you can read beach reads all year long if you want to and I may slip in a few here or there, but it doesn't hit the same, does it? Unless you are that lucky person who gets to take her vacation at the beach in September. Now that Labor Day is approaching, I wanted to share two more "beach reads" that will be perfect to end the summer season with.

 

Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster

Pages: 336

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: July 1, 2025

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: All the Summers in Between,

Summer Darlings, and On Gin Lane

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "After suffering through her first year of graduate school at Columbia following her senator father’s death, Betsy Whiting is hoping to spend the summer with her boyfriend…and hopefully end the summer as his fiancée. Instead, her mother—a longtime feminist and leader in the women’s movement—calls Betsy and her sisters back home to Martha’s Vineyard, announcing that they need to sell their beloved summer house to pay off their father’s debts.

When Betsy arrives on the island a week later, she must reckon with her strained familial relationships, a long-ago forbidden romance, and the complicated legacy of her parents, who divided the family even as they did good for the world.

Following a dual timeline between 1965 and 1978, and filled with the vibrant, sunlit nostalgia of the cherished New England vacation setting, Our Last Vineyard Summer poignantly captures two generations of women navigating love, loss, and womanhood while trying to find the courage to stand up for what they believe in—and the strength to decide if the home they once loved is worth saving."

 

 

Betsy Whiting is a graduate student at Columbia in the 1970s. It isn't easy; there's a lot of sexism to make her path even more difficult. After her senator father's untimely death, her mother asks Betsy and her sisters to return to their summer home at Martha's Vineyard. This is the last place Betsy wants to be after having independence in the city, but after the breakup with her professor boyfriend, she reluctantly returns to her family's home to help her mother. While there, Betsy must deal with her feminist mother and her sisters. She must deal with her memories of the past summers spent at the Vineyard. The story also includes flashbacks to Virgie, Betsy's mother, and her life as a senator's wife, and how that was difficult given her deeply rooted feminist beliefs. Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster is a nostalgic beach read about mothers, daughters, and female identity.

I like how Foster jumped from a 1965 timeline to 1978 to really paint a picture of the Whiting women. Even though there are many years between the story lines, a lot of the same themes run true. I really enjoyed the character of Virgie and following along with her struggles as a senator's wife, while also being a major feminist. There was more to her story than initially thought. I also appreciated Betsy's story and her return home to Martha's Vineyard. The setting of the Vineyard and the memories they have of summer's past make Our Last Vineyard Summer a good beach read for those who like stories about strong women.

Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: July 1, 2025

Publisher: Random House

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Mia and Cricket have always been close. The gifted daughters of a young single mother, the “Lowe girls” are well-known in the small Maine town they call home. Each sister has a role to fill: The responsible and academically minded Mia assumes the position of caregiver far too young, while Cricket, a bouncing ball of energy and talent, seems born for soccer stardom. But the cost of achieving athletic greatness comes at a steep price.

As Mia and Cricket grow up, they must grapple with the legacy of their mother’s secret past while navigating their own precarious future. Can Mia allow herself to fall in love at the risk of repeating a terrible history? Will Cricket’s relentless chase of a lifelong goal drive her sister away? When does loyalty become self-sabotage?

A sharply observed and tender portrait of sisters, love, and ambition, Spectacular Things is a sweeping story about the impossible choices we’re forced to make in pursuit of our dreams."

 

 

Mia and Cricket are known as the Lowe girls around their small Maine town and are as thick as thieves. Raised by a very young single mother, Liz, life wasn't always easy, and they had to rely on one another. Mia has always been the responsible and reliable one, ready to step in when her mother couldn't, to make sure Cricket would succeed. Cricket is a ball of energy and a soccer phenom. They have high hopes for Cricket as the family often sacrifices for her dream of becoming a soccer star. Also, the story flashes back to Liz's life, the dreams she gave up, as well as what brought the family to this point. Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein is an outstanding audiobook for fans of sports stories as well as tales of sisterhood.

At first, based on the cover, I thought Spectacular Things was going to be a light beach read; however, it was much more than I expected. In fact, it reminded me of Carrie Soto is Back at times, and that is high praise. I love a good sports story, and Stein captured that, but the story was so much more- so much depth! I also thought it was going to be a story about Mia and Cricket's bond, but the plot also delves into Liz's past, and I really enjoyed her journey. It had me thinking about life, the sacrifices we make, and begs readers to ask the question: what we are willing to give up for family? Spectacular Things is such a smart and well-written book; it took me by surprise.

Have you read either book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Mini Reviews: Small Town Romances

 

There's something special about romances set in small towns, right? I love the cozy vibe, especially when it’s a coastal town. These two books have that warm small-town charm but deliver a heartwarming punch!

The Sandy Page Bookshop by Hannah McKinnon

Pages: 384

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: July 22, 2025

Publisher: Atria

Other Books By Author: Mystic Summer, Sailing Lessons,

The Darlings, The Lake Season, The Summer House, 

and The View From Here

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her sleepy coastal hometown on Cape Cod. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent historic sea captain’s home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page.

Luke Nicholson, a life-long local and contractor, remembers Leah even if she doesn’t remember him. Intrigued by her return and her project, he agrees to help her bring the old captain’s house back to life. As they work together, The Sandy Page slowly becomes the town’s go-to gathering spot for locals, tourists, and anyone who is feeling adrift during this long, sweet summer. It’s a home for second chances. But will it be enough for Leah and Luke?"

 

 

Leah Powell lost her job in publishing and has to return home to Cape Cod. On top of it, it appears her engagement is falling apart. Leah feels like she is starting her life over. When she walks past a historic home that once belonged to a sea captain and it's up for sale, she decides to take the risk. She buys it and plans to turn it into a bookstore, The Sandy Page. She finds help to remodel it from local contractor, Luke Nickerson. As they work together to fix it up, a natural friendship blossoms, and something more develops. The other people in town who come to love The Sandy Page are also a part of the story. There's Lucy, the high school student whose family has suffered some trauma, and Eudora, the retired teacher. The Sandy Page Bookshop is a charming and cozy beach read that is akin to a warm hug.
 
I was looking for a cozy read to curl up with on a long summer weekend, and The Sandy Page Bookshop is just that. I loved the small-town vibes and the descriptions of Cape Cod, filled with its beaches and historic homes. The book never stressed me out and was somewhat predictable at times, but it was a delight nonetheless. I enjoy stories about second chances filled with heart, so The Sandy Page Bookshop was just that. The bookstore brought many community members together, and in the end, it was a feel-good read.

Evvie Drake Stars Over by Linda Holmes

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance/Audio Book

Publisher: Random House

Pub. Date: June 25, 2019 

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them.

Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future.

When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken—and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. To move forward, Evvie and Dean will have to reckon with their pasts—the friendships they’ve damaged, the secrets they’ve kept—but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance—up until the last out."

 

Evvie Drake finds herself alone in her big house after her doctor husband dies an untimely death in a car accident. Now she has to start over her life, but barely leaves her house other than to hang out with her best friend, Andy. Andy tells her that his good friend from college, who is a former MLB pitcher, is looking for a place to escape the spotlight. His friend, Dean Tenney, has had some trouble pitching lately and has lost his stuff, much to the dismay of his coaches and doctors. No one is sure why he can't compete anymore, so he is looking for a place where people won't recognize him and he can rest and recuperate. Andy recommended Evvie's apartment, so Evvie, who needs the money, takes him up on this. Slowly, their friendship forms as they have much in common with both of them trying to rebuild their lives. Evvie Drake Stars Over by Linda Holmes is a delightful audiobook about second chances, starting over, and moving on from the past.
 
I had been wanting to read Evvie Drake Stars Over for quite some time, and I'm so glad I finally dived into the audiobook, narrated by the fabulous Julia Whelan. She never disappoints! I adored the relationship between Evvie and Dean, especially how he escapes the limelight of New York City to join her in a small coastal town in Maine. Also, I appreciated Evvie's transformation from a widow struggling with her confidence into a more well-rounded person. She confronts her past, including her abusive marriage and her overbearing mother, along with other issues that have plagued her for years. During Evvie's journey, Dean is also dealing with his own challenges, particularly when he loses his pitching skills. Lastly, I really enjoyed their slow-burning romance and appreciated that this book was more than just a love story; it had a lot of depth as well. I highly recommend it!

Have you read either of these small-town beach reads? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.