Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is impossible not to love this book. I dare you to try.

This is the story of Wallace, a lawyer who dies from a heart attack and is brought to Hugo who lives in a “tea shop” where Wallace will cross over with Hugo’s help. Wallace wasn’t the very best person when alive, let’s just say. But now as he lives in the tea shop with Mei (his reaper) , Nelson (hugo’s grandfather), Hugo, and Apollo (hugo’s dog) he learns more about life and how to live than he ever did while he was alive.

As with TJ Klune’s other novels, these characters wind their way into your heart and never let go. The story is deep, joyful, meaningful and deeply heartfelt. If you let yourself feel it, there’s no way this story will not warm your heart and make you feel deeply grateful.

I loved every minute I spent with it.

with gratitude to netgalley and Tor Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought this mystery novel was okay. I didn’t guess the twist but I also have to say I just didn’t get attached to any of the characters enough to care. It was somewhat interesting and I really enjoyed the literary and mythological references but this one wasn’t a huge hit for me.

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The Layover by Lacie Waldon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sweet, fun story that is perfect for when you want something light and fun. I enjoyed the time I spent with it.

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Hostage by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m a fan of Clare Mackintosh. I started this novel and wasn’t sure it was going to be able to retain my attention but within minutes I was hooked and didn’t want the story to end. There’s a lot in this book but the best part is the pacing and the way it just builds and builds and doesn’t disappoint you in the least. There are several interesting reveals and they come at the perfect time. Loved it.

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Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an absolute surprise for me. I can’t remember where I read about this book but the review was so good that I decided I had to read it. And it was spot on. At first I was like this is good but I’ve read books like this before and then wham it shifted and then it shifted again and I enjoyed it so very much. Highly recommended.

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The Husbands by Chandler Baker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really liked the premise of this book. I liked the idea of taking Stepford Wives and turning it on its head. And bits of the execution was excellent. I liked the way the story was set up with the wide variety of careers the women had and using each other and that as a way to build a network and power, which is something many men do. I thought the story was setup well with many examples of all the ways big and small that women carry the load and all the ways big and small that they worry/think nonstop about life as a family and all of its bits. How they carry a disproportionate amount of the load by such a large margin.

And yet. I also thought it was more stereotypical than I would have liked it to be because when it’s that two-dimensional the story doesn’t have as much of an impact as it could. It makes it easier for people to write off the points the author was trying to make. I do wish there were more combinations of couples and marriages.

Overall, I liked the time I spent with this story. It was a fast, fun read.

with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio in exchange for an honest review.

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