★★★☆☆ Meredith Maggs hasn't left her home in Glasgow in over three years. Her isolation results from a trauma that’s caused her to build a fortress to protect herself from the overwhelming world outside. Her carefully constructed world is complete with a remote job, online friendships, challenging jigsaws, and the company of her cat.
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The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
★★★☆☆ A post-apocalyptic story set in a world ravaged by a catastrophic flu pandemic, The Dog Stars follows Hig, a survivor living in a small, remote airplane hangar with Jasper, his loyal dog, and Bangley, a gruff, violent man he befriends. After hearing a voice on the radio of his 1956 Cessna and enduring a fresh tragedy, Hig takes off to discover what exists beyond his current meager reality.
The Painter by Peter Heller
★★★★☆ A passionate artist, sensitive yet flawed father, detached lover, and contemplative fisherman with a faulty moral compass and an angry streak, Jim Stegner is a multidimensional man. These varied – and sometimes contradictory – elements of Jim’s personality make him a memorable character.
Celine by Peter Heller
★★★★☆ Celine Watkins is a 68-year-old private investigator who specializes in helping to reunite families. Gabriela Lamont, a fellow Sarah Lawrence alumna, hires Celine to find out what happened when her father, a National Geographic photographer, mysteriously disappeared twenty years before. The novel delves into Celine’s past as much as it focuses on the present-day investigation into why Paul Lamont vanished from the Wyoming wilderness.
Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
★★★★☆ Loathe to Love You is a collection of 3 romance novellas, each featuring a brilliant young, single woman in STEM who meets and falls in love with a guy in some variation on the enemies-to-lovers trope. Despite the formulaic nature of these stories, the collection worked for me.
Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks
★★★★☆ Colby Mills takes a break from running the family farm to play a few gigs in St. Pete’s Beach, Florida. While relaxing during his working vacation, he meets Morgan Lee, and the two have a nearly instant connection. Meanwhile, in a seemingly disconnected storyline, Beverly, with her young son in tow, goes to great lengths to flee an abusive husband.
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
★★★☆☆ The Brennans are a close Irish Catholic family with lots of secrets. Oh, so many secrets. This family drama opens with the normally conscientious Sunday Brennan being hospitalized after driving under the influence and having a car accident. Her brother, Denny, fulfills his duty as her emergency contact and flies to L.A. to bring … Continue reading We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
The Coworker by Freida McFadden
★★★☆☆ Dawn Schiff is an accountant at Vixed, a nutritional supplement company. While a little quirky and turtle-obsessed, she’s a reliable employee. One day, the always-punctual Dawn doesn’t show up for work.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
★★★☆☆ This book was complete fluff and escapism wrapped in a brainy package. The action starts when Stanford Ph.D. Candidate Olive Smith randomly kisses Professor Adam Carlsen in the hallway to convince her friend Anh that she is dating someone.
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
★★★★☆ Emma and Jesse are high school sweethearts who marry and leave their small-town life behind for an adventurous life. When one of those adventures goes wrong on their 1st anniversary, Emma is left alone and devastated. Just when Emma has found love and happiness again, Jesse reappears with a harrowing story of survival.