Come Away with Me by Falon Ballard
Goodreads blurb: USA Today bestselling author Falon Ballard takes readers on a whirlwind trip through Denmark, the Netherlands, Scotland, France and Italy in this fated mates story of two people brought together by their grandparents.
Sometimes the journey to true love means going the extra mile.
Lake Walker has always felt the most comfortable at home, near her grandmother her biggest supporter and closest confidante. But when Ava asks Lake to do her a favor, Lake has no idea that she’s about to be forced horribly out of her comfort zone. Ava, unfit to travel, needs Lake to take her spot on a trip to Europe where she was set to meet her paramour from her twenties. They’d fallen in love during one momentous summer, and when their time was up, they promised to meet again fifty years later.
Reluctantly, Lake agrees under the condition that as soon as she delivers Ava’s message, she will catch the first plane back to the U.S. But life (and her grandmother) have other plans. Because it isn’t her grandmother’s first love who shows up, but his shockingly attractive Italian grandson Luca.
After the surprise fades, Lake and Luca decide to follow in their grandparents’ footsteps, touring through Europe. And along the way, they discover a love story of their own. But Lake has to go home to America, and Luca is too busy dealing with his family business to have time for love. Will they be able to find a way back to each other, or will they end up just like their grandparents did, all those years ago?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
My take: 3.75 out of 5. This is exactly the kind of book I’ve come to expect from Fallon Ballard, and it absolutely delivered. It’s fun, feel-good, and built around a completely irresistible premise. I mean, who wouldn’t want their grandmother to set them up with an attractive man and send them on a romantic road trip across Europe? That’s the dream. As someone who unfortunately does not have a grandmother arranging European adventures with hot men, I was more than happy to live vicariously through Lake and Luca. Their journey is sweet, charming, and full of memorable moments, balancing nostalgia, humor, and romance in a way that feels effortless. This is the kind of book you’ll fly through in a day. It’s fun, it’s a little wild, it’s romantic, and it’s the perfect escape when you’re looking for something that will leave you smiling.
The Unknown by Riley Sager
Goodreads blurb: In 1926, five women disappeared from a remote island in Vermont. Now, one hundred years later, it’s happening again.
Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she lands a role in a major motion picture about the unsolved mystery of New Avalon, an island on sprawling Lake Faraday in Vermont. She’s even more surprised when she learns that the role requires a weeklong research trip to that very spot.
Because New Avalon isn’t your ordinary island. A century ago, it was a commune for spiritual mediums—until they all vanished in 1926. The only trace of them was five dresses hanging from the branches of an old oak tree in the middle of the island, one for each missing woman. Some locals say they simply left. Others think they were murdered. But the prevailing opinion, thanks to a diary left behind by one of the vanished, a young woman named Daisy Rue, is that a séance gone wrong conjured something supernatural that took them all one by one.
Not long after arriving, Marin and her castmates, including legendary actress Violet Wright and white-hot director Ronan Peters, begin to realize all is not right with New Avalon. They hear strange noises in the night and notice mysterious symbols left behind by the island’s previous occupants. And after a sudden health emergency leaves Marin, Ronan, and the other actors stranded on the island, the disappearances begin again.
Is it the work of someone trying to derail the movie? Or is the island’s alleged supernatural past catching up with the present? As fear and suspicion mount, Marin turns to Daisy’s diary, hoping it holds the key to figuring out what really happened to the women of New Avalon—and how to keep the island’s terrible history from repeating itself.
my take: 4.25 out of 5. This one reminded me why I love Riley Sager. I absolutely loved The Only One Left, and while some of his other books haven’t quite worked for me, this felt like a return to form. It’s not a five-star favorite on the level of The Only One Left, but it’s still a very solid thriller that I would absolutely recommend.
The best thing about this book is that it’s hard to explain without giving too much away. Is it a murder mystery? A ghost story? A book about deeply troubled people making questionable decisions? Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure for a good chunk of the story, and that’s what made it so much fun. I went in knowing very little, and I’d recommend doing the same.
The twists kept me guessing, the reveals were unexpected, and the ending was completely wild. Once I finished, I immediately wanted to talk to someone about it. Thankfully, it’s my book club pick next month, so I’ll finally get the chance to sit down with friends and discuss everything that happened. If you enjoy thrillers that keep you guessing and take you on a few unexpected detours along the way, this one is definitely worth the ride.
In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto
Goodreads blurb: From USA Today bestselling indie author Chelsea Curto comes an academic rivals-to-lovers romance about storm-chasing meteorologists during hurricane season in Florida—perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood and B.K. Borison.
Nothing can rain on Quincy Monroe’s parade. She’s a woman-in-STEM with a PhD in atmospheric sciences, the host of a successful online weather show, and has one million followers on her meteorology Instagram.
Quincy has spent endless hours forging her path in this male-dominated field, becoming one of the best in the industry. And with a new job opportunity, nothing can derail her success. Except for the ill-timed arrival of Sebastian Dunn.
Sebastian is her best friend’s brother, her long-suffering academic and professional rival, and a flashy TV weatherman from New York City that everyone swoons over. Everyone but Quincy.
Over a scorching Florida summer and record-breaking hurricane season, Sebastian and Quincy are forced into close proximity. Setting aside their grudges to chase storms and stay alive is one thing, but can they weather the inevitable collision of their hearts?
my take: 3.25 out of 5. – A nice, sunny read, but probably not one I’ll remember next season. This was a perfectly enjoyable book that delivered exactly what I expected, but it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. I loved the weather-focused aspects of the story, and overall it was a fun, easy read. That said, a few weeks after finishing it, I found that I could barely remember much about Quincy or Sebastian, which says a lot about how the story stuck with me. Sebastian, however, was a great male lead. I was definitely invested in him, and I thought he and Quincy had fantastic chemistry. Their relationship was sweet and entertaining to follow, even if the overall plot felt fairly predictable. In the end, this is one of those books that’s enjoyable while you’re reading it. It’s light, charming, and gives you exactly what you’re looking for in the moment. I just wish there had been a little something extra to make it more memorable once I turned the final page.
The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza
Goodreads blurb: From the bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance and Everyone Is Lying to You comes a propulsive dual-timeline mystery drenched in art-world intrigue and brimming with family secrets, betrayal, and the intoxicating lure of power.
Emma, a struggling American artist in Paris, thought she had left her dreams behind when she took a job cleaning for the city’s wealthy elite. Then she meets Stella Swanson, the widow of one of the most notorious art dealers in the business. The Swansons move in a world where billionaires, oligarchs, and heads of state pay fortunes for masterpieces. Drawn in by their dazzling wealth and the pull of a dangerously charming grandson, Emma becomes both a player and a pawn in a family battle to protect their empire and conceal its crimes.
In the late 1800s, the young widow Jo van Gogh inherits hundreds of paintings from her brother-in-law Vincent that the art world deems worthless. Determined to prove their genius, and to secure a future for herself and her young son, she becomes consumed by Vincent’s legacy. As her devotion deepens, a vanished painting and a thwarted love affair leave her unsure who she can trust and how much of herself she’s willing to lose in the process.
From glittering auction houses to the idyllic canals of Amsterdam and the grand museums of Paris, the lives of these two women converge as Emma uncovers the Swanson family’s darkest secrets and agrees to mastermind a daring heist inside the Musée d’Orsay. The stakes have never been higher, and these women refuse to be written out of history, no matter the cost.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
my take: 4.5 out of 5 – A wonderful read for art lovers, thriller fans, and anyone who loves a good character-driven story. This book really has a little bit of everything. It’s a fantastic read for art lovers, but it also works as a thriller and as a story about relationships, personal growth, and healing from past trauma. In some ways, it reminded me of Apartment 12, but with a much stronger focus on relationships and the emotional journeys of the characters.You get the mystery, the romance, and plenty of drama, but what really stood out to me was the way the story slowly unravels the characters’ pasts. As their histories come to light, you learn so much about what shaped them and why they make the choices they do. The emotional depth adds another layer to what is already a compelling story. It’s beautifully written, completely immersive, and the setting made me want to book a trip immediately. Between Paris and Amsterdam, I spent most of the book wishing I could follow in the characters’ footsteps and wander through Europe myself. This was one of those books that pulls you in with its mystery but keeps you invested because of the people at its heart. I absolutely loved it.
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
Goodreads blurb: The Sharaf family is the picture of success. Successful, rich, happy. They came to this country as refugees with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And now, after years of hard work, they live in the most exclusive neighborhood, their growing family attending the most prestigious schools. Zorah, the eldest daughter, is the apple of her father’s eye.
When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, everyone is left reeling and the family is thrust into the court of public opinion. There is talk that behind closed doors the Sharafs’ happy household was anything but. Did the Sharaf family achieve the American dream? Or was the image of the model immigrant family just a façade?
Like a literary game of ping-pong, Good People compels the reader to reconsider what might have happened even on the previous page. Told through a kaleidoscope of perspectives, it is a riveting, provocative, and haunting story of family—sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and the communities that claim us as family in difficult times.
my take: 4.25 out of 5. This is one of those books where the less you know going in, the better. I went in completely blind, and I genuinely think that’s the best way to experience it. The fewer details you have, the more every twist lands, and trust me, this book takes you on a ride. What I loved most is that I finished it still questioning everything. I’m not entirely sure what was right, what was wrong, or even how I ultimately felt about some of the choices and characters. It’s the kind of book that stays in your head long after you’ve turned the last page and makes you want to immediately talk to someone about it. In fact, as soon as I finished, I went down a rabbit hole of podcasts and discussions trying to process it all. The Bad on Paper podcast, in particular, had a fantastic postmortem discussion that I highly recommend once you’ve finished the book. If you’ve read this one, please let me know. I want to discuss the ending, hear your theories, and find out what you think was really going on. But before any of that, just read it. Don’t hesitate, don’t look up spoilers, and don’t read too many reviews. Just pick it up and go in blind. It’s absolutely a must-read.
Tati's Tidbits 