Sunday, April 30, 2023

Mini Book Reviews: April 2023

Disclaimers: I received an ARC of If We're Being Honest from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

April was a really good month for books for me! I read a prerelease novel, 4 new releases, and while waiting for library holds to come in, I dug deep into my TBR for an old selection from Reese's Book Club. All good reads, but my favorite book of the month was the last one I read--Adelaide was recommended highly by another book blogger. I almost didn't read it, but I am so glad I did. It was one of those books that got me in the feels. If I'm being honest, there's not a bad book here!


A family patriarch dies and the entire family returns to mourn him. At the funeral, his best friend has been asked to deliver the eulogy, and boy, it is a doozy. For the following week, the book follows several interesting storylines and a few minor bombshells. Because there are so many people involved, I struggled a bit to keep them all straight and figure out who was who. I thought maybe I should have made a family tree to help me navigate the book. Regardless, the author does a great job capturing the dynamics of a large family--the good, the bad, and the ugly--and at the end of the week, at a wedding, it all comes together nicely. I absolutely loved If We're Being Honest and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good family drama.



This beautifully written, quiet novel centers around a young man who was raised by parents so numb from the loss of his newborn sister that they gave him no attention or affection. As a child, he spent many hours playing basketball and ends up at Northwestern University, where he finds a niche and a home. He also meets a young woman whose family absorbs him like a brother. This is the premise of Hello Beautiful and I fell in love with the family as well. It's not all rainbows and unicorns though and the author deftly navigates through family dynamics, mental health issues, and unconditional love. I hated to see it come to an end. I also loved that the book was set in Chicago with references to places that were familiar to me. And now I want to go to Pilsen on a street mural tour. Soon to be a Netflix series.


Curtis Sittenfeld is always reliable for a few chuckles and her newest novel delivers. Romantic Comedy is the story of a seasoned, hardened writer for a late night comedy show who finds a spark with a guest host, who happens to be an uber-famous musician. He's also drop-dead handsome. This might sound like a plot for a typical rom-com, but it's got Sittenfeld's spin on it, making it an intelligent yet snarky read. I found the first third of the book a little dry as there was a lot about the workings of a show like SNL. But the reader gets to know the characters and as the relationship evolves, the story picks up speed. I will admit that since it takes place during the pandemic it felt a little dated, making me wonder if the author started this one before Covid and dusted it off for publication. Regardless, it was a fun read!

Someone Else's Shoes was such a fun story about a woman who picks up the wrong bag at the gym and ends up with someone else's pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. Just because she can, she wears them and finds that they magically give her confidence in business and in life. The other woman picks up the other woman's bag with her practical, frumpy shoes and her life goes to pieces. Reading about both these women trying to sort this out was very entertaining and just what I needed at this point in time. Jojo Moyes's books never disappoint, do they? She writes intelligent women's fiction that doesn't make the reader cringe too much. And there's always a happy ending. I liked it a lot.



Well, that was a quick diversion! Looking for something to read, I found this one on my Kindle. The Last Mrs. Parrish is the story of a scheming young woman who sets her sights on a wealthy man with a plan to push his wife out of the picture. The first part of the story is told from her perspective and she is ruthless! The second part of the book is told from the wife's perspective. While not surprising, it was a little uncomfortable to read. The ending is all very predictable but ultimately satisfying. The writing was really simplistic but the authors were able to pen an addictive read that I couldn't put down. 




Adelaide is the story of a sensitive, kind young woman who moves from Brooklyn to London for her career. She meets a young man who she thinks is 'the one', but is he? He's pretty much a jerk, but no matter what he does or says, Adelaide continues to pursue him. She thinks that if she tries harder, she can make him love her. As the book continued, my heart started to break for her. This is not a romance novel--it is a deeply emotional read. The writing is spectacular and yes, this book got me in the feels. Someone on Goodreads commented that 'we women all knew a Rory'. Maybe even more than one. This book will be very relatable for a lot of women.




What have you read this month? Anything you'd recommend? Did you read The Last Mrs. Parrish when it first came out in 2019?

I'm linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.


16 comments :

  1. Great selection of books! I would first want to read Hello Beautiful because of course you recommended it and because it is set in Chicago. I have heard of those street murals. I have read a couple of Jojo Meyes' books and have been happy with them. Her new book is one I would definitely want to read.

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    1. I've seen many of the murals and they are gorgeous. So is the book. I hope you read it.

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  2. Nice selection there! I read some good stuff in April - I loved Kit de Waal's memoir, "Without Warning and Only Sometimes", though some of that might be in the hyper-local setting, and Elvin James Mensah's novel, "Small Joys".

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    1. Sometimes it's fun to read those hyper-local books. It makes me feel as if I'm right in the action!

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  3. Thanks for the recommendations. I always enjoy a Jojo Moyles book. The other authors are new to me.

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  4. Wow, those all sound enticing! Lots of variety, but all good plots!

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  5. I just read "Someone else's shoes" as well and really enjoyed it! Not familiar with the other ones yet!

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  6. The plot with the Louboutin shoes sounds hilarious! It sounds like a good read, especially since you describe it as intelligent and not too cringy.Thanks for the tip, Wendy!

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    1. The author is from the UK, so there's that dry humor that is a British staple!

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  7. Wow, these all sound great. I haven't read any of them, although I've read other books by Jojo Moyes and Curtis Sittenfeld. I just finished Des Linden's book and loved it, of course! It was so interesting to find out what was going on behind the scenes during those years.

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    1. Wait until you read Kara's book! I hope things change for the better for women runners.

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  8. Adelaide sounds like a book I would definitely enjoy reading!

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