Posted on by tacklingtbr

Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19 by Jennifer Haupt

Blog Tour: Courtesy of Kate Rock Book Tours

Thanks so much to the author and to Kate Rock Book Tours, NetGalley, and Central Avenue Publishing for the complimentary e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

ALONE TOGETHER: Love, Grief, and Comfort During the Time of COVID-19 (September 1, 2020, Central Avenue Publishing) is a collection of essays, poems, and interviews to serve as a lifeline into connecting and thriving during this stressful time of isolation as well as a historical perspective that will remain relevant for years to come. All net profits will be donated to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc).


“I was looking for some way to make a dent in the overwhelming grief and devastation, and I hoped other authors would feel the same way,” says Jennifer Haupt, editor and curator of ALONE TOGETHER, who put out a call for submissions on Facebook a month after the quarantine began. “The book came together in astonishingly short amount of time—just two months. It was inspiring to see how it snowballed, with my publisher and the book distributor donating their services.”


The diverse roster of 76 bestselling and up-and-coming contributing authors (55 in the print book and another 21 in the digital edition) includes: Faith Adiele, Kwame Alexander, Jenna Blum, W. Ralph Eubanks, Jamie Ford, Nikki Giovanni, Jane Hirshfield, Pam Houston, Major Jackson, Jean Kwok, Devi S. Laskar, Caroline Leavitt, Ada Limón, Dani Shapiro, Garth Stein, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Lidia Yuknavitch.


This book is divided into five sections: What Now?, Grieve, Comfort, Connect, And Don’t Stop. The overarching theme is finding grace and humanity in this devastating time. “Some might argue that the private sector is all about survival of the fittest, but I see booksellers as existing in this place between the public and private sector,” says Michelle Halket, publisher, Central Avenue Publishing. “Bookstores are akin to our libraries; collectors and curators of our culture, and the hubs our local communities. I’m proud to help bookstores survive the COVID19 economy, while bringing forth more of the prose and poetry we all need.” All authors, the publisher and book distributor are donating their time, talent, and expertise, so the contribution to Binc is expected to be significant.

Review: (4 Stars)

TW : COVID-19 pandemic, loss of loved ones, sickness

I will say, first and foremost, that if I wasn’t on the blog tour for this book I likely would not have picked it up or read it when I did. This virus, and the time we have been living in hasn’t been easy for anyone – there is so much fear in the world right now, and being basically locked into your houses for a full quarantine was really hard on a lot of people’s mental and emotional health, myself included. And so diving right into a book about the world seemingly falling apart while we are still very much in the middle of it was a bit strange for me.

That being said, I am so incredibly glad that I read it.

This book, and all of the poems, short stories, etc. that make it up, were so powerful. And not every story will speak to every reader, but I think every reader can find at least a handful of stories that really will speak to them, and will possibly stick with them after they’re done reading. More so than anything else, this book was amazing to show me that I am not alone while I’m locked in my house all day having conversations with my pets. To show me that all of my really big feelings that I’m feeling are not only valid, but I’m not the only one feeling or experiencing them.

I would say that at this moment in time this book might not be a healthy read for every single person, and that maybe some people would do better to wait and read it once it feels like we have, as a country, come out on the other side of all of this. But I do think that more people should read it, either now or then. As I said, it felt wonderful to read some of the stories that were so similar to my own – so if that is something that you have been craving, that connected, togetherness with other people, then I really think you need to read this book. And if you can’t intake media right now because we are still too close to the situation, maybe consider buying the book to read later on. You’ll be supporting the book-ish community with your purchase, and then if nothing else 10 years from now you will have this very real, very raw look back at this crazy time in history that we will have all lived through.

About the Author (from Goodreads):

Jennifer Haupt is the editor of ALONE TOGETHER: Stories of Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19. Her essays and articles have been published in O, The Oprah Magazine, Parenting, The Rumpus, Spirituality & Health, The Sun and many other publications. Her debut novel, In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills was awarded the Foreword Reviews Bronze Indie Award for Historical Fiction. Her second novel, Come as You Are, a contemporary family drama, will be published in July 2021.

Link to Purchase on Amazon:

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 1 Comment

The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell

St. Martin’s Press – Review: 5 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thanks as well to BookSparks and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted finished copy, also in exchange for an honest review. All opinoins are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

TW : discussion of suicide, medication overdose, drowning, murder, gun violence

This book jumps right into the story and the intrigue right from the word go, and works to hook you from page 1. This story is mostly told from Tabitha’s point of view, but we also get a few chapters from Nina Levitt’s point of view, both from her as a narrator and through a few of her diary entries. And the first entry that we see very clearly says “If you find that I’ve died unexpectedly, my husband and his lover have planned it.” Talk about drawing you in early! So we spend the whole story with the new wife, Tabitha, trying to figure out if Connor really is responsible, or if he’s innocent and someone else is to blame, or if Nina simply commited suicide.

I know there were some mixed reviews on whether readers enjoyed Tabitha as a character, but I really enjoyed her. She makes plenty of mistakes, and there are a few choices that she makes throughout the story that you’d like to believe that you’d be smarter than in the same situations, but I think that’s what I liked about her the most. I love reading a flawed character. And Tabitha, while she has a really great heart and a pretty solid moral compass, she is definitely flawed. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend this time in her head trying to figure out the mystery of who to trust. Especially as she was so suddenly thrust into this crazy world of money that is brand new to her, and watching her try to navigate it. I will say, I also really enjoyed the character of Nina, and I wish we could have gotten a few more chapters of her story. I know, she’s the supposed victim, and dies right at the start of the story, so we can’t get too much time in her head, or there wouldn’t be a mystery for the readers. But still, I said what I said. I enjoyed her as a character, and I wanted to get to know her better.

For the story, there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me hanging on until the very last page. There were a few littler twists that I guessed might happen, or that I slightly saw coming, but none of them were big enough that I found myself less invested in the story or how it got from point A to point B. This book had me staying up late and reading in bed past my bedtime, because I wanted to get to the end and see what happened next! I definitely felt the “fine, just one more chapter” draw over and over again while reading this one.

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends, and especially to anyone who, like me, was a fan of A Stranger On the Beach which is also by Campbell. This book had me hooked and feeling invested right from the beginning, and I didn’t feel like it let me go until the last page. I think if I were to reread this book I would want to read it in the evening by a fireplace with a large glass of red wine!

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 7 Comments

Wild at Heart (Wild #2 ) by K. A. Tucker

Review: 5 Stars

All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

I read The Simple Wild last summer, and it was one of my very favorite books of 2019. So naturally when the sequel came out I was equally ecstatic and terrified. What if it didn’t live up to the first one? Well, Wild at Heart was everything that I wanted it to be and more. It is a true sequel, following the story of the first and picking up right where the first left off, so I’ll try not to give too many spoilers. But know that you should definitely read the first book before diving into this one.

At the beginning of this story, we find Calla moving to Alaska to be with Jonah and to start their company (and their lives) together. So throughout the story Calla is dealing with having moved so far away from her family, and her friends (who always say they’re going to come and visit, but they very rarely do), and Jonah working long hours each day, and feeling like she is lonely and doesn’t know what her purpose in Alaska is yet. Sometimes not even being able to get out of the house becuse she doesn’t drive. I have to say, at times this book was almost difficult for me to read, because I have so recently been going through those same emotions in my own life. My husband is in the military, and I moved to be with him, and it has been the first time that I haven’t been living within about 25 minutes from my family. The friends don’t get to visit as often as they say they will, and when your husband is out working every day but you haven’t been able to get a job, your days spent in this new place and this new house can be very quiet and lonely. I was even relating to Calla on the part about not being able to leave the house, as there were a few months after the move when I didn’t even have a car to go out and explore.

This book did an amazing job portraying those emotions, that I was so familiar with in a way that was honest and at times truly heartbreaking. And while at times it was still feeling too fresh for me, and at times felt a little bit difficult for me to read, it was really amazing getting to read this story with these characters that I already knew and loved going through them, and seeing how they got through them together. It has been a big, ongoing discussion between my husband and I for this early part of our marriage, and it was really nice to feel like I was going through it with these characters too, and seeing Calla learn about herself through it and come out on the other side stronger for it.

This book absolutely, 200% lived up to my hopes and expectations for it that were set by The Simple Wild, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next chapter in Calla and Jonah’s story. Honestly I think I would read about these two until Calla and I were both old and grey if K. A. Tucker kept writing about them. I would recommend this book to anybody at all, though as I said I would make them read The Simple Wild first. Although I keep reading them in the summer, the stories and wintery Alaskan settings of these books make them perfect to curl up with in front of a fire in the dead of winter, maybe with a mulled wine in hand, and your love close by.

Check out my review for The Simple Wild (Wild #1) here

Posted on by tacklingtbr

You by Caroline Kepnes

Atria – Review: 4 Stars

All opinions are entirely my own. All of my full reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Listen to me discuss this book more in depth on the new The Same Page Podcast, due to be released on Sunday, 8/30/2020!

TW: stalking, murder, discussion of suicide, violence, explicit sexual language

Well you guys, I broke the bookworm rule. No, I didn’t dog-ear any pages. The other bookworm rule. I watched the show/movie before I read the book. But I finally got around the reading this one, even after seeing and loving the show, and I am so glad that I did! The book and the show are both so wild and compelling on their own, as well as together, and they are just different enough that I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything in the reading experience just because I had already seen the show.

Now with that out of the way, let’s get in to it.

This is a really different and fascinating read – it is all told through the eyes of Joe Goldberg, who sees himself as the hero of his own perfect romantic comedy. Meanwhile, the reality of the situation is that he is stalking a woman that he met at work, and eventually drives her into a relationship with him. What made this so interesting, in my opinion, is that I had to remind myself not to be rooting for this guy to get his way – while yes, he is an unreliable narrator, listening to him justify his actions (both to himself and to the audience) automatically makes you feel like you want to be on his side. Spending time in the character’s head and listening to him convince himself that everything he is doing is out of love, and that they are the things that romantic comedies are made of, he charmed me as a reader enough that I was almost surprised every time he committed his worst crimes. Until closer to the end, that is. After a while it is impossible to forget that he is a bit of a monster.

Our two main characters are Joe and Beck, the woman that he has fallen in love with. There are a hand full of other important secondary characters as well, but these two are the cornerstones of this story. And, as stated above, this whole story is told through Joe – we are seeing what he is seeing, and hearing what he is thinking. And as such, Joe comes across as a very charming guy, and Beck is the ideal of a perfect young woman, just how Joe sees her. That being said, none of the characters are perfect people, and honestly very few of the characters are even all that likable by the time that the book is over. Including Joe and Beck. Obviously Joe starts off pretty rough. You know, stalking and hurting people. But even Beck – as the book goes on and Joe is learning flaws about her and having his vision of her tarnished, the same thing is happening for the reader. I would say that all of the main characters were written in a way that I was able to feel about them exactly how the author seemed to intend in each moment without feeling like any of those emotions were forced, or that we were supposed to change an opinion of someone without cause.

Over all, I would highly recommend this book, even if you have already seen the show. As I said in the beginning, they are both different enough that I think they can be enjoyed separately or together. I would recommend this book, or the show, specifically to fans of true crime and psychological thrillers who want to get a different spin on a type of story that they already enjoy. This book is a perfect read on a chilly autumn day with a big glass of wine, maybe wrapped up in a comfy sweater. But maybe not in front of any big open windows. You know. Just in case.

Posted on by tacklingtbr

The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren

Gallery Books – Review: 3 Stars

All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Anyone who looks at my blog can see how much I love Christina Lauren books. It’s a lot. And I also love HGTV and all forms of house renovation/decoration shows. So, obviously, I was really excited about this book when I heard that it was coming out. All of that being said, I enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t my favorite from this author duo.

Let’s start by talking about the characters. Our two leads, Carey and James were likeable enough, and in Carey you do get a bit of the character development that I always love (although not as much as I might have liked). They are both dedicated workers, in the “I don’t have time for anything that isn’t important to my career, because that is where my priorities are” way, but since they go about that in different ways it opens up the opportunity for all of that sassy banter that I also enjoy.

However. Characters are my favorite part of just about any novel, and that doesn’t just mean the romantic leads, I want to enjoy the rest of the cast as well. I will say, that the other characters that you spend the most time with, the Tripps, weren’t supposed to be traditionally “good” characters. You aren’t supposed to be rooting for them. And believe me, I wasn’t. But I always find that characters (even the ones that you “love to hate”) are more interesting to me when there is something about them that you are wanting to like. The characters that are definitely and obviously flawed, but that there is something about them that is still so intriguing to you as a reader. That is more of a personal thing, and I know that quite a few other readers would be more than content with characters that they have full permission to hate, but I wish that there could have been just a tiny something extra that I could cling to. Who knows, maybe I am just one of those naive people who wants to be able to see the good in each of the characters. Even while I hate them.

And as for the story, on the surface this book is a classic example of “enemies to lovers” and “workplace romance” tropes. So that is definitely what I had expected going in. However, the storyline with Rusty and Melissa Tripp took the reins a bit more than I would have expected, and in some places the love story actually got a little bit lost to me. I will also say that James and Carey seemed to go from “I don’t enjoy this person that I work with” to having full crushes on each other very quickly, and I’m not sure that I felt that it was quite earned with what we actually saw on the pages. It just seemed like, because the Tripp’s portion of the story was so big, that I missed seeing “the chase” portion of the relationship. Or the “courting” portion, however you want to think about it.

All of that being said, I really did enjoy this book, although I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped to. However I would still recommend this to my friends who need a rom-com read with some juicy drama that they can just pull out and sink their teeth into. Although this may not be the Christina Lauren book that I will shove at people to be the first of their books to read, or to try and make them fall in love with this awesome duo. I would say that this is a great book to read while you are in the mood of “I need to be able to focus on other people’s drama instead of my own,” you know? We all have those moods, right, that’s not just me? Good. Then next time you feel that way, read this book and lose yourself in the craziness of whirlwind romance and life with the Tripps!

Want more CHristina Lauren? Check out the below blog posts for my thoughts on more of their books!

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating (Christina Lauren) Review – Posted 03/12/2020

Roomies (Christina Lauren) Review – Posted 05/20/2019

Posted on by tacklingtbr

Faker by Sarah Smith

Berkley – Review: 3 Stars

All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

This book was such a fun example of both workplace romance and an enemies-to-lovers story! We follow Emmie – copywriter in a seriously male-driven profession and company, and “fake” Bad Bitch POC, and Tate – the coworker who gets under her skin like no other, and they just can’t stand each other. Until, of course, they can. Stand each other, I mean. Because, like I said, this is an enemies-to-lovers book.

One of the biggest issues that I can have with enemies-to-lovers is when the romantic side of the relationship completely comes out of nowhere and they go from hating each other to loving each other within a matter of days. I know that it is possible for this to happen, but it doesn’t typically seem all that realistic, and sometimes takes my brain back to the “he’s being mean to you because he likes you” sh*t that we got told on the playground as kids. The thing I really loved about this book, is that that didn’t seem to be the case. First of all, they were never too terrible to each other even in the “enemies” phase, it really only went a step or maybe two past “sassy, playful banter” at any given time. And second, even with that being the case, you got to feel the appreciation (as well as the sexual tension) building up for a bit before either of the characters really did anything about it. It seemed like they really had time together to feel their connection growing rather than jumping straight to “we’re soulmates,” and I really appreciated that.

My only really big issue story-wise was something that happened with Tate late in the story, after they are actually together. It isn’t the worst thing that could possibly happen in a relationship, but it isn’t quite a “Ha ha, that was a funny thing that happened last week, right? Let’s tell our friends over dinner tonight, because it was so funny and we’re both totally over it.” Spoiler: At his high school reunion, Emmie sees a woman who basically looks exactly like her, who turns out to be Tate’s ex. And he goes up to her and kisses her, and we find out later that he thought she was Emmie. He has a very specific type, I guess?

All of that being said, I would recommend this book to my friends. It was a very fun, and fairly light read, and it was a perfect way to start my 2020. I would say that the best way to read this book would be in a nice long, relaxing bubble bath!

Posted on by tacklingtbr

Charleston Green by Stephanie Alexander

Blog Tour: Courtesy of Kate Rock Book Tours

Thanks so much to the author and to Kate Rock Book Tours for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews and collaborations can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Book Description from Goodreads:

If Tipsy Collins learned one thing from her divorce, it’s that everyone in Charleston is a little crazy–even if they’re already dead.

Tipsy, a gifted artist, cannot ignore her nutty friends or her vindictive ex-husband, but as a lifelong reluctant clairvoyant, she’s always avoided dead people. When Tipsy and her three children move into the house on Bennett Street, she realizes some ghosts won’t be ignored.

Till death do us part didn’t pan out for Jane and Henry Mott, who’ve haunted the house for nearly a century. Tipsy’s marriage was downright felicitous when compared to Jane and Henry’s ill-fated union. Jane believes Henry killed her and then himself, and Henry vehemently denies both accusations. Unfortunately, neither phantom remembers that afternoon in 1923. Tipsy doesn’t know whether to side with Jane, who seems to be hiding something under her southern belle charm, or Henry, a mercurial creative genius. Jane and Henry draw Tipsy into their conundrum, and she uncovers secrets long concealed under layers of good manners, broken promises and soupy Lowcountry air. Living with ghosts, however, takes a toll on her health, and possibly even her sanity. As she struggles to forge a new path for herself and her children, Tipsy has a chance to set Jane and Henry free, and release the ghosts of her own past.

Original Press Release for Charleston Green:

CHARLESTON GREEN Presents a Haunting Take on Women’s Fiction


“An enchanting novel of a woman finding her way out of a midlife (and mid-death) crisis.” –Kirkus Reviews


Charleston, South Carolina, April 14, 2020— Bestselling author Stephanie Alexander’s new novel, CHARLESTON GREEN, asks readers to contemplate the life-shaping experiences that haunt us—literally and figuratively.


CHARLESTON GREEN introduces Southern spitfire Tiffany “Tipsy” Collins, a clairvoyant artistic genius, as she rebuilds her life after a devastating divorce. Tipsy moves into a historic house in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant, a tony Charleston suburb, and discovers she’s inherited two undead roommates. Married couple Jane and Henry Mott have been haunting the house for almost a century. They hate each other, because Jane thinks Henry killed her and then killed himself. He denies her accusations, but neither phantom remembers
what really happened. Tipsy must use her supernatural and investigative powers to solve the mystery, all while mothering her three children, managing her vindictive ex-husband, rebuilding her painting career, venturing into the dating pool, and navigating Charleston’s quirky small town social scene.


“At its heart, CHARLESTON GREEN is the story of how Tipsy comes to grips with her past experiences and decisions, and learns to let go and move forward,” says author Stephanie Alexander. “As with many works of Southern literature, there’s a lot of symbolism, humor, and a touch of magical realism. Jane and Henry might be ghosts, but they are characters unto themselves, with their own voices. They just happen to be dead!”


“I am always on the lookout for exciting new writers,” says New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. “Once I started reading CHARLESTON GREEN by Stephanie Alexander, I was captivated. This novel leaves the reader entranced; the writing is skillful and clever and funny. I highly recommend this book.” 


Kirkus Reviews says, “Alexander blends the warm humor of her characters with balmy descriptions of her Southern gothic setting. Her descriptions of Tipsy’s paintings are particularly lyrical… It’s a breezy paranormal read, and yet one with more depth than the reader might expect from the premise. In Tipsy and her ghosts, Alexander finds a story about the frustrations of love and aging, as well as the weight that history places on the living, particularly, perhaps, in the South Carolina Lowcountry.”

Review: (4 Stars)

TW: murder, suicide, infidelity, custody battles, the afterlife

I was really intrigued by this book once I read the description – I love a character driven novel, I love books and movies set in the 1920s, and I loved watching Ghost Whisperer with my mom when I was younger. So this book seemed like it might be right up my alley! I’m glad to say that I really did enjoy it, so I was not disappointed.

One thing that made this story, and the storytelling, really interesting in my opinion was the fact that most of the story is happening in the modern day, but that we get to peak into the past to try and unravel the mystery at the heart of this story. As the story goes on, Tipsy learns more about her abilities in relation to the spirits that share her house – meaning that she learns that she can do more than just see and talk to them, but if she touches a spirit she can also see into their own memories, whether they want her to or not. Having a character who can see and talk to ghosts isn’t all that unheard of, so I thought that that was a really interesting way to kind of mix things up with that character. And especially the fact that she was learning about, and how to handle, this new side of her power along with the readers was really fun.

For the characters themselves, for the most part they were enjoyable. I feel pretty confident in saying that the author means for you to hate Tipsy’s ex-husband, and believe me I did, so I won’t be including him here. Just trust me, he’s awful. Tipsy was a really fun character to be inside the mind of – she is a strong and feisty (while still imperfect) newly single mother and artist. I especially loved when she was able to use her insight into the past as inspiration for her paintings, because I loved getting to imagine those pieces coming to life. Although I have to say that Jane and Henry may have been my favorite of the characters in the novel. I was really interested in the idea of these two people who can’t remember the week leading up to their deaths (including how they died) and living all of these decades with only the gossip that they’ve overheard to go off of. Again, they were both flawed and imperfect characters that you couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards.

To try to avoid spoilers, I won’t say much about the other characters or story specifics. But I will say this – I did guess the ending before it happened, but that didn’t make it less enjoyable for me. I didn’t find myself minding that I was right all along with my guess. I was just enjoying watching how we got there, and seeing how the story unfolded.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to my friends! At times it can be a tiny bit slow moving, but not terribly so, and not enough that I had a hard time getting into it. Just enough that a few chapters took a bit longer to get through. This was a fun read reminiscent of a cozy mystery, with a little bit of family drama and historical fiction thrown into the mix just for flavoring. I would say that the perfect environment for this book would be a grey and stormy day spent on the couch under your favorite blanket!

About the Author (from Goodreads):

Stephanie Alexander is the bestselling author of The Cracked Slipper Series and Charleston Green. She grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Drawing, writing stories, and harassing her parents for a pony consumed much of her childhood. After graduating from high school in 1995 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the College of Charleston, South Carolina. She returned to Washington, DC, where she followed a long-time fascination with sociopolitical structures and women’s issues to a Master of Arts in Sociology from the American University. She spent several years as a Policy Associate at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), a think-tank focused on women’s health and economic advancement.

Stephanie embraced full-time motherhood after the birth of the first of her three children in 2003. Her family put down permanent southern roots in Charleston in 2011. She published her first novel, The Cracked Slipper, in February 2012. The first printing of the series sold over 40,000 copies. The Cracked Slipper made multiple appearances on Amazon’s bestseller lists, and peaked at #11 in all genres. Stephanie has appeared on local and national media, been a contributor on many writing blogs and in writing magazines, and regularly joins with book clubs for discussions of her work.

In addition to her personal writing, Stephanie returned to the College of Charleston as an Adjunct Professor of Sociology and launched her freelance ghostwriting and editing business, Wordarcher, LLC. She has ghostwritten dozens of books, from novels to memoirs to academic theses. Beginning in the Fall of 2015, as a single working mother, she attended law school on a full academic scholarship, earning her juris doctor with honors from the Charleston School of Law in December, 2017.

She currently practices family law in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, the Charleston suburb that is the setting of her latest novel, Charleston Green. Her personal experience rebuilding her life after divorce inspires both her legal work and her fiction. Stephanie and her husband live in the Charleston area with their blended family of five children and their two miniature dachshunds, Trinket and Tipsy.

Stephanie’s work is published by Bublish, Inc., and is available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, Kobo, Google Play, iBooks, and IngramSpark. Stefanie Lieberman of Janklow & Nesbit Associates, New York, NY, represents Charleston Green. You can learn more about Stephanie and her work at www.stephaniealexanderbooks.com, or follow her on Twitter (@crackedslipper) or Instagram (@stephaniealexanderbooks).

Link to Buy on Amazon:

Posted on by tacklingtbr

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

St. Martin’s Press – Review: 5 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

Book Description from Goodreads:

After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

Review: (5 Stars)

TW: Rape, sexual abuse, discussion of murder, violence, gaslighting

You guys. This book. When I first received this book, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from it. I was automatically really interested because of the synopsis, but I remember feeling that way about Goldin’s The Escape Room as well, and being slightly disappointed in the ending. So I was really nervous that, even if I loved the rest of the book, that that might be the case again. Let me tell you, It. Was. Not. I really loved this book. This was a book that I didn’t want to read before bed, but also couldn’t seem to put it down. I just needed to know what was going to happen next, and I definitely was not disappointed. I think that this might be one of my favorite thrillers that I’ve read in a while.

I thought that the idea of having the main character in a suspense/thriller be a true crime podcaster was really fascinating. This book was told through different points of view as well as through different platforms, and even almost two different timelines through flashbacks. There are chapters from Rachel’s point of view, as well as chapters that are episodes of her podcast, chapters of Hannah telling stories of she and her sister Jenny as kids, it was all over the place but in a really interesting and engaging way. It felt like the book was part true crime podcast/blog, part courtroom drama, part cold case files. All of that sounds really difficult to follow, but I didn’t have any issues at all. The way the chapters were separated and distinguished between was really simple in my opinion, and I never had any issues with figuring out who was talking or what platform the story was being told through.

The characters were also really interesting in this story, in the sense that you got to see some different sides to almost everyone. I love really well thought out characters and giving them room to be dynamic and imperfect, and this book definitely did that. Weirdly enough, the only character that I would have loved just the tiniest bit more of a peak into was our lead Rachel. We see her as the podcaster and investigator who is very capable and overall very smart, but I wish we could have gotten just a little bit further of a view into her mind. Maybe why she is so drawn to true crime, or what made her into such a good investigator. Things like that. Everyone else shows you different sides of themselves, and I would have liked just one more visible side to Rachel.

Along with the trigger warning above, I would like to say again that this book deals very heavily in rape and sexual assault, and sometimes uses graphic language/descriptors in telling those stories, to the point that this might be really difficult for some to read. If those things will be triggering for you, please don’t read this book. But if you will be able to get through those scenes, I would recommend this book as a really engaging example of a suspenseful mystery, courtroom drama, and thriller all rolled into one with a really modern twist as a nice little bow on top. This book is perfect with a glass of wine next to a roaring fire, letting yourself live all of your Poirot fantasies. You will not want to put this one down.

Link to Buy on Amazon:

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 1 Comment

Mayhem by Estelle Laure

Blog Tour: Courtesy of St. Martin’s Press

Thanks so much to the author, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, and blog tour participation. All opinions are entirely my own. { Partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Book Description:

The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls in this supernatural feminist YA novel.

It’s 1987 and unfortunately it’s not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy’s constant physical pain, or maybe with Mayhem’s own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren’t like everyone else. 

But when May’s stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem’s questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There she meets the kids who live with her aunt, and it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit and which will change her life for good. 

But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost. 

From the acclaimed author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back, Estelle Laure offers a riveting and complex story with magical elements about a family of women contending with what appears to be an irreversible destiny, taking control and saying when enough is enough.

Author’s Letter to the Reader:

Dear Reader,

Like Mayhem, I experienced a period of time when my life was extremely unstable. I can still remember what it was like to be shaken so hard I thought my head would come off, to watch the room vibrate, to feel unsafe in my own home, to never know what was coming around the next corner. I wanted to run. I always wanted to run.

I ran to friends, but also movies and books, and although girls were more passively portrayed in movies like The Lost Boys back then, that feeling of teenagers prowling the night, taking out bad people, being unbeatable . . . that got me through it.

I guess that’s what I tried to do here. I wanted girls who feel powerless to be able to imagine themselves invincible. And yes, I used a rape as the seed for that fierce lineage, not without thought. For me, there is nothing worse, and I like to think great power can rise up as a result of a devastating trespass.

Please know I took none of this lightly. Writing this now, my heart is beating hard and my throat is dry. This is the first time I not only really looked at my own past, the pain of loss, the pain of the loss of trust that comes when someone puts hands on you without permission, the pain of people dying, the shock of suicide, and put all of it to paper in a way that made me feel victorious, strong, and warrior-like. It is also terrifying. I know I’m not the only one who had a scary childhood, and

I know I’m not the only one who clings to stories as salve to smooth over burnt skin. I am so sick of girls and women being hurt. This was my way of taking my own vengeance and trying to access forgiveness.

Thank you for reading and for those of you who can relate, I see you and you are not alone.

Estelle Laure

Q&A with the Author:

Why did you choose Santa Maria as the setting? What drew you/your story to that location?

When I was young growing up in the Bay Area, we used to go to Santa Cruz sometimes on weekends, go to the boardwalk, go on rides, so I was familiar with it. It’s also the place where The Lost Boys was filmed and it’s the thing I most directly took from that movie. I didn’t want to have to be true to Santa Cruz though, so I created Santa Maria so I could take more liberties in terms of the layout and businesses, etc.

Is there a plan for this to be released on audio? If so, were you a part of the casting process for the narrator?

Yes!, I believe it’s released the same day as Mayhem comes out in hardcover. I love listening to books, so I’m delighted that’s an option. As far as casting, I was sent a sample of the person who was eventually cast and absolutely loved her. She’s perfect so there was no question they picked the right person. I’m not sure what would have happened if I hadn’t had that reaction, but I’m glad I didn’t have to find out. I haven’t heard it yet but I feel sure she’s done an incredible job.

According to your author profile you have a Theatre Arts degree – how do you think that influences your writing? And any influences to this story in particular?

Wow, I’ve never had this question before and I think it’s a great one! I was trained to understand the psychology of a character fully in order to embody it, so I think that plays a part in every keystroke for me. I want everyone to feel fully realized and I reach into my actor toolbox a lot in order to get to the bottom of the emotional story. One thing I learned in theatre is that no one is ever saying what they’re saying, so when I write dialogue I try to always have an unspoken element and a subtext happening. I also think in terms of tone, silhouette, movement, blocking…it’s all there all the time. I’m so glad I have that training to lean on because I use it in every story, not just this one.

What drew you to the 1980s as the setting for this story?

I was twelve in 1987 which was the year The Lost Boys came out. That summer felt a little spooky and too hot and since I was actually in California where the story happens, it’s a time and place I remember very well. I wanted to explore it for my own nostalgic purposes but also because it was RAD! Also, this story couldn’t work with technology as it is today, so it had to be sometime pre-cell. Why not the age of rampant serial killers and total chaos, as well a big hair?

The description of this book talks about exploring “the price of vigilante justice.” How do you explore the idea of what justice means to each of your characters, and the topic of possible consequences while trying to seek it?

I’m really in conversation with myself in this respect. The truth is I think if someone hurt one of my kids I would want them hurt in equal measure and would have a very hard time being patient with the judicial process. BUT I also realize we can’t have a justice system that metes out physical punishment because it’s a fallible system. The question here is what if your own internal system was capable of accurately determining someone’s potential for violence or history with it? Should you then be the deliverer of vengeance? Should you be an angel of death? That’s really what Mayhem and all the characters who share this potential power are grappling with. They all fall somewhere along the spectrum of what they’re willing to pay in exchange for that power and where they fall in terms of its ethics. One thing is sure: nothing comes for free, especially not the taking of a life.

Review:

[ Due to unforeseen difficulties in my life, I have not yet finished this book. Unfortunately, life happens! My full review will be added here as soon as I have finished reading the book. Thank you so much for your patience! ]

About the Author:

Estelle Laure, the author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back believes in love, magic, and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and she lives in Taos, New Mexico, with her family. Her work is translated widely around the world.

Link to Buy on Amazon:

Posted on by tacklingtbr

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

Berkley Publishing – Review: 5 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, Edelweiss+, and Berkley for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my full reviews can be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog.

TW: Alzheimers in a parent, dysfunctional family, caretaking of a parent.

Most people who follow me on Instagram or are aware of my blog could tell you that I absolutely LOVED Waiting for Tom Hanks! I am a huge sucker for all things romantic comedy (I start watching Hallmark Christmas movies earlier and earlier every year, my poor husband). And just like I love reading books about people who love reading books, I loved getting to read a story about someone as rom-com obsessed as I am! And so I was already sure I was going to love this book – I am very pleased to announce that I was not at all disappointed. While I loved reading Annie’s story last year, and relating to how much she loved being in her own romantic comedy, it was almost even more fun to get to read Chloe’s story – watching her the whole time trying to deny that she was in one too!

As far as the characters go, all of the key players in this story that I had already had a chance to fall in love with in the first book, so it was nice that this story just jumped right in and gave further information and back story – without feeling like it was trying to give a full introduction all over again, you know? One of my favorite things in rom-coms (both on the page and on the screen) is the sassy and witty banter that can exist between characters, especially when it is present before any sort of relationship is being explored. And that is definitely what you get with Nick and Chloe in this story! It made the dialogue so quick and enjoyable to read, as well. Their chemistry wasn’t entirely un-predictable, but the banter was so quick and the feelings so sweet and relatable that I didn’t really mind that I saw where it was going.

I also really loved the side plot love/hate triangle between Chloe, Annie, and Annie’s movie based off of Chloe. While that obviously isn’t exactly the most relatable situation to be in (sadly not all of us have best friends who get famous and write movies about our lives), all of the emotions driving their discussions and interactions in those scenes felt like they could have been my own best friend and I. One of my favorite parts of this book was those conversations, because in a way you got to see both sides and see why both women were right and wrong at the same time. I found myself really connecting with the emotions driving this bit of the plot, and I would have read an entire book just about the two of them going through these friendship speed bumps, even without all of the other parts where I got to swoon over Nick.

But believe me, there was plenty of swooning. There were definitely a few scenes that were a bit steamier than others, but if you are someone that doesn’t love a typically steamy romance novel, I don’t think those scenes in this book would be too much for you. I would say it was a nice, middle-ground steam level. Maybe even a gateway to something steamier!

Overall I would highly recommend this book to my friends! In fact, I already have once or twice. Maybe three times. I would say that I think you will get more out of this book if you have read Waiting for Tom Hanks first, but that you don’t necessarily have to have read the first one if you only want to dip your toes in to Chloe’s story. While these are characters from the first one, there weren’t too many references to the first book, and the times that there were there was generally enough information given about it to give the reader enough context on it’s own. That being said, again, just read them both. They’re so fun, I don’t think you’ll regret it. In fact, binge both of them over a weekend and maybe throw in a quick viewing of You’ve Got Mail! Make it a full rom-com marathon. But make sure to let me know when, and I’ll bring the popcorn and a bottle of wine!