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Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall

Review and Blog Tour courtesy of Valentine PR

Thanks so much to the author, Valentine PR, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour. { partner } All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: Mystery, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance, Cozy Mystery

Book Description from Goodreads:

From the author of Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake comes a cozy mystery that revisits the Golden Age of detective fiction, starring a heroine who’s more podcaster than private eye and topped with a lethal dose of parody — perfect for fans of Clue, Knives Out, and Only Murders in the Building!

When up-and-coming true crime podcaster Liza and her corporate financier wife Hanna head to a luxurious hotel in the Scottish Highlands, they’re hoping for a chance to rekindle their marriage – not to find themselves trapped in the middle of an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery with no way home. But who better to take on the case than someone whose entire profession relies on an obsession with all things mysterious and macabre? Though some of her fellow guests may consider her an interfering new media hack, Liza knows a thing or two about crime and – despite Hanna’s preference for waiting out the chaos behind a locked door – might be the only one capable of discovering the killer. As the bodies rack up and the stakes rise, can they save their marriage — and their lives?

Review (5 Stars) :

Thanks so much to the author, Kobo Books, Netgalley, and Valentine PR for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in the blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews nd blog tours can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and my blog tacklingtbr.home.blog.

TW: death/murder, description of violence, description of crime scenes

This book was seriously so much fun! I didn’t want to put it down while I was reading, and I was very mad any time I actually had to. Darn work and life getting in the way of my reading!

If you like Clue then you’ll enjoy this book. The big mansion where people keep mysteriously passing away, the kooky and colorful cast of characters, the sense of humor of a serious story that isn’t taking itself too seriously (although we can mostly thank Ruby for that mindset), it really had it all for me. And wrap it all up with an adorable queer couple bow? Yes please.

I will say that I guessed some bits of the ending before we got to it, but there were still some fun surprises for me along the way, so I wasn’t too mad about the few things I saw coming. And I think using Liza’s podcast as the reasoning for the detective work brought a fun, modern twist. Plus, sassy podcaster solving a crime with her adorable wife playing Watson? It was just so much fun.

I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends and family – in fact, my mom has already tried to steal my kindle so that she can read it next! I think that the perfect setting for reading this book would be inside in bed or on the couch under a couple of blankets with snow falling outside. And in honor of Murder Most Actual, the podcast within the book, a glass of wine is a necessity!

Connect with the Author:

Alexis Hall is an English author of urban fantasy, science fiction, and m/m romance. His novels include Murder Most Actual, Boyfriend Material, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, For Real, Glitterland, Iron & Velvet, Looking for Group, and Pansies.

His work has been nominated for to the 26th Lambda Literary Awards, 28th Lambda Literary Awards, and 29th Lambda Literary Awards in the category of Gay Romance.

Website: https://quicunquevult.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/alexishall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicunquevult

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicunquevult/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicunquevult

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alexis-hall

More by Alexis Hall:

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Boyfriend Material (check out my review here!)

Husband Material (Publication date: August 2, 2022)

the Arden St Ives series

the Spires series

Something Fabulous (Publication date: January 25, 2022)

A Lady for a Duke (Publication date: May 24, 2022)

the Kate Kane Paranormal Investigator series

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter

Download your copy from Kobo here!

Check out more of my recent blog tours here:

The Book of Hope by Dr. Jane Goodall

Anarchy in High Heels by Denise Larson

A Fate of Wrath and Flame by K A Tucker

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September 26 – October 2

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to be sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

No One Goes Alone

Author: Erik Larson

Audio Publication day: September 28, 2021

Genre: Horror, audiobook, fiction, mystery

Thanks so much to Random House Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson comes his first venture into fiction, an otherworldly tale of intrigue and the impossible that marshals his trademark approach to nonfiction to create something new: a ghost story thoroughly grounded in history.

Pioneering psychologist William James leads an expedition to a remote isle in search of answers after a family inexplicably vanishes. Was the cause rooted in the physical world . . . or were there forces more paranormal and sinister at work? Available only on audio, because as Larson says, ghost stories are best told aloud.

A group of researchers sets sail for the Isle of Dorn in the North Atlantic in 1905 to explore the cause of several mysterious disappearances, most notably a family of four who vanished without a trace after a week-long holiday on the island. Led by Professor James, a prominent member of the Society for Psychical Research, they begin to explore the island’s sole cottage and surrounding landscape in search of a logical explanation.

The idyllic setting belies an undercurrent of danger and treachery, with raging storms and unnerving discoveries adding to the sense of menace. As increasingly unexplainable events unfold, the now-stranded investigators are unsure whether they can trust their own eyes, their instincts, one another—or even themselves.

Erik Larson has written a terrifying tale of suspense, underpinned with actual people and events. Created specifically to entertain audio listeners, this eerie blend of the ghostly and the real will keep listeners captivated till the blood-chilling end.

Featuring Erik Larson reading his Notes for a Narrator.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have started reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Author: Athony Doerr

Audio Publication Day: September 28, 2021

Genre: Fiction, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy

Thanks so much to Simon Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. This she reads to her ailing sister as the walls of the only place she has known are bombarded in the great siege of Constantinople. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, miles from home, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the invading army. His path and Anna’s will cross.

Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno, who learned Greek as a prisoner of war, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. She has never set foot on our planet.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have started reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

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September 19 – September 25

New releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to start sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

When Sparks Fly

Author: Helena Hunting

Publication Day: September 21, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced electronic copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Running the Spark House, a hotel/event space that has been in her family for years, has been Avery Spark’s lifelong dream. After years of working hard and making personal sacrifices, Avery and her two younger sisters have turned the Spark House into the premier destination in Colorado Springs. Avery is living her best life—she works with her sisters and loves every minute of it, she has a great group of friends, and she lives in a fantastic condo with her best friend Declan. She might not have any love in her life, but she’s happy.

But everything comes to a screeching halt when Avery is in a car accident, leaving her immobile for weeks. After nearly losing Avery, Declan insists that he will be the one to take care of her while she recovers. However, as Declan becomes Avery’s caretaker, lines begin to blur.

Avery and Declan have been best friends since college and always had an attraction to one another, but when she ended up dating his best friend, Sam, they successfully stamped down any feelings they may have ever had for one another. Now, as Declan and Avery spend more time together, they each begin to wonder what would’ve happened if she’d dated him instead of Sam. What starts as a friend helping out another friend turns into foreplay and, before they realize it, they recognize how deeply they care for one another. But when things get serious their past threatens to destroy everything they have built.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished reading this book!)

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September 12 – September 18

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to start sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

Black Nerd Problems

Author: William Evans and Omar Holmon

Audio Publication Day: September 14, 2021

Genre: Nonfiction, Essays, Humor

Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

*A Book Riot Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of 2021*

The creators of the popular website Black Nerd Problems bring their witty and unflinching insight to this engaging collection of pop culture essays on everything from Mario Kart and The Wire to issues of representation and police brutality across media.

When William Evans and Omar Holmon founded Black Nerd Problems, they had no idea whether anyone beyond their small circle of friends would be interested in their little corner of the internet. But soon after launching, they were surprised to find out that there was a wide community of people who hungered for fresh perspectives on all things nerdy, from the perspective of #OwnedVoices.

In the years since, Evans and Holmon have built a large, dedicated fanbase eager for their brand of cultural critique, whether in the form of a laugh-out-loud, raucous Game of Thrones episode recap or an eloquent essay on dealing with grief through stand-up comedy. Now, they are ready to take the next step with this vibrant and hilarious essay collection, which covers everything from X-Men to Breonna Taylor with insight and intelligence.

A much needed and fresh pop culture critique from the perspective of people of color, Black Nerd Problems is the ultimate celebration for anyone who loves a blend of social commentary and all things nerdy.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I’ve finished reading this book!)

Assembly

Author: Natasha Brown

Audio Publication Day: September 14, 2021

Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary

Thanks so much to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Go to college, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy an apartment. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.

The narrator of Assembly is a black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend’s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can’t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?

Assembly is a story about the stories we live within – those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers.And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life. With a steely, unfaltering gaze, Natasha Brown dismantles the mythology of whiteness, lining up the debris in a neat row and walking away.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished reading this book!)

Apples Never Fall

Author: Liane Moriarty

Audio Publication Day: September 14, 2021

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Description from Goodreads:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest

The Delaney family love one another dearly—it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other . . .

If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?

This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.

The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.

One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.

20% Review:

This book really jumped right in to the drama! We are getting a bit of a duel timeline, with the main timeline being after Joy goes missing, and some chapters jumping back in time to various points in the year prior. I’m really enjoying the main timeline, which has most of the action at this point – some of the chapters in the past are a bit slow, but I’m hoping that those will pick up some speed when it gets closer to her disappearance. I can’t wait to see what the answer to the mystery ends up being! Also – highly recommend the audiobook, if only for the awesome accent.

Check out my full review here!
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Snug: A Collection of Comics about Dating Your Best Friend by Catana Chetwynd

Andrews McMeel Publishing – Review: 5 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All of my reviews can be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads. { partner }

What is there even to say about Catana Comics? These sweet comics have been in my life and bringing me immense joy since I first saw them around two years ago, or so. And they are not only adorable, but so relatable. Sometimes I feel almost attacked with how much my fiance and I relate them to our own relationship. Socially awkward? Wants all of the pizza? Nothing but cuddles and no pants? Attacks their partner with all of the kisses and weird reactions? I feel you, girl. Especially during the year and a half that my fiance and I were long distance – we sent these back and forth to each other daily, and they always made us feel closer together, and definitely helped us get through that time. So I knew going in that I was going to love this.

This is a very quick read, as each comic is only a few panels on a page, so I just read through them all in about 25 minutes. I would highly, highly recommend this to absolutely anyone. It is funny, and sickly sweet, and I guarantee that every single person will find at least one (likely way more) that will make them smile!

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How Sweet the Bitter Soup: A Memoir by Lori Qian

Blog Tour Stop : Kate Rock Book Tours courtesy of She Writes Press

Thanks so much to the author, Kate Rock Book Tours, and She Writes Press for the complimentary finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts, and participation in this blog tour. { partner }

BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS :

Her mom was working as a maid. Her dad’s Alzheimer’s was in high gear. And the rent on her parents’ small Chicago apartment had just fone up. AGain. But Lori was holding it all together: helping care for her dad and pat her family’s bills, figuring out how to navigate graduate school and four jobs on top of her family responsibilities, and, somehow, continuing to believe that there was more to life than this.

And there was.

An exciting job teaching at a prestigious school in China. Although the previous month, she had turned down a job offer in Iowa – thinking it was too far away from her family – she felt completely at ease accepting a hob in China. Grasping on to the fierce determination she’d had since childhood, Lori found herself in Guangzhou, China, where she fell in love with the culture and with a man from a tiny town in Hubei province.

What followed was a transformative adventure – one that will inspire readers to use the bitter to make life even sweeter.

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW (4 Stars) :

I always find that memoirs, these types of memoirs in particular, are difficult for me to review. It’s one thing when you pick up a celebrity memoir of someone that you already have fully formed opinions of, and you buy the book because you love the celebrity and just want to learn more about where they come from. I picked up this memoir having read the description above and knowing that I would be on this tour, but going in to this story without any additional knowledge about the author or her story made this a very personal and emotional read.

I really enjoy learning about cultures and experiences that I wouldn’t likely get to experience for myself, and so the fact that this book is truly the story of the author experiencing these other sights and cultures was really interesting and enjoyable for me. It certainly isn’t all a walk in the park for her (the chapter about the trouble they had leading up to their wedding was crushingly difficult to read.) But getting to follow along with her as she first sees and immediately loves the sights, the sounds, and the people all the way on the other side of the world, was really beautiful to get to see.

Overall I know that memoirs aren’t for everyone, and they aren’t even my go to genre by any means, but I would recommend this one to anyone who wants to dip their toes in and fall in love with China vicariously through the author’s story.

Link to Purchase on Amazon :

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When I Was White: A Memoir by Sarah Valentine

St. Martin’s Press – Review: 3 Stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner }

I knew that I was interested in this book early on before publication, because I love getting to learn about different perspectives and read about experiences that I wouldn’t necessarily have in my lifetime. This memoir definitely fit the bill in that respect. This was a really interesting read, although I will say that it isn’t exactly a fun or easy read. Like, I wouldn’t take it to the beach or anything, but I am glad that I got the chance to read it.

That being said, I don’t think that this will end up being my favorite read of the summer. There was a ton of really amazing detail throughout the entire book, about everything – but at times there was a bit more detail than I really needed about certain aspects of the author’s story and it made parts of the book seem a bit long. Things like knowing exactly what stop she used on the subway, and all of the stops that lead up to it, and the entire layout of the shops and city. While I know that where you grow up and where you go to college tend to have a great impact on a person’s story so I definitely don’t mind a bit of that type of background and detail, but it seemed to me that it took up a good chunk of the book and made it a bit of a slow read for me. It’s completely personal preference, but it just made the book drag a bit for me in some parts.

This story, and the author, are definitely at their best when they’re focused on the human interactions – specifically between the author and her mother, as well as the rest of her family. One of the best things about non-fiction, when written in a truthful and realistic tone, is that you get to see the flaws that everybody has. This author and her family are no exception, but her mom is especially fascinating, and the many conversations that take place between she and the author surrounding her true parentage (both before it is really revealed to her as well as after) are incredibly interesting. I loved getting to see behind the curtain a little bit and get a taste of what those difficult conversations would have looked like.

I will say that if you are a reader who prefers happy endings that are tied up in a bow, this may not do it for you. The author is a strong, independent woman who finds herself through the course of finding who she is, and through becoming in touch with the heritage that she wasn’t sure she shared. And in that fact alone, it is a happy ending. But know that there are still many questions that are left unanswered. For instance, despite all of her research and looking, by the end of the story the author has not met her biological father. But maybe along the way her strength showed her that maybe she didn’t need to after all.

This story gave me a very different look into white privilege, biracial identity, and other topics that I wouldn’t have had this insight into on my own. And I would recommend it to anyone else who would like to take a closer look at one of the many stories of identity and change and finding who we are, specifically a story that may be very different than ours. Just know that it may be a bit of a long read, so prepare yourself to wade through some lengthy bits of description. And I’m not kidding, probably not a beach read. Preferably read it while sitting by a fireplace with a blanket and a cup of tea or a glass of wine. Trust me, you’ll want to feel cozy!

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A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

St. Martin’s Press – Review: 5 Stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are completely my own. { partner }

Read the synopsis of this book. Even start reading this book. Think you have some ideas about what is going on, and who (if anyone) is telling the truth? Think again.

Get to the point where you only have three chapters left until you get to the end of this book. Think you’ve figured it out at that point, since you’re so close to the end? You’re still wrong. Think again.

This book took me a while to get all the way to the end, because I kept re-reading parts that I had just read, because I was trying to figure out the twists and turns before they happened. I was re-reading trying to instead read between the lines and see what the underlying secrets may have been. And yet I was wrong the entire time, and every time that I thought I had figured it out it turns out not only was I not on the same page but I was in a completely different chapter. This book kept me on my toes the entire time, I loved getting lost in the mystery of it, and my poor fiancé is probably glad that I’m finished with this read so that I can be done bursting out of confusion and trying to talk through it with him.

We get this story from multiple points of view – Caroline Stark, the woman who says she’s under attack; Aiden Callahan, the man who says that he loves her; and then later also from Lieutenant Jess Messina, the woman whose job it is to find out what is really the truth.

I loved getting all three of these perspectives – the first part of the book “Before the Storm” being told by Caroline and Aiden, and then the second part titled “After the Storm” being told to us by Aiden and Jess. One thing that I found really interesting is that Caroline’s side of the story is written in first person, while Aiden’s chapters are written in third person. This immediately, at least in my opinion, makes the reader feel more trusting of Caroline and feel like they are on her side, because she is talking directly to the reader almost like they are just having a conversation, or she is trusting us and letting us in on her secret. Meanwhile the third person perspective from Aiden feels isolating, and like either he or the readers are on the outside looking in, and we’re just hearing it secondhand, which automatically makes it seem like that information is less reliable. I think that this was a really brilliant decision in the writing on the author’s part, and it definitely helped to cause a good deal of my confidence in what parts of the stories I was and was not believing, as well as my confusion when I found out how wrong I was about everything all along.

There is very little that I can go into detail on with this book without having to give a massive spoiler alert, and I want to give everyone the opportunity to think they know what is happening and see if they are as off track as I was, without me spoiling any of the surprises for them.

So I will just say this: I highly, highly recommend this book. I knew that I was picking up a highly reviewed and highly anticipated psychological thriller. What I did not know what that I was probably picking up one of my favorite reads of the month, possibly of the summer. This read was clever, confusing, manipulative, and extremely well written. While yes there were parts that maybe felt a little bit longer than they needed to be, and yes there were a few parts that weren’t my favorite. But when speaking overall, I really loved this read, and am so glad that I got the experience to read it, and will be recommending it to all of my girlfriends who love thrillers and murder shows (you know who you are.)

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Sells Sea Shells by Mara Mer

Mari.Reiza – Review: 3 Stars

Thanks so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner }

Sells Sea Shells follows a handsome young man, Ismail, who is an illegal Moroccan immigrant who makes his way by selling goods to rich tourists along the beach. In doing so he strikes a very odd acquaintance with a wealthy Italian man, who offers Ismail a very unusual agreement as a way to get out of his situation. But Ismail is good, and compassionate, and he isn’t sure he will be able to live to his side of this bargain.

I don’t often read novellas, but I’m starting to think that I should sprinkle them in to my reading more often! This was such a quick read, only coming in at about 100 pages, and it felt so nice that I had something that I could sit and read at a comfortable pace and still finish in one sitting.
However, for the short length, there is a lot that author Mara Mer fits in to this story. While reading, there were moments that seemed like she had been planning a full length novel, and so to a certain extent the ending seemed a little bit rushed and borderline unfinished to me. But overall it was a really interesting read. It is a beautifully emotional look into the lives of these immigrants, and looking at the world that we are still living in as it is, it seemed a little bit too non-fiction in a few places. I think that this novella was interesting, intense, and has a level of emotion that depicts the author’s heart hanging from her sleeve.

I would recommend this to my friends who enjoy historical fiction, and may want a quick read from a point of view that they won’t hear from in many other places.

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Honestly, We Meant Well by Grant Ginder

FlatIron Books – Review: 3 stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and Flatiron Books for the early review copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions in this review are entirely my own. { partner }

I finished this book a little while ago, and honestly had been waiting around to review it because I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to say. Did I like it? Love it even? Or was it just slightly missing something for me? And in all honesty, I’m still not quite sure. So here goes nothing.

It took me a long while to really get into this book when I started reading it. Not because I didn’t like it. Even in the beginning I was enjoying the characters (anyone who has read basically any of my reviews now knows that I am obsessed with character driven stories.) But for some reason that I can’t quite put my fingers on, the first half of the novel took me approximately a forever to get through.
I always enjoy when we get to hear a story from the perspectives of different characters, and when you get to see the situations a couple of different ways. However, this book is told from a total of five characters perspectives, which I think may have ended up being just a few too many voices for me. It made it kind of fun for the parts of the book where each character was off doing their own thing, and each chapter was sort of jumping you to a different part of the island, but for the parts of the book where they were all in the same spot and situation, it wasn’t my favorite. In those parts of the story we didn’t get to jump back in time a few minutes and see how the other character felt or saw what we had just read about, at least not most of the times, instead we stayed in the same moment and switched to another perspective right in the middle. Between this and how many characters there were in general, I just found that I almost didn’t have any long enough stretch of time with any one character to care about most of them or their situations. Also, just since this seems to be a previously unknown pet-peeve of mine, one of our key narrators isn’t introduced as such until halfway through the book. I get why she was an important narrator, and I did end up really enjoying her point of view, and I even get why she wasn’t needed in the first portion of the story. But I stand by it – I really don’t like when there is a new narrator introduced that late to the game. I know it happens, and sometimes can be done well. But these are my opinions, and it’s my review, so I’m sticking to it here.

Now here we get to the part of the review where I get to talk about the parts of the book that I really loved, because I promise you that there were a few. First and foremost, the setting of Greece, and how much the book dove into all of the gorgeous sites and history that come along with it. I wanted to immediately jump on a plane, explore some ancient ruins, have a glass of wine or three, and then jump immediately into some clear blue water! Doesn’t that sound perfect right now? But I digress.
I ended up, overall, enjoying the second half of the book better than the first. Whether this is because I was more invested in the characters by then and therefore the jumping around didn’t quite bug me as much, or if the story had gotten going enough that I was more invested and was more invested to see what happened next. And part of it was definitely how busy and crazy my life was while trying to read this during the first round, so definitely take this with a grain of salt. But compared to the first half, the second half completely flew by for me. The only thing that I would say about the ending is that, once I did get fully invested in the characters and their stories, I think I would have liked to get some more information about the choices that they made after “the end.” What I’m saying is, I could have used a Harry Potter style “10 years later” moment, you know? I’m all for a cliffhanger or open ending in case there’s a possibility of a sequel, or more information at a later date, but I’m not sure whether or not I would read a sequel for this particular tale, so I would have liked to get it tied up a little bit better at the end here.
And the last thing that I loved – there are some really beautiful relationships in this book. Not necessarily the romantic ones, but the friendships and the familial relationships that we see throughout the story. There isn’t too much to say about this part, but I just really loved a lot of them.

Overall, I would recommend this book to my friends. It is a really interesting look into the life of a woman and her family, when their lives are seemingly falling apart around them, but possibly falling together instead. This was a fairly fun read, set in a beautiful place, and had a good amount of interesting characters. While I think I’m ready for infidelity (slight spoiler? You learn early on, I’m going to let it pass) to not be one of the main conflicts in such a high percentage of books that I am reading, but there was enough else happening that it didn’t bug me too much. I would just give my friends that I am recommending it to a small heads up before reading it, in case they’re tired of reading about it too. But if it’s something that you don’t mind reading about, or it’s something that you can look past, I think that this is a great choice for a summer read! So pull up a glass of wine and maybe a lounge chair, and then you are all set.