Publisher: Blackstone Pub
Genre: Nonfiction
Source: Library ( audio )

Goodreads: A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a teacher, bibliophile and Thurber Prize finalist

We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to find connection across difference, or simply to pass a rainy afternoon. No matter the reason, books have the power to keep us safe, to challenge us, and perhaps most importantly, to make us more fully human.

Shannon Reed, a longtime teacher, lifelong reader, and New Yorker contributor, gets it. With one simple goal in mind, she makes the case that we should read for pleasure above all else. In this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud-funny collection, Reed shares surprising stories from her life as a reader and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students. From the varied novels she cherishes ( Gone Girl , Their Eyes Were Watching God ) to the ones she didn’t ( Tess of the d’Urbervilles ), Reed takes us on a rollicking tour through the comforting world of literature, celebrating the books we love, the readers who love them, and the surprising ways in which literature can transform us for the better.

Ope’s Opinion: Let me begin with, this book is titled incorrectly – It is not about why WE read – it is all about why this author reads. Next, is the incorrect statement in the synopsis which says this book is hilarious – I found no humor in the book at all. Third, the author keeps saying everyone should read for pleasure, then talks about all her higher educational reading that makes a “regular” read ( that is who I am ) feel like my reading is below par.

It is sad to say the best the part of the book is the cover.

Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Genre: Romance
Source: Harlequin Special Edition ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Her Prince Charming… In a make-believe fairy tale?  Talented divorce attorney and town newcomer Michelle LaCroix needs roots in Charming to make partner, according to her old-fashioned boss. And that means a boyfriend! Problem is, she’s got to produce her beau in the flesh. Enter the town’s most eligible bachelor, former professional athlete Finn Sheridan, who’s only too happy to play pretend with his best friend’s ex—for a price. To his surprise, the more he’s thrown together with Michelle, the more he’s intrigued by a woman who’s far more than her ice-queen exterior. But with Finn’s trust still shattered by a brutal divorce, the make-believe match is just a fun diversion…until it becomes all too real! From Harlequin Special Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Ope’s Opinion: This a hallmark sort of book, except it has a few steamy scenes in it. The characters are ones you root for and know will end up together. I like the fake it until you make it relationships. It was fun to see them fall in love.

Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romance
Source: Library

Goodreads: A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

Ope’s Opinion: This book is not my happy place of reading. It spent so much time focused on the physical relationship between Harriet and Wyn. There was very little mention of anything they enjoyed about each other outside of the bedroom.

The constant push and pull of their relationship was very repetitive. It was frustrating to the point that I was yelling at the book – just keep your hands off of each other long enough to talk about it. When they finally did talk – really? – that is what the break up was all about?

I am not sure why I kept reading, but I did. Now I am not sure the ending was worth pushing through it. As romances go, this had your happily ever after, but the journey was too hard to get there.

Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Romance
Source: MIRA ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable tale about finding friendship with the unlikeliest person…

As the owner of Twisted, Seattle’s best salons, Erica knows that the sharpest cuts come from the people we love. She’s terrified that she’s losing her teen daughter, Summer, to her “other” family, especially to her stepmom, Allison.

All it takes to blow up Allison’s happy life is one collect call. From prison. Her beloved husband, Peter, has been arrested, leaving Allison pregnant, broke, scared and alone with a toddler. But when her stepdaughter ferrets out the truth, the teen rushes to the last person Allison wants to ask for help—her husband’s battle-ax ex.

Erica would do anything for Summer, even take in the woman her daughter loves like a second mom. Allison feels intimidated by Erica—a woman who would never let herself become so dependent on a man. But the more time they spend together, the more Allison realizes what Erica truly needs is a friend. Can two women who married the same man move beyond their complicated past and rethink what it means to be family?

Ope’s Opinion: This is actually a 2.5 rating. This book really frustrated me. When I got to the 25% point of the book I learned exactly what was in the synopsis: Peter is in jail, Allison has a toddler and is pregnant, Erica has a really good job and Summer wants to help Allison. It is on repeat for the whole start of the book. I actually went back to look to see if I was rereading the same chapter.

I felt like the author came up with a great story line ( an ex wife and the current wife having a positive relationship while the husband is in jail ), but she had nothing else to back up the story. So she just kept repeating it.

I am not sure why this in the romance category – it is more about Erica and Allison’s relationship.

Publisher: Penguin Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Library

Goodreads: It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.

In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.

Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.

But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.

Ope’s Opinion: This book made me want to look into Estee Lauder’s life. I want to know how many facts are in this story. At times I did feel like the story was more about Gloria ( Estee’s close friend ), then about Estee and how she broke into the cosmetic world. It was interesting to learn about how cosmetics started in department stores and how it progressed.

The setting in historical New York City was interesting. I liked how accurate the time period felt.

This is the box the puzzle came in.

This puzzle had interesting shaped pieces.

My daughter and I have been to the NYC Library several times.
She saw this puzzle and knew I would enjoy doing it.
It is a beautiful building.

Publisher: Atria/ Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Fiction
Source: Atria ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Hannah McKinnon, the acclaimed author of the “charming and warm-hearted” ( PopSugar) The Summer House , returns with a fresh beach read about a group of outsiders threatening the status quo at an exclusive New England beach club.

Mayhaven is the best keep secret in Massachusetts. Tucked between old cedars and a spring-fed lake, the Mayhaven beach club has long been the ultimate escape to understated exclusivity. It’s the place where Darcy Birch is supposed to be experiencing the best summer of her life, but there are a few things standing in her way. Her high-strung mother won’t stop hovering over her, her father is consumed by his job as president of Mayhaven, where she works as a summer camp counselor and things are not as rosy as they seem, and her neurodivergent little brother is struggling to live with a measure of independence not everyone is ready for.

Then there is the matter of the new neighbors. Flick Creevy, his mother, and stepfather have arrived in town, parking their enormous RV, not to mention all-night music and clouds of marijuana, in the Birches’s perfectly landscaped backyard.

Flick is not interested in the perfect summer or the girl next door. Pushed to get a job at Mayhaven by his mother, who had her eyes on a new life for their family, his own eyes have been opened to the ways of the upper crust. Even though Mayhaven prides itself on being an inclusive association of good New England families with good New England values, the fact either you’re on the inside or the outside.

As the heat of summer increases, it’s soon clear that the members of Mayhaven will have to struggle to stay cool in this sharply written and refreshing new novel that is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner.

Ope’s Opinion: The cover of this book is one of the most beautiful to me. The synopsis grabbed my attention. The author ( Hannah McKinnon ) is one I have enjoyed before. So I was expecting great things. I got just okay things.

It was a very quick, easy read, but touched on some deeper subjects. It seemed to skim the surface of the deeper issues. Overall, it was predictable.

Publisher: Harper Muse
Genre: Romance
Source: Harper Muse ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: What happens when a husband’s dying wish is for his wife to find a new love… before he’s even gone?

Ben and Harper started off their marriage with a cancer diagnosis, but they eventually celebrated as Ben went into remission. Now they know what matters. Now they won’t waste a second. But the cancer comes back, and this time, the doctors insist there’s no viable treatment option. As they are ticking things off Ben’s bucket list–sail a boat, ride an elephant, become a cashier, take the stage, jump out of a plane–Ben is forced to truly face his own mortality. He comes up with his final He wants to find Harper a new husband before he dies.

Harper is resistant to this wacky plan. If she can’t have Ben, then she doesn’t want anyone. Finally, he lets it drop, but not before a journalist gets wind about His Crazy Idea. Before they know it, reporters are knocking down their door to write up such a romantic gesture of a husband’s dying wish for his beloved wife.

When the New York Times sends a journalist to their house to do a feature, Harper opens the door to find the one man who got away. Or, rather, the man she spent one perfect week with a decade ago and never saw Leo Hale.

Suddenly, Harper is faced with old, unresolved feelings for Leo and her ultimate what-if. What would have happened if Harper had ended up with Leo? Is the grass really greener, or is she standing right where she should be, even as she inevitably faces the pain of losing the one she loves?

Ope’s Opinion: The beginning of this book was a solid 5 chair story. I was holding my breath to see what was going to come next. I couldn’t read fast enough.

Then there was a huge shift in the story that I did not see coming. It felt out of nowhere and changed everything. I was not a happy reader at this point and almost quit reading. My attachment to the characters was what made me keep reading.

The ending was good, not great – it would have been better had there been the twist in the story.

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: True Crime
Source: Sourcebooks ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: A gripping true crime book about a college girl who disappeared in plain sight When Lauren Spierer―a gregarious young woman at a crossroads in her life―vanished from Indiana University , her story drew global attention from celebrities and news outlets such as People magazine, CNN, and USA Today . Lauren’s disappearance wasn’t just some random abduction. What makes the case so confounding is that the 20-year-old was out with dozens of classmates in a bustling university town on the night she went missing. She was seen in public by witnesses and security cameras, and ended up in a townhouse complex with several wealthy, well-connected male students―never to be seen again. Despite the media frenzy surrounding the case, the police investigation went nowhere and her body was never found.   Armed with the support of Lauren’s parents and never-before-seen evidence that chronicles a cover-up, a botched investigation, conflicting testimony, and new interviews, Cohen leads readers through a gripping narrative before finally shining a light on those often forgotten in true the innocent people left behind. College Girl, Missing will take readers through a minute-by-minute recap of the last hours of Lauren’s life, and ask the What happened to Lauren Spierer?

Ope’s Opinion: I do enjoy true crime stories and this was a good one to listen to. The author read the book – his voice was easy to listen to. The book was on the short side because Shawn was concise, direct and straight to the point. I really liked that he didn’t try to send you down wild goose chases. He just let you follow him on his fact finding mission. It is sad that this is still an open case and the parents are still living with unanswered questions.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: Thomas Nelson ( Netgalley )

GOODREADS: Cole and Laila have been inseparable since they could crawl. And they’ve never thought about each other that way. Except for when they have. Rarely. Once in a while, sure. But seriously . . . hardly ever.

Cole Kimball and Laila Olivet have been best friends their entire lives. Cole is the only person (apart from blood relatives) who’s seen Laila in her oversized, pink, plastic, Sophia Loren glasses. Laila is always the first person to taste test any new dish Cole creates in his family’s restaurant . . . even though she has the refined palate of a kindergartener. Most importantly, Cole and Laila are always talking. About everything.

When Cole discovers a betrayal from his recently deceased grandfather that shatters his world, staying in Adelaide Springs, Colorado, is suddenly unfathomable. But Laila loves her life in their small mountain town and can’t imagine ever living anywhere else. She loves serving customers who tip her with a dozen fresh eggs. She loves living within walking distance of all her favorite people. And she’s very much not okay with the idea of not being able to walk to her very favorite person.

Still, when Cole toys with moving across the country to New York City, she decides to support her best friend–even as she secretly hopes she can convince him to stay home. And not just for his killer chocolate chip pancakes. Because she loves him. As a friend. Just as a friend. Right?

They make a Laila won’t beg him to stay, and Cole won’t try to convince her to come with him. They have one week in New York before their lives change forever, and all they have to do is enjoy their time together and pretend none of this is happening. But it’s tough to ignore the very inconvenient feelings blooming out of nowhere. In both of them. And these potentially friendship-destroying feelings, once out in the open, have absolutely no take-backs.

If When Harry Met Sally had a quippy literary love child with Gilmore Girls’ Luke and Lorelai, you’d get Cole and Laila. Just . . . don’t tell them that.

Ope’s Opinion: This was a very cute, easy to read story. It was a clean, slow burn romance. The way it was written, you root for Cole and Laila to realize their feelings for each other. Then you root for them to finally tell each other.

There were a few times the miscommunication got a little old and frustrating. They kept misunderstanding what the other person was trying to say or not saying. I wanted them to just be honest with each other.

The different points of view really helped the story move along.