The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

It starts after her friend's hen do one night when she arrives home drunk only to find her husband Michael waiting for her. Only problem, she's not married and has no memory of this man even though her family seems to know him and their whole history together. The next day he goes to change a light bulb in the attic and another husband emerges in his place. And every time, her life resets-- new furniture, new job, money in the bank.... even any injuries are magically gone. As she cycles through different husbands searching for the perfect one, some only lasting seconds, others weeks, she starts to realize that there will always be little imperfections with every one and always searching for something better might not be living her best life at all.

This is such a unique story. I was fascinated by the endless variety of men popping out of the attic and how her life changes with every one. Time moves on and the people around her for the most part stay the same, never realizing how drastically her life is constantly changing. And the ending, while abrupt, left me with a feeling of hope for her future. This was a great debut novel and I look forward to more books by this author!

Thanks to Doubleday Books through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

Tourist Season by Brenda Novak

While the cover promises a lighthearted beach read, this was more of a mystery/thriller. The story quickly takes a dark turn when a storm knocks out the power and Ismay finds something ominous in the back of her fiancé's closet. Her relationship with Remy was Ricky for awhile between his studying to be a doctor and her a lawyer, leaving little time together. She's hoping once he finally comes to the island they can reconnect. When the property caretaker, Bo, comes to check on her in the storm and then needs refuge when his own cottage is damaged, they become close friends. When she confides what she found in the closet to Bo, he fears she's in danger. 

I liked how the relationship developed in a slow burn between Bo and Ismay from friendship to lovers. Remy just seemed like such a cold unfeeling fiance and not right for her even before we find out the truth. The creepy addition of Bastian, Remy's psycho twin adds even more tension. But the ending to me just fell flat. Such an easy conclusion after all the tension in the story with no drama left me wanting more. Overall just OK for me. 

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

James by Percival Everett

In a truly unique reimagining of the classic tale by Mark Twain, this story relates some of the same events and characters of the original, but through the voice of Jim (or James as he later refers to himself). Unlike the unfair original portrayal of the slave, James is insightful and intelligent, his inner thoughts about the books he's read and his philosophical ruminations sometimes beyond my own understanding. Yet he still takes on a mask in front of the white people, adopting the barely intelligible "slave dialect" they've come to expect. The float down the river with Huck as seen through Jim's eyes is more a journey of terror of being caught than an adventure. This thought provoking portrayal is sure to become an instant classic of its own. 

Thanks to Doubleday Books through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorite authors,  so I was excited to get an early copy of his next book.  I started out thinking that this was far and away from anything he's written before and I had trouble getting into it as I'm not really into following the royals, tech and cryptocurrency. But this author just has a way of drawing you in to find out what happens next. There were so many parts of the plot going on throughout the story that seemingly had no connection but as both Crissy and Betsy are unwittingly drawn in and the pieces start to fall together, I was intrigued. I like the way the story is set up as if telling the story after the fact by Crissy. I also liked Marisa, Betsy's 13-year-old adopted daughter and the role she played in the story.  This was not my favorite of his books,  but still a great story. 

Thanks to Doubleday Books through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs

Before reading this book, the only knowledge I had of the CERN super collider in Switzerland was learned from the actors of my favorite TV show Big Bang Theory. Although most of the physics described by the characters in this book were way over my head, I still found it fascinating. Could the details have been edited a bit more? Definitely. But you can't expect geniuses to talk like the average person either. It took me over 30% of the book to start getting into it and even then the pacing was quite slow, but then the details started to fall into place and I was really glad I stuck with it.  

Thanks to Atria Books through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.