Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by Marilyn Simon Rothstein - 3 Stars

 "After a lifetime of marriage, Marcy Hammer is ready to get herself unhitched—just as everyone else in her life is looking for a commitment. Her new boyfriend, Jon, wants to get serious, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Harvey, is desperate to get back together. When her headstrong daughter announces a secret engagement to Harvey’s attorney, Marcy finds herself planning her daughter’s wedding as she plans her own divorce. Now with two huge events on the horizon, the indomitable Marcy soon realizes that there’s nothing like a wedding to bring out the worst in everybody. From petty skirmishes over an ever-growing guest list to awkward confrontations with her sticky-fingered new in-laws, pulling off the wedding is going to be a challenge; seeing her divorce through is going to be a trial. And trying to make everyone happy might prove to be impossible—because in the end, Marcy alone must make a choice between something old and something new."

I was really disappointed in this one. It was a light, fairly quick read, but was really lacking in the humor department. The author was really trying, but just wasn't puling off the funny. I think there were maybe 2 lines in the whole book that I laughed at. 

Spare by Prince Harry - 4 Stars

 I think by this point, the book is pretty much self explanatory; the memoir of Prince Harry. So, here are my thoughts on the book (which may not go in chronological order).

The book starts with the death of Princess Diana. This brought back a lot of memories for me, as I was living in England at that time. It was quite an experience. And having just lost my father in January, it stirred up emotions, but luckily I was able to hold it together. I felt really bad for the way that Harry felt about the whole situation.

I did feel that the time he spent in the military was over covered. Basically, it took up too much of my time. I'm happy that he served his country through military service and not just as a royal, but this part of the book went on and on for me. 

As for his relationship with Meghan, I feel that it seems a bit rushed. I didn't follow it in real life that closely, but the book made it seem like they met, briefly dated, then married, all in a short period of time. I honestly didn't pay attention to the time line in the book to see how long they were together before getting married.

Some of the things that Meghan "claimed" to not know was a bit over the top to me. She seemed to not really know anything about Harry and the royal family. Not sure how true this was, but some of it was hard to believe that she didn't know. And as for the paparazzi, I'm not sure how used to it she was since she was an actress before meeting Harry, but I do think the paps went to the extreme with her as they did with Diana. 

I did find myself Googling a lot of things, though, mostly to see what they looked like. I looked up the Eton uniforms to see how "stiff" they looked and last night I googled Frogmore Cottage. There were a few other things that I wasn't familiar with that had me running to Google, too.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty interesting book. I don't really know how much is true or exaggerated since there are always 2 sides to a story. But I did like it and it made me miss England. 

Verity by Colleen Hoover - 4 Stars

 "Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Man, this was one crazy book! I knew it was a controversial book, but wanted to give it a shot anyways. It did not disappoint. I will say that this was a book that is not for the faint of heart. There were a lot of parts that had my jaw dropping. It also contained a lot of sex scenes, which is why I gave it just 4 stars. I felt that the sex part was overdone and the story would have been just as good with it scaled back some. The end really leaves you going, what did I just read.

The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White - 5 Stars

 "Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem. She’s the “invisible girl,” compelled to poke into her wealthy clients’ closely guarded lives. It’s a harmless hobby until Kit sees something she can’t unsee in the home of her brand-new clients: a secret so dark it could destroy the privileged couple expecting their first child. This makes Kit dangerous to the couple. In turn, it makes the couple—who might kill to keep their secret—dangerous to Kit.

When homicide cop Mallory Van Alst is called to a scene at a luxury waterfront home known as the Glass House, she’s confronted with evidence of a violent attack so bloody it’s improbable the victim is alive. But there’s no body. The homeowners are gone. And their maid is missing. The only witness is the elderly woman next door, who woke to screams in the night. The neighbor was also the last person to see Kit Darling alive.

As Mal begins to uncover the secret that has sent the lives of everyone involved on a devious and inescapable collision course, she realizes that nothing is quite as it seems. And no one escapes their past."

Boy, this book had more twists and turns than a ball of yarn. It had me hooked from the beginning. It constantly had me turning the page wanting to know who did what and what was going to happen next. And just when I'd think I had figured out the storyline, the author went and changed directions again. It was crazy, but in a good way! 

Words on Candy Hearts by Augusta Reilly - 4 Stars

 "“There are two kinds of men,” Mom said. “Rich bastards and poor bastards. Neither will give a crap about your brains or personality, so go for the one with the money.”

Beautiful PhD student Clara Zapata has never subscribed to the theory that the only thing men care about is looks, but after getting dumped by her fiancé for gaining weight, she’s starting to think her gold-digging mother is on to something. If men are going to treat her like a trophy, why shouldn’t she treat them like a credit card?

“There are two kinds of women,” Dad said. “Pretty bitches and ugly bitches. They’ll both be more interested in the divorce settlement than the marriage, so go for the hottie.”

All heir-in-waiting Ian Dunning has ever wanted was the love of a good woman. But after being seduced and abandoned by yet another gold digger, he’s beginning to lose hope of ever finding real love. If all women will ever want him for is his money, why shouldn’t he just chase after the ones with the biggest boobs and the fewest brain cells?

What happens when this cynical son of a billionaire gets stuck on a disastrous road trip with the jaded daughter of a gold digger? Will Ian and Clara follow in their parents’ footsteps, or will they find true love?"

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This was the first book I've read since my dad passed away. It was the perfect book to start off with, even if it did take me nearly 6 weeks to read it. It was literally laugh out loud funny. There were times I almost had tears running down my face.

There was an emotional part about 3/4 of the way through that I had to push myself through, but managed ok. The comedy at the end kind of tapered off (which is why I bumped it down to 4 stars), but over all I really enjoyed the book.

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien - 4 Stars

 Lana Lee never thought she would end up working at her parent's noodle shop, but after a nasty break up and walking out on her job, she finds herself waiting tables. She's the gossip of the Asian plaza until the owner, Mr. Feng shows up dead in his office after eating shrimp dumplings and having an allergic reaction; a reaction that everyone was aware of. 

Soon, the whole restaurant is suspect. Lana decides to clear not only her name, but the name of those close to her. 

This was a cute cozy mystery. It's the first one in the series. It started out really good, but I found myself pushing through the last 20%. I kind of wanted to give it 3 1/2 stars, but I rounded up. Wasn't sure if it was the book, or everything I've had going on lately. But I will check out the next in the series because I did like the characters. 

2023 Alphabet Soup Challenge

 2023 Alphabet Soup Challenge

A- The Asylum Confessions by Jack Steen

B- Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

C- Catching Moondrops by Jennifer Erin Valent

D- Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien

E- Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem by Laurie Notaro

F- The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman

G- Gone Too Far by Natalie Richards

H- Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by Marilyn Simon Rothstein

I- I Will Find You by Harlan Coben 

J-

K-Kittenfish by Brenda Lowder

L- The Life She Wanted by Anita Abriel

M- The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White

N-

O- One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose

P-

Q-The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michellon

R- The Reunion by Kiersten Modglin

S-Spare by Prince Harry

T- Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

U- Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey 

V- Verity by Colleen Hoover

W-Words on Candy Hearts by Augusta Reilly

X-

Y-

Z-