45. The Other Bennet Sister

45. The Other Bennet Sister. Janice Hadlow. 2020. 463 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, Austen adaptation, 5 stars]

First sentence: It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed.

Premise/plot: The Other Bennet Sister is a spin-off of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The first bit of the book is a prequel. Readers meet Mary Bennet as a young girl. Before Mary overheard her mother talking about her unfortunate looks, her ugly plainness, she was content and happy enough to hang out with her older sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. The more self-conscious she becomes of everyone thinking she is 'different' (and really this is more her parents fault--her father ignores EVERYONE except Lizzy and her mother has no use for her at all), the more distance is created between her and her sisters. She soon finds herself seeking ONLY the companionship of books. Books--religious texts included--become her refuge. She seeks religion and philosophy and other more nonfiction-y books. Perhaps if she'd read novels she'd have still 'fit in' with her sisters.

The second bit of the novel is the first part of Pride and Prejudice seen through the eyes of Mary Bennet. Not the whole novel, mind you, but the part Mary witnessed at the start. Mary is also friends with Charlotte Lucas which does make sense. Here we see Mr. Collins through her eyes. And the DISASTROUS party where Mary is humiliated.

The third bit of the novel is by far the largest part. Readers see what happens next--a  year or two after the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice. We see what happens after the death of her father, Mr. Bennet, and how she tries and tries to find a place to settle. This was the coming of age bit of the novel. Will Mary Bennet find her happily ever after????

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one!!!! It was SO good. I loved her character throughout. Mary Bennet has always been misunderstood. And I loved seeing these familiar characters THROUGH her eyes. A reminder that there's more than one side to any story.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

43. The Midnight Train

43. The Midnight Train. Matt Haig. 2026. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult speculative fiction, adult romance]

First sentence: Wilbur Budd died around midnight, but he had trouble remembering the details.

Premise/plot: The Midnight Train is a premise-driven novel. Think Twilight Zone, Our Town, and A Christmas Carol. Wilbur Budd, the protagonist, dies soon after the novel opens. He's lived a long life, in many ways a successful life. IF you only look at dollars or cents--or the British equivalent. But Wilbur has focused on all the wrong things for perhaps the right reasons, perhaps not the right reasons. But his need to escape the poverty of his childhood--as well as dealing with some childhood trauma, or not dealing with it as the case may be--has left his heart as cold as ice. Maggie loses the man she marries to a cash register essentially.

The night he dies, he boards a train, the "Midnight Train," the train that will take him to the afterlife. He can look out the windows and see every moment of his life flash by. There will be stops along the way. As a ghost, he will look upon significant moments of his life. Some are obviously significant. Some less obviously significant moments. Some are moments that he is overjoyed to relive, to experience with fresh eyes. Others are dark, haunting, traumatic. The train stops and he must go where it takes him.

There are RULES and more rules. But what if there weren't rules. What if Wilbur is a REBEL and a risk taker? What if he is determined to NOT go quietly...

My thoughts: I could not put this one down. It was IMPOSSIBLE for me to go to bed until I finished it. It was reflective and equal parts wonderful and heartbreaking.

I recently read Midnight Library. Nora Seed does make an extremely small appearance as a piano teacher in this one. I LOVED this one more than Midnight Library. I thought the characterization was better. Or maybe the premise was better.

Quotes:

• I don't mean to be pedantic, but the whole point of a life flashing before your eyes is that you see it.
• It was interesting, to realize that even your own past was new territory to explore. That memories were no more the real event than flags were their nations.
• A life of avoiding pain becomes a life defined by pain. Pain and regret.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

31. Scarlett

31. Scarlett. Alexandra Ripley. 1991. 884 pages. [Source: Library] [2 stars, historical fiction, sequel, adult fiction, adult romance]

Dear Future Self:

You may have just finished reading Gone With The Wind. You might possibly be wanting just a little bit more to the story. STOP. Don't do it. Don't. I promised to leave myself clues so that I won't reread it again.

First sentence: This will be over soon, and then I can go home to Tara.

Premise/plot: Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler loves, loves, loves, loves Rhett Butler. He, however, has stopped giving a damn. Or so he claims. This is the 'sequel' to Gone With The Wind. It covers roughly six to eight years. (That is it covers no more than eight, by my reckoning, and possibly as few as six.) It opens with the funeral of Melanie Wilkes. It ends, well, with much rejoicing on the part of this reader because it is OVER at last.

My thoughts: I first read Scarlett when it released. I was in junior high, I believe. I was excited. I was thrilled. I was eager. I can't remember if I was disappointed, angry, or frustrated....or confused. Probably one of the above.

Does Gone With The Wind need a sequel?

My "no" argument: Margaret Mitchell wrote the LAST chapter of Gone With the Wind FIRST. This was the destination all along. This wasn't an oops. If she'd changed her mind on the ending at any point while she was writing the book, she could have changed the ending. When she saw the success of the book, she could have begun drafting a sequel, talking of a sequel, making plans. From what I remember of the biographies I've read, she did not in any way want or desire a sequel.

My "yes" argument: While the book doesn't "need" a sequel. There's certainly enough life in the characters to allow for creative play.

What I would perhaps STILL like to see is a collection of SHORT STORIES or SHORT NOVELLAS written by a dozen or so authors--perhaps more but not less--that allow for more of the story to unfold. Each author working independently could put their spin on the question WILL SCARLETT O'HARA get Rhett Butler back. What will happen next to Scarlett? What about Rhett? Will he get HIS happily ever after even if that means saying NO to Scarlett forever? At what cost do we want a happy ending if their relationship is toxic?

It might also be AWESOME if an author were to approach the story from decades later. Perhaps told from the point of view of one of Scarlett's children or grandchildren.

Is there anything in Scarlett that works?

I honestly didn't hate the opening chapters. I didn't love, love, love them mind you. But I didn't hate them.

Scarlett reacted just like Scarlett at Melanie's funeral. She's newly discovered that she does in fact love Melanie Wilkes. That Melanie Wilkes was an incredible, incredible woman. But no one--except Rhett--knows of this change of heart. The town has long been skeptic--almost openly hostile--towards Scarlett. She associates with all the wrong people. She was caught alone with Ashley--hugging, nearly an embrace. She doesn't care about what they care about. Melanie interceded standing between Scarlett and polite society. Atlanta was torn between wanting to support Melanie AND despising Scarlett. Now that Melanie has died, Scarlett stands alone. And so being Scarlett, being a proud woman, she accepts standing alone and doesn't want to show her weakness, how broken she feels on the inside. When Ashley plays the fool at the graveside, Scarlett being EVER PRACTICAL acts purely on common sense alone. This will cost her.

Scarlett returning to Tara makes complete and total sense. She returns to Tara just in time to witness Mammy's final days--perhaps weeks. She returned too late to say goodbye to her mother, but, she arrives in plenty of time to say goodbye to Mammy. It isn't simple. Scarlett stays by her bedside night and day, day and night. Barely taking care of herself. She is devoted completely and selflessly caring for her.

I liked Scarlett visiting with some of the country folks--the ones that we especially got to know during the hardest days of the war and directly after. The Fontaines. The Tarletons. Etc.

Rhett returning for Mammy's funeral and lying to her also makes complete sense. Those two had an understanding after bonding after Bonnie's death.

When Scarlett returns to Atlanta because Tara isn't really big enough to live with her sister, Suellen and Will and their kids as well as her first two kids, Wade and Ella, that makes sense as well. Scarlett thinks that Rhett will 'have' to visit Atlanta a few times a year at least to keep up appearances. Atlanta is where her store is, it's where her big fancy house is. She thinks that even if folks don't 'like' her they'll keep on accepting her. She's never been 'cut' by society before. Hated and despised, yes, still invited to all the things, yes. Scarlett reveals that she is still trying to make herself happy with stuff, stuff, and more stuff. She's looking for happiness in all the wrong ways. She's turning to alcohol. She's turning to easy friends that she can buy. However she is also LOOKING to keep her promise to Melanie. And the few interactions we have between India and Scarlett seem true to both women. There is HATE, a hard, rigid HATE that loathes. Scarlett's conversations with Uncle Henry are among my favorite in the book. (That's not saying too much. But it is something).

Scarlett does not stay in Atlanta. Though she might stay in Atlanta for most of a year. At least six months or so. She next goes off in pursuit of Rhett. She goes to Charleston to visit her aunts. (Though I'm still not sure if her aunts were from Charleston or Savannah. Or maybe they divide their time between both????) She isn't with them for a day before she gets herself invited to stay with her mother-in-law. She is welcomed by some of Rhett's immediate family, though others have their doubts. She is introduced to everybody in Charleston. But she has to play a role. Scarlett is absolutely excellent at playing a role. She can even play a role for long stretches of time--months and months. Here she is playing the role of devoted wife who is eager to learn everything about Charleston and make it her forever and ever home. So if that means learning about all the kinds of seafood, then she'll go to market and learn all the best secrets for picking seafood. Rhett is angry, frustrated, confused. But he can't treat Scarlett as he wants because he values his mother too much. So they play pretend. They officially agree to play pretend. Scarlett thinks that if she can get Rhett interested in her again, game over. They'll play happy couple for 'the season' and then she'll go back to Atlanta, or if not Atlanta, anywhere but there.

It is only when their lives are in great danger that Rhett gives into his lust for Scarlett. She assumes this means happily ever after. But this is not to be. Why is this not to be? There are eight million pages left. I jest somewhat.

Scarlett writes a LETTER to Rhett. Rhett does not get the letter. Why? Because his sister decides Rhett deserves better than Scarlett, that Scarlett is TRASH, and so she destroys the letter. This, of course, introduces miscommunication to novel that should be much, much, much shorter.

Scarlett next goes to visit her grandfather--I think in Savannah. I think her aunts are there too. She also visits her uncles and cousins on the O'Hara sides. Her grandfather recognizes something special in her, I believe. I don't know for sure, but I might have preferred the novel IF she'd settled in Savannah and made a new life for herself there. Anything is better than what happens next.

What doesn't work in Scarlett?

Scarlett meets her uncles and cousins and more cousins and more cousins. She's persuaded to take a "short" trip to Ireland--a few weeks--to meet her grandmother. (Gerald's mother). Well, to meet all her relatives. Why do they want to take her to Ireland???? Good question. No one knows. There's no true reason for Scarlett to go anywhere near Ireland. On board the ship, I believe, she discovers that she's pregnant. Does she send word to Rhett? NO. Does she send word to anybody? No. Does she decide to keep it a secret for a few more weeks or months? Yes. It isn't much after that--maybe a few weeks? a month or two? when she hears that RHETT has divorced her. She makes immediate plans to return. She has to tell him about the baby, right?!?!?! But before she leaves Ireland to return to the States, she hears that Rhett has MARRIED AGAIN. I believe she stays in Ireland? Or she might make the shortest of trips back to the States?

Regardless, readers are stuck with Scarlett staying in Ireland for six or so more years. She doesn't just stay in Ireland, mind you, she makes occasional trips about. She meets dozens of people. Are we supposed to care about these people? Maybe. And maybe some readers do. But I found it tedious to have Scarlett coming of age in Ireland. She'll spend a few months LOVING physical labor, working in the fields, the gardens, building the place up, restoring. She's got the role of peasant down wonderfully. She's one with the people. She's in solidarity with them. Earning their like for a bit. BUT when Scarlett's baby is born on Halloween, it's the beginning of the end. The folks just won't accept that Scarlett's baby isn't a witch. Is this logical? No. Of course not. Scarlett moves on from playing the  O'Hara and becomes utterly fascinated by horse racing and the English nobility. Or perhaps the Irish and English nobility? Anyway, she decides she likes rich people stuff again. How could she be happy just working the land when she could be going to all the house parties and meeting all the rich men???

Rhett Butler begins popping up here and there in Scarlett's new world. Maybe Rhett has always been interested in horse racing in England and Ireland? Maybe he is coming because she's there?

Scarlett has an affair with a British soldier. Charles something-or-other, I think. It's weird. It's awkward. She's using him. But to be fair, he doesn't mind at all.

Scarlett gets engaged to some noble. A count? A lord? Somebody. His characterization is thin at best. But again, readers know he won't matter even slightly. We do know that he cares a little too much about Kat (or Cat?) Scarlett's daughter. He thinks Scarlett will give him a son. (She can't.) And he wants it to be feisty and independent like Cat (Kat?). Though will he really want a son that he can't dominate??? I have questions.

Meanwhile, after a famine or drought, the peasants have gone on strike and have turned against everybody. EVERYBODY. Anybody with money is an enemy. Is this oversimplifying it???? Yes. Is it complex in the book? Maybe slightly more than I am giving it credit for. Is it still mostly shallow? YES.

Meanwhile, for the past five or six hundred pages, Scarlett has been having 'revelations' about how life and how to live. But they seem to be more fads than character changes. THAT BEING SAID, Scarlett does seem to have learned to love another human being more than herself. True, she hasn't learned to love more than one person more than herself. But for Cat (Kat?) she does seem to be selflessly inclined to put her daughter first.

Does Scarlett ever think about Wade and Ella? No. No. NEVER. She wouldn't dare feel maternal towards her other children. After taking up a LOT of text about how Scarlett has learned that she will NEVER EVER EVER EVER put Kat (Cat?) in a box and make her do anything she doesn't want to do, never try to shape her into being someone else, of following rules and fitting into society, she has the audacity to lecture Wade about WHO he has to be. Scarlett who has never valued education in the slightest is SHOCKED that Wade refuses to go to college. He must, he must, he must. Why? No one knows. It takes up more pages. Eventually, Will persuades her to let Wade be Wade and stay a farmer at Tara. Ella, well, poor thing she might get five mentions in the entire novel. Though that might be generous. Scarlett does not care even slightly for Wade and Ella.

Does Scarlett fight to maintain friendships? No. IF she's disappointed by a person, then that's it--mostly. She's not able to accept complex people with complex relationships. That being said, I found almost all her cousins annoying too. I don't blame Scarlett for being upset with the main person she's upset with. HE repeatedly lies to her, tricks her, uses her. His lies outweigh his truth.

The ending. Well, it ends. After eight million pages of NOTHING, it ends.

My main problem with the book is that it could have been a book around three hundred pages and it would have been decent. Not great perhaps but it could have been decent. I think the author WANTED a book as long as Gone with the Wind. But Gone with the Wind has PLOT, STORY, CHARACTERS. It has substance and depth. It has complexity. It has moral complexity. It has life. It was well-researched. It lives. Scarlett--the sequel--is SHALLOW and obnoxiously long.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

10. Jane Eyre

10. Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte. 1847. 532 pages. [Source: Library] [audiobook, classic, adult romance, 5 stars]

First sentence: There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.

Premise/plot: Can a plain, orphan governess find true love and a happily ever after? Yes, if she's willing to speak her own mind, stay true to herself, and fight for the one she loves. Jane's journey to her happily ever after certainly wasn't easy or typical. 

Jane Eyre, our heroine, is an orphan who never in her wildest dreams imagines living happily ever after. Raised by a cruel aunt and taunted by mean-spirited and selfish cousins, she only hopes to escape misery and find contentment--albeit humble. Her adventure--or misadventure--begins after graduating Loward School as she takes the position of governess at Thornfield Hall. There she meets her charming and precocious pupil, Adele, and the brooding Mr. Rochester. The two enjoy each other's company--perhaps because no one else quite understands them. But the two aren't courting--at least not at first. Jane falls for him. But is he falling for her? Could he fall for her? Does she want him to reciprocate her feelings? Could the master of the house and a governess ever marry and live happily ever after?! But it isn't just social class dividing these two--Mr. Rochester has a dark secret from his past that might prove a dangerous obstacle for our loving couple.

My thoughts: Jane Eyre is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite novels to read and reread. I cannot believe it's been five or six years since I last read and reviewed it!

Do you love Jane Eyre too? Do you have a favorite scene? a least favorite scene? What is your favorite adaptation? What scenes do you find essential in an adaptation?

Some of my favorite quotes:

He had been looking two minutes at the fire, and I had been looking the same length of time at him, when, turning suddenly, he caught my gaze fastened on his physiognomy. “You examine me, Miss Eyre,” said he: “do you think me handsome?” I should, if I had deliberated, have replied to this question by something conventionally vague and polite; but the answer somehow slipped from my tongue before I was aware—“No, sir.” “Ah! By my word! there is something singular about you,” said he: “you have the air of a little nonnette; quaint, quiet, grave, and simple, as you sit with your hands before you, and your eyes generally bent on the carpet (except, by-the-bye, when they are directed piercingly to my face; as just now, for instance); and when one asks you a question, or makes a remark to which you are obliged to reply, you rap out a round rejoinder, which, if not blunt, is at least brusque. What do you mean by it?” “Sir, I was too plain; I beg your pardon. I ought to have replied that it was not easy to give an impromptu answer to a question about appearances; that tastes mostly differ; and that beauty is of little consequence, or something of that sort.” “You ought to have replied no such thing. Beauty of little consequence, indeed! And so, under pretence of softening the previous outrage, of stroking and soothing me into placidity, you stick a sly penknife under my ear! Go on: what fault do you find with me, pray? I suppose I have all my limbs and all my features like any other man?” “Mr. Rochester, allow me to disown my first answer: I intended no pointed repartee: it was only a blunder.” “Just so: I think so: and you shall be answerable for it. Criticise me: does my forehead not please you?” He lifted up the sable waves of hair which lay horizontally over his brow, and showed a solid enough mass of intellectual organs, but an abrupt deficiency where the suave sign of benevolence should have risen. “Now, ma’am, am I a fool?” “Far from it, sir. You would, perhaps, think me rude if I inquired in return whether you are a philanthropist?”

“You looked very much puzzled, Miss Eyre; and though you are not pretty any more than I am handsome, yet a puzzled air becomes you; besides, it is convenient, for it keeps those searching eyes of yours away from my physiognomy, and busies them with the worsted flowers of the rug; so puzzle on. Young lady, I am disposed to be gregarious and communicative to-night.” With this announcement he rose from his chair, and stood, leaning his arm on the marble mantelpiece: in that attitude his shape was seen plainly as well as his face; his unusual breadth of chest, disproportionate almost to his length of limb. I am sure most people would have thought him an ugly man; yet there was so much unconscious pride in his port; so much ease in his demeanour; such a look of complete indifference to his own external appearance; so haughty a reliance on the power of other qualities, intrinsic or adventitious, to atone for the lack of mere personal attractiveness, that, in looking at him, one inevitably shared the indifference, and, even in a blind, imperfect sense, put faith in the confidence. “I am disposed to be gregarious and communicative to-night,” he repeated, “and that is why I sent for you: the fire and the chandelier were not sufficient company for me; nor would Pilot have been, for none of these can talk. Adèle is a degree better, but still far below the mark; Mrs. Fairfax ditto; you, I am persuaded, can suit me if you will: you puzzled me the first evening I invited you down here. I have almost forgotten you since: other ideas have driven yours from my head; but to-night I am resolved to be at ease; to dismiss what importunes, and recall what pleases. It would please me now to draw you out—to learn more of you—therefore speak.” Instead of speaking, I smiled; and not a very complacent or submissive smile either. “Speak,” he urged. “What about, sir?” “Whatever you like. I leave both the choice of subject and the manner of treating it entirely to yourself.” Accordingly I sat and said nothing: “If he expects me to talk for the mere sake of talking and showing off, he will find he has addressed himself to the wrong person,” I thought. “You are dumb, Miss Eyre.” I was dumb still. He bent his head a little towards me, and with a single hasty glance seemed to dive into my eyes. “Stubborn?” he said, “and annoyed. Ah! it is consistent. I put my request in an absurd, almost insolent form. Miss Eyre, I beg your pardon. The fact is, once for all, I don’t wish to treat you like an inferior: that is” (correcting himself), “I claim only such superiority as must result from twenty years’ difference in age and a century’s advance in experience. This is legitimate, et j’y tiens, as Adèle would say; and it is by virtue of this superiority, and this alone, that I desire you to have the goodness to talk to me a little now, and divert my thoughts, which are galled with dwelling on one point—cankering as a rusty nail.” He had deigned an explanation, almost an apology, and I did not feel insensible to his condescension, and would not seem so. “I am willing to amuse you, if I can, sir—quite willing; but I cannot introduce a topic, because how do I know what will interest you? Ask me questions, and I will do my best to answer them.”  

Besides, I know what sort of a mind I have placed in communication with my own: I know it is one not liable to take infection: it is a peculiar mind: it is a unique one. Happily I do not mean to harm it: but, if I did, it would not take harm from me. The more you and I converse, the better; for while I cannot blight you, you may refresh me.”

The ease of his manner freed me from painful restraint: the friendly frankness, as correct as cordial, with which he treated me, drew me to him. I felt at times as if he were my relation rather than my master: yet he was imperious sometimes still; but I did not mind that; I saw it was his way. So happy, so gratified did I become with this new interest added to life, that I ceased to pine after kindred: my thin crescent-destiny seemed to enlarge; the blanks of existence were filled up; my bodily health improved; I gathered flesh and strength. And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude, and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire. Yet I had not forgotten his faults; indeed, I could not, for he brought them frequently before me. He was proud, sardonic, harsh to inferiority of every description: in my secret soul I knew that his great kindness to me was balanced by unjust severity to many others. He was moody, too; unaccountably so; I more than once, when sent for to read to him, found him sitting in his library alone, with his head bent on his folded arms; and, when he looked up, a morose, almost a malignant, scowl blackened his features. But I believed that his moodiness, his harshness, and his former faults of morality (I say former, for now he seemed corrected of them) had their source in some cruel cross of fate. I believed he was naturally a man of better tendencies, higher principles, and purer tastes than such as circumstances had developed, education instilled, or destiny encouraged. I thought there were excellent materials in him; though for the present they hung together somewhat spoiled and tangled. I cannot deny that I grieved for his grief, whatever that was, and would have given much to assuage it. Though I had now extinguished my candle and was laid down in bed, I could not sleep for thinking of his look when he paused in the avenue, and told how his destiny had risen up before him, and dared him to be happy at Thornfield. 

I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously arrived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me.

“He is not to them what he is to me,” I thought: “he is not of their kind. I believe he is of mine;—I am sure he is—I feel akin to him—I understand the language of his countenance and movements: though rank and wealth sever us widely, I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him. Did I say, a few days since, that I had nothing to do with him but to receive my salary at his hands? Did I forbid myself to think of him in any other light than as a paymaster? Blasphemy against nature! Every good, true, vigorous feeling I have gathers impulsively round him. I know I must conceal my sentiments: I must smother hope; I must remember that he cannot care much for me. For when I say that I am of his kind, I do not mean that I have his force to influence, and his spell to attract; I mean only that I have certain tastes and feelings in common with him.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

123. The Blue Castle

123. The Blue Castle. L.M. Montgomery. 1926. 218 pages. [Audio book, Library, 5 Stars]


First sentence: If it had not rained on a certain May morning Valancy Stirling's whole life would have been entirely different. She would have gone, with the rest of her clan, to Aunt Wellington's engagement picnic and Dr. Trent would have gone to Montreal. But it did rain and you shall hear what happened because of it.

The Blue Castle is a giddy-making romance by one of my favorite authors, L.M. Montgomery. I LOVE so many of Montgomery's books, but this one is one of my favorite favorites. One of those perfectly perfect books. For readers who don't appreciate old-fashioned, sweet romances, it may not be exceptional. But for me, it is near perfect! 

Valancy Stirling is the heroine. An uncomfortable birthday is approaching, and she's never been in love, never even come close to falling in love. She hates the teasing she receives from her family because of her unmarried status. Hates it not only because it's rude, but because she longs for love, and aches for a happily ever after. She hates how everyone takes her for granted, how no one ever shows her any real consideration.

So one day Valancy decides to go to a doctor--a man who was not the official family doctor--with her symptoms of heart pain and palpitations. A family emergency calls the doctor away before he can share his diagnosis with her, but a letter arrives in the mail a few days letter, a letter with shocking news. SHE IS DYING. There are two things Valancy decides: 1) she will never, ever tell her family the news and 2) she will make all her own decisions and will start LIVING each day as if it were her very last.

The change in Valancy is oh-so-sudden and oh-so-shocking. The new Valancy has a voice, a loud voice, and a rebellious spirit. She will do things her way from now on. One of the first decisions she makes is that she will nurse a dying relative, Cissy, who is in disgrace with the family. She will keep house for "Roaring Abel." It is in her new position that she first meets Barney Snaith. And it is LOVE. The old Valancy would never have met him, would never have dared talk to him, but the new Valancy? Well, she has NOTHING to lose! So the two become friends--good friends. After Cissy's death, Valancy decides to take a big risk:

"I thought I'd run down and ask if there was anything I could do for you," said Barney.

Valancy took it with a canter.

"Yes, there is something you can do for me," she said, evenly and distinctly. "Will you marry me?"

For a moment Barney was silent. There was no particular expression on his face. Then he gave an odd laugh.

"Come, now! I knew luck was just waiting around the corner for me. All the signs have been pointing that way today."

"Wait." Valancy lifted her hand. "I'm in earnest--but I want to get my breath after that question. Of course, with my bringing up, I realize perfectly well that this is one of the things 'a lady should not do.'"

"But why--why?"

"For two reasons." Valancy was still a little breathless, but she looked Barney straight in the eyes while all the dead Stirlings revolved rapidly in their graves and the living ones did nothing because they did not know that Valancy was at that moment proposing lawful marriage to the notorious Barney Snaith. "The first reason is, I--I"--Valancy tried to say "I love you" but could not. She had to take refuge in a pretended flippancy. "I'm crazy about you. the second is--this."

She handed him Dr. Trent's letter.

Barney opened it with the air of a man thankful to find some safe, sane thing to do. As he read it his face changed. He understood--perhaps more than Valancy wanted him to.

"Are you sure nothing can be done for you?"

Valancy did not misunderstand the question.

"Yes. You know Dr. Trent's reputation in regard to heart disease. I haven't long to live--perhaps only a few months--a few weeks. I want to live them. I can't go back to Deerwood--you know what my life was like there. And"--she managed it this time--"I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's all." (127, 128)

Will Barney say yes?! Will Valancy have her one happy year of real living, of JOY?

I adore this book! I love the romance. I love the characterization. I love the descriptive writing!

Favorite quotes:

Valancy never persisted. She was afraid to.

They never knew that Valancy had two homes--the ugly red brick box of a home, on Elm Street, and the Blue Castle in Spain. Valancy had lived spiritually in the Blue Castle ever since she could remember...

Reality pressed on her too hardly, barking at her heels like a maddening little dog.

Dr. Trent was over seventy and there had been rumours that he meant to retire soon. None of the Stirling clan had ever gone to him since he had told Cousin Gladys, ten years before, that her neuritis was all imaginary and that she enjoyed it. You couldn't patronise a doctor who insulted your first-cousin-once-removed like that--not to mention that he was a Presbyterian when all the Stirlings went to the Anglican church. But Valancy, between the devil of disloyalty to clan and the deep sea of fuss and clatter and advice, thought she would take a chance with the devil.

Fear--fear--fear--she could never escape from it. It bound her and enmeshed her like a spider's web of steel.

"Fear is the original sin," wrote John Foster. "Almost all the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that some one is afraid of something. It is a cold, slimy serpent coiling about you. It is horrible to live with fear; and it is of all things degrading."

"'If you can sit in silence with a person for half an hour and yet be entirely comfortable, you and that person can be friends. If you cannot, friends you'll never be and you need not waste time in trying.'"

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

121. Anne's House of Dreams

Anne's House of Dreams. L.M. Montgomery. 1919. 227 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: “Thanks be, I’m done with geometry, learning or teaching it,” said Anne Shirley, a trifle vindictively, as she thumped a somewhat battered volume of Euclid into a big chest of books, banged the lid in triumph, and sat down upon it, looking at Diana Wright across the Green Gables garret, with gray eyes that were like a morning sky.

 ETA: I don't know how many times I've read this series--dozens??? scores???? My most recent read through is December 2025...and I listened to the audio book. It is just as magical as when I first discovered the series in the late 1980s. 

Premise/plot: Anne Shirley marries Gilbert Blythe in this oh-so-lovely, oh-so-charming book by L.M. Montgomery. Technically, it is the sequel to Anne of the Island! Anne of Windy Poplars was written in the 1930s, decades after Anne's House of Dreams. In this Anne book, the happily married couple settle down in their first home together near Four Winds Harbor and Glen St. Mary. 

Anne's House of Dreams introduces many new characters--some of my favorites I admit--Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia, Leslie Moore, Owen Ford. Marshall Elliot. Susan Baker. Who would ever want to forget their stories? Captain Jim's life-book. Leslie Moore's tragic past but enduring spirit. Miss Cornelia. She's got to be one-of-a-kind. Just a truly spirited character with so much heart and full of gumption. Practically everything out of her mouth is quotable. She sure is great at banter!

My thoughts: I love and adore this one!!! I love how emotionally satisfying it is. The Anne books may have sweet moments, but they pack in reality as well. No one can make me cry like L.M. Montgomery.

Quotes: 

“Stoutness and slimness seem to be matters of predestination,” said Anne.

Jane was not brilliant, and had probably never made a remark worth listening to in her life; but she never said anything that would hurt anyone’s feelings — which may be a negative talent but is likewise a rare and enviable one.

“I’ve heard you criticise ministers pretty sharply yourself,” teased Anne. “Yes, but I do it reverently,” protested Mrs. Lynde. “You never heard me NICKNAME a minister.” Anne smothered a smile.

Their happiness was in each other’s keeping and both were unafraid. 

“Miss Cornelia Bryant. She’ll likely be over to see you soon, seeing you’re Presbyterians. If you were Methodists she wouldn’t come at all. Cornelia has a holy horror of Methodists.”

“I know we are going to be friends,” said Anne, with the smile that only they of the household of faith ever saw. “Yes, we are, dearie. Thank goodness, we can choose our friends. We have to take our relatives as they are, and be thankful if there are no penitentiary birds among them. Not that I’ve many — none nearer than second cousins. I’m a kind of lonely soul, Mrs. Blythe.” There was a wistful note in Miss Cornelia’s voice.

“Were you able to eat enough pie to please her?” “I wasn’t. Gilbert won her heart by eating — I won’t tell you how much. She said she never knew a man who didn’t like pie better than his Bible. Do you know, I love Miss Cornelia.”

“Our library isn’t very extensive,” said Anne, “but every book in it is a FRIEND. We’ve picked our books up through the years, here and there, never buying one until we had first read it and knew that it belonged to the race of Joseph.”

A woman cannot ever be sure of not being married till she is buried, Mrs. Doctor, dear, and meanwhile I will make a batch of cherry pies.

“I wonder why people so commonly suppose that if two individuals are both writers they must therefore be hugely congenial,” said Anne, rather scornfully. “Nobody would expect two blacksmiths to be violently attracted toward each other merely because they were both blacksmiths.”

The p’int of good writing is to know when to stop.

There’s only the one safe compass and we’ve got to set our course by that — what it’s right to do.

Logic is a sort of hard, merciless thing, I reckon.

“Since you are determined to be married, Miss Cornelia,” said Gilbert solemnly, “I shall give you the excellent rules for the management of a husband which my grandmother gave my mother when she married my father.” “Well, I reckon I can manage Marshall Elliott,” said Miss Cornelia placidly. “But let us hear your rules.” “The first one is, catch him.” “He’s caught. Go on.” “The second one is, feed him well.” “With enough pie. What next?” “The third and fourth are — keep your eye on him.” “I believe you,” said Miss Cornelia emphatically.

Cats is cats, and take my word for it, they will never be anything else.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade. (McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance). Sian Ann Bessey. 2025. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical romance, time travel]

First sentence: Isla Crawford stared at the email on her screen and frowned.

Premise/plot: Isla was supposed to dress up as Wendy (from Peter Pan) for the costume party. However, the owner of the costume shop, Miss McQuivey, insists she tries on another costume first. She is quite insistent not taking no for an answer. As soon as the costume is on and she steps out of the dressing room, Isla finds herself in 1605 just in time to "save" England from Guy Fawkes' deadly plan. She also obviously has to fall in love. Part of saving England is pretending to be engaged to Simon Hartworth (Lord Bancroft). So obviously they have to fall in love for real.

My thoughts: I was disappointed. I will try to explain why. Time travel is one of my favorite sub-genres. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, I tend to enjoy the genre. SO my expectations were high. This is not like any time travel novel I've read. She is ALL about telling anyone/everyone that she is a time traveler from the future. She not only tells about the future in great detail, she tells about the present time (1605) in detail as well. She not only tells about the present she interferes with the present. Almost every 'rule' that accompanies time travel is broken intentionally in this one. The time travel didn't feel fleshed out as such, it seemed like a flimsy plot device. I also didn't care for how the point of view would switch to Guy Fawkes and co-conspirators randomly. I thought those were unnecessary. I did appreciate that it was clean romance. And the romance was enjoyable enough. But I didn't "need" it to be about Guy Fawkes for it to work as a romance.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

106. Echoes of the Sea

106. Echoes of the Sea. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult romance, adult historical, proper romance, clean romance, time travel]

First sentence: Tennyson Lamont's death was proving increasingly inconvenient. That Kipling had lost his job as a result of that ill-timed demise was particularly annoying.

Premise/plot: Echoes of the Sea is the second novel in the Storm Tide series. Both novels are stand alone novels. They share a premise--stormy seas, green lightning, travel through time--but not characters or time periods.

Kipling Summerfield, the time-traveling hero, is an actor--an out-of-work actor, perhaps, but an actor all the same. His friend, Malcolm, points him in the direction of a new job: working as an actor at an estate as a historical re-enactor. But before he can arrive as his new job, he experiences being lost at sea--quite literally--and lost in time. Though he is SLOW, SLOW, SUPER SLOW in realizing that he's traveled from the 2020s to 1803!

Amelia Archibald, our nineteenth century heroine, is a "dependent," "poor" relation that has been "raised" by her uncle. Now that her grandfather has died, there are conditions for her inheritance, and these conditions are quite disagreeable. She'll have to stay at the family's estate on Guilford Island--an island that is surrounded by stormy seas and known for its peculiar nature. She will have to 'prove' that she can manage the estate and make considerable improvements on it. The problem? Well, she can't physically leave the island. And the island residents may number four or five--and some of those are children. So how is she to find anyone to make repairs and improvements?

When Kipling arrives in 1803, he may just be an answer to Amelia's prayers. Though both have their reservations about the future....

My thoughts: I LOVED this one. Did I love it more than the first book? NO. Did I love it less than the first book? No. Just differently. The stories are definitely unique. This one is focused more on ONE time and only one time. The drama is coming from Amelia's uncle and his chosen suitor for Amelia. This one is lighter on drama and perhaps sweeter on romance. There's also less fighting between the two main characters.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

101. The Other Side of Now

101. The Other Side of Now. Paige Harbison. 2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [adult romance, 3 stars]

First sentence: I pull the trigger over and over and over as the increasingly feeble stream of water fails to propel my tiny horse as fast as I want it to go.

Premise/plot: Meg Bryan, our heroine, is given a unique opportunity to see what her life could have been like if she'd made another choice as a teenager. The choice to go or stay. To go to a small Irish village and attend college/university (Avalon) OR to stay in Florida. Whatever she chooses, she wants her best friend Aimee to choose as well. She chose to stay and ends up moving to LA where she's a soap star, or prime soap star, perhaps. Aimee, well, less said the better. Crazy unhappy, she books an impulsive trip to Ireland, to Avalon. That trip shows her the other side--what might have been. And EVERYTHING is different. But is different better?

My thoughts: The premise kept me reading. Honestly though, I found both versions of Meg [aka Lana Lord, her stage name] to be insufferable--though in different ways. Because the truth of the matter is we almost get three main characters. Lana Lord who is a soap star. Other-Meg who lives in Ireland and we just hear about her from everyone else. Lana-living-Meg's-life is who we spend the most time with. She is essentially "taking over" Other Meg's life, impersonating her, befriending her friends, falling in love with Other Meg's boyfriend. She is learning life lessons because she sees the mistakes of both Other Meg and Lana Lord.

I wanted to like this one. I liked it well enough--barely. I didn't really "like" the main character.

How adult was it? It had one fairly graphic sex scene. It could have been a LOT worse, I know for being adult romance. (Surely one of my least read genres for a reason. Except for clean romances.)



© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

98. Whispers of Shadowbrook House

98. Whispers of Shadowbrook House. Rebecca Anderson. 2025. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, adult historical, adult romance, 3 stars]

First sentence: The rolling River Hamble weaves through land grown think with trees.

Premise/plot: Whispers of Shadowbrook House is a clean, gothic romance set in Victorian England. Oliver Waverly, the male main character, has returned to Shadowbrook House. He's not inherited--yet. He's unsure of the welcome he'll receive from his eccentric, reclusive uncle [or great uncle?]. His childhood was not the coziest--far from it. Pearl Ellicott is governess to young Maxwell, a sickly boy not expected to live to adulthood. Maxwell, I believe, is the grandson of the 'eccentric' uncle of Oliver. (Though I think he may be illegitimate? or the son of a daughter who can't inherit?) Pearl and Oliver take a great liking to one another. Pearl, Oliver, and Maxwell are soon often in each other's company. Maxwell has several health scares. Oliver and Pearl disagree on the best treatment for him. Pearl sides with the boy's grandfather in using the local doctor. Oliver wants the boy to see a specialist from the city. There's some conflict between the two because of disagreements about what is best for Maxwell and what is best for Shadowbrook (estate). He wants to sell when he inherits. Can Oliver and Pearl work out their differences and have a happily ever after?

My thoughts: Whispers of Shadowbrook is an almost for me. I wanted to love it. I didn't quite love it.

I enjoyed the characters of Oliver and Pearl and Maxwell. These three characters by far are the most developed in the novel. I wanted Oliver and Pearl to work out their differences. I enjoyed Maxwell.

I liked but didn't love the setting. The book is aiming to be gothic, to be vaguely spooky. I think this felt a bit forced. I did LIKE the hidden tunnels and rooms. I did like the old house with secrets yet to be discovered vibes. But I didn't like the way it felt forced to make the house be somehow, someway supernatural. I didn't want hints of is this house haunted? I didn't want the house to have feelings, needs, wants, etc.

I did NOT care for the spiritualist/medium story line. I get that this was legitimately 'a thing' that was trendy at the time. It is not out of line with history. I just hated the focus being on let's talk with dead people to see if we can heal the house, heal Maxwell, heal Pearl, heal all that live in the house. If only they'd make peace with their dead relatives, their futures will be brighter and happier.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

62. The Rules of Matrimony

62. The Rules of Matrimony (Matchmaking Mama #4) Anneka R. Walker. 2025. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult romance, proper romance, clean romance, historical fiction, historical romance]

First sentence: Ian met his father's glare with a fiery one of his own, showing the man less respect than he had probably ever received in his life, and set his hand down firmly on the black-walnut desk between them.

Premise/plot: Ian Reynolds has NO intentions of ever marrying, or, at the very least marrying for love. A life of politics, that's the life for him. However, when he finds himself 'accidentally' engaged to Amie Tyler, he come prepares with a list of rules, or, guidelines for their marriage. Amie never intended to make anything up, to lie. To get out of a socially awkward moment, she claims she's engaged....to a dead man. She is literally reading a name from a nearby tombstone! Yet, Lord Reynolds hears of this and has his own reasons for allowing the misconception to continue. A marriage of convenience may be just the thing to 'save' them both. But some rules are hard to keep....

My thoughts: I liked this one well enough. It was predictable. This could be a great thing for most readers. And I like predictable romances myself most of the time. It was enjoyable. I really strongly prefer clean romance. I won't allow myself to knowingly read the other. (My choice. I don't judge other people's choices.) I felt some of the obstacles were slightly silly. In that a simple conversation or two could clear up everything quickly. But that's somewhat typical. Overall, I liked it.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

54. The Girls in the Picture

54. The Girls in the Picture. Melanie Benjamin. 2018. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, adult fiction, adult historical fiction, Golden Age Hollywood, silent films]

First sentence: Lately the line between real life and movies has begun to blur. 

Premise/plot: The Girls in the Picture is the story of a troubled friendship between Frances Marion (writer, scenarist, director) and Mary Pickford (silent film actress, celebrity, half of a power couple). These two met in the early-early days of silent films, even before films moved to Hollywood, before there was HOLLYWOOD. This one roughly covers the span of 1914 through 1932. Chapters alternate between these two narrators. Readers learn about famous directors, movie studios, actors and actresses, and details about how the movie making business got its start. These are real actors, actresses, directors, movies being mentioned. For example, Frances Marion wrote The Poor Little Rich Girl which was one of Mary Pickford's biggest hits. While it doesn't cover every movie in which either was involved, it does plenty of name dropping.

While there is romance in both their lives--Frances with Fred Thomson (silent cowboy movie star) and Mary Pickford with Douglas Fairbanks (silent film star)--the focus mainly is on the complexity of their decades long friendship.

My thoughts: I have been meaning to read this one for years. When I started deep diving into silent films earlier this year, I knew the time was finally right. My months watching silent films and my experiences watching several documentaries about silent films helped greatly bring this one to life. (For those that are curious--though no one is that curious--Buster Keaton gets one mention as a pall bearer to Fred Thomson.)

I definitely enjoyed this one. I thought it was well researched and definitely worth reading.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

46. The Tides of Time

46. The Tides of Time. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, time travel, adult romance, historical fiction]

First sentence: Lili Minet had a price on her head. She stood in the shadows inside Saint Catherine's Church alongside a family she'd known for only a few days, hopeful that the reward for her capture would increase before the day's end. As far as she knew, no one had facilitated the escape of more people from the clutches of the Tribunal revolutionnaire than she. Four more individuals would, that evening, be added to the seventy-two already rightly credited to her.

Premise/plot: The Tides of Time is a TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE. Those three words may be enough of a hook for some readers. (It was for me). Lili Minet, our heroine, is on the run for her life in 1793 during the French Revolution. She's been helping people escape, but, her luck may have just run out. One of those searching desperately for her--for her harm--is her brother who is in full support of the revolution and the guillotine. When stormy seas lead to her being tossed overboard, she finds herself rescued by a lightkeeper, Armitage Pierce, off the coast of Loftstone Island....in 1873. As the weeks go by she adjusts to the strangeness of her situation. She loves Armitage and his grandfather. She loves the community on the island. She loves her new found-family. She can't quite forget her own brother--for good reason--nor the France she left behind. The Tides of Time can be cruel or kind--or both. 

My thoughts: I LOVE this one. I do. Time travel is going to always have great potential for me. This publisher is known for clean romance, another win for me.

There are TWO things that might be off-putting to potential readers. (They weren't at all for me.) One, Lili speaks a mixture of English and French. There is a strong sprinkling of French phrases and sentences. It makes sense for the story. She is a French woman--obviously French is going to be her primary language, her first language, the language that she would speak especially when stressed or out of sorts. Two, the DIALECT of the island could be offputting. "She/her" "He/Him" "We/Us" essentially all the pronouns have vastly different usage.  For example, "Her isn't hostile to me." "A calculated decision, that. I watched she make it." 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

102. Christmas Eve Love Story

Christmas Eve love Story. Ginny Baird. 2024. 416 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars] [adult romance, mostly clean romance, holiday, Christmas, time loops, fantasy]

First sentence: Annie Jones hurried out of the snow and in through the employee entrance at Lawson's Finest in her red knitted pom-pom hat and peacoat, clocking in on her department store app, and---ahh!--almost mowing down Santa.

Premise/plot: Annie Jones is entering the twilight zone. Mostly. This holiday romance features a time loop [on Christmas Eve] where the heroine has twelve chances to make a good 'first impression' on security guard, Braden Tate. Of course, that isn't the only thing she must get right to make it to Christmas morning. There are twelve cycles of Christmas Eves. Some things change. Some things are inevitable. 

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I did. Did it *need* to be 416 pages? Probably not. Honestly I think it would have been better at about 350-ish pages. However, the repetitiveness helped me at times get caught back up of the story. The truth is, I started this one in mid-November, it got moved in the library stack, I forgot about it completely, then picked it up yesterday and read the rest of the book. So I read the first half of the book in one sitting and the last half of the book in one sitting--but three weeks in between. Again, I enjoyed this one. If this was a movie, no doubt, I'd watch it--probably again and again depending on how well it's done.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

22. Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame

Mrs. Quinn's Rise To Fame. Olivia Ford. 2024. 384 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It was a December night, the sort which usually makes being inside feel wonderfully cozy, but tonight it didn't. 

Premise/plot: Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame is a "coming-of-old-age" story. (To be clear, "coming of old age" is on the publisher description of the book. I didn't come up with the phrase). Jenny Quinn loves, loves, loves, LOVES to bake. But as much as baking has saved her--in a way--she can't help feeling a little out of sorts and empty. She decides somewhat impulsively that it's time to do something "risky," and apply to a television show--Britain Bakes. She keeps her application and audition secret from her husband, Bernard. The two have been married almost sixty years, but, there are a few things he doesn't know about her. And it is one very big secret that is eating away at her one bite at a time. 

My thoughts: I mostly enjoy Great British Bake-Off. I don't always love the un-funny, often crude jokes. Some of the hosts have been absolutely awful. But the contestants and the baking are very enjoyable to follow. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Call the Midwife. Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame was a good fit for me. 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

174. The Queen and the Knave

The Queen and the Knave (Dread Penny Society #5) Sarah M. Eden. 2023. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult historical romance]

First sentence: Moirin Donnelly had been called a great many things in her twenty-seven years, but "naive" was not one of them.

Premise/plot: The Queen and the Knave is the final book in the Dread Penny Society clean romance series set in Victorian England. I've read, reviewed, and loved them all. Each novel stars its own heroine (and romantic hero), but characters from ALL the book series are present and part of the continuing story. The novels also include penny dreadful novellas written from the fictional characters. 

This one is all about the SHOW DOWN between the good guys and the bad guys. In many ways, all the books have been leading up to this big show down... This one is more action-based than previous ones. 

My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this one. I have always looked forward to reading the new book in the series each year. I do think the series resolved well. I wish I had time to reread the whole series and revisit all the couples.

I would recommend if you enjoy [clean] historical romance novels with some mystery and suspense.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

157. The Blonde Identity

The Blonde Identity. Ally Carter. 2023. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [spy thriller; adult fiction; adult romance]

First sentence: Here's the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you're waking up in Paris. 

Premise/plot: The Blonde Identity is a premise-driven spy thriller with a dose of romance. The main character, Zoe, finds herself waking up in the middle of a Parisian street injured. She's discovered soon after, by "Hot Guy," aka Sawyer. He thinks that Zoe is Alex, at least for a few seconds. He soon realizes that Alex--someone he knows very well--must have an identical twin sister. Alex may be an agent and able to take care of herself, but, Zoe seems vulnerable, unable to take care of herself in this new reality. The BAD GUYS are after Alex and want her dead. Zoe's life is in danger...at least until Alex turns up again...maybe longer than that. So Sawyer decides to help her--but is he trustworthy? Will Zoe ever get her memory back?

My thoughts: Imagine two book manuscripts from two different genres being shuffled together. The good news is that I think fans of adult romance novels will probably find it to their liking. It is very rom-com. Sawyer and Zoe in dozens of different scenarios--having somewhat enjoyable banter back and forth. There's insta attraction and lust. (Though some restraint.) Circumstances keep throwing them together into compromising positions. It is super predictable. I think it is more romance than some readers might prefer. Maybe. Again, I'm just one person. I liked this one okay.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

154. Love, Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog

Love, Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog. W. Bruce Cameron. 2023. [January] 336 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction; animal fantasy; rom-com]

First sentence: Dear Diary, The cat is despicable. Even her name is dreadful: Kelsey. My name, Clancy, carries with it all the fun and love that a wonderful dog can bring to the world. 

Premise/plot: Though W. Bruce Cameron does write for children often, this is an adult novel. 

Clancy's person, his human, is JayB. JayB is currently in-between jobs...but his life is far from dull. He's got a "girlfriend" (Maddy) he can't seem to shake off. (They went on maybe two dates, she ended the relationship; she is a bit, well, a character for sure.) He's got an elderly neighbor, Helen, who has a dog named Odin. There are other dogs and other neighbors as well.... Everyone assumes that JayB is a dog walker and treats him accordingly.

His father, Walter, has teamed up with his so-called "best friend" Rodney...which is proving concerting. Rodney seems to see Walter as big money. (Walter being gullible and Rodney being scummy).

There are MANY adventures and misadventures--this is more COM than rom-com. But the romance is definitely there...if you wait for it. 

My thoughts: I don't know that I've ever read a novel told first person from a dog's point of view. I've read dozens if not hundreds of children's novels from pets points of view. Clancy is a good dog. Obviously. There is a dog on the cover...do you need to be warned? Yes and no. No, in that this is an adult novel and I don't know that adult readers are as super-sensitive as younger readers are. Yes, in that, well, there are some sad scenes in this one. 

This is a smooth-flowing often humorous romp. I could see it easily being adapted into a rom-com. I think it works well for what it is. Silly, adventurous, full of characters that are CHARACTERS.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

121. Five First Chances

Five First Chances. Sarah Jost. 2023. [April] 400 pages. [Source: Library] [Adult Romance; Science Fiction; Time Loops]

First sentence: Baby elephants can die of loneliness. I'm hiding at the darker end of the room, in this village pub erected so close to the church that either would crumble without the other.

Premise/plot: Do you NEED to know the ins and outs of this sci-fi romantic drama? Is this the case of the less you know the better your experience? Perhaps. So I'll keep this short. 

Lou (Louise) is attending a funeral with her friend Yuki (a former roommate). Nick's funeral is an odd place, perhaps, for Lou to be. She barely knew him. A friend of a friend. The majority of this one is a series of time loops--five to be exact. Lou finds herself stuck in a time loop. The loop starts with her attending Yuki's birthday party several years before. This is the party where she meets Nick. (This is also the party where she gets an unexpected text message from an ex.) Each loop plays out differently.... will Lou ever "get it right"?

My thoughts: I enjoy fictional time loops. It's one of my favorite sub-sub-genres of science fiction. This one blends romantic drama into the mix. There are a handful of characters: a blend of Lou's family and mutual(ish) friends of Lou and Yuki. There are differences in each time loop--for example, who Yuki ends up dating--but similarities as well. This is one of those books that's definitely meant to be one of those "meaning of life" books, an adult "coming of age" story, if you will. Lou is on a journey of self-discovery/transformation. Each trip in the loop changes her perspective on the meaning of life, and the meaning of HER life specifically. 

Is it a clean read? I would say the graphic-ness of this one is kept to a minimum. There are a handful of sex scenes throughout the book. But instead of say taking up an entire chapter, it's a few sentences. It isn't quite fade to black, but almost.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

90. The Choice

The Choice. Gillian McAllister. 2020/2017. 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It starts with a selfie. He is a random; we are not even sure of his name. We are always meeting them whenever we go out. Laura says it's because I look friendly. I think it's because I am always daydreaming, making up lives for people as I stare at them, and they think I'm inviting them over to chat.

Premise/plot: Joanna Oliva has a choice to make--a big one. She's been followed home from the bar--or she thinks she has. Someone is in pursuit, she can hear his steady footsteps, getting closer, closer. What happens next is quick, fast, and life-changing. He falls--she pushes? Should she flee the scene? stay and help? Report the crime? Or try to cover it up? The novel alternates between her choice(s). One set of chapters is the 'reveal'--what happens when she reports the accident. The other set of chapters is the 'conceal'--what happens when she flees the scene and does not tell anyone about the accident. The facts do differ in the two stories--a bit. Because her choice will have consequences on the guy in question...

The book is told in first person narrative. The readers get to know Joanna's friends and family through both choices...

My thoughts: It is compelling without a doubt. I had to keep reading to figure out which choice--if either--was better or better for her. I don't know that the ending was ultimately satisfying to me. (The two choices lead to the exact same ending as the two Joanna's merge, if you will). But if you are looking for a book that's hard to put down to read in a single weekend, or perhaps even a single sitting, this one may satisfy. It is set in the UK. It's format is unique, I think.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews