Loading summary
Transcript136 lines
- [00:01]
A
Ooh, from Aldi. Nice.
- [00:04]
B
Someone's like, you know, it has aspartame in it. I said, you know what? We're not gonna live long enough for that to affect me as a species, so I'm not worried about it. Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.
- [00:27]
A
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [00:30]
B
This is a conversational podcast about book more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And this week we are talking about romantic suspense.
- [00:41]
A
If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And if you have a quick minute, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on social media. It truly helps us connect with other book lovers.
- [00:58]
B
Hey, Hannah.
- [00:59]
A
Hey, Tina. How are you doing today?
- [01:02]
B
I mean, fantastic. How are you?
- [01:04]
A
Also fantastic. Right when I came on the episode, I was like, oh my gosh, I'm so excited. I did this. I did this. I gave Tina the update on every single thing that I've done today, so she's fully filled in. I'm feeling good.
- [01:18]
B
I love it though. I like to, you know, do a quick check in. We're both feeling great right now. I've also had a busy day back to back stuff to do, but I'm ready to talk about romantic suspense. And before we started recording, I texted Jonathan a screenshot from our Slack chat. Between you and I, when I 2 days ago literally messaged you in a panic and I was like, excuse me, I must confess what the is romantic suspense. And Jonathan goes, oh, God, but I love that we chose this. And we'll kind of get into what we think it is, what the Internet tells us it is, and sort of why we thought it would be fun. But it was actually sort of a listener suggestion that kicked us off. Obviously, this is the month of love. Hannah loves romance, I love thrillers, and we thought this would be fun to tie them together. And then we were like, this is actually already a genre.
- [02:16]
A
Yeah, it is, but thankfully I. Well, I shouldn't say thankfully. I guess not thankfully, but when Tina messaged me that last week, I was like, I'm so glad you asked because I also have some questions, but I think that will lead us into a really interesting discussion. And even though I even have some questions on whether the books I am bringing today count or not, it was still a really fun reading project. And I'm glad that we're going to be able to talk about it a little bit more.
- [02:45]
B
Exactly. And if we have any proper romantic suspense readers listening right now, I apologize in advance. We really are trying. And I sort of was like, I know it's a thing. And then the more I got got into my research after I had selected my books, by the way, I was like, oh, oh, this is a thing. Thing. Like there are big sub communities.
- [03:08]
A
There's a formula.
- [03:09]
B
There is a formula. There's a proper definition. So we'll dive right in. But before we do all of that, I wanted to share my loving lately. And at this point you, if you've been around me for the last two months, are sick and tired of hearing me talk about this. And I don't care who my loving lately truly is. The gym that we've been going to, it is called Vasa V A S A Fitness. And here's the thing, I obviously this is a very regional recommendation. They are not in every state. They are in many states, but they are not in every state. It looks like there's only maybe eight states so far, but I think I wanted to sort of recommend it specifically, but also give you more insight as to why I'm loving it so much. So what Vasa is, it's a big gym and, and they have this premium membership where not only do you get access to the gym, you get access to everything. I am talking their sauna, their steam room, pool, hot tub, there's basketball courts, there is Zumba, there's strength classes, yoga, red light therapy. And then the thing that I've really been loving, which is called their red zone. And it's basically high intensity workouts. And so it is when you go in, it is an hour long class and there's four sections in each section. Action one's treadmill, there's bike and there's TRX machines and bench. And you basically go for nine minutes at each of the stations. This works for me perfectly because you go in there and it's brain off. Someone's just telling you what to do. Like give me the exercise for that particular group and then you do it. And I love it. I turn my brain off, I get in my body for an hour. And the best thing too about this gym is that they have kid care. So for it's an additional fee, but it's literally $35 a month for two Kids Unlimited. Now it's only 90 minutes a day. But I was like, baby, I would pay. Well, let me not say that because I don't want them to raise their prices. But I was like, $35. I have spent that on way worse things. So we go drop the girls off, they play with them, they have fun, they do their kid yoga, watch whatever. Danny, go. And then we go work out. And it's been the best thing ever. Yesterday I got to do a red light therapy. I did our red zone class. Even had this little massage chair. I am loving it. If you're in Illinois or one of the other states that has a Vasa, I couldn't recommend them more highly. Let me know, I'll send you my code. I can get a free month or something, I'm sure if I, you know, recommend people. But more than that, I am recommending this because one, it's literally something I've been obsessed with. But two, I think it is something that I am encouraging other people to look into. I love working out, but I can never find time to do it, especially with kids because you're always, you know, taking them from here to there. They're going to school, there's this appointment, that appointment. But I think if you're able to find a gym that has kid care, it really changed things for me. It's been two months of going consistently and I'm really happy about it. I love it. And that's my pitch, man. It's been a great time. My loving lately is Vasa Fitness. Yeah.
- [06:23]
A
I was looking up the website while you were talking. You had mentioned it was regional. They do have other states, which I know you mentioned later on in your pitch. But if you live in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah or Wisconsin, there are locations. So I know reach out to Tina and maybe. Did you say you have a code or something?
- [06:46]
B
I think I do. They always talk about it. I've never actually done it, but they're like, share this code. I'm like, okay, I will. And anyway, I've just been having a great time with it, but sort of my broader recommendation is high intensity workouts, but also just finding a gym that has kid care if you have little kids. And that sort of makes sense given what you're able to do. It's just not even something I even thought was a possibility. Like I was like, how are we going to make this work? My husband could go and then we switch and this and that. I'm like, that doesn't make sense. But now we all get to go together. And they love it too. It's been the best.
- [07:18]
A
What good time for you and John too. Even if it's not necessarily a date night or whatever. It's still something that you get to do together as a team and not have two little ones yapping at you the whole time.
- [07:30]
B
I know. And it's fun. When we're in class together, you have to sign up and pick a station. So sometimes we're not next to each other. And yesterday John was like, standing close to me because whatever. And the guy was like, oh, don't elbow him in the head. I was like, eh, it's just my husband. It's fine. And it was just. It's like, funny to me. I'm like, I don't know. It's fun to, like, see him in a different context. I know he came. He came up behind me at the water fountain. And I was like, ah. Because I had forgotten he had met me there after track. And I was like, oh, my God, you're here. Like, he's like, you knew I would be here. But anyway, it's just been a really great time, so I'm having a blast.
- [08:04]
A
So fun. Well, I am having a blast with my Loving lately too, which is an account that I have been following. I literally discovered her this week, and I every single day wait for her to come out out with a new video. And it's Wicked Confections. She spells her handle W I C K D. So it's kind of like a shortened version of Wicked, Wicked Confections. And she focuses on food for her content. She is doing a series this month, though, of Lost Black recipes and whether or not they still, you know, slap or not. And it's been really fun because she doesn't try these recipes beforehand. So some of these recipes are things that she's never tried. And she also has really good commentary while she is talking about the food that she's making. And she's just so authentic. I watched an episode, I watched a video that she did this morning, and I don't think it was for this particular series. I think it was just a different kind of recipe that she was trying and. And she really didn't like it. And it was just fun because you really know that you're getting this really authentic response. Because sometimes she is like, I loved this. It was really good. Here's what I liked about it. Here's what I didn't. And sometimes she tries it and she's like, if you bring this to the potluck, you're gonna have leftovers. It's bad. I just really like her. She's funny. I feel like she's really in tune with her audience. Her videos too are really well produced. They have a really high production value, which is just kind of fun sometimes. But I have really been enjoying her content and specifically this series that she has been doing in the month of February. So worth a follow. That is Wicked Confections. And I've mostly been watching her videos on Instagram.
- [10:00]
B
I love this recommendation. I just pulled her up as you were talking and the first thing that hit me, I'm like, oh, excuse me. The production is.
- [10:06]
A
Yes, beautiful. I'm like, beautiful.
- [10:09]
B
Love it. Love recommendation. Okay, so let's dive into our latest reads. I have been waiting with bated breath to share this with you all, because my latest read is Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston, and I'm holding my copy up and showing Hannah. Would you look at the water damage on this? I brought it in the hot tub when we were in Florida. I don't care, baby.
- [10:32]
A
It's a memory.
- [10:33]
B
It's a memory. You feel me? And also, would you please look at this first page? Now, don't look too closely if you're watching us on YouTube, because I. I do write spoilers in this. It's me. But look at how many flipping notes are in this one. You got a lot. There's a lot, if you're not familiar. Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston is a book that I was highly looking forward to for this year. You're following two women in it. One is named Camille and the other is named Aubrey. Camille has this picture perfect life. On the surface, she's married to a hotshot lawyer and the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family, only nothing is as it seems. Of course, Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can't find proof because he tracks every move she makes. Then you have Aubrey. She's been haunted by something bad that happened to her years ago, and she's convinced that Benjamin Bayless knows something about it. Benjamin is Camille's husband. She lives on the periphery and she enjoys her life. Maybe things aren't exactly how she would like them to be, but she is living with people that she likes and, you know, respects. And she thinks she's found her way into figuring out who Ben is and what he knows. And together, Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. And it sounds simple. They're basically going to take over each other's life for 12 hours. Aubrey's going to take Camille's place because her husband's tracking her and she's going to, like, pretend to do all the things that Camille's supposed to do. Meanwhile, Camille's free to do whatever it is she wants to do. And you don't know in the beginning what. You obviously do find out. And then the next morning, poor Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it now. I thought this book was something different before I picked it up. I did not read the synopsis. I really liked her book, first lie win. So I was like, I don't know. I don't care what it's about. I'm going to read it. I thought these women at the beginning of the book were going to be creating an alibi for each other, but no, they were doing something different and sort of. They were creating an alibi, but it was unrelated to the murder. The murder was just something that happened that was a. A big wrench in their plan, if you will. Here's what I will say. I had a great time with this one. I recommend that you do it in print because there's a lot going on. You have multiple characters. You've got multiple timelines. You also have different timelines. So one of them is moving forward, the other is moving backward. And I tried the audio at first, and I was like, I don't know what's going on here. So I highly recommend you do print or ebook and maybe do a tandem read if you do the audio. The audio is well narrated, but I recommend having the book in front of you so you can sort of follow along better. There's also a boatload of characters. I can be fussy with that, but to me, it added to the story. This is not maybe a typical popcorn thriller where you're following two people and you're like, oh, yeah, I know what to expect here. You actually get a third point of view. And I won't say who it is here because you don't need to know yet. But there's layers. There's a lot of layers to this. And I thought it really added to the experience. This one set in Louisiana, so you sort of have this Southern grit to it. You've got a lot of corruption and a lot of people. And how does this person know that person? It was a lot to keep track of, almost too much. But I feel like it's. It worked out in the end. There's lots of reveals with this one. I had a lot of questions, too, so I kind of like, as I'm reading, to write down, like, my questions, even some of the obvious ones, like who killed Ben? Because some. Sometimes when you're Reading a thriller, you can sort of get away from, like the initial, what we were following. And I will say you definitely.
- [14:12]
A
Let's circle back.
- [14:13]
B
Yeah, let's circle back. The. The main thing. How did that happen? You definitely get it here. Themes of obsession, themes of money can't buy you happiness. Small town, dirty politics. If you like the sound of all of those things, I think you will like it. I will say this is a different feeling book from First Lie Wins. That one's more straightforward. More of your psychological thriller, easier to follow, in my opinion. This one, I did have to work a little bit for it, but I don't mind that. I like that. I like that I was somewhat, you know, challenged while reading this. I still found this to be very compulsively readable. The chapters are relatively short, so you're not spending a ton of time with anybody too long, but they're also not too short because I get annoyed with that. Overall, I dug it. I really did. I'm giving it four and a half stars and I do highly recommend it. This book is Ashley Elston's Anatomy of an Alibi.
- [15:07]
A
Ooh, I love that it's set in Louisiana. I feel like that would be good, like, transportive reading if you're reading it in the winter, but then also a good thriller for the summer if you really want to sink into that hot, like, hot, hot, sweaty vibe, you know.
- [15:21]
B
And specifically Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which I liked.
- [15:25]
A
Yes, yes. Okay. My latest read is one that I've actually been waiting to bring for a while. So it is not technically my latest read, but I have just been waiting for the perfect time to chat about this book. And it's the Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Tina has been waiting to hear me talk about this one for so long, indeed, because I messaged her in December and shared some feelings with her and I just haven't found the perfect opportunity to bring it. But here we are. The Correspondent is about a woman who has lived a long, full and very complicated life and who has always used letters to make sense of it. Sybil Van Antwerp writes to everyone. Her brother, her best friend, the university president who won't let her audit a class, famous authors like Joan didion and Larry McMurdy. And one person she writes to again and again, but never actually sends the letter. Through all of these letters, we get a portrait of aging, reflection, regret, and the small kindnesses that shape a life. Sybil has been many things. A mother, a grandmother, a wife, a divorcee, a very accomplished lawyer. And she assumes her life will continue going on just how it always has. But then someone from her past does reach out to her and she has to confront one of the most painful chapters of her life and reckon with forgiveness in a way that she has been avoiding for a very long time. So I know this book got a ton of buzz and love. I mean, it still is. I'm still getting a lot of posts and feedback about people, you know, reading this book that came out last year, finally getting around to it. And I'm still seeing a lot of reviews that are overwhelmingly positive. And I will say I completely understand why, even if I didn't have the same experience as most people seemed to have. I want to talk about what I liked about it first, though. I think that Evans is a really talented writer. The story being told in letter format was a really creative way to build the characters out and give us a full picture of these very full lives without really telling us what is happening. Even the letters that weren't really purposeful in terms of the plot, they were still able to provide character development or context or give us an aha moment of what was really happening behind the scenes. When I first started the book, I was able to move through it really quickly. It's engaging, it's well written, and the letters are just such a smart way to tell this story. Unfortunately, what I didn't like was Sybil. I found her really difficult to empathize with. And I really think that that was kind of the whole intention and point of this book is to empathize with this character. And because I didn't, it made me. It made it really hard for me to enjoy this book. And I don't know what that says about me. I'm still unpacking that. I think if I'd gone into this one thinking that I was allowed to not like her, maybe I would have felt differently. But I think I was supposed to really feel for Sybil and I just had a hard time feeling anything for her except for frustration. She would complain all through the novel that certain people were not reaching out to her when we would see from their letters that they were actually making constant bids for attention and connection. And she was just so dense toward any of the affection and bid for connection from the people in her life that were seeking her out continually. I have a hard time when people are complaining about bad things happening to them, especially in relationships, when they are the ones hindering progress and healing. That was just really challenging for me to read from and kept me from enjoying the rest of the story. I didn't hate this book overall, but I really had a hard time connecting with our main character. And I think that we were really supposed to. I'm sorry if this ruffles some feathers, but hopefully there are others out there that felt similarly to me and can feel a moment of solidarity in my review for this one, and that is the Correspondent by Virginia Evans.
- [19:32]
B
Listen, you can't always go with the crowd. And honestly, I've heard such. I've so many people love that book, and I'm sure that's warranted. It's almost refreshing to hear, you know, you have this take that maybe isn't as popular.
- [19:48]
A
Yeah, exactly.
- [19:49]
B
You know, I love the idea that you. I love what you said about being allowed to dislike the main character. Like, I think that's a really. It's interesting because it is. Can be an isolating reading experience when you're like, now I know I'm supposed to like them, but I'm not liking them.
- [20:08]
A
Does this make me a bad person? Like, I'm always having this moral dilemma. Yeah, exactly.
- [20:12]
B
Yes. No, I totally understand what you're saying with that. And I don't mind unlikable characters. I think you're the same way, but I think it's different when you're like, I'm supposed to like this one, but.
- [20:21]
A
I'm supposed to like this one.
- [20:23]
B
Yes.
- [20:23]
A
And in other people's reviews, they mentioned her being a part of the story that they really appreciated or they really empathized with her, et cetera. And so that kind of added to my. Oh, I think I'm supposed to really feel for this person. And I'm really having a hard time feeling for them. Am I, like, do I need a class in empathy? Or, you know, am I. Am I struggling for a reason? But I think this was just a personal reading preference. This doesn't have to do with my moral character.
- [20:51]
B
Very true.
- [20:52]
A
It's okay.
- [20:52]
B
It's okay. I know we have to say these things to ourselves sometimes. Ah, well, I will transition into what we're talking about today. And thanks to. I wish I could remember. I'm so sorry that I can't remember who brought this up, but they had left us a comment somewhere and said we would love. I would love to know yours and Hannah's top five thrillers and top five romances. And I was like, well, that's a fun idea. Yes, A little d. Wanting to come up with and narrow down this was hard, but a fun idea. And so Hannah and I sort of worked together and came up with the idea. What if we did romantic suspense? Because, like, how can you. We were like, how can we bring this together to make sense? Thrillers and romance? I'm like, wait, this already exists. So we'll share our list first and then we'll get into a little bit more specificity about what romantic suspense is and how we came to our picks. Yes, for me, it definitely was difficult to choose. And I tried at first I was like, oh my gosh, the best ones of all time, this and that. And I'm like, nope, I am going to make my list very personal books that made me reflect on who I am as a reader and who I was when I read them, if that makes sense. These are books that I think about often. I recommend often or not, you know, to the right people, depending on the book. And I will share them in the order I read them and I'll share why I picked them.
- [22:14]
A
Oh, okay.
- [22:15]
B
We can alternate if that works for you.
- [22:17]
A
That works great. Yeah. My list. I also, like you said, it's so hard. Am I going to do, like all of my favorites of all time? But I also had a similar process of. Of choosing which ones I was going to put on this list. I went with ones that I'd reread the most, ones that I recommend all the time, or have a hard time not slotting into a recommendations list because I just feel like they fit so many categories in my reading life of what I enjoy from a story. And I also tried to have a little bit of, you know, I read romance across all different sub genres and even age classifications too. Like, I like YA romance even. And so I tried to fit, you know, one of those in there also. But I feel like I have a really good list here and I. These are all top five favorites for me. I love these books, so I'm excited to chat about them. Yes.
- [23:13]
B
Okay.
- [23:13]
A
Oh, and one other thing I wanted to mention about mine. And just in case someone gets a little feisty with me on my list, I'm going to say that mine is a list of love stories. Because there's one in particular where I'm like, oh, it might not have, like, it has a happily ever after is implied kind of an ending, but maybe not as 100% solid happily ever after. So I'm gonna say love stories here just in case.
- [23:40]
B
Yes. It doesn't fly because I know my romance. You have to have happily ever after.
- [23:44]
A
You gotta have an hea within.
- [23:46]
B
You gotta have an hea. Okay. I will begin with one of the very first thrillers I think that I read and it is the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. And specifically I know there's an entire Millennium series. I want to say there's maybe, I don't know, nine books or something at this point with different, I'm talking specifically the ones written by Stieg Larsson, the first three in the series. Now I haven't continued on with the series. I read the, I read them all in 2010 and I feel like I'm going to leave it there. Now I know this one is graphic, so just know actually all of mine are. So just kind of.
- [24:26]
A
You are who you are.
- [24:27]
B
I am who I am. Take that with, you know, kind of a note in your head when, when listening to these. I read this when I was in my first big girl job and I remember like being on the L and like riding, you know, going to the apartment I had at the time and reading it and what a great memory that I associate with this book. But I, I, I think they still hold up. Again, have not read it in some years. One of the reasons I'd like to add this to my all time favorites list is because it has everything. You've got a murder mystery, it's a crime thriller, you've got subterfuge, you've got a really badass main character and there's a lot going on here. But I had a really great time reading it. So I would say my first one in list is A Girl with a Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson.
- [25:07]
A
It's funny that you mentioned having a good memory attached to it because I feel like that is the case for a lot of my favorites in general as well and just makes for such a good reading experience. My first one that I'm going to talk about, and I will say I did kind of order these from bottom to top. So although none of these are my least favorite, these are like top favorites of all time in this category. But I am kind of starting at the bottom and working my way toward my like favorite of all time. But the first one that I'm going to talk about is Every Summer after by Carly Fortune. And the reason why I'm bringing this particular romance is because I think that this one, which is a Friends to Lovers lakeside romance, really solidified my enjoyment of that childhood Friends to Lovers storyline. I think that because I'm a romance reader that needs a lot of tension and pining and character building, that is a really, really good way for me as a reader to feel that connection. Not Only to each of these individual characters, but to their love story as well, because the two main characters grew up with each other and fell in love with each other over time. And this one is a little bit controversial because there's something that happens in this book that people have just opinions on whether or not it was this thing or not this thing. And if it was, they hate this book. And I will just say I didn't have issues personally with that part of the story. And I thought that it made it more real and more messy. And that's how real life is. And you still have to be able to find your happily ever after after that happens. So this book is just one that holds a very special place in my heart, and that's Every Summer after by Carly Fortune.
- [26:57]
B
I love that I would try this one. Maybe I'll try it this summer just to see what I think about it. Because I've never read that author.
- [27:04]
A
I do.
- [27:05]
B
The author. Yeah. I can picture the COVID Well, you know, I can't picture it because as we discussed yesterday, I can't. I don't see anything in my mind's eye, but yes, I can picture the COVID Okay, my next book. Listen, I had to, I had to, I had to. It's obviously Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I mean, no favorite thrillers list of all time, in my opinion, is complete without this one. This is the book that launched a thousand ships. And I've read all of her books. I like them all very much. I think I will still stick with Gone Girl as my favorite. The thing I will say about this, I read it in 2013. I don't know if it will still have that same punch today because we've seen a lot of inspos, a lot of books that were inspired by this one. So I just don't know if it's going to have that emotional punch and shock value that I loved so much about this. I thought it was brilliant, though. Obviously, I'm not alone in this. I mean, there's. There's literal millions of reviews on this one online. And gosh, there's something so freaking annoying slash badass about Gillian Flynn not publishing after the first. What? She has three books and that's it. And we have her imprint. We've got movies. I know she does some stuff, you know, and obviously I don't know a ton, but I know she does some other things. But I'm like, how could you write a follow up to these books? How could you follow this? You know? And there's something really Special about that. I loved this book. I still highly recommend it. If you haven't read it, I mean, my goodness, I envy you. But I had to bring it. Have you read this?
- [28:43]
A
I assume I did, but I read it way after its release. I still really enjoyed it. I think what I will say is, even though there have been a lot of books that have taken inspiration from Gone Girl, it is a really well written thriller. If you enjoy literary fiction, you will enjoy Gone Girl. It is so well written, it's really well structured and I think that even if you've read other books like it, you're still going to enjoy the twists that happen.
- [29:09]
B
I am glad to hear that you liked it as well. So that's my second one.
- [29:14]
A
Okay. My next on this list is Open Water by Caleb Azuma Nelson. And I think that this is the romance you should read if you love literary fiction or really lyrical and poetic writing. And while this is widely considered a romance novel, it is unlike any other romance that I've read because. Because it's really exploring these two characters in, I don't know, just a really poetic way. We're following these two British art aficionados, students, and they fall in love and we follow them on their journey of falling in love and discussing art and going through grief. There is a lot of really hard hitting and challenging discussion points in this book that are discussed and tackled, but ultimately it is so hopeful and one of those books where these two people were truly meant for each other and found each other at just the right time. So I, I just, I love this book. I think it's one of the most beautifully written, if not the most beautifully written romance that I have ever read. And that's Open Water by Caleb Azuma Nelson.
- [30:27]
B
I have to read that at some point. That is.
- [30:30]
A
You will love this on my list. I know you will.
- [30:32]
B
I think I bought it too. I want to say I ordered it when you talked about it whenever you had brought brought it to the show. Either that one or the other one. He has two, right?
- [30:40]
A
Yeah, he does have another one. And I haven't read that other book of his yet, but I do want to.
- [30:47]
B
Small Worlds is the other one. I think I bought Open Water so that'll be on my TBR here at some point soon. Next, if you are a longtime listener, you're nodding along. You knew I would bring it. It's Razor Blade Tears by Essay Cosby. One of my all time favorite books books. This one I read the year it came out in 2021 and okay Hannah and I've been talking about this a lot. I can't picture things in my head when I'm reading or just in general. I don't have the ability to do that. But this one is the closest I've gotten to it where you can sort of see a movie in your head as you're reading. This is so cinematic. It's got the characterization. It is brutal. The language is a lot. There's violence, but it makes sense in this story. I also love that this is a revenge story. Revenge stories are some of my very favorite things in thrillers. I need. Okay, so there's obviously something going on in thrillers. There's like, big action, something. In order for me to call it one of my faves, I need motivation. I don't like evil for the sake of evil, typically. It just doesn't do it for me. I need motivation, corruption, revenge, whatever it is. So this one, I thought thought had a very, very solid rationale. And this. It was not my first Cosby. I read Blacktop Wasteland first. But this is the one that solidified him as one of my favorite authors. And I still continue to say that today. This one's fantastic. It's Razor blade tears by S.A. cosby. And it's obviously my favorite of his books, in case you're wondering.
- [32:17]
A
And you just recently finished all of his books.
- [32:19]
B
I did. How sad for me.
- [32:21]
A
Bittersweet.
- [32:22]
B
Bittersweet.
- [32:24]
A
Okay, my next one is the only young adult that I have on this, and it's Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. And I have reread this book several times. I read this the year that I started my bookstagram account, almost 10 years ago. And I just remember my reading experience with this one so viscerally. And it really solidified, like, oh, I like romance, because at the time I was reading a lot of historical fiction, a lot of fantasy, and this was one of the first romance romances that I read. As someone who talked publicly online about books, I really related to Cath, the main character. She is a writer. She's struggling at college. She is struggling to kind of separate herself from her sister and her family relationships and form friendships of her own. She's trying to put herself out there, but really struggling to do so. And the love interest in this one, he is just so encouraging to her and really helps her break out of that shell without her having to deny who she is as a person. And I thought their relationship was just really special. And at the time when I read it, you know, I was in my very early 20s. So I don't know if I would relate to her as much now, but I do remember how much I did during kind of a similar time period in my own life. And so this book holds a very special place in my heart. And that's Fangirl by Rainbow Rock Rowell.
- [33:57]
B
Oh, I what a nostalgic author. I know, I know she is still writing, but I I you I looked back on my Goodreads because I'm like, have I read them? I know I have. I've read three of their books. So I remember enjoying Rainbow Rowell too.
- [34:11]
A
Yes, I have read a few other books by Rainbow Rowell and have enjoyed them. I do know that Rainbow Rowell has another book coming out this year. I don't know when, but it's called Cherry Baby and heard mixed reviews so far. So I. I'm excited to try that one out. I'll definitely be reading that one.
- [34:32]
B
Awesome. Yes, we'll add it to our list. Okay, next is one I read in 2021. This one did not come out in 2021. It is backlist, but it is Confessions by Kanae Minato.
- [34:44]
A
Yes.
- [34:45]
B
I mean, this one. Talk about a revenge story. I will never forget this book. It is, is okay. It's not the most violent book out there. It's about a mother who believes that the pupils she teaches at school knew about her daughter's death and were partially responsible. And so she decides to essentially get back at them. And what she does is so psychologically manipulative. I It's dark, man. It is very dark. It's not justified. But also, I'm like, wow, if I were going to really want to get at somebody, I see this. This was a very clever way to do so. I just think that you like revenge stories. This is a very good one. It's also pretty short. It's like 231 pages. But man, oh man, does it pack a punch. And you've read this one, right, Hannah?
- [35:37]
A
I have and co sign it wholeheartedly. One of the best books I've read, kind of period.
- [35:44]
B
Yeah, it's intense and it's really good. But anyhow, it's really good. It's really good. That's Confessions by Kanae Minato.
- [35:52]
A
And every chapter is told from a different perspective and there is a jaw drop at the end of each chapter. But then you don't go back to it. You go to another perspective and you just sit there like.
- [36:03]
B
Like what? What? Yes, you're right.
- [36:05]
A
You just dropped that and then you're gonna move on and you're gonna move on.
- [36:08]
B
Yeah. And I like how she structured it too, because it's like chapter one, this saint, chapter two, the martyr. And you don't exactly know, like, what, why that's their role until everything comes together in the end. But yeah. Really, really good.
- [36:19]
A
So smart.
- [36:20]
B
So smart.
- [36:21]
A
What else can we say? We really like all of these. We say they're really, really good for every single one.
- [36:26]
B
Really, really good. They are.
- [36:27]
A
What else can we say? Okay, my number two is the View was exhausting. And this is written by a couple duo, Michaela Clements and Anjuli Dada. And this was my introduction to celebrity Romance. And let me tell you, not a single book has held up since. This is my, like, star of the show Celebrity Romance. I think probably because it is also Friends to Lovers and includes some fake dating. All three of those tropes work together so well to create a book that I felt like didn't just. It wasn't just like, here are the tropes that we're working with. We're going to make a story around these tropes. It was. The story was created and it happens to contain these tropes in a really organic way that just works really naturally with the story. And I love it when tropes work that way. When it doesn't just feel like I want to write a Friends to Lovers, so I'm just going to build a plot around it. No, this was so intentional. And everything that happened either made sense or I could understand why the characters were doing it that way or why their PR teams were doing it that way. It was really well written and I buddy read this one. And I think that's partially why it made such a lasting experience with me, is because I had that constant banter and chatting about this book with someone else too. While I was reading it. I was buddy reading it with Steph from Steph on a shelf on Instagram. One of the sweetest people I know. You should give her a follow if you are listening. Wonderful bookstagrammer. But I was reading it with her and we both absolutely loved it. I never hear anyone talking about this book in the romance category in the celebrity romance category. Feels very under the radar to me. So if you are a romance reader and you enjoy those tropes or just romance in general, that's really well written. You should pick this one up. So, so good. As we love to say that is the View is Exhausting by Michaela Clements and Anjuli Dada.
- [38:41]
B
Yes. I don't hear a ton about that. But I like the idea of a celebrity romance. I remember the COVID of that one too because the woman looks like JLO on it.
- [38:50]
A
Yes.
- [38:50]
B
In my head. So that's why that one stuck out for me. All right. My last one actually is one that is just a new addition from 2025. It is next that. Yeah, right. It's Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah. This book is heavy. It is a story of a woman who is babysitting her nephew. She is in crisis at work. She drives him to daycare. She agreed with her sister and brother in law. Yeah, I'll drop him off. Forgets about him. He passes away in the car. Obviously incredibly intense.
- [39:27]
A
The content warning's right there.
- [39:28]
B
Yeah, that and the rest of the story follows as she deals with that. The grief, the complication, the aftermath. I mean obviously it's horrifying. There's also a bit of a court case that gets involved and I do love my thrillers that have when there's the legal battle involved. But this one's the best. If you don't know much going in, just know that there will be multiple times where you will be surprised and I will say nothing else. That one is fantastic. All of these are really, really good. So that one is Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah.
- [40:07]
A
Oh, we just gotta own it at this point, you know. Okay. My number one and this I can confidently say is my favorite love story of all time that I have read to date and that is Talking at Night by Claire Daverly. I love this book and would defend it with my life. This book did for me what I think normal people did for so many others. I loved Normal People, the television show, one of the most artfully done beautiful TV series like miniseries that I've ever watched. I loved that. But the book didn't do it for me and I've heard, I originally heard heard talking at night, I think comps to normal people and I was like, oh, maybe I'll try it. And then I decided to buddy read it with my friend Kat from Read with Kat and we got to read this together and we both absolutely loved it and felt very similarly. It has a fairly similar premise to Normal People where you have these two individuals who have met each other and in high school and then they kind of grow apart and grow together and grow apart and grow together over time. And we're following them as two people who are connected to each other over kind of their whole lives. And I love these two people so much and it's so Hard because when you're talking about a book that you love so much, you're like, okay, how do I sell this to people? How do I pitch it? How do I let them know? It's like they're expecting. I think that you would really like this if you just enjoy watching two characters grow separately but also kind of deal with their connection over time. This deals a lot with fate and, you know, kind of that question of soulmates without explicitly saying that that's what is happening here. And it's beautifully written. I tabbed this, I highlighted it. It has so many quotes in it that I just absolutely loved. And I think more people should read it. And that is Talking at Night by Claire Daverly.
- [42:20]
B
I feel better now that we got those out of our system.
- [42:23]
A
I feel like I just blubbered about.
- [42:25]
B
That last one, but, oh, that's how it should be. I'm so excited that we. We have to share a post on our Instagrams of these five. Anyway, tune in.
- [42:34]
A
Had the same.
- [42:35]
B
Yeah, yeah, because I just feel like it's such a good reference to a good resource, but I'm gonna keep it moving here. And we. Okay, so now that we've gushed about our comfort genres, we are going to talk about romantic suspense. Now, what is romantic suspense? I did a little research before we began and referenced Crime Reads, which is a great website and we can link to this. But there's an article about it. A romantic suspense novel is a romance novel with a plot that focuses on a mystery, suspense or thriller storyline. It's a love story that develops in the context of context of a life and death crime or potential crime situation. The stakes are high on both the romance and the suspense fronts. And I like what this author had to say on this article, that romantic suspense authors have the delicate task of guiding these two people not only through the suspense, mystery, thriller plot challenges, but also through an interpersonal minefield. And I like that. And I do think that that is probably very difficult to do. Gosh.
- [43:40]
A
Well, now that you're saying that the book that I'm bringing that I thought for sure was romantic suspense, I'm like, I don't know. And then the one that I thought maybe wasn't, I'm like, well, it meets all of those categories.
- [43:51]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [43:52]
A
But I thought that it was more of a mystery when I got done. So it's just so interesting when you break it down like that. Genre classification, I just think is such an interesting discussion in general. I mean, I could fall down a rabbit hole with Many genre classifications and talk about it for a long time.
- [44:10]
B
I know, and I'm such a nerd, too. I love a definition. Like, I need a definition. It, like, it's the academic in me. And I'm like, but what do you mean? Like, specifically, like, what do you mean? I need to know. And so I think that's why I struggled with my picks. And thank goodness for Hannah, because I was like, I actually think I hate one of the books I'm bringing. It was two days before I was like, I don't know what to do. And you came in in the clutch with a really solid recommendation that I will be sharing because I did read it. But I actually, I will say at first I was a little bit skeptical. I'm like, romantic suspense. Like, do I even like this genre? Because I will tell you what I don't like. When I am reading a thriller, a proper thriller, and all of a sudden they're like, getting it on in the background, I'm like, we're not focused on that. We're focused on the thrills. The thrills and chills. So I like that it's its own subclassification because for me, and if there's a little romance, it's fine. But, like, I don't need that to be over here sort of doing its own thing. If I know going in. I think it sets the proper expectations and it makes me fine with it. It makes me fine with it. But I do wonder, and I think I asked you this question, if it leaves readers who like romance dissatisfied because maybe they're not getting as much romance as they could have liked or if the thriller people are dissatisfied because they're not getting as many thrills as they could have gotten. It depends, I think, on the. On the reader in the book.
- [45:30]
A
Good point. I didn't personally experience that. I don't think with my reads. As someone who primarily reads romance, in fact, one of them, I loved the romance and the mystery equally in them. One of them I just didn't like, like, any parts of it really at all, which I'll go into. But that is interesting and I think something to keep in mind when picking up a genre blend in general and maybe just being more intentional with. Do I think that I'm going to enjoy this blend based on the themes or tropes that are discussed in the synopsis?
- [46:08]
B
I think for me, as long as I know going in what it is, I'm. I'm cool with it. I do the same with thrillers. And if I know it's a horror suspense novel. Meaning, like, hey, you might get something that you can't predict or like, supernatural, that I'm fine with that. But if they drop it in, in a proper psychological thriller, I'm like, dude, you're not following the rules. It doesn't make sense, you know?
- [46:29]
A
And I think that if a book in this genre is going to do a really good job, you're going to feel emotionally invested in both the relationship and the plot. And so it also just. I don't know, I feel like every genre can do itself a service and tie in both really well.
- [46:49]
B
Right? Yes. I think you're right. And I am interested because there is a whole world. I feel like there's a lot of romantic suspense authors, and I think you might be bringing one today that have an insane catalog, like, such a backlist. And that has to feel really comforting to readers who love this, who like, like both areas are like, fantastic. I know what I'm getting. It's like a comfort read almost. Mm.
- [47:14]
A
I do have one close is after reading the books that you read for this episode and kind of deep diving on this genre altogether, do you feel more curious about romantic suspension, expense, or more hesitant?
- [47:26]
B
I don't want to read more of it.
- [47:28]
A
Okay.
- [47:30]
B
If I get it now, love it. If I get it now and again, fine. Like, I. I don't think I will seek it out as its own thing. For me personally, I'm just not sick of thrillers yet. I think I got in the mood where I was like, I need something different. Totally would be down. I. I think it's a good entry point, actually, to get me getting maybe more into romance if somebody wanted to do that. Because you're still getting something that's familiar and then you're also getting maybe something a little bit new. For me, I don't feel more compelled. But I'm glad we had this experiment and tried it out.
- [47:59]
A
I feel the exact same. I feel the exact same way. And that is partially why I like doing some of these deep dives on genres and experimenting with this stuff a little bit more. Because I learn something about myself as a reader every single time we do these things. And whether it's, I don't want to do more of this or I do want to do more of this. That's valuable data for me, for my reading life and how to make it better moving forward.
- [48:22]
B
So.
- [48:22]
A
So overall a success, even if the genre itself is not going to be one that either of us are seeking out moving forward.
- [48:29]
B
And I'm Ready to talk about my first book. It is. It's a clunker.
- [48:35]
A
Okay.
- [48:35]
B
All right. It is time, folks. I'm bringing Woman down by Colleen Hoover to the podcast and. All right. I.
- [48:42]
A
Long awaited.
- [48:43]
B
Long awaited. I was very grateful, you know, and I was given a very early arc of this. This. I guess it wasn't that early, actually, I have to say. They reached out like a week before and they're like, would you review this book? And I was like, wait, wait, it comes out like tomorrow. What do you mean? So this is my own review. I didn't tag them or, you know, I said, thanks for the free book, but I wasn't partnered with the publisher or anything like that. Now, Woman down by Colleen Hoover is her obviously most recent book. This one came out in January 2026, and I think people were highly anticipating this because was. They thought it would be in the vein of Verity. I will say I liked Verity when I read it. I thought it was good. I was intrigued. Now I did get Verity fatigue, but at the time, I did enjoy it. This one is about an author, and she is being canceled because there was viral backlash over her latest film adaptation and it forced her to take a hiatus, resulting in missed deadlines and an overdue mortgage. Branded a fraud and a fame hungry opportunist, she learned the hard way what happens when the Internet turns on you. And she's been uninspired to write ever since.
- [49:50]
A
So is this an autobiography?
- [49:52]
B
It feels like Colleen Hoover fan fiction about Colleen Hoover. And I say that. I was gonna say I say that with love, but no, I don't.
- [50:02]
A
Well, it's just kind of an objective truth because we all know what happened with yes, the Last Movie, and we know what her response was. I mean, this is just kind of facts, in my opinion.
- [50:14]
B
I agree. And honestly. Okay, so I'll continue on with the synopsis in a moment. But in the beginning, she basically makes this impassioned plea to readers, and it says, please, I beg of you, do not try to make ties to my personal life and the story as there are none. I'm just a writer writing about a writer, but I am in no way advocating or defending the character's behavior or thoughts. And I get what she means by that because there's some deplorable things that happen by. But I think it's insulting to readers to ask us to not make ties between her life and the life of this character, because the. The ties are glaringly obvious. So the character in the book takes this weekend away and she is trying to write her next novel and she's hoping to find inspiration. Then this guy shows up, he's a detective and he arrives with disturbing news and he becomes her muse, basically. And then the research begins to blur the lines between fantasy and reality. And then Saint, this guy starts taking his role in her career a little too seriously. And she is forced to confront the chaos she's created. But this could cost her more than her reputation. It doesn't say anything about this being romantic suspense on the COVID or anywhere. It's most definitely is. This is not a thriller in my opinion. Opinion. There is a lot of dialogue and I think one of the biggest critiques that people have about her writing is that she tends to romanticize toxic relationships, slash abusive relationships. She is doing herself no favors with this one. It is very toxic. It's also very much a woe is me writers have it so hard kind of story. I never came around to the main character and it really was. And I said this, I think in a video. I feel like you've got to take the good with the bad. It's hard to receive criticism as a creator or writer, but like, dude, that's a part of the gig, you know, and it is what it is. This felt very defensive. It really put a bad taste in my mouth. And again, I promise you, I went in with the best of intentions and wanted to enjoy this. And I tried to take the Colleen Hoover of it all out of it and just say, okay, well, let's figure this out. Out. How is the mystery itself? First of all, I saw it coming from your face. First of all, I saw it coming from a mile away. And they even sent this little bookmark and it said it gets darker and put this here when the plot twist happens or whatever. And I'm like, okay, maybe I read too many thrillers. But I was not impressed by it. I was like, yeah, obviously, yes, we knew that that was going to be the case. Case. There's a lot of dialogue. A lot of dialogue. And it felt very repetitive. I did though, wonder with this one and maybe wondered too about this genre in general, the difference between romantic suspense and dark romance. And I feel like the two sub genres often get conflated. Maybe that's a tale for another time. But I was like, I know that this is not my vibe for so many, many reasons. I feel like she used this as a meta fiction to try and get back in readers good graces. And I don't think it's working. I also feel like she's gotten so much press for this. I, you know, we went to the store when we were on our vacation. When I was reading this, first thing I see is this huge pop up in the middle of the store with all of her book, you know, whatever. So tons of marketing dollars are going into this and I just think it's a shame. I'm like, dude, people are going to pick this, this up who maybe read one or two books a year and I guess if they enjoy it, great. There are so many better thrillers and better books out there, in my opinion. I can't recommend this one and I probably won't read her again. It's Woman down by Colleen Hoover.
- [54:04]
A
Throw it, baby. That's what I have to say. Well, I'm glad that you brought that one regardless, because I think that a lot of people are going to be excited to hear you talk about it. I think that Colleen Hoover, as divisive as she is, is just a big conversation that's happening in the bookish space in general. And I'm always personally interested in topics surrounding, you know, these kind of polarizing things in general. But good to know that that is one that we can maybe cross off of our TBRs. And to your point, there are better books out there, There are better authors out there. Moving on to the next entrepreneurship, I will, which I will do and tell you about my first book, which I really enjoyed. And this is the one that I was like, oh, at first I didn't know if it fit into this romantic suspense category and I still don't know if it does. So again, if this is your genre, seriously, reach out to us and give us your opinions because I still want to know. The book I'm talking about is a Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayborn. And I would classify this as a romantic mystery. However, when Tina was describing kind of what it takes to be a romantic suspense, the stakes are high in both the, you know, mystery and suspense of it all that's happening here. And the stakes are high in the romance too. Now this is also a series, so I think the stakes will kind of be built and stretched out over the course of the series. But even in just this one book, the stakes are high, baby. I will tell you a little bit more about it. We are set in London in 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt orphaned, Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiries and the occasional romantic Dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as feeding off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hat pin with equal aplomb. And with her last connection to England gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime. But fate has other plans and Veronica discovers that she was about to be abducted. And she figures this out through the help of an enigmatic German baron who has ties to her mysterious past and may or may not know more about her and her history than she does. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is very grumpy and ill tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly, Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth. So because their ties to what is really going on kind of get gotten rid of at the beginning of the novel, they really have to figure out what is going on, who Veronica really is, what her history is, and how it is impacting this very dangerous. I mean, she's, she keeps almost getting abducted and they are having to figure this out while also, of course, slowly falling in love with one another. It is a very, very slow, slow process. At the end of this book, Stoker and Veronica, definitely, you can tell, have feelings for each other, but it's almost alluded to through conversations and some inner dialogue that they're having, but it's not explicitly said. So I am looking forward to that tension and those feelings building out in the later books. I do plan on, on continuing with this series because I really enjoyed it. What I enjoyed about this one in particular was the writing. I rarely bookmark a thriller or a romance, and the dialogue in this one was so witty. They're so smart. Both Stoker and Veronica are very smart, very quick, very witty, and that really comes across in their dialogue with each other and also in the overall writing. I also just thought Veronica and her past was a really compelling part of the story. I really wanted to know what was going on and by the end of this book, I felt like we got satisfying enough answers for the conclusion of book one. But it also did leave enough unsaid that I am eager to pick up the next book in the series, which I already purchased from Pango Books. I'm excited to dive in and figure out more, understand more and of course follow Veronica and Stoker honestly on whatever adventure they want to go on because they are such a fun couple to follow. So while I still am on the fence of whether or not this is considered romantic suspense, I am glad that I read this and I did enjoy this one. And this is something this particular isolated series is one that I plan on continuing. So I am glad that I picked this up for this episode regardless. And that is a curious beginning by Deanna Raybourne.
- [59:49]
B
No, it sounds like it's romantic suspense though, to me, because I feel like and what I gathered from my research is that a lot of romantic suspense stories are in series and that romance takes a really long time to build and there's a lot of that tension. Will they won't be. So even if it wasn't abundantly clear in the first book, it sounds like it's got elements and from how you described it, I feel like I'm gonna count it. I also am going to count my second book and this is thanks to you that I read it. It is this story Might Save youe Life by Tiffany Crumb and this is about two podcasters named Benny and Joy and they host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week they delight listeners just like Hannah and I do, but they discuss their against all odds survival story, gleefully finding the weird life affirming humor in near death death experiences. And you come to find out that Joy has severe narcolepsy. The two of them are just friends. They are best friends and they're like people that just have this really good rapport with each other. On Mike, Joy is married to Xander and Xander sort of handles their business things and together they've built this really lucrative empire. The problem is their next survival story might be their own. So one day, day Benny heads over to their house to record as they always do, and he gets there and there's shattered glass in an empty house and their dog is there and he's like, oh dear, what's going on? And he essentially works to figure out where they are, what has happened, and he will stop at nothing to find them because he doesn't feel like what happened to them is normal. There's definitely foul play at hand and and he ends up sharing this on their podcast and they have millions of devoted listeners that sort of write in and think they have their, you know, answers and this and that, and then you're essentially watching as Benny tries to find Joy in Xander. This book was really, really good. It's an early release does not come out until March 20th. Well, this year, so next month it comes out. And I really loved this. I only had the audio copy. However, audio is definitely the way to go with this. Obviously, it is a podcast story, but it's more than that. I feel like sometimes podcasts are entered into thriller book books especially, and it's almost a gimmick. You're like, okay, I get the bit. Not so with this one. I feel like it was a part of the story. It was beautifully narrated, beautifully produced because you could hear them. They would insert clips from their podcast episode. It was. It was just really well done. But also, you're getting this mystery because where the hell is the couple? I thought it was so fun to work through and try and put the pieces together. I found both. You're hearing from both point of view. You hear a little bit from Joy, you hear from Benny. And I loved rooting for both of the characters. I just found them both to be people to root for and just, you know, I wanted to know more about their story. I wanted their podcast to be real. I was like, actually, I would listen to them this. And funnily enough, at the end of this audiobook, they do include a sample podcast episode, which I thought was super cool. I thought this was a great book. I listened to the author note at the end, and it literally made me cry because she talks about how she wanted to write books for 18 years. She, like, was a young mom, or she was a mom, had a young son, and he wrote about her and how her chasing her dreams inspired him in his college essay. So it took 18 years for this book to come out, and I'm like, oh, dying. And she has two sons. And anyway, I'm just so happy for her because this book is definitely going to have big success. She also acknowledges my favorite murder in it. And you can totally tell because the podcast feels like my favorite murder, but, like, with a totally different trope. So I do like this podcast idea on Tiffany, if you're listening. Perhaps that is the next business venture for you. Although I would prefer it if you wrote another book expeditiously, because I don't want to wait 18 years. I really, really enjoyed this.
- [63:57]
A
That's your medium of choice.
- [63:59]
B
Yes. Yes, I loved it. So highly recommend this book. Get it on your radar. Now it's this story Might Save youe Life by Tiffany Crumb.
- [64:07]
A
Oh, that author's note sounds so good. And as someone who doesn't listen to my favorite murder anymore, but I used to pretty religiously I'm very familiar with it. That sounds like it would be a good, like a fun callback and tie in.
- [64:21]
B
Yes, it's very familiar. If you've watched or if you've listened to that show, it felt familiar and just I was enjoyed. I enjoyed it very much.
- [64:29]
A
Oh, I love that. Okay, I'm gonna take us back down to one that I didn't enjoy very much, but I'm again, still glad that I read it because this is the author that you alluded to earlier who has a very extensive catalog. And this was my first, first book by her, and that is Hideaway by Nora Roberts. And in this particular story we are following Caitlin Sullivan. She is a daughter of Hollywood royalty, was already a star at 10 years old, but still loved to play hide and seek with her cousins at the family home in Big Sur, which is exactly what she is doing when the story begins. It was during one of those games of hide and seek that she ended up ended up disappearing. Despite her glamorous background, Kate was a shrewd and very scrappy survivor, and she actually managed to escape her abductors. And when she escaped, she ended up in the home of Dylan Cooper, who was shocked to find the bruised and terrified girl huddled in his ranch house kitchen. But when the teenager and his family heard her story, they provided refuge and comfort and ended up being able to reunite her with her family. Kate's ordeal, though, was far from over. First came the discovery of a betrayal that would send someone she really loved and trusted to prison. And then there were years away that she spent in Ireland, sheltered and protected with her grandmother. Then finally, she returns to la, hoping to act again and get past all of her trauma and kind of re enter Hollywood and get back to what she was doing before this traumatic event completely derailed her life. What she didn't yet know was that that two seeds were planted on the night that she disappeared. One of great love and one of a terrible vengeance. Hence the romance and the suspense. So this book started so strong. I listened on audio and with January Lavoy narrating, I was immediately hooked. She is one of my favorite narrators and she did such a good job on her own narrating this story. I actually started it on a big choreography day and even though it's a longer audiobook, I flew through it because the momentum was there. It is one of those plots that just really keeps pulling you along. That said, a lot of the characters, especially the rich people, were completely insufferable and not always in a way that felt intentional or satisfying. The main character starts out as a kid and her reaction to something really traumatic involving a family member for felt so unrealistic to me that I had a hard time fully moving past it. It just really pulled me out of the story. I also really struggled with the book's messaging overall. There are moments where it makes very explicit anti racist statements, but then those sit alongside some genuinely racist rhetoric and the contrast was jarring and confusing. And it ultimately made the anti racist comments that characters were making feel performative. Like the author wanted to kind of get credit for this stance without fully unpacking their own biases and having them just slip into the narrative. And there were also some lines that were clearly meant to be romantic, but absolutely did not land for me. One line was during an intimate scene and they said, please don't change your mind or I'll hang myself. Showing up in a intimate scene that was explicitly about consent. And I, I didn't like that. That did not sit well for me. All of that said, I if I strip away the things I really didn't like. The plot itself was compulsively readable. There is a solid thriller slash mystery here. And honestly, if this exact story were in the hands of someone like Karen Slaughter, I think I would have devoured it spoon and fork and probably given it 5 stars. The bones are all there. It just didn't come together and I think it had some problematic messages packaging. I don't think I would recommend this one overall, but I could maybe be convinced to try another Nora Roberts again one day, just probably not anytime soon. And that is Hideaway by Nora Roberts.
- [68:46]
B
I'm so glad you tried that because again, that author came up multiple times when I was looking through and trying to pick different books. But interesting, like, yeah, interesting reading experience.
- [68:57]
A
Totally. For both of us. For both books.
- [69:00]
B
For both of us. For both books. Yes. So I will wrap things up with my shelf edition and this is a book I hope to get to this month. It is called Discipline by Larissa Pham. This one is literary fiction and it is a taught, electrifying debut about compassion and revenge. And you've got an author. Her name is Christy. She's on tour for her novel and it's a revenge fantasy based on a real life relationship gone bad with an older professor ten years prior to. You know, we've, we've heard that story before.
- [69:29]
A
We sure have.
- [69:30]
B
We. She is now on the road promoting her book and she's seeking answers on how to live a good life and what it means to make art through intimate conversations with friends, strangers, past lovers, people, whatever. And then the antagonist of her novel, the professor himself, reaches out in a series of sly communiques after years of silence to tell her that he's read her book. And she takes his offer to join him on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Why would you do that, babe? But their encounter threatens to change the very foundations of her life as she's imagined it. It's a pristine and provocative high wire act, focusing on the fictions we construct for ourselves just to survive and the possibilities that lie beyond them. I'm curious, you know, I think this sounds good to me. I want to know more about what's going to happen on this is island. I want to know why she decided to go to the island. And again, this is a debut. It's at just over 200 pages and I feel like this could do it for me. It's Discipline by Larissa Pham.
- [70:35]
A
Oh yeah, that one is on my radar as well. It sounds really good. My shelf edition is one that is slotted under thriller and suspense and also romance. So I thought that I would bring it today for this episode as my shelf edition. I just got approved for it on NetGalley. The one that I am bringing today is the One Day youy Are My Husband by Rosie Walsh. And this one comes out in May and it is about Carrie and Johan who marry on a beach in Thailand only months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie is a British surgical intern and is too happy to care that she is being impulsive. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, a group of armed men suddenly swarmed the beach, taking Johan away and she never sees him again. Then we move to 12 years later. Carrie is living in the English countryside with her current husband Robin and their six year old twins. She is running a holiday college rental business on the side and is perfectly content with her new life. But one night she stumbles across an online post where she discovers that Johan escaped from Thailand years ago and has been living in Stockholm ever since. As the memories of their passionate relationship. Relationship flood her, she becomes obsessed with discovering what happened on their wedding day all those years ago. This one sounds really fun and I could totally see how it would tie in both a love story and that suspense element. So again, this one comes out in May. May 19th to be specific. And that is the One Day you were My Husband by Rosie Walsh.
- [72:13]
B
I like that title. Very interesting.
- [72:15]
A
Yeah, I know, it sounds good. I'm intrigued.
- [72:18]
B
I'm intrigued well folks, that is it for today. We thank you for spending a part of your day with us. Links to all the books mentioned can be found in the show notes and if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget if you would like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk etc.
- [72:46]
A
If you'd like to connect with us you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both at Booktok etc on Instagram and YouTube. You can find Tina TBR etc and Hannah at handpickedbooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. That was a fun episode.
- [73:09]
B
I think it was very fun. Yes, it worked out in the end. It worked out.