Welcome to the first 10 stack of 2022! I started off my new year by setting a goal to read 90 books in ’22 and kicked off January with some great galleys of newly published books. This 10 stack has a little bit of everything – historical fiction, romance, mystery and most of them where hits. I hope your year is off to a great start and has been filled with some great reads.

“The Maid” by Nita Prose

Things that are simple for others don’t come easily to Molly Gray. Social skills and emotional cues were so much easier to understand when Gram could explain them to her but now Molly has to navigate the world on her own after Gram’s death. One thing she can always count on is order and routine. Molly takes great pride in her job as one of the maids at the Regency Grand Hotel restoring each room to its perfect state for every guest. Molly’s routine life is thrown into disarray when she stumbles upon one of her regular guests dead in his suite. Her overly trusting nature lands Molly in the detectives sights as one of their prime suspects in the wealthy Charles Black’s murder. Determined to clear her name but accidentally digging herself in deeper at every turn, will Molly be able to uncover who really killed Charles Black before her time runs out? This debut novel by author Nita Prose is only a few weeks old but is already gaining so many accolades and much praise. GMA’s Book Club has chosen it as its monthly pick and it was recently announced it is being developed into a movie with Florence Pugh. What a great read to start the year off with. Be sure to add this to your TBR list. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The Paris Library” by Janet Skeslien Charles

Lily’s next door neighbor is a mystery. The elderly woman lives alone and rumors about her past run rampant through their small Montana town. Her age and french accent cause speculation that Odile’s departure from her home country had something to do with the war and Lily can’t help but be curious. Deciding to befriend her Lily knocks on her door and learns much more than the truth about her neighbor’s past. Told in dual timelines, through multiple POVs “The Paris Library” is a beautiful story about two women coming into their own, discovering their independence and experiencing the effects of their own life choices in two different times. It’s difficult to review this book without giving too much of this gorgeous plot away. I love a good historical fiction that teaches you something new about a period that is written about so frequently. I highly recommend reading through to the author’s notes as she explains that most of the characters in “The Paris Library” are based on real people and events in their lives. Give this one an add if you are fans of this genre. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The Magnolia Palace” by Fiona Davis

With her mother by her side Lillian Carter has become the muse of the most elite New York artists scattering her likeness all over the city for all to see but when the Spanish flu takes her mother’s life, Lillian is left floundering. When trouble comes knocking on her front door Lillian is forced to flee her apartment. Standing outside the Frick Mansion she is mistaken for another woman arriving for a job interview. Desperate for shelter and a place to hide out, Lillian decides not to correct them. After impressing Helen Frick with her art knowledge she is hired on the spot. Fast forward fifty years, model Veronica Weber finds herself in a tight situation after getting accidentally locked inside the Frick Museum, along with the museum’s curator, when a photoshoot goes wrong. The two stumble upon decades old clues leading them on a scavenger hunt tour of the Frick art collection. Veronica’s mind races with the possibility that she may just discover the hiding place of the long missing Magnolia diamond and what it might do for her life if she could walk away with it. I have become one of Fiona Davis’ biggest fans. I haven’t met a book that she’s written that I didn’t love and “The Magnolia Palace” is no exception. Told through dual timelines and POVs, Davis expertly weaves history and mystery throughout this well developed story built on the shoulders of two strong, engaging female characters. I highly recommend adding this and other Fiona Davis titles to your TBR lists. A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Dutton for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The Appeal” by Janice Hallett

I have forwarded you the communications between the members of the Fairway Players’ that are tied to the suspected murder of one of their actors. You are tasked with helping uncover the truth of what happened that night and if our client is guilty of the crime they are accused of. I believe they are innocent but I want to see if you uncover the same theory as to who the actual guilty party is before I share with you my full findings. In these emails, I believe the true killer has given themselves away. Read through every detail surrounding the appeal for funds for little Poppy’s life saving treatment and determine whether or not funds were misused and led to the death of our victim. Take great care not to miss the details you are searching for, our client’s life is depending on your success. Author Janice Hallett has written an exceptionally creative who-done-it that puts you in the seat of an intern tasked with helping on a murder appeal case. “The Appeal” is composed entirely out of emails and texts acting as the evidence you need to decipher in order to determine who the accused is and if they are actually guilty. This felt like a modern day Clue that I had me so invested that I read it in a day. If you enjoy a quirky, creative concept give this a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The Love Proof” by Madeleine Henry

Before she even stepped through the doors at Yale, Sophie Jones was expected to be a revolutionary in the field of physics. A child prodigy, Sophie sees and understands the world in ways others do not. Sophie’s social circle has always been small so when she meets Jake she finds herself opening up to new experiences she never dreamed of. The closer Jake and Sophie become the further she steps away from her studies. When an unexpected change throws Sophie into a spiral she begins to question everything she thought to be true. With nothing left to turn to she returns to her theories this time determined to prove that true love is destined to be together no matter where you are. Told over multiple decades, can true love stand the test of time? “The Love Proof” does a great job expressing the all encompassing struggle that a first love can hold over people. I found the theories and philosophy included to be thought provoking but to me the ending felt rushed and lacking a full resolution. An interesting concept for this genre giving a serious tone to romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The Love Square” by Laura Jane Williams

Penny has not had much luck in love. So when a handsome man walks into her café and sparks start to fly she is skeptical to say the least. A blissful few weeks fly by and then Penny meets another man…and then another. Once single and lonely, Penny is now faced with the impossible decision of who she should choose to spend her time with but the thought of choosing wrong is crippling to say the least. But will circumstances make the decision for her after all? Based on the description of this book and the whimsical cover you would think this would be a light-hearted rom com, right? Well, you’d be wrong. On the surface that’s exactly what it is but just under that frosting of romance are so many trigger warnings for readers that you would need to shovel them all out. Infidelity, abandonment, cancer diagnosis, infertility, loss of a parent…the list goes on. (Also a random appearance by Lizzo is just the cherry on top of this SMH story.) Clearly there are people out there that enjoy this based on it’s 3.5 star rating on some book sites but this was a miss for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Rosie’s Traveling Tea Shop” by Rebecca Raisin

When Rosie’s life implodes she is forced to think outside of her carefully constructed, organized life plans. Having to start over wasn’t on her to-do list. Hoping to drown her sorrows in a nice bottle of wine Rosie wakes the next morning to discover she is now the proud owner of a bright pink camper having declared to its previous owner the night before her plans to set out on the road with her traveling tea shop. Now that all her savings were invested in the van and the deadline of her imminent eviction looming, Rosie begins to plan her first adventure in Poppy hoping that she hasn’t just made the biggest mistake of her life. Though I found Rosie’s story a sweet one this book dragged a bit for me. The plot was a bit repetitive and felt the love interest was a bit forced and unnatural. I really enjoyed another of Raisin’s titles but this one fell a little short for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America” by Gene Weingarten

On the first day of 2013 author Gene Weingarten approached a family at a restaurant and asked them to draw a month, a day and a year from a hat. What came of that random selection and then six years of research is this book. Dedicated solely to the events that occurred on December 28, 1986 “One Day” shares snapshots of news stories across the United States and in some instances how their ripple reached far beyond that one day in history. When I read the description of this book I thought, what an original and interesting concept. (It also drew me in because December 28th happens to be my son’s birthday.) Though I found the idea behind the book to be intriguing, some of the stories included didn’t hold my attention. I wish the book had a bit more of a solid conclusion but overall a creative non-fiction read.

“#FollowMe for Murder” by Sarah E. Burr

Coco Cline has quite the following and now thanks to her successful social media consulting company she is helping guide others onto their own paths to success. Her newest clients are less than two weeks from the grand opening launch of their business when Coco discovers the shop’s clerk Stacy murdered. Determined to not let the inexperienced small town police keep her clients from their launch Coco uses her connections both online and around town to help figure out what really happened to Stacy when all signs point to her not being who she appeared to be. If you can dig through the superficial commentary (and there is a lot of it) underneath was a decent whodunit crime story. “#FollowMe for Murder” has the potential to be a fun, beachy read as long as you can get past the main character’s personality. Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Not a Happy Family” by Shari Lapena

The Merton family were dreading gathering together for Easter dinner. No one actually wanted to be there but there they were, sitting around the dinner table when patriarch, Fred Merton, decided to go off on one of his familiar rants attacking each of his children and their flaws prompting them all to leave before dessert. So when the house cleaner discovers Fred and Sheila’s bodies all three Merton children and their spouses are questioned. At first they all appear distraught but when you dig under the perfect façade they wore, the trio stood to gain millions after their parent’s murders. Could one of the Mertons have taken their parent’s lives? Suspicion comes to a boiling point as they each start to turn on each other because if one of them is guilty, there is even more to gain. I always enjoy Shari Lapena’s books, her way of creating a mystery leaves you feeling like the answer is just beyond your grasp and leaves you saying just one more chapter. Though I felt the ending of “Not a Happy Family” was a bit rushed and could have been shaped a bit more it was a really enjoyable read.

Til next time,

The Booked Mama

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