Julie and her twin sister Chloe are separated at a young age when their parents die. Chloe is adopted by an affluent family and becomes a glamorous social media influencer. Julie is adopted by her conniving aunt and stuck. After a brief reconnection, Julie receives a cryptic call from Chloe and travels to NYC to see her. At her apartment, Chloe is dead and Julie decides to steal her twin’s identity. Is the glamorous life of a famous influencer really what it’s cracked up to be? Read and find out.

Mallory Quinn, fresh out of rehab and recovery from a recent tragedy, has taken a job as a nanny for an affluent couple living in the upscale suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey, when a series of strange events start to make her ( and her employer) question her own sanity. Teddy, the precocious and shy 5-year old she's charged with watching, seems to be haunted by a ghost who channels his body to draw pictures that are far too complex and well-formed for such a young child. At first these drawings are rather typical, but then the illustrations take a dark turn, showcasing the details of a gruesome murder.

Cynthie Taylor and Jack Turner Jones are young actors who star in their first movie together and are tasked with pretending to be in a fake relationship for publicity purposes. The entire relationship implodes and both Cynthie and Jack vow never to speak again. Thirteen years later, the two more famous stars are offered to star in a remake of the original cult classic movie but with the stipulation of having another pretend relationship for publicity. The second time around with ground rules and more maturity, can Cynthie and Jack face the truth about each other? Read and find out. This was definitely a feel good read and I recommend it if you are looking for a little romance.

Read this book!!! Penn is an author who is a stay-at-home dad; Rosie is emergency room doctor who eventually changes her preferred specialty to accommodate her youngest child. The couple has 5 sons, but at 3 years old the youngest tells them that when he grows up, he wants to be a girl. This book does an incredible job of showing what it’s like when a member of the family was born with the wrong genitalia. The author tells how different family members and community members react, and the impact this has on the child, the parents, the siblings, the grandmother, and friends. It’s also a novel about parenthood in general. I did not want to put this book down. It's insightful, heartfelt, full of quotes that I highlighted, and a must read.

Keru and Nate meet in college. Keru, an only child, immigrated from China with her parents. Nate and his brother grew up in a white, rural working class community with their parents. Despite their cultural differences Keru and Nate marry. In this short novel, set in two vacation spots (a rental house in Cape Cod and a rental house in the Catskills) we get a glimpse of how this DINK couple learn to navigate relationships with their in-laws, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances, and each other. Weike Wang is a Boston University alumni!

I found this novel truly heartbreaking as Claire in her husband experience so many losses. But Claire is resilient and a devoted mother and grandmother; she carries on with her life and makes a real difference to the children she fosters. The ending is cathartic.

This book was just what I needed for a summer read, light and breezy. Twin Olive announces to her very close family that she and her fiancé are going to elope in Hawaii so not to remind her sister, Amelia, of her failed marriage. The family plans to surprise the couple in Hawaii with a full blown wedding. Ami and her cousin Diego set off early to start the preparations. Ami is forced to plan the wedding with charismatic best man Brody and eventually they like each other. Was this whole elopement a ruse to get Ami out of her rut. Read and find out. I also recommend the audiobook, it is read with multiple actors and sound effects.

The bodies of the Pine family, mother, father, sister and little brother are found dead in their vacation home. Two sons have survived one, a college student, who couldn’t attend the trip because he had classes, and one a prisoner for the murder of his girlfriend. What happened here, and why. An intriguing story. Very suspenseful.

Pam Jenoff books do not disappoint! Fiction based on History over two time periods (1950’s and 1933-1944). Two women’s lives intertwined as history unfolds. Three countries: London, England, Paris. France, and Germany. It starts with Louise who works in a thrift store. She finds a bracelet that reminds her of time in France. A mystery to solve is revealed.

This is a solid book. Some of the (main) reveals were instantly predictable, but the story was well done and interesting. I think it is dun and sad how the story takes place in the era(s) I grew up in. I am getting very old if I related to the timing in the flashback periods of thriller novels. The ending was a little hodgepodge and random. Plus there were still some things that were unexplained (and one unnecessary), but I am excited to read more from Finlay