[49] Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
Fiction / Women, saw in “Available Now,” Audio
Synopsis: On a domestic Australian flight, passengers are stunned when a mysterious woman—soon dubbed “The Death Lady”—predicts exactly how and when each of them will die. Some laugh it off, but when her predictions start coming true, some of the passengers become panicked.
Review: I really liked the premise of this and the writing was strong. Moriarty did a great job weaving all the stories together and keeping them distinct, while still including the Death Lady’s entire backstory (this book is 500+ pages, ugh). As I was listening though, I quickly realized I wanted the book to be something completely different than it was. I wanted more of a sci-fi leaning, and so much of the focus being on her backstory wasn’t doing it for me. Also, the way the Death Lady told her story and talked to the reader annoyed me. So, yeah.
Recommend? No
[50] Sawyer (Lucky River Ranch #3) by Jessica Peterson
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, third in series, Kindle
Synopsis: After a sizzling one-night stand during a girls’ weekend, newly divorced single mom Ava is stunned to discover her cowboy fling—Sawyer—is now her new neighbor in Hartsville. With their young daughters forming fast friendships and the undeniable chemistry between them, what was supposed to be a fun memory quickly turns into something deeper. Ava must decide if she can trust again or risk getting hurt all over.
Review: I was into this story from the get-go, first, because both characters are so likeable, and second, because it jumps right in to them meeting and hooking up. None of this waiting around for it bs! Then when they meet again in Hartsville, they don’t make it weird—they talk about it, like two adults. There is some drama with Ava’s a-hole ex, and a big moment at the end (kind of a twist on the dark moment?) but I just loved that this two single-parent romance kind of up-ended the romance trope and made it its own thing about still being your own person after you have kids, asking for help and accepting it, and opening communicating what you want in a relationship. Applause! (Random dig though—the “pretty girl” nickname Sawyer gave Ava was so cringe).
Recommend? Yes
[51] The Castaways (Nantucket #2) by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, second in series, Audio
Synopsis: When Greg and Tess MacAvoy set sail off Nantucket to celebrate their anniversary, they hope to leave behind the strain of recent rumors and marital tension. But when their boat is found capsized and they are both presumed drowned, their sudden death shocks their circle of close friends. As the six remaining friends try to make sense of the tragedy, long-buried secrets and unresolved tensions surface, forcing them to confront not only what happened that day on the water—but also the truths they’ve been avoiding in their own lives.
Review: This is another “I just needed something to listen to” book. I love a messy drama, but this one took a minute (and by minute I mean couple hours) to follow because there were eight main characters and Hildebrand jumped right in with them and would list all their names off and who was sitting by who and hanging out with who and I would pause it and be like “does any of this matter? Should I be following this?” Kind of annoying. This was published in 2009 and feels dated, like many of Hilderbrand’s book from this era. I can usually look past it, but it bugged me more with this one. And then, the drama… it was spicy, but also a bit meh? I say all that, but know I will listen to the next in the series just so I have something to listen to as a I get ready to commute, commute, workout, etc. I have lots of time to listen.
Recommend? No
