[61] Forget Me Twice by Carina Taylor
Fiction / Romance, saw in Hoopla, Audio

TW: assault

Synopsis: Meyer’s ex-husband Archie crashes his plane and ends up in the hospital with amnesia, and believes they’re still married. His doctor insists he recover in familiar surroundings—meaning he moves back in with Meyer. Unable to tell him the truth without risking his recovery, she’s forced to play along while he showers her with affection and tries to mend their “marriage” (she told him they had a fight).

Review: Wow, what a complete trainwreck. I obviously read this book because it has a plane on the cover and I thought it might be about a pilot. Let’s talk about the actual “plot” before I get to that though. The premise is simple—pretend to be married until he remembers then kick him out again. The story remained too simple though. Simple, superficial, and extremely surface level. There is nothing deep about these characters. Nothing to make you root for them to get back together. We don’t get their history, or much into why they are divorced. They’re completely immature and insufferable. It was a bit infuriating. The writing is questionable (do we really need a long description of peeing in the woods? what’s with the assault drive-by?) and there’s a bit of an ethics dilemma with the doctor that is brushed over. The whole story was just BAD.

Okay, now onto the flying stuff (next 3 paragraphs). I don’t want to be esoteric (but I am), but would it have hurt the author to research aviation a bit more? The plane stuff was so unrealistic it made me stabby. Like he crashed in someone’s yard and no one got badly hurt including Archie? There’s no way he just plopped down in a yard in a suburban neighborhood without doing a lot more property damage. Just the glide in would have caused so much destruction. And it just happened to be the yard of someone he knew? Then the plane was there a week and the homeowner had a party outside—with the plane still there? Then Archie hired to have it hauled away and the NTSB hadn’t already taken it? Or interviewed him? Yeah… doubtful.

Then it turns out he is 25 and owns this plane. I was like, what does this bro do to OWN a plane at that age. it was finally explained he’s in finance. The realistic part of the crash is that it was a Cirrus (LOL, won’t get into the stereotyping of Cirrus pilots). BUT THE PLANE ON THE COVER IS NOT A CIRRUS. Details, I know (and I know author’s have little say in cover art). Then it turns out he crashed from was fuel starvation, which his mechanic tells him just saying “you ran out of gas.” Again, where is the NTSB and FAA?!

And the most annoying part is how much Meyer keeps saying “I knew when he became a pilot he would crash a plane.” Girl, what?! Then you think maybe that will be the root of their divorce and maybe some substance there. Nope, she is just terrified of flying.

Recommend? What do you think? Hell no.

[62] Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, because it’s Emily Henry, Kindle

Synopsis: When aspiring author Alice Scott and brooding Pulitzer winner Hayden Anderson are both invited to write the biography of reclusive heiress Margaret Ives, they find themselves stuck on a remote island in Georgia competing for the job. Margaret gives each of them only part of her story—and a strict NDA keeps them from sharing notes. As they try to unravel the mystery of Margaret’s past, a simmering attraction develops.

Review: So this has the beautiful Emily Henry writing that a lot of us love, but it’s missing the romance and banter her other stories often have. This is billed as a romance but it felt more like a slow burn… mystery? Kind of trying to give The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes but missing the mark? The story within the story bored me. It didn’t get “juicy” until the end, and even then it was a bit ho hum. I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters in it. It was like reading a family tree. Alice and Hayden were actually interesting characters and I wanted more time with them. I wanted their romance to actually develop. And I wanted Henry to actually tell us what the heck was wrong with Alice’s sister as a kid instead of just alluding to it all the time.

All that said, it was really well written and I didn’t hate it even though it sounds like it! LOL.

Recommend? Sure

[63] She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica
Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Audio

Synopsis: Divorced mom and hospital nurse Meghan Michaels tries to keep a healthy emotional distance from her patients, until a young woman named Caitlin is brought in after a mysterious fall from a bridge. When a witness suggests Caitlin may have been pushed, Meghan finds herself pulled into the girl’s life and her family’s secrets. But as the investigation deepens, Meghan realizes too late that getting involved may have put her and her daughter in serious danger.

Review: Ahh this book. I felt like it was going in so many different directions. The intro starts with the kidnapping of her daughter and that isn’t revisited until 60% into the book. You’re just in suspense, waiting for it to happen or wondering if she imagined it. So it kept me listening, but felt like cheap bait. The twist after that was really good. I figured it out right before it was revealed and liked how sneaky it was. But then the ending was obvious. That’s all very vague but I don’t want to spoil anything in case you decide to listen, which I don’t recommend. This book is just too all over the place.

Recommend? No