You never want to be the asshole that leaves a message promising to kill someone for being late, only to find out they've already been murdered.

Poor Finlay. She's a struggling author writing books no one's reading. Her two young kids are driving her crazy while her ex-husband fired the nanny. And on top of that, she's completely broke. When a meeting with her literary agent turns into a big misunderstanding about her being an assassin for hire, it seems Finlay's problems have only just begun.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It has got to have one of the most intriguing setups I've ever seen. And that setup comes to pass in one of the best scenes I've read in a long time. At one point I was howling with laughter, causing my husband to come over and ask if I was all right.

A lot of times, a book's promise of mystery and intrigue and laughs don't really amount to much, and I'm left at the end thinking, "Is that it?" But not this time. In this book, I daresay, we get everything we're promised, and that's such a satisfying feeling.

The tone of this book is darkly humorous. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and the reader shouldn't either. It's not meant to be completely believable, but rather fun and just a bit over the top.

I totally enjoyed this zany story, which delighted and surprised me from beginning to end. It looks like this will be the start of a series, and I couldn't be more excited. With that little bombshell of an ending, I can only hope our wait for the next book isn't too tortuously long.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Erin French is the chef of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the country, where the only way to get a seat is to mail in a postcard and be entered into their lottery. There, you will compete with the other 20,000 postcards that came in for a chance to eat at this small 40-seat restaurant during its open season.

Finding Freedom details Chef French's journey from a young age discovering her love of food and cooking, to her early adult life of being a struggling single mom, to her rock bottom years of prescription pill and alcohol addiction, to becoming the successful woman that she is today. This was a journey fraught with peril and heartbreak, but also with healing and redemption.

A memoir is such a personal experience, and you can tell that French put her heart and soul into this. She went through some extremely traumatic experiences in her life, and it must have been hard to put it all in writing and to be so open to judgement and criticism. Yet she was brutally honest and often spent a lot of time on introspection to figure out her own role in what transpired. I admire her honesty and her unflinching ability to look at herself, something that is not easy for anyone to do, let alone in such a public forum.

But I had a few issues with this book that prevented me from connecting with it more. For one thing, her writing style is extremely descriptive and detailed. For example, if she's talking about her restaurant, she would describe everything about it, including its wall color, countertops, chairs and tables, lighting choices, silverware, napkins, plates and bowls, etc., leaving no detail unmentioned. That, plus her preference for long unbroken paragraphs, means that it's not unusual to turn to a new page, see a wall of text of nothing but descriptions. It made it hard for me to keep my attention, and when it did wander, I had trouble remembering where I was in the paragraph.

For a memoir, there's also a noticeable lack of anecdotes, especially towards the second half of the book. For example, she often talks about her son, but there isn't a single thing I remember about him because she never shared anything concrete. Or she often mentions that she and her sister don't get along, but didn't actually give any examples of what happened. Instead, she tells her story mostly through introspection, with events quickly summarized so that she can get to her thoughts and feelings on it, which is where she really spends the bulk of her time.

It was also extremely hard to read what happened to her. She grew up surrounded by toxic people and relationships. Instead of setting boundaries, she only knew how to enabled these people and to grab on ever harder, seeking their approval and affection. Then, when she became an adult, those were the only kinds of relationships she knew how to have and she went on to replicate them. It was really frustrating to see this happen when she was young, but it was even more so once she became an adult and continued in this toxic environment.

This is a very dark book, and I didn't realize going in that it would be so. What I thought I was getting is an inspirational story about a struggling chef finally making it in the culinary world, along with interesting tidbits of what it's like to be this profession. Instead this is really an addict's story of growing up in an abusive household, not learning the necessary skills to cope, and then using drugs and alcohol to do it. It's about hitting absolute rock bottom and then starting the long slow climb out into the light.

After everything she's been through, I'm glad Erin French got the success she worked so hard for. While I didn't completely connect with her memoir, I do think her restaurant sounds amazing, and I hope one day to have the chance to try it for myself.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the advance copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Please excuse me while I dry my tears and wipe that big goofy smile off my face. What an absolutely wondrous story The House in the Cerulean Sea turned out to be!

Linus is a buttoned-up, live-by-the-rules, no-fun employee who works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. When he gets his latest secret assignment from Extremely Upper Management to visit an orphanage on a remote island, he doesn't know what to expect. But soon his assignment turns into the adventure of a lifetime, one that will touch his heart and irrevocably change who he is.

This book has the most marvelous characters. Everyone we meet is kindhearted, if a bit prickly at first. As we get to know them, they unfurl into the most loveable creatures. They learn and unbend and grow into their potential, becoming so much more than they were before. The children especially, with their funny and exuberant antics, really grabbed my heart and refused to let go.

There was so much humor packed into the pages, I was constantly chuckling and smiling. It was dry and sarcastic and witty, poking gentle fun at work and bureaucracy and taking things too seriously. Humor is so subjective, so I'm not sure how this would appeal to everyone, but it totally resonated with me and kept me delighted.

At its heart, this is a story about acceptance and seeing someone for who they are on the inside. That is such a worthy view, and one I wholeheartedly agree with. There's definitely an element of cheesiness here that could feel a bit much. At times, it borderlines on preachy, but that's only a few paragraphs here and there, and the humor helps to balance it out.

Occasionally, I come across a book I fall in love with from the very first page, and that's what happened here. This sweet, whimsical, quirky, funny, and magical story gave me all the feelies. I laughed, I cried, I smiled so much that my cheeks hurt. Its message of kindness, joy, and unity makes my heart soar. Honestly, what more could I ask for?

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

"I'm all set now . . . I'm young. I've got love, I've got a clear track. The rest is a cinch."

Ha, famous last words...

A series of deaths have left the police stumped. On the surface they seem unconnected, but in each case, a mysterious woman was on the scene moments before the victim meets their untimely end. No one knows who this woman is, but she's clearly seeking vengeance for a grievance of the past. And unless the police quickly solve this case, she will continue her deadly mission.

This story sucked me in immediately. It was dark and atmospheric, giving off vibes of classic film noir from back in the day, reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock. Here is this femme fatale, and she is sharp and resourceful. I can't help but cheer her on and hope that she doesn't get caught. Whenever she succeeds in pulling off a murder, I marvel at her style and efficiency, and look forward to more. It was wicked fun, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

It did take me a little bit initially to get into the writing style. This story was originally published in the 1940s, so some of the words and sentence structures felt a bit odd and awkward at first. But it wasn't long before I warmed to it, and then I was flying through the story.

What a complete delight this turned out to be. It had me riveted from beginning to end, cheering for the killer to strike again and again (which is a new experience for me, I admit). If you're looking for a short murder mystery that's a bit off the beaten path, or you just enjoy the classic noir style, I totally recommend this gem of a tale.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

How can this story be so dull? It's about a secret apothecary that dispenses poison to women so that they can kill their nearest and dearest, for crying out loud!

It starts off with much promise. In the 18th century, we meet Nella, an apothecarist who has been making poison for decades. Women come to her when they have nowhere else to turn, and she provides them with the method to kill their problems. When a young girl named Eliza enters her shop, it sets in motion a chain of events from which there is no turning back. In the present, we also follow history buff Caroline as she vacations in London and researches the apothecary from centuries ago.

The book blurb completely grabbed me. I was ready for excitement and suspense, especially because it also promises to have a mystery and a little bit of magical realism/fantasy sprinkled in. So I started reading and turning the pages, waiting for something riveting to grab ahold of me. And unfortunately, nothing ever did.

To say this story is slow is an understatement. With a dual timeline, there's always this fear that one of them might be more compelling than the other, and that's definitely what happened here. The storyline with Nella and Eliza is the focal point. But even then, what should have been a fascinating narrative quickly becomes plodding. It feels like the exciting moments are glossed over quickly and the mundane ones are stretched out to fill up the pages.

It doesn't help that Caroline's story is completely unnecessary. I can see that the author is trying to juxtapose Caroline's personal growth with what happened to Nella and Eliza, but it just doesn't work, mostly because there are no similarities other than trivial ones. I didn't understand why Caroline would be interested in looking into the apothecary, or why she tried to keep it a secret from everyone, or really anything she did.

This story also employs one of my pet peeves, which is that pretty much every conflict comes from a misunderstanding that can be quickly explained away with a sentence or two. Not telling the truth isn't that interesting of a plot device. And also every character makes a mountain out of a molehill, whether it's deciding to panic or pulling meaning out of irrelevant conversations or interactions.

For me, this is a case where the book overpromised and underdelivered. Based on the description of the book, I expected mystery and intrigue, darkness, suspense, magical realism. But none of these occurred because the book is 100% historical fiction, and it wasn't a very interesting one at that. Instead, it became a slogfest through an utterly forgettable story, one I'm already having trouble remembering only days after finishing it.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

This was my Book of the Month pick for March. If you're curious about BOTM or want to find out how to get your first book for $5, click here.

"Where magic gives, it can also take--in ways that no one can foresee."

I've enjoyed tremendously every book I've read by Julie Dao, so when I saw that she had a new one out, the first of a four-book series where each is written by a different author (how unusual), I was intrigued. I confess I snatched it up so fast I almost got whiplash.

The series follows four generations of a family both blessed with magical powers and plagued by a curse that haunts them. In this first book, Broken Wish, we see how the curse comes to be, and follows strong-spirited Elva as she masters her powers and tries to save her family.

Going in, I was immediately drawn to the magical feeling and the fairy tale atmosphere of this story. There was so much goodness all around, but also a lot of darkness. It was great fun to immerse myself in this tale that appeals to the inner child in me. It reminds me of being young and optimistic, and it was very comforting.

Just like any fairy tale, this one has great lessons to be learned. I love the strong female characters in here, in particular Elva and Mathilda. They're both resourceful and courageous, staying true to who they are on the inside, even when outside pressure tries to force them to take a more conforming path. They're also looking for acceptance and belonging in a world that is prejudiced against who they are. (Sound familiar? No wonder Disney chose to throw their weight behind this series.)

This isn't gritty or cynical, nor will it leave you wrecked after reading it. And I can't even say the ideas in here are all that unique. Rather, it is unapologetic in what it is: a feelgood fairy tale, and it's a darn good one.

Fairy tales aren't just for kids, and this book is the perfect example of that. I was swept away by its magic, and it reminded me of why I still come back to them as an adult, again and again.

P.S. This book has such a gorgeous cover. A word of caution though: don't look at the inside back cover, because there's a small but obvious spoiler on there, which I stumbled upon as I was investigating the beautiful design. D'oh!

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The Survivors is another slow burn from Jane Harper that quickly morphs into a gripping, unputdownable story.

After many years away, Kieran has returned to the small Australian waterfront town where he grew up. The town holds a tragic memory for him, one that has haunted him in all the years since then. Now that he's back, with his wife and infant daughter in tow, the long buried secrets of what happened all those years ago start to surface. And a new tragedy strikes, threatening to tear the town apart again.

Jane Harper's stories are always centered around its characters, and this book is no different. They jump off the pages fully formed, each with their complexities and their burdens of secrets and guilt. And it's not just about each individual person, but also how they relate to each other, in all that is said and unsaid. Harper's insightfulness and shrewdness at capturing the nuances and the landscape of small town relationships makes this character study a real highlight of the story.

The mystery itself is interesting and compelling. It drives the overall narrative, and infuses it with the prevailing atmosphere that something isn't quite right. The subtle malice flows through the undercurrents of this story, sweeping me away with its quiet intensity. Not much is happening on the surface, but underneath, it relentlessly builds the story into its inevitable and surprising conclusion.

I did find the beginning of the story to be a little slow, but that's pretty typical for me when it comes to Harper's writing. But I hold on for the initial few chapters, and pretty soon, I'm having trouble putting the book down. Now for all the buildup, I did find the ending to be a bit abrupt, as if I blinked and it was over. It sufficiently explained everything, but after following the characters and their storyline for so many pages, I just wanted a little more to fully wrap everything up and satisfy my curiosity.

Still, I wholeheartedly enjoyed this story. It has everything I've come to love about Harper's storytelling, with its focus on its characters in the setting of a small Australian town. I've read all of her books so far, and I just can't seem to get enough. Alas, now begins the long and tortuous wait for her next book.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The idea of looking for life in the universe began to make sense to me... a chance to discover the smallest breath in the deepest night and, in doing so, vanquish the void that lurked between human existence and all else in the cosmos.

In honor of Perseverance landing on Mars, of course I had to pick up a book about the red planet. And I'm so glad I chose The Sirens of Mars. In haunting and lyrical prose, Johnson provides both a straightforward account of the history of Mars space exploration, as well as a memoir of her journey to becoming the planetary scientist that she is today. In doing so, she also puts forth an examination of what constitutes life, and our very human urge to shed our isolation and find it beyond our planet.

My favorite parts of this book are around the Mars space exploration, which is the majority of the book. We are taken from the early days of astronomers peering at the bright red orb in the sky all the way through to NASA's most recent Mars missions. I found Johnson's narrative in these parts to be clear and easy to understand for the layman, even though this is a scientific topic. It was great fun and absolutely fascinating to read about all the logistical challenges of trying to do even simple things far away, and the ingenuity and tireless work that went into making these missions a success.

While I had previously known about the missions in passing, it was eye-opening to see them through the lens of searching for life. In particular, I never considered the crucial question of how someone would go about recognizing alien life. I always imagined, when meeting life from another planet, that it'll be somewhat like E.T., a clearly visible alien entity. I never considered that it could be infinitesimal microbes hanging in suspended animation hiding in the most inhospitable environments on Mars. It completely changed my way of thinking, and made me realize how difficult this seemingly obvious task really is.

Where I felt the book was a little more uneven is when it centered around Johnson's own experiences and musings. On the one hand, it was inspiring to read about her journey through this challenging field. And her evocative prose served to heighten her reflections around life and our place in the universe. On the other hand, at times, her prose turned meandering and excessively ponderous. And some of the technical jargon when she talks about her personal experiences, especially regarding geology, were hard to follow. But this is just a few pages here and there, and it didn't take too much away from an otherwise beautiful and easy-to-understand narrative.

One thing this book could have used are some illustrations and photos to go with the events described. As it stands, I did have to frequently look up images so that I could fully visualize a lot of the things that were talked about in here.

I'm not sure how I missed this book when it was published last year, since I always have my eyes peeled for books on space exploration. But I'm so happy to have finally noticed this book, especially during such an exciting time for Mars exploration. Now that I'm all caught up on the previous missions and also on what Perseverance is trying to accomplish, I'll be able to follow the current mission in more detail over the next few years, and cheer on its successes with better understanding.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Hmm, is this really a thriller? I feel like the wires might have gotten crossed for me.

The Wife Upstairs is supposed to be a modern-day take on Jane Eyre, though with more secrets, lots of twists, and obviously some murderous results. But instead of being suspenseful and thrilling, I found the story to be more cheerful and laugh-out-loud funny.

For most of the book, I felt like I was reading a romantic comedy as Jane and Eddie got to know each other. It was light and fluffy (though potty-mouthed), without any tension that would indicate something was amiss. There was also a good amount of commentary about the sheer inaneness of suburban life, which added a good dose of humor to the story.

I kept waiting for Jane's secrets to show up, or for Eddie to drop hints and act like he's a monster waiting to pounce, but nothing really happens. There weren't any undercurrents of suspense or tension in the story that I could perceive. It just felt... jovial, which doesn't seem like the right feeling I should be getting out of this.

And when we get to the reveals, they seemed weak and underwhelming for a thriller. I don't know if my expectations just weren't set correctly, but I found everything to be so silly and over-the-top, I kept giggling at inappropriate moments. It was so unrealistic and logistically impossible that it was hard to take the story seriously or to care about how everything shakes out.

My reaction to this book is a headscratcher for sure, especially in light of how thrilling everyone else found it to be. It entertained me, but I feel like I read a different story and possibly an entirely different genre than everyone else.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars