The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn

 

The Alice Network was a real-life network of female spies during WWI, based mostly in the Lille region of France. They gathered information for the British by utilizing their civilian jobs to pick up information on German troop movements and military positions. The network was named after it's leader, Louise de Bettignies, who used the alias Alice Dubois.

This book has been on my TBR since it came out in 2017. I'm sad that I waited until now to read it.

1947, the world still reeling from WWII, Charlie St. Clair, an American college girl, is pregnant and being taking by her mother to Switzerland to "fix" her problem. Restless and still grieving the death of her brother, she realizes that this is her chance to find out what happened to her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in France during the war. 

1915, Eve Gardiner joins the fight against Germany by being recruited to be a part of the Alice Network. Sent into enemy occupied France. She is trained by the best, and works well for her country, at great personal cost.

Now in 1947, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded, aided by a hired hand named Finn, until a cheeky American girl lands on her doorstep mentioning a name she hasn't heard in years. The girl wants help in finding her cousin, and Eve just wants revenge.

The chapters in this book go back and forth between WWI and 1947, and while I loved Eve's story (as hard as it was to imagine what the real life spies went through), Charlie's story was less interesting to me. I also thought it could have been shorter. But all in all I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any Historical Fiction fans. 

What Kind of Paradise, by Janelle Brown

Can you ever escape legacy?
Jane has spent all the life she remembers in a cabin in the woods of Montana. Her father tells her very little about her late mother and their former life, instead focusing on homeschooling her in philosophy, survival skills, and self-reliance. He never tells her what he's doing when he goes away for days, but he constantly warns her about technology and its inevitable destructive force on humanity.
One day, her father brings home a computer, hoping to use it to further his message, but inadvertently opens up a whole new world and skill and connections for Jane. At 17, all the questions in her mind come to a head, and she finally convinces her father to take her with him on one of his trips, and the trajectory of her life is changed forever.
At what point in trying to keep someone safe from what you believe to be controlling and destructive, do you become controlling and destructive yourself?
I absolutely loved Jane's strength and her determination to see things for herself. Jane's family was so broken, yet she always kept her own head above water and survived.
This was my first of Janelle Brown's books, but I will definitely be reading more. It's a brilliant read that brought up so many questions on the effects pop culture and technology have on who we are as people. I will be buying a copy for my own library and one to donate to the public library where I work. It is a must-read.

 

The Perfect Divorce (Perfect #2), by Jeneva Rose

 

If, like me, you thought The Perfect Marriage was fabulous, get ready - this sequel filled with dark, cunning people and whiplash-inducing plot twists is even better!
Eleven years ago, Sarah Morgan defended her husband against the charge of murder in the bloody death of his mistress, Kelly. Sarah moved on after that and now has a new husband and a beautiful daughter. Finding out that her second husband has also cheated on her leaves her in an ugly divorce settlement battle, and having full custody of their daughter is her priority.
When new evidence is found in the case of Kelly's death, prompting authorities to reopen the case, and her current husband's mistress goes missing, Sarah's life gets much more complicated.
If a Kindle could overheat by turning pages too fast, mine might have exploded while I read this book. It is very fast-paced, with Jeneva Rose's shocking revelations page after page.
Release date: April 15, 2025
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

With a Vengeance, by Riley Sager

 

This book, a classic "whodunit" set in 1954, on a train, felt like Film Noir. Just like some of those old films, the plot wears thin in places, and there are some "wait, that couldn't have happened...", but it was a fun read, with some really surprising twists and turns.

Anna Matheson's family was torn apart deliberately. She has spent 12 years plotting her revenge on those responsible.
Anna sends out invitations, unsigned, but with information sure to lure those people onto a luxury train going from Philadelphia to Chicago, nonstop. What they don't know is that there are no other people on the train, other than the engineer who has been paid off. Anna's goal is to confront them one by one with the hard evidence her late aunt left to her. Things go wrong almost from the start when one of them ends up dead. Someone else has plans for these people, and unless they discover who it is, they will all be dead by Chicago.

If you're a person who likes to read books analytically and look for mistakes, you might find plot holes in this book. But if you read strictly for a good story and a fun time, you will enjoy this ride!
expected release: June 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

All The Other Mothers Hate Me, by Sarah Harman

 

 

I started this book thinking, "I wouldn't want those mothers to like me anyway!" And then I started seeing why Florence wasn't liked - she's not very likable, at least at first.
This is the story of Florence Grimes, former girl band member and divorced mother of Dylan. She lives on regrets and dreams of reviving her past. If you look up "dumpster fire" in the dictionary, you might see a picture of Florence.
On a school field trip, her son's richest classmate goes missing. Dylan, who didn't get along with the boy, had been his partner for the trip, and Florence is worried he will be implicated in the disappearance. She decides she needs to solve the crime herself.
Teaming up with the newest mom at the school, Jenny, who is the exact opposite of who Florence is, they try to figure out where the kid is and who took him. Florence constantly did things that made me cringe and just laugh at the absurdity of the situations she found herself in. A cast of colorful side characters along the way makes the story even more entertaining. I didn't like her until the last few chapters of the book - she's one of those people who is so outlandishly ridiculous that you just can't help but eventually like her.
The story never seemed to drag, and I was always turning the page, wanting to see what happens next. If you're looking for a funny crime novel, you should read this one!
Publishing date: March 11, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Water Moon, by Samantha Sotto Yambao

In a world where we are allowed choices, there will always be regrets.
Would you rather avoid the regrets and live where fate has decided your entire life? Or find a way to eliminate the regrets your choices have led to.
On a back street in Tokyo, there is an unassuming ramen restaurant. But occasionally, a person - a chosen one - will open that door and walk into a very special pawn shop instead, a shop where you can pawn your regrets and life choices.
Hana Ishikawa's life was arranged from the moment she was born. Now she has just inherited her family's pawn shop from her father, but on her first day as owner she wakes up to find the shop ransacked, and her father missing, along with a precious artifact.
Expecting ramen, Keishin steps into the ransacked shop and soon offers his help to find her father and the artifact. Knowing he is from the outside world, Hana tries to dissuade him, but he is on his own journey of self-discovery and recognizes this as a chance for something new. Together, they wind through the fantastical world that Hana lives in, to find her father and return the artifact, and learn more about themselves than they could imagine.
The prose and writing style of Samantha Sotto Yambao is stunningly beautiful, unlike anything I have ever read. Is it possible to find your favorite book of the year in January? Because I think I may have. I will never look at choices - or how I use time - again the same way.

Publishing date: January 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/ Del Ray, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost House, by Melissa Larsen

 I love a story where the environment is as much a part of the story as any of the characters. I read this book during the "big freeze" and snowstorm in early January 2025, and it was the perfect read.
40 years ago, outside a small quiet town in Iceland, a beautiful young mother and her infant daughter are found together, murdered, Their murder was never officially solved - but the townspeople collectively agreed it had been her husband. When he took their young son and moved to the United States, everyone assumed it was his guilt driving him.
Many years later, his granddaughter, Agnes, is recovering from a traumatic leg injury, an addiction to pain meds, and the death of her grandfather, whom she loved. A well-known true crime pod-caster has invited her to Iceland for the 40th anniversary of her grandmother and aunt's deaths to research the case and possibly find the truth. Her father is angry she would engage with the pod-caster, but Agnes is determined to get the truth and clear her family's name. Just as she arrives, another local young woman has gone missing. Is there a connection?
I loved Agnes, and her strength - and weaknesses. The story lagged a tiny bit in the middle, but the suspense continued its slow burn until the reveal.
I will absolutely suggest this book to anyone looking for a well written thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for supplying me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.