Category: Book Reviews

  • Book Review: The Tenant

    Freida McFadden–2025

    The Tenant is classic Freida McFadden — I’ve read most of her books, and even when I think I know the twist, she still finds a way to surprise me. This one was no different: I had my suspicions, but I never saw the how coming.

    Blake starts out so confident, but watching him spiral felt so real — if you didn’t know what he was going through, you’d probably hate him, but that’s what makes him believable. And Whitney, the tenant? Through Blake’s eyes she’s an absolute nightmare — manipulative, petty, and infuriating.

    One scene I can’t forget (no matter how much I wish I could) is when Blake eats leftover lo mein and finds as much hair as noodles — and the hair gets stuck in his throat. I was listening to it at work and gagging the whole time.

    The tension in this book is relentless — I felt so stressed for Blake and his fiancée as their home and relationship started to fall apart. If you love domestic suspense with a punchy twist (and a twist on that twist), you’ll love The Tenant.

    Freida does this thing I love: she usually writes her thrillers in three parts — first the hero’s POV, then the villain’s version of the same events (which flips everything you thought you knew), and finally the jaw-dropping conclusion. It never fails to keep me hooked.

    Highly recommend for anyone who loves psychological thrillers you think you can predict — but trust me, you can’t.

  • Book Review: Rough Around the Hedges

    Emma Hart–2025

    Rough Around the Hedges is exactly why I keep coming back to Emma Hart — she’s hilarious every single time.

    I picked this one up because I’ve read all of her books, and she never disappoints. Rose is everything I wish I could be: fearless, outspoken, and absolutely unfiltered. Oliver is the perfect balance for her — calm, reserved, but not boring. He’s basically the dream guy you’d only get after years of “training” (if you know, you know).

    My favorite scene? When Rose used a giant dildo named Bertha to knock a dent out of a car… and then threw it at Oliver. If that doesn’t tell you what kind of humor you’re in for, I don’t know what will.

    You know exactly how the story will end, but that’s not the point — you read Emma Hart for the laughs and the characters you can’t help but root for.

    If you love chick lit and have a sense of humor (and don’t mind a little spice), Rough Around the Hedges is absolutely worth it.

  • Book Review: The Wedding People

    By: Alison Espach

    The Wedding People by Alison Espach is one of those rare books that made me laugh, ache, and feel unexpectedly hopeful — sometimes all on the same page. It’s a darkly funny, sharply observed story about a woman, Phoebe, who feels like she’s lost everything: her husband has divorced her, her beloved cat has died, and she checks into a hotel with only one plan — to end her life. Instead, she finds herself the only person in the hotel who isn’t attending the same wedding, and from there, the story unfolds in such a surprising and wonderfully human way.

    What I loved most about this book was Espach’s masterful use of dark humor to explore loneliness, connection, and the small, awkward ways we keep each other going. The characters feel real and flawed and so alive — especially Lila’s mom, who became my unexpected favorite. She always seems to say exactly the wrong thing to Lila, but there’s so much love and well-meaning behind it that it broke my heart a little.

    I’d recommend The Wedding People to everyone, but especially to women in their 30s and up who know what it’s like to lose something, find something unexpected, and laugh about it through tears. It’s a darkly funny, tender, beautifully written novel I wouldn’t change a thing about — even if the ending doesn’t go the way I hope it will.