Broken Country

by Clare Leslie Hall

On a rainy, dreary Saturday morning I sat down to start this book and I couldn’t stop reading it. I finished it that day! When Beth’s first love comes back into her life in an unexpected way, the secrets from the past collide with her new life as a farmer’s wife. Can a women be in love with two men at the same time? When there is a suspicious death, the reader is left to try and figure out who has died as the story is told in flashbacks. Broken Country is emotional but also hopeful with a sweeping love triangle, twists, compelling characters and a mystery. I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced reading copy.

The Cover Girl

by Amy Rossi

Welcome to the 1970’s and the glamourous world of modeling! Or is it glamourous? When Birdie Rhodes is shopping with her mother in an upscale department store, they are approached by Harriet Goldman, a legendary modeling scout. Soon thirteen-year-old Birdie has a contract and is one of Harriet’s “girls”. As she goes to various modeling shoots and becomes educated on the ins and outs of the modeling world, her star begins to rise .When she is fifteen, a handsome rock start who is thirty-one-years old notices Birdie and her real education begins.

Years later, Birdie is now known as Elizabeth and still doing some modeling but mostly living a quiet life. When a letter arrives inviting her to a celebration of Harriet’s life, she is unsure what to do. She has been estranged from Harriet for years. But in order to move forward she must come to terms with her past where she was not quite famous and almost destroyed.

This cautionary, coming of age story grabbed me from the beginning. As Birdie’s star begins to rise, the author brings in other supermodels from that time period like Cheryl Tiegs to add authenticity to the story. There is sex, drugs, rock n’ roll and an inside look at the world of modeling. I enjoyed this book. The Cover Girl will be published on August 5, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for the advanced reading copy.

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne

by Emily Critchley

A crumbling manor in the English countryside; a once wealthy family clinging to a life they can no longer afford; the youngest daughter who has some strange fixations; two older sister who may not be what they seem and family secrets. Yes, please!

Gilly Larkin’s mother died giving birth to her and her distant father doesn’t seem to care about her. In 1938 when Gilly meets her new boarding school roommate, Violet Claybourne, she is immediately drawn to her. Violet is everything that lonely Gilly isn’t. She lives with her two sisters and her parents at their large estate, Thornleigh Hall, in the English countryside. When Violet invites her to stay with her family over the Christmas break, Gilly has no idea how much this visit will change her life.

The Claybournes welcome her into their family and for once Gilly feels like she belongs. Violet’s older sisters are enigmatic, stylish and take Gilly under their wings. As Gilly becomes more involved with the older girls, her relationship with Violet begins to deteriorate. Violet feels betrayed but this is only the beginning. When a Boxing Day hunt at Thornleigh Manor goes terribly wrong we see how far the girls will go to protect themselves.

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. If you like mysteries with gothic overtones, twists and turns and family secrets, you will want to read The Undoing of Violet Claybourne.

Both Booklist and Library Journal have given this book starred reviews. Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced reading copy.

LA Women

by Ella Berman

Lane Warren became the darling of the writing world when her first book was published. However, her second book wasn’t well received so she is desperate to make her third book a hit. This book is about her frenemy, Gala Margolis, a free spirit and completely unlike Lane. Gala is also an aspiring writer and as her star begins to rise in the literary world, Lane becomes envious of her success and does something that she can never undo. However, Gala’s messy life is unraveling, as is Lane’s, and now Gala has been missing for months. No one can find her and as she searches for her, Lane’s focus on Gala borders on obsession.

LA Women is set in Laurel Canyon between the 1960’s-1970’s. It has a strong sense of time and place and the author pulled me into the setting with a sharp focus on the time period with parties, sex, drugs and rock and roll. I liked the complicated relationship between these two sometimes unlikeable women and LA women was a quick read.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. LA Women will be published on August 5, 2025.

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow

by Olivia Hawker

Life is rough in 1876 Wyoming. The Webber and Bemis families are the only two farms for miles. When Cora Bemis commits an indiscretion with Substance Webber, Cora’s husband, Ernest, kills him. With Substance dead and Ernest in prison, the two women are forced to come together to save their families from the harsh Wyoming winter that is fast approaching. Cora is filled with guilt and Nettie Mae is bitter and angry over the loss of her husband. Nettie Mae’s son, Clyde, is only sixteen but he must now be the man of the house to help his mother and the Bemis family survive.

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow is a beautifully written, lyrical story of two very strong but different women who must put aside their feelings and form a bond to save their families. It has a strong sense of place and the author immediately pulled me into the setting and the characters. One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow is an example of historical fiction at its finest.

The Golden Gate

by Amy Chua

This debut historical mystery grabbed me from the start.

1934 Berkeley, California: Isabelle Stafford and her sister, Iris, are playing hide and seek in the Claremont Hotel while their mother is playing tennis. When Isabelle gets tired of waiting for Iris to find her, she goes to look for her only to find Iris in a pool of blood after apparently falling from the laundry chute.

1944: Homicide detective Al Sullivan is leaving the Claremont Hotel when he gets a police call. Wealthy businessman and presidential candidate, Walter Wilkinson, is dead in one of the upstairs rooms. As Al begins his investigation he find,s among other things, a doll that belonged to Iris Stafford, the little girl who died at the Claremont ten years ago. Why is the dead girl’s doll in Walter Wilkinson’s room and what is his connection to Iris who is part of the wealthy Bainbridge family of San Francisco? The story is told from Al’s point of view and also the interrogation of Genevieve Bainbridge, the grandmother of the three remaining granddaughters that she claims have nothing to do with Wilkinson’s death. However, Al isn’t so sure. It is difficult to say more about this novel without giving out spoilers.

This complex mystery is enhanced by rich historical detail and lots of red herrings. Kirkus Review, Booklist and Library Journal all gave The Golden Gate starred reviews. I chose this for my historical fiction book group at the library and we all liked the mystery and the twists.

Blood & Mascara

by Colin Krainin

I love noir in books and films so when I read a description of this book and saw the cover, I knew that I had to read it.

Cal Goldberg, AKA Bronze, is a private eye in 1990’s Washington DC. He is hired by a wealthy man to follow his wife because he suspects that she is having an affair with a high powered politician. When the politician is pulled out of the Potomac and the man who hired him is also killed, Bronze must do whatever he can to save the woman he has been following.

Blood and Mascara is gritty, filled with political intrigue, danger, lots of imagery with multiple timelines and points of view. Bronze is a flawed character that the reader can’t help but root for and the other characters are well drawn.

Thanks to pulplit and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.