Little Mo’s Book Recs

A little place for me to share the books that I love! All book recs have been read by me and include honest reviews. Happy reading!

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Title: The Seamstress of Auschwitz

Author: CK McAdam

I enjoy reading stories about the Holocaust, especially those based on true events. This one, however, didn’t grab ahold of me like most others do. While I did find certain parts of this book to be emotionally driven, as they should be considering the subject matter, I found most of the story felt rushed and detached. There wasn’t a ton of dialogue and the narration felt like the author was telling me what happened as opposed to showing me; I think that’s where I felt the lack of emotion. Overall, it was an interesting story and different from others that I’ve read, but the manner in which the author told the story is what led me to give it a lower rating.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Paper Forest Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars)

https://a.co/d/gjC1qWc

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Title: The Stranger Upstairs

Author: Lisa M. Matlin

The premise of this story was really interesting: a social media influencer purchases a murder house and believes the fixer-upper will help her reach a new audience on her lifestyle blog. But with a failing marriage and strange happenings around the house, it might be more than she bargained for.

For a debut novel, this was very written, and I quickly became immersed into the story. While it is definitely a psychological thriller and checks off all of the boxes that make a story suspenseful, I was happy to see the author also touched on mental health. With everything going on in Sarah’s life between her crumbling marriage, the strange occurrences around the house, suspicious neighbors, and hearing footsteps in the attic, it was no wonder she felt like she was losing her sense of reality; and to be honest, it was a little sad.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more from this author!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4-4.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/3vIzwvV

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Title: No Child of Mine

Author: Nichelle Giraldes

Sanjay and Essie have been together since they were teenagers, and though she had to put much of her life on hold for Sanjay, she is now looking forward to their future together. After agreeing to move into an old house, Essie unexpectedly finds that she is pregnant, throwing her plans to finish medical school right out the window. The pregnancy is difficult, putting her on bedrest, and in the meantime, Sanjay has changed, spending much of his time pacing around the attic. Is there something wrong with their new house or is there more going on that has yet to be seen?

This was a pretty good book, though at times repetitive. I had a hard time connecting to Essie or finding her to be a likable character, but the suspense factor throughout the story is what kept me pushing to finish. The author does a good job of misdirecting the reader as far as what is truly behind the spooky happenings, and it’s a unique twist that I enjoyed. However the story ended abruptly and seemed to fizzle out. I enjoyed the majority of book but overall, it wasn’t consistent.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://amzn.to/3PRy9ln

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Title: The River We Remember

Author: William Kent Krueger

I’m a huge fan of William Kent Krueger, and this story embodies everything I love about his style of writing.

Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero, is investigating the murder of Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy landowner who was found floating in the river. Rumors spread that Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who just returned to town with a Japanese wife, is responsible for the murder. Dern struggles to find the truth while battling demons his past — a common theme amongst the characters in this story. But what is everyone in town hiding and why has Quinn’s death threatened to expose them?

Overall, I thought this was a great story. It flowed well, grabbed my attention from the get-go, and had really intriguing yet flawed characters. The author did a great job of developing the small-town, post-WWII setting and bringing it to life it through its local inhabitants, but it was their turbulent relationships that really set the tone of this shocking tale. Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/3wQc7ZA

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Title: Under the Java Moon

Author: Heather B. Moore

This was one of my favorite books in 2023!

The story begins with a Dutch family being separated during WWII when Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies. Rita was forced to relocate to a POW camp along with her pregnant mother, Mary, and little brother, Georgie. The conditions were deplorable — overcrowded, malnourished, and rampant with malaria and dysentery. But they had to do what they could to survive, holding out hope that the patriarch of their family, George, was still alive.

This was a such a harrowing, and yet uplifting, story. I have to be honest, I didn’t know anything about this part of WWII, but it is one I will never forget. Rita and her family were such strong and determined characters, and I admired them a great deal. If you enjoy emotionally-driven historical fiction that is based on true events, then you will love Under the Java Moon!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://amzn.to/3TvGoFP

[littlemosbookrecs]

Title: The Witching Hour

Author: Margaret Meyer

This was an interesting story inspired by the witch hunts in England during the 17th century.

Martha Hallybread was a midwife, healer, and servant who lived a pretty peaceful life for decades, but hadn’t spoken since she was a child. When a witchfinder showed up one day in town, Martha found herself forced to help in the search for accused women who bear the mark of the devil. Martha was at a bit of a crossroad because she had to choose between protecting herself and condemning innocent women of witchcraft. But she harbored a secret that would bring protection to the women of the village, though it could ultimately strip her of her own freedom.

I thought this story was okay, but it didn’t grab my attention as much as I’d hoped it would. I’ve always loved reading about witch trials, especially the ones that took place in Salem, MA. I have to admit, though, I don’t know as much about the witch trials in England, so I was intrigued to see the parallels between the two. Overall, I thought this book was lacking a bit as far as suspense goes. There were definitely some emotional and thought-provoking moments, but it wasn’t a story that would stick around with me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3-3.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/49h7Ps6

[littlemosbookrecs]

Title: The Other Year

Author: Rea Frey

This was such a unique story, and I often found myself questioning which of the two scenarios being told was reality.

Kate Baker takes her nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, on a beach vacation, but in the blink of an eye she vanishes beneath the ocean waves. Kate begins to panic, but in the next moment Olivia resurfaces. But what if she hadn’t? This story explores two worlds, one in which Kate is forced to navigate through life without Olivia and one in which her life carries on as if she never had to deal with the tragedy of losing her daughter.

These alternate timelines explore the depth of love and loss, and how a single moment can change the outcome of our lives forever. For Kate, it was bittersweet because she simultaneously experienced both outcomes as if in a parallel universe. It was a bit confusing at times to keep track of the individual stories, but also really interesting to see how each situation panned out. Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/48iRwLn

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Title: The Breakaway

Author: Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner always find a way to incorporate relatable and often controversial topics into her stories, and in this case it is Abby Stern’s struggle with her weight. As a child she was forced to attend a weight-loss camp thanks to her diet-obsessed mother, but over the years she has come to accept her plus-size body. She also reconnects with Mark Medoff, another Camp Golden Hills attendee, and while they are on track to get married, she feels like something is off.

Abby receives an unexpected invitation to lead a cycling group from NYC to Niagara Falls, and it feels like to perfect time to reflect on what she really wants in life — and whether or not that includes Mark. Ironically, Sebastian, a man she’d had a one-night stand with two years ago, is part of her group, but Abby needs to stay focused and is determined to keep her distance. To make matters worse, her mother Eileen, the source of all her bodily insecurities, joined as a last minute addition.

This book digs deep into the lives of the characters that make this story so wonderful. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and they need to make some life-altering decisions before they can finish their trek to Niagara Falls. Ultimately, it’s a blunt yet heartwarming reminder that your feelings are valid, and sometimes you have to rediscover your own self worth to undo the emotional damage that once controlled your every waking thoughts.

Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/47ptr4m

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Title: It’s Not A Cult

Author: Lauren Danhof

I enjoyed this book and the characters, but the build up was a bit slow. It was also an arc that was a bit predictable.

Glinda’s mother joins a cult called the Starlight Pioneer Society and has fallen under the spell of their leader, Arlon. It doesn’t take long before Arlon is proposing to her mother and allowing the other members to use her home as their commune. Glinda’s worries don’t stop there, though. She wants to repair her relationship with her sisters, Dorothy and West, and she needs their help to protect their mother before it’s too late. But Glinda has to come to terms with her past trauma and grief first if she going to have any chance at bringing her family back together.

Overall, I thought it was an okay story. Glinda could be a bit emotionally clumsy but you could tell that her heart was in the right place. Troy was one of my favorite characters, and I felt like Glinda was a bit obtuse at times because it was clear he had feelings for her, but with him being her only friend, maybe she didn’t want to risk crossing that line. The story itself was pretty good, but I felt the premise was a bit too cliche as far as cults go.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/47nH2th

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Title: The Invisible Hour

Author: Alice Hoffman

This was such a creative story and I found the characters to be so unique and engaging.

Mia grew up in a strict and abusive cult called “the Community” with her mother Ivy. Contact with the outside world was forbidden, except for when they would sell goods in the nearby town. It was during those visits to town that Mia would sneak off to the local library and immerse herself in the pages of the books she read.

One day she came across The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and discovered the story had a striking similarity to her mother and their life in the Community. Hawthorne perfectly encompassed everything that Mia was feeling, and she longed for a life beyond the confines of the cult.

The next half of the book had a bit of a twist that required the reader to have an open mind as it involves a bit of time travel. But honestly, it made me even more enthralled with the story. The influence that Mia had on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing was such a great spin and I blew through the rest of the book. There were still portions of the story that didn’t interest me as much and lost my attention, but overall I really enjoyed it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://amzn.to/4996gNA

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Title: Where the Dead Sleep

Author: Joshua Moehling

Deputy Ben Packard is called to the scene of a murder and finds Bill Sanderson shot in his bed. While Bill was well-liked, he had a penchant for making bad decisions, leaving behind bad debts and an unstable love life. Everyone is a suspect but there are no clear motives.

To make matters worse, the Sheriff’s department experiences a heartbreaking tragedy, and Ben now has to decide if he wants to run for Sheriff, a job he isn’t even convinced he wants. The small town of Sandy Lake has a long history with deep-rooted secrets, and as an outsider, Ben bas only touched the surface. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more his life is in danger.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Ben Packard is a fantastic character and really makes a name for himself amongst the citizens of Sandy Lake. I think this series is off to a great start, but I will note that ai didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first. It was a bit less suspenseful and didn’t grab my attention as much as I’d hoped it would. Nonetheless, it is definitely worth reading!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4-4.5 stars)

Amazon.com: Where the Dead Sleep: A Novel (Ben Packard Book 2) eBook : Moehling, Joshua: Books

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Title: In A Quiet Town

Author: Amber Garza

This was a pretty good thriller, though some chapters were a bit dry at times.

Adrienne has essentially been disowned by her father, a well respected pastor in a small town in California. But her mother, Tatum, is making an effort to repair their strained relationship. She visits her daughter every week at the bar she works at, but this one particular visit is cut short because Adrienne never showed up for work. The police aren’t taking Tatum’s concerns seriously and her husband couldn’t care less. So when a stranger claiming to be Adrienne’s fiancé appears about of thin air, Tatum finally feels that her concerns are validated. He’s trying just as hard to find Adrienne, but is he the real deal or is he harboring secrets of his own?

I enjoyed reading this story and really liked the dynamic — and often rocky — relationships between all of the characters. Not knowing where Adrienne was or if she was in trouble definitely added to the suspense factor. And I appreciated that the story was told from past and present timelines because it helped build the story and reveal important details over time. But some scenes seemed to drag and feel like filler. Overall, it was a pretty good book, I just wish the pacing of the story was more consistent.

*Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5-4 stars)

Amazon.com: In a Quiet Town: A Novel eBook : Garza, Amber: Kindle Store

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Title: None of This Is True

Author: Lisa Jewell

Another fantastic psychological thriller from Lisa Jewell!

Two women celebrating their forty-fifth birthdays (birthday twins) cross paths while celebrating at a local pub. Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, is surprised to find herself running into Josie Fair again at her children’s school a few days later. After listening to Alix’s podcast, Josie thinks her life experiences would be an interesting subject for a series, and while Alix finds her to be a bit unnerving, the idea for the podcast is one she can’t pass up.

Josie is a very interesting character and the more she reveals about herself to Alix on the podcast, the more you realize just how sinister she really is. I found it interesting that after all this time Josie chose Alix to essentially spill her secrets to, but it doesn’t end there. She continues her path of torment and drags Alix’s family into the chaos as well.

Overall, I thought this was a great book! A really suspenseful page-turner. Even after finishing the story, I still don’t feel that I completely know who Josie Fair is, but I know for sure she isn’t someone I’d want to get mixed up with.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://amzn.to/45pNcI2

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Title: Dark Corners

Author: Megan Goldin

I loved Night Swim, the first book in the Rachel Krall Series, but this one didn’t grab my attention as much. I think it was the social media aspect and the annoying, superficial influencers that turned me off. I did think it was creative that Rachel went undercover as an influencer to gets answers as to why Maddison disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer, but I found a lot of the story to be underwhelming and lacking suspense.

Overall, I thought it was an ok story, but didn’t live up to the hype of the first book. Hopefully the next installment will redeem the series for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/3Q40KV1

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Title: The Trap

Author: Catherine Ryan Howard

This was a really suspenseful psychological thriller!

I thought Lucy was such a great character and I admired her determination to find her sister. A year earlier, Nicki had gone missing after a night out with friends at the pub — the third Irish woman to vanish in the past few years — and not knowing what happened to her consumed Lucy’s life to the point of obsession.

I have to admit, I started to question Lucy’s sanity because she purposely put herself in harms way night after night to seek out the truth. But I really enjoyed how the beginning of the story tied into the end; I hadn’t put that together earlier on. And I was so surprised when we finally got some answers because they came straight from the monster himself! It was actually quite unnerving how forthcoming he was, and definitely upped the creep factor.

Overall, I thought this was a great book and definitely recommend it!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4-4.5 stars)

https://amzn.to/3RJC6dC

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Title: At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities

Author: Heather Webber

This was a quirky and really enjoyable read!

Ava Harrison receives a letter with a job listing one month after the death of her ex-boyfriend. She thinks she is being haunted, but it just so happens to be the perfect chance for her to begin a new life. The job will require her to be a caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cat in Driftwood, Alabama, but after being interviewed by the man’s daughter, she is also asked to work part-time at Maggie’s coffee and curiosity shop.

Ava and Maggie become fast friends and realize they have more in common than they think. Both have regrets they are struggling to deal with and in order to overcome them, they must let go of the past and move on. Easier said than done, right? But sometimes change is a good thing and the people you meet along the way help lead you on a path to where you were meant to be.

I loved this book and the wonderful characters that made it so entertaining! They each brought their own little piece to the puzzle, and while at times I thought some of their personalities might clash, they were able to relate to one another more than I thought they would. I think it in turn made their friendships and community even stronger. Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://amzn.to/3sQTnHz

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Title: Gone Tonight

Author: Sarah Pekkanen

Wow! This book really makes you question just how far a parent is willing to go to protect their child.

Catherine Sterling is ready to begin a new career in a new city, but that means leaving the only parent she’s ever known. Ruth Sterling loves her daughter, but she’s not quite ready to be an empty nester. These two women think they know one another, but their secrets would make it appear as though they were mere strangers. Ruth’s desperation to keep her daughter by her side begins to backfire, and her carefully-constructed world starts to crumble, putting both of their lives in danger.

I thought this was a fantastic thriller! This is the first solo book I’ve read by Sarah Pekkanen, and I think she hit this one out of the ballpark. It’s not often that I find my jaw dropping multiple times throughout a story, but the twists just kept on coming. Definitely a unique and engaging storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://amzn.to/44FnEWT