“Bear” by Julia Phillips

Genre: Mystical/Domestic Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: June 25, 2024

The novel “Bear” begins with a preface from the fairytale, “Snow White (unrelated to the famous one) and Rose Red” by the Brothers Grimm. “Poor bear, said the mother, lie down by the fire, only take care that you do not burn your coat.”  In the fable, there is a poor widow with two daughters: Snow-white is the quieter and gentler of the two, while Rose-red is more adventurous. This novel also follows two sisters on present-day San Juan Island, Wash.  In the fable, the mother lives a long life. Here, the mother is terminally ill. The author’s prose in this modern fairy tale is vivid as she tackles the complications of sisterhood when faced with life-changing experiences.

The two sisters are in their twenties and separated by only one year. They are unusually close. Sam, who represents Rose Red, is the younger sister. Elena is the Snow White character. The novel begins with a realistic portrayal of the sisters’ difficulties caring for their dying mother. There are only minimum-wage jobs on the island. The author gives us vivid and precise descriptions of the working poor. We feel that the girls are trapped by their love for their mother. Their dream has always been to sell the house and leave the island once they can. Their plan changes when a wild grizzly bear swims to the island and appears at their front doorstep. Phillips weaves magical thinking into reality here, and a dark fairytale emerges.

Sam fears the bear, but Elena responds differently to the animal. Its presence enchants her. Initially, I was reminded of the film “The Shape of Water” when she and the bear began a strange friendship, almost courtship-like. Tension builds when Elena is no longer keen on leaving the island due to her relationship with the creature. The sisters begin to distance themselves from each other. I read the bear as a metaphor for the future of the sisters’ lives. One stays on the island, and the other leaves for a more exciting life. That may be true, but I’m guessing that “Bear” is also a version of “Beauty and the Beast” with an unnerving ending. If I say more, it would be a spoiler.

In the Brothers Grimm fable, the moral is that good girls will get married and live happily ever after. I believe the moral of “Bear” is never to waste your life looking for a handsome prince. The author left me wondering if Elena’s relationship with the grizzly is an inappropriate obsession. On the other hand, did she befriend the bear, as Jane Goodall has done with apes? Did Sam call the animal control to keep her sister safe from the bear? Or was she jealous of the grizzly? I am curious if other readers will also be left with questions. This book is out of my comfort zone compared to what I usually choose to read, yet I enjoyed the story more than I thought I would. I recommend this bear-gripping novel.

I received this novel at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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“A Stranger in the House” by Shari Lapena

Genre: Psychology Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Group Viking
Pub. Date: Aug. 15, 2017

Mini-Review

Shari Lapena’s novels are often my go-to when I feel like reading a psychological thriller. Having read a few of her books, I know the story will be an entertaining page-turner despite the lack of realism. “A Stranger in the House” delivered just what I expected. The novel tells the story of Tom and Karen, who seem to be a young, happily married couple, but of course, things are not what they appear to be. There will be wives with secrets who may or may not be murderers. This novel is not one of my favorites by the author. Still, if you can put aside a somewhat absurd narrative, I recommend “A Stranger in the House.”

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“Hard Girls” by J. Robert Lennon

Genre: Espionage/Thriller/Family Drama
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Pub. Date: February 20, 2024

In “Hard Girls,” two estranged adult twin sisters play a cat-and-mouse game to track down their elusive mother, who went missing years ago. At best, they suspect their mom to be CIA. At worst, she may be a crime lord. The story travels back and forth from when the twins were in their childhood, teen, and adult years. In their youth, their mother would often disappear. Their despondent father never explained why she left, why she came back, or why she would leave again. Throughout the novel, we see how the family’s lifestyle is based on dishonesty and neglect. The sisters earned the right to be called ‘hard girls.’ In their teens, the twins were involved in a murder. One goes to jail, and the other, like her mother, disappears. Despite its potential, the plot failed to hold my interest. — a bit too pulp-like fiction for me. I usually enjoy novels with different timelines, but I found this one confusing, especially when reading the history of the parents’ relationship. If I say more, it would be a spoiler. The novel has some good twists. You may find this thriller more enjoyable than I did.

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“What The Living Do” by Susan E. Wadds

Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Regal House
Pub. Date: March 19, 2024

In the novel, “What The Living Do,” our protagonist is Brett, a 37-year-old woman dealing with traumatic childhood experiences that shaped her self-destructive personality. Brett uses sexual encounters to ward off her inner demons. With open eyes, she has put herself in unhealthy relationships, creating a repeating cycle of abuse. This changes when she falls in love with a younger man, Cole. He loves her, is supportive, and in no way is abusive. I felt relief that she was now in a healthier relationship. Still, Brett refuses to marry him. When he talks about them having a baby, she panics because she fears becoming a mother. It is evident to Cole that she uses sex to avoid any serious talk about their future together. Susan E. Wadds’s novel explores childhood sexual abuse and sex addiction, as well as motherhood, spirituality, intimacy, and illness. She manages to weave the different themes together with ease.

Brett and her work partner, Mel, are in road maintenance. Mel drives the truck as she removes dead animals from the roads. In other words, Brett is a roadkill collector. Brett’s job prevented me from imagining this would be an enjoyable read. Despite my original thoughts, I found the story engaging. The author’s fine writing creates a sweet story rather than a difficult one. Among the most touching scenes in the novel are those that show Brett’s tenderness while handling roadkill. She is horrified to find a dead rabbit missing its foot. She despises cruelty to animals. Despite Brett’s intimacy problems with Cole, the author shows how she can connect with animals even if they are dead.

Mel is a mysterious and spiritual person who prays in an unknown language. He begins to give Brett prayers to repeat after she discovers she has cancer. She feels that the disease is punishment since she blames herself for the deaths of her father and sister even though, at that time, she was only a child. A crippling sense of survivor’s guilt plagues Brett throughout the story. Here, the author breaks your heart with dialogue that feels so real that I teared up. Even with all of Brett’s unlikable characteristics, Wadds manages to make her endearing to the reader. It is easy to empathize with her, especially as she wrestles with becoming a better person. I can see some parts of me in Brett, which makes me wonder if the book’s title references real-life living people, not just our fictional heroine. I found the story to be compassionate and emotionally moving. I recommend reading “What The Living Do.”

I received this novel at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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“The Other Mothers” by Katherine Faulkner

Genre: Domestic Fiction/Thriller/Murder Mystery
Publisher: Gallery Books   
Pub. Date: December 5, 2023

This is a really good beach read.  Since I now live half the year in Florida, I seem to be reading more in this genre. Tash is a freelance journalist who divides her hectic time between work, her 2-year-old son, and her husband. As her son starts attending a playgroup, she has more time to investigate the mysterious death of a local nanny. She also begins hanging out with some of the playgroup’s other mothers, Claire, Laura, and Nicole. Those three have more luxurious lifestyles than Tash, with huge mansions, designer clothes, and brunches at an expensive cafe. With a new credit card, Tash joins in on the fun despite her limited budget. However, when she starts receiving anonymous threats, Tash knows something is wrong. Cheating is rampant among the couples, and it is fun to guess who is with whom. There are many twists, but the ending is the biggest one of all.

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“The North Line by Matt Riordan

Genre: Adventure/Suspense
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pub. Date: April 2, 2024

The book’s blurb compares Matt Riordan to Jack London. Indeed, there are similarities between “Call of the Wild” and “The North Line.” In the 1990s, Adam, a college student needing quick money, finds work on an Alaskan commercial fishing boat in the unforgiving Bering Sea, which sits at the edge of the world. The author will make you feel the strong winds, freezing temperatures, and icy waters. I learned that these combinations make for some of the most ferocious waves on the planet, where the water can rise and fall 30 feet on a typical day. The vivid authenticity of the writing is superb. I was surprised that this book is the author’s debut novel.

Although his thumbnail is ripped off on his first day, Adam finds that day’s adventure and labor exhilarating. He also enjoys crude comradery with his crewmembers, feeling they possess hard-earned knowledge. However, Adam is thrown into a despicable fight when a fisherman’s strike threatens the entire season. By the novel’s end, Adam will no longer have teeth and no longer resemble the college student he once was.

“Some lines should not be crossed, even at the ragged edge of civilization.” The surprise ending seems to say survival of the fittest is cruel. This novel is recommended (even if you know nothing about commercial fishing for a living, as I didn’t). It would be best to go in knowing you will be fascinated and repulsed simultaneously.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

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“The Last Mrs Parrish” by Liv Constantine

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub. Date: Oct. 17, 2017

Mini-Review

This story follows a woman determined to become the wife of a wealthy man. “The Last Mrs. Parrish” has strong shades of “Gone Girl,” with dark undercurrents of deception and manipulation. Even though it is somewhat predictable, I ate up the fun melodrama. A great beach read.

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“The Echo of Old Books” by Barbara Davis

Genre: Historical Mystery/Magical
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pub. Date: March 28, 2023

“The Echo of Old Books” splendidly combines a bit of the paranormal with a tragic love story. Our protagonist, Ashlyn Greer, owns a used bookstore, “The Unlikely Story,” filled with rare books. She is also a talented bookbinder. Ashlyn has an unusual gift: by touching a book, she can feel its owner’s emotional “vibrations” or “echoes,” reminding me of “The Shadow Of The Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. “Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it…” The novel appealed to me because I’m a book lover who enjoys nothing more than browsing in a used bookstore with its intoxicating old paper and leather scents. I have spent hours in bookstores comparable to “The Unlikely Story”—Davis nailed the vibe.

There are two timelines: 1941 in NYC and 1984 in New Hampshire.In 1984, Ashlyn sorted through a box of books for her bookstore when she feels strong emotions of love, anger, and betrayal from two books: “Regretting Belle” and “Forever, and Other Lies.”  They do not have title pages, publishing information, or the author’s names. The journal-like, possibly epistolary novels tell the story of the same doomed romance told from his and her perspectives. Ashlyn becomes obsessed with solving the mystery. So did this reviewer.

In these books, the woman is a wealthy socialite. The man is a struggling reporter just making ends meet. We do not know the characters’ names, just their nicknames for each other. He calls her Belle, as in the belle of the ball. Since he is a writer, she calls him Hemi, short for Hemingway. Their relationship is written as a l love story rather than chick-lit. If you want a romance read “Echoes” is not for you.

The mysteries surrounding Belle, Hemi, and Ashlyn read as three well-blended books rather than one. I was surprised that the book’s ending is a bit corny, unlike the rest of the novel. Other than that, I recommend this book, especially if you also love reading books about books.

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“The Mystery Guest” by Nita Prose (Molly the Maid #2)

Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Pub. Date: Nov. 28, 2023

Mini-Review

We last met Molly Gray, now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, over three years ago. If you want a deeper grasp of the key characters, I suggest reading “The Maid” before “The Mystery Guest.” Once more, Molly is a charming lead character, and her tale is a lighthearted, comfortable read full of heart and comedy. In “The Guest,” the hotel is having a VIP event for the award-winning mystery novelist J. D. Grimthorpe. The reclusive author selects the hotel site to make a rare public appearance to announce something significant. However, Molly finds herself once again in the middle of a murder investigation when the author passes away just as he begins speaking. To identify the murder, we follow Molly as she applies her unusual method of scenario analysis. Unfortunately, Molly read stale the second time around, lacking the original tale’s freshness.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

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“Housemates” by Emma Copley Eisenberg

Genre: LGBTQ/New Adult
Publisher: Random
Pub. Date: May 28, 2024

Mini-Review

Bernie and Leah meet when Bernie answers an ad that begins with “Four Swarthmore grads, looking for a fifth housemate” and ends with “Queer preferred (we all are).” I had high expectations for this story, but I was somewhat disappointed. Two quirky and queer female pals embark on a road trip. The roommates, or side characters, are multifaceted, with several representations of various racial/ethnic backgrounds and gender identities. The narrative is passable but suffers from a few poor storytelling decisions. The author’s writing style didn’t appeal to me, but it may just be me. It may have been better as a short story than a novel because, as a novel, there are too many characters. In a short, some characters may have been eliminated.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

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