Christmas at the Ranch by Julia McKay

A special thank you to the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

She hasn’t been in love in ten years, but she’s about to get back in the saddle.

With the holidays around the corner and her father recently imprisoned for financial fraud, disgraced journalist Emory Oakes doesn’t know where to turn. She’s only certain of one thing: She needs to get away.

Fate takes the wheel, leaving her stranded in snowy Evergreen, the picturesque town where she spent her happiest Christmas as a teen—and chronicled every moment in her journal as she fell in love with handsome local, Tate Wilder, at his family’s idyllic horse ranch—until it all went wrong.

Emory isn’t ready to face Tate, but kismet and Christmas magic have other ideas. As the love they’ve denied for a decade rekindles, the betrayals that kept them apart resurface, as does Emory’s family scandal. Yet Tate Wilder and his ranch feel more like home than anywhere ever has. Will Emory and Tate’s alchemy fizzle or will their Christmas wishes come true? 

This swoony second chance holiday romance is about a woman who escapes a family scandal by fleeing to the charming, nostalgic place where she both fell in love for the first time and had her heart broken. Set against a perfect snowy setting, Christmas at the Ranch is a story of love, hope, and the magic of Christmas. With themes of forgiveness and second chances, this is the perfect holiday escape.

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JULIA McKAY is the pen name of Marissa Stapley, a New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including the Reese's Book Club pick Lucky (soon to be an Apple TV+ limited series starring Anya Taylor-Joy). She has also co-written several bestselling holiday romances, including The Holiday Swap, All I Want for Christmas, and Three Holidays and a Wedding. 

Stapley divides her time between city life in Toronto and lake life in Haliburton, where she writes about love, second chances, and the magic of the holidays.

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Q & A with Julia McKay*

GWR: What inspired you to write holiday romances? 

JM: There’s just something about the holidays that makes my storytelling heart come alive. The lights, the traditions, the way love and nostalgia seem amplified—it’s irresistible! I’m also fascinated by the contrast the season brings: joy and celebration isn’t all there is to the holiday season. It can also be full of loneliness and family unrest, which can stir up old tensions or heartbreak. That mix of comfort and complexity gives me so much to explore as a writer. And, of course, I adore capturing the cozy magic of a small Canadian town blanketed in snow.

GWR: What sparked the idea for Christmas at the Ranch? What is the story behind the story? 

JM: The story was born from my deep love of cottage country—and my own little slice of it. The lake in the book is inspired by the one where I spend my summers (and sometimes snowy holidays), where the ice makes the most haunting, beautiful sounds as it shifts and cracks. I’ve also been an equestrian most of my life, so weaving in a ranch setting and that bond between humans and horses felt natural. Christmas at the Ranch is my love letter to winter in Ontario—snow, family, healing, and second chances all included.

GWR: You’ve also co-authored holiday romance books writing as Maggie Knox (with Karma Brown) and with Uzma Jalaluddin—is there a trope that you haven’t explored yet that you would like to?

JM: I have a soft spot for Opposites Attract, and I think an office romance might be next on my wish list. That seems like it could be great fun—especially when the mistletoe gets involved.

GWR: What elements are a must in a holiday novel?

JM: Even the most laugh-out-loud or glamorous holiday story needs emotional truth underneath,  that spark of connection and hope that makes readers feel deeply invested in the love story. Setting is key, too: snow-covered streets, glowing windows, twinkle lights, and the smell of something baking in the background. And of course, a satisfying happily-ever-after...because if not at Christmas, when?

GWR: I loved the juxtaposition of Toronto and cottage country. What is it about the small-town setting of Evergreen that makes it the perfect backdrop for a Christmas romance?

JM: Evergreen is everything I love about small-town Ontario: it’s full of charm, community, and a little mischief. People know one another’s business—for better or worse—but that also means they show up when it counts. The natural beauty of the snow-covered lake and forests creates a built-in sense of wonder, and the town provides the perfect opportunity to introduce a quirky cast of supporting characters, something I always love to do.

GWR: You utilized a dual timeline as well as an epistolary element through the inclusion of Emory’s diary entries—how did this structure come about? 

JM: I wanted readers to feel the depth of Emory and Tate’s history,  to sense how the past still echoes in the present. The diary entries allowed me to weave in emotion, secrets, and reflection in a really intimate way.

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be? 

JM: For a cocktail, I’d say Ranch Water: traditionally made with tequila, water, and lime, but made festive with a splash of cranberry juice, a few frozen cranberries, and a sprig of rosemary. It easily becomes a mocktail by skipping the tequila and adding a dash or two of bitters.

GWR: Can you share what are you working on now?

JM: I’m currently finishing my next romance novel, which I’ll be able to share more about soon—but for now, I can say it’s set in small-town Ontario and full of cozy vibes, second chances, and seasonal magic. On the other end of the spectrum, I’m also deep into writing the sequel to Lucky. It’s a busy but very exciting time!

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.

The Offing by Roz Nay

A special thank you to the publisher, Viking, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy is in trouble. A recent break-up has left her humiliated and raw, so when her best friend, Regan, offers her a month-long escape in the form of a trip to Australia, it feels like a lifeline, one that Ivy grabs with both hands.

Regan is everything Ivy’s not—confident, free-spirited, charismatic—and a natural at backpacker fun. But Ivy is drawn to a calmer type of holiday, so when she spots an ad for crewmembers on a small yacht being sailed by a doting father and his daughter, the girls decide to take the job. Together with a handsome third crewmember, they set off north into tropical heat, but it's not long before doubts start to creep in. Are the girls simply claustrophobic on the boat, or have they stumbled into something they don't understand? 

Tensions rise as the past threatens to catch up with them, and dark secrets emerge that will change everything. A dangerous cat-and-mouse game on land and at sea, this fast-paced, twisty thriller keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Two young women are trapped in a deadly chase through the beautiful, dangerous waters around Australia. Drawing on her own crew experience, Nay is an expert guide to reader. 

Perfectly paced and expertly plotted, The Offing is a claustrophobic, high-octane thriller that can easily be devoured in one sitting. It is slick and propulsive and full of shocking twists. This escapist novel is as menacing as it is beautiful—a must-read this summer. 

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ROZ NAY is the award winning bestselling author of Our Little Secret, Hurry Home, and The Hunted.

Nay has lived and worked in Africa, Australia, the US, and the UK. She lives in British Columbia, Canada with her husband and two children.

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Q & A with Roz Nay*

GWR: How did you start writing/become a writer?    

RN: I always wrote stories as a child and remember being sent out of English to a music lesson in fifth grade, only to return early and find the teacher reading my work to the class. I was mortified! (That hasn't changed.) Beyond that, my husband signed me up for a writing class as a hobby after we had kids. I loved that class and it kind of snowballed from there.

GWR: How long did it take you to write The Offing, and how many drafts were there before publication?

RN: From start to finish, it took me about a year to write this one, but the early drafts took a while to pin down. Sometimes I'm impatient with the characters and think I know them before I really do. I find that I write scenes that don't make the second draft, because once I'm deeper into knowing who these messy people are, I can spot all the moments that don't quite ring true.

GWR: What was the genesis of the novel?

RN: The Offing is actually frighteningly autobiographical. When I was 27, I went backpacking on my own to Australia, and took a job on a whim as crew on a family-owned yacht. The boat in the story is an exact replica of the real one, along with the journey, the dad, the daughter, and the cat. Obviously in my version, there's less murder and more of a successful finish line, but I'm ashamed to say that I did all of the stupid and dangerous things these girls did, which is why it was easy for me to write about them.

GWR: Do you pair your characters to the book—what characters would survive the scenario—or do you write them situationally?

RN: With this one, I had the boat, the skipper, the daughter, and the cat first, because they were in the original true version. I also knew the setting, including how claustrophobic the boat was, so that part was also in place. After that, I had to figure out where the danger was coming from, and who might be running from it. I wanted to explore female friendship, too, so I knew I needed two young backpackers who knew each other but not that well... In a sense, with The Offing, the main characters came late to the cast list, but I think that's because I lived this story and had some characters ready to go. 

GWR: What do you have more fun with, character development or plot?

RN: Again, with every book it's different but with The Offing, I liked how I was pushing myself structurally as a writer. The book has several worlds running concurrently—that of the boat itself (which feels present but isn't), the police interviews (which are present), and anything that might have happened prior to the girls climbing on board. I also had to solve the problem, plot-wise, of creating a thriller on a boat but not letting the girls feel so freaked out that they'd simply get off at the next stop. That's more complicated than it sounds and I enjoyed the challenge of it. 

GWR: What’s the one element of a thriller that is a must?

RN: Menace. I think you can create compelling characters, a cool setting, some hooky love interest, a good twist - but unless you have a pervasive sense of dread and menace right from the outset, you'll lose your thriller reader to the TBR pile. It's a busy genre and you have to keep them turning pages.

GWR: How do you write effective red herrings when you are so close to the material?

RN: By the time I've finished a first draft, I've got my red herrings in place—and in fact, they present themselves quite quickly once the plot is watertight. What I do in the second draft—now that I've told myself the story—is make sure I'm not overcooking them. The trick is to keep readers unsure for as long as possible, so that those blind alleys remain tempting and don't feel like too obvious a decoy.

GWR: Did the story end the way you’d initially thought?

RN: Yes, although the body count stacked up a bit. I didn't have all the outcomes for the villain(s), but I knew who'd done what and to whom.

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be? 

RN: I'm going to say it's a Negroni because it's layered—it has solid gin that you can trust, but then that complex, bitter Campari, and can you really rely on the sweetness of the Vermouth? 

GWR: What are you working on now?

RN: I'm writing my fifth thriller which is about a house swap that takes place between a woman in the UK and a man in the USA. It's like the movie The Holiday, but the thriller version. So, you know. Creepy plotline and no Jude Law.

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada. 

A Man Downstairs by Nicole Lundrigan

A special thank you to Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if the childhood you remember isn’t really what happened at all?

Molly Wynters has moved back to her small hometown to care for her father, recently felled by a stroke and no longer able to communicate. She is ready to make a fresh start with her son after her divorce, but is haunted by both old events and new realities in her childhood home.

What Molly recalls of her young life with her father is full of love and care, even though a violent trauma defined her when she was a young girl, she witnessed her mother’s murder, and her testimony—“There was a man downstairs”—sent a teenager to prison. This tragic episode is still very much alive in the culture of the town, and the more Molly remembers, the more she fears that what she said on the stand all those years ago might not have been the whole truth.

After Molly, a trained therapist, volunteers for a local helpline, the threats begin. At first they seem random, but soon Molly realizes that she is a target, and even those closest to her seem suspicious, especially as unsuspected links between them emerge. More than one life was destroyed on that horrific long-ago day, and now someone intends to hold Molly accountable.

Lundigran's latest is a psychological thriller about a woman who is tormented by her memories. The thread that has kept Molly sewn together begins to unravel when she returns home to the small town that is both the keeper of secrets and the scene of her mother's murder.

On the simplest level, this is a page-turner. With short, punchy chapters, Lundrigan deftly shifts between a dual timeline and multiple points of view—Molly's, Gil's, and "His." The beautiful writing is juxtaposed with the grittiness of the novel. It is sublimely atmospheric and wickedly suspenseful.

A Man Downstairs is a compelling examination into the human psyche and the unreliability of memory.

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NICOLE LUNDRIGAN is the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Hideaway, which was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel, The Substitute, Glass Boys, and An Unthinkable Thing. Her work has appeared on “best of” selections from The Globe and Mail, Amazon.ca, Chatelaine, Now magazine, and others. 

Lundrigan grew up in Newfoundland, and now lives in Toronto.

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Q & A with Nicole Lundrigan* 

GWR: How did you start writing/become a writer?    

NL: When I was young, I never considered becoming a fiction writer. I had my daughter shortly after finishing an MSc, and while I was home with her, I wrote various articles. At some point I opted to continue down that creative path and attempted a book. And then a second book…

GWR: This is your ninth novel—do you approach each the same way? Can you share a little about your writing process?

NL: With my first novel, I had no idea what I was doing. At one point I remember googling ‘rules of writing fiction,’ and quickly closed my laptop. In hindsight, I believe being completely naïve gave me the confidence to try. I have learned a great deal by going through the process, but with each new project there is fresh insecurity. Part of my approach is not focusing on writing a book, but instead a little cluster of words each day. 

GWR: What is your favourite part of the publishing process?  

 NL: I find writing the first draft to be daunting, but once I have something down, the process becomes more enjoyable. When I receive feedback (sometimes in the form of really good questions), and the direction is suddenly illuminated, that’s an amazing feeling.

GWR: Character development or plot—what do you have more fun with?

NL: Definitely character. While I’ve gotten better at developing plotlines, exploring the psychology of the characters is what draws me in. When I’m thinking about writing a book, it usually starts with an emotion.

GWR: What’s the one element of a thriller that is a must?

NL: Sense of tension. That something *might* happen, even if the character is just walking to the fridge to get milk for coffee.

GWR: What was the genesis of A Man Downstairs?

NL: I happened upon a news article about a three-year-old boy testifying in court against his mother’s boyfriend. At the end the judge gave him a bag of chips. That was the spark, and various threads rolled out from there.

GWR: Tell me about the research you did for the novel?

NL: I tend to research in dribs and drabs, usually when I have a question during writing. Occasionally I get lost for a few hours, slipping down various rabbit holes. It’s neat when certain tidbits of information seem to find me, instead of the other way around.

GWR: Did the story end the way you’d initially thought?

NL: With this book, I had a clear(ish) sense of what would happen from the start but didn’t quite know why. During the writing process, I discovered a great deal about my character’s experiences and intentions and by the end, I understood their behaviour much better.

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be? 

NL: Tricky question! Ideally a drink that is intense, involves a combination of distinct flavours, was popular in the seventies, and has come around again. Let’s go with a Sloe Gin Fizz.

GWR: Can you share what you are working on now and if you have any events/appearances coming up?

NL: I’ve been working on my tenth novel, which is currently unnamed. This will be the first time writing an entire book about women who are around my age. Though I’m not sure why, I’ve always resisted that. We will see what happens.

For events, I’m really looking forward to attending Montreal Mystère in May, which is downtown Montreal’s inaugural mystery book festival. I think it’s going to be a fantastic time.

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada. 

What Wild Women Do by Karma Brown

A special thank you to Viking Canada/Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

Rowan is stuck. Her dreams of becoming a screenwriter are stalled, along with her bank account, as she and her fiancé Seth try to make sense of what's next for them after leaving LA. But when the couple takes a trip to a cabin in the Adirondacks, hoping the change will provide inspiration for Seth's novel-in-progress, Rowan finds herself drawn into a story greater than her own—that of socialite-turned-feminist-crusader Eddie Calloway, who vanished one day in 1975 and was never found or heard from again. In a handbook left behind in the abandoned ruins of a once great camp, Rowan starts to discover clues to what happened to Eddie.

As Rowan delves deeper into the mystery, we meet Eddie herself, a fierce and loving woman whose greatest wish was to host women at her camp and unlock their "wildness." However, Eddie's wild ways aren't welcomed by everyone, and rifts between camp owners threaten her mission. When Rowan gets closer to the truth of Eddie's disappearance, she realizes that it may hold the key to unlocking her own ambition and future

Much like its strong female characters, What Wild Women Do is a force. Told in dual timelines/perspectives, Brown's latest offering is a comment on social media, the pressures of societal expectations on women, and finding one's purpose. 

Although Rowan and Eddie are from different decades, they have a lot in common—they are passionate, strong, and resilient. Both storylines are equally captivating and an ode to women. Brown elevates the novel with added layers of mystery and self-discovery. 

Atmospheric, mysterious, and compelling, What Wild Women Do is a must read.

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KARMA BROWN is an award-winning journalist and author of the bestsellers Come Away With Me, The Choices We Make, In This Moment, The Life Lucy Knew, and Recipe for a Perfect Wife. Her first non-fiction book, The 4% Fix, published in 2020. Karma's writing has appeared in publications such as Redbook, SELF, and Chatelaine. 

Brown lives just outside Toronto, Canada with her husband, daughter, and their adorably handsome labradoodle, Fred.

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Q & A with Karma Brown*

GWR: This is your sixth fiction novel, do you approach each the same way or has your writing process changed? 

KB: Some things are always the same, like writing a detailed synopsis before a single page of the manuscript, and doing research and brainstorming ahead of drafting. I find a first draft (my least favourite part of the process) comes out more easily if I do this work first. You’re going to have to do the fiddly stuff at some point, and the “when” simply comes down to style and personal preference. However, I did something with this book that I haven’t before. Instead of writing the chapters consecutively, alternating between characters and timelines, I wrote Rowan’s (modern protagonist) storyline first, then switched to Eddie’s (1970s protagonist). That wasn’t my plan going in, but it’s what made sense for this book. So even though some things stay the same with my process, I’m always open to new strategies—every book is its own journey!

GWR: 
Being a screenwriter, Rowan would know how to pitch the book, but what do you think Eddie would say about it? 

KB: Eddie offers a lot of wisdom throughout the story, but I think she would keep it simple. Something like, “This book is about learning, and trusting, your personal truths. Nothing else matters!” After that she’d take a big sip of her beloved chocolate milk, and give a raised eyebrow look, as if to say, “Prove me wrong.”



GWR: Jess and Aidan live completely off the grid—is this something you think you could do? 

KB: Is it something I dream of doing? Yes. Is it something I think I could do…probably not. I am that person who wants to sit under a mother tree in a forest of mother trees, with a morning mug of coffee listening to birdsongs, and have nothing but wilderness surrounding me. But I’m also grateful that I can get next-day delivery without leaving my house, and I’m a big fan of indoor plumbing. 



GWR: The themes of this book—female relationships, societal pressures on women, the impact of social media—are all relatable, yet your take is fresh and also has an added element of mystery. Where did you draw inspiration from?

KB: I love setting a book in an isolated place, and the vast woods felt perfect for this story. When I was a child my parents took me and my younger sister to Camp Sagamore in the Adirondacks. It was the 1970s, we were the children of hippies and so well-versed in exploring wide open spaces and spending time in nature. Camp Sagamore had originally belonged to the gilded Vanderbilt family—these great camps were compounds built in the woods for these families to escape city life—and we stayed in Gloria Vanderbilt’s cabin, which was exciting! We spent our days exploring the woods, making plaster casts of animal paw prints, eating communally in the large, wooden beamed dining hall, and bowling for hours in the open-air alley. It was magical, and all these years later, it was that visit that inspired the setting for this book. But an isolated forest also lends itself well to mystery and disappearances…the trees are great secret keepers. 

GWR: 

Strong women are central to your books. Who are some other authors you would recommend that also write strong female characters well? 

KB: This is a tough question to answer, not only because there are many authors to recommend, but also because what makes a female character “strong” depends on context, and perspective. However, some of my favourite female characters—who I think embody that adjective—are: Carrie Soto (Carrie Soto is Back, Taylor Jenkins Reid); Joanna Eberhart (The Stepford Wives, Ira Levin); Dr. Marina Singh (State of Wonder, Ann Patchett); Harriett Osborne (The Change, Kirsten Miller); and Carlota Moreau (The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Silvia Moreno-Garcia). 

GWR: 

What are some great books you’ve read this summer?

KB: This summer was a busy one, and I didn’t get as much time to read as I wanted to. So, here’s a sampling of a few great books I’ve read this year (so far): How to Sell a Haunted House, by Grady Hendrix; Weyward, by Emilia Hart; The Whispers, by Ashley Audrain; Nightbitch, by Rachel Yoder; The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise, by Colleen Oakley; Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. 

GWR: 

What do you hope readers will take away from What Wild Women Do?

KB: I hope readers see, through Eddie and Rowan’s stories, that bravery, courage and resiliency arrive in both bold and quiet ways. Also, to remember that we only get this one life…so, how do you want to spend it?  

GWR: 

If your book was a beverage, what would it be?

KB: I have no clue! Why is this the hardest question of them all?

Maybe a dark-roast, piping hot coffee, with a generous pour of organic soy milk, cinnamon and fresh nutmeg sprinkled on top. Strong, slightly out of the ordinary, a touch sweet and spicy. 



GWR: Can you share what you are working on next?

KB: All I can say at the moment is that I’m actively drafting a new story—one that veers into a different genre from what I’ve written before—and that I am having the most fun writing it! Stay tuned for more ☺ 

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada. 

Age of Consent by Amanda Brainerd

A special thank you to the author, Amanda Brainerd, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Arriving to Griswold Academy, Justine doesn't want to be seen in her dad's orange Volvo. She is not as privileged as the rest of her classmates—her parents run a theatre and struggle to pay their bills. Eve, a sophisticated daughter of Park Avenue parents, may be well off, but she too feels like an outsider. The girls become best friends and navigate their way through relationships, drugs, alcohol, and Griswold's in crowd and predatory male teachers.

After a less than stellar school year, the girls spend the summer in New York City with Eve’s childhood friend, India. Justine moves into India’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment and becomes more enamoured with her friends’ glamorous lives. Always under her parents' watchful eye, Eve interns at a SoHo art gallery with an unpredictable boss whereas India struggles to resist the advances of a famous artist represented by the gallery. All three women are affected by their sexual relationships with older men and struggle to assert their independence.

Age of Consent is a story about friendship, sex, and parental damage.

Set in 1983, Age of Consent is a nod to the 80s. Brainerd sprinkles pop culture references throughout but doesn't succeed in immersing her reader in the decade known for extreme fashion and incredible music (New Wave). What happens instead is that the novel is kind of affected, for example, the school is named Griswold Academy...

The whole thing is flat—the characters, the dialogue, the story—and there is an unnecessary subplot. Being set in the 80s, there is a lot to work with and yet nothing really happens. I had such high hopes for this novel, but ultimately it was not the promised captivating coming of age story and failed to evoke any nostalgia for my teenage years.

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AMANDA BRAINERD graduated from Harvard College and earned a Master of Architecture from Columbia University after being expelled from Choate Rosemary Hall boarding school in the 10th grade.

Brainerd lives in New York City where she is a real estate broker, wife and mother of three. Age of Consent is her debut novel.

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Single Thread takes place in 1932. Violet Speedwell is a "surplus woman" after the Great War took both her beloved brother and fiancé. Yet she is struggling with the notion that her life will be spent caring for her grieving, resentful mother.

After saving enough money, Violet strikes out on her own and moves to Winchester, which is home to one of England's most impressive cathedrals. She gets a job as a typist and befriends the broderers —women who embroider kneelers for the Cathedral, a tradition that brings comfort to its worshipers. Many in the group are rebelling against society's rules in order to maintain any kind of happiness.

There are reports that there is another war on the horizon with the rise of the Naza party in Europe. Violet must continue to fight for her independence and craft a life for herself in a time and place where women aren't expected to thrive.

This is a story of love, friendship, and discovering one's identity.

I've been enamoured with Chevalier's work since Girl With a Pearl Earring. Recently I had the pleasure of reviewing New Boy which was part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project. She didn't shy away from the huge undertaking/responsibility of retelling Shakespeare's Othello—her compact version delivers a sucker punch and I encourage you to pick it up.

A Single Thread is both meticulous in detail and in the telling of the story. It is character-driven, so if you are the type of reader that is more interested in narratives that are plot-driven, than the pacing of this book may be too slow for you.

Chevalier's research is impeccable and meticulous. Although the real-life embroidery expert, Louisa Pesel, makes an appearance, Tracy focuses her attention on the thread of fictitious Violet Speedwell. She is an engaging character, but I was frustrated with, and didn't fully understand, her relationship with Arthur, especially after she went to such great lengths to assert her independence.

Where this book excels is in the finer writing that carefully details the art of embroidery and the history of the time period. Although this book isn't quite as memorable as her other works, Chevalier delivers a rich and authentic work of literary fiction with an interesting premise.

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TRACY CHEVALIER is a New York Times bestselling author of nine previous novels, including Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has been translated into thirty-nine languages and made into an Oscar-nominated film.

Chevalier was born and raised in Washington, DC, and now resides in London with her husband and son.

Bunny by Mona Awad

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set at Warren, an Ivy League university in a bleak New England town, Bunny is told from the sardonic perspective of Samantha Heather Mackey—Smackie for short.

Smackie is a lonely scholarship student whose only friend is Ava, a nihilistic and captivating art school drop out. But everything changes when Samantha receives a glitter-covered invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon" and finds herself ditching Ava to attend. Despite her hostility towards the privileged, and to the overly affected, precious girls in her highly selective MFA program, Samantha is drawn into the world of the Bunnies—a clique of rich girls that function as one lip-glossed entangled hug.

Samantha participates in their ritualized off-campus "workshop" where they magically conjure boys from rabbits. The boys, aka the Drafts (or the Darlings), are as beautiful as soap opera actors, but invariably flawed. The worst Drafts, who manifest as vapid-and menacing-babblers, are literally axed by their ruthless creators.

Torn between Ava's protective anarchy and the toxic matter-of-fact magic of the Bunnies, Samantha conjures something unimaginable, something that will bring these opposing worlds into a wild and deadly collision.

Awad is an incredible writer and without a doubt, she crafts a gripping tale that seizes you, albeit almost to the point of claustrophobia. Bunny is an original take on girl cliques and also of the classic outsider-desperate-to-fit-in story. It is hypnotic and mesmerizing, yet sinister and dark.

This book wasn't quite for me and I can't figure out exactly why and what didn't work—I took a few days before writing this review and I am still stumped. As much as Awad's writing is clever, unique, and fresh, it is so manic that it is exhausting. I also don't think I fully understood what I was reading in that this book was completely bonkers at times, sometimes in a good way, and sometimes...not so much.

That being said, I read an interview that Awad did for the CBC about her debut 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl and I'm intrigued. I mean, how could I not pick it up after learning that Depeche Mode was on her writing playlist. For those that follow me on social media/read my blog know that basically Depeche Mode is my religion and the soundtrack to my life, so yah...I'll definitely be reading it.

MONA AWAD is a Canadian novelist and short-story writer. Her debut book, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl—a novel about a woman's lifelong struggle with body image issues—won the Amazon.ca First Novel Award and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2016.

Awad now lives in the US.

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heavily influenced by the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Zevin tackles slut-shaming in her newest book Young Jane Young and it is glorious!  She examines the double standards, sex scandals, and misogyny that resides not only in politics, but in life.  Women everywhere face these issues and are often silenced from the shame, and the threat of losing everything they have worked so hard for.

Before becoming Jane Young the wedding planner, Aviva Grossman was an ambitious, bright intern with the congressman's office.  Aviva has an affair with her boss, the congressman himself, and blogs about it.  True to life, when the affair is made public, it is Grossman that goes down while the beloved congressman carries on.  Aviva becomes the punchline and butt of many jokes—she is labelled as fat, ugly, and a slut.  She is not employable or dateable and sees no other way out that to change her identity and move away to a remote town in Maine.

On top of running her own event planning business, Jane is also navigating being a single mother to Ruby.  Even though she has started her life over, politics doesn't seem to be out of her system and she decides to run for office.  Unfortunately for Jane, the past catches up with her (the internet is forever) and it is only a matter of time before Ruby discovers who her mother really is/was.  Ruby is the vehicle through which Jane must face not only her past, but Aviva herself.  

Told through the voices of Aviva/Jane, Aviva's mother Rachel, Ruby, and Embeth Levin (the congressman's wife), we hear all sides of the story.  Zevin's characters are not without flaws.  In fact, it is these flaws that drive the story forward and this type of narrative is the perfect vehicle to accomplish this.  She effortlessly moves from past to present without confusion.  Her writing is witty, fresh, and thought provoking.