The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

A special thank you to Libro.fm and HarperAudio for an audiobook listening copy, and NetGalley and Harlequin MIRA for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twelve years after Lakshmi leaves Jaipur to work at Dr. Kumar's clinic in Shimla, she is now happily married and has taken under her wing a young tribal widow, Nimmi, who is raising her two young children on her own. Gold smuggling is rampant in the nearby mountains and Nimmi's brother has fallen to its temptations. Afraid that her enterprising helper Malik, now a young man who has recently finished his education, will also be lured into this treacherous business, Lakshmi arranges for him to apprentice in Jaipur at the Palace. She is also concerned about the romantic attachment Malik has formed with Nimmi, as she doesn't approve.

Back in the Pink City where he was once a wily street urchin, Malik again encounters the wealthy Singhs, including Samir Singh's feckless son Ravi, who caused Lakshimi's younger sister Radha so much heartache. Malik's is assigned to help Ravi Singh build the new pubic cinema. But when the cinema balcony collapses on opening night, it signals trouble for Malik and for Lakshmi too. Malik is implicated in a ruthless scandal of Ravi's making that will ultimately threaten his livelihood, his reputation and the people he loves most.

Alka Joshi's stunning sequel to The Henna Artist is rich in both dialogue and character development. Her sweeping descriptions of food are worth savouring and as are the depictions of the landscape. Malik is this novel's main character. It is 1969 and he is no longer Lashmi's shadow—he is an educated young man who becomes entangled in a smuggling scheme while apprenticing in Jaipur. 

Once again, Joshi showcases her gift of telling rich stories that transport her reader to a different cultural experience and time period, but with universal themes. Alive and well are class struggles, poverty, and corruption.

Although Lakshmi is not front and centre, readers will be delighted to read about her married life as well as her care of a new character—and love interest for Malik—a young widow, Nimmi. There are other cameos from the first book which hopefully will continue with the third book which is Radha’s story as a perfumer living in France confronted by the baby she gave up for adoption 18 years prior. (And there's also Miramax TV series starring Freida Pinto.) 

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is beautiful, lush, and enchanting.

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ALKA JOSHI was born in India and raised in the U.S. since the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts. At age 62, Joshi released her debut novel, The Henna Artist, which immediately became a NYT bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Bookclub pick, was Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and is being developed for a TV series. 

Joshi lives in California with her husband.

Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy

A special thank you to HBG Canada and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The 1980s is known for being a decade of excess and it was almost too much for Andrew McCarthy. He is known for being a standout in Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less than Zero, and also as a member of Hollywood's Brat Pack.

This beautifully written memoir is a painfully honest and emotional recollection by an adored actor, director, and author. McCarthy's look back to the 80s is, a coming of age story, a reckoning with with addiction, and a story about the complicated relationship with his father. Brat is an intimate story of an outsider who was almost swallowed up by the very movies that made him famous.

McCarthy's memoir is an almost-tell-all. Like his gaze, this piercing and unflinching account is sincere, raw, and captivating. If you are looking for a soapy kiss and tell, you'll have to look elsewhere. This is an enthralling, well-written account of someone who always was agonizing with his fame—McCarthy is just as aloof, shy, and uncomfortable with it today as he was then. He is candid, and at times self-deprecating, and distant. In fact, his aloofness cost him roles and challenged people's perception of him. 

He is honest—almost to a fault—with with his dysfunctions, personality quirks, and how he often felt exposed. McCarthy opens up about his issues with alcohol, how his insecurities and head would clear with each drink. He also writes about the challenging relationship he had with his father who would relentlessly ask him for money. 

Brat doesn't name drop and embellish in the perks associated with stardom. Instead it glosses over the fame, focusing more on the feelings McCarthy had about his personal struggles as well as the trajectory of his acting career. He is a gifted and thoughtful writer. Brat is elusive, candid, and enthralling.

In a decade that proved to be more angsty for him that for his characters, McCarthy's memoir is a must-read for any Gen Xer.

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ANDREW McCARTHY is an actor, director, an award-winning travel writer, and a bestselling author. He has directed more than eighty hours of television, including Orange in the New Black, The Blacklist, Gossip Girl, and many others. For a dozen years he served as editor at large at National Geographic Traveler, and his award-winning travel writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, TIME, and elsewhere. He is the author a travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, and a young-adult novel, Just Fly Away—both New York Times bestsellers.

McCarthy lives in New York with his family.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

A special thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mariana is a brilliant but troubled group therapist. Recently widowed, she is struggling with her own grief as well as an obsessive patient. When she gets a frantic call from her niece Zoe that one of her friends has been murdered, she rushes to Cambridge to be with her.

Edward Fosca is a murderer—of this Mariana is certain—but he is untouchable. The handsome and charismatic professor of Greek Tragedy is adored by his students and fellow staff at Cambridge—particularly by the The Maidens, a secret society of female students. Mariana becomes fixated with the remaining members. 

When another body is found, Mariana's obsession with the group spirals out of control. As a former student, she suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

Lacklustre, underwhelming, and a forced twist that completely missed the mark, The Maidens is a disappointment. Michaelides' writing is basic at best, and his cast forgettable. The protagonist is a therapist who consistently acts out of character and does a disservice to her profession under the guise of grief. And almost every male in this book is a stalker. 

With an interesting premise that could've celebrated female power, sexuality, and mythology, The Maidens falls flat on its face. The only connection that this was by the same author as the outstanding psychological thriller, The Silent Patient, is the mention of Alicia Berenson, her therapist, Theo Faber, and the Grove (a secure forensic unit in North London).  

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ALEX MICHAELIDES was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel and it spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking fifty countries. 

Michaelides lives in London.

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

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

A missing girl. A broken woman. A truth about to come to light.

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When overwhelming tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. This is where she lived as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. On the day she arrives, Anna learns that a local teenage girl has gone missing. The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in her childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. 

When past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment and that the most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

When the Stars Go Dark is a departure for McLain, but also is more personal—she has imbued Anna with her own experiences as a foster child and a survivor of sexual abuse. Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, this is a story of when fate meets opportunity for our complex heroine. There is a large cast, but it works for this atmospheric slow burn. The main characters are all well-developed, convincing, and fully fleshed out.   

This book has McLain's signature beautiful and sweeping dialogue, but it is juxtaposed against the rugged wilderness and the shattered lives of the victims' families. She evokes both emotion and mystery in this near-flawless thriller. It is the perfect union of true crime and suspense. And although it can be slow at times, readers will be rewarded with this riveting and atmospheric tale about one woman's resilience, healing, and redemption.   

Brilliant, bold, and brave!

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PAULA McLAIN is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels, The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin.

McLain lives with her family in Cleveland.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don't exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can't imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there's certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there's this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August's day when she needed it most. August's subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there's one big problem: Jane doesn't just look like an old school punk rocker. She's literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it's time to start believing in some things, after all. 

McQuiston said this is the "weird, fun, horny project of [their] heart" and it definitely was. There is so much to enjoy and celebrate about this book—I love to read about characters that need more representation and think it is so important for everyone to be seen and validated. 

But One Last Stop didn't totally work for me and I can't exactly pinpoint why... I found that the quirky character traits were overdone and it detracted from the overall enjoyment of the story (I'm a less is more person and McQuiston had a lot going on). The bit of sci-fi did nothing for me either. There were lots of truly beautiful parts—and also important historical moments—but again, overshadowed by the weird. I almost gave up but pushed through and ultimately, I'm glad I did. 

Although One Last Stop was just okay/good for me, it will certainly resonate with a lot of readers and have its audience. That being said I love love loved Red, White & Royal Blue and will definitely pick up their next book.

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CASEY McQUISTON is a New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies and a pie enthusiast. They write stories about smart people with bad manners falling in love. 

McQuiston was born and raised in southern Louisiana, they now live in New York City with their poodle mix/personal assistant, Pepper.

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane

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

Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed have been friends since they were teenagers. Now in their thirties, the four are as close as ever, Thursday night bar trivia is sacred, and Eve is still secretly in love with Ed. Maybe she should have moved on by now, but she can’t stop thinking about what could have been. And she knows Ed still thinks about it, too.

But then, in an instant, their lives are changed forever.

In the aftermath, Eve’s world is upended. As stunning secrets are revealed, she begins to wonder if she really knew her friends as well as she thought. And when someone from the past comes back into her life, Eve’s future veers in a surprising new direction...

They say every love story starts with a single moment. What if it was just last night? 

Oh. My. Gawd! Mhairi McFarlane you broke my heart and put it back together again. I loved this book so much!⁣

What I adore most about McFarlane's books is that you feel like you are actually there and that the characters are your best mates. Her writing is effortless and her ear for dialogue is impeccable—she's also the right amount of cheeky and has a great sense of humour. ⁣

As an "aging goth" who is trying to hold on to her youth and the way things were, Eve is relatable on so many levels (and has fab taste in music). She is compelling with the perfect balance of being loyal and kind, yet clever and witty. But instead of playing to these strengths, Eve uses these traits as a means of deflection while nursing a broken heart and processing a huge secret that has left her feeling betrayed by those closest to her. 

There are many beautiful moments in this layered story. The narrative is funny, endearing, and even heavy at times. McFarlane deftly explores the dynamics of friendship, grief, betrayal, and how unexpected life is. Just Last Night is so much more than a spirited rom-com. The romance is actually secondary to Eve's growth; she's grappling with grief and managing her feelings. 

Just Last Night was bloody fantastic and I have a massive book hangover.

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MHAIRI MCFARLANE is a Sunday Times bestselling author from Scotland. McFarlane has written six novels and a book series.

Her name is actually pronounced Vah-Ree and she lives in Nottingham.