Kritters Ramblings

Review: The Montessori Kitchen

2026-10-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: The kitchen is the ideal Montessori learning environment at home, and now award-winning cookbook author Kristen Miglore and bestselling Montessori author Junnifa Uzodike team up to create a hands-on guide for parents and children to play and learn together through cooking.

The kitchen is the perfect playground for children to tackle new skills and experience everything―the play, the science, the math, the magic―that preparing food has to offer. New groceries coming in and out. Colorful vegetables being washed and prepped and cooked. Different ingredients being scooped and measured and transformed, with so many points along the way to see, smell, touch, taste, and listen. And endless opportunity for conversation with their grown-ups.

The newest book in the bestselling Montessori series offers parents a new way to think about time spent in the kitchen with their young children, with over 60 delicious, nutritious, interactive recipes. The fun starts before baby is born, with nourishing foods for the pregnant and postpartum parent. The book takes parents through those early months in the kitchen wearing―and talking to―baby while prepping dinner, to creating baby and toddler friendly areas in the kitchen, to developing those first kitchen skills, eating together, and fostering their growing independence in the kitchen.

Children can practice scooping and pouring with Pantry Hunt Granola, exercise agency with Juicy Tomato Caprese Salad, hone fine motor skills with Sweet Potato Gnocchi, and cultivate patience with Blueberry Yogurt Pops. And through it all, experience the Montessori way of growing and connecting in the kitchen.

Kritters Thoughts: In my effort to try new things when it comes to parenting, I am thoroughly enjoying reading all sorts of books to gather all sorts of ideas and implement some of them. When Caleb was ready to start transitioning from "boob juice" as welike to call it to food, I got excited about all the ways we could introduce him to food and decided I wanted to try them all.

I am intrigued by the Montessori way of learning, so to see this book that focuses on Montessori in the kitchen with food - sign me up! I focused my reading on the 6-9 month baby led weaning, purees and such since that was where we are when this book releases, but I am excited to revisit this book when Caleb can join me in the kitchen and try his hand at being my sous chef.

This book felt approachable and suggestive not instructive which I adored. I loved the list and visuals on how to set up your kitchen to run smoothly while trying this way of cooking and feeding your little one. I may add this book to my buy list for new moms and expectant moms.

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Things We Do in the Dark

2026-09-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Pages: 352

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.

Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.

Kritters Thoughts: A mystery book that had just the right amount of pace that kept me reading and reading even when the things of life were trying to distract me from curling up with this book.

With an opening scene where Paris Peralta is being put into a police car, I was hooked and ready to find out why the heck she was in a police car and was she really guilty of said crime or not. From the death of her husband to an abrupt turn of getting to know an exotic dancer in Toronto and her past, I was wondering for a moment how these two things would connect and thankfully they did at just the right moment. Of course, I won't spoil a thing, but Jennifer Hillier seemed to unfold a clue or the answer at just the right moment when I needed an answer.

My first Jennnifer Hillier book and for sure not my last. I am excited to dive into her backlist and see what other mysteries she has to share.

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from Minotaur Books. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: How to Stop Yelling up the Stairs

2026-09-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Pages: 280

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Lead with love when your last nerve is shot.

You a peaceful home where you model self-control.

You regrettable reactions when the kids baptize the cat.

Your children, whom you dearly love and usually like, are bickering upstairs, baiting each other across the invisible line on the back seat, or causing the laptop to bellyflop on the linoleum. The end of your rope vanished along with the chance to enjoy a hot cup of coffee. How can you handle your real-life kids and real-life stress without flipping your lid or locking yourself in the bathroom?

With been-there humor, Janel Breitenstein offers wisdom and practical strategies pulled from God's approach to conflict. In this boots-on-the-ground field guide, you'll find empowering tips to parent smarter, not harder—with greater emotional intelligence and intentional discipleship; thoughtful questions to help you dive into the "whys" beneath your anger; group discussion prompts, and "cooling" prayers.

It's time for an inner exploration that will clear your path and your mind. You can calmly and confidently raise your kids, lower your voice, and shape a home of peace.

Kritters Thoughts: I am new to this parenting thing, both as a step parent and bio parent, so I am mixing in between my normal reading some parenting books to help get any tips and tricks to be the best at it that I can. This book passed my way on netgalley and I loved that it integrated scripture and promoted a type of parenting where discipline still occurs but with a layer of kindness.

What I adored about this book was the author incorporated her own stories and stories from many many parents and no one claimed perfection! I enjoyed a book where Christians were involved, but claiming fault and missteps and hoping to be a better parent the next day. I loved the realness that was presented in the book. I also appreciated comparing my parenting to how God parents me, that was very eye-opening. I had quite a few AH HA moments that made me think of disciplining and parenting differently and for that I am so grateful. I want to keep this audiobook handy to listen to when I am having a hard parent moment.

If you are not a Christian, this book may not be for you as it is very rooted in scripture, but if you are like me and may not be attending church every week, but still define yourself as a Christian then this one can be right up your alley.

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Review: Permission to Fly

2026-09-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Pages: 268

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: PERMISSION TO FLY tells the true story of boy born into a kind and happy family who grows to realize the executive world his father inhabits may not be his destiny. Thanks to his remarkable mother, Layng is given "permission to fly" early on. Armed with optimism, curiosity, creativity, determination and a wry sense of humor, he begins his amazing journey of many painful-but-educational steps and missteps. PERMISSION TO FLY is about love, raising kids, sticking to what matters and paying the price for doing that. It's about recovering from failure and heartbreak, maintaining friendships, and it's about how much help we all need to get anywhere good in the world. Walking Layng's uncharted path beside him, we witness the highest degrees of love, risk, hilarity, tragedy, resiliency and success. We encounter fabulously colorful characters and experiences that propel him towards the freedom and fulfillment he craves. Layng Martine Jr. is a master storyteller. He writes his most American and inspirational of stories with charm, humor, and humanity.

Kritters Thoughts: There are times when I love to pick up a good memoir and read away. Reading someone's recollection of their life and sharing their own ups and downs just grounds me. I loved taking a moment to dive into Layne Martine Jr.'s life which is so far from mine and see how all the decisions made to the life that he lead.

It is so weird to review someone's actual life, but I will say this book was well written and it was so easy read. It was so quick to get into this book and it was also hard to put it down. I even wished that I heard more about Layne's more personal life because we had plenty of his work life - which was for sure interesting, but I could have loved more about his family life with his wife and kids. It was fun to read this book because it gave me even more insight to the behind the scenes of the music industry and to hear more about how a song goes from an idea to on the radio. I would love to follow this book up with a book from one of the artists that recorded his work and hear their story.

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Review: When No One Else Will

2026-09-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Kensington

Pages: 369

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: In the fall of 1939, while Europe grapples with the outbreak of war, Mimi Lukas wages a private battle in her Chicago neighborhood. Her husband, Stan, once a promising White Sox player, has been sidelined by a broken leg. His hopes of returning to baseball are dwindling along with their savings. As Stan sinks into inertia, Mimi resolves to go back to nursing.

When a friend tells her of a women's clinic in need of a nurse, Mimi hesitates. Such places are illegal and at odds with her religious upbringing. But Dr. Gabler’s office isn't the dingy establishment Mimi envisioned. The space is clean, bright, and welcoming, the staff skillful. Patients are treated with dignity and compassion, even as they are sworn to secrecy about what happens within its walls.

The patients, too, are not who Mimi expected. Some are heartbreakingly young. Most are married, and many already have children. Police and state prosecutors are paid handsomely to turn a blind eye. As Mimi finds kinship with her colleagues and with an officer on retainer, she begins her own private reckoning between what is legal and what is necessary, no matter how painful or inconvenient. But Mimi senses the tide turning against them. She knows, too, that soon she must decide how much she will risk to defend the ideals she's come to embrace through hard-won experience . . .

Kritters Thoughts: A historial fiction book set in the time of World War II, but only shows the effects of war and instead shares how Americans in Chicago are surviving - specifically women. Mimi Lukes had a pretty great life, her husband was a professional baseball player and her two kids were enjoying life in a Chicago neighborhood until an injury changes the course of their lives. Mimi knows that she can lean on her previous nursing skills and hopefully keep them from being homeless until her husband can get back on his feet.

I have read many many books set at this time, but most to all of them center around the war and in countries where the war was physically taking place. It was a breath of fresh air to read a book that was set during this time, but in a place where the war wasn't next door, but the effects of the war were still showing up. AND even more so the signs of the time were prevalent as women's freedoms were still limited. Mimi ends up in a clinic that focuses on women's health and primarily reproductive health and even in 2026 is still causing controversy. I will not get into a political debate, but will say that I loved reading about this time in our country and reading about how women were trying to help other women survive.

This was my third book of Amanda Skenandore's that I completed and I have three left to complete her back list and I have enjoyed each one - enough to add her to my historical fiction shelf in my personal library and collect her books in order to share them with others.

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Review: This is Me

2026-09-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Hayden Panettiere’s career in entertainment began before she could talk. From her first gig as a Michelin baby to roles in cult classics like Remember the Titans and Raising Helen, as well as popular soap operas Guiding Light and One Life to Live, Hayden built an impressive resume by the time she entered middle school. Throughout the early 2000s, she starred in millennial favorites like Racing Stripes, Heroes, and Scream 4 & VI and earned two Golden Globe nominations for her starring role of Juliette Barnes in Nashville. The squeaky-clean face of Neutrogena, she was Hollywood’s girl next door and subjected to all the fame, attention, and expectations that came with it. In an era of relentless paparazzi with an appetite for celebrity breakdowns, naysayers were certain this young starlet would crash and burn. Not one to disappoint, she did.

In this irreverent, intimate, and inspiring memoir, Hayden holds nothing back. What started as a fun job for a child took a decidedly darker turn as she came of age. She exposes the pressure and exploitation young stars face before they’re old enough to know themselves, and how easy it is for them to lose control of their own narrative and, ultimately, their lives. Hayden was the target of brutal tabloid headlines picking apart her body, and she performed storylines onscreen that mirrored her real-life trauma. She suffered post-partum depression, addiction and recovery, domestic abuse, and the loss of her beloved little brother. Despite everything, Hayden managed to take these experiences, which she calls “lifequakes,” and emerge from them stronger, no longer afraid to use her voice or show her true self. She’s played the part of a misfit hero, a superstar, a survivor, a cheerleader, and an all-American fresh face. In This Is Me, Hayden stars in her most heart-wrenching and unforgettable role herself. This is her story, on her terms.

Kritters Thoughts: A book that I read back in May and unfortunately forgot to post my thoughts until now, after her passing. From my reading, Hayden Panettiere had an extreme childhood with high highs and low lows that seemed to lack a proper family support system that could have helped her navigate the business of Hollywood as a child. With a mother who wanted to pursue acting herself and from Hayden's point of view was living vicariously through her daughter which in my opinion isn't the most healthiest life. And then a father who was trying to work a regular job to keep the family afloat AND maintain a "normal" childhood for Hayden's younger brother.

What a story - a true story but still. Hayden had quite the career but behind the scenes she was battling all sorts of life's demons and its sad to know that she was on the rise but maybe not at her peak yet. I will always rewatch and her enjoy her fiesty character in Remember the Titans. I loved reading about her audition for this movie and what she learned from being on this movie set.

I really love reading these Hollywood memoirs and this one was so interesting as I wasn't completely familiar with her resume, but I was drawn to watch her work and am even more so now after her sad untimely passing.

Rating:

2026-09-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Instead of recapping June, July and August separately, I will spend this labor day catching up on my blog and writing a few reviews to post in September. I can already tell a few days into September that the fall reading season will be a great one for me with cooler temps pulling me to curl up under a blanket with a good book.

1. When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore

2. Supergay by Franke Grande

3. In Gad We Trust by Josh Gad

Total pages read, clicked, and flipped: 961

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Chicago, IL

Review: You've Been Summoned

2026-06-09T07:08:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Experiment 42

Pages: 376

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: A suspicious host. A skeptical guest list. A historical manor. Everyone’s hiding something. It's up to you to solve the mystery in this interactive puzzle.

During a long weekend in March, a group of twentysomethings from Virginia meet for an overnight costume party. For their venue, the host has rented the historical Sophomore a place where the most prestigious socialites of the 1940's and ‘50s partied until the celebrity owners mysteriously went missing.

The event began innocently enough: cocktail toasts, elaborate costumes, and exchanged pleasantries. But at the height of the party, Jane Parks notices her twin has vanished from the scene. It isn’t until Jane finds her sister’s body that the real guessing game begins.

That’s where you come in. It’s up to you, detective, to expose a present-day link between the victim, the guest list, and Sophomore Manor’s unsolved history.

Kritters Thoughts: A unique story in the way that it is presented - through clues, interviews, files and so on. The reader is being asked to be a part of the investigative team and review the files to find out why a woman went missing and who is responsible.

There are actually two mysteries within this book, the current storyline as a journalist Jane is attending a party in this mansion in Virginia that her twin Sillian is hosting and Sillian is the one that goes missing. The other storyline takes place in the past and a set of sisters move into this same mansion in arranged marriages of sorts and things happen. While I liked the "Clue" nature of this book and the overt use of putting the reader in control of the story, in the end it didn't work for me. What I wanted was more of the historical storyline and I wanted more about this beautiful home.

I am intrigued to read this author's other book to see if same author different format would work better for me.

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Review: Coming Home to Seashell Harbor by Miranda Liasson

2026-06-02T07:00:00.020-04:00

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Hadley Wells swapped her dreams of saving the planet for the glamour of Hollywood. But when a very public breakup reveals cracks in her not-so-perfect life, she returns to her hometown to reassess what it is she truly wants. Unfortunately, Seashell Harbor has some trouble of its own—including the first man to ever break her heart.

A serious injury forced footballer Tony Cammareri into early retirement—now he’s determined to reboot his life with a splashy new restaurant venture. He knows better than to expect a happy reunion with Hadley, but he’s determined to make up for the way things ended between them. Yet when Tony and Hadley end up vying for control of the town’s future, they find themselves once again on opposing sides.

As their rivalry intensifies, they must decide what’s worth fighting for—and what it truly means to be happy.

Kritters Thoughts: Hadley Wells has been hit with not just a breakup but one that is playing out in the very public eye, so retreating to Seashell Harbor seems like the best way to recover. Injured footballer Tony Cammareri is in Seashell Harbor also, to literally recover and with the past meeting the present, these two are the main characters of this first book in the series.

Another romance book where the characters have a past and have to get over old wounds to have a chance at a possible future and these are ones I love. I find that when the characters have a past it is easier for me to watch them grow into love quicker knowing that they can skip the get to know you - and maybe because I am know enjoying a relationship with someone who has come back from the past!

My first Miranda Liasson book and most certainly not my last as I for sure want to continue in this series as I both loved the charcters and the setting of this one.

Rating:

2026-06-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

My best reading month in a while, but maybe because a few books were short AND I am trying to sleep train an infant in the dark and my kindle has become my companion! Hoping for June to be a great reading month with some airplane travel and a few quiet days.

1. I Love Disney's Magic Kingdom by Danielle Kelly and Ian Wilson

2. Justice by CS Runn

3. What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella

4. You've Been Summoned by Lindsey Lamar

5. This is Me by Hayden Panettiere

6. The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

Total pages read, clicked, and flipped: 1,135

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Florida

Utah

England

Virginia

Review: Combing Through the White House

2026-05-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Harper Celebrate

Pages: 256

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Discover a fascinating and novel look at the U.S. presidents, the first families, and American history—all through the lens of hair. With meticulous detail, engaging storytelling, and full-color visuals, encyclopedia editor Theodore Pappas combs through American history, teasing out long-forgotten and little-known ways that hair has influenced the presidency and the public and private lives, personal scandals, and tragedies, of the men and women who have occupied the White House.

Go deep into the history of such topics

Abraham Lincoln's famously ridiculed appearance and the surprising role hair played in both his presidency and assassinationJohn F. Kennedy's connection to James Bond and how hair factored into his vast image-making and infidelitiesThe lush tradition of collecting hair as a way of honoring leaders, remembering our loved ones, and preserving their memoriesScientific hair analysis and how DNA has been used to solve long-standing presidential mysteriesThe connection of hair to the lives, loves, scandals, and tragedies that shaped presidents, first ladies, and the nation at large

This unique window into the past shines entertaining new light on the decisions, relationships, and tragedies that have shaped the role of the president and the place of the U.S. in the world. Whether you're interested in presidential trivia or historical mysteries, Combing Through the White House personalizes the past through an element of life we can all relate to—hair—giving us new glimpses into our country and even ourselves.

Kritters Thoughts: Have you ever thought about the venn diagram of hair and the White House? Not just the hair currently on a President or First Lady's head but after they pass, YES this book goes from President to President and talks about hair has had one impact or another on them and their time in the office.

This book motivated me to really get started on a reading project that I have been pondering for years. For a long time, I lived right down the road from Mount Vernon and always wanted to read a book about each President in order of their presidency in hopes to get to know more about that President and our country at that time. After reading about how hair in different ways impacted the White House, I now want to read more and more about each President.

There were a few moments where the book got a little repetitive, but it did make me think a little differently about a few presidencies and how hair played an impact on them.

Rating:

Review: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

2026-05-05T07:00:00.046-04:00

Publisher: Crown

Pages: 281

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Every morning, Sybil Van Antwerp sits down to write letters – to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to attend a class she desperately wants to take, to her favourite authors to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Because at seventy-three, Sybil has used her correspondence – witty and wise – to make sense of the world. But beyond the page, she has spent the last thirty years keeping the people who love her at arms’ length... Until letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life.

Now, Sybil must send the letter she has been writing for all these years - and find forgiveness within herself in order to move on.

Kritters Thoughts: Told through the exchange of letters, Sybil Van Antwerp is an older protagonist and she has lived a life. Through letters she both sends and receives, we the reader, find out about her past, present, and future.

I loved that the stories that Sybil sent were to all sorts of people - her family, friends, and even some famous authors. I am glad that the book included both letters that Sybil wrote but also that she received, so the reader gets to not only hear Sybil's thoughts but could also get to know the others in her life through their own words. I read this book in the middle of the hype and I for sure went into it with some expectations that it would be a good read, but I am glad to say it lived up to the praise it received.

This book inspired me to want to start writing letters. I would love to exchange letters with a variety of people and to have a record of my thoughts and feelings for future generations to hopefully be able to get to know me.

Rating:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from Edelweiss. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

2026-05-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

source

April was a great month between spending time nap trapped reading and a few long car rides listening to audiobooks, I was able to finish 4 books and hoping that this is the new trend for this year of reading.

1. The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time by Brad Meltzer

2. The Windsor Legacy by Robert Jobson

3. Combing through the White House by Theodore Pappas

4. 365 Connecting Questions for Couples by Casey and Meygan Caston

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 1,056

Where Have I Been Reading?:

London

Washington, DC

Review: The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

2026-04-28T07:00:00.083-04:00

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Pages: 342

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Charles and Lily, James and Nan. They meet in Greenwich Village in 1963 when Charles and James are jointly hired to steward the historic Third Presbyterian Church through turbulent times. Their personal differences however, threaten to tear them apart.

Charles is destined to succeed his father as an esteemed professor of history at Harvard, until an unorthodox lecture about faith leads him to ministry. How then, can he fall in love with Lily—fiercely intellectual, elegantly stern—after she tells him with certainty that she will never believe in God? And yet, how can he not?

James, the youngest son in a hardscrabble Chicago family, spent much of his youth angry at his alcoholic father and avoiding his anxious mother. Nan grew up in Mississippi, the devout and beloved daughter of a minister and a debutante. James's escape from his desperate circumstances leads him to Nan and, despite his skepticism of hope in all its forms, her gentle, constant faith changes the course of his life.

Kritters Thoughts: Two couples who both end up serving in the same church, but they couldn't be more different. Charles and Lily AND James and Nan are married and working at a church in Greenwich Village and Charles and James see the work of church very very differently. They have completely different upbringings that will greatly influence them and this story tells it all.

I really enjoyed this book. As a person who for a moment considered a life in church ministry, I appreciated reading a book that had real humans instead of the perfect molds that can be portrayed as those who work in a church. Both the men and women had flaws and struggles and everything was told within the pages.

This was a book that I physically passed onto a friend and am still thinking about it even a year after reading it. (It took me awhile to get my keys on the keyboard to write this review!). A debut novel published in 2019 and oh how I wish there was more to come from Cara Wall.

Rating:

Review: When I Kill You by B.A. Paris

2026-04-28T07:00:00.082-04:00

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 292

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Who is watching Nell Masters?

Nell Masters is certain someone is following her. The hairs on the back of her neck rise when she travels to and from work, there are silent calls to her office, and a huge bouquet of flowers arrives without a card. And Nell has a reason to be looking over her shoulder, because she has a secret that she’s hiding from everyone in her life, including her new partner, Alex. But Alex also has secrets of his own.

Fourteen years earlier, when Nell went by the name Elle Nugent, she witnessed a student, Bryony Sanders, getting into a stranger’s car. When Bryony was found murdered, Elle became obsessed with finding the person responsible. She was convinced she knew who it was and her fixation with Brett Parker, the man she accused, led her down a dangerous path . . .

Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this unnerving feeling of being watched is all in her mind. Has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked? Or is there something even more deadly at play?

Kritters Thoughts: Two timelines, one character AND a third set of chapters that were short sweet, but gosh darn creepy. In the present day, Nell Masters is working at a charity and trying to move past a traumatic event - while it takes a bit for the reader to find out what this event is, it is all revealed in due time. In the past timeline, Elle Nugent watches something from her window and wants to insert herself in order to help the truth to come out. AND the third set of chapters is a killer who is threatening Nell and Elle's life and you watch as this killer gives the reader all the reasons as to why Nell/Elle should no longer be living.

I love a dual timeline and while the reader knows the link between the characters from the beginning, there is still enough mystery to make for a great read that kept me on the edge of my seat. There were twists and turns and even me being an avid mystery reader, I was surprised by almost all of them and kept wanting the author to keep writing and writing. The third set of chapters were a great extra addition and I am glad the author included them, they took the book to the next level.

My second BA Paris read and after finishing this one, I want to make sure I go into the backlist and get caught up on her books. I absolutely loved how the reveal happened and it may have resulted in an audible gasp and a NO WAY! I am quite judgy when it comes to how a mystery comes together and this one totally hit the mark in my book.

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Review: An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister

2026-04-21T07:00:00.026-04:00

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.

When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.

Kritters Thoughts: A little enemies to lovers with a fake relationship on the side and I am sold! Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have quite a few reasons as to why they would not work, yet they end up having to fake a relationship for their professional careers and antics ensue.

I love an academic setting and while not from the perspective of the student, I still appreciated a story taking place in a place of learning. Having smart characters made for smart conversations and for me the story felt smart - maybe less eye rolls than when I read other romantic comedies.

After finishing the book, I enjoyed reading the reviews for this one to see if my thoughts aligned with others and I agreed when a few said that the middle drug on a bit - for me there were some bits in the middle that could have been cut down a little to keep the story moving along. BUT this wouldn't keep me from reading this author again and hoping for another great romantic comedy to accompany me on a trip.

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Review: The Housekeeper's Secret by Iona Grey

2026-04-14T07:00:00.048-04:00

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 368

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Duty, desire, and deception reside under one roof.

Standing in the remote windswept moors of Northern England, Coldwell Hall is the perfect place to hide. For the past five years, Kate Furniss has maintained her professional mask so carefully that she almost believes she is the character she has created: Coldwell’s respectable housekeeper.

It is the summer of 1911 that brings new faces above and below the stairs of Coldwell Hall―including the handsome and mysterious new footman, Jem Arden. Just as the house’s shuttered rooms open, so does Kate’s guarded heart to a love affair that is as intense as it is forbidden. But Kate can feel her control slipping as Jem harbors secrets of his own.

Kritters Thoughts: Kate Furniss is the head of the household staff at Coldwell Hall and this home has become basically her entire existence. She spends days and days making sure this home runs smoothly while there is a large changing happening in the home. In another timeline in the book, July 1916, a solider is writing letters to a Kate in the middle of a war.

From the beginning of this book, I was invested and wanted to know all the things about all the characters. There is a large cast of characters and I grew to love them all, there wasn't a one where I felt as though they fell short of adding to the overall story. For me, the cook Mrs. Gatley was a fun highlight, she was so fun and I enjoyed the levity she brought.

If you are a fan of Downtown Abbey then this book is just the right fix to fill the whole that a complete Downtown Abbey could have left behind. I love reading the story of the people who are serving the family of the home and hear about what goes in their lives too. There are two more Iona Grey books in her backlist and I would love to read those soon as I really enjoyed the writing in this one.

Rating:

2026-04-01T07:00:00.018-04:00

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With a week in Mexico to end the month, I was able to read some in airplanes and by a pool! I am hoping that I am back on the reading train and can find some more quiet moments this year to get lost in a book.

1. The Housekeeper's Secret by Iona Grey

2. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

3. Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 1,008

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Northern England

Annapolis, MD

Review: Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau

2026-03-17T07:00:00.067-04:00

Publisher: Mariner Books

Pages: 266

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Nineteen-year-old Zippy can hardly believe it: she's the newest and youngest salesgirl at I. Magnin, "San Francisco's Finest Department Store." Every week, she rotates her three spruced-up Salvation Army outfits and Vaseline-shined pumps; still, she's thrilled to walk those pumps through the employee entrance five days a week as she saves to buy something new. For a girl who grew up in a one-bedroom apartment above a liquor store with her mother and her mother's madcap boyfriend, Howard; a girl who wanted to go to college but had no help in figuring out how; I. Magnin represents a real chance for a better and more elegant life. Or, at the very least, a more interesting one.

Zippy may not be in school, but she's about to get an education that will stick with her for decades. Her fellow salesgirls (lifetime professionals) run the gamut from mean and indifferent to caring and helpful. The cosmetics ladies on the first floor share both samples and advice ("only date a man with a Rolex"); and her new roommate, Raquel, an ambitious lawyer, tells Zippy she can lose ten pounds easy if she joins Raquel in eating only every other day. Just when Zippy thinks she's getting a handle on how to be an adult woman in 1985, two surprises threaten both her sense of self and her coveted position at I. Magnin.

Kritters Thoughts: What a fun book! Zippy is a young woman in the 80s who has been working at a dress shop and is surrounded by the most fun cast of characters. Zippy doesn't have a lot, but she does have the drive to make this job into a career.

While Zippy was for sure the main character, the cast of characters surrounding here were so entertaining. I loved Zippy, but I loved even more how she reacted with the ladies around her. AND the inner workings of a dress shop were so fun. The ladies coming and going and getting their outfits picked out - I wanted to watch a tv show based on this store and these women.

I found this book to be the right amount of young girl big city and I loved following Zippy through the ups and downs of this book. I would recommend this book to those who love this kind of story, who love to follow a young girl through a great story arc. I love when I finish a story and I just wish a sequel was on its way because I could have used more of Zippy when this one was done.

Rating:

2026-03-01T07:00:00.012-05:00

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With a newborn in the house, there was more vegging in front of the tv than curling up with a book, SO one book complete is good from my point of view! I am hoping for more over the next few months and to end with a great 2026 of reading.

1. When I Kill You by BA Paris

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 304

Where Have I Been Reading?:

London

Review: You Can't Hide by Emily Shiner

2026-02-24T07:00:00.010-05:00

Publisher: Inkubator Books

Pages: 225

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Beth thought she’d escaped her past. But all this time, it’s been waiting for her…

Beth and Ian are desperate to have a child. So much so that they decide to sell his family cabin in upstate New York to pay for IVF.

When they arrive at the cabin, they meet Ryan, the caretaker. But Ryan is not who he says he is… He’s here because he knows Beth has a dark secret. And now he intends to use it against her.

He threatens to tell Ian everything about Beth's past unless she does exactly what he says.

Beth finds herself caught in a nightmarish trap. If Ian discovers what she’s been hiding from him, she’s sure he’ll leave her. She’ll lose everything she cares about, including the chance to have a child of her own.

On the other hand, what Ryan wants her to do is so dark and twisted it’s beyond horrifying.

Either way, Beth is sure her life is over, she can see no way out. Unless… Unless she digs deep and finds a part of herself that is willing to do something so awful it doesn’t even bear thinking about…

Kritters Thoughts: A dark and twisty mystery that took me on an adventure and because of that it had me flipping pages one after the other, on my kindle of course! Told from two different perspectives and I couldn't wait to see when and where these two women would collide.

Beth and Ian head to their family's remote cabin to get it ready to sell and from the beginning there are eery feelings. I loved that from the very beginning I was in the book and the mood was set; especially with the book being a little on the shorter side, I was glad the author dove in and got the story going. And then Lizzie's story is hard to read from the start, it was difficult to read but I kept going wanting to know where these two worlds would come together.

I would suggest you hold and read this book for the spooky season as it was quite the perfect read for that season. It was also a quick read if your spooky season is busy!

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Review: American Mother by Gregg Olsen

2025-08-07T07:00:00.032-04:00

Publisher: Thread

Pages: 497

Format: audiobook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: At 5.02 pm on June 5th, 1986, a call came into the local sheriff office in the small town of Auburn, Washington State from Stella Nickell. Her husband Bruce was having a seizure. As the officers arrived on the scene, Bruce was already dead.

Forensics identified that Bruce had consumed headache pills laced with cyanide and in an attempt to cover her tracks, Stella saw to it that a stranger would also become her next victim of the cyanide-tainted painkillers.

What would drive a seemingly normal outgoing and popular mum and wife to kill?
As the investigation began to unfold, Stella’s daughter Cynthia notified federal agents of her mother’s crimes. But she didn’t reveal everything…

Kritters Thoughts: In 1982, there were murders that were tied to Tylenol pills in Chicago, IL and just four short years later across the country in the state of Washington a copycat of sorts happened. A woman who was very unhappily married figured that murder was easier than divorce and laced pills with cyanide, but not only did they kill her target another woman was also killed.

While this book for sure described the events of 1986, but it also went back in time to give the reader an extensive amount of background knowledge that gave context as to why everyone ended up where they did - by no means an excuse for Stella's actions. For me, this book moved a little slower and maybe spent a little too much time in the past and could have spent more time in the present day of 1986.

My second Gregg Olsen book and I have read both via audiobook and I really enjoy taking in nonfiction via audiobook.

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Review: The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley

2025-08-05T07:00:00.062-04:00

Publisher: Griffin

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Two lifelong friends. One bookshop by the beach. And the summer that could change everything.

Jess loves her work as a high-profile lawyer in the respectable and austere city of Charleston. But when she finds her husband, Parker, has been cheating on her with his assistant, she retreats, with her thirty year-old daughter Caitlin for support, to her childhood home on Cape Cod, in Chatham. Caitlin has always been bright but directionless, looking for her passion but keeps coming up blank. And Jess needs to regroup with the help of good food and wine, the company of her best friend, Allison, and come up with a plan for the future.

Allison’s career has hit a low. After twenty years as an editor for the Chatham magazine, circulation is dwindling and though her boss and long-time friend, Jim, does everything to keep her, she has no choice but to take a step back. With a career on hiatus and her main relationship being with Chris, her ex-husband who is still a good friend, Allison is at a pivotal point in life. Her daughter Julia opened her own artisanal jewelry shop a year prior, and she has the kind of day-to-day fulfillment Allison yearns for.

When Allison stops into her beloved local bookstore one day and learns that the owner wants to sell, a long-held dream turns into a reality, thanks to Jess. Allison and Jess set a plan in motion and what was once a place that held warm childhood memories is now theirs to run. As the two friends, along with the help of their daughters, reopen the doors of the cherished bookstore and adjacent coffee shop to the community, they also open themselves up to the possibility of romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.

Kritters Thoughts: Two sets of lifelong friends and their daughters take center stage in this book. Jess and her daughter Caitlin and Allison and her daughter Julia all end up in Cape Cod for a summer and each have something going on that hopefully can be solved by the end of summer. Jess has recently discovered her husband's infidelity and needs a physical break from Charleston, SC, while her daughter Caitlin recently lost her job and isn't sure what is next for herself. Allison is also dealing with a dwindling career and may need to take a hard pivot to something new instead of the magazine that she has worked at for a long time. And Julia has been building her own jewelry business on Cape Cod and just needs something to make a splash in order to ensure that her basic bills can get paid and her long-term boyfriend Kyle is ready for marriage and she may not be so ready.

With all these things going on, it took a moment to make sure I had everyone and their sub characters straight. I loved the dynamic of both personal and professional drama and while I tend to avoid books with cheating spouses, thankfully I was warned that this was a minor moment in the book and that there was way more plot to enjoy. The one thing that kept me from making this a five star read was the pacing towards the middle of the book, it seemed to slow down for me and at that moment I kind of knew where we would end up and was ready for the author to get there.

My first Pamela Kelley book and will for sure not be my last read. I will share that the summer vibe of this book was perfect to throw in my beach bag on our family summer vacation.

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2025-08-01T07:00:00.017-04:00

What month! Every week of July had some form of travel for me, three weeks worth of work travel and then our summer family vacation, so it was full of packing and unpacking and to and fro. With this travel, reading wasn't the easiest thing to do.

1. Betting on Good by Wendy Francis

2. Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau

Total pages read, clicked, and flipped: 494

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Louisville, KY

San Francisco, CA

2025-07-01T07:00:00.021-04:00

Only three books completed, but another busy month of house projects, jobs, family time, and some great summer moments by the pool.

1. The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

2. You Can't Hide by Emily Shiner

3. An Academic Affair by Jodie McAlister

Total pages read, clicked, and flipped: 960

Where Have I Been Reading?:

New York

Australia