A Page Before Bedtime

Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

2026-08-15T18:36:00.000-05:00

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Pages: 256 pages
Published: July 2026

Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is Ben Reeves’ debut novel, and what a striking debut it is. This short work of magical realism explores death, the human condition, and the fragile beauty of emotional connection through an unlikely narrator: Death. Personified as Travis, his job is to comfort people in their final hours–an act he performs with practiced empathy but intentional detachment. However, this detachment begins to crack when he befriends a single mother and her eight-year-old daughter who live across the hall in his building. Through them, Travis starts to question not only the meaning of his work but also the cost of feeling anything at all.

The novel is undeniably melancholy. Its tone is somber and reflective, giving the reader time to consider the life, death, and the spaces in between. Reeves threads glimpses of hope throughout small moments of connection, kindness, and unexpected joy that gives the story some light. Those moments reminded me of Sandra Bullock’s 2013 interview when she shared advice to “savor, savor, savor,” to hold on to those fleeting bits of between that make life worth living. This book does exactly that. In the midst of heartbreak, sadness, and pain, there are small, quiet moments that really give life meaningful purpose.

Reeve’s writing is elegant and restrained. He doesn’t rush, although there were passages in the novel that felt a little long and overly verbose. Having said that, it does give the reader time to sit down with the characters’ emotions and to observe Travis’s reckoning with humanity.

I enjoyed this novel. The writing is thoughtful, and the pacing is gentle. And I’m so appreciative of the little “gift” Reeves gives us at the very end. The book is a tender reminder that even in sadness, there is beauty and even in endings, there is something worth holding onto.

Recommendation: If you enjoy introspective, character-driven stories that blend realism with a touch of the surreal, this novel is a lovely choice. It’s one that will stick with you for a while.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Score by Kennedy Ryan

2026-08-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pages: 384 pages
Published: May 2026

I read Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan in 2023, and while many readers adored it and the subsequent books in the series, her writing style didn’t resonate with me. So, when one of my book club friends suggested I try Score, I was hesitant but made a genuine effort to approach it with an open mind. Unfortunately, I found more of the same: serious themes paired with superficial character development and a heavy reliance on open-door sex scenes that overshadowed the emotional core of the story.

The story centers on Verity Hill and Wright “Monk” Bellamy, who meet in college and fall into what some might call love, but felt more like lust. Their relationship implodes after Verity experiences a life-changing event she never fully explains, and the two go their separate ways without another word. Fast forward 20 years and we find Verity, a successful screenwriter, and Monk, a celebrated musician who score films. Fate brings them back together on a major project in Los Angeles, and for the sake of their careers, they agree to work together amicably. As old feelings resurface, they must confront the possibility of rekindling their relationship, yet both are still withholding the truth. Verity has never been honest about what happened in college, and Monk can’t fully acknowledge his lingering feelings or the broken trust between them.

I really wanted to like this book. Like the earlier book I read, this one attempts to explore mental health, identity, and emotional healing – all topics I find compelling. But what could have been a deeper, more nuanced examination of these issues was overshadowed by explicit scenes and limited relational development. By the end, I didn’t believe Verity and Monk’s connection was rooted in love. Their bond made sense in their young college years, but not in their later 30s. I never understood how either character knew the other was “the one” when most of their interactions centered on physical attraction rather than meaningful emotional intimacy.

My other challenge with the book was the open-door sex scenes. It’s simply not my jam. I think it’s quite possible to craft an emotionally-resonant romance novel without giving the play-by-play of what happens behind closed doors. This is not something I enjoy reading, and I honestly don’t think it adds value to any story, especially when there were so many other facets that could have been explored more deeply in this novel: mental health and its stigma in the Black community. death, grief, healing, forgiveness, just to name a few. At times, it felt like the novel was trying to do too much. You can write a thoughtful, emotionally-rich story, or you can write smut. But trying to merge the two and present it as cerebral didn’t work for me.

Recommendation: I promised I would go into this story with an open mind and give Kennedy Ryan a fair chance. After finishing Score, I think the verdict is that her style of writing just isn’t my cup of tea. And that’s OK. She’s a prolific author with a huge and devoted following, so losing me as a reader isn’t going to make a dent in her success. Not every book is for everyone, and this one was not for me.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

2026-08-01T20:12:00.000-05:00

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Pages: 416 pages
Published: February 2026

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page was recommended to me by a dear friend who has known me a long time and understands my love of reading good books. So it’s no surprise that while I read the first 45 pages of this book slowly over three busy days, I quickly devoured it once I reached the weekend. This emotionally enriched novel follows Matilda “Tilly” Nightingale who has just lost the love of her life to a serious illness. At the book’s opening she learns that her husband, Joe, has arranged for her to receive one book per month for an entire year–a final act of love meant to guide her through her grief. What unfolds over the book’s 400+ pages is a journey of self-discovery, adventure, friendships, and healing.

There were so many things I loved about this book. First, it’s a story about books, which is always a win for me. Part of it is told in epistolary format, which is one of my favorite literary devices. And I adored that it was centered around an independent bookshop. Let’s be honest these type of shops don’t get a lot of love in real life or fiction these days. Finally, I loved that each book Joe selected took Tilly somewhere new–either physically or emotionally–often where she experiences unforgettable meals. In that way, the novel became a delightful blend of fiction, food, and fun, which are three things that speak directly to my heart. But beyond its charming premise, Page explores deeper themes: grief, resilience, and the difficult work of creating a new life when you’ve been handed an unfair curveball. Those themes resonated with me personally this year, and the story helped me put a few things in my own life into perspective.

Because what better place to get lost than among shelves of stories?

As she reads about a little girl who shares her name and who loves to read, the world beyond the pages of the book disappears. And inside her a door that she thought was locked nudges open, letting in a shaft of light.

“But isn’t that one of the great things about fiction?” he says. “It’s an escape. Somewhere to go when you don’t want to be where you are.”

Crying like that had emptied her out completely. But maybe she needed to feel empty so that this moment could fill her right back up again.

“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.”

Maybe this is what books do, she thinks, whether stories real or imagined or poems compiled in one place for people to flick through in search of what they need. They offer something universal but allow you to find your own meaning among the words. They are for everyone and yet they are for you too.

But we’re still here. And I think we owe it to him, and to ourselves, to live. Nothing can take away your memories. But it’s OK to make new ones too.”

Maybe I’ll have to take a permanent job in the future, but I like the idea of the freedom of working like this. I can do it how and when and wherever I like. And life is too short not to try.”

***

Additionally, Page conveys the grief process with remarkable clarity. Tilly’s emotions, her numbness, her longing, and her careful steps toward hope, felt so real to me. This was one of the rare books that made me laugh, pause, and cry. Any form of art that evokes this range of emotion is doing exactly what it’s meant to do. My only criticism is the formulaic and predictable nature of the plot. Where you think it’s going is exactly where it ends up and everything ties together neatly in the end. For some readers, that’s a comfort; for me, it was simply a matter of personal preference. I think sometimes a reader needs a completely satisfying conclusion.

Overall, this book made me feel grateful for grief because deep grief only exists where immeasurable love once lived, and I think we all deserve that kind of love.

Recommendation: I’m grateful for friends who know me well enough to share books they believe will move me. There’s something intimate and special about someone loving a novel and knowing it will speak to you, too. I highly recommend picking up This Book Made Me Think of You–because I’m thinking you deserve a feel-good read, so this book, indeed, made me think of you.