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Review: Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dolly Brick is a single mom who has moved back to her hometown for the summer to help her family. The wealthy, well-known Stewart Whitfield needs a fake girlfriend after his very public breakup, and strikes a deal with Dolly. Of course, this fake dating turns into something more.

Fake dating isn’t my most favorite trope of all, but it was cute in this story. Dolly had a lot of baggage, and that made her somewhat relatable. 

The story felt a little slow in parts, and I wasn’t invested by the third-act breakup. It didn’t feel very resolved in the end, and I wasn’t rooting for Stewart.

Overall, it’s a sweet, charming, and readable summer romance!

Thank you Putnam and Netgalley for the eARC! Dolly All the Time will be out May 26.

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Review: Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sci-fi but it doesn’t feel very sci-fi.

Liz, an OB/GYN is kidnapped by a fundamentalist cult after being acquitted for providing the last abortion in North Dakota. She is forced to care for the girls and women on the compound while trying to find a way out. It’s a fast, intense novella with a premise that feels (is) terrifyingly realistic.

This story was fast-paced and still has some important themes and moral quandaries. Liz is an obvious hero to root for, and the writing made the situation feel urgent and dire.

It would have been interesting to have more backstory on some of the cult characters, as well as some history on the cult and the compound itself. The story ends fairly abruptly and uneventfully, so it would have been nice to have a little more closure.

Overall, this was a gripping and quick read that packed a lot in!

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for the eARC!
Obstetrix will be published on June 9.

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Review: Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a child, Ellie Mills discovered a floating island off the coast of Nova Scotia, where she meets a man named Clay. Several years later, Ellie returns to uncover the mystery of the island and is forced to choose between her life back home or the unreal world on this island that she feels pulled to.

I was unbelievably excited to recieve the ARC for this! Shea Ernshaw is one of my favorite authors.

Habits of the Sea is slow-paced and steady, and the writing is atmospheric without being overwhelming. What starts as a mystery turns into a tragic story of love and belonging.

Thank you Atria books for the ARC!

Habits of the Sea will by published July 7.