botm Archives

Too Good To Be True

"The irony in unbearable things is that they actually are bearable." Author: Carola Lovering You’ve heard the old saying – if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. This certainly describes Skye’s sudden whirlwind romance and marriage to Burke. Skye is a beautiful, wealthy woman. But her extreme OCD has turned away many a would-be suitor. Another event from her past has also left her traumatized and unable to trust. But Burke is different – or so she thinks. After returning from the honeymoon, Skye “accidentally” receives an email that shatters everything. Burke’s digital diary is included as an [...]

Frances Carden2025-07-28T17:28:23-07:00July 28th, 2025|Tags: book of the month, book review, botm, fiction, read, reading, thriller, Too Good to Be True|

Bad Tourists

Bad Tourists, Bad Logic, Bad Story Author: Caro Carver Three friends, bonded by collective loss and trauma, take a fancy trip to the Maldives on the ten-year anniversary of the massacre that drew them together. Camilla, an influencer/fitness instructor in an open marriage lost her brother in the killing. Darcy lost her mentor/boyfriend, and Kate is the sole survivor of that fateful night. They all found each other later, online, and bonded over a shared conviction that the man who was caught and prosecuted was not the true killer. Now in the Maldives, ostensibly celebrating Darcy’s divorce, they try to relax [...]

Frances Carden2025-07-14T10:23:30-07:00July 14th, 2025|Tags: Bad Tourists, book review, botm, read, reading, thriller|

Quiet Life, A

“We live so much of our lives without telling anyone.” Author: Ethan Joella Three lives, going on separately, are each occluded by the unrelenting pressure of grief. One winter, as the ice shines on the road and the cold seeps into the bones, three strangers find each other through the twists of fate. Together, they start to discover the next steps in a life that will not end, no matter how much they wish that it had. It’s weird to say that Ethan Joella’s A Quiet Life is cozy when the themes – death, pain, grief, separation, betrayal – are so [...]

Frances Carden2025-04-12T09:24:00-07:00April 12th, 2025|Tags: book review, botm, fiction, grief, read, reading|