For the Love of Reading: June 2025

It’s the easiest post of the month to write, the one where I copy and paste my book reviews for everything I’ve finished. Here’s a look at what I thought about the books I read in June.

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sager departs from the thriller genre with this latest novel, going for a classic who-done-it mystery reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None. Unfortunately, while the premise is great, the book fell flat for me. I felt disconnected from many of the characters and their motivations, from the heroine to even the worst of the villains in the story. The pacing is a little slow and it lacks that compelling feel that Sager usually captures so well. And the twists – of which there are many – didn’t feel very dramatic of revealing, to the point where I lost track of who had done what and why. Recommended for the atmospheric setting and the homage to classic mystery tales, but disappointed that it lacks Sager’s more typical thriller style.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with a copy of the book. It will be published on June 10, 2025.

I’ll Be Right Here by Amy Bloom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read a review written by someone else that said it took determination to finish this book and I couldn’t agree more. The descriptions are lovely, from the seder dinners of roast chicken and honey glazed carrots, to the beautiful upstate New York farmhouses, to the stunning and languid beaches of Mexico, but the timeline is sometimes difficult to follow and the characters can be hard to keep straight. I admire the way Bloom depicts explorations of sexuality and family relationships but would have liked a little more depth and a little less flitting from one gorgeous scene to another. Recommended but with reservations about that determination bit.
I was given an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The premise of this book is great – who doesn’t love a plot centered around escaping from a cult? The execution, however, was disappointing. I had a hard time connecting with the main character, her emotions felt closed off to me. The side characters felt like caricatures: the wealthy thrice married man, the young and unhappy bride, the brooding brother. The writing style was choppy, with lots of declarative sentences which created yet another barrier to really connecting in any genuine way. The highlights for me were the portions of the book that took place in the past and talked about the cult, I think more focus on that would have made for a more interesting story arc.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is such a fun romp through influencer culture! The plot draws you in immediately, the shifting narratives keep you engaged, and the sumptuous setting of a fancy hotel in the desert is enticing. It’s not literary by any means but the writing is decent and very timely as the tradwife movement is under scrutiny. It will certainly appeal to anyone who has ever scrolled Instagram and wondered if those perfect lives of those perfect women and their perfect children in their perfect homes are actually real. Recommended for a light and highly entertaining read.
I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Many years ago, everybody here would wake early because there was much to do and only so many hours in the day. Now they wake early because there is much to do and only so many days left.
A cozy, character-driven British murder mystery set in an upscale retirement village in Great Britain, this book is utterly charming and intriguing. The characters are endearing and the dialogue is infused with dry wit and it’s refreshing to have a group of elderly friends acting as a gang of sleuths. There’s not a lot of tension here and the pacing is sometimes a little off but the overall vibe is great – reaching beyond the typical cozy mystery and becoming a cozy, heartwarming mystery full of delightful characters and gentle humor. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just because something doesn’t make money or win awards doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. Or doesn’t deserve to exist. The job is alchemy. You take a hunk of rock and you try to turn it into gold, and the gold isn’t even really the point.
I enjoyed this latest from Emily Henry as she moves beyond the rom-com genre into a more nuanced sort of novel. While there is still plenty of romance, there is a strong main story involving modern day writers and a multi-generation mystery that harkens back to the golden age of Hollywood. There is a great cast of side characters and the sultry setting, complete with live oaks, humid breezes, and local diners, adds a nice depth to the story. If you’re looking for romance but want more depth and less predictability it’s a worthwhile read.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
. . . at the end of his life he only wished for what almost all of us wish for: to have our childhood summers back.
I was completely captivated from the beginning to the end of this tender and emotional novel. Backman has this way of turning the mundane things of every day life into magical moments, illuminating how we can form relationships and connections to others if we just step back and let our guard down and allow ourselves to feel. He has created a wonderful world of flawed and real characters who support each other when it’s most needed, using art in all sorts of forms to illuminate and illustrated all that is good about . . . life. Highly recommend.

And there you have it. A big of a mixed bag and a weak start but I ended the month strong!