Memoir Monday... and Let's Hear it for the Girls!

Every celebrity has a story... or at least it seems that way. because there are so many memoirs written by them. I tend to shy away from them because I'm just not that into them. There are exceptions, but for the most part, if you are a actor or actress I may glance at your book, but... Today, I thought I would highlight 3 women of "my age". Relatively new books by the girls that were on TV during my "formative" years. Yes, they were girls back then (my age and in the spotlight) and I watched them on sitcoms or dramas. Here we are 30 plus years later and what seems a lifetime...

You With The Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate... from Kirkus Reviews: Applegate, who starred in Married…With Children and Dead to Me, among other television shows and movies, is now in her 50s and largely confined to her bed by multiple sclerosis. Applegate grew up, she says, in a Laurel Canyon home, in Los Angeles, that was “abusive and scary and awful.” Her father left the family when she was young, her mother became addicted to heroin and involved with men who were abusive to both her and her daughter, and Applegate became the family’s main breadwinner, working on radio commercials and television shows from the time she was 5. Acting, she says, saved her, providing structure for a life that could easily have gone thoroughly off the rails and left her “dead for sure.” But readers looking for anecdotes and insights into the projects the actress worked on won’t find them here. She regards the actors with whom she shared years of work, especially those from Married…With Children, with respect and gratitude, yet she doesn’t reveal much about them, instead concentrating on the details of a long series of excruciatingly bad romantic relationships with controlling men. Much of the memoir is backed up by long, emotionally raw passages from the diaries that Applegate kept for decades, where in her adolescence she castigates herself for being “a fat blob.” Later on, she tries to convince herself that whatever man she is with at a given time is the right one for her: “The jealousy. The rage. It all stems from love, passion, fear I suppose.” This is an admirably cathartic project, with a few tiny glimmers of hope, if not one that the casual reader is likely to pick up for fun.

In my early 20's I watched Married...With Children. I vaguely remember it being after work around dinner time. Christina Applegate was the dumb blonde, doing comedy and one liners. I hadn't really paid much attention to her career, but there she was one day talking about her fight with MS. OMG! How awful for a beautiful young actress. I would like to read her memoir, just to be able to catch up on her life.

Getting Naked by Valerie Bertinelli... from Kirkus Reviews: A book that urges self-acceptance in the face of adversity. Actor Bertinelli (One Day at a Time, Touched by an Angel) previously shared her life story in a memoir, Enough Already (2022). Her latest book is less autobiography and more self-help, a collection of her thoughts on aging and everything—good and bad—that comes with it. She begins by reflecting on a downturn in her life: “My second marriage was over and proceeding through the cesspool of legalese that results in divorce. Every day was a boxing lesson in which I felt like I was the punching bag. My Emmy-winning cooking series was canceled.” The following chapters detail her journey to self-acceptance, with recollections including her first hot flash (She “felt like a slab of meat on the grill at El Pollo Loco”) and having her breast implants removed, which led to scary infection. One lovely chapter describes an impromptu skinny-dipping session at her home: “Tonight, I flippered through the water and felt…good….What a revelation. To be comfortable in my own skin.” She writes about her former obsession with her weight—she was a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, a decision she now seems to regret, writing, “I look back now and cringe when I think about being part of the obsessed diet culture and ­industry. I probably did more harm than good.” Bertinelli is refreshingly open in this book: She owns up to her past vanity and writes candidly about topics, including menopause, divorce, and her experience as a survivor of child sexual abuse. She is delightfully self-deprecating, at one point acknowledging straying from her point: “Why did I get on this tangent? It’s just me. I go on tangents. I could open a store, Tangents-R-Me.” But there’s no self-hatred here: It’s all love, acceptance, and internal beauty. Hopeful, sweet, and very charming.

I remember Valerie from One Day at a Time. I don't even remember where or what time in my life I watched that show, but I remember watching it. What I think I remember most about Valerie is she married Eddie Van Halen. OMG! Good girl marries bad boy! And the heart crushing divorce after over 20 years! I guess I kind of grew up with Valerie, she was about a year older than me. On my TBR list...

You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It by Lisa Rinna... from Kirkus Reviews: The former reality TV star tells all—and then some. In this revealing and dishy memoir, Rinna leads with intense family trauma, describing the tragic losses of her beloved mother, Lois, from a stroke in 2021, as well as intimately detailing her father’s assisted suicide and her half-sister’s accidental overdose at age 21. Rinna attributes her Season 12 departure from Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to the immense grief and repressed anger she was processing while trying to film episodes for the series and keep her composure intact. Her on-camera appearances became rage-filled and volatile; she posted about them on social media, and they collectively drove home the fact that her relationship with the Real Housewives franchise has always been complicated. Rinna’s juicy ordeals with Bravo form the simmering centerpieces of the book, giving fans what they want most, despite the author’s attempts to dispense early-career highlights or perspectives on how she lost her mojo in her 30s but regained her power in her 40s and beyond. She never skimps on the scandalous when describing the “enemy territory” toxic atmosphere of a Housewives reunion, her resignation from Bravo at age 60, or warning then-newcomer Erika Jayne that “Bravo is the casino, we’re the players, and the house always wins.” Incorporating plenty of sass, hype, personality, and unflinching honesty, Rinna presents a smoothly written, satisfying combination of intimate anecdotes and family stories, commentaries about aging and cosmetic preservation in Hollywood, female friendship dynamics, motherhood, marriage to Harry Hamlin, fashion, and “the ongoing evolution of being a woman.” Then she gleefully circles back to the melodramatic “blood sport” dustups on the series, a subject she reliably depicts with brio. Whirlwind Bravo buzz delivered with brazen attitude...

I Remember Lisa Rinna from Melrose Place. After that, I really didn't see her again. And I have never watched any of the "Real Housewives" of anywhere. But here she is, girl of the 80s, a little younger than me and talk about drama. Her life seems like drama. And if you enjoy those Real Housewives, this book would be for you. 

After thinking about all these celebrity "actress" girl memoirs, I have enjoyed quite a few memoirs from women in or around the music industry. Lets talk about those memoirs next!

Happy Reading... Suzanne

The Sunday Salon... I Can't Resist a Good Book, Can You?!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post! 

It's been a beautiful week in South Carolina, with the weather slowly getting warmer (maybe even a bit too warm on Friday when it hit 86!). My seed snails have actually grown this week! So, I have some Mortgage Lifter and Roma tomatoe's and Garden Beans. I'll be hardening them to the outside beginning next week. In the meantime, I'm going to open the seed snails up and add some more dirt and make those new roots happy! And speaking of happy... I picked up some great books this week! Let's talk about them...

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann... From Goodreads: Disgraced. Beheaded. And out for revenge . . .

We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice?

“Nobody was surprised at Anne’s conviction. The world loves to put a woman in her place.”

The Beheading Game begins in the hours after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, when she wakes to find herself unceremoniously in an arrow chest, her head wrapped in linen at her knees. Discarded by King Henry VIII for not being able to give him a male heir, reviled by Cromwell for being too smart for her own good, and executed based on trumped-up charges, Anne escapes the tower, sews her head back on, and sets out on a quest for vengeance. Traveling in the guise of a commoner, with the help of a prostitute, Anne navigates the London streets she never before walked and soon realizes how little she knew about life in the real world. If Kelly Link had teamed up with Hilary Mantel, the result might be The Beheading Game. An epic journey through the wilds of British royal history and a prescient reminder that “mouthy” women have always been punished, The Beheading Game finally allows one of history’s most maligned women a chance to tell her side of the story.

How can you resist a girl who gets beheaded, but picks herself up again (literally) and continues on?! I don't even remember how I found this book, but it just sounds like such a fun read. Of course not the beheading part, but when Anne Boleyn with such determination, picks herself up, sews her head back on and goes on a path of revenge, you just have to admire her. And so, I am looking forward to reading this. I read the first few chapters and really liked Rebecca Lehmann's writing. Published by Crown Publishing March 24th.

Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe... 
Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching. The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence. The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed. Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling. Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested. Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

I have been hearing about this book for months. Every booktok person has Daggermouth on their must read list. Originally self-published by the author, H.M. Wolfe, it has recently been picked up by Simon & Schuster's new adult imprint, Scarlett Press, and will have a beautiful special edition published July 28th. I happen to find a copy (it's hard to find now) and am looking forward to reading it now! I love the story of the book going viral and H.M. Wolfe getting a 7 figure book deal. Reading thru some of the instagram posts about the book as it was getting attention, it was available as an ebook for .99 cents! So, will be published by Scarlett Press on July 28th.

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez... A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend's best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy. 

I resisted this book as long as I could until I read a Kirkus review that gave it a starred review. I like reading Kirkus and usually their starred reviews are really good recommendations. When I saw that The Night We Met got a Kirkus star I caved. Why did I resist? I've recently read Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood and I am part way thru And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison (March's Indie Next Pick). I think of these as light fun romances and I'm thinking that The Night We Met falls into this category too. It's not my "normal" read (even though I've read 2 in a row so far) So, this is now in my TBR list and we will have 3 light romances under my belt for this year. Published by Forever March 24th.

Weekly Round Up... follow the links to read more!

Monday Memoir... One Woman's Quest to Find Her Soulmate and Finding Herself in the Process. 

Tuesday's New Book Releases... It was Crows, Crones & Fate: This Week’s Most Spellbinding New Releases on Tuesday.

Spring Book Sale... Did you catch the Spring Book Sale that Target was having! For one day, Target was having a buy 2, get 1 Free sale and even with Amazon pricing, you couldn't beat Target. I ordered quite a few books (OMG!)... then I saw that Amazon was having a similar sale. I posted about the sale on my Facebook and Instagram pages, so if you don't follow me on one of them, you should (for next time 😄).

First Lines Friday... This book is suppose to be an ugly cry read!!

First Lines Friday... "Clara Kip had prayed..."

"Clara Kip had prayed repeatedly to die in Sao Paulo. It truly seemed the smallest of requests. People died in Brazil every day. What was one more? Especially one who had dreamed of the country most of her life.

The Lord, however, gave her Kansas..."

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Burnsvold

Someone recommended this book if I wanted to "Ugly Cry". Do I want to ugly cry? The last book that I ugly cried was The Fault in Your Stars by John Green (OMG!). But usually ugly cries translate into "great" reads. Reads that grab you and break your heart. I read a little bit of the beginning of the book and the Goodreads blurb and think this might really be a good read, we'll have to see about the ugly cry part. 

Here's the Goodreads blurb: Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care. But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her—but she’s going to have to work for it.

Would reading the first lines make you want to read more?

This was the debut novel of Sara Brunsvold, a contemporary Christian fiction writer who has written 3 more books since The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, published in 2022 by Revell.

TODAY ONLY!! Book sale...

 Hey Book Lovers! Want to save some money on those books in your Wishlist?! Target is having their Spring sale and a lot of books are buy 2 get 1 free... but ONLY TODAY! Get on over to Target to check them out! Look for the deal under the book information to make sure the books you want are included. The key is to buy 3 books at a time! Good luck and have fun filling those TBR lists!

New Book Tuesday... Crows, Crones & Fate: This Week’s Most Spellbinding New Releases

New Book Tuesday! 

These are new books released today!

Grab your bookmarks—here are four heavy hitters hitting shelves this morning:

(Psst... and you're going to want to add all of these to your TBR list NOW!)

Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence... 
The survivor of a brutal academy must exhume her own past in the first book in a new series from the international bestselling author of the Library Trilogy and the Broken Empire series. Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters.

The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge. The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws. Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep... That was a mistake.

I thought this book cover was stunning! And it was what initially attracted me to this book. But further reading about Daughter of Crows made me put it in my cart. Doesn't it sound like a delicious read, with women trained in the arts and one of those women with years of hard fought wisdom back in the game. On my TBR list. Published by Ace.

The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow by Leah Weiss... Welcome to Baines Creek, a humble hamlet hidden deep in Appalachia, where the last one-room schoolhouse in North Carolina is on the brink of closing. It's summer 1980, and teacher Kate Shaw has lived in Baines Creek for ten years. A skeptic at heart, she rejects mountain superstition and Appalachian folklore, much to the disappointment of Birdie Rocas, a powerful and reclusive witch with a trove of secrets. Yet, as Kate prepares to leave, a sudden death, a shocking request, and a legacy that spans centuries throw her into a world that overwhelms her.

Enter Lydia Brown, a psychic with a curious birthmark whose visions stopped when she needed them most. Grief-stricken without her gift, and desperate for spiritual guidance, she travels to Baines Creek in search of Birdie and the answers she might provide. The third novel by acclaimed author Leah Weiss, The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow is the tale of a powerful crone, two women cut from the cloth of loss, and a secret sisterhood of empowerment that may be the key to healing them all. On my TBR list. Published by Sourcebooks Landmark.

I love a good Appalachia story setting! This is on my TBR list!

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict... In the 1920s, archeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle made headlines around the world with the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. But behind it all stood Lady Evelyn Herbert―daughter of Lord Carnarvon―whose daring spirit and relentless curiosity made the momentous find possible.

Nearly 3,000 years earlier, another woman defied the expectations of her time: Hatshepsut, Egypt’s lost pharaoh. Her reign was bold, visionary―and nearly erased from history.

When Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding Hatshepsut’s secret tomb, she risks everything to uncover the truth about her reign and keep valued artifacts in Egypt, their rightful home. But as danger closes in and political tensions rise, she must make an impossible choice: protect her father’s legacy―or forge her own.

Propelled by high adventure and deadly intrigue, Daughter of Egypt is the story of two ambitious women who lived centuries apart. Both were forced to hide who they were during their lifetimes, yet ultimately changed history forever.

Marie Benedict is well known for her historical fiction. I have yet to read any of her books though. This sounds like a great read and I think it's time I do read her! I also love the idea of 2 storylines 3000 years apart! On my TBR list. Published by St. Martin's Press.

The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore... A fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris must use her powers to divine who she can trust when an exiled Romanov princess and her brother come to her seeking answers about a decades-old mystery… Spirited Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele. Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for knowledge about the disappearance of their father, the exiled Grand Duke, cousin of the last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother’s death. As Zina delves into her family’s hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening the home and tearoom Zina and her grandmother have worked so hard to build, not to mention their very lives.

What can I say... An exiled Romanov princess, a fortune teller, and Paris in the 20's... all the elements of a great story! On my wishlist. Published by Berkley.

What are you putting on your TBR list?

Memoir Monday... One Woman's Quest to Find Her Soulmate and Finding Herself in the Process

The Soulmate Strategy by Corey Seemiller... from Kirkus: Seemiller’s memoir charts her search for healing following the end of a romantic relationship.

In this work, the author explores themes of self-discovery and emotional resilience, using her own heartbreak as a focal point. Structured in four parts (“Getting Up,” “Getting Out,” “Getting Through,” and “Getting On”), the book covers a year in Seemiller’s life. Beginning with the first days after a breakup, the narrative takes readers through the author’s changing reactions, from pain and raw emotion to much more reflective understandings of love, attachment, and, self-worth. The book’s introduction, “Naked and Afraid,” finds Seemiller at a chaotic pool party: “Maybe spending the Fourth of July at a lesbian pool party I found online wasn’t the best idea,” she writes. From there, the author continues along the recovery path. Readers are taken on an emotional and humorous ride as Seemiller examines her fear of failure and her drive to find meaning beyond romantic validation. The author’s reflections are not limited to her romantic life—topics such as her parents’ troubled marriage and her experiences as a single mother allow her to address generational and psychological patterns that shaped her and others close to her. By the time Seemiller reaches the final section, readers will notice a transformation: Instead of looking for a new soulmate, Seemiller has learned to become emotionally whole on her own. The author’s voice—articulate yet unpretentious, self-aware but not self-pitying (and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny)—elevates this book above the typical memoir. Seemiller at times writes with the insight of a psychologist, and at others with the warmth of a friend; readers who have found themselves lost in the aftermath of a lost love will find themselves in her story (the author has a knack for making even ultra-personal confessions entirely relatable). Ultimately, Seemiller delivers a compelling account of grief and growth, demonstrating that even the most painful endings can lead to profound self-discovery and, perhaps, a new kind of love.

A frank and compelling memoir full of emotional wisdom.

I frequently read Kirkus reviews for interesting books. The Soulmate Strategy popped up and after I read the Kirkus review I read the first preview chapters to get a "feel" for the writing. Well, any woman who goes to a  lesbian pool party to soothe her broken heart has my attention straight off (no pun intended). And as I read along, I really liked Corey Seemiller's writing style and sense of humor. I didn't realize that Corey Seemiller was a lesbian, and why should I? Heart break and healing is universal. Kirkus never mentions her sexual orientation once. But, Amazon did. And I felt a bit angry about that. Why should that matter? In any case, Dr. Corey Seemiller is a leadership educator, life coach and a relationship coach. (I'm curious if the last title happened after the breakup). The Soulmate Strategy is on my wishlist and TBR list. Published by She Writes Press this past February 2026. 

The Sunday Salon and... The Women Behind the Legends: 3 Stories History Almost Let Slip Away.

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post! 

It was another crazy week weather wise in South Carolina this week. A few days of 70 degree weather and then back to the cold 40's. I finally DID plant those seed snails this week! I have been misting them daily and babying them like my first borns. I'll keep you updated on their progress and see if they actually sprout. In the meantime, let's talk about March...

March is Women's History Month, which honors the contributions of women to American history, society, and culture. I’m especially drawn to stories that reimagine these women with vivid detail—pulling us into their worlds in a way that is imaginative, but still honoring the truth of their lives.

There’s something irresistible about stepping into the margins of history—the quiet spaces where women lived, loved, created, and endured… often just out of frame. The ones who inspired greatness, shaped legacies, or carried brilliance of their own, yet somehow didn’t get top billing.

This Women’s History Month, I’m leaning into the stories that rewrite the narrative. 

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain... Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

 

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living, and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

I love Paula McLain. She knows how to unbury the lives of forgotten women and give us fresh ways to see them. In The Paris Wife, we meet Hadley Richardson—not just as Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, but as a woman navigating love, loss, and ambition in the glittering chaos of 1920s Paris. (Paula McLain also wrote one of my favorite books, Circling the Sun, about the incredible life of Beryl Markham. Another women left behind in history, and a book I reviewed back in 2016.

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan... At the age of thirty-five, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne has left her philandering husband in San Francisco to set sail for Belgium—with her three children and nanny in tow—to study art. It is a chance for this adventurous woman to start over, to make a better life for all of them, and to pursue her own desires.  Not long after her arrival, however, tragedy strikes, and Fanny and her children repair to a quiet artists’ colony in France where she can recuperate. Emerging from a deep sorrow, she meets a lively Scot, Robert Louis Stevenson, ten years her junior, who falls instantly in love with the earthy, independent, and opinionated “belle Americaine.”

Fanny does not immediately take to the slender young lawyer who longs to devote his life to writing—and who would eventually pen such classics as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In time, though, she succumbs to Stevenson’s charms, and the two begin a fierce love affair—marked by intense joy and harrowing darkness—that spans the decades and the globe. The shared life of these two strong-willed individuals unfolds into an adventure as impassioned and unpredictable as any of Stevenson’s own unforgettable tales.

Another brilliant writer and one of my favorite authors, Nancy Horan also breathes life into the women behind the curtain. In Under the Wide and Starry Sky, Fanny Stevenson refuses to be a footnote, living a bold, unconventional life that spans continents and defies expectations. I loved this book and reviewed in back in 2014. Read my review! (Another wonderful read by Nancy Horan is Loving Frank, about Mamah Borthwick Cheney and her love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright).

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray... In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

 

I have had this in my TBR pile for a long time. It's the perfect time for me to crack the spine during Women's History Month. Belle is another strong and powerful woman who secretly smashes the roof off of the racism that surrounded her. 

These novels don’t just revisit history—they reclaim it, placing women firmly at the center of stories that were never meant to orbit someone else.

Let’s step behind the spotlight for a moment… because that’s where some of the most fascinating stories begin.

Are You Reading Anything Special Because of Women's History Month?

Other great books to consider for Women's History Month (and just for a great read)... The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, A Million Nightingales by Susan Straight, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Women by Kristin Hannah.

********************************************

Weekly Wrap-Up...

Memoir Monday... A Daughter Looks Back on the Woman Who Changed Everything.

Book Release Tuesday... Love, Lies and Larceny: 3 Books Everyone will Be Talking About.

First Lines Friday... Does a Dystopian Love Triangle Sound like Fun?

Book Review... Rivals, Romance and a Whole Lot of Heat: Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood. I really liked this book, check out my review to see if it's something that you'll like too. One of Library Loot books this year. 

Have you added to your TBR list from my post today?! I hope you've found some great reads! What are you reading this week? Share your bookish finds right here!

 

Rivals, Romance, and a Whole Lot of Heat: Two Can Play Delivers... and Here's My Review

 

 

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood is a sharp, playful spin on the enemies-to-lovers trope that leans fully into its flirty chaos—and has a great time doing it.

Set in the high-stakes world of video game development, the story follows Viola and Jesse, rival designers from competing companies forced into an uneasy alliance. Their task? Collaborate on a major adaptation of a beloved book they both care deeply about. What starts as professional tension quickly reveals deeper layers—years of crossed wires, lingering grudges, and just enough unresolved history to make every interaction crackle.

Ali Hazelwood builds the chemistry with a steady hand, letting the friction simmer before dropping her characters into a snow-covered retreat where being so close to one another turns the temperature up. Old assumptions begin to thaw, walls come down, and—fair warning—the sparks don’t just fly, they IGNITE! Forget about G rating this romance!

At novella length, it’s a quick, satisfying read that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Viola, in particular, carries the story with her drive, vulnerability, and sharp edges, making her an easy character to root for from page one.

If you’re in the mood for something fast, fun, and a little steamy with a nerdy twist, Two Can Play absolutely delivers.

Published by Berkley in February 2026, you can find this book in your FLBS now!

First Lines Friday... Does a Dystopian Love Triangle Sound like Fun?

 A Hologram filled the center of my office with a painting. Simple, small. Just a woman, a hint of a smile on her face. 

As usual, I was alone in the Ancient Art section of the Archives, buried deep underground. My job was to destroy, piece by piece, the remnants of the world ancient humans had laid waste to in the Last War. Elsewhere in the Archives, my friend Lo sat in the Books section, and there were others who sorted ancient tools, documents, and relics from before the war. Our screens dictated what was saved, reassigned, or --like this one--destroyed. A push of a button, and the ties to the past disappear.

We meet our "heroine" in a dusty old basement, showing us how times have changed. Dystopian? Check. But there's much more to this book... Further reading the book we find romance (in a twisted dystopian way), a love triangle and maybe a bit of a rebellion under the surface? This had me at the Mona Lisa. Then at dystopian (I can never resist a good dystopian story)... and I have it on my TBR list. 

Would the first lines of this book make you want to read it?

Conform by Ariel Sullivan was published by Ballantine Books in October 2025.