It’s been a minute since my last book review—almost a year and a half ago! Even though I read 27 books in 2024, I didn’t particularly love any of them and felt like I was trudging through books to reach my reading goal. But I’ve started the new year off strong, having read 15 books already, with a list of library holds waiting for me (one of my favorite feelings ever). So today, I’m back with book review volume XIX, my first batch of reads from 2025.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
In November, a couple of girls and I decided to start a monthly book club. We started the year with Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty as our January pick. I’ve previously read and reviewed this one, but I enjoyed rereading it nonetheless. The story has many characters but mainly centers around three women with children attending the same primary school. It’s told from multiple perspectives; all the women have distinct personalities and voices that make it easy to distinguish between them. Then there’s a crime at trivia night, and it’s a mystery exactly what happened. It’s a delicious drama that’s engaging and suspenseful—it isn’t too dark and heavy while still addressing sensitive topics like domestic violence. I’d highly recommend this one for those into page-turner mysteries with strong female leads.
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
I immediately added The Paradise Problem to my TBR list when I saw my college bestie reading it on Goodreads (let’s be friends on Goodreads here!). I’m no stranger to Christina Lauren—I’ve also read Twice in a Blue Moon, The Unhoneymooners, and The Soulmate Equation (my full book review here) by the duo and thoroughly enjoyed them. This fun escape follows starving artist Anna Green, who marries Liam “West” Weston, a Stanford professor and heir to the Weston Foods conglomerate. They enter a fake marriage so Liam can receive his hundred-million-dollar inheritance—cue all the shenanigans. It’s a quick read full of laugh-out-loud banter and rich family drama.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
After seeing all my friends buzz about it, I had high hopes for The Wedding People. Unfortunately, this one didn’t land for me and left me wondering if I read the same book as everyone else. Upon arrival at a luxurious seaside hotel, Phoebe realizes she’s the only guest not there for the wedding, and she soon becomes entangled with the lives of the wedding people. My biggest issue is (spoiler alert: even though they didn’t have an affair, Phoebe falls for her new friend’s fiancé despite her ex-husband cheating on her, and it all conveniently works out when the bride calls off the wedding.) If you’ve read this one, comment with your thoughts—I’m dying to discuss this one!
If You Tell by Gregg Olsen
Goodreads now offers different challenges, and to diversify outside of my usual genres, I picked up If You Tell as a buzzy book readers’ favorite. I don’t regret picking it up, but this was a challenging read with content warnings for abuse (emotional, physical, and psychological). It’s a disturbing true story about Shelly Knotek, who abused her three daughters, amongst others, and their strength and resilience to not only survive but thrive. The level of cruelty Shelly inflicted seems unbelievable at times; as a long-time true crime junkie, this is one of the worst cases of long-term torture I’ve ever come across. One thing I wish the author had delved into further was the psychological angle of why Shelley treated people the way she did; however, I understand this book focuses more on the survivors and telling their stories.
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
Having previously read Just Haven’t Met You Yet (my book review here) by the same author, I immediately added this one to my TBR list, and it was a much-needed palate cleanser after If You Tell. Columnist Anna Appleby is just fine on her own after a painful divorce. But when her column and income are at stake, she desperately pitches the idea of allowing her two kids to play matchmaker for seven dates, all found offline. Meanwhile, her work rival Will proposes that he write about dating exclusively using the apps. Will their dueling columns become a fight for their careers—or will their growing attraction be the real battle? I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a lighthearted rom-com.
What have you recently read that I should add to my summer reading list? Please leave your recommendations in the comments! To see all of my book reviews, click here. xo
I’ve read the first 3 (Did you know Big Little Lies was made into a series?) and enjoyed the first 2 so much but I did NOT like The Wedding People. I thought all the characters were just too weird.
I’ve had Big Little Lies on my TBR forever, might be time to actually read it! Thanks for the great reviews!
Great selection! I love the variety. These are all very different books! Definitely adding a few of these to my TBR list. Thanks for sharing!