June Reads

I picked up this book at the local library and was pretty excited about it. It’s about a woman who struggles with infertility in her marriage, and as a result, her husband divorces her. She then gets fired from her job due to the economy crashing and ultimately moves in with her born-again Christian parents. Her brother is gay and her sister was a bit rebellious and snide as a result of a teenage pregnancy that her mother forced her to see through and then give up. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of this one, but the meaty middle just was drawn out for far too long. I struggled with it and didn’t even want to pick it up most days. But I was bound and determined to finish it, and I finally did. The end really picks up and I loved the outcome, but I was left super disappointed. The novel finishes rather abruptly and we’re left with a chapter that begins, “Seven months later…” No thank you! I felt way too invested to have everything tied up the way it was. I enjoyed seeing where everyone ultimately ended up with all the issues going on, but it was too quick and almost thrown in as an afterthought. Overall: 3 stars. I liked it. 

Whoa, this one. It grabbed me by my face and wouldn’t let me go until I was done, and then I wanted more! From the first page, I was sucked into the drama, mystery, and intrigue that was Katie’s life as a Dallas, Texas lawyer. It was also relatable, in that respect ;). She struggles internally with a love she has for a co-worker, who is totally steely towards her, and struggles with her drinking. Her paralegal BFF and her brother are concerned for her well-being, so she takes a week vacation…to the exact place her parents died in a car accident while there celebrating their 40th anniversary. She had felt uneasy about the deaths being ruled an accident a year ago and decides to dig a little deeper and try to get some answers while spending some time away from Texas and work. When she gets back, she’s given her first criminal case, to defend a basketball star in a rape trial. And she loses – big time. She ultimately finds the answers she’s looking for and discovers a few things about herself that she wasn’t quite in search of. This novel really resonated with me and I loved every page. I finished this one in a day! Overall: 4 stars. It was so good!