The fact that I made it through four books this month was a feat in and of itself. The last two books I just zipped through, as I always seem to do with the Finlay Donovan series. They are just unputdownable, except for when you need to get a few zzz’s so you can start the whole work + study and figure out some time for reading for pleasure all. over. again.
This month I have a novel that goes between the past and present in The Library of Lost Dollhouses. It’s quite intriguing, and if you haven’t read the Q&A that I did with author Elise Hooper, I recommend checking it out.
See How They Fall was a nail-biting experience (if I was into biting my nails, that is), and I cannot wait to share a Q&A with New Zealand author Rachel Paris just before the release.
The last two books of the month were from Elle Cosimano, one of my favorite authors besides Emily Henry, for a read with a light-hearted feel. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun and Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice are the 3rd and 4th books in the series. The 5th and final Finlay Donovan novel came out earlier this month and is on my list to read in April.
The Library of Lost Dollhouses | Elise Hooper
This is the first book I’ve read by author Elise Hooper, and I can safely say it will not be my last. Set in present-day San Francisco with flashbacks to pre-WWI to post-WWII, this book will have you intrigued from the first glimpse into the life of a mysterious dollhouse builder who hides little clues and secrets of the women who commission the remarkable miniatures she creates. (I won’t give you the dollhouse maker’s name, as you’ll learn it fairly early on in the book).
In the present day Tildy Barrows discovers two of the largest dollhouses in a secret room in the library that was once the home of Belva Curtis LeFarge, a wealthy American heiress who married into French aristocracy.
For those who have any interest in history (many of the characters are based on real life women from the era) you’ll want to pick up this gem of a book.
When a young librarian discovers historic dollhouses in a hidden room, she embarks on an unexpected journey that reveals surprising secrets about the lost miniatures.
Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s life takes an unexpected turn when she first learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses.
After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history but also a future for herself—and an astonishing familial revelation.
Spanning the course of a century, The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a warm, bright, and captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women.
Read the Q&A with Elise.
Rating: A
See How They Fall | Rachel Paris
If you’re looking for a debut novel that will keep your attention from beginning to end, See How They Fall by Rachel Harris is a novel worth checking out. For fans of both Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, the novel is told from Skye who married into the wealthy Turner family, and Sergeant Mei O’Connor who is investigating what really happened at the weekend retreat that left one dead and Skye’s young daughter fighting for her life.
As Mei investigates the case, we soon learn that the Turner family might not be as squeaky clean as they appear, and that they’ll do anything to make sure they don’t pay for the crimes they’ve committed.
Keep an eye out for a Q&A with Rachel Paris.
In this compelling debut thriller perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, one detective’s investigation into a family tragedy threatens to collapse a powerful dynasty. . . .
When Skye married into the wealthy Turner family, she thought she was entering paradise. But now, several years later, she remains uneasy amid the opulence of her husband’s world, struggling with her own secrets and working to maintain a normal life for their young daughter, Tilly.
Skye’s delicate balance is undone when the family patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, dies suddenly and an illegitimate heir comes forward to stake his claim in the luxury goods empire the old man leaves behind. Reluctantly, the Turners receive the newcomer at an intimate weekend retreat at Yallambee, the family seaside estate, but tempers flare and egos clash within their first few hours together and the night ends in a tragedy that leaves one dead and another fighting for life.
Sergeant Mei O’Connor is assigned to investigate the incident and though her superiors are keen to close the case as swiftly as possible, the evidence just isn’t lining up. Convinced that there’s more to the suspicious death than a simple accident, Mei continues to search for answers. But pulling at these threads may just tear down the Turner empire.
Releases 4/29/25
Rating: A+
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Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun | Elle Cosimano
I can tell you one thing for certain. I’m going to miss this series when it’s over. While in nursing school, you don’t have as much time for reading ‘just for fun,’ and the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano has been a real guilty. pleasure for me. Each book can be read for 2-3 nights after you’ve finished studying for the evening and need to wind down a bit before turning in for the night. While the first book will always be my favorite, this third novel is another excellent and exciting read full of twists and turns. The big question in this novel is whether Finlay and Vero will find the elusive Easy Clean before Easy Clean finds them. A definite must-read for fans of the series, and the 5th and final book is released this month!
Dating. Diapers. And dodging bullets. Who said single moms can’t have fun?
Finlay Donovan has been in messes before—after all, she’s an author and single mom who’s a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather unexpected reasons—but none quite like this. She and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they “borrowed” in the process of saving Finlay’s ex-husband. The Russian mob handled her debt, but that means Finlay now owes them.
Still running the show from behind bars, mob boss Feliks has a task for Finlay: find a contract killer before the cops do. Problem is, the killer might be an officer. Luckily, hot cop Nick has started up a citizen’s police academy, so Finlay has the perfect cover-up to sleuth out the real criminal as she does some “research” for her new novel. Nick is more than happy to get close to Finlay, but he’s also getting dangerously close to the truth.
As Finlay and Vero dodge potential spies and juggle the daily trials of parenting, they can only hope they find the crooked cop before Feliks catches up with them—not to mention revealing Vero’s mysterious past, Nick’s growing interest in Finlay, and the threat of her looming book deadline.
Rating: A
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice | Elle Cosimano
“There’s no way you’re taking him out with Farberware, Finn. You need Le Creuset for that.”
That quote from Finlay’s partner in crime, Vero Ruiz is my favorite from the series. It really shows the dynamic between the two women, as well as showing of Vero’s humorous side no matter the circumstances they find themselves in… and let me tell you they get into situations they never could have dreamed of in the fourth book of the Finlay Donovan series. As with the other books in the series, I read this one cover to cover in just a matter of nights, and that includes late nights spent studying Chemistry for nursing school. Every book in the series has been such a fun read, and it’s going to be hard to let the characters go when I read the last book in the series next month.
Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are—seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car—it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.
Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all—he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.
But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for—Marco’s already dead. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike—and after Finlay’s night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.
If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?
Rating: A
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