September 2022: What I’ve Been Reading

Hello!

Well, I wondered if I’d still have some time to read once we got back to school, and I was still able to carve out some time to get three books read. That tends to be my monthly average during the school year, so I’m glad to still have some time read.

This month I read…

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Younger Wife:

Summary:

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve read a few books by Sally Hepworth, and I’d waited quite a while to read this one. I really enjoyed it. I loved the structure of the book with the viewpoints of the younger wife, former wife, and daughters. This was a good suspenseful read. I don’t have any experience with dementia and struggled a bit with idea of Stephen marrying while still being married to his first wife. That idea just felt a bit rushed. That being said, there was quite a bit going on in the story with family tension, shoplifting, health issues, and more. It was a quick read for me!

Rating:

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo:

Summary:

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Quick Thoughts:

Again, I’ve ready quite a few books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and have loved them all. This book was recommended to me by a colleague, and I was one the waitlist for the Kindle copy. I was intrigued by the idea of a glimpse into Evelyn’s life and her many marriages. That being said, I wasn’t expecting to each marriage to be so different and serve a different purpose. The underlying plot learning about Monique’s life and some parallels to Evelyn also made this book very interesting. There was heartache, happy, and lots of of husbands! Definitely put this one on your reading list.

Rating:

Twenty Years Later:

Summary:

Hiding her own dark past in plain sight, a TV reporter is determined to uncover the truth behind a gruesome murder decades after the investigation was abandoned. But TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past…

Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.

Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.

But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life just the beginning. And what Avery doesn’t realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .

Quick Thoughts:

This book was one that Bev shared on Insta stories and blog, and I immediately added it to my list. It’s still so chilling for me to read books that reference 9/11, but this book was definitely a page turner. There were quite a few characters to keep up with, so it took a few chapters to keep things straight. That being said, the chapters were so short and I think that helped moved the plot along. This book had many twists and turns and I enjoyed seeing it all come together in the end.

Rating:

Overall, it was a great month of reading! I’m hoping with Fall Break next week that I can read a bit more…I have the goal of four books this month.

What have you been reading lately?