By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Books I Am Reading This Week – January 18, 2023 #wwwwednesday #ReadersCommunity #BookTwitter #BookLover

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

  • What am I currently reading?
  • What did I just finish?
  • What am I reading next?

I’ve been looking forward to reading Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun ever since I was granted the ARC and I’m finally enjoying it. It’s so wonderful being back in this world with Finlay and Vero and all the craziness that comes their way.

Genre: Thriller mixed with humor (soft-boiled mystery)

Pages: 301 pages

Publisher: Minotaur books (St. Martin’s Press)

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

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. After she and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they may have “borrowed” in the process of saving the life of Finlay’s ex-husband, the Russian mob got her out of debt. But now Finlay 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, and combined pressure from Finlay’s looming book deadline and Feliks is enough to convince Finlay and Vero to get involved. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with the tempting detective), Finlay and Vero have the perfect cover-up to sleuth out the real criminal and free themselves from the mob’s clutches—all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero’s past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burgess is one of the physical book ARCs that Berkley sent me last month. It intrigued me in so many ways – the miniatures, the magical aspects, and the overall story. And it did not disappoint. This story is so unique that I have no idea what I will say to do it justice in my review.

  • Genre: Woman’s Fiction with Magical Realism
  • Pages: 348 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley
  • Publication Date: January 24, 2023
A woman learns to expand the boundaries of her small world and let love inside it in this sparkling and unforgettable novel by Audrey Burges. From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four-year-old Myra Malone blogs about a dollhouse mansion that captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra’s stories have created legions of fans who breathlessly await every blog post, trade photographs of Mansion-modeled rooms, and swap theories about the enigmatic and reclusive author. Myra herself is tethered to the Mansion by mysteries she can’t understand—rooms that appear and disappear overnight, music that plays in its corridors. Across the country, Alex Rakes, the scion of a custom furniture business, encounters two Mansion fans trying to recreate a room. The pair show him the Minuscule Mansion, and Alex is shocked to recognize a reflection of his own life mirrored back to him in minute scale. The room is his own bedroom, and the Mansion is his family’s home, handed down from the grandmother who disappeared mysteriously when Alex was a child. Searching for answers, Alex begins corresponding with Myra. Together, the two unwind the lonely paths of their twin worlds—big and small—and trace the stories that entwine them, setting the stage for a meeting rooted in loss, but defined by love.

Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot looks like a cute romantic comedy, and I do love my romcoms. I’m not sure which book I will read first: The Drift by CJ Tudor or this one. I might read The Drift first and then read this book as a way to break up the intensity I know I will experience with The Drift. I’ve heard lots of positive things about both of them, so I don’t think I can go wrong either way.

  • Genre: Romantic Comedy
  • Pages: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley Romance
  • Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate. By day, Julie Zimmerman works as an executive assistant. After hours, she’s @JulieZeeEatsNYC, a social media restaurant reviewer with over fifty thousand followers. As much as she loves her self-employed side gig, what Julie really wants is to be a critic at a major newspaper, like the New York Scroll. The only thing worse than the Scroll’s rejection of her application is the fact that smarmy, social-media-averse society boy Bennett Richard Macalester Wright snagged her dream job. While at the Central Park Food Festival, Julie confronts the annoyingly handsome Bennett about his outdated opinions on social media and posts the resulting video footage. Julie’s follower count soars—and so does the Scroll’s. Julie and Bennett grudgingly agree to partner up for a few reviews to further their buzz. Online buzz, obviously. Over tapas, burgers, and more, Julie and Bennett connect over their shared love of food. But when the competitive fire between them turns extra spicy, they’ll have to decide how much heat their relationship can take.

And, Also…

  • Genre: Psychological Thriller / Horror Suspense
  • Pages: 337 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books
  • Publication Date: January 31, 2023
Three ordinary people risk everything for a chance at redemption in this audacious, utterly gripping novel of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man. Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. Evacuated from a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm, her coach careered off the road, trapping her with a handful of survivors. They’ll need to work together to escape—with their sanity and secrets intact. Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She’s in a cable car stranded high above snowy mountains, with five strangers and no memory of how they got on board. They are heading to a place known only as “The Retreat,” but as the temperature drops and tensions mount, Meg realizes they may not all make it there alive. Carter is gazing out the window of an isolated ski chalet that he and his companions call home. As their generator begins to waver in the storm, something hiding in the chalet’s depths threatens to escape, and their fragile bonds will be tested when the power finally fails—for good. The imminent dangers faced by Hannah, Meg, and Carter are each one part of the puzzle. Lurking in their shadows is an even greater danger—one with the power to consume all of humanity.

What are you reading? Do you love it?

21 Replies to “Books I Am Reading This Week – January 18, 2023 #wwwwednesday #ReadersCommunity #BookTwitter #BookLover”

  4. D. Wallace Peach says:

    You have some fun reading ahead, Tessa. I was most attracted to The Drift (the darkest of the set, as usual). I hope it ends up being a great thriller. I’m amazed at how illustrated (cartoon) covers seem to be the rage these days. They aren’t my favorite, but they seem incredibly popular. Just couldn’t resist tossing that out there as I’ve seen them everywhere this morning. Happy Reading!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I think they are typically used for books that have a significant amount of humor in them. I don’t mind them but there’s nothing like a gorgeous fantasy cover, is there? 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  6. WendyW says:

    I adored the Minuscule Mansion! And Finlay Donovan. I have an ARC for Best Served Hot and should be getting to that one soon.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Janette says:

    You’ve certainly got a good selection of books here. The Miniscule Mansion sounds really intriguing and I’m looking forward to reading your review.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. writerravenclaw says:

    It’s Her Fault, about a four year old boy, who goes missing. It focusses on three women, each feeling to blame. I haven’t finished the book. It is a good read.

    Liked by 1 person

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