Monica’s Musings: Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

“Right here, right now, I want you to forget two things: he was nothing special, and what happened was not random.”
― Jessica Knoll, Bright Young Women

Summary: January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be
further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on
Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of
promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of
the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that
unwittingly saves her life.

Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sorority sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beach-goers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and prime time specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.

My Opinion: Bright Young Women is based on the real-life murders by Ted Bundy. This book is really difficult to rate. It started out really good. I appreciate the author’s attempt to focus on the victims rather than “the defendant”. I love the title and the cover is absolutely gorgeous! The title is a play on the words of the Florida judge who called Bundy “a bright young man”, because the focus is on the young women who recognize their worth and intelligence.

Despite the potential this book had, the execution fell completely flat for me. This story is all over the place and not in a good way. I think part of my problem was that I listened to the audio version. It made it that much more difficult to keep track of where in time we were.

My biggest gripe is with the character Ruth. Her sections were off-putting and felt unnecessary to the overall story. I was completely offended when Ruth was outraged by another women grieving a miscarriage in a group grief therapy session, and referred to a late-term miscarriage as losing a “turnip”.

This book would have benefited from including a historical note at the end. I knew a little bit about these murders, but by the end I had to find out which parts of the book were factual and which were not.

For an even more detailed review with pictures from the Ted Bundy case, please see this impressive review by Goodreads user, Barbara! Click Here

Monica’s Musings: End of Story

End of Story by A.J. Finn

I’ll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.
― A.J. Finn, End of Story

Summary: So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story . . . living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life “detective fever.”

“You and I might even solve an old mystery or two.”

Twenty years earlier—on New Year’s Eve 1999—Sebastian’s first wife and teenage son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past?

“Life is hard. After all, it kills you.”

As Nicky attempts to weave together the strands of Sebastian’s life, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth . . . while Madeleine begins to question what her beloved father might actually know about that long-ago night. And when a corpse appears in the family’s koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn’t gone—it’s just waiting.

My Opinion: This book makes you slow down and pay attention to every detail. I highly recommend reading the physical copy, as I was confused multiple times throughout the audiobook. Pacing-wise, End of Story is a slow read, with an over-complicated plot. It tries to weave in too many strands that it ends up being hard to keep track of.

The last few chapters were interesting, but the rest of the book never grabbed me enough that I found it irresistible. If you have read The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, and enjoyed it, just be warned this is an entirely different type of book. Overall, I think this book was intriguing, but I do wish it had a little more going on in the first half to make it quicker paced.

Monica’s Musings: Bad Summer People

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum

“She was adept at handling difficult personalities, stroking people’s egos, and allowing them to think they were in charge.”
― Emma Rosenblum, Bad Summer People

Summary: None of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But who among them is actually capable of murder?

Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island every summer. They hold sway on the beach and the tennis court, and are adept at manipulating people to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island since childhood, despite lifelong grudges and numerous secrets. Their one single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he’s the tennis pro-or someone else’s husband. But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other.

Until a body is discovered, face down off the side of the boardwalk.

Stylish, subversive and darkly comedic, this is a story of what’s lurking under the surface of picture-perfect lives in a place where everyone has something to hide.

My Opinion: This book is like a trash TV script. As someone who genuinely enjoys that kind of entertainment, this still somehow missed the mark. There’s no one to root for, and there’s not even an interesting downfall for any of the characters. Bad, rich people doing boring, bad things for a whole summer. Not even their offenses are thrilling. 

I nearly did not finish this book because, at the 70% mark, there was still no murder! It finally picked up the last few chapters of the story, but it seemed very tame and did not have a very intense plot line. I really wasn’t expecting much from this one, as I just wanted a fun story about rich people being devious. Definitely not my favorite, but it wasn’t bad for what it is.

The Lineup: Monica

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Monica’s Lineup

For what I have taken an interest in lately, see below!

TV Show: The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window

I had been putting off watching this series because I enjoyed the book The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn so much. However, enough is different about the show and the book that it didn’t feel like a let down at all! I love Kristen Bell as an actress, and I think that she played the role of Anna perfectly. I am not a binge-watch kind of person, but I finished this whole season in one day.

Overall it is definitely a satire of the book, but it is done well. I am not sure what it would be like if I hadn’t read The Woman in the Window, but I thought all the twists were done in a non-predictable way. It really portrayed how an unreliable main character like Anna can impact the viewer or reader’s perception.

Mixing wine, pills, casseroles and an overactive imagination, Anna obsesses over a hunky neighbor across the street and witnesses a murder. Or did she?

Available on Netflix.

Book: Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

Summary: On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, Billie hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering—with a jolt of fear—that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world.

So begins the story of Billie and Cassie’s friendship–both in recent weeks, and since they met twenty-three years ago, in their small Hudson Valley hometown the summer before seventh grade. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, including a traumatic, unspeakable incident in high school, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a fashion and lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind–including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. Hurt and rejected by Cassie’s new priorities, Billie will do anything to restore their friendship, even as she hides the truth about what really happened the night the baby was taken.

My Opinion: This reads like relational drama with a splash of suspense. The story is narrated by Cassie and Billie, which was nice because, despite their character flaws (and they both had plenty!), I could see the complexity of their relationship from both POVs and understand their feelings, even if I often didn’t agree with them. It’s cool to see a book that gives voice to both experiences without showing preference!

This was a good read that had me feeling the range of emotions and wanting the best for everyone by the end. Please read the content warning at the end, if you have any concerns, as the book does have a couple potentially upsetting topics for some.

Available here, or as an eAudibook on Libby.

Comedy Podcast: Wild ‘Til 9

What do you get when a DIY influencer dates an ex-frat-president tech mogul? Honestly we’re not really sure either, but we’re all about to find out together. Hosted by Lauren Riihimaki (LaurDIY) and husband, Jeremy Lewis, Wild ’Til 9 is about relationships, spotting the red flags and giving the green lights, and the lifestyle in which this polar opposite couple found themselves. Things are about to get wild… but only until 9PM.

This is very new to my entertainment rotation, so I haven’t listened to a ton of their episodes together. However, I have been a fan of the LaurDIY channel on YouTube for several years, and I am happy to have found more content from Lauren and her husband Jeremy. Their banter is lighthearted and is comparable to listening in on a fun conversation with friends.

Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Music: Hozier

Hozier has definitely been my recent music obsession. Majority of people would recognize his hit song “Take me to Church”. His most recent album, Unreal Unearth, has by far blown me away. I could go on and on about the poetry portrayed in his songs, but you should give it a listen yourself!

My favorites on this album are Francesca and Unknown/Nth.

Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, known professionally as Hozier, is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes and taking political or social justice stances.

Check out the album from the Derby Public Library here, or any music streaming platform.

Hobby: Jessica Braun for Lifestyle/Influence

As I am typing this, it feels so bizarre to finally share that I am expecting my first baby! I have been watching baby-prep videos on YouTube regularly to find the best and most useful products to purchase.

Most of my purchases have been based on Jessica Braun, whose down-to-earth lifestyle speaks to me. She has great recommendations and gives reasoning behind all of her choices. 90% of my registry was based on hers! I enjoy watching her daily lifestyle vlogs as well, but in the spirit of something I have been hyper-fixated on lately, this one takes the cake!

If you are expecting a baby, I highly recommend watching her videos. She links all of the products in the description of her videos for easy online shopping!

Check out her channel here, or click the pictures above to be taken to the videos!

Monica’s Musings: Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

“What is it that they say? That thing about happy and unhappy families? That happiness is all the same, but misery is unique?”― Lisa Unger, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six

Summary: Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller.

What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods with spectacular views, a hot tub, and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’ll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company, and lots of R&R. But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.

A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated pasts, with secrets that run blood deep. How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?

My Thoughts: There are so many POVs in this, which is a bit daunting. Adding to the confusion, the characters do not seem to mesh with the main narrative of the luxury vacation. Plus, the prologue included a tense Christmas dinner involving the mysterious gift of DNA tests where no one claimed to be the gift provider. Simply put, there is a lot to grasp in this story.

Once the three couples get to the cabin, the cabin owner proves to be disturbing. Bad things start happening. Who is doing it? To what end?

I listened to the audio and enjoyed the story, but it might be better to read it instead. I had to rewind a few times, thinking I missed a thread. It is one of those thrillers that allows many open threads that ultimately come together to knit a nice ending!

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Trade Off

The Trade Off by Sandie Jones

First line: “You’ve got a nerve showing up here,” he hisses, coming to an abrupt halt beside me as he leads the mourners back up the aisle.

Summary: Jess has just landed her dream job. She is going to be a real reporter for The Globe newspaper. With her new job she hopes to change the world with her reporting. But once she meets the infamous Stella, her boss and deputy editor, she sees that standing by her morals may be harder than she thinks. On her first assignment she learns that the underhanded ways of the paper can lead to some deadly consequences. How can she continue working at a place that puts sales over the lives of those they report on?

My Thoughts: I was not sure about requesting the newest Sandie Jones book. The last two books were just not that good. I wondered if it was time to move on but I am glad I picked this one up. It was a quick paced and shows the backstabbing nature of modern news outlets.

The two main characters seem to be night and day. Stella is the hardened reporter who will do whatever to get the big story. Jess is the rookie who still believes in justice and the truth no matter what. With the alternating chapters the reader sees the differences in how they deal with similar situations. But really how different are they? Both are women in a world dominated by men.

Reading this really made me think about how tabloids and clickbait is used to destroy people’s lives. How much can we really trust some of the “news” that is circulating all over social media? I think this will give readers a look at something we see every day but then question how these stories were tailored.

FYI: Suicide, rape and stalking.

Monica’s Musings: The Locked Door

The Locked Door by Frieda McFadden

“Dad always says that if you’re going to do something wrong, at least be smart enough not to let anybody see you do it.”
― Freida McFadden, The Locked Door

Summary: Some doors are locked for a reason…

While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement. Until the day the police arrived at their front door.

Decades later, Nora’s father is spending his life behind bars, and Nora is a successful surgeon with a quiet, solitary existence. Nobody knows her father was a notorious serial killer. And she intends to keep it that way.

Then Nora discovers one of her young female patients has been murdered. In the same unique and horrific manner that her father used to kill his victims.

Somebody knows who Nora is. Somebody wants her to take the fall for this unthinkable crime. But she’s not a killer like her father. The police can’t pin anything on her.

As long as they don’t look in her basement.

My Thoughts: Freida McFadden is an author who is becoming increasingly popular on BookTok. It is exciting to give trendy authors a try to see what all the fuss is about! This was the audiobook my husband and I chose to listen to on our way to Denver. We both found the story very interesting, and it made the time go by!

It was fun to pause and discuss our theories of “whodunnit”. It was fast-paced and hard to put down. Lots of red herrings to throw you off track and keep you guessing until the final twist. We finished this just as we were pulling into Denver, and neither of us guessed correctly how it would end! Although, I would say that the story wrapped up a little abruptly. It would have been better if the plot did not have so many storylines and if we could delve into more details, especially on Nora’s childhood.

*Available on Libby

Monica’s Musings: Forever, Interrupted

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“Sweetheart, I’m telling you, you love someone like that, you love them the right way, and no time would be enough. Doesn’t matter if you had thirty years,” she tells me. “It wouldn’t be enough.” ― Taylor Jenkins Reid, Forever, Interrupted

Summary: Elsie Porter is an average twenty-something, and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted, will make you laugh, make you cry, and remind you that there’s more than one way to live happily ever after.

My Thoughts: This book absolutely broke my heart and made me cry in the best ways. I felt all the emotions that this love story brought on. Please do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy of this book and a cozy blanket because you will not want to stop once you start. This was Taylor Jenkins Reid’s first novel, published in 2013, and I did not anticipate it to be so good! I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and can definitely say that I am a fan of her writing.

I finished this book in a day, and I was shocked at how rich this plot was. I was not expecting such a heart-wrenching experience. Sometimes you just need a good cry book, and this was definitely that for me!

Monica’s Musings: Sharp Objects

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

“A town so suffocating and small, you tripped over people you hated every day. People who knew things about you. It’s the kind of place that leaves a mark.”

― Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects

Summary: 

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the unsolved murder of a preteen girl and the disappearance of another. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town.

Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

My Thoughts: 

I have mixed feelings about this book for sure. It touches on a multitude of intense topics. Please check any trigger warnings before embarking on this story. With that said, I thought it was extremely interesting. It had so much going on it was impossible for me to put it down.

Flynn does a fantastic job of challenging the notion that women are weak. In a world where women are always portrayed as victims, this is an interesting look at the other kinds of women who do not fit that stereotype. It is programmed into us to believe that women are safer, kinder, and built with an instinct that makes it difficult for them to be cruel or cause pain without reason. That is not always the case.

I would recommend this to anyone who looks for dark and twisted stories. The topics that are dealt with are heavy, however it was all shocking in an entertaining way.


Monica’s Musings: The Wife Upstairs

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

“One thing growing up in the foster system taught me was to watch people’s eyes more than you listened to what they said. Mouths were good at lying, but eyes usually told the truth.”
― Rachel Hawkins, The Wife Upstairs

Summary:

Jane is new to Alabama, and she is working as a dog walker in Thornfield Estates—a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. No one will even think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie­ Rochester. Recently Eddie’s wife, Bea, was in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie—not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, but he could also offer her the kind of protection she has always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea. Can she win Eddie’s heart before her past—or his—catches up to her?

My Thoughts: 

I heard all of the talk about comparing this to Jane Eyre, and have decided just to read and review this book on its own with no comparisons.

I am so happy that this is my first read of the new year! It is exactly what I look for in a book. I loved the character’s dark and hidden pasts, and that as the reader, we are kept in the dark about some of their secrets all the way up to the last few chapters!

Besides being a fun thriller, this was also very well-written and perfectly paced. There is some jumping around in time, but Hawkins has the chapters clearly titled and there will not be any confusion. I found this to be a nice touch. Sometimes this annoys me in books, but not in this one. This is the second book that I have read by Rachel Hawkins, and I am a fan of her writing for sure!

*Check out my review of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins here!