Five Star Friday: March 2021

Five Star Friday is my version of the monthly wrap-up. On the first Friday of each month, I will share my five-star reads from the previous month. Fingers crossed, I have lots of books to tell you about.

Where did March go? My reading lagged a little due to vacation and training (audiobooks took a hard dip), but I still managed to finish 33 books, and 6 earned the full 5-stars from me. 

Starry Eyes
Jenn Bennett

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern-day Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

This was another re-read via audio, when I ran out of borrows on Hoopla. No regrets! I still adore this book, and Lennon remains one of my favorite Jenn Benn characters. It was nice prep for my big outdoor vacation. I got excited thinking about all the nature I was going to enjoy as I trekked through the wilderness with these two. Always a pleasure reading a Jenn Benn book. 

The Lying Woods
Ashley Elston

Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees' retirement accounts, Owen's father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout.

Owen returns to Lake Cane to finish his senior year, where people he can barely remember despise him for his father's crimes. It's bad enough dealing with muttered insults and glares, but when Owen and his mother receive increasingly frightening threats from someone out for revenge, he knows he must get to the bottom of what really happened at Louisiana Frac--and the cryptic note his father sent him at his boarding school days before disappearing.

Owen's only refuge is the sprawling, isolated pecan orchard he works at after school, owned by a man named Gus who has his own secrets--and in some ways seems to know Owen better than he knows himself. As Owen uncovers a terrible injustice that looms over the same Preacher Woods he's claimed as his own, he must face a shocking truth about his own past--and write a better future.

I was introduced to Elston via one of her cute and fluffy books, 10 Blind Dates, but I have really enjoyed all her books. I guess this was a mystery, though it was more about the family secrets for me. When the reveals began, I was proud of myself for guessing correctly, but I also let loose, "I knew it was the MFer" too. I enjoyed this so much, and that final chapter was so mushy and wonderful.

Good Girl, Bad Blood
Holly Jackson

The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder! More dark secrets are exposed in this addictive, true-crime fueled mystery.

Pip is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?

Jackson won me as a fan with her debut, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. I was so excited when I heard this was going to be a series, because she created such great characters, and I will follow Pip to the ends of the earth. Once again, I was in love with the book format. The mix of photos, journals, and podcast episodes was used well. I especially loved how the podcast was introduced to recap the previous book. The mystery took quite a dramatic turn towards the end with something I never saw coming. I loved it!

Life's Too Short
Abby Jimenez

A brilliant and touching romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone and The Happy Ever After Playlist.

Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment.

But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element.

The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all. . .

I am such a fan of the way Jimenez always shreds my heart and builds it back better. Her books tend to leave me snotty crying at some point, and because of this, I will never hesitate to pick them up. This book featured two amazing characters, while spotlighting ALS and what it's like living with the threat of  and loving someone with that sort of illness. It was also a reminder to live your best life and to be present. It was just a beautiful and touching story for me. 

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town
Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

A lyrical and heartfelt collection by an award-winning writer that connects the lives of young people from small towns in Alaska and the American west. Each story is unique, yet universal.

In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths. One choice threatens a lifelong friendship. Siblings save each other. Rescue and second chances are possible, and so is revenge.

On the surface, it seems that nothing ever happens in these towns. But Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock shows that underneath that surface, teenagers' lives blaze with fury, with secrets, and with love so strong it burns a path to the future.

My last few experiences with anthologies have been so positive, I might have to change my stance on them. Since each short story in this collection was written by the same author, it was a very cohesive set. Hitchcock went further though by linking these stories to each other via events or secondary characters. I really enjoyed seeing where it would lead to, and I was not disappointed at all. I almost forgot how much I enjoy Hitchcock's storytelling. There is something about it that reminds me of Fredrick Backman. Her stories are on the quieter side, and she intertwines these seemingly separate lives together so well. I love watching it unfold. 

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club
Amy E. Reichert

Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert.

For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells–the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World–means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina’s always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who’s much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina’s side all through her lonely childhood.

Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He’s charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn’t have time for romance–she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she’s in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe?

When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.

This was my first experience with Reichert's work, and what a great experience it was. I think a lot of people are going to like Sabrina. She had been bullied and rejected due to her "gift" and her anxiety, but she still managed to commit random acts of kindness and just be a decent person. The book also featured an adorable romance and a bit of a family mystery. All of this resulted in a book that was so darn feel-good and heartwarming, which is a combination I can never resist. 

Did you have any five-star reads last month? 
Let us know in the comments!