Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone
The story begins as Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon alone, her new husband nowhere to be found. Ariel visits the local police and the U.S. Embassy, looking for help and answers, worried something horrible has happened to him, but she doesn’t quite receive the help and attention she wants. This book shifts perspectives often — between Ariel, the police, the embassy, and the CIA. Both reader and investigators are trying to figure out what’s really going on here, what to believe, and whom to trust. I did enjoy this one, but it’s long and I was a little iffy for the first half of the book. It was not a heart-thumping thriller the whole way through like I was expecting, but ended up being an intriguing, twisting mystery, and satisfying to finish, once all the pieces came together.
The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner
I loved this one by the end; it’s my favorite I’ve read by Jennifer Weiner. It was a little slow to get there, and very character-driven — most of the book is comprised of each character’s inner workings and backstory, which I can see becoming tiresome for some readers, but it held my interest. Veronica Levy, the matriarch of the family, lives in Cape Cod (the “summer place”) and has agreed to host her young step-granddaughter Ruby’s wedding there. We learn about Ruby, her mother Annette, stepmother Sarah, father Eli, fiancé Gabe, uncle and Sarah’s twin Sam, and those connected to all of them. Everyone has their share of secrets, misunderstandings, drama, confusion, tragedy, love, and eventually, the house that unites them all, where each truth finally comes to light. I recommend to anyone who appreciates complex characters, summer places, and sweet endings.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
People have talked about and obsessed over this book for a few years; it had been on my list for a while, and I finally read it. Evelyn Hugo was a legendary Hollywood star from the 1950s through the 80s, and in 2017 at the age of 79, finds a writer to tell her story — the unknown Monique Grant, who is astounded at the request, but agrees to do so. Evelyn finally feels ready to share her truth, after hiding the love of her life for the entirety of her career, as well as the reality of her seven marriages. And we learn that Monique connects to her story in a tragic way. Evelyn’s story intrigued me, and I loved the complexities of the book’s characters. Easy to read, the book held my attention until the end. While I really enjoyed it, it’s not the *best* book I’ve ever read, and I’m slightly baffled by just how much people rave about it! Still, I absolutely recommend it for an easy, read-anytime book with good characters and drama.
