From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl.
Following his “resurrection walk” and need for a new direction, Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty.
Representing the victim’s family, Mickey’s case explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and the lack of training guardrails. Along the way he joins up with a journalist named Jack McEvoy, who wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. But Mickey puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case. McEvoy’s digging ultimate delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up. The case is fraught with danger because billions are at stake.
It is said that machines became smarter than humans on the day in 1997 that IBM’s Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with a gambit called “the knight’s sacrifice.” Haller will take a similar gambit in court to defeat the mega forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.
My Review:
Does it get much better than the Lincoln Lawyer? I love these books and devour any new installment that comes up in print, digital, or Netflix.
Even better, this one tackles AI, a current hot topic, a novel that grapples with so many moral questions over the legal. Haven’t we been talking about our children watching violent cartoons? Now with computer games the kids of eight years up are playing, do we have any clue what kind of intelligence they are dealing with?
AI generated by Gemini
What about the mind of a sixteen year old? Who has written the code for the chatbot he calls Wren? And who is to blame when that sixteen year old violently acts on a suggestion from Wren?
I love the character of Haller. He has left criminal law for civil. The narrative examines in detail the question: who is ultimately responsible for games coded with possible explosive code? We’ve all heard of GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out, “bad programming, programming contradictory to the purpose of the app?”
Lincoln Lawyer cover-US
That is the supposition of this extremely complex legal thriller. The storyline boils over with tension, almost from the beginning. All your favorite Haller characters are included, though I never warmed up to a new character who provided deep intel on AI while gathering journalistic juice. A layered plot from main to sub, each adding depth, creating a fully rounded story from professional to personal, those of his family and close associates.
I love the way the writer mentions or includes characters, including Harry Bosch, from his other series in his current narrative, consolidating the Haller world. In his world, he is up against a multi-billion dollar corporation, and he’ll have his work cut out for him.
Lincoln Lawyer cover-UK
He has his flaws but he brings an intelligence to the legal science of law that is downright compelling. He has wit, energy, and charisma you can’t beat. And, by the way, I enjoyed the author’s little humorous zinger by naming the judge in the case, Judge Ruhlin. RUHLIN? Funny, Mr. Connelly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
PS: No AI was used in writing this review. (Or perhaps that’s obvious. )
Book Details:
Genre: Police Procedurals, Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers Publisher: Little, Brown and Company ISBN: 978-0316563840 ASIN: B0DZ24GYPN Print Length: 400 pages Publication Date: Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.
In hilarious and tender essays, #1 New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Handler shares her unforgettable story of becoming the woman she always wanted to be.
There’s a woman I want to become, Chelsea Handler thought as a child. She’ll be strong and confident. She’ll light up a room and spread that light to make others feel better. She’ll make a living being herself. She’ll be a survivor.
At ten years old, Chelsea opened a lemonade stand and realized she’d make more money if the drinks were spiked. So she added vodka to her recipe and used her earnings to upgrade herself to first-class on a family vacation—leaving her parents and siblings in coach. She moved to Los Angeles and got fired from her temp job when she admitted she didn’t know how to transfer calls. She’s played pickleball with the scions of an American dynasty. She’s sexted a governor. She shared psychedelics with strangers in Spain. When she accidentally ended up at dinner with Woody Allen, she was not going to leave the table without asking him a very personal pointed question. She went on national television and talked about having threesomes. She’s never been one to hold back.
But this life of adventure and absurdity is only part of her story. Chelsea knows what it is to truly show up for her family—canine and human, biological and chosen. She’s discovered how to spend time with herself, how to meditate, how to be open to love, and how to end a relationship with dignity. She is a sister to the many women who rely on her.
Surprisingly vulnerable and always outrageous, Chelsea Handler captures the antic-filled, exhilarating, and joyful life she’s built—a life that makes the rest of us think, I’ll have what she’s having.
My Review:
You know the name. So do I. And I opted for this book anyway, assuming I’d get what I expected.
You know what you get when you assume?
And, yes, I got some a lot of that. And I also got a surprising number of revelations. Not just about her. But also about me. Gees, after reading some of her childhood, I kept wondering why in the world was she so screwed up? Why did she require years of therapy to make a breakthrough in understanding who she was and how she got there?
This from a narcissist: “When I see a bird, I’m not thinking about what that bird is thinking about. I’m thinking about how well rounded I am that I’m paying attention to birds…The bird is always about me; it’s never just a bird.”
My first book by this author almost turned me off when she began talking about Jane Fonda. (Remember, we spent years in the military during ‘Nam when Fonda made that infamous trip to North Vietnam, still earning her blistering traitor comments. How could anyone take advice from someone who created such hatred from our guys?)
Still, the heart-to-heart struck a chord with Chelsea, and giving it much thought began a turn-around in her attitude. Known for her open dislike of the male gender and children, it’s amazing she could find so many men with whom to have relationships. She was looking for “the one.” As it was observed, however, women appeared to expect men to change while men expected a woman not to. Yeah, funny, and isn’t it the truth? But there were a lot of quotables, funny observations nestled in all those life lessons and chapter-length discussions on how to be a better person.
“…recognize that instinct is a knowing feeling, and impulse is acting on an emotion.”
My eyes might have occasionally glazed over when the lectures of what she discovered and how she turned it around went on rant page after page. Sometimes it felt like the point was not just made but then pounded in with a jackhammer. And all this from a woman readily discussing her drug and alcohol use, sheets of LSD. Was she writing “on the influence?” I had that feeling more than once. Were I at a cocktail party and she was on a soap box, I’d be finding another group to listen in on.
“Dependable, kind, munificent, free. These are the words I want people to use when describing me.”
But she made her point, one that keeps being stuck over and over: Kindness. You never know what someone else is going through.
I loved her account of the children she’s worked with, the love she has for her nieces and nephews, and her own dogs. When she’s on a mission to learn more about parenting, whether human child or pup, she dives in up to her chin and has the wherewithal to pay for the best tutorage.
“I was finally grasping the idea that all children are all of our responsibilities.” (Yes, it takes a neighborhood, a mantra when I was growing up.)
So, yes, I’m torn. An interesting and unexpected book. I suspect I might have greatly enjoyed an audiobook version, but this gave me the opportunity to peek into the life of the woman proclaiming her freedom, apparently from everything deemed appropriate for a successful woman supporting herself in grand style by being herself. If you’re a Chelsea fan, then you’ll no doubt love this book. My generation, though, grown before burning bras was the thing might still find some disclosures TMI.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.
Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Celebrity & Popular Culture Humor, Humor Essays, Publisher: The Dial Press ASIN: B0DDSK9TJR Print Length: 320 pages Publication Date: February 25, 2025 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Chelsea Handler is an accomplished stand-up comic and actress, as well as the bestselling author of My Horizontal Life. She is the star of her own late-night show on E!, Chelsea Lately; was one of the stars of Girls Behaving Badly; has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman; and has starred in her own half-hour Comedy Central special. Chelsea makes regular appearances in comedy clubs across America and lives in Los Angeles.
A tech billionaire and the flight attendant he’s marrying. A TV superhero who used to be married to the flight attendant. A Manhattan book editor and the sensitivity associate who got him fired. A twenty-three-year-old wild child prodigy who’s perhaps the savior of American literature. A vengeful Arkansas sheriff who sells a vitamin-enriched, ten-pounds-off-today demulsifier. A Wall Street bro who raps on TikTok. Two dentists—possibly stalking each other.
What do these people have in common? Invited or not, they’re all headed to the most anticipated destination wedding ever, on the billionaire’s private island, to seek romance, to cause mayhem, and to figure out everyone else’s futures and maybe even their own.
Find out what happens in Paul Rudnick’s heartfelt new novel, which dares to pose the question essential to anyone who’s ever been in love: What Is Wrong with You?
His Review:
Linda and Sean should have been soul mates. The problem is that Linda could never totally subject herself to unrequited love. There always seems to be something that will ruin it. Therefore, she plans for failure and infidelity and thereby is never disappointed. The author wades through all manner of relationships and sexual persuasions.
Gay love has all of the pitfalls of heterosexual love. The evolving question is: Can any human relationship be relied upon 100%? The prognosis is even more convoluted by the trials of everyday life. Would a gay partner be any the less inclined to be faithful to someone who is terminally ill? Should a husband ignore the urging of his loins while 3,000 miles away from a sniping wife?
These and other questions are the essence of this tome. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the trials this author illuminates. So many threads in the storyline, so much conflict, so many stories. The writing style is compelling.
The ending of the tale turns out funny and rewarding yet tragic at the same time.
But everyone will see it differently. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Author:Paul Rudnick is an American writer. His plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world. He is also known for having written the screenplays for several movies, including Sister Act, Addams Family Values, Jeffrey, and In & Out.
Born on December 29, 1957 in Piscataway, NJ, Rudnick celebrates his birthday today!Happy Birthday, Paul!
Only five times in a century do both happen on the same day and it happens this year! To all who celebrate the day in one fashion or another, I wish you and yours a beautiful day filled with love and celebration.
“You’re about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, aren’t you?”
Book Blurb:
In this poignant and funny novel, a man who is defined by his limitations sets out to fight a murder charge—and discovers unexpected truths about himself, his family, and the world at large.
On the surface, Denny Voss’s life in rural Minnesota is a quiet one. At thirty years old, he lives at home with his elderly mother and his beloved blind and deaf Saint Bernard, George. He cleans up roadkill to help pay the bills. Though his prospects are limited by a developmental delay—the result of an accident at birth—Denny has always felt that he has “a good life.”
So how did he wind up being charged with the murder of a mayoral candidate—after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree?
As Denny awaits trial, his court-appointed therapist walks him through the events of the past year. Denny’s had other scuffles with the law, the first for kidnapping a neighbor’s cantankerous goose. And then there was the time he accidentally assisted in a bank robbery. It seems like whenever Denny tries to do the right thing, chaos ensues.
Untangling the events around the murder reveals even more painful truths about his family’s past. He’s always been surrounded by peoplewho love him, but now it’s up to Denny to set his life on a new course.
My Review:
OMG y’all, I’ve done it again! Perhaps it wasn’t the blurb. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention to it? No, it might have been the average five stars from eighteen members posting reviews on NetGalley did me in.
Denny Voss is neurodiverse. That is, he is developmentally challenged, has an IQ of 72 as a result of problems with his premature birth, and has been raised by his Nana-Jo (grandmother). At thirty he finds himself in the slammer on a murder charge.
How did this happen?
Although he will adamantly maintain he is NOT developmentally disabled (he “has 72”), it takes him (his POV) over 330 pages to explain what happened. Of course, there are some things he’d rather not divulge, so that takes a while.
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to be in the mind of a challenged person, this novel might be of interest to you.
If you’ve ever had a challenged relative and wondered what that person thought, this novel might be of interest to you.
If you’ve ever had to work, be associated with, or are in some way friends with a challenged person, this novel might be of interest to you.
If you just plain enjoy good literary fiction, (friendship fiction), this novel will be of interest to you.
I am in absolute awe of Argus, Denny’s cousin, who lives in 8A opposite the 8B side of the duplex where Denny and Nana-Jo live. Argus can make me ashamed of the lack of patience I might exhibit, and especially as I get older, the need to hurry things along with slower or confused thinking—I don’t have all day! But Argus took lessons from Job. And he always has the perfect comeback for Denny, with kindness, patience, and love.
His grandmother has to be a saint in waiting. She is also kind, patient, returning endless discourse by Denny with thoughtful and loving answers.
Denny, on the whole, is one very lucky man. Because of those strong kind and loving relationships, he is also kind, thoughtful to others. He works with Argus at DOT picking up roadkill. He and Argus have a system worked out. There are well developed support characters, too, most gleaned from little thoughtful and compassionate gestures he’s made to others.
The frustration of getting inside Denny’s head is that as he has so carefully worked out the problem, the solution almost makes sense until he gets to the execution of his plan. I got as annoyed with him as I do my sister—sometimes you just can’t get through—or when you do it’s become unrecognizable.
It’s the repeats that might get a reader—but is unfortunately so often part of a challenged person. Sad how often I saw my sister in so many ways as Denny, though she is clearly not as developmentally disabled as Denny. (But she has a lot more trouble with dexterity than Denny.)
It’s an emotional story that lands a solid punch to the gut. Softening the pathos are the short bursts of humor, twists you won’t see coming, and an eye opening view of the baffling world in which they live.
Tesky, as with some cozy mysteries is despicable. Lydia, another character on the antagonist side of the story, sometimes dropped my jaw at her blatant raw reactions to Denny.
Argus had a T-shirt for every day of the week—for months it seems—each with appropriate sayings:
“Honk if you love Jesus, text while driving if you want to meet him.
Running late is my cardio.”
But, if Denny didn’t kill Tesky, who did? That’s the fun of the book isn’t it?
His new to lawyering lady is sweet, caring, and persistent. She has taken on Dr. Harland to assist in the process of securing Denny’s story, which is teasingly slow. I also enjoyed George the St. Bernard. What a great group of characters!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.
Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Women’s Humorous Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Coming of Age Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Publishing ASIN: B0D9PBRHMG Print Length: 335 pages Publication Date: April 8, 2025 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author: Born and raised in Canada, Holly Kennedy currently lives near the Rocky Mountains in Alberta with her family and their Newfoundland dog, Wallace. She is the author of four novels and her books have been translated into multiple languages. When she’s not writing, you’ll typically find her reading, spending time with family, or (her not-so-secret obsession) watching true crime TV shows like Dateline. To find out more visit her website at http://www.hollykennedy.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
After a stakeout turns deadly, Detective Sergeant Jack Mellor’s life spirals out of control. Struggling with guilt, he quits the force and retreats to the remote northern Highlands, seeking seclusion. But peace is hard to find.
When he’s hired to investigate the disappearance of a young woman, Mellor is reluctantly drawn back into a world of corruption, crime, and deceit. As disturbing secrets emerge, his new life begins to unravel. Complicating matters, his ex-partner Maddie reappears, and a potential new romance is shattered. As Mellor digs deeper, he uncovers a horrifying operation—with shocking connections to those he thought he could trust.
Betrayed and disillusioned, Mellor faces the darkest moments of his life. But as his world crumbles, will a glimmer of hope emerge? And in the hauntingly beautiful Highlands, with only a loyal dog for company, can Mellor overcome his demons and bring the guilty to justice?
His Review:
Retiring from the Scottish police force in Glasgow, Mellor, a former police officer settles in the remote Scottish Highlands. He meets a lovely lady named Lorne and they are immediately smitten with each other. His near-death experience at the hands of a local thug, however, leaves him scarred and paranoid. When she is killed before their date, he disappears to his remote cabin in shock again and wonders why he seems to be a target.
The Highlands are remote but murders seem to happen all around him. Will he be the next candidate? Powerful people seem to be at play here, and when an ex-partner suddenly shows up, he’s left wondering why, and whether or not he can trust her. The storyline turns darker and it’s clear there are disturbing complications to his investigation of a missing person. The outlook is bleak.
Although a rather slow burn start, the plot line turns complex with fully-developed characters. This well-written story reveals that even Northern Scotland is not immune to greed and the violence rampant throughout our planet. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These thoughts are my own.
The Author:Alex has worked in the oil industry, broadcasting and banking and has run a consultancy working mainly in the criminal justice sector including police, prisons and probation.
As Michael Walters, he published three crime thrillers set in modern-day Mongolia, now re-published as by Alex Walters in completely new, re-edited versions. As Alex Walters he has written two thrillers set in and around Manchester featuring the undercover officer, Marie Donovan, Trust No-One and Nowhere to Hide. Late Checkout was the first in a series of crime thrillers featuring, alongside Marie Donovan, the rather distinctive DCI Kenny Murrain, who has subsequently appeared in four more books, Dark Corners, Snow Fallen, Stilled Voices and Life Remains. Alex is also the author of the DI Alec McKay series set in and around Scotland’s Black Isle, which currently comprises five books, Candles and Roses, Death Parts Us, Their Final Act, Expiry Date and For Their Sins, published by Bloodhound Books, with a sixth book coming in 2022. He had also written a standalone historical thriller called Winterman, also published by Bloodhound Books. His latest series is set in the Peak District and features DI Annie Delamere. The first three books in the series, Small Mercies, Lost Hours and Bad Terms, are available now from Canelo.
Alex lives in the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands where he runs the Solus Or Writing Retreat with his wife, occasional sons and frequent cats.
Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2024)
Book Blurb:
From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.
San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.
His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice.
My Review:
While I’m totally mystified by the genre this title falls under, I’m a solid Kate Quinn fan and waited my turn for the library audiobook. This time around, Quinn collaborates with Janie Chang and between the two have seamlessly taken a number of different period stories and created The Phoenix Crown. Actually, that artifact only came up a few times in the story and it was near the end of the book.
My grandfather was caught in this earthquake. I wish I had gotten more stories from him but I do know he sustained a broken hip in the massive earthquake that wrought so much damage that the fire it started burned for three days.* The storyline counts down to the event in April 1906. On the San Andreas fault, the earthquake was felt as far north as the Oregon border, to the east as far as the Nevada border, and to the south in Las Angeles. Chinatown was burned to the ground as was Nob Hill and most SF landmarks.
There are several POVs including Gemma, Suling, and Alice. Their stories are linked by antagonist Henry Thornton. Not the first book I’ve read of the plight of the Chinese immigrants of the time given their role in the construction of the railroads. Suling becomes my favorite character as she relates her circumstances, a strong woman who doggedly plugs along on her quest for freedom when she is orphaned and third uncle is prepared to marry her off. She works for the family’s laundry but is a talented embroideress and it is that talent that helps to catapult her into independence.
Gemma has a gorgeous voice but is relegated to the backup voices or choir as she confronts debilitating migraines if faced with solos. She meets Thornton who sweet-talks her into believing he’ll make her a star. Uh huh. Of the three, she is weakest.
Alice Eastwood is a botanist and based on a real person of the time who still has her work displayed in the de Young Museum (read the epilogue and author’s notes at the end for how this all came together and that’s a fascinating account in itself).
The tension builds in the countdown to the earthquake. The three women unite in an effort to survive Thornton and the quake but five years later as realization hits that the Phoenix Crown survived, they know they must find Thornton once and for all.
“It wasn’t enough for a woman to be talented, clever, or good. That wouldn’t save her.”
It’s a story of the strength of women, particularly when they work together, the hardships faced at the time, the lively and burgeoning city, and the arts. More than just the name of the Crown, there is a little play with the words Suling and Phoenix, both rising from the ashes.
I had a little problem keeping up with Suling, alternately called Susie and Gemma’s friend (who is the reason for her moving to San Francisco). I first thought a man, Reggie, but that name changed as the plot progressed into a sub-plot.
I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. Narrated in part by Saskia Maarleveld–also a big fan–she always does a super job. These are my honest thoughts.
Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” “The Diamond Eye,” and “The Briar Club.” She is also a co-author in several collaborative novels including “The Phoenix Crown” with Janie Chang and “Ribbons of Scarlet” with Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Eliza Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb. All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with three rescue dogs.
Janie Chang‘s historical novels have been critically-acclaimed Canadian national bestsellers. Her novels THREE SOULS and DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD were long listed for the International Dublin Literary Award. Her third novel THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS was a Book of the Month Club pick. Her fourth novel, THE PORCELAIN MOON, was named one of the 5 Top Historical Novels of 2023 by the Toronto Star. THE PHOENIX CROWN, a novel co-authored with Kate Quinn, released in February 2024.
Her stories often feature a family connection, drawing from a family history with 36 generations of recorded genealogy and stories about life in a small Chinese town in the years before the Second World War, including tales of ancestors who encountered dragons, ghosts, and immortals.
Born in Taiwan, Janie has lived in the Philippines, Iran, Thailand, and New Zealand. She now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada with her husband.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me.
Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with AmbulanceSam alive across several thousand miles. She steps into the world of the superrich, working for Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her new job and New York life.
As she begins to mix in New York high society, Lou meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. Before long, Lou finds herself torn between Fifth Avenue where she works and the treasure-filled vintage clothing store where she actually feels at home. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself: Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you find the courage to follow your heart—wherever that may lead?
Funny, romantic, and poignant, Still Me follows Lou as she discovers who she is and who she was always meant to be—and learns to live boldly in her brave new world.
My Review:
I had to eat some crow in February when I read Someone Else’s Shoes having formed an opinion of the author when she immediately followed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson with her own version of the same story she called The Giver of Stars. (Someone Else’s Shoes is just plain fun and if you missed it, I’d definitely recommend.)
This book, the third in the Me Before You trilogy, is an interesting final installment. I can’t comment regarding the episode I preferred as I neither read Book 1 nor Book 2 and it might have worked better if I had.
This novel finds the MC, Louisa Clark, in New York following Nathan, her line into the home of ridiculously wealthy Leonard Gopnik. She is to be Gopnik’s wife’s assistant. His much younger wife Agnes, an immigrant, is finding it very hard to settle into the role of supportive eye candy on the arm of a rich and powerful man where she is expected to accompany him to an endless schedule of society gimmies. The ladies have tuned her out and not accepted her into their hierarchy.
She does manage to find some locals who are happy to accept her at face value, which is good when she suddenly finds herself out of a job and shelter. Where I groaned just a bit was with the local society-climbing boyfriend thing balancing act with the London-based hot paramedic guy.
While some (most?) may find the conclusion satisfying, I was less than impressed. Didn’t we all see that coming? (Including being busted for something she didn’t do?) Predictable.
What I did enjoy was the description of Manhattan, her first person view of New York, her short but unhappy reunions with Sam both here and abroad. Dialogue (including self-talk) is so believable, relationships so palpable, support characters well developed, and enjoyed the writing style. I sputtered a few times with the caustic old woman, but it certainly added spicy interest to the storyline.
Not a new one, but a favorite author of many and I’m sure fans of Jojo enjoyed this one. Yes, and I’ll continue to look for another by her as well.
I received a digital copy of this book from my local library that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.
Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Mothers & Children Fiction, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Women’s Domestic Life Fiction Publisher: Penguin Books ASIN: B073YTMMQS Print Length: 400 pages Publication Date: January 30, 2018 Source: Local Library
The Author: Jojo Moyes is a novelist and journalist. Her books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me, The Girl You Left Behind, The One Plus One and her short story collection Paris for One and Other Stories. The Giver of Stars is her most recent bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. Her novels have been translated into forty-six languages, have hit the number one spot in twelve countries and have sold over thirty-eight million copies worldwide.
Me Before You has now sold over fourteen million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Jojo lives in Essex with her family.
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The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.
The ending of the tale turns out funny and rewarding yet tragic at the same time.
Best Literature & Fiction
Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2024)
My grandfather was caught in this earthquake. I wish I had gotten more stories from him but I do know he sustained a broken hip in the massive earthquake that wrought so much damage that the fire it started burned for three days.* The storyline counts down to the event in April 1906. On the San Andreas fault, the earthquake was felt as far north as the Oregon border, to the east as far as the Nevada border, and to the south in Las Angeles. Chinatown was burned to the ground as was Nob Hill and most SF landmarks.
Rosepoint Publishing 