REVIEW - We Might Just Make It After All (audiobook)

 We Might Just Make It After All by Elyce Arons (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is a memoir of the personal and professional relationship between Elyce and Kate. They met as undergrads at the University of Kansas in 1981, and their friendship took off from there!

Most of the memoir covers their friendship before Kate Spade New York was sold to Liz Claiborne in 2006. This is a love letter from Elyce to Kate about their friendship. They had a very normal best-friendship, which included the normal difficulties of any relationship. 

If you are looking for a tell-all with details about Kate Spade's death by suicide, this is not the book for you. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

 

Writing: 4.5 stars

The writing was strong with real and raw anecdotes that are true of any long-term friendship. Elyce was the only person who could have written this book about her best friend. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

Elyce does a great job with the narration. I love it when the author narrates the audiobook. Especially as it is her and Kate's lives before, during, and after the loss of her best friend. Elyce was never the "face" of any of the companies with Kate, but she rocks it! 

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main characters are Elyce (the author and BFF) and Kate (the eponymous designer and BFF).    

The secondary characters are the other partners (both professional and personal), parents, friends, and family. 

The tertiary character is Kate Spade New York - the company. 

There is a huge cast of characters (especially New York fashion folks), which makes it hard to follow who is who, as I am from Los Angeles. 

The character development was good, but most especially for the two main characters. We are let into their entire friendship and backstories. 

Memorable:  4.0 stars

Kate and Elyce, along with their partners, create an international and multi-million-dollar empire out of basically nothing. Of course, they make mistakes along the way, but what entrepreneurial spirit during the wild 1990s!!

 

Entertaining/Educational:  4.0 stars

I had always thought that I had bought Kate Spade during the heyday, but I was wrong! I didn't realize that Kate, Elyce, and their partners sold their final stake in Kate Spade New York in 2006.

Book cover: 4.0 stars

There had to be a better picture! 

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfection on ALL levels! (Read the book to find out WHY!)

Strong recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

9 hours, 25 minutes 

Simon & Schuster Audio 

Release date: 6/17/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Elyce Arons

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Simon & Schuster Audio

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Moderate cursing, sexism, misogyny, suicide, pregnancy

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is ...

 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - A Resistance of Witches (eARC/ebook)

 A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan (eARC/ebook)

OVERVIEW

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Oh, my goodness! This is Morgan's debut novel, and I can guarantee that this will not be her last novel. 

This is a book about World War II (I know, dear readers) and British witches who are fighting against Hitler and the Nazis. How could I ever resist such an incredible premise?

The topic of witches has always fascinated me from the Harry Potter series to the Practical Magic series to the A Discovery of Witches series, plus throw in Stevie Nicks's music, and you get my vibe! 

This novel was freaking amazing!! I inhaled it and I loved it!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

I honestly cannot believe that Morgan is a first-time writer! She writes so descriptively, elegantly, and beautifully as if she has lived in this book's world. So incredibly talented!

I loved the main character of Lydia, her friends, and her coven. Please make this a series, Morgan!

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are: Lydia (a British witch), Rebecca (a French resistance fighter), and Henry (an American art historian). What a triumvirate of incredible and diverse characters!

The secondary characters are: Evelyn (Lydia's mother), the British coven, and French resistance fighters. 

The tertiary characters the bad guys: bad witches, Nazis/Gestapo, Hitler, and everyone working against the Allied forces.  

The character development was strong, which I so enjoy! Most especially due to the addition of witchcraft (read the book to find out more)!

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline is about a British witch coven fighting against the Nazis while searching for the Grimorium Bellum (an evil grimoire or book of magic) before the Nazis discover it. The timeline covers from November 1940 to Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945).  

World War II was not the main focus of the book (I was so glad), but rather the politics of the witch coven and its impact on the war. 

The locations were primarily London, England; Dordogne, France; and Bavaria, Germany.   

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

This novel was a creative way to think about "what if" about World War II. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Beautiful!    

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Excellent!  

 

Highly recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan

415 pages 

Viking

FUTURE release date: 7/15/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Morgan Ryan

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Viking

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Anti-semitism; violence; death of a parent; murder; grief, mild cursing; war; gun/knife violence; medical content; witchcraft. 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eARC/ebook is ...

 A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan (eARC/ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 We Might Just Make It After All by Elyce Arons (audiobook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Names (ebook)

 

The Names by Florence Knapp (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is Florence Knapp's debut novel. OMG! This novel delivers on its premise in a big, beautiful way. This novel features three timelines, all of which follow the same main characters. But one character has a different name in each timeline. 

This novel reaches out and grabs you by the throat at the cellular level. How does our name impact who we are and who we become? Would our lives have been different if our names had been different? This novel lays it all out for one character and how it impacts others!

As someone with an unusual first name, Dorothea, it makes me wonder what people think of me just knowing my name. Really heady and deep things to ponder!

I. LOVED. THIS. NOVEL!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

This author has artistic and beautiful writing. It was descriptive, powerful, and so realistic.

I truly hope this author writes more books, as she is unbelievably talented! 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are Cora (wife to Gordon Sr and mother to Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr); Gordon Sr (Cora's husband and father to Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr); Maia (the older sister); and Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr (the younger brother).  

The secondary characters are Síbhe (Cora's mother and the kids' grandmother); Cian (Síbhe's friend); Mehri (Cora's friend); and Fern (Mehri's daughter). 

The tertiary characters are all the various people, including friends, lovers, and others, with whom the main characters are involved in that specific storyline (there is some overlap at times).    

The character development was strong. Each timeline reflected the differences in the characters and lives that Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr would have had with a different name and circumstances. Beyond well done and fascinating! 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline is focused on Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr in three distinct timelines in 1987, 1994, 2001, 2008, 2015, and 2022. 

The main and secondary characters are represented in each of the three timelines. But the tertiary characters may or may not be in the different timelines. Each timeline tells a different story about how Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr's life unfolds in each timeline. It may seem confusing, but it is creative and unique! 

The locations were primarily cities in England and Ireland, and Paris.  

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

What's in a name? This novel answers that for Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr.

It doesn't, however, answer how YOUR name impacted your life and what would have happened had you been named differently. Strong food for thought! 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous!    

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect!  

 

Highly recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

The Names by Florence Knapp

336 pages 

Pamela Dorman Books

Release date: 5/6/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Florence Knapp

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Pamela Dorman Books

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Domestic violence; death of a parent; violence; murder; grief, mild cursing; pandemic; gun violence; medical content

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next read is ...

 The Names by Florence Knapp (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next book and REVIEW - 25 Alive (ebook)

 25 Alive (Women's Murder Club series) by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (ebook)

OVERVIEW

I totally forgot to post. I started and finished this book today, with about ten pages last night. That may sound like a lot of reading, but the book had a LOT of white space!

This is the 25th+ book in the very, very, very long (too long) Women's Murder Club series. Of course, it ended on a cliffhanger AGAIN!

Normally, I would say read the previous novels in the Women's Murder Club series to get the full backstory and understand the characters. Don't do it - this series is not worth that much time!

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars.

 

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing is like assembly-line writing to me. I wonder how much involvement James Patterson has with this series anymore, since he has had an "assistant" writer since the first book in this series. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

The main characters are Lindsay (SFPD detective), Yuki (assistant district attorney), Claire (chief medical examiner), and Cindy (newspaper reporter). These four women have been personal and professional friends for a very long time.

The secondary characters are the personal partners, work partners, and assorted friends and family.  

The tertiary character is Martha, Lindsay's dog. 

There has not been any real or interesting character development with any of the main or secondary characters for a long time. The only real changes are the different "guest" characters, and this time, there were two separate groups.

Storyline:  3.0 stars

There were some horrible and shocking murders, but nothing really happened to the main characters. Plus, a cliffhanger - shocker! There was no setup to end the series, so there are obviously more bland novels to come. 

The main locations were primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Memorable/Informative:   2.5 stars

This series is getting tired. Please, James Patterson, bring it to a conclusion so I know how all of the characters end up. I have invested too much time. 

Book cover: 3.0 stars

I have no idea what the book cover has to do with the story.     

 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

The rhyme of the two words, twenty-five and alive, is possibly where the book title comes from. There is no connection to the story at all.   

 

Lukewarm Recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

25 Alive (Women's Murder Club series) by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

330 pages 

Little, Brown and Company

Release date: 4/28/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

James Patterson

Maxine Paetro

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Little, Brown and Company

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Death, grief, child death, death of a parent, violence, gun violence, murder, cursing, bombing, medical content, blood, gore

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Poppy Fields (ebook)

 The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is Nikki Erlick's second novel. Her first novel, The Measure, was a huge success. 

However, this book is not The Measure and covers a completely different topic - grief. It is speculative fiction, which may or may not appeal to the readers of her first novel.  

I liked this book, but I didn't love it!

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars.

 

Writing: 3.5 stars

The writing was the weakest part of this book for me. This is not "The Great American novel", but it was a nice escape from the heavy books that I have recently been reading. 

Character development: 3.5 stars

The main characters are Ava (an artist traveling to connect with her estranged sister), Ray (a firefighter trying to find answers to a recent death), and Sasha (an occupational therapist recovering from her fiancée's death).  

The secondary characters are Emmy (Ava's sister) and Sky (a young traveling free-spirit). 

The tertiary characters are the mysterious "Poppy Fields", the clients, and the employees/scientists.    

There were the appropriate number of characters, but they weren't developed as I prefer. The character development could have been stronger. 

Storyline:  3.5 stars

The storyline is about the "Poppy Fields," where people with grief trauma can gain relief from the pain with a drug. 

Ava, Ray, and Sasha meet after a tornado at the Kansas City airport. They rent a car to travel to the "Poppy Fields," which is their final destination. Along the way, they meet Sky, who joins them on the journey. They eventually arrive at the "Poppy Fields," and all is revealed (no more details as this is a non-spoiler blog).

The locations were primarily Kansas City, Missouri, and the route to the Southern California desert. 

Memorable/Informative:   3.0 stars

The question is whether it is better to heal from grief naturally or try to take a shortcut. It really doesn't get fully answered for me. 

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Pretty, but it wasn't what the storyline was about.    

 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

It isn't about the "Poppy Fields," but rather about the main character's journey to them.  

 

Recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

316 pages 

William Morrow

Release date: 6/17/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Nikki Erlick

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

William Morrow

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Death, grief, child death, death of a parent, cursing

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Eternal Flame (audiobook)

 Eternal Flame by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is an authorized biography of THE BANGLES by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike. Unfortunately, Micki (bassist) did not participate in the development with the author (which I didn't realize until I read a few reviews, bummer).

This memoir was a muddled, repetitive, and monotonous mess. As an audiobook, it didn't work at all, and it may be better as a physical or digital book. But, I wouldn't count on it. 

Full disclosure, I saw THE BANGLES at the now-defunct Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre as the opener for THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS in 1984. This was after their first corporate record came out. Remember, Nancy? 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

 

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was stilted, repetitive, and uninteresting. Even the few juicy tidbits didn't make up for the bad writing!

This was not the right person to write this book. So many qualified writers could have done a better job. 

Narration: 3.0 stars

The narration was by the author and was horrible. She tried to add sighs, groans, and the appropriate responses, which sounded silly. It was not her story to narrate.

Character development: 3.5 stars

The main characters are the band members, both current and former.   

The secondary characters are the parents, record label, producers, and managers. 

The tertiary characters are the fans - the good, bad, and the ugly. 

There is a huge cast of characters, and so many names that it was hard to remember who was who. 

Memorable:  4.0 stars

What was most interesting to me was that "The Girls" (as the band refers to themselves per the memoir) played their own instruments well, wrote many of their songs, harmonized well, and were from Los Angeles.  

The ganging up on one another, whining, and not speaking up to resolve issues was sad. They broke up before their legacy could be fully established. 

 

Entertaining/Educational:  4.0 stars

This book made me reminisce about the 1980s, as I was close in age to them. Many of the locations, clubs, and local places mentioned are very familiar to me as a native Angeleno. Also, I had similar hair, totally!

But if you are looking for gossip, this isn't the book for you. Other than the "Prince connection" and the band's infighting, THE BANGLES were solid. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Okay. 

 

Book title: 4.0 stars 

Weird, as The Girls didn't like this song!

Recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

11 hours, 58 minutes 

Da Capo Press 

Release date: 2/18/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Da Capo Publishing

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Cursing, family dysfunction, sexism, misogyny, bullying

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is ...

 The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜