My Favorite Books of 2021
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One of my previous posts included a list of all of the books I read throughout 2021 with a few words to describe each and a rating. I had quite a few four and five star reviews, but looking back some definitely stood out more than others. I wanted to describe my favorite books of 2021 in more detail, so here we go. Happy reading! xo
12 Favorite Books of 2021
The Hunting Party
When I came across The Hunting Party, I was intrigued. The description mentioned other authors that I’ve enjoyed, such as Ruth Ware, so I had to give Lucy Foley’s novel from 2019 a go. A group of college friends travel to the Scottish Highlands for New Year’s Eve, an annual tradition for the past decade, where the remoteness is exciting until they are snowed in by a blizzard. After a few days of drinking and drugs, secrets and pasts come to light. Then, one of the guests are found dead. Suddenly, it becomes a question of how well you know your friends. Rating: 4/5 stars
Buy now from Amazon
The Silent Wife
This novel by Karin Slaughter is part of a series following GBI Investigator Will Trent. Fortunately for me, since I didn’t realize that at first, there isn’t too much you’re missing out of if you haven’t read the first nine books of the series. I’m speculating that there’s some background between characters, but not enough so you feel lost. An inmate tells Trent that he’s innocent and the cop, who has since died, framed him. Then another woman is murdered and Trent must figure out if the inmate is correct and if so, there’s a serial killer loose. To make matters more interesting, Trent is now dating the cop’s widow and she’s the Medical Examiner on the case. What does she know about her dead husband’s old cases? Rating: 5/5
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The Guest List
I read The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, shortly before picking up The Guest List. What could go wrong when you have a wedding on a remote island during a storm, so no one can leave? I love stories with various main characters where their drama comes out to play. Rating: 5/5
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Finlay Donovan is Killing It
This novel by Elle Cosimano is one that I went into not knowing much. Finlay Donovan is a newly single mother of two small children whose ex-husband ran off with their real estate agent. He wants sole custody of the kids, so tensions are high. Finlay is a writer dealing with writers block. She meets with her agent one day and makes up a story since she doesn’t have anytime prepared. A woman at a neighboring table hears the story and leaves a note for Finlay offering a large sum of money if she kills the woman’s husband. Now what is Finlay supposed to do? She needs the money but she’s just a writer. A first attempt at meeting the husband quickly turns awkward, so Finlay and her nanny team up to cover their tracks. A lighthearted mystery has you rooting for Finlay from the start. Rating: 5/5
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid has a devoted following and after reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I can see why. Her book descriptions seem so real. Evelyn Hugo could be a real person for all I know. Hugo hires Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter, to write her memoir. She’s lived within Hollywood for her entire adult life, and has had seven husbands throughout her career. After a lifetime of speculation, she’s ready to tell her side of the story. Rating: 5/5
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It Ends with Us
Somehow I came across Colleen Hoover’s novel It Ends with Us, which was published in 2016. Hoover seems to be very popular right now, and after reading this book I can see why. Most of her books are considered Contemporary Romance, and there’s all of the love and heartbreak and emotions that come with those feelings. Lily meets Ryle and falls hard. But, he has a rule against dating. They obviously like each other, but she has to get around his personal rule. When things are looking up, Atlas, Lily’s first love comes around and things get messy. Rating: 5/5
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Mexican Gothic
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novel Mexican Gothic was a little outside my normal selection of books, but I’m very glad I gave it a chance. Noemi receives a letter from her cousin begging her to come save her from her new husband’s house in the Mexican countryside. When she arrives, the people at the house are not welcoming and the house itself is almost telling her to leave. The house and the family have secrets. The longer she stays to help her cousin, the more she fears she won’t be leaving. Rating: 5/5
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Malibu Rising
After reading Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I had to read her newest novel Malibu Rising. Four adult siblings were raised by their mother. Their father was famous singer and absent from their lives. Every year, they children throw a party in Malibu and every year it gets more and more infamous. Each sibling has their own drama, and with a little alcohol things tend to be said that can’t be taken back. The book alternates between present day and their childhood. This story will make you laugh and cry and ultimately touch your heart. Rating: 5/5
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The Last Thing He Told Me
This is the first novel by Laura Dave that I’ve read. The Last Thing He Told Me follows Hannah as she navigates the fact that her husband has gone missing and she needs to care for his teenage daughter, Bailey. Owen, her husband, left a note for Hannah saying “Protect Her.” The two have never really gotten along but now they’re stuck together. While the two of them search for Owen, they question their own safety and how well they really knew him. Rating: 5/5
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Not a Happy Family
The description of Shari Lapena’s newest novel Not a Happy Family reminded me of a mashup between the show Succession and the movie Knives Out, which was enough to intrigue me. The Merton’s three adult children attend the family’s annual Easter dinner, where tensions are high. A few days later, their parents are found brutally murdered and it is revealed that they were murdered on Easter. Suddenly, the siblings, each with their own secrets, can’t trust each other. They’re all about to inherit a large sum of money, so is there any of them that would’ve liked to see that happen sooner rather than later? Rating: 5/5
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Survive the Night
Riley Sager is an author whose books I will read, no matter the description. His new book from last summer was no exception. Charlie is determined to leave campus after her roommate is murdered by who appears to be a serial killer. After checking the ride share board, it’s set in the 1990’s, Josh offers her a ride home. Leaving late at night to drive across the country, things seem fine until Charlie gets an uneasy feeling about who Josh is. But she’s stuck. Rating: 5/5
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Golden Girl
After reading the Paradise series and 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand, I was thrilled to read her newest book: Golden Girl. This one is a little different than her other ones in regards to a love story with a beach setting. Golden Girl takes place on Nantucket, one of Hilderbrand’s common settings, but the storyline is different. Vivian is killed in a hit-and-run accident while on a run. She finds herself in “the Beyond” where she’s given the chance to watch her children throughout the summer and has three “nudges” to help them how she sees fit. Her three adult children each have their own drama and need some help coping with the loss of their mother. This one is heartfelt and I recommend it along with many of Hilderbrand’s other novels. Rating: 5/5
Buy now from Amazon
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