Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything by Kristin Bair

 

I picked this up at Barnes & Noble last month based on the cover and title. Then I read the blurb on the back and decided it sounded like a fun book. It was entertaining, but also did have some touching moments that I didn't expect from Agatha.

Agatha lives in New England in a lovely home with her husband and two boys. She's an author and oh, she is one sassy Facebook Mom Page commenter. She's not short on snark!

Agatha's happy life comes to an abrupt end when she finds her husband and the local dog walker going at it in their garden shed. She takes a hatchet and proceeds to destroy the shed, leaving the mess in her yard, which quickly makes the rounds of the Facebook Mom page. Before the hour is out, streams of cars are driving past her house to check out the carnage. Agatha, meanwhile, is lying on her front porch, devastated and the victim of a skunk spray. 

Agatha's husband moves in with the dog walker, and her boys spend half their time at her house. Agatha's promised thriller manuscript is not even started, as she can't bring herself to climb the stairs to her office. Bear Gyrlls is her hero, and she carries a bobblehead of him around to give her courage. She decides the best thing to do is to spy on her husband and his girlfriend, so she outfits herself with spy pants, spy gear, and a plan. 

Agatha is a mess. 

Agatha is also endearing, funny, and hurting pretty badly. As she battles with her neighbor over the increasingly overgrown and messy pile of shed garbage in her yard (it's ruining the neighborhood!), battles with other moms on Facebook, and visits her shrink, she is trying really hard to cope with her sudden life change. 

I liked Agatha and the cast of characters. Agatha was funny, annoying, and at times did things I probably would do, too. You'll find yourself hoping Agatha will be able to move forward with her life and find joy again--and be brave. 

This reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (which I loved!). Contemporary fiction fans will enjoy this novel. 

Rating: 4/6 for an endearing main character going through some pretty big life changes. Join Agatha on her journey to peace and finding joy again. A cast of characters that flesh out the community Agatha lives in, along with her loving relationship with her two sons all add up to a satisfying read. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

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Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything by Kristin Bair

Always by Sarah Jio

I faithfully read every new Sarah Jio novel and I haven't been disappointed.  Until now, darn it.  I don't like to give unfavorable reviews, but this one just didn't do it for me at all. 

Sarah returns to Seattle, which is the setting for most of her novels.  This time, the story bounces between 1996-1998 and 2008, as Kailey Crain is caught between her past and her future.  As a new resident of Seattle in 1996, Kailey meets Cade McAllister one night.  He's a successful music label owner who has a sixth sense about new artists, and Seattle in the 1990's was full of grunge rockers (Nirvana anyone?) trying to break out.  Kailey's love for Cade is shattered in 1998 when things go bad, and Cade leaves Kailey's life.  Heartbroken, she moves away, only to come back to Seattle years later, and fall in love with Ryan, a successful businessman.  They're engaged, and ready to begin life together.  But one night, leaving a restaurant, Kailey spots a homeless man standing outside the restaurant.  It's Cade.  He doesn't recognize Kailey, but she recognizes him, and, well, you know where this is going. 

What follows is Kailey's growing involvement in finding Cade, getting him help, and understanding what happened to leave him homeless, broken, and apparently without any memories of his previous life.  Kailey's job as a reporter covering a potential business deal that could detrimentally effect the homeless of Seattle keeps her in moving in Cade's world of homeless people who wander the streets and take up valuable real estate (according to Ryan's business connections).  What's she going to do?  And how long can she keep this secret from Ryan?  And why would she keep Cade a secret?  

This story just didn't live up to Sarah's previous novels.  It was maudlin, and this comes from someone who can take a lot of saccharine.  Kailey's life just seemed absolutely fantastical, and the tossing around of famous music names and songs just got old.  I have no desire to revisit the 1990's music scene in Seattle.  None of it felt very authentic to me.  At the end, I felt that there was never going to be a complete contentment from Kailey with the choices she made--and they were big choices.  

Drats.  I was disappointed in this one.  If you're a fan, by all means don't let this review stop you from reading Sarah.  I'll keep reading her; I just think this one missed the mark.  It felt like a very cheesy movie.

Rating:  1/6 for a story that just was too hard to believe, a heroine who didn't feel authentic to me, and ugh-an ode to 90's grunge music. 

Available in hardcover, audio, and e-book. 

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Always by Sarah Jio