Gone Before Goodbye

 

Image off the Internet

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon? As an author? Originally, I thought she was just narrating the book…yes, another audiobook for me. I started it right after finishing Summer Island on a recent road trip. I’d pulled over for gas and decided to download something quickly so I could get back on the road.

Since my short time with Audible has taught me that a good narrator makes all the difference, I chose Gone Before Goodbye entirely because of Reese. I mean, her résumé is longer than the Nile: actress, Academy Award winner (that one deserves its own bullet point), producer, media mogul, book club founder…and now author/narrator. Did you know she has written several children’s books?  This, however, marks her first foray into adult fiction, co-written with bestselling thriller author Harlan Coben. I don’t usually read thrillers, so I wasn’t familiar with him.

The story follows disgraced army surgeon Maggie McCabe, who, after losing her medical license, agrees to a secretive, high-stakes job for a mysterious client. As soon as she boards a private jet bound for Russia, she becomes entangled in a violent conspiracy that exposes shocking secrets about her late husband and their missing friend.

The plot feels… a bit much. Some of the twists are so over-the-top that they border on unbelievable. I don’t mingle with the ultra-wealthy, but the opulence, greed, and almost worshipful reverence for money had me wondering…do people really live like this? I suppose in Russia and Dubai, maybe they do.

The story plunges into a rarefied world where ethics are optional and the desires of the rich outweigh things like, say, morality. While I appreciated the strong female lead and the emotional undercurrents in the storytelling, the overall plot felt far-fetched. There are plenty of twists, and I liked the themes of loss and love against the backdrop of cutting-edge medicine and AI…but for me, it dragged.

Ultimately, I can’t say I’d recommend it. Despite Reese’s excellent narration, the story felt unrealistic and overdone.

I sit here wondering that if I actually had purchased the book…would it have fallen into my DNF pile.

 

Summer Island

 

Summer Island by Kristin Hannah

This was my second audiobook, and it kept me company during a long drive from South Carolina to Florida and back. I’m really starting to enjoy this format; there’s something comforting about having a story unfold through your speakers while the miles roll by.

I’ve read several of Kristin Hannah’s novels, and she’s known for delivering emotionally charged, powerful stories. However, Summer Island felt slower for me. Maybe it was the audio format…or maybe it’s just hard to follow the brilliance of The Nightingale, The Great Alone, The Women, and The Four Winds. Those are tough acts to follow. I hadn’t realized Hannah had such a deep catalog of earlier works until I stumbled across this one. Honestly, I chose it on a whim…10 hours of listening time felt like a good travel companion.

In a nutshell, Summer Island is about a family coming to terms with painful secrets, forgiveness, and the rebuilding of relationships. The story centers on Ruby Bridge, a struggling stand-up comedian whose estranged mother, Nora, a famous self-help guru, becomes the subject of a public scandal. Ruby has long felt abandoned by her mother, but when Nora falls seriously ill, Ruby returns to her childhood home on Summer Island, off the coast of Washington. There, amid the rugged beauty of Puget Sound, Ruby is forced to confront her past, reconnect with her first love, and ultimately, face herself.

For me, the story felt somewhat predictable…dare I say, almost like a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. Not in a light, romcom way, but in that familiar, emotional arc you can see coming. There are genuine moments of heartache and reflection, but the resolution seemed too tidy. How does a lifetime of pain and resentment resolve itself in a single week on an island? I suppose that’s part of the fiction…the hope that reconciliation and healing can happen swiftly when the heart is finally ready.

That said, Hannah’s sense of place pulled me in. The descriptions of the Pacific Northwest made me want to visit Puget Sound, Seattle, the mist over the water, sunsets from the dock. Even if the emotional journey felt familiar, the setting itself offered a kind of escapism that made the miles pass easily.

One line that lingered with me was this:

“I’d always believed that the truth of a person was easily spotted, a line drawn in dark ink on white paper. Now, I wonder. Maybe the truth of who we are lies hidden in all those shadows of gray that everyone talks about.”

This quote captures one of the deeper themes of Summer Island: the complexity of truth and the fluidity of human nature. We like to think of people…especially family…as either good or bad, right or wrong. But life rarely fits into those neat lines. The “shadows of gray” are where empathy, forgiveness, and understanding live. Ruby’s journey isn’t just about forgiving her mother; it’s about realizing that truth, and love…often exist in contradiction. We can be both hurt and healing, both angry and compassionate.

Ultimately, Summer Island left me thinking about the power of forgiveness…not just forgiving others but also forgiving oneself. Healing is rarely linear. It’s a process of acknowledging the past, then choosing to release its grip. Sometimes, that choice is the hardest part of all.

 

Everyone Is Lying to You

Everyone Is Lying to You

by Jo Piazza

Do you typically read or listen to books?

Earlier this week, I reached out to my friend Michelle...she's always raving about how easy it is to listen to books whenever she has a spare moment. She gave me a full rundown, and I ended up going with Amazon Audible. If you already have Prime, you get three months free, then it’s $14/month after that.

Honestly, I spend a lot of money on books through Amazon. It’s a guilty pleasure. Please don’t come for me with messages about the library...I love the library. I grew up going to them, spent hours getting lost in the aisles. But I’ve never liked the pressure of finishing a book within a set time. I also like to keep certain books.

One of my love languages is sharing books: passing them on to one of my sisters with a mini review written inside. They read it, then pass it on again. Maybe it’s silly, but I enjoy it.

Trying out audiobooks isn’t meant to replace reading for me. I just needed another option. Lately, my reading pace has slowed down, and I’m hoping this will help me keep "reading" and writing...even if I’m not technically reading. You know what I mean?

This month, our book club pick was Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza. I’m still on the fence...not just about the book, but the format too. Listening took some getting used to. My first takeaway? The narrator really matters. I wasn’t a fan of the voice actor who read Lizzie. The way she did her husband’s voice? Honestly, cringey. But I kept going.

The story itself dives into friendship, betrayal, ambition, and what I’d call the darker side of social media. In a nutshell: two estranged college friends reconnect after years of silence. Their reunion is tangled in scandal, murder, and long-buried secrets.

Social media is fascinating, isn’t it? We really don’t know what’s real and what’s performance. How far will people go to protect their image...or their freedom? Pretty far, it turns out.

Would you say you're social media-savvy? Regardless, it’s hard to escape influencer culture. The flawless women with perfect skin, toned bodies, endless outfits, immaculate homes and somehow, always living in marble mansions by the beach.

But beneath the curated perfection, there’s often chaos: crumbling marriages, hidden abuse, secrets waiting to implode everything. In the book, they talk about how it’s all a façade. The “perfect” homes? Just sets. Behind closed doors, there’s clutter, mess, real life. Some influencers even rent homes or rooms to film enough content for an entire month. Honestly, that never occurred to me. Wild, right? Want a marble bathroom for your GRWM videos? Rent it. Life is weird.

Putting the story aside, I definitely struggled with the audiobook format. I found myself zoning out or needing to rewind to catch things I would’ve picked up more naturally if I’d been reading.

That said, I’m going to stick with it...partly to cover more ground, partly to see if I can train my brain to stay engaged. I love the act of reading. Holding a book, turning pages, stealing quiet moments. Just me and the words. It’s one of my happiest places.

Overall, Everyone Is Lying to You is a murder mystery that feels eerily like real life. And while I’m still adjusting to the listening experience, I’m off to see what audiobook I’ll try next.

The Runarounds – TV Series Review

 

(I took this image from the internet)

The Runarounds – TV Series Review

I had some company this past week, which really brightened up an otherwise mundane stretch. I spent the weekend resetting my space, getting some exercise in, and cozying up while it rained outside.

Vanessa had recommended The Runarounds…although not highly. It’s a coming-of-age series that follows a group of young musicians graduating high school, trying to make their mark while navigating identity, real-life pressures, and the pursuit of musical fame.

Turns out the show is based in North Carolina and follows a real-life band that formed in 2021. They even made an appearance in Outer Banks (which I loved), so I figured…why not give it a shot?

I’ve also barely had time to pick up a book, so this is what I have to work with for a review.

Honestly, it started slowly. And as I kept watching, there were some moments that just didn’t land. The Wizard of Oz scene…where did that come from? Most of the weirdness came from the parents of the band members. Their characters never fully developed and ended up adding chaos more than context. Wyatt’s mentally unwell mother and Charlie’s unemployed dad, who lets their house slide into foreclosure, made the adults feel just as lost and helpless as the teens.

I will say…each band member comes from a different background, and the way their stories weave together feels authentic. They seem like real people just trying to figure things out.

At the heart of it all is a deep and genuine brotherhood. The friendships portrayed aren’t shallow…they’re tested and proven through real struggles. One of the most moving moments is when Bez, the drummer, returns home after being offered a major solo opportunity, only to find his mom has suffered an episode. What stands out is how his friends, his chosen family, rally around him. They support him emotionally, help care for his mom, and show up in a way that goes far beyond being just "bandmates."

That becomes the turning point: Bez realizes that fame isn’t worth it if it means walking away from the people who’ve always had his back.

That loyalty, that connection, is the emotional core of the show. It’s not just about making music. It’s about who you become along the way, and who you choose to keep close.

You know what I loved? Charlie’s determination. His hope. His passion. He knew what he wanted, and he went for it.

When was the last time you were that inspired or driven?

When was the last time you let a dream go to waste?

Go after something. For real. Decide there’s something you want and try. Get up and do the work. Exhaust yourself with effort. Because right now, so much of life feels like wash, rinse, repeat.

Keep me posted.

 

The Unhoneymooners

 

The Unhoneymooners 

by Christina Lauren

I honestly can’t remember how The Unhoneymooners ended up in my hands. Did a friend lend it to me? Did I snag it from the overflowing shelves at Goodwill? Or maybe I bought it after seeing one of the many book-lover accounts I follow rave about it. However it happened, it turned out to be one of those light, cheesy rom-com reads…perfect for an evening when your brain needs a break and your heart could use a little lift.

As I got deeper into the story, I found myself relating to Olive’s identity as the “unlucky” twin. She’s the one who always seems to draw the short straw in love, while her sister Ami floats through life getting picked first, finding cash in vending machines, and landing the perfect guy. In my case, that sister is Vanessa. And while she’s out there catching every lucky break, I’m left juggling job drama, empty pockets, and a love life that feels like a cosmic joke.

I’ve watched her fall into relationships that seem effortless…sparks fly, everything clicks. Meanwhile, I’ve been ghosted, blindsided, and stuck in the friend zone more times than I care to admit. Like Olive, I’ve wondered if the universe is playing favorites.

Quick recap: Olive’s sister Ami is having her dream wedding and a free honeymoon. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from bad seafood, Olive and Ethan, the groom’s brother and Olive’s sworn nemesis, are the only ones left standing. The honeymoon is non-refundable and non-transferable, so they agree to go. The catch? They have to pretend to be newlyweds.

Cue the chaos.

From awkward shared hotel rooms to surprise run-ins with bosses and exes, Olive and Ethan are forced to play the part of a loving couple. And somewhere between fake kisses and real arguments, the walls start to come down.

What struck me most about Olive wasn’t just her sarcasm or skepticism…it was how those traits served as armor. I’ve worn that same shield. I’ve brushed off romantic hope, avoided dating altogether, because disappointment feels too raw, too vulnerable.

What I loved about her story is that her luck doesn’t change because she morphs into someone else. It shifts because she starts trusting herself. She speaks up. She takes risks. And she finally lets someone see the real her…not the unlucky twin, but the fiercely loyal, smart, and deeply lovable woman underneath.

I’ve got my own work to do, no doubt. But this book reminded me that being unlucky in love doesn’t mean you’re unworthy of it. Sometimes, it just means your story hasn’t hit its plot twist… yet.

Happy Place

 

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Happy Place is more than a romcom…it’s a quiet reckoning with the inevitability of change. It delivers a powerful meditation on the evolution of friendship, identity, and the bittersweet reality of growing apart.

Told in a dual timeline, the central romance between Harriet and Wyn provides the emotional heartbeat of the story. They were the perfect couple…until they weren’t. But it’s the unraveling of their once-inseparable friend group that creates the novel’s deeper, more resonant undertone.

Set against the backdrop of a beloved Maine cottage, their annual retreat, the story unfolds under the shadow of its impending sale. The loss of the cottage is symbolic. Its fading presence mirrors the slow erosion of the group’s bond, a quiet acknowledgment that even the most sacred traditions can’t withstand the pull of time.

Why do the books I gravitate toward lately keep circling this theme…a painful reminder of the ever-shifting landscape of friendship? The way life shakes out sometimes makes me wonder why growing up...sometimes means growing apart. Who shows up? Who fades into the distance...not forgotten but definitely changed.

Relationships that once felt effortless now require intention. Diverging paths, career pivots, romantic entanglements, personal growth…all leading to the realization that love, even the platonic kind, doesn’t always mean permanence.

“Things change, but we stretch and grow and make room for one another. Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was.”

That line feels comforting and safe. It captures the emotional journey of the book: the idea that even as people evolve and drift, the bonds formed in deep friendship can remain a kind of emotional home…unchanged, waiting, and full of memory.  That feeling of not seeing someone for years and then calling or getting together and it is as if...not a moment has been lost.  

Ultimately, Happy Place is about the courage to let go. What happens when the people who once defined your world no longer fit into it? There are no easy answers. But friendships are meant to shape us, and sometimes it’s heartbreaking to watch them change. You just hope that in the spaces they leave behind, new versions of joy will take root.

This book doesn’t offer tidy resolutions…but it offers real ones. It’s a love letter to the people who shape us, and a gentle farewell to the versions of ourselves we outgrow.

 

The Devil Wears Prada

 

The Devil Wears Prada

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely adore this movie. I’ve watched it more times than I can count, and I’m not even remotely tired of it. It’s become a go-to comfort film for me and my sisters. Every so often, we plan a virtual movie night from afar: same dinner, same movie, same cozy vibes. And, more often than not, we land on The Devil Wears Prada.

One of my favorite parts is right at the beginning…those quick-cut scenes of models getting dressed, slipping into heels, and stepping out of their impossibly chic NYC apartments. It’s like a mini fashion show set to the rhythm of the city. Then there’s Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, munching on a bagel as she heads to her interview at Runway magazine, dressed in her drab, Midwestern best. That contrast between her and the polished fashionistas is so stark, it’s almost comical that she lands the job.

Speaking of bagels…can we talk about salt bagels for a second? I’ve been on the hunt for one and I kid you not, they’re nowhere to be found. It’s like they’ve vanished from the face of the Earth. I’m seriously considering a quick weekend trip to New York just to satisfy this oddly persistent craving. If Andy can land a job at the most elite fashion magazine in the city, surely, I can find a decent salt bagel.

But here’s the thing: The Devil Wears Prada isn’t just about fashion or the fantasy of living in New York. Beneath the designer labels and glossy magazine spreads, it’s a surprisingly poignant story about ambition, identity, and the cost of success. Andy’s transformation, from outsider to insider, from idealist to realist…is both thrilling and sobering. It asks the question: how far are you willing to go to get ahead, and what are you willing to leave behind?

My all-time favorite actress, Meryl Streep, delivers a masterclass in subtle power as Miranda Priestly. She doesn’t need to raise her voice to command a room…her mere presence is enough. For example, every morning she glides into the office, wordlessly tosses her coat and handbag onto her assistant’s desk, and begins issuing rapid-fire demands, including the impossible: “Get me the unpublished manuscript of the new Harry Potter book.” Why? Because her twin daughters want to read it. That moment perfectly encapsulates Miranda’s influence…she doesn’t ask for the world, she expects it.

It's stylish, smart, and endlessly rewatchable.  The Devil Wears Prada delivers. 

It’s a movie that never goes out of style.