Now Then

"Love is freedom...And love is finding home. Again." ~89%

Now Then is a debut novel by NBC News Anchor Morgan Radford. It follows two timelines. Now—1991 Cambridge, MA. Lily is an 18-year-old freshman at Harvard University on a path to self-discovery. She feels out of place having come from humble beginnings with a Cuban immigrant mother and Black American father. Through a budding romance with Vikram and a friendship with her roommate Hana, she navigates college life and adult years.

Then—1957 Havana, Cuba. Marisol is a young woman with dreams of becoming a journalist. One tragic night forces her to flee the Cuban Revolution, leaving her homeland behind with plenty scars. She never revealed what happened until she started writing letters to her daughter, Lily. The written words deliver secrets and help both women discover their identities.  

This novel is clearly written by a journalist at heart. The tone is heavy on factual events, history and social justice. Romance is thrown in to give it a fictional feel. The theme that stands out is the mother-daughter relationship. It is very heartfelt.

A letter written by the mother to her daughter set the mood for the novel. I settled in with an iced tumbler of fresh strawberry lemonade and cold Thin Mints straight from the freezer. Over the course of three days, I read a tale of two very different women that seamlessly weaved together. Until the confusing end. It was a lot of events packed into almost 400 pages and still the author felt the need to wrap it up so tightly that the time jump made no sense. Almost as if the author suddenly remembered the romance trope. It was jarring to the point I thought my ARC was missing a chapter, or at the very least, missing a few pages. But nope, I compared to the official copy and the ending stayed as is. 

Nevertheless, I believe Now Then will appeal to most readers. The mix of journalistic Cuban history and fiction will keep readers engaged.

Happy Pub Day to Morgan Radford! Now Then is officially on shelves.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Now Then
Author: Morgan Radford
Published: May 2026
Pages: 349
Edition: Galley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

Good Joy, Bad Joy

"Who says your greatest love has to be a romantic one?" ~ 96%

As Joy nears 90 years old, she cannot help but realize the people she has outlived: her husband, family and friends. The only one left standing is her best friend Hazel. That changes when Hazel reveals she only has a few months to live. But she's at peace with the diagnosis knowing she has lived an adventurous, exciting life. It gets Joy to thinking. So many years following the rules, being the good girl and nothing to show for it. And so begins her foray into breaking the rules.

Good Joy, Bad Joy had good lessons about living life to the fullest, appreciating friendships and self-discovery. But in getting to the lessons, it didn't quite deliver a liking to the character. I could not connect with Joy; not because of her mature age but because of her actions. Maybe it's me but an 89-year-old driving way over the speed limit for fun is irresponsible. So is committing a petty crime. You wait until damn near 90 years old to act like an unsupervised teenager? And was it purposeful irony that her name is Joy? Seemed like it based on her little joy, vast regrets. I would have rather read about Joy and Hazel reliving memories of their friendship dating back to eight years old. 

Considering the average rating is 4.3, I am in the minority so don't let my review deter you. What is an okay read for me, may be a good read for you.

Happy Pub Day to Mikki Brammer! Good Joy, Bad Joy is officially on shelves.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Good Joy, Bad Joy
Author: Mikki Brammer
Published: May 2026
Pages: 294
Edition: Galley
Genre: Grown Chick Lit
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Delusional

(Michael Bennett #18) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"You don't ever mess with family." ~ 86%

My Series Sunday pick is Delusional, the 18th book in the Michael Bennett series by James Patterson and James O. Born. NYPD Detective Michael Bennett and his new-ish partner Rob Trilling investigate a case that crosses state borders. In New York, there is a series of deadly bombs. In New Jersey, a military base is burglarized for explosives. In Montana, violence and arson take over a small town. There is also an anti-government group that keeps popping up in unexpected places. Oh, and Mary Catherine is expecting their 11th child! Whew—there is a lot going on in this new installment.

Why does it feel like I've read this before? I could easily guess the detectives and killers next steps. I could predict what would happen in the Bennett household, even with ten kids running around and a pregnant wife. The entire time reading Delusional felt like déjà vu. Am I over this series?

"Do you know how hard it is to get people to listen to hard truths?" ~ 91%

Maybe it is time for Patterson to wrap this series up. It is not thrilling as it used to be. Or perhaps it was too many cases to fully develop each storyline so they all lacked in interest. If you are a follower of the Michael Bennett series, then read it for continuity purposes. But if you are new to these authors and this once great character, I recommend you do not start with this one.

Happy Early Pub Day to James Patterson and James O. Born! Delusional will be available August 27, 2026.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Delusional

Author: James Patterson and James O. Born

Expected Publication: August 2026

Pages: 448

Edition: Galley

Genre: Thriller

Challenge: Keeping Up With Patterson

Rating: 🖤 🖤