Story for the Week
When people think about a palate cleanser, they usually think about food, a little something between courses of a meal to prepare for the next course. In the book world, a palate cleanser can be a quick read, something light, a book that allows an easy escape from reality.
My typical reads include thrillers, suspense, and some pretty dramatic women’s fiction. And there have been plenty of times that I’ve had a number of heavy books in a row and feel the need for something light and easy. So I thought I would highlight some of my favorite palate cleansers from the past. 😉
Logging Off by Nick Spalding – Plagued with insomnia, anxiety and neck ache, Andy Bellows is convinced there’s something seriously wrong with him. And the worst thing is that his doctor agrees. The diagnosis: Andy is in the grip of a self-destructive addiction to technology—he just cannot put that bloody mobile phone down. So how will he cope when he’s forced to follow doctor’s orders and step away from all of his beloved screens? When his sixty-day detox hits the headlines—making him a hero to suffering technophiles everywhere—Andy is sorely tempted to pack it all in and escape in the nearest Uber. Can he get himself out of this mess, and work out how to live a better, technologically balanced life…without consulting Google even once? Reviewed in Poop! Is There an App for That? on May 16, 2020.
46% Better Than Dave by Alastair Puddick – Dave Brookman’s new next-door neighbor is ruining his life. Because in a bizarre coincidence, he’s also called Dave Brookman, he’s the same age and he even grew up in the same town. There is one big difference, though—this new Dave is vastly more successful in every way. As Dave starts questioning everything about himself, suddenly his perfect life seems a lot less than perfect. And what starts as friendly rivalry soon turns into obsessive jealousy and crazy behavior that could see Dave lose it all. Can he get a grip before it’s too late? Reviewed in Back to School Looks a Little Different This Year on August 19, 2020.
All three of the Cricket Crosby Chronicles by Liz Talley:
- Deconstructed – Antique-store owner Cricket Crosby’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that the rumors of her husband’s affair aren’t just leisurely southern gossip. Her plan: hire an investigator; find an attorney; enlist the help of her new assistant, Ruby; and make her husband pay. Reviewed in Shout Out to Some of My Favorite Movie Quotes on February 5, 2023.
- If the Dress Fits – Cricket Crosby is back…and she’s licensed to snoop! Fresh off divorce and a private investigator’s course, Cricket’s ready to balance running her antiques store with proving her PI chops…if someone will take a chance on her. When a local PI catches a case involving the theft of luxury goods, he hires the former debutante to go undercover to trap a thief. But snooping during PTA meetings and cotillion parties is harder than it looks, especially when Cricket’s missteps cause a hunky police detective to cast suspicion on her new bestie, Ruby Balthazar. Reviewed in Haute Couture? More Like No Couture on February 12, 2023.
- Hanging by a Thread – Being a part-time private investigator isn’t as glamorous as antiques store owner Cricket Crosby thought it would be. That is, until she finds herself eyeballs deep investigating the attempted murder of a wealthy matriarch. A call from an old friend lands Cricket undercover at an upscale retirement community researching the cantankerous Annabelle Dilworth, who is convinced that someone wants her dead. Cricket suspects the unfriendly senior citizen is simply imagining shadows. Still, enough people dislike the old bat that Cricket dives into eliminating suspects. Reviewed in Knowing Your Talent and the Importance of Being Humbled on November 12, 2023.
Anything in The Wishing Tree Series:
- Book 1: The Wishing Tree
- Book 2: I Wish… by Amanda Prowse
- Book 3: Wish You Were Here by Kay Bratt
- Book 4: Wish Again by Tammy L. Grace
- Book 5: Workout Wishes & Valentine Kisses by Barbara Hinske
- Book 6: A Parade of Wishes by Camille Di Maio
- Book 7: Careful What You Wish by Ashley Farley
- Book 8: Gone Wishing by Jessie Newton
- Book 9: Wishful Thinking by Kay Bratt
- Book 10: Overdue Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
- Book 11: A Whole Heap of Wishes by Amanda Prowse
- Book 12: Wishes of Home by Barbara Hinske
- Book 13: Wishful Witness by Tonya Kappes
- Book 14: A Wish for Forgiveness by Amanda Prowse
- Book 15: Wishful Tails by Barbara Hinske
- Book 16: One More Wish by Tammy L. Grace
- Book 17: A Wish in the Wind by Kay Bratt
For the most part, my reads are planned out based on publication dates, with a handful of books woven in by favorite authors or purchases to fill in gaps in my review schedule. When I do come across a good palate cleanser, it’s usually by accident.
Not everyone wants or needs palate cleansers when they read, but when one of them makes its way onto your list, like the one reviewed here, embrace it and enjoy it. I’ll probably start looking for more short stories like this one to put into my reading rotation.
Book Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 Stars for The Sublet by Greer Hendricks
49 pages
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
This title was an Amazon First Reads bonus short read.
Publisher’s Description
Anne is barely keeping it together. A frazzled ghostwriter and aspiring novelist, she juggles nine-year-old twins and a listless marriage from an overcrowded Manhattan apartment, spreading herself thinner each day. Just as Anne is about to give up on her dreams, she lands her biggest client yet: Melody Wells.
Melody paints a picture of serenity and empowerment in the lavender haze of her visualization workshops—however, the one thing she can’t manifest are the pages her publisher is demanding for her new motivational book. Enter Anne.
As Melody invites Anne deeper into her magical world, Anne finds herself working impossibly long days and traveling far beyond her comfort zone.
When Melody passes along a lead on a spacious sublet complete with East River views, built-in closets, and three bedrooms, Anne can’t believe her luck. Melody seems to know just what her family needs. But as small, unsettling incidents begin to accumulate, Anne starts to wonder what price she’s willing to pay for the good life.
************
Main Characters:
- Anne – married to Paul for 15 years, mother of nine-year-old twins, works as a ghost writer
- Melody – a self-help guru who holds seminars about finding “Your Lavender Moment,” hired Anne as a ghost writer for her latest book
Greer Hendricks has been on my must-read list since 2017 when I read The Wife Between Us, a book written with her regular co-author Sarah Pekkanen. When this came up as a bonus short from Amazon First Reads, I knew I had to slip it to the top of my TBR list. I was not disappointed.
Because this is an amazingly quick read, I won’t recap much more than what was in the publisher’s description. When the story begins, Anne is driving frantically to an undisclosed location and lying to her husband about where she’s headed. After this introduction in the Prologue, the story goes back three weeks to Anne’s work with Melody on her current book.
As Melody inserts herself more and more into Anne’s personal life, Anne becomes increasingly more suspicious about who used to live in the new apartment she and Paul begin to sublet. She hears conflicting information from the realtor, the building superintendent, the neighbors, and the more she learns, the more she wants to investigate.
I flew through this in a little less than an hour, and truth be told, I wish it had a little more meat to it. As the story progresses, Anne spirals deeper into paranoia with an overwhelming desire to figure out exactly what is happening. At the end, I felt that it would have benefitted from a bit more detail. I had to go back and reread the end to make sure I understood what happened, and I think a little more story would have helped in that regard.
That said, I was drawn into Anne’s obsession with Melody and the mystery of the apartment. I started the book late at night and should have gone to sleep earlier than I did and before I finished. I just couldn’t stop because I wanted Anne to figure everything out too. I highly recommend this, especially if you’re looking for a quick read…along with anything else you might come across by this author.
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