Reviews of the 5 Books I Read in March 2024

Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben

They’re one of the country’s most telegenic couples: beloved TV journalist Sara Lowell and New York’s hottest basketball star, Michael Silverman. Their family and social connections tie them to the highest echelons of the political, medical, and sports worlds – threads that will tangle them up in one of the most controversial and deadly issues of our time. In a clinic on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a doctor has dedicated his life to eradicating a divisive and devastating disease. One by one, his patients are getting well. One by one, they’re being targeted by a serial killer. And now Michael has been diagnosed with the disease. There’s only one cure, but many ways to die...

My rating: ★★★

I’ve read many Harlan Coben books now, and found Miracle Cure in my local charity shop so picked it up very quickly. Definitely not one of his best that I’ve read, but it tackles a very delicate medical condition and over time, I would say that the book hasn’t aged very well.

Full of twists and turns like you would expect from Mr. Coben, but I wouldn’t pick this up first if you haven’t read any of his other work before.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, the once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

My rating: ★★★

My first kindle book! I purchased this as it was only £1.99 to download to my kindle and I’ve read a number of Colleen Hoover books and wanted to add another to my collection.

Definitely not her best work and at times I found it a little triggering and insensitive. Colleen Hoover seems to write about a lot of trigger-warning subjects and this book was no different. Like some of her other books, I felt like she glamorised some issues that definitely shouldn’t be.

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

I wasn’t with Finn on that August night. But I should’ve been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it’s not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not know-the cause of the argument-is crucial. So let me tell you…

My rating: ★★★★

I’d seen this all over TikTok and Booktube last year and finally got around to reading it. This definitely read like a Young Adult novel, and I’m not sure I’m the right age to relate to tragic love stories where the main characters are still teenagers. Anyhow, the end of the book got me and I think I might actually pick up the second in this series to read from Finn’s perspective.

Hearts & Bones by Niamh Mulvey

Set between Ireland and London in the first two decades of this millennium, the stories in Hearts and Bones , Niamh Mulvey’s debut collection, look at the changes that have torn through these times and ask who we are now that we’ve brought the old gods down. Witty, sharply observed and deeply moving, these ten stories announce an extraordinary new Irish literary talent.

My rating: ★★★

I was eager to read Hearts & Bones as I’m always keen to read works by Irish authors, especially those new to the scene. Although I’m not usually one to read short stories, I rediscovered why that is during this book.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the short stories in the book were very good, but I much prefer a novel that I can fully delve into over a book of ten short stories that has my attention for all of ten minutes.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. A competitive figure skater since she was five years old, a full college scholarship thanks to her place on the Maple Hills skating team, and a schedule that would make even the most driven person weep, Stassie comes to win.

Nathan Hawkins has never had a problem he couldn’t solve. As captain of the Maple Hills Titans, he knows the responsibility of keeping the hockey team on the ice rests on his shoulders.

When a misunderstanding results in the two teams sharing a rink, and Anastasia’s partner gets hurt in the aftermath, Nate finds himself swapping his stick for tights, and one scary coach for an even scarier one.

My rating: ★★★★

Now this one I have seen everywhere in recent months. There seems to be a new genre of romance that falls under hockey players, so I was very intrigued to see what all the fuss was about.

I will say that I enjoyed this a lot more than I actually thought I would. The chemistry between Stassie and Nate was very realistic and you could sense it off the page – I may have even chuckled out loud at some parts.

The only downside was the approach to some subjects that seemed a little insensitive/not dealt with properly. There are trigger-warnings in here for emotional abuse and disordered eating.