Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription box. Each month, five curators pick out their favorite new hardcover books, and you can choose which one you want to receive on the first of the month for $14.99/month. You can also add up to two additional books for only $9.99 each. (This box was named one of the best subscriptions for avid readers in the 2022 Subscription Box Awards.)
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Book Selections
These are all of the options for this month. There were five options this month.
First Impressions
After having a more sentimental book last month, I was in the mood for a mystery and this one sounded intriguing!
Book Summary from Amazon:
When the body of disgraced reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found on a playground in the Bronx the morning after her 25th birthday party, the police and the media are quick to declare her death an overdose. It’s a tragedy, certainly, but not a crime.
But Desiree’s half-sister Lena Scott knows that can’t be the case. A graduate student at Columbia, Lena has spent the past decade forging her own path far from the spotlight, but some facts about Desiree just couldn’t have changed since their childhood. And Desiree would never travel above 125th Street. So why is no one listening to her?
Despite the bitter truth that the two haven’t spoken in two years, torn apart by Desiree’s partying and by their father, Mel, a wealthy and influential hip-hop mogul, Lena becomes determined to find justice for her sister, even if it means untangling her family’s darkest secrets—or ending up dead herself.
My BOTM Pick for April
Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett — Retail Value $28.00 (On sale for $24.49)
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When Lena hears news of her half-sister's death she has to see for herself. The cops think Desiree was coming to see her because there aren't any other explanations for why she would be in this part of town so close to where Lena lives. While everyone is quick to rule it as an overdose, Lena has her doubts which leads to her following a trail of clues desperate to prove that she still knew her sister even though they hadn't spoken in two years. Lena is the result of a rich and famous music mogul's first marriage while Desiree was the result of his affair, and while the sisters didn't grow up together, they used to be incredibly close until Desiree's partying habits became too much for Lena to handle, thus the reason they haven't spoken in two years. Still, Lena knows that Desiree was afraid of needles so the idea of a heroin overdose doesn't make any sense to her. She tracks down her sister's friends, ex-boyfriend, and even her latest fling all in hopes of uncovering something that would make sense, but instead, she fears that the cops may just be right and that in the end, she didn't know her sister any longer.
I enjoyed the fast-paced, suspenseful flow of this story and introspective Lena was, reflecting on her childhood and her past encounters with Desiree as she tries to uncover the truth. I enjoyed following along as she moved from one idea to the next and I found myself hoping that she was right so that she could make peace with the fact that she hadn't been on good terms with her sister before she died. Since the details of Lena and Desiree's lives are revealed as the story progresses, I didn't see a lot of the plot twists coming and I wasn't able to form a full hypothesis on what I thought might have happened to Desiree. Instead, I felt as if I was discovering everything in real-time with Lena allowing me to be surprised and enjoy the story even more.
If you picked this book this month, please let me know what you think of it!
Each month they send us a bookmark.
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $14.99 + free shipping
Value Breakdown:
This box costs $14.99, but the book I chose retails for $28.00, which is a discount of about $13.00.
Key Takeaways
This book was not what I expected, but I definitely enjoyed it and found it to be an easy read to get through. If the premise intrigues you at all, I'd definitely recommend adding this to your TBR list!
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To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this book if you sign up today? No, but you can always choose from past picks to start your subscription or add it on!
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