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 under $15 by MSA readers in the 2021 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.)
First Impressions
Honestly, I was not that into the selections they had this month, but I love a good mystery and this one sounded interesting enough! Plus it's an early release, so I always love being able to take advantage of this BOTM perk.
Book Summary from Amazon:
Juniper Baker had just graduated from high school and was deep in the throes of a summer romance when Cal and Beth Murphy, a childless couple who lived on a neighboring farm, were brutally murdered. When her younger brother became the prime suspect, June’s world collapsed and everything she loved that summer fell away. She left, promising never to return to tiny Jericho, Iowa. Until now. Officially, she’s back in town to help an ill friend manage the local library. But really, she’s returned to repair her relationship with her teenage daughter, who’s been raised by Juniper’s mother and stepfather since birth—and to solve the infamous Murphy murders once and for all.
She knows the key to both lies in the darkest secret of that long-ago summer night, one that’s haunted her for nearly fifteen years. As history begins to repeat itself and a dogged local true crime podcaster starts delving into the murders, the race to the truth puts past and present on a dangerous collision course. Juniper lands back in an all-too-familiar place with the answers to everything finally in her sights, but this time it’s her daughter’s life that hangs in the balance. Will revealing what really happened mean a fresh start? Or will the truth destroy everything Juniper loves for a second time?
My BOTM Pick for October
Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart - Paperback Retail Value $17.00 (On sale for $13.69)
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This book began with so much mystery and an air of sadness as we meet Juniper upon her return home. While she's come back to visit her daughter every so often, she's never stayed for long and you can just tell that whatever happened in her past has affected her life in such a way that has left her lonely in life. While Juniper the adult seems filled with anguish and regret, we get some flashbacks to the carefree girl she used to be before which somehow makes it all the sadder. She is full of hope for her future, but knowing how that has turned out I immediately began to pity her.
The story is told with the chapters alternating between the present day, when Juniper has just returned and is eager to figure out who committed the murders, and the summer days leading up to the murders many years ago. We see Juniper fall in love, we watch her relationship with her brother change, and we see how those interactions affected her and set her life on a different trajectory. In the present day, Juniper is struggling with the relationship she has with her daughter and trying to figure out how she fits back into the family that she left behind a long time ago.
I really loved the story and I thought it was well-balanced with the mystery, romance, and familial woes. It was an interesting and engaging read and one of the best books I've read in a while.
Each month, Book of the Month includes a bookmark for you as well.
If you picked this book this month, please let me know what you think of it!
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 $17 in paperback. That's only a few dollars saved, but since hardcover copies like the one I received usually retail for a lot more, I'm sure the savings was even better! Also, in addition to the savings on the book, I was able to read this a month before it was released, which is always a nice perk!
Key Takeaways
I thoroughly enjoyed this month's pick a lot more than I expected to! I thought it would mostly be a hard-edged story about the murders and the mystery surrounding them, but instead, the romance added another layer to it that made it an even better story!
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To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this book if you sign up today? Yes, order now for the October selections! If you miss out, you can also choose from past picks to start your subscription.
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