Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man

 

Author/ Jesse Q Sutanto

Narrator: Eunice Wong

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Year: 2025

Happy Wednesday bookish friends! My new favorite sleuth is back for more fun, food, fixing strangers’ lives, and solving a murder in Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q. Sutanto. This is the second book is the series and it’s just as fun and charming as the first book. 

Business at Vera’s teahouse has picked up. Her relationship with her son has improved She’s no longer lonely thanks a close knit group of friends. But she’s a little bored and misses the excitement of an investigation. When Vera meets a distressed young woman who’s looking for her missing friend, Vera jumps into action. Here the full summary from the publisher: 

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for. 

Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.

Once again Vera pulls complete strangers into her orbit as she investigates the disappearance and subsequent murder of a young man. Her investigation leads her into the brutal and dangerous world of trafficking. But Vera persists until the case is solved. All while gathering a new group of young people into her circle of friendship and straightening out their lives with her special brand of tough love and food. Lots of food. 

Narrator Eunice Wong provides another fantastic performance and brings the colorful characters to life. This could be read as a stand alone, but I recommend reading the previous book, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, first. That way you’ll have the backstory of how Vera got into the detective business and you’ll be more familiar with many the characters. Don’t miss out on this delightful and endearing series! 

What’s for dinner tonight? My daughter and I are going out for dinner tonight. 

About the Author

Jesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Indonesia, Singapore, and Oxford, and considers all three places her home. She has a Masters from Oxford University, but she has yet to figure out how to say that without sounding obnoxious. Jesse has forty-two first cousins and thirty aunties and uncles, many of whom live just down the road. She used to game but with two little ones and a husband, she no longer has time for hobbies. 

What’s Yours Is Mine

 

Author: Jennifer Jabaley

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication date: August 5, 2025

Happy pub day to What’s Yours Is Mine by Jennifer Jabaley! Thank you Booksparks and Jennifer for the #gifted copy for the #summerpopup!

If emotional trauma served you up by a manipulative, domineering, and cut throat dance mom is your jam, this is the book for you. I know I had some of you at dance mom! Besties Collette and Kate are vying for entry into a prestigious and lucrative dance competition. The friendship turns ugly when Collette’s mom Elise, a former prima ballerina, decides that Kate is too much of a threat to her daughter’s career. Here’s the full summary from the publisher: 

Valerie Yarnell is a hardworking single mother who’d do anything for her daughter, Kate. Kate is a dancer with dreams of stardom, just like her talented best friend, Colette. Despite Valerie’s sacrifices, it’s Colette’s mother, former prima ballerina Elise, whom Kate adores. And Colette has become like the practically perfect sister Kate never had. How can Valerie not feel frustrated, ineffectual, and a little jealous of the queen bee of dance moms? Not only has she hijacked her daughter, but Elise is married to the man Valerie pines for.

Rivalries are forming. Tension is mounting. In preparation for an elite dance competition, Kate outshines the more promising Colette onstage, and the pressure is on for Colette to keep her position in the spotlight―and especially to keep her demanding mother happy. Who could have foreseen the violent attack that sabotages everything? Anyone who’s been watching closely.

As ruthless and sinister ambitions are exposed, a media firestorm and an explosive town scandal erupt. Before it’s over, two mothers and two daughters will learn just how fierce and dangerous a rivalry can still get.

This is an over the top and tension filled dance mom behaving badly story and was so entertaining to read.  The lengths Elise went to keep her daughter Collette in the spotlight were ridiculous. Kate’s mom Valerie wasn’t going to win a prize for mother of the year either. Valerie’s almost the exact opposite of obsessed Elise. Valerie is so nonchalant about Kate’s love of dance that she’s perplexed why Kate has shut her out and barely even speaks to her.

After reading this, I’m glad my daughter wanted to play basketball throughout her school career instead of dance. (And I swear I definitely wasn’t one of those crazy sports moms! 😀). Pick this one up if you’re looking for a besties to frenemies story, or you love dance, or you enjoy a good mom’s gone wild story. Come for all the emotional trauma and stay for the twist at the end. 

Let’s play predictive text What’s yours is mine _______. What’s yours is mine  and I don’t care what anyone thinks about me. 😲 

About the Author

Jennifer Jabaley grew up in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and when not writing teen books she’s busy being an optometrist. Jen lives in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Lipstick Apology was her first novel.

Let’s Make a Scene

 

Happy Monday friends! Thank you Simone & Schuster Audio for the #gifted audiobook! What’s your favorite romance trope? Laura Wood’s latest book Let’s Make a Scene is a fun and engaging romance. Two British actors, Cynthie and Jack, start their movie careers starring in a period piece romance playing lovers, but they hate each other on day one. They’re also very much attracted to each other. The studio wants them to pretend they’re in a relationship to boost publicity for the movie. None of it ends well-except for the movie itself. 

Fast forward 13 years. Jack and Cynthie are both successful actors. Cynthie has just come out of a bad relationship with the married director of her last film. The media firestorm is merciless. She’s offered a lifeline. She and Jack reunite on screen to star in the sequel the movie that launched their careers. And fake date again to drum up publicity. Here’s the full summary from the publisher: 

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There is only one problem…Cynthie’s arrogant and annoyingly handsome costar Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity—have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.

Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there’s a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship…and this time there’s a documentary crew following their every move.

Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they’re playing start to feel all too real?

This was such a fantastic read! I really enjoyed the characters. Jack and Cynthie are great main characters. I also liked the supporting characters who offered some comic relief and really enriched the story. There’s also character development. During their first movie, Jack is pretty much an entitled jerk. There are moments where he’s a fun and decent guy, but most of the time he’s worried about his own career. When they reunite for the sequel, Jack has matured. He’s happy with his career, and has benefited from therapy. Cynthie has also gone through big changes especially concerning trauma she experienced working the director she had an affair with. Jack’s and Cynthie’s characters both grew and had emotional depth that really strengthened the story. 

The narration by Heather Long and Sam Stafford is pitch perfect. Their voices complemented each other on the alternating POV chapters. Pick this one up if you love: 

✅ enemies to lovers

✅fake dating

✅found family

✅second chance love

✅the grand gesture 

✅ dual POV

✅shifting timeline

This all makes for fantastic story you won’t be able to put down. 

About the Author

Laura Wood is a bestselling and acclaimed author of children’s and young adult novels. She is also the author of the adult novels Under Your Spell and Let’s Make a Scene. With a PhD in 19th-century literature, Laura lives in Warwickshire, England, with her husband, and their dog, Bea.