DRB Reviews...Liberty Street by Heather Marshall

​Rating:  5/5 stars "Epic"

"Inspired by real-life history and the infamous Andrew Mercer Reformatory in Liberty Village, the novel sheds light on a dark period in Canadian justice."

This book has left me speechless. It was an incredibly epic tale, inspired by true events from the Mercer Women's Prison in Toronto. I was captivated through-out and could not put it down. This book has reminded me of why I read...for an incredible story just like this. When I closed Liberty Street, I had the same reminiscent feelings of closing Gone With the Wind for the first time. Gripping. The abuse of the rights of women hit me hard in the chest, yet reminded me just how far we have come.  The Toronto settings drew me in and made this story feel like home, being a Canadian who grew up just outside of Toronto. 

"In 1961, an ambitious Chatelaine editorial assistant goes undercover at Toronto’s notorious Mercer Women’s Prison to expose horrific abuses. Decades later, a 1996 detective investigating unidentified remains must confront her own family trauma." Marshall's story was a true expose of The Female Refuges Act which came into effect in Ontario in 1927. In the mid 1960's a grand jury investigated and uncovered the deplorable conditions of the place. The Act was finally repealed in 1964. Marshall builds her characters after true female victims of the era which makes this story so much more compelling. 

I don't want to give away any spoilers in my review. My only advice is if you are a woman, especially a Canadian woman living in Toronto, this is a must read. I haven't read a historical fiction novel that I have loved as dearly as this book. Thank you to Marshall for her detailed research and for being an "incorrigible feminist" and bringing the stories of these women to light.

I bought this book at Indigo in celebration for Canada day. It was labelled a "staff pick"; after reading it, I understand why!

Brava Liberty Street...this book is now in my #1 spot of 2026!

www.dawnrodger.ca

#libertystreet
#heathermarshall
#indigostaffpicks
#newrelease
​#dawnrodger

DRB Reviews...Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Rating: 5/5 "Perfect"

I am not a fan of romance books, but I have heard rave reviews of just how good Carley Fortune's books are...so...since we are now in the summer months, and she is Canadian, I decided to give her books a try and picked up Our Perfect Storm. I began reading it but was really struggling for time, so I decided to listening to it on Spotify. I am so glad I did!

I loved the narrator, she made the novel come to life! I listened to Our Perfect Storm every time I drove to work, when I went for walks, when I did the laundry and when I cooked dinner...I became deliciously addicted to this story. It was so fun loving, was jam packed with wit and humour...I found myself with a perma-grin plastered on my face whenever I was listening. 

This is THE PERFECT romance story EVER! I can't imagine a romance story being any better than this one. 

The plot: Frankie was dumped on the eve of her Wedding. Her lifelong best friend George suggests an unexpected escape, to whisk off and go on Frankie's honeymoon, together. An entire week in the Rainforests of Tofino, British Columbia. The trip of a lifetime soon turns into a confrontation of buried secrets and long-term feelings. Can you hear my swooning yet?

Let me just say I melted, I cried, and I laughed! (I also think I fell in love!) I adored the all Canadian settings; it was wonderful to read a book written by a Canadian author! I am a Fortune fan forever!!

www.dawnrodger.ca

#carleyfortune
#ourperfectstorm
#newreleases
#summerreads
#dawnrodger

DRB Reviews...I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

Rating: 5/5 "What a ride!"

I bought this book at Marshall's awhile back, and it has been sitting on my shelf in my collection of Harlan Coben's books. I saved it for a rainy day, until I started seeing the advertisements that I Will Find You was released on Netflix. Everyone has been raving about it, and the tv series has sat at the top, in the number 1 slot since released. I ran to my shelf and looked to see if I had it in my collection and knew I had to read it first!

I read this book in less than 24 hours, and what a ride it was! The best "popcorn thriller" I have read in a long while. I am going to make a statement and commitment here by saying this is my favourite Coben story yet! (And I have read MANY!!) There was something so tantalizing about the plot, I read the first chapter and was completely swept away in the story.

​The plot:  The main character David is serving a life sentence for the murder of his three-year-old son. David has no memory of the crime but in his heart believes he failed his son Matthew; he either killed him or didn't protect him, and either way he is still dead. Everything changes when his former sister-in-law Rachel sees a picture of Matthew 5 years older, with the exact same birth-mark on his face. Could Matthew still be alive?

The plot is perfect and the hook gripping...I could not put this book down, which is a great thing because now I can finally binge watch the new series on Netflix this week. Coben, you never fail, and this book is a huge win!

www.dawnrodger.ca
​
#harlancoben
#iwillfindyou
#dawnrodger
#netflix
#thriller

DRB Reviews...Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Rating: 4.5/5  "A feel-good story to get lost in!"

It is the end of the school year, and as a very tired teacher, I wanted to read a book that would help me escape the pressure; nothing too challenging or deep, something that would help me relax. I found the perfect escape. I follow Reese's Book Club on my socials and have been paying attention to the rave reviews of Henry's Great Big Beautiful Life and decided to pick it up the last time I was shopping at Indigo.  I am so glad I did as I really enjoyed reading this book. It was light hearted, fun-loving and had just the right amount of humour to keep a smile on my face. I completely got lost in this feel-good story. 

An aspiring writer named Alice was pitted against a Pulitzer-winning journalist in a remote Georgia island to compete for a chance to write the biography of a now reclusive former tabloid heiress. As they dug deep into the history of their employer, they discovered deep family secrets and wanting to unveil them in a true and trusting forum, the two writers were pulled together, discovering their own magnetic chemistry with each other. 

There is nothing more juicy then digging into the real life stories of celebrities, and I feel Henry captured this perfectly. She gave weight to the drama, the false tabloid accounts, and the truth of their fully human story, warts and all. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get lost for awhile.

www.dawnrodger.ca
​
#reesesbookclub
#emilyhenry
#greatbigbeautifullife
#dawnrodger
#newrelease

DRB Reviews...The Intern by Michele Campbell

Rating: 5/5 "Thrilling"

After finishing Dissection of a Murder I was addicted to legal thrillers so I dove into The Intern. I have had this book since it was chosen as a Book of the Month for September in 2023. It has long been waiting on my TBR to be read and loved, so I finally decided to dig in and I adored it! As soon as I finished, I ordered It's Always the Husband, another book by Campbell, as well as a series of two legal thrillers by John Grisham for the cottage this summer. Yup, I am addicted to legal thrillers right now, and this one was thrilling!

A young Harvard law student, Madison, falls under the spell of a charismatic judge, and lands the internship of a lifetime working for her. But things start spiralling when her brother is framed in a drug bust and sent to prison without proper legal council. Madison discovers that the judge in her brothers shady case is Judge Kathryn Conroy, and this has her questioning if the Judge herself is also corrupt.  

This legal thriller was so exciting, I couldn't put it down. The only thing that interrupted my reading was work and family life. Everything came together in the end, and no spoilers here, but the ending was perfect and left me feeling so satisfied. I really did love this book and highly recommend it.

www.dawnrodger.ca

#michelecampbell
#theintern
#bookofthemonth
#drbreviews
#dawnrodger

​

DRB Reviews...Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars "Nail-biting"

​Caller Unknown is a high-stakes thriller about a mother, Simone, who travels from England to a Texas cabin to visit her teenage daughter, Lucy. The next morning, Lucy is kidnapped. A mysterious caller demands a ransom but issues an impossible directive: do not call the police, or Lucy will die. This was such a hook for me and I couldn't wait to dive in. After-all, a mother will do anything for her daughter. There is such a special bond between mother and daughter, especially a daughter who is an only child. 

Unfortunately, the book had moments where it fizzed out for me. I mean I love McAllister's books, they are instant must reads whenever a new release hits the stands. I am an avid follower on all McAllister's socials. But Caller Unknown was not one of my favourite books. It was nail-biting yes, but I found the character introspection to be too much, and it got in the way of the flow of the story for me. I almost felt like the hypophora was to fill in words rather than to deepen the plot. Sadly, Simone's internal conflict and rhetorical questions got in my way of enjoying the book. I also did not love Simone; she maddened me with her choices, as I felt she lost her personal integrity in them. However, kudos to McAllister, as this kept me turning pages just to see what she would do next. 

I did pre-order a physical copy of the book to read and was so excited when it was finally delivered in the mail. But due to my busy schedule, I found I didn't have a lot of time to sit and read it. So I downloaded it on Spotify and listened to the book in the car on the way to and from work. It definitely helped to pass the time and I LOVED the narrator; her is voice so calm yet articulate.

Overall, not my favourite new release of 2026, but I am still glad I read it. And I remain a loyal McAllister fan!

www.dawnrodger.ca

#gillianmccallister
#callerunknown
#newreleases
#drbreviews
​#booktok

DRB Reviews...Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray

Rating: 6/5 Stars "Riveting" & "Gripping"

Honestly, this is my favourite book of 2026! I haven't read anything like this since my teenage years when I read the legal thrillers The Firm and The Pelican Brief by John Grisham. I have never really came across another legal thriller that really gripped me...The Lincoln Lawyer came close. 

What makes this legal thriller stand out from the rest is the main character is a female criminal barrister (or "lawyer" as we say here in North America)...working in a very high paced, male dominated profession.  I love the feminist perspective. What makes this book so riveting is the depth Murray paints into the legal world. Murray went to law school and was a criminal barrister so the legal detail in this story really enriches the plot. 

The main character Leila is a young criminal defence lawyer who is unexpectedly assigned to defend a man accused of murdering a respected high court judge. The prosecutor of the case is her "pupilmaster" and husband. The story unfolds in delicious courtroom drama and is filled with psychological suspense, twisted truths and deception. It becomes clear that everyone involved is hiding something and the courtroom is full of liars. 

I was glued to this book and read it because I loved it, not because I had to read it to review it. I devoured every last word. No spoilers here but the ending will blow you away! Jo Murray knocked this book out of the park. I nominate it for Book of the Year for 2026!

www.dawnrodger.ca
#jomurraybooks
#dissectionofamurder
#drbreviews
#bookofthemonth
​#newreleases

DRB Reviews...A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Rating: 5/5 Stars "Unsettling"

Firstly, I never finished my Alphabet Book Challenge from 2025, so I decided I would just keep pushing on into the new year. Just because I didn't finish it, doesn't mean I should consider myself a failure and just give up...so, this is F!

I bought this book in kindle, audio book and hard copy because I loved it that much, and wanted versatility to read it that suited my lifestyle. I listened to it while walking, I read my kindle late into the night, and I clutched the hard-copy close to me while on breaks at work. I LOVED this book. I think mainly because I simply love a creepy serial killer story.

Chloe Davis is a psychologist whose life begins to unravel twenty years after her father was convicted as a serial killer. When teenage girls start going missing again, mirroring the past, a traumatized  Chloe doubts her own sanity while investigating a potential copycat killer. It is as gripping as it sounds. I began questioning everyone to be the copycat killer. It wasn't until Chloe met with her uncommunicative mom that things started to come together for me. 

I have had this book on my TBR list for a very long time, and it did not disappoint; I am so glad I read it. It is not the "Book of the Year" for me but it is definitely a favourite. (And...I absolutely love the cover!)

www.dawnrodger.ca

#aflickerinthedark
#stacywillingham
#dawnrodger
#drbreviews
​#newbookreview
​

DRB Reviews...YesterYear by Caro Claire Burke

Rating: 3/5 Stars "Bewildering"

I have to start by saying first that this book had me so perplexed; the entire time reading it I was so confused. This thriller is completely not what I expected and side swept me from left field. YesterYear is about a woman named Natalie who is an influencer with millions of followers. She pretends to live an idyllic farm life with her beloved husband and children...living a proper Christian life. But suddenly she wakes up in 1855 and is forced to live a harsh life, all the while remembers what a life with technology and comfort is all about.  This book is a psychological horror that blends with time-travel. It highlights the many terrible things that exist with social media and gender inequality. 

I have to say that I hated the main character but loved her at the same time. I was rooting for her, until I wasn't. I hated the story-line so much that I was consumed with it and had to finish, had to keep turning the pages, had to get to the end to understand what was going on. I had come up with some solutions, but nothing I guessed became true. I didn't understand what I was reading until the very end when it all came together. What a ride! 

I didn't love this book, but I am still very happy that I did read it. I chose it as my April read for Book of the Month and have zero regrets. It is not a feel good story. However, I found Natalie's experience to have some sad human truths that were somewhat relatable; connections to the darker sides to life. 

Overall, I rated it 3 stars...not my favourite read of the year...but definitely a book that I won't stop thinking about soon.

www.dawnrodger.ca

#yesteryear
#caroclaireburke
#drbreviews
#bookofthemonth
#newbookreview

DRB Reviews...Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 5 Stars "Exhilarating"

I read this book in less than 36 hours, absolutely devoured it. I am a classical trained musician and after reading this book, I wish I chose to be a rock star instead! What a ride. Being a musician, I have no idea how I missed reading this book when it came out in 2019. Unfortunately, I was born when the band was just coming into popularity, so I missed the craze! However, we still have their incredible album Aurora to listen to; I currently have it on loop. 

The book is written in a series of interviews (from the band members and other people closely tied to the band) to create a story line of the band from inception to it's final break down. It centres on the intense and forbidden relationship of the lead singer Billy Dunne and the iconic Daisy Jones. The novel explores fame, addiction, love and the deep truth of how music is used for emotional expression. 

This book breathed...the accounts of the band members experiences were raw, real and registered with me. It was relatable to the true pains and roller coaster ride of life. I loved the documentary-style of Reid's writing. It is truly no wonder why this book was The Book of the Month's 2019 Book of the Year. 

This is a read that is so worth your time, wherever you can find a copy, I highly recommend to spend some time with this band!

www.dawnrodger.ca
#daisyjonesandthesix
#dawnrodger
#bookofthemonth
#taylorjenkinsreidbooks
#drbreviews
​