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Title: The Split

Author: Sharon Bolton

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller

Published: 2020

Obtained: Amazon

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Felicity Lloyd is living in fear of her ex-husband, Freddie. She is so afraid that she pursues a job opportunity that takes her from Cambridge to South Georgia, a remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Her doctor, Joe Grant, senses that she is hiding or repressing some pertinent information regarding her past (and her ex), and is eager to help. Will Joe and his detective mother, Delilah, be able to reach Felicity in the frozen Antarctic island before Freddie?

Sharon Bolton does it again! The Split is another thrilling masterpiece crafted with a deliciously woven plot, convincing characters and consistent tension. Bolton kept me turning the pages, even when I was sleep deprived and up at all hours with the baby. With every chapter I was swept up into Felicity’s confusing and eerie world.

Bolton’s storytelling is what I love most about her novels. She pulls you into an adventure that is never quite what you think it is—full of twists, surprises and mounting tension. I love that she plays with perspectives. The Split does this well; Bolton tells the story from the viewpoints of Felicity, Joe and Freddie. You see the mystery from different angles with little bits of new information at every chapter. I know nothing of the island of South Georgia, but I can tell you that I was able to see it in detail with her descriptions. The frozen and ice-cold landscapes add to the pressure of the mystery.

Bolton’s ability to craft well-rounded, convincing and complex characters is another one of my favorite things about her writing. She has perfected the art of not revealing too much too soon about her characters. Instead, she peels them back like an onion…layer by layer as you get deeper into the novel. This strategy helps build up to those famous twists Bolton is known for in her stories. I love that every time I think I definitely have a character figured out, I’m hit with a curveball. As a reader, it keeps me on the edge of my oversized armchair.

The tension throughout The Split is insane. Bolton even weaves it into the side plot. She creates suspense without gory horror—which is what draws me to her writing. The novel flows with the right amount of anticipation page after page. Bolton slowly reveals the past of her characters in order to help the reader speculate the ending—but, the ending is never quite what the reader expects.

I give The Split a 5 out of 5 for being a damn good story. The characters are robust, as usual. The story itself is well-crafted and written with the right amount of suspense. This was another Bolton thriller of which I could find no faults. I recommend sipping on Primal Roots Red Blend as you read this novel; it’s a dark blend that pairs well with the complexity of the story and the characters. It’s smooth with rich flavors. The 13.5% alcohol content may also keep up with your racing heartbeat as it thunders along with this engaging and spine-tingling story. Overall, It’s a great (affordable) wine to pair with a great story!

Rating: 5/5

Wine Pairing: Primal Roots Red Blend 2016

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Author: Rachel Hollis

Genre: Self-Help/ Christian Literature

Published: 2018

Obtained: Target

Author and Founder/CEO of Chic Media, Rachel Hollis, uncovers the lies that women tell themselves—the lies that hold them back from their dreams and goals. With humor and honesty, she then spends each chapter sharing her personal story of how she once believed each lie and her personal strategies to overcome them.

I’m finally back! I struggled to finish books without falling asleep every five minutes during my pregnancy…and the exhaustion only grew after giving birth to my son. I have been sleep deprived and run down, but I am finally feeling myself again and ready to explore some new reads. Let me start by saying that this book is not of a genre that’s typically in my wheelhouse. However, I picked this read because I’ve heard good things about Rachel Hollis and I was genuinely curious about what nuggets of wisdom she had to offer; it also looked like a book that would be easy to pick up and set down—which was appealing as a new mom.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Girl, Wash Your Face. Often, when I have attempted self-help books or non-fiction books that read as advice, I get annoyed or bored when I sense that I can’t relate or if the author is preaching too aggressively. While I rolled my eyes here and there, I overall found the writing humorous and easy-paced. I felt that Hollis wrote with a good intention to be applicable and relatable to a variety of women. I don’t, however, think she managed to be quite as accessible as she attempted.

The book is set up so that each chapter is titled after a common lie that women tend to tell themselves; Hollis then spends that chapter debunking those myths and offering some simple advice on what helped her overcome those lies. I could relate to some idea or story in most chapters; Unfotunately, I also consistently found unrelatable aspects. I found comfort in the chapters related to parenting—being a new mom, I’ve found my life has turned into a sort of emotional rollercoaster that’s flying off the rails. Knowing that I am far from the first woman to experience these things is comforting. Hearing someone else say the words that I am often too overwhelmed to say aloud is refreshing and reassuring.

I enjoy hearing other people’s strategies to success. I like sponging up tidbits of how other people deal with and overcome hurdles. I appreciated Hollis’ way of offering insight to what worked for her without shoving it down the reader’s throat. While she was attempting to blend a concoction of understanding and encouragement, these words sometimes came off entitled and predictable.

Therefore, my criticism of this book lies in some of the cliché topics and the author’s occasional tone deaf tendencies. Some of the messages are common—for instance, the message that there’s no right way to be a mom and that it’s okay to stay home or work. And although this isn’t an original message, I didn’t necessarily hate hearing it again…it simply wasn’t anything super new or groundbreaking as a reader. Hollis borderlines on being tone deaf more than once. While I’m a big advocate of not comparing our problems, I did feel irritated with her “problems” and goals to which I just couldn’t relate. For instance, her goal to buy a designer bag—I can’t relate to dropping a grand on a hand bag and calling it the proudest moment of my life. I’m not trying to be judgmental because I can appreciate that everyone is motivated differently, but I had a hard time digesting some of what she was putting down. And, I think that irritation I felt is what holds this book back from being applicable to women everywhere; there is something to be respected in sharing one’s truth, but some of Hollis’s issues read as “first world” problems to which not everyone will relate.

I enjoyed some aspects of this book; even if overused, a range of the advice and words were inspirational. It takes courage to lay your truths on the table for anyone to read. My motivation to work on me, which had been lying dormant since my pregnancy, began to creep back towards the surface as I made my way through this book. I feel an urge to find that balance between my role as an individual and my role as a parent. Other aspects of the book, however, were out-of-touch and slightly trite. I give Girl, Wash Your Face a 2.5/5. It was an easy read and it passed the time with an upbeat feel; on the other hand, it wasn’t all it was hyped up to be.

I recommend Butter Chardonnay to sip on while you read this book. It’s flavorful, crisp and strong. Occasionally, Hollis said some things that I needed to hear and it was invigorating—much like the strong citrus and oak tones of the wine. But I also needed something potent to swallow down some of the more contradicting parts…like when she describes how poorly her husband treated her at first, but then later states they’ve been best friends since the start (friends don’t treat each other that way). I think a very specific type of reader will enjoy this book—but if you’re looking for some quick inspiration, you can probably find the same messages on a Pinterest board. I’m glad I branched out, but it wasn’t my favorite, in the end. The wine, however, is amazing and I highly recommend grabbing a bottle to enjoy chilled!