Blanche Cleans Up by Barbara Neely

Blanche Cleans Up by Barbara Neely

I think this has been my favorite Blanche book so far!

The mystery was deeply ingrained in a community instead of more limited like the previous two books. There was corruption in a few Black neighborhoods in Boston, threatening to spill over and impact even more people.

Blanche was sassier than ever and spoke so much truth. There was a lot of great commentary about how young Black men are expected to be and how they’re treated regardless of how they act. She also had a great angle on teenage pregnancy.

I’m excited to read the fourth book but also sad that it’s the last for Blanche.

See my reviews for Blanche on the Lam and Blanche Among the Talented Tenth.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

Though I'm writing this in the new year, I actually finished this book on Christmas. I read it in about two days, but once I finished, I needed to sit and think before reviewing it. I gave it 3 stars right away because it kept me turning pages and I had no clue what was going to happen, which definitely makes for an interesting read and deserves credit.

Even weeks later, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The premise was amazing. I knew it was a thriller but the idea of attending a writing retreat and just escaping real life for awhile was so enticing, especially since I was reading it over the holidays so "real life" didn't even feel like a thing.

Potential spoilers ahead...