review: keeping the feast by paula butturini

Paula Butturini's memoir starts strong with the twin acts of violence carried out against her and her now-husband as they worked as journalists overseas, but then lags as Butturini begins documenting the depression her mother went through and the depression her husband also suffered after his shooting. Despite all the time she spends writing about depression, Butturini never goes beyond the superficial and only gets deep when writing about food which she tries to make relate to the events of her life.
1/5
Review copy provided by the pubisher, Riverhead Trade.

review: dirty rush by taylor bell

Taylor Bell never expected to be a sorority girl, but the Beta Zetas pursue her since she's a legacy. Soon she's heavily involved in their world with a boyfriend in Omega Sig and plenty of tasks to complete as a pledge. But it turns out Taylor doesn't know everything that went on during her sister's previous four years as a Beta Zeta. As Taylor learns the truth, a sex tape starring someone who looks remarkably like Taylor comes out and makes her life hell. Taylor knows it's not her in the video, but it's clear someone is out to get her.

The brains behind Taylor Bell (David Oliver Cohen and Tanner Cohen) somehow got these college kids exactly right. I seriously knew girls just like this and laughed so hard throughout the novel. Dirty Rush completely sucked me in and I was so caught up in Taylor's life that I was shocked when the sex tape came out despite it being mentioned on the back cover. In all, Dirty Rush is a hilarious, scandalous good time.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Gallery Books.