Book Chatter

The Compound
By Aisling Rawle
Random House, June 2025, 304pp.

The Short of It:

Reality TV junkies will appreciate this one.

The Rest of It:

Lily—a bored, beautiful twenty-something—wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay in the Compound the longest, while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, plus communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door. ~ from the publisher.

This was an interesting read. It starts off like your run-of-the-mill reality TV setup but I found it to be a little deeper than that. These contestants are playing for an unknown reward. I mean, as a reader we don’t really know what the end game is. Sure, there are task rewards throughout their time there, to build up their compound. Like, an actual door because it simply did not have one. But these tasks are based on their personalities and their needs.

Cameras everywhere. This particular competition immediately requires that each male and female contestant partner and sleep together. Like, actually sleep Zzzzz together. How does one do this without knowing them? Rules keep them from sharing personal information so they go into it blind.

Quickly, Lily realizes that some of the contestants are untrustworthy and in it for themselves. Lily carefully observes the dynamics but at the same time, isn’t really sure what she wants. Does she even want to win? Sometimes the conditions are questionable. Food, is a reward so if they don’t earn it, they don’t have it. There are many hungry nights.

I liked how the story progressed but I felt that ultimately, it wasn’t clear what any of them wanted from the experience. There are some gossipy bits and He Said, She Said moments and some of the characters are likable but there wasn’t a clear villain and I think that makes it a little spicier, you know?

Overall, a fun read and a good book to distract you from real life.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

All the Little Ways
By Laura Lekkos
Gallery, June 9, 2026, 320pp.

The Short of It:

A wholesome exploration of female friendship.

The Rest of It:

Liz and Victoria couldn’t be more different.

Liz is a wayward soul with a good heart, but she can’t quite stick the landing on any one thing. Raised by her hippie, eccentric mother and with no real relationship with her father, she drifts through life somewhat happily, but always with an underlying sense of restlessness.

Victoria is older, driven, and successful. She knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. She’s effortlessly put together, polished, and shrewd when she needs to be. What could these two possibly have in common?

They’re both expecting their first child and end up in the same parenting class.

Liz quietly observes Victoria, admiring the way she carries herself. After they exchange a few kind words, Liz starts to wonder if Victoria might be the friend she’s been missing.

As they navigate pregnancy and their relationships, it becomes clear that neither woman’s life is as perfect as it appears. Victoria and her husband are forced to confront a serious breach of trust, while Liz realizes that she and her boyfriend, Preston, simply don’t fit the way she always imagined they would. Sure, he’s the baby’s father, but do people really have to stay together just because they share a child?

Both women face challenges throughout their pregnancies. Some are professional, but most are deeply personal. They lean on each other through it all until they don’t. Can two women with such different outlooks truly support each other when their values and choices begin to clash?

This was a very readable novel, but the real magic comes together in the final third of the book. For a debut, I was impressed. I would definitely read Lekkos again.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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