Mystery | Book Chatter

Such Sheltered Lives
By Alyssa Sheinmel
Atria, January 20, 2026, 288pp.

The Short of It:

Such Sheltered Lives had its moments, but ultimately too many characters affected its flow.

The Rest of It:

Tucked among the pristine beaches and lavish manors of the Hamptons sits Rush’s Recovery, a rehabilitation center where ultra-high net worth clients can seek treatment away from prying eyes and paparazzi. ~ the publisher

The center’s patients masquerading as guests:

Lord Edward of Essex, a British aristocrat fighting his black-sheep status and a painful addiction.
Amelia Blue Harris, the daughter of a 90s rock legend struggling with an eating disorder.
Florence Bloom, a pop star trying to lay low after her latest tabloid scandal.

All of these guests are promised high-end care in a luxury setting; the BEST that money can buy. Each have their own therapist assigned to them, 24/7 but as good as this sounds, things are not what they seem.

For one, it’s easy for these guests to imbibe on their addictions. Lord Edward exists on his pocketed pain pills, Amelia starves herself or binges and then forces herself to get rid of all of it and Florence is just a mess, sleeping around and making bad choices. All this, while under 24/7 supervision. What gives?

Each of these characters have compelling reasons for being there but the author lost me with the alternating chapters and revealing a backstory that just didn’t strike me as being realistic. The creeping around and fraternizing with staff seemed inserted for drama, more than story flow. I didn’t care for any of these characters. I love a good flawed character but these characters don’t learn much and just seem to stumble along.

Sadly, I can’t recommend this one. Even the title doesn’t fit the story. They really aren’t sheltered at all. Had the author chosen to focus on one or two of the patients and not woven in that unrealistic backstory about the center itself, the story would have been better for it.

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

Dear Debbie
By Freida McFadden
Poisoned Pen Press, January 27, 2026, 336pp.

The Short of It:

Whoa, Nellie. What a wild ride.

The Rest of It:

Debbie is a small town advice columnist whose career is going nowhere. Like, really nowhere. Most of the “advice” she provides can only be saved to a private file because it’s NSFW or life. I am being slightly dramatic. Her advice is GREAT but probably not legal. When she finds herself let go, she doesn’t immediately panic since her husband Cooper is the real breadwinner anyway.

But…Cooper’s career is a real mess too. Desperate for a promotion but really, really not wanting to ask for one, he is left without a choice when Debbie tells him to go in there and demand what he wants. This doesn’t end well.

While their careers hang in the balance, other things hit the fan like their eldest daughter’s loser boyfriend causing trouble, and their younger daughter getting kicked off the soccer team. An athlete with incredible talent. Debbie is appalled and goes off the rails dealing with all of it. That’s the thing with Debbie, you really don’t want to be on the wrong side of her.

Debbie is a real go-getter so when her husband isn’t, it’s easy as a reader to read between the lines when other people get involved. Let me tell you though, McFadden pulls some surprising punches that I did not see coming. It’s wild!! I read one chapter again, just to be sure I was understanding it correctly.

This is a fun, dishy read. My first McFadden. If you want a page turner that makes you laugh at loud in places, and gasp in others, then this is the book for you. It took me right out of my day and entertained me in a way I had not been entertained in a while.

Recommend.

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

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