Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy of Matthew Klam's novel, Who is Rich?, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Rich Fischer is a graphic novelist who achieved acclaim early in his career. His success was limited and now, middle-aged, he is trying to get his art career back on track. Rich teaches at a summer retreat, where he looks forward to reconnecting with Amy, a painter with whom he is having an affair. Both Amy and Rich are married with young children and both are unhappy in their relationships. They fantasize about running away from their spouses, but neither is willing to take action. Amy is married to an extremely wealthy businessman and although she is unhappy, she does not want for anything else. Rich is not wealthy, he has the trappings of a middle-class life that he is struggling to maintain paycheck-to-paycheck. He envies Amy's financial freedom and the success of his peers. What does it mean to be rich? How does focusing on what you lack make you feel poorer?

LIKE- I liked the concept of Who is Rich?. The themes of envy are very relatable and Rich is a relatable character. I'm not sure that I personally connected to him, but I have people in my life who are similar to Rich. Specifically, I see Rich's flaws and hang-ups in a few people that I know. I liked the setting of an art retreat, with a large cast of colorful secondary characters. Klam has created a vibrant world and he has fabulous descriptions.

Although I disagree that this story was a comedy, Klam has written some witty phrases and observations that made me crack a smile. There were many times that I paused to admire his writing or even to read aloud a paragraph to feel the pacing.

I liked that Klam used illustrations in his novel. It was a great fit for his protagonist's profession and the pictures were a fun inclusion.

The title is wonderful play on both the theme and the protagonist's name.

DISLIKE- On a whole, I didn't connect with the story. It was sluggish and a chore to read. I actually read several books in-between, rather than reading Who is Rich? straight through. If this had not been a review copy, I likely would not have finished reading it. The story does pick up pace in the last 10% of the book, when Rich has a major moral dilemma regarding a pair of earrings. I wish the stakes/drama had been more intense earlier in the story.

RECOMMEND- No. Who is Rich? was not my cup of tea. That said, I liked Klam's writing enough that I plan to check-out his previously published short story collection, Sam The Cat. I have a feeling that Klam might really shine in a shorter format.

Having "discovered" British novelist Jojo Moyes last year, I've been eager to work my way through her books. My latest read is her generation sweeping epic, The Last Letter from Your Lover.

In the 1960's Jennifer Stirling has been in a car wreck and suffers memory loss. She returns home from an extended stay in the hospital to her emotionally abusive husband. Soon, she discovers evidence of her own infidelity prior to the accident and begins to piece together the puzzle of her former life.

Fast forward to 2003, journalist Ellie Haworth is struggling. She has been having a year-long affair with a married man and she has a new boss who is a tyrant. Ellie's perspective is about to be altered when she discovers a series of love letters in the library of the news office. As she hunts for the owner of the letters, she begins to question the sanity and stability of her own love life.

On the surface, this is a story of two love affairs. However, Moyes doesn't write simple stories. The Last Letter from Your Lover is filled with unexpected twists and emotional heartache. Just when I thought that the story was going in a particular direction, Moyes would throw an unanticipated obstacle into the mix. I admire her ability to keep me guessing.

The story had tones of another story that I really admire, Graham Greene's The End of the Affair. What I liked about Greene and Moyes' stories is even though the protagonist are engaging in something morally wrong, you still feel compassion for their situation. Moyes has layered characters. She doesn't simply make Jennifer's husband a tyrant to justify the affair and make you root for Jennifer. She gives you real, concrete reasons to see why their marriage is failing and why Jennifer would find love elsewhere. She doesn't make Jennifer entirely sympathetic. In fact, sometimes I wanted to shake her. Jennifer can be a total bitch. It's Moyes' roundedness that she gives her characters that make them feel authentic and it is what makes the story such a compelling read.

Thematically, I enjoyed reading about Jennifer's lavish world. She is a wealthy woman living in the 1960's in London. Moyes paints the details of her life in high society in a beautiful way. I loved her descriptions of the gorgeous gowns and fancy parties.

There was really nothing that I didn't enjoy about The Last Letter from Your Lover. If anything, it makes me want to start the next Moyes novel on my list. She is a gifted story-teller and I want more!