Finished the first book of the year. Surprisingly good (I had started with the audio, which sadly I had to drop as the English accent for Hugo was killing me. If you watch as much British TV as I do it will irk you, too. Switching to ebook was worth it).

Wonka-esque + puzzles and books instead of candy
Lit fic as opposed to murder mystery
Extremely mild as far as both suspense/romance are concerned 

4 contestants join a reclusive children's book author on an island vying to win the only copy of his next book. This might be Lucy's only chance to turn her life around and get her biggest wish: to be stable enough financially to qualify to adopt a child with whom she has formed a family bond. 

Bonus for me: set on a whimsical island off the coast of Maine, and it rains ⛈️ I loved the setting! Main character occasionally annoying but I found myself rooting for her by midway through the book. 

I docked it 1 full star for not giving Thurl (a domesticated raven 🐦‍⬛) more stuff to do. Missed opportunity IMHO