If you are looking for a heart-warming book to give as a Christmas gift this year, look no farther! This story is utterly charming! Ivy Perkins, freshIf you are looking for a heart-warming book to give as a Christmas gift this year, look no farther! This story is utterly charming! Ivy Perkins, fresh from a painful divorce, buys a hundred-year-old farmhouse in the hills of North Carolina sight unseen--a huge leap of faith for her, done with the hope to start a happier chapter of her life.
Four Rose Farm, it is called, for the family who once lived there by the name of Rose. Their furniture and clothes are still there, including a beautiful Santa suit that Ivy discovers in a box on the highest shelf of the bedroom closet. The Roses were well known for their wonderful display of Christmas lights and for dressing up as Santa and Mrs Claus for the children of the town. And in the pocket of the Santa suit, Ivy finds a touching letter written to Santa by a little girl many years ago which now leads Ivy down a path of discovery...and perhaps a better future for her and everyone she meets. This is a lovely story with charming characters, just a perfect for the holiday season.
I received an arc of this novella from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity! ...more
*3 to 3.5 stars for an intriguing story set in London in two timelines.
1791: There is a hidden shop in Bear Alley run by Nella Clavinger, a female apo*3 to 3.5 stars for an intriguing story set in London in two timelines.
1791: There is a hidden shop in Bear Alley run by Nella Clavinger, a female apothecary to whom women can come for help in ridding themselves of troublesome men. Just such a problem brings a young housemaid named Eliza Fanning to the shop on an errand for her mistress.
Present day: Caroline Parcewell and her husband James of Cincinnati, Ohio, are about to celebrate their tenth anniversary with a fabulous trip to London, a gift from her parents, when she discovers he has been cheating on her. Defiantly, she decides to take the trip alone to think about what this means for their future together.
Joining a group of mudlarkers in the Thames, Caroline discovers a small blue vial with a bear etched in the glass. Caroline has an undergraduate history degree and had once thought about attending graduate school at the University of Cambridge. The bottle awakens a sense of curiosity to learn more. First stop: the British Library!
Of the two timelines, the past of course is the most intriguing if somewhat repugnant from a moral standpoint. The requests to Nella for poisonous concoctions seem almost frivolous. Where does the responsibility for murder lie? That aspect of the story really bothered me. Nella supposedly has a line she will not cross, but what will happen when that is put to the test?
And as far as Caroline's dilemma goes, I think many women experience a moment in life where they wonder what would have happened if they'd pursued their youthful dreams instead of settling for the norms of married life. Maybe Caroline can have another chance to get things right.
This is a light, entertaining read that might have been better with a little more depth. Lately there have been several books published with lovely cover art and this is one of them....more
First of all, I have to be one of the few people who have not yet read Kwan's Crazy Rich Asian books so I came to his latest novel with no preconceiveFirst of all, I have to be one of the few people who have not yet read Kwan's Crazy Rich Asian books so I came to his latest novel with no preconceived notions or expectations and cannot make any comparisons to his other novels.
Lucie Tang Churchill (age 19) attends the fabulous destination wedding of a friend on the isle of Capri and falls in lust with a handsome and multi-talented fellow named George Zao. They are caught in an embarrassing position and Lucie is whisked away by her chaperone of sorts, cousin Charlotte. They don't see each other again for the next five years and when they finally do, Lucie is engaged to marry a wealthy NY socialite named Cecil. But is he the right man for her? "He's in love with the social media impression of you, how you enhance his brand. It's all about sex and vanity to him, nothing else!"
Because Lucie is 'hapa'--half Chinese, half WASP--the story touches on racial prejudices towards Asians in this country. Lucie's father's family traces its roots back to the Mayflower and she has always felt judged by them for looking 'Asian' like her mother while her brother has their father's looks. The family makes those little comments that seem nice on the surface but have a slight sting to them, if one is at all sensitive.
While on the one hand this is a fun, easy-reading romantic comedy about some ridiculously rich people devoted to conspicuous consumption, it makes one ache for our society and what it has become--at least for the top 1%ers. I have to say, I quickly grew tired of reading about them: all the name dropping (complete with footnotes, no less), what schools they went to, what designer clothes they wear, their network of social connections and especially their shallow little problems. A well-written book that maybe just wasn't the right fit for me in these particularly stressful times.
I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thanks for the opportunity....more
A different take on the story of women's experiences during WWII--this time from a woman who reluctantly becomes 'a horizontal collaborator' to survivA different take on the story of women's experiences during WWII--this time from a woman who reluctantly becomes 'a horizontal collaborator' to survive.
The story is set in two timelines and settings: Paris in the 40s and NYC in the 50s. During the war, Charlotte runs a bookstore while caring for her baby daughter, Vivi. One frequent customer visiting the store is a German officer named Julian Bauer who is a doctor. When Vivi becomes ill, he begins to bring food and medicine, and one thing leads to another...
After the war, Charlotte finds a sponsor to bring her and her daughter to NYC where she works for a large publishing house as an editor. But she carries a lot of baggage with her including some guilty secrets.
The focus of this story is quite narrow and more of a romance than I had expected. Perhaps not surprisingly, anti-semitism rears its ugly head even in 50s America.
I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks....more
This was purportedly a thriller that turned out to be not so much of one. A little disappointing in that regard. To me it was more about female relatiThis was purportedly a thriller that turned out to be not so much of one. A little disappointing in that regard. To me it was more about female relationships. And that age-old bitchy adage that 'her success somehow diminishes my own' that has kept so many women from succeeding in their careers. (Do a poll on how many American women would ever vote for a woman to be president and see.)
Margot is the beautiful, thin, and very stylish fashion editor of Haute Magazine in London who is pregnant with her first child. She suggests a young freelancer named Maggie to take over the reins when she goes on maternity leave. The only problem is that Maggie turns out to be too good at the job!
Margot's other problem is that her best friend Winnie from school years has dumped her after the tragic loss of her own baby and Margot has no idea why...or could it have something to do with what they did to their friend Helen so many years ago? And who is the nasty internet troll who is picking on Margot, using the avatar 'HelenKnows'?
All in all, this is a pleasant chic-lit novel with good character development and a nice twist ending. You can't help but feel bad for Margot and all she is going through during a time when she should be so happy--so much of it is of her own doing, stemming from her mental angst. The story is told from multiple points of view of the three main women in the story: Margot, Maggie and Winnie. Whose version of the story should the reader believe?
I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions. Many thanks for the opportunity....more
**Adriana Trigiani is hosting the National Literary Festival at St Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN on November 8 & 9, 2019: https://www.saintmarys.edu/**Adriana Trigiani is hosting the National Literary Festival at St Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN on November 8 & 9, 2019: https://www.saintmarys.edu/LiteraryFe....**
This is a heart-warming novel with a strong central character, Ave Maria Mulligan. She considers herself the town spinster but in reality she is just too busy holding everything together to worry about love even though it is staring her in the face. Very charming and witty story. I am looking forward to reading more in the series....more
*4+ stars. At 36, Drue Campbell's life has fallen apart: her mother has passed away; her long-time boyfriend has left her; she's lost her job as a ser*4+ stars. At 36, Drue Campbell's life has fallen apart: her mother has passed away; her long-time boyfriend has left her; she's lost her job as a server at a beach bar in Fort Lauderdale; and she's recovering from a knee injury that has ended her competitive kite-boarding career.
At her mother's funeral her estranged father offers her a life-line--to take a job with his law firm in St Petersburg, FL. She just might be desperate enough to accept. She's also thrilled to learn she has inherited her grandparents' old cottage on Sunset Beach from her mother. It's pretty ramshackle but is filled with lots of warm, happy memories from her youth, and she dreams of fixing it up once she gets some cash.
She's not so thrilled to learn that her 'frenemy' Wendy from their middle school years is now married to her father and is the office manager at his law firm. It looks like Wendy plans to ride her relentlessly, hoping she'll quit, and Drue wonders if being a cubicle monkey, answering the 'Justice' hotline all day, is the right job for her anyway.
But investigating just might be. Drue is interested in two cases she comes across: one at work involving the murder of a young hotel worker; and the other, a cold-case she reads about in clippings she finds in her grandparents' attic. She is dogged in her pursuit of answers, even when everyone around her tells her to drop her investigations, especially the local homicide detective.
This story is equal parts intriguing and charming. Drue is a feisty, gutsy young woman whom you can't help but cheer for. Loved the beach setting and wouldn't mind owning something just like Coquina Cottage, watching some of those amazing sunsets! The book's cover design fits the story perfectly.
This is my first taste of this author's work and it won't be my last! A nice mixture of click-lit, summer beach read and mystery. Highly recommend. As an added bonus, there are delicious-sounding recipes included at the book's end, perfect for summer entertaining. Who could ask for more?
I received an arc of this new mystery from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. I'm very grateful for the opportunity. It was nice to escape this cold, wet Illinois spring and spend some time at the beach....more
Nina is one of the most delightful characters I've had the pleasure to encounter in a story in recent days. She's twenty-nine, *4.5 stars rounded up!
Nina is one of the most delightful characters I've had the pleasure to encounter in a story in recent days. She's twenty-nine, single, and works in a bookstore. She's sassy and an introvert who loves books--they are her main interest--but she's also terrific at trivia games and the collector of useless factoids.
She thinks she has her life together and organized until suddenly things start happening that kick up her anxiety level: she learns her father has died, a man whose identity was kept from her, and now she has gone from being a single child with an absent photo-journalist mother to having family galore; and she's decided she doesn't have time for a boyfriend in her life...until she meets Tom. Such complications in an orderly life!
Calling all book lovers! This novel is charming, heart-warming and absolutely hilarious! And did I mention there's lots about books, my favorite topic?
I received an arc of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. And my honest review is that I loved this book! I've read three books by Abbi Waxman and enjoyed them all but this is by far my favorite. Highly recommend....more
*3.5 stars rounded up. This is the pick for my library's Reader's Roundtable group read for January, 2019, to kick off the new year and is Waxman's de*3.5 stars rounded up. This is the pick for my library's Reader's Roundtable group read for January, 2019, to kick off the new year and is Waxman's debut novel. I have previously read her second novel, Other People's Houses, and enjoyed that one, and looked forward to reading this story with great anticipation.
Through the first thirty pages or so, I have to admit I was thinking, Boy, she is trying way too hard to be funny! But Waxman finally settles into her story, which is about a young widow with two daughters, still struggling with her grief over her husband's gruesome death after nearly four years.
All of Waxman's characters are delightful and likable...well, except perhaps for her mother, who has mastered the art of the nasty zinger. Abbi's writing is insightful as she addresses several personal issues: mainly grief and when/how to move on after a loss, but also the dynamics of sibling relationships, dealing with a narcissistic mother, and raising children alone.
Lil and her sister and children attend a Saturday gardening class for six weeks and meet several interesting people. One lesson they learn along the way is that you can't judge a book by its cover--or people by their appearance.
The plot was perhaps a little lame--you could see where this story was going to go by its title--but it was a very poignant, warm-hearted and fun read, told with lots of humor. As Lilian says: "Laughter was the thing that held me together, sarcastic comments and stupid jokes." I actually know a couple who got through the wife's last days of ovarian cancer with humor and jokes. He said: "Damn, Woman, are you going to leave me to deal with a Trump presidency alone?" And she responded, "You better believe it, Mister! I'm outta here!" God bless her soul!
PS: As a bit of counterpoint: my book club universally dismissed this book as being too 'lightweight,' the characters stereotypical, and thought the subject of grief was handled too flippantly but agreed that how one deals with grief is a personal matter. They did like the sibling relationship between Lil and Rachel and found that authentic but thought the characters in general could have been developed more fully. So there you go....more
I would say this book touches just about every heartstring. Have the tissues handy! The main theme is about weight issues and*4-4.5 stars = very good!
I would say this book touches just about every heartstring. Have the tissues handy! The main theme is about weight issues and self-loathing and how other people judge those who are seen as overweight. But it is also about friendship, love and family, about stepping out of one's comfort zone to truly live life fully--no matter one's size, shape or looks.
Three young girls, Emerson, Georgia and Marley, meet at a summer weight-loss camp for teens and become fast friends. Fast-forward 15 years and find the women gathered at Emerson's hospital bed. She now weighs 600 pounds and is dying with all of her organs shutting down from the strain but she has an envelope she wants to give her friends to read after her death. Inside is the list they all wrote their final summer at the camp with all the things they'd like to do WHEN they were thin, WHEN their life would finally begin.
Georgia and Marley decide they will try to honor their friend by doing those things now, not waiting to be the perfect size. And guess what? This begins to change their lives. The story is told by both Georgia and Marley through alternating chapters, with heartbreaking journal entries from Emerson sprinkled here and there.
According to news reports, most Americans have health issues caused by overeating, lack of exercise and poor food choices but what are the underlying reasons behind this? This story examines several: such as ethnic family eating habits, grief, mental, physical and sexual abuse, criticism, emotional-eating, loneliness and even why some might enable unhealthy eating.
This story is told with such humor and warmth that I didn't even mind that it is chic-lit and a bit of a romance to boot. I just loved these people! I even had a few aha moments and shed a few tears. Maybe the ending was a little too 'feel good' to be realistic but what the heck, the romantic in me enjoyed it immensely. :)
One has to wonder though if either woman would have been attracted to an obese man. All their crushes were on hunks. That was one weight issue that wasn't touched upon in this book.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a paper arc of this enjoyable book in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more of Kristan Higgins' work....more
When Jordan Hanley at St Martin's Press offered me the chance to read an arc of this new book that she called 'the feel good read of 2018,' I wrote baWhen Jordan Hanley at St Martin's Press offered me the chance to read an arc of this new book that she called 'the feel good read of 2018,' I wrote back to say that I don't usually read romantic fiction, but it did sound good so I would accept. I'm very happy I did.
Margaret has always had a fear of flying but her boyfriend Chip insists on taking her up in a plane he's just learned to fly as a surprise for Valentine's Day. She is hoping he will pop the question...and he does, mere moments before he crashes the plane. He walks away unscathed but Margaret is both burned and paralyzed. Will she be able to recover and pick up the pieces of her dream life?
She has a grumpy Scottish physical therapist who demands a lot of her. He tells her, "It's the trying that heals you. That's all you have to do. Just try." Nothing goes smoothly--for Margaret or her family--but lessons are learned along the way.
This is an utterly charming, well-written story that is a nice change of pace from some of the heavier things we all read. The characters are interesting, likable, and flawed...in other words, real people.
Thanks again to Jordan @St Martin's for nudging me to take a chance on this book....more
Would you believe that this is my first book by author Sophie Kinsella?! I own a few of her Shopaholic series that I picked up at librar*Romance week!
Would you believe that this is my first book by author Sophie Kinsella?! I own a few of her Shopaholic series that I picked up at library sales but haven't gotten around to reading any yet.
This is a standalone book and starts off well with lots of laughs. Sylvie and Dan Winter, both aged thirty-two, visit a new doctor for their physical. He jokingly tells them that because they are in such good health, there is a good chance they will live to be 100 or beyond, meaning they could be married for 68 more years. Sixty-eight more years?! To the same person?! That sends them both into a tizzy!
What can they do to keep their marriage fresh for that long? "We need surprises. That's what we need. Surprises." But as Sylvie's best friend and next-door neighbor Tilda tells her, "Surprises have a bad habit of going wrong."
And things do start going wrong: Sylvie's happy life starts to unravel. How well does she really know Dan? Is he keeping secrets? Is their happy marriage a sham?
The last half of the book takes a much more serious turn. Sylvie relates this story in first person narrative, auto-correcting herself as she does, so it's interesting to watch the rather spoiled Sylvie grow as a person and challenge herself in her marriage, her job and some of her fundamental beliefs. She learns the correctness of the Latin proverb "vincit qui se vincit: she conquers who conquers herself."
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of this fun new book....more
First of all, I'd like to thank Elisha Katz at Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an arc paperback copy of this new book which will be on First of all, I'd like to thank Elisha Katz at Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an arc paperback copy of this new book which will be on sale 4/3/18. This novel is a delight: witty, laugh-out-loud funny, insightful and even a little painful at times.
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors? How well do we really know other people: our neighbors, our friends, even our own spouses and children?
Frances Bloom is the carpool mom for the seven kids from four families in her suburban L.A. neighborhood. One day she walks into her neighbor's house unannounced to pick up a forgotten school project and discovers her friend Anne in a compromising situation. What happens next? Can something this big be kept secret? And if not, what will it mean for this family and ultimately all the families in the neighborhood, as each examines their own relationships?
Waxman gives the reader much to think about as she delves into these four marriages. Can one be unfaithful sexually but still love a partner and want to stay in a marriage? Do one's responsibilities always come before personal happiness? Can trust ever be rebuilt once it has been destroyed?
And when it comes to one's children, especially teenagers, how much privacy should they be afforded in their search for self?
Some pretty weighty topics but the author handles these and others with compassion, insightfulness and a lot of humor. I found myself laughing hard and sharing outrageous bits with my husband on several occasions. Waxman can be so irreverent! I predict you will enjoy meeting the neighbors of Larchmont as seen through her eyes....more
Escape to Door County, WI this summer for a delightful, light-hearted romance with a little touch of magical realism. The setting is Idun's Apple OrchEscape to Door County, WI this summer for a delightful, light-hearted romance with a little touch of magical realism. The setting is Idun's Apple Orchard, owned by the same family since 1870. Currently it is being operated by 70-year-old Einars Lund and his daughter, Sanna, who is determined to craft a line of delicious hard ciders. Sanna sees flavors as colors and loves experimenting to get the right 'shade.' Dad has gone way into debt buying new equipment for the processing but so far it hasn't paid off.
The vultures are hovering in the form of rich developers who want to buy the property and turn it into a theme park, Wild Water Works. Einars' son Anders is pushing him to accept their multimillion-dollar offer. But sell their home, their family legacy and see some of the ancient trees plowed under? Unthinkable!
But for now, Einars has hired some summer help in the form of Isaac Banks, a handsome man from California, traveling with his 10-year-old son, Sebastian (Bass). Isaac has a secret he is trying to keep from his son that may explode in his face.
As a web designer, can Isaac come up with a way to increase Idun's business, enough to keep them afloat? And who is trying to sabotage things in the orchard?
The Lunds and friends are interesting characters you'll enjoy getting to know. The touch of magical realism adds an interesting element to the story. I just wish I could taste some of Sanna's craft cider; it sounds so intriguing and delicious! I'll just have to be satisfied with the recipe for Caramel Apple Bread Pudding which is included--I cannot wait to try it come fall.
I was thrilled to win a paperback copy of this book in a giveaway from the publisher. Many thanks to them!...more
BAM (Post-menopausal grandma for Harris)
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