The lives of six university friends weave, wobble, and solidify over several years and six weddings. Tash, Adam, and Hayden (a girl) met early on as freshman and became best friends and more. Jude was the handsome and anti-commitment one Hayden loved from a distance for years. Ross loved Caro. Johnny drank too much. Tash and Adam married and had Lottie. The story of the friends is a moving one.
A perfectly engaging romance with several funny scenes and endearing characters.
Wowza! This story is hot and spicy from the get go-bar meet hook up in Spokane with no names exchanged to an “Oh, no, it’s you” in Marietta. Crazy thing is neither Addy nor Carson want any relationship. Plus, she works as a decluttering guru and he is a messy guy. Can chemistry combined with a very strong pull overcome their hangups?
Terrific cowboy romance coupled with underhanded crimes on a Montana ranch. The ranch is being leased by sisters and the new owner, by way of an inheritance, is seriously considering selling it. Damages to the ranch begin to happen out of the blue at the same time as a sale is being considered. Lil, the rancher, starts to make Jordan, the rancher, rethink selling. Theirs is a slowly developing relationship, which I enjoy. The mystery of the crimes keeps you guessing until the end.
Relationships, frayed or stretched to the limit, are the heart of this story. Sisters with a long term estrangement are finally forced to see each other after several years. A daughter with a wedding days away is struggling with doubts, some of them caused by her clingy mother. The Swiss Alps are the background for this wonderful family novel.
A wonderful cozy romance that will tug on your heartstrings. The sadness of both Grace and Noah slowly begins its re[air, helped along by her silent six year old, Jacob, and Noah’s home caretaker, Isaiah. Progressing along, starting and stopping is love on an isolated Maine island.
A touching and romantic cozy romance of three sisters and their mother all at difficult times. Ansley, the mother, is shocked when her husband proposes a move. Caroline falls for a famous actor to the chagrin of her almost ex-husband. Slone, pregnant, is trying to deal with several long delays in her home renovation. Emerson wants to be pregnant to no avail. The tightness and closeness of the sisters’ and mother’s relationships drives this delightful story.
I found this to be an incredible novel tracing the decisions of mothers and daughters and how broken links can often be repaired. At the center of the story is postpartum psychosis, a mental illness that rarely but does affect women. It is what drove Eloise Ambrose to abandon her two month old daughter and disappear, seemingly lost in the rubble of the twin towers disaster. The story traces her life, the life of her daughter, and the events of her daughter’s husband as the story unfolds.
True to the topics Ms Picoult often chooses, postpartum psychosis is not widely known, even though it is devastating to its victims. Please do not skip the author’s note as it contains valuable information as well as how she developed the story.
On the onset, I admit that I am a fan of this author. His Cork O’Connor mysteries are fabulous. They include such interesting information on Native American lore and language. In this novel, the O’Connor men with one young son along with their friend and his son embark on a canoe trip through lakes in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northern Minnesota. His son and grandson have had similar visions about Cork that unsettle him and might point to a heart problem. As the trip begins, criminal activity begins to be apparent. Cork sends the rest of his party home as he searches for a friend canoe guide in the wilderness. A sinister pair of brothers are causing mayhem involving murder, beatings, and danger. Cork begins a journey of a man grappling with his inner demons as the danger increases.
I really enjoyed this witchy novel of goddesses, a teen witch cult/coven, and a sweet romance. The back and forth between Francesca (Frankie) and Ashrad (Ash) is priceless and so entertaining. It buffers the strange and ugly happenings of the teen cult/coven on an island near to Frankie’s and Ash’s homes. Such a great story to engage you.
A fairy tale in current time. After swimming in the local natural pools, five people turn into birds. The lore of the pools is strange and true. One of the new birds was the boyfriend of a girl whose home life is simply sad. Her sister is also transformed along with her best friend and a couple of women. The girl refuses to give up on her boyfriend and searches for a way to turn him back. A quirky story.
Cowboy romance filled with the ups and downs of a young woman’s heart. Lauren has had thirteen failed romances chronicled as the story unfolds. Rhen is the cowboy she meets in a comical way which leads to a volunteer job, an apartment, and lots of heart/soul searching. Young love described at its best-the thrills, the heart flutterings, and the agony of breakups.
Such a delightful cozy romance. Love is slowly building for two people with terrible childhoods. She was abandoned at birth and lived in foster homes. No one adopted her because of a pre-existing heart condition. Her love of astronomy carried her along through life. He lived hand to foot with a vagrant father, never having a real home or any security. Trust was absent for him until they met and love grew.
A lovely and touching story of love, of change, and of a second chance. The characters of Billie, Mick, Phoebe, and Dean are carefully crafted to relay their emotions and personalities, struggles and acceptance. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel.
Strange Bedfellows is a very strange and weird novel. There is a cat who changes to a girl and back as the familiar for a guy who is clueless but ardent. Then, there is a witch and her dog familiar (a guy) that shows up and everything goes haywire. A lot of spicy stuff and it feels really weird when it is the dog as a man and the cat woman. The story was a little too strange for me.
Stories that enchant you and bring you into a place where magic abounds are so fun to read. This is Ms. Allen’s specialty and Paper Ghosts does not disappoint. Occurrences of ghosts, deep disappointments, hidden secrets, and backstabbing friends unite to create a tale of love and loss, of the chance to rectify errors. Another terrific novel to enjoy.
This novel-oh my goodness. It is so emotional and heart hitting. The relationships are well defined and very deep. The mistakes of a father, long grieving his wife, unable to be a relatable father-loving his son but not knowing how. Nori and Sophie-friends since young, understanding each other yet not. I cried most of the way through the novel because of the heartache of the story and of the many missing chances. It was a good cry from feeling the story. Excellent novel.
I found this novel to be very sad and borderline depressing. The life of Paulette is fraught with bad decisions and heartache. She carries grief for years from the accidental death of her married lover, has a baby with his best friend, and lives her life moving from one mistake to another. Her treatment as a Black woman in 1970’s England is reflective of the racism of the age and the hardness of life in a predominantly white area. The last chapter was a tearjerker.
An undelivered and returned to sender letter draws three grieving persons together on a journey across the country to deliver the letter to the intended. The story is a heartfelt and tender look at grief which has impacted two sisters (one fourteen years old) and a stranger on this quest. Along the way, feelings are evident as healing begins. Add in an unexpected romance and it is a very touching and often uplifting novel.
Just as a side comment, if you have ever experienced the type of grief that steals your Joy and strikes at any moment months or years later, the emotions of the characters will ring very true, as they did for me.
A romance sparked by magic, vexes, and spice. A relationship starting with contention and distrust is so cute and often funny. Lucy and Grayson are at different ends when it comes to his grandfather, the owner of the bookstore where Lucy is manager. He has not communicated with his grandfather for twenty years and during that time, Lucy has become very endeared to the grandfather. Grayson wants to correct the distance and envies Lucy’s relationship. Sparks and chemistry between them muddies the water.
The injustices and horrors of crimes and of racism are recounted in a story of a Texas Ranger, a Reconstruction Quaker school teacher, and the trial of a murdering gang in Corpus Christi. The dialog is reflective of the time as is the furor of racist mobs and the inequality of justice. A great historic novel.
The tumultuous and very challenging and changing lives of teens at a prestigious private high school is the setting for the novel. Characters from The Academy novel continue into their senior year joined by some new students and staff. The engaging story flows similar to Elin Hilderbrand novels and utilizes dialog, thoughts, and the voice of a narrator.
Fun and engaging novel. So enjoyable to read as the pages are filled with oddball neighbors in a brownstone in Calgary. Main character, Moma, has her own definitions of each resident as she has never interacted with them. When she is tasked with being the temporary manager, she reevaluates her definitions and finds there is more to the people than she imagined. Plus, there is a budding love with Sami, the restaurant owner next door.
A funny cozy mystery about a dog crazy town, a group of critical dog moms, a savvy septuagenarian crime reader, an outcast woman, and murder. The outcast woman is cast as the villain by the town because of her outspoken behavior. She teams up with the septuagenarian and antics ensue as they set out to solve the murder.
Cuteness is all through this charming romance between an ex-special forces cowboy and a princess on a Wyoming ranch. She is as awed by the beauty of the area as he is of her. His duty is to protect her and enlivens the definite chemistry they share.
A longtime, unsolved death of a young vagrant brings two once loves together as the case is reopened. She is now the sheriff and is determined not to let the relationship taint the case as he was present at the location where the youth died. Long time yearning for each other is hard to resist in this terrific mystery/romance.
A uniquely interesting and alluring novel. The idea of dying and receiving a second chance at life is intriguing. Joey gets the chance when she dies at thirty-two and requests to go back to her freshman year at college. It was a pivotal year for love that never panned out. Does she get what she desires or does fate have another idea?
Excitement abounds when three people trapped in a castle in the 1700s are joined by several times over granddaughter of the earl of the castle. Their tough task is to somehow figure out what they need to do to return to current time. A pleasurable novel.
An engrossing story of a deceased mother communicating with her daughter on the office Stack account. Daughter Ruby is determined to find a way to rescue her mother from an eternity on Stack. She tries all manner of things to untrap her. Her attempts lead to dating her boss-a charmer but up to something. She also reconnects with her longtime crush/friend and becomes involved in a secret plot at work. A very inviting story.
A marvelous story of the budding relationship of a burnt out ER nurse and a man seeking his own path. Mae, an ER nurse from Chicago, relocates to Pine Harbor, Maine, to find relief from her years in ER. Jonah, a Pine Harbor born, is trying to escape from his critical mother’s expectations and find his own path in life. They meet on a snowy night and enchantment draws them together.
An adorably wonderful story that takes place in a delightful Irish town on the Irish SEa. Kerryanne left Boston, her work, and her supposed fiance in a rapid departure to work out things in her life. She travelled to Sandycove, a place she had been to but never stayed. The death of her best friend plus exaggerated stipulations to marriage from her fiance has caused her to question everything. Sandycove proves to be just what she needs-new friends, a business proposition, and a chance at real love.
Cowboy Rory and nurse Millie are perfect for each other but all she wants is a favor-one night with him to free herself from her virginity. Rory is a gentleman and seeks more than one night. Amid a family mystery and lore about a silver mine and an heirloom necklace, they begin to bond. Will Millie be willing to consider more or is her mind set? A sweet and engaging romance.
This is an absolutely fabulous novel. The complicated relationship of a mother-in-law and her son-in-law undergo a journey through tremendous changes in understanding and in relating to each other when he is tasked with caring for her after a bad fall. Their preconceived and biased notions are examined under intense scrutiny during the eight days together. Some very humorous exchanges ensue.
Cassidy has returned home upon completion of college and is hoping for a job three hours away from the desires of her mother for her to stay on the ranch. She once had a huge crush on Farley but blew it royally. With the diagnosis of a sickness in one of the horses, vet Farley is the doctor they call and Cassidy is tasked with the day to day care. This puts her in often direct contact with him and she still feels so much for him. Sparks are flying but her determination to leave the ranch crimps the relationship. Career or love?
A family of three brothers wholly accepts a half-brother they were unaware of and a local horse woman welcomes him into his arms. Renn, seeking to meet the family he knew about but never met when Miranda walks into him and sparks fly. Their romance is lust and spice filled as they navigate the waters of a relationship. A spicy, good romance.
A captivating story of mothers and daughters displaying conflict and extreme dislike through four generations. Valerie is a career mathematician in an era of glass ceilings. Unwed and pregnant, she left her daughter, Shayla, to be raised by the trusted housekeeper. Shayla, a flighty girl/woman, treated her own daughter, Bess, with hatred after Valerie left her fortune to her. Bess leaves home as soon as she is able, leaving her brain-injured brother and twin sister in the care of their drug-using parents and housekeeper.
Written in duel timelines, the story moves from Valerie to Bess, recounting their decisions and the subsequent repercussions.
A sweet read of relationships, of struggles, and of second chances. The scene is a family inn on Cape Cod in desperate need of a financial infusion in order to stay open. Granddaughter Holly is given the summer by her grandmother to prove her meddle and to turn things around. Characters Greta and Linus add flavor to the story while Holl’s still loved ex-boyfriend Ben adds romance.
A definite good beach read.
The Wild West is alive in Burning Scrub, MT, a millionaire’s play set for wealthy lovers of the west. Malika was brought there by her wealthy brother to teach her a lesson. Enter handsome cowboy, Jayce, scripted by the amusement park town to be her protector. Malika ia a hoot espousing old age spousal sexual wisdom and turning Jayce’s head. A romance with western flavor and a comical roster of player participants.
An engaging story of mothers and daughters, of love and loss, and of life at it unfolds and changes over a summer on Nantucket. Lily repairs to home on the island after losing her job and her love, Henry. Rose, her mother, is ready to move on from her job by opening her own psychotherapy office. Both are in the beginnings of change bringing new love and a second chance.
A spicy romance of intense attraction between a law enforcement officer in hiding and a woman recovering from a cheating, debt ridden ex-husband. She is in Lost Lake to reclaim her life for herself and her young daughter. A mixup in her cabin reservation brings the two determined minds to odds but chemistry is hard to avoid.
An absolutely engrossing novel of fractured relationships, of pirates, island lore, and hidden treasure, and of second chances at romance. The relationship of Ben and Lucy is enchanting and from a teenage romance that ended at odds. They have a chance to recapture their love but so many problems stand in the way. Delightfully adding to the story is Lucy’s seven year old precocious daughter who fills the pages with intelligence beyond her years.
A mystery to solve combined with some great humor. An AA sponsor is receiving scary notes and turns to one of her sponsees and her crime lawyer boss to take the case. A hazy past of drugs and petty crime follows the victim and might lead to the person writing the cryptic notes. A great read with many interesting characters.
This novel was completely not something I enjoyed at all.The characters represented portrayal of emotions to the extreme: vitriolic language, vacillating reactions, over abundance of anger and the like. The ending felt over simplified and too rosy for the harsh reactions that preceded it. There was a huge lack of downtime between scenes to allow the reader to breath and to temper the harshness.
Two brothers, a sister and their father unite on their former family vacation island to remember their mother/wife, recently deceased. The siblings all carry personal baggage that overtakes their time and actions. Everything goes haywire for all of them as the personal problems cannot be avoided.
An oddly engaging novel.
Christina Lauren writes fabulous books with wonderful characters and very engaging story lines. The Romance Revival is no exception. A deeply secretive research doctor developed a compound with the power to resurrect something or someone who died within a short time period. She daringly uses it on her husband when he is killed by a hit and run driver. Their relationship unfolds anew as he has no memories of before being resurrected. A truly engaging story.
The Cowboy Point stories so far are simply wonderful. The writing is to the point expressive-emotion definitely and perfectly overshadowed by character felt fact. It was delightful to read the relationship developing between Kitty and Finn. Both are wounded souls by their childhood experiences. Kitty has a dilemma to solve and marriage to Finn should solve it. Kitty really wants Finn to hold to the marriage contract but Finn, not so much. Totally captivating story.
A sweet and touching story about starting over after life implodes. Claire was happily married to Ellis until he surprised her with a divorce request, a lover, and the lover’s pregnancy. Claire had just learned she was also pregnant. She and her teen daughter, Lily, leave Manhattan and return to Claire’s childhood home in Nantucket. Life begins to improve for both Claire and Lily as the days and months pass. A very enjoyable story.
The charming and colorful atmosphere of Valencia, Spain is center of the story of a searching for herself. Dahlia is recovering from a divorce and dealing with deep feelings of being lost to herself. She reconnects with family in Spain and finds a whole new world while still battling her new future. She meets expatt Liam and life becomes confusing yet truly enjoyable. A nice hug from a novel.
