The Love of Another Life by Emma Cooper

 

An extremely moving novel that at its core is about love and dreams meshing with reality.

Letters to an Alice are delivered to another Alice. The letters from 1985 somehow convey her emotions and situation and lead her on a journey to find the author. More to the center of the story are Alice and her best friend Spence and Mike, the author of the letters, and his best friend Kate. There are similarities in the relationships that unfold as the story proceeds. It is a very stirring and touching novel.

Road Trip to the Riviera by Gillian Harvey

 

A sweet and engaging story of a second chance after twenty years. The teen pregnancy of Sarah and Hal broke them apart, spurned on by her unforgiving mother. A broken leg forces Sarah to ask Hal for a ride to their son’s wedding in France. Hal has planned out a road trip of camping in his old VW camper which creates fun and adventures that bring them to a different reality even as doubts linger.

The Cowboy's Unexpected Family by Nicole Flockman

 

A lovely and captivating story of romance and family. The family is a big problem for a woman who is meeting her biological mother and three half-sisters for the first time. The romance is between her and a (unrealized yet by him) lonely rancher. Lots of tense situations to keep you engaged.

Siren Says by Jennifer Herrera

 

A very interesting novel of witches and the evil that invades a town once a year, of a woman tormented by her trapped magic, and of her relative witch who says she can release the woman’s magic. Confusing at times, the story leaves the reader to determine what exactly is happening. I liked the premise but the story threads were not tight enough to provide consistent cohesion.

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

 

A splendid novel of opposite sisters and a family heritage mystery. The story takes the reader to a small Irish town, rich in lore and tradition. Sisters Maeve and Therese are impelled by circumstances and their deceased mother’s request to travel to Ireland, their mother’s family’s origin. Along the way, they grow an understanding of each other and research the details of a mysterious family owned portrait. 

Musings by Me

 

Boy, I had a run of boring books that drove me nuts. I love getting into all kinds of books (except psychological thrillers) and actually look forward to escaping into the pages. There's nothing like leaving all the weeding in my yard to jump into a far away place, a cowboy romance, a current issue novel or whatever strikes my fancy. I know this happens and when I used to go to the library, I would check out sixteen books to give me back up for the duds. This, thankfully over, run of yawn inducing novels was painful and made me feel like I was on the path to selecting more novels of the DNF category. It even made even weeding the yard a joy and we are on a half acre of rocky soil and belligerent weeds.  Luckily my terrible choices came to an end and lately I've read some good to great  novels. 

I don't know about you but I give a novel at least five chapters to engage me.If I'm not hooked by then, I'm out. There have been a number of novels that I have struggled through because they are advanced readers copies and I feel compelled to give the novel more time. Sometimes, I'm glad because the story turns around and becomes engaging. Thank goodness because time sure drags when I'm trying desperately to find something worthwhile for my time in the story.

Enough of the griping and on to yet another story to capture my mind and take me away.

Forbidden to the Texas Soldier by Julie Benson

 

Wonderful story of love and spicy romance. Dash, a troubled soldier who survived an incident in Afghanistan and in Service for the wedding of one of his mates. When he meets Lainey, the sister of another of his mates, he is taken by her. Unfortunately, she is his mate’s sister and hands off. That does not stop the chemistry between them. Love is not always easy but for Dash and Lainey it does, until it does not.

The Villa of Secrets by Emma Burnstall

 

A novel of self-acceptance and friendship on a Greek island. Three women all seeking self-betterment meet at a wellness retreat in Greece. Their experiences will draw them close and provide revelations about their lives. An enjoyable novel.

Remember Me Always, Cowboy by CJ Carmichael

 

A second chance romance with a twist. Corb and Laurel met when she came to Montana for her best friend’s wedding. They spent a week together culminating in a night of love and passion. But, tragedy struck and Corb cannot remember her after a head injury. She learns she is pregnant by Corb and they begin to traverse the rocky road. A sweet story.

Every Time We Touch by Lucy Mitchell

 

A delightful story of love, relationships, and heartbreak. The sad life of Nelly is the result of what she calls her curse: whenever she touches anyone, the heart breaking ending of their relationship is seen in a vision. The story relates her struggles until she meets Oliver.

The Lake House by Lori Foster

 

Two damaged souls find friendship and love amid a small Kentucky town filled with caring people. Pixie lives with her toddler son and when she meets Brogan and his baby daughter, their futures begin to fuse together.

A very engaging story of friendship, forgiveness, and love.

Summer of Love by Kerri Maher

 

A sweeping novel centers on three related women, two of whom are alcoholics. Sisters Winnie and Miranda were raised on a vineyard in Napa. They have very different relationships with their mother. Miranda is the golden child. Winnie is the trouble one. While Miranda stays on the winery ranch, Winnie leaves for San Francisco during the free love and drugs era. Dawn is Miranda’s daughter and also an alcoholic who is struggling with sobriety. When she reads a fantasy novel, she is convinced it was written by someone who knew their winery intimately. Contained on the pages are the rough roads to recovery and relationship restoration.

The Bull Rider's Baby Surprise by Sinclair Jayne

 

Love Swirls around Madelyn and Cash but neither one is certain of accepting it.Both abandoned as children, love is an illusion. Unexpected baby Bronte is literally thrust upon Cash. Madelyn is AERB intern and tasked with providing the media information on Cash’s new life as a baby daddy. Change becomes the new norm for both Cash and Madelyn as their lives begin to weave around Bronte and each other.

A sweet growing into love story.

Lost in the Summer of '69 by Eliza Knight

 

This is a not to miss novel. It is lyrical in prose, steeped in a history of music and change, and a beautiful relating of the ways people set in the rules of the ‘60s could change. For readers of a certain age, it is a book of nostalgia. For others, a tale of generations gripping hold of a new and different reality. An excellent novel all around.

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan

 

This is a fabulous novel-crime thriller combined with family drama and a horrendous rain storm. The big baddie in town is ruthlessly dead set on buying up land for a lucrative government pipeline project. A hired thug along with his wife and brother in law are way over their heads. A struggling farm is caught in the middle with family members caught in the thugs' grips. Thrilling and chilling.

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester

 

The story of an orphan sent to live with her drug addicted, former movie star aunt at a legendary hotel filled with depravity. It is a story recounting the Hollywood milieu circa late 1950s, a time of wanna be starlets, producers with huge egos and demands of sexual favors, teen girls and women seeking fame and fortune at any cost.

Aria Jones is thrust into the hotel turpitude when her parents tragically die. Her aunt is barely cognizant due to her drug and alcohol use and she is dismissive of Aria. Aria becomes friends with two older girls both seeking fame. Along the way, Aria grows to be a silent witness to the excess at the hotel.

Told in two times, 1950s Aria is a teen and 1960s Aria is turning 21 and prepared to leave the hotel. The effects of her experiences channel her sadness and fears as she ages.

A tale of Hollywood at its worst and of a young girl who sees it all.

Surgeon's Surprise Baby by Eve Gaddy

 

Surgeon’s Surprise Baby 4

Eve Gaddy

Trust, once broken, is very hard if not impossible to rebuild. So it is for Aria when Ryan re-enters the picture. He suddenly left her with no explanation before she found out she was pregnant. She uproots her life in Denver and she with her two month old daughter move to Marietta to find Ryan and inform him of his daughter. He is shocked and all she wants is for him to know her. 

In this endearing story, Ryan must work hard to regain Aria’s trust if a happily ever after  will happen.

The Seaside Book Club by Helen Rolfe

 

Three women connected by a Zoom book club are all at crossroads. Faye, who runs the book club, is seeking respite from the scandal her twin sister caused. Margot is finally fed up with her controlling husband and takes initiative. Bonnie is grieving her husband, a book club member. Meeting each other is the exact thing each of them needs.

Beneath the Orange Blossom by Emma Cowell

 

A touching second chance at love happens over thirty-six years later when it all fell apart. The story relates several joys and events during a vacation two best friends take to recapture their teenage vacation to Greece. One twirled about with wild abandon, the other fell in love. When one encounters her lost love, it is time for the heartbreaking truth that drove them apart. It is a vacation of revelations and of setting new paths.

The May House by Jillian Cantor

 

The lives of three sisters is explored over a forty year period. Once a year in May the sisters reunite in Coronado at their grandmother’s house. The joyous times and critical, complex times unfold, bringing them together or tearing them apart. Chapters rotate between the past and current. A complex family drama.

The Magical Library by Aimee O'Brien

 

A sweet romance. Whitney and Derrick seem so mismatched and with very different ideas about Edwin Hazard, the town of Hazard’s hero. Throw in bids for affordable housing (ne bid belongs to Derrick), the town’s illustrious underground tunnels, and slow changes of the heart and you have a very engaging and magical story.

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison

 

I adore books by Paige Harribison. They are filled with complex characters and plots. In this book, four former friends are called together for the funeral of a mother who wants them to reconcile and reignite their lost friendships. The story is fraught with serious misunderstandings, deep underlying anger, and a need to release the bitterness at long last. 

Engrossing story that will capture you until the very end.

Everything's Grand by Freya Kennedy

 

Life has a way of catching up with you as friends in this engaging story of discover. At forty-seven Laura is discovering her passion and it is no longer being a wife and mother. Beginning a new step by enrolling in university in women’s studies opens her eyes to the home life that has dominated her life. Becca, also forty-seven, has found love again but is wary of moving in with her love, Conal. When a serious event strikes her mother, she is shaken to the core. Both Laura and Becca are aided by their friends in the decisions they have to make.

The Secret House in Orchid Bay by Ann O'Loughlin

 

Lovely cozy story warmly written to delight the reader and the senses. When a young widow learns she has inherited an Irish coast house from her husband, she and her rascal aunt leave America for a whole new world, a world of new friends, a beautiful but needy home, and a quaint Irish town. It is a genuine story of all kinds of love.

Home to the Cowboy

 

Captivating romance full with a yes/no relationship. Dylan grew up with contentious parents and swore off long term relationships. His 

“Yes, I want to be with you” “No, I cannot hack it” attitudes wear on June who has her own insecurities. No telling if the relationship will ever work out.

The only problem I had with the story is that it felt too repetitious and overkill on Dylan’s bouncing around attitude.

Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 

Such a sweet and family driven novel. The dynamics of the Thaysden family are captivating and involved. There is a sad story playing against the story of an abandoned baby whose parents are young and naive. The baby is found in a dumpster and her beginnings are cared for by Julie, a NICU nurse who falls in love with her. The rescuer of the baby is baseball coach Mason Thaysden, handsome and plagued by his wild past. Julie and Mason hit it off, bonded by the baby and their desire to protect her. Add in Aunt Tiley who drifts in and out of reality struggling to stay grounded in the here and now.

A thoroughly delightful story.

The Cowboy's Accidental Bride by Melinda Curtis

 

Lovely cowboy romance between a closed heart man and a woman that has loved him forever. Uncertainties, a belligerent ex, a cute daughter, and a recovering grandmother round out the characters.

Taming the Wild Cowboy by Jeannie Watt

 

A very engaging cowboy romance. I loved the slow burn of love developing along with the fears and problems simmering under the surface.

Five Summers from Now by Michelle Dayton

 

This is a very creative second chance romance. The idea of an event causing a five year gap in two lives and of the particulars of where they are in the future is so engaging. After you read this, check out Every Other New Year’s Eve by Ms. Dayton. Both books are great.

Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens

 

An amazing and magically scary story. It made my bones chill at the very descriptive and dark horror that grips New Orleans magical community. All the strange and scary events begin to unfold at a rapid pace when Seraphine becomes the new witch Prime. Hated by some and feared by others, she is unsure of her being named as Prime. In her is a strength not known by others. She fights for the welfare of the entire magical community. 

Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe by Alison Sherlock

 

A feel good and sweet romance blooming over the summer at a family lodge on the lake.

The Witch and the Gatekeeper by Leigh Ann Edwards

 

The love between gatekeeper Cian and witch Eilis is strong but so many personal issues keep him from the commitment of marriage. Situations keep arising that test their faith in the love they have. Dark forces surround them and threaten their love and their lives.

A thrilling witch/demon novel in keeping with Ms Edwards’ writing.

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

 

If you have never read any books by Annabel Monaghan, start with Dolly All the Time. Ms. Monaghan’s are so incredible with characters to love, plots to captivate, and feelings that flow from the page straight to your heart. Dolly All the Time is about Dolly and wealthy Stewart. They run into each other when she stops to change his flat tire. After conversing for a while when he remarks about the awful day he has had and the fact that his fiance cheated on him, he gets the bright idea to ask Dolly to be his fake girlfriend. He will pay her $60,000 to do it. It is enough money to fix Dolly’s father’s roof and she agrees. The fake relationship spins into more than either of them anticipate. The story is so very good.

Patsy Hits the Road by Christine Walker Bos

 

This is a truly engaging novel about 75 year old Patsy who takes a road trip along the old Route 66 to Colorado with her best friend Rosa. Patsy’s husband died the year before of cancer. Because of all the memories, Patsy sold everything before embarking on a trip and is intent on visiting places he wanted to see. Along the way, she distributes some of his ashes as a final resting place for him. Rosa flies home from Denver and Patsy has a trip of discovery and destinations.

Vanished by Anna J. Stewart

 

The crime saga of Circle of the Red Lily continues in this thrilling novel. The life of Mabel is about to change when she meets Pual, an investigative lawyer called to L.A. from New York. His roots are in L.A., a place he vowed never to return. Among the threats to Mabel whose sister was tortured and killed by the Circle, they find themselves tightly drawn to each other. The death threats of the evil Circle swirl around them with no leads to solving in sight.

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

 

A story of the progression of relationships of a mother and father and of their daughter and her husband. The beauty of this novel is in the descriptive and emotional relating of these relationships in extreme flux. The mother and father, older in age, are facing a diagnosis of drastic change and proportions. Their daughter and husband are struggling with a destroyed house, betrayal and years’ long lack of deep communication. The story unfolds through recounting events and present unraveling. 

Don't Fall in Love with Me by Paige Toon

 

A beautiful love story with the twists and turns of a new relationship, the bothering of an old one, and a history between families. The triangle of a relationship among Etienne, Gracie, and Jackson is one for the books. Gracie has been in love with Jackson since she was fifteen but he saw her as a friend. Newly divorced, they are both in France to work on his family business. She meets Etienne, a man now but once a boy she spent a summer with long ago. The two of them conspire to make Jackson jealous and to desire Gracie. Fate has other plans. Terrific novel.

Her Guardian's Salvation by Charlee James

 

A remote desert home inspection turns into treacherous danger for Ivy, a home inspector. Fleeing from evil men  and caught in torrential rain leads her to a remote cabin. Inside the cabin is Jude, former SEAL and current agent on the hunt for child kidnappers-the very men Ivy is running from. Intense chemistry abounds as they protect each other.

Unearthed by Anna J. Stewart

 

What a thrilling crime novel, plus spicy romance. The dangerous hunt for the reasons who is behind a series of murders going back 30 years. The mystery turns deadly and serious enough to send chills down your back. 

Come Back to the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde

 

For me, Come Back to the World is a “Wow. Just wow” novel. The relationship between recluse author EL Swann (Ella) and journalist Amelia, an EL Swann specialist is fraught with tension, filled with awe and truth. Amelia’s son, Jaden, is a breath of fresh air with his simplistic and deep musings. The novel ranks with the best I have read.

Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore

 

A perfect beach (or anywhere) read for those who enjoy family drama at its best. Three sisters are called to the family beach house for a reunion with their father, or so they think. Each woman carries with her huge personal problems along with mourning the death two years prior of their beloved mother. As they reconnect, argue, and relive their last years, the reader is invited to share the drama.

The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang

Terrific scary book concerning a gigantic jellyfish off the coast of Maine. Dr. Jo Ness is an expert on jellyfish. She is haunted by the diving death of her best friend and co-worker. Her former best friend calls her to come to the small Maine island to investigate and analyze the gigantic jellyfish that lives in the cove. Islanders that see it are trapped on the island by an ocean force that stops anyone from leaving. A chill evoking book.

 

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

 

A very, very emotional and deep book. It looks at death through the perspective of Death, called Travis. The vignettes of the dying are touching, so much so that your heart breaks. When he is engaged with eight year old Layla, her mother Dalia, and baby sister Neda, his concept evolves as he finds himself becoming attached to some new and different emotion. Beautiful prose throughout. 

Sheriff's Honor by Jill Sorenson

 

A rousing book filled with romance, crimes, and fears. Wade is a deputy sheriff new to Lost lake. He is in the grips of trying to get his mother to rehab. Living with her is Mary, hiding from a powerful, abusive ex. Chemistry and spicy scenes play against each other against a long ago crime to solve and deeply unsettling family problems. A worthwhile read.

A Soldier's Promise by Jane Porter

 

A gentle and touching romance that will reach inside you, sharing the doubts, care, insecurities, love. The relationship of Savannah and Finn is told with a loving hand, expressing all the personal motives and feelings.

A lovely novel.

A Little Bit Country by Jacinta Peachey

 

Very endearing story of new love beginning and of a moving and caring community. The two people are both striving for viable businesses and clash at first. She has been wounded by a fraudster father and ignorant mother. He was hurt deeply when his long term relationship ended. Chemistry is present but stops keep showing up.

Make Me Yours, Cowboy by Kristine Lynn

 

An inviting story of two people in need of rescue that find it in each other but obstacles of heart need to be overcome. Highly seasoned scenes.

Lady X by Molly Fader

 

An absolutely incredible novel. Moving and heart shattering, two stories play against each other, each filled with personal agony. The story of Lady X is of three friends in New York at times of sexual harassment running rampart. The other story is one of the friend’s daughters, who was struck by the shocking behavior of her actor husband. The women of both stories bravely rebelled against the behavior of the men.