Tag: family

Book Review: Charlie Quinn Lets Go, by Jamie Varon

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row.

Title: Charlie Quinn Lets Go  
Author: Jamie Varon        
Genre: Fiction    
Rating: 4 out of 5

Charlie Quinn has spent her life playing by the rules. But when, on her thirtieth birthday, she is laid off, her boyfriend leaves her because their life is too “predictable” and she spends the night with violent food poisoning, she hits rock bottom at a stunning velocity, and her carefully constructed world unravels.

She has no choice but to return to her childhood home in LA, where her little sister strikes up an idea: Can control freak Charlie go a whole month saying yes to anything her free-spirited sister requests? Charlie agrees, if only to prove that living by one’s whims will result in nothing but disaster and disappointment.

But when a serendipitous encounter with her high school crush leads to a month of steamy no-strings romance, Charlie starts questioning her monotonous existence. Can she learn to loosen her grip, to let go of past heartbreak, to finally say yes to a messy, bold and exciting life?

At first, I was not sure I was going to like Charlie enough to keep reading this. She was so rigid and uptight it made my skin crawl. I can understand her frustration with her mom and sister growing up—that lackadaisical way of life would have driven me crazy, too. But I can’t imagine being so regimented as to eat the same exact thing every single day for years, and wearing the same thing every day, too. I enjoyed reading Charlie’s journey and her realization that life could be so much more.

Jamie Varon is a bestselling author. Charlie Quinn Lets Go is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden

Image belongs to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley.

Title: The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake
Author: Rachel Linden          
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 5 out of 5

Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance of saving her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family’s beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy’s stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she’s hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes.

Jules’ plans quickly go awry as she discovers Nonna’s cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It only reveals one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef’s palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet it remains stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. And Nicolo, the boy next door who broke her young heart, is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help her find answers. 

In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family’s history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.

I loved this! This had the feel of Southern fiction but made me ready to move to Italy—and eat all the pasta! This was charming and magical and full of memories and whimsy, and it just made me smile. Jules is so fixated on certain things, and the shock of finding herself scrabbling for any port in a storm in Italy is a shock to her system—and who she wants to become. I loved her Italian family—and her little sister—and live on an olive farm sounded so rewarding, especially with Nonna’s cooking and life lessons as a backdrop. This would be a perfect vacation or weekend read.

Rachel Linden lives near Seattle, WA. The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review: You Make It Feel like Christmas, by Sophie Sullivan  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin.

Title: You Make It Feel like Christmas
Author: Sophie Sullivan  
Genre: Romance   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Maisie Smart has a don’t-look-back policy–not on the choice she made to be a photographer (despite her family’s wishes) and not on the one-night stand she had six months ago. Sleeping with someone she barely knew was out of character; sleeping with a professional hockey player who bolted the morning after is a whole new level of embarrassing. Getting invited to spend the week at Tickle Tree Farm with her family this Christmas is a sure way to fill her with holiday spirit. Until the universe throws a Grinch in her festive plans in the form of the one man she hoped to avoid.

Nick King is a mess. After a significant injury lands him on the bench for every game for the rest of the month, he has more time to dwell on the one night stand he can’t get out of his head. With time on his hands, his anxiety hovering, and the holidays around the corner, he figures visiting his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm will be a good way to lie low and sort himself out. He’s in for a surprise when it turns out Maisie is staying at his sister’s and his attraction for her hasn’t lessened one bit in the last six months. Apparently, neither has her anger at him for bailing. But Christmas is the time for second chances, and the forced proximity may help Nick and Maisie unwrap feelings neither of them can walk away from twice.

Reading a Christmas-themed romance in mid-August in Texas was a bit of a stretch, I have to say. The heat index is 110 degrees, so it was hard to feel at home on a Christmas tree farm the week of Christmas, but the setting was more incidental than an integral part of the story, so it worked. I loved the Smart family and their relationships, although Maisie’s mom wasn’t my favorite. Watching Maisie be brave enough to admit her dreams to the people in her life was great, and I loved how Nick managed to be believably vulnerable despite the culture he thrived in.

Sophie Sullivan is from Canada. You Make it Feel like Christmas is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Through an Open Window, by Pamela Terry

Image belongs to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Ballantine Books.

Title: Through an Open Window  
Author: Pamela Terry         
Genre: Fiction    
Rating: 5 out of 5

In the small Southern town of Wesleyan, Georgia, where the air smells of red clay and sea salt, Margaret Elliot has lived a seemingly charmed life—until the recent loss of her beloved husband. Since then, Margaret has been seeing visions of her aunt Edith, the indomitable woman who raised her after her parents died when she was a baby. As these mysterious and undeniable visitations continue, Margaret becomes convinced that Aunt Edith is trying to tell her something important. As she follows the clues that almost magically present themselves, it becomes clear there is a secret from Margaret’s past waiting to be uncovered.

As Margaret grapples with each new revelation, she also worries about her three grown children. Her stoic and inscrutable eldest daughter, Mouse, continues to struggle with the grief of losing her father. Her son Lawrie, always his mother’s favorite, faces life-altering changes that he both longs for and fears—while Tom, Lawrie’s twin, must wrestle with the consequences of a work decision that has blown up his entire life. Despite the tensions among the siblings as they argue about how best to support their mother, the whole family is soon embroiled in uncovering the truth the ghost of Aunt Edith is striving to expose.

I loved this book! The characters are so vivid and realistic—down to the chihuahua in a bowtie. Lots of family dynamics on display here, to go with the small-town drama, and it was so well-written I half forgot I was reading about these people instead of watching them in real life. Such a good read!

Pamela Terry lives in Georgia. Through an Open Window is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Second Chance Bus Stop, by Ally Zetterberg

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA.

Title: The Second Chance Bus Stop  
Author: Ally Zetterberg      
Genre: Fiction   
Rating: 4 out of 5

They say life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

Edith has Alzheimer’s. The idea that she will someday forget her son, her life, even her self, plagues her constantly. So there is something important she must do before the disease robs her of her she has to find Sven, the love of her life she was supposed to meet on a bus bench twenty-seven years ago and run off with, but he never showed.

Her son, Blade, is struggling to keep an eye on her. His mother’s full-time caregiver, he resents the fact, if he’s being honest, that he gave up his career and most of his life to look after her. But what wouldn’t he do for his mother? Track down her decades-old flame so that she has a chance to finally understand why he never showed all those years ago, before her mind fails her? Sure, he can do that.

Sophia is fiercely working to keep her business afloat. Her uncle left his flower shop to her and her brothers after he died, but she seems to be the only one interested in keeping it running. She needs to land a big enough client to show her family that not only is the business worth saving but she’s the one to do it. So when an opportunity comes along that takes her all over Sweden, she can’t say no.

While Edith is desperately trying to hold on to her memories, she discovers friendship with a young woman who sits with her daily at the bus stop. While Blade is out looking for Sven, he learns to embrace his relationship with his mother more fully. While Sophia is fighting to keep her dream alive, she comes to terms with the way her parents treated her as a child and the therapies that were forced upon her in response to her autism diagnosis. Life is happening all around them, and much like with life, there’s so much good to be found in these pages.   

At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like this, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. Sophia’s family was…really difficult to like. In her memories, they were pretty horrible to her, but I liked how eventually she was able to explain herself to them and they started trying to understand her behavior, even if they weren’t good at understanding. Sophie herself was a little hard to connect to, but I liked her sheer determination and courage.

Blade was a bit of a wet blanket to me. He seemed exceedingly passive and content to just drift along, buffeted by events and people around him without putting much actual effort out himself.

I have a family history of Alzheimer’s, so reading Edith’s point-of-view was really heartbreaking to me. That she knew she was losing bits of herself was just so sad to me, but I think the author captured it beautifully.

Ally Zetterberg is British/Swedish. The Second Chance Bust Stop is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Den of Liars, by Jessica S. Olson

Image belongs to Macmillan’s.

Title: Den of Liars
Author: Jessica S. Olson         
Genre: Fantasy, YA    
Rating: 5 out of 5

Lola St. James is the world’s best kept secret. When her father’s loss in the Liar’s Dice Tournament–a high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets–made her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief’s kindness came with a Lola’s heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other’s emotions because of their shared heart.

Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar’s Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief’s mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers’ shared history, and the lies she tells herself.

I was engrossed in this from the very first page. Lola is a great character, and I loved getting to know her and trying to guess what she’d do next. The Thief and the Liar were both strong characters—and both had good and bad qualities, but I was eager to find out more. Loved the worldbuilding in this, and the casino world was riveting to me. I would absolutely have binge-read the next book in this series immediately!

Jessica S. Olson lives in Texas. Den of Liars is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan’s in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Party of Liars, by Kelsey Cox   

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Party of Liars
Author: Kelsey Cox     
Genre: Thriller   
Rating: 4 out of 5 

Today is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie’s dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion—once thought haunted—is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.

It’s a killer guest list . . .

DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl

ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house

MIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume

KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of . . .

Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive.

I really never figured out exactly what was going on or who was guilty—of what until the end! Kim was pretty horrible for most of the novel, so much hatred and vitriol and alcohol. I couldn’t figure out if Dani was crazy, or as almost-perfect as she seemed. Sophie and Mikayla seemed like typical teenage girls on the surface, but were they really? Ethan and his friend Curtis were just a little too high-handed, weren’t they? There was a lot going on here, and I was engrossed from the beginning. And what about the dollhouse/mansion? Creepy!

Kelsey Cox lives in the Texas Hill Country. Party of Liars is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Rewind To Us, by Molly Morris

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Rewind To Us
Author: Molly Morris         
Genre: YA   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Dixie Mulligan only has one plan for her annual California vacation this summer – to tell her best friend Sawyer that she’s in love with him.

It doesn’t matter that things between them technically fell apart over spring break, and they haven’t spoken since – until Dixie arrives and realizes Sawyer has moved on (a fact made very apparent when she sees him kissing, um, someone else).

Luckily, Dixie and her family have each been gifted with a Rewind. All Dixie has to do is go back and redo the moment she thinks doomed hers and Sawyer’s relationship before it even began.

But when family secrets start pouring out, Dixie’s not so sure even her Rewind will be enough to save what she and Sawyer had. Is the damage already done, or can she turn back the clock and give them one more chance?

This was a really cute read! I was just as surprised as everyone else at Dixie’s big reveal—and I didn’t even catch that she was hiding something until then. Her aunt, cousin, and grandma were great characters, and I really liked them. Sawyer an all his quirks and her friendship with him were great! I enjoyed this a lot.

Molly Morris lives in the UK. Rewind to Us is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: A Forgery of Fate, by Elizabeth Lim

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Title: A Forgery of Fate
Author: Elizabeth Lim         
Genre: YA, fantasy  
Rating: 5 out of 5

Truyan Saigas didn’t choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father’s disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King’s inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . . .

This was such a good read! I liked Tru from the beginning, and loved getting to know her. Her sisters were great, too, but I didn’t really like her mother. The world was unique and I enjoyed getting to explore it through Tru’s eyes. (I did have a few quibbles with how easy living and breathing underwater was handles, but I can let that go. The turtles and other undersea characters were fun, and I’d love to read more set in this world.

Elizabeth Lim lives in New York City. A Forgery of Fate is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Other Side of Now, by Paige Harbison  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: The Other Side of Now
Author: Paige Harbison         
Genre: Fiction   
Rating: 4 out of 5 

With a leading role on a hit TV show and a relationship with Hollywood’s latest heartthrob, Meg Bryan appears to have everything she ever wanted. But underneath the layers of makeup and hairspray, her happiness is as fake as her stage name, Lana Lord. Following a small breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she books an impromptu trip where she knows the grass is greener: Ireland. Specifically, the quaint little village where she and her best friend Aimee always dreamt of moving—a dream that fell apart when an accident claimed Aimee’s life a decade ago.

When Meg arrives, the people in town are so nice, treating her not as a stranger, but a friend. Except for the (extremely hot) bartender giving her the cold shoulder. Meg writes it all off as jetlag until she looks in the mirror. Her hair is no longer bleached within an inch of its life, her skin has a few natural fine lines, and her nose looks like… well, her old nose. Her real nose.

Her phone reveals hundreds of pictures of her life in this little town: with an adorable dog she doesn’t know; with the bartender who might be her (ex?) boyfriend; and at a retail job unrelated to acting. Eventually, she comes to accept that she somehow made a quantum slide into an alternate version of her life. But the most shocking realization of all? In this life, her best friend Aimee is alive and well…but wants nothing to do with Meg.

Despite her bewilderment, Meg is clear-eyed about one thing: this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reconnect with her friend and repair what she broke. She finagles an opportunity to act in the play Aimee is writing and directing and as the project unfolds, Meg realizes that events as she remembers them may not be the only truth, and that an impossible choice looms before her.

I can’t even imagine how confusing it would be to wake up in this situation! Meg’s rich and famous life sounds pretty horrible to me, so I can believe her wanting out. Her life in Ireland sounded amazing to me, so I can’t imagine wanting out of that. This was a story that kept me intrigued all along. I liked the characters, and I loved the quirky small town she ended up in—and I’m almost never a fan of small towns! I loved the character growth in this and Meg came to terms with her past and everything that happened.

Paige Harbison lives in L.A. The Other Side of Now is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of t. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)