Tag: reading

Book Review: Savor It, by Tarah DeWitt   

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  Savor It    
Author: Tarah DeWitt       
Genre: Romance        
Rating:  4 out of 5

Summer won’t last forever.

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She’s learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like…

This was a cute, sweet read. I don’t even like small towns, but I enjoyed this setting. Sage had me in stitches several times with her internal monologue, although Fisher occasionally got on my nerves a bit. Their chemistry was great, and I loved how they grew as individuals while their relationship grew, too.

Tarah DeWitt is an author, wife, and mama. Savor It is her newest novel.

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

Sundays are for Writing #281

This has been a solid writing week: I got in five fiction sessions and two book reviews, Loyally, Luke, by Pepper Basham and The Way of the Hermit, by Ken Smith. That last book was a surprisingly interesting read to me, and I really loved the descriptions of the Scottish wilderness.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Loyally, Luke, by Pepper Basham  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Loyally, Luke    
Author: Pepper Basham        
Genre:  Romance      
Rating:  4 out of 5

Dear Reader,

My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon.

But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, I’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong.

Or maybe not. Because I’ve met a Grace Kelly look-alike who is annoying . . . until she isn’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that’s easy to forget when we’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and “forced proximity” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms.

Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way—I’m going to need it.

Loyally,

Luke

Honestly, the format of the book—a solid chunk of it is text message transcripts and emails—aggravated me enough that I almost stopped reading early on, but then I got a grip and pushed through. This was a sweet read, and I loved how faith was just a part of the characters’ lives without it being made a big deal out of. This was a quick weekend read and would be a good vacation read.

Pepper Basham lives in North Carolina. Loyally, Luke is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: The Way of the Hermit, by Ken Smith

Image belongs to Hanover Square Press.

Title: The Way of the Hermit
Author:  Ken Smith        
Genre: Biography/Memoir     
Rating: 4 out of 5   

Subconsciously, I pressed myself into the loch’s banks as that summer inched forward. We’d got off to a rocky beginning, but I started to see Treig in a different way. There was something about this land that told me just to hold on a while longer. It might’ve been just a whisper at the time, but I knew it was definitely worth heeding. I just knew that was it. This was the place.

Seventy-four-year-old Ken Smith has spent the past four decades in the Scottish Highlands. His home is a log cabin nestled near Loch Treig, known as “the lonely loch,” where he lives off the land. He fishes for his supper, chops his own wood and even brews his own tipple. He is, in the truest sense of the word, a hermit.

From his working-class origins in Derbyshire, Ken always sensed that there was more to life than an empty nine to five. Then one day in 1974, an attack from a group of drunken men left him for dead. Determined to change his prospects, Ken quit his job and spent his formative years traveling in the Yukon. It was here, in the vast wilderness of northwestern Canada, that he honed his survival skills and grew closer to nature. Returning to Britain, he continued his nomadic lifestyle, wandering north and living in huts until he finally reached Loch Treig. Ken decided to lay his roots amongst the dense woodland and Highland air, and has lived there ever since.

This was a fascinating read! Despite having approximately zero interest in roughing it or surviving off the land, I was engrossed in reading about Ken’s adventures in the wilderness. The storms he survived sounded terrifying! His descriptions brought the Scottish Highlands to life, and I have nothing but admiration for this man and his life choices.

Ken Smith has lived off-grid in the Scottish Highlands for 40+ years. The Way of the Hermit is his story.

(Galley courtesy of Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in May (2024)

In May, I read 21 books, bringing my total for the year to 88. (One book behind schedule.)

Of those, four were really good. My three favorites were:

Thunder and Rain, by Charles Martin. Because obviously. I don’t even have a thing for cowboys and he made Tyler sound appealing. This was a lovely read.

The Dead Romantics, by Ashley Poston. Why had this been languishing on my TBR like it was nothing? I enjoyed every second of this read!

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club, by Helen Simonson. So much to love about this historical fiction read!

Sundays are for Writing #280

This was a fantastic writing week! I wrote four book reviews (The Return of Ellie Black, by Emiko Jean One Last Shot, by Betty Cayouette, The Best Life Book Club, by Sheila Roberts, Every Time We Say Goodbye, by Natalie Jenner), my May reading post, the best books I read in May (tomorrow), and got in five fiction sessions as well.

Happy writing!

What I Read in May (2024)

Books Read in May: 21
Books Read for the Year: 88 /215

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Iron Raven, by Julie Kagawa (re-read). Can’t believe I only have two more books to go in this series!
Thunder and Rain, by Charles Martin (TBR). This made me cry, of course.
Prey, by Rachel Vincent (re-read). Still glued to this re-read.
The Dead Romantics , by Ashley Poston (TBR). This was a great read!
The Irish Cottage, by Juliet Gauvin (TBR). Eh. I liked this at first, but I thought it ended up being kind of meh.
The Guinevere Deception, by Kierstin White (TBR). I enjoyed this! Nice twist on the traditional Arthurian legends.
Shadows, Maps, and Other Ancient Magic, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR). Still enjoying this series!

For Review:

The Sicilian Inheritance, by Jo Piazza. This was an intriguing read—but man, the characters were, for the most part, not likable people. Did not make me want to visit Sicily.

A Burden of Ice and Bone, by Kyra Whitton. I enjoyed this read, although it was a touch depressing—and the “twist” towards the end was pretty expected.

Bless Your Heart, by Lindy Ryan (audio). This was a fun listen. A bit like having a flashback to the late ’90’s…unsettling. It ended up being a lot gorier than I thought it would be, but I enjoyed the narrator and the cozy-mystery feel.

The Garden Girls, by Jessica R. Patch. I’ve enjoyed the books I’ve read in this story so far. I love thrillers, and I absolutely love the way faith is integrated the darkness these books touch on. This read had several levels of creepiness, but it kept me fully engaged the entire time.

Extinction, by Douglas Preston. Of course I’ve read Relic, years ago,—terrifying—but I haven’t read too many Preston books. I enjoyed this one, although I really didn’t like any of the characters. Just the scenic descriptions and the idea of seeing these animals were fascinating. I had no idea what was actually going on.

The Backup Princess, by Kate O’Keeffe. This was a cute, fun romantic read.

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club, by Helen Simonson. Really enjoyed this historical fiction read! Great characters, conflict, and a lovely setting.

The Keeper of the Irish Secret, by Susanne O’Leary. I liked the narrator of this audio book quite a lot. I enjoyed the read and the family drama, too.

Summers at the Saint, by Mary Kay Andrews. This was much more of a thriller than a romance.

The Return of Ellie Black, by Emiko Jean. I really didn’t like any of these characters, but it was a solid read.

One Last Shot, by Betty Cayouette. Nothing unexpected here. I think the miscommunication trope was overused a bit, too.

The Best Life Book Club, by Sheila Roberts. I enjoyed this sweet read about a bunch of friends and their books and challenges.

Every Time We Say Goodbye, by Natalie Jenner. This was a little hard for me to get into at first, but I ended up enjoying it.

Just Because:

Divine Direction, by Craig Groeschel. I enjoyed this audio book. Groeschel’s style is so down-to-earth.

Left Unfinished:

Welcome Home, Caroline Kline, by Courtney Preiss. I tried, but this felt very superficial and way too bogged down with baseball obsession.

A Girl from Nowhere, by James Maxwell. Yeah, this wasn’t for me. It felt very slow and not fleshed out, and I got bored quickly.

Love You, Mean It, by Jilly Gagnon. I think I read about 15% of this before realizing I didn’t care about the characters or what happened to them. Definitely a me problem, and not the book.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood. The language was a real stumbling block for me and I couldn’t get into it. And Jerusalem was so hateful!

Book Review: Every Time We Say Goodbye, by Natalie Jenner

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Every Time We Say Goodbye  
Author: Natalie Jenner
Genre: Historical fiction      
Rating:  4.0 out of 5

In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry’s last chance for a dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy.

As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also must face the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the mystery of what really happened to her deceased fiancé.

I do love these books by Natalie Jenner!  This was a unique setting—film industry in the ‘50s, in Italy—and I enjoyed reading something set someplace new to me. There are several different threads in this novel, and the author did a great job of balancing them all out and tying them together. It felt a bit slow at first, but soon enough, I was completely engrossed.

Natalie Jenner is a bestselling author. Every Time We Say Goodbye is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: The Best Life Book Club, by Sheila Roberts

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Title: The Best Life Book Club
Author: Sheila Roberts        
Genre: Fiction     
Rating:4 out of 5

It started as a book club. It became a way to build a better life together.

Karissa Newcomb is ready for a new start in a new neighborhood, as far away as she can get from Seattle, where her husband cheated on her with the neighbor who was supposed to be her best friend. She and her nine-year-old daughter are moving on to the city of Gig Harbor on the bay in Puget Sound. She even has a new job as an assistant at a small publishing company right in Gig Harbor. Her new boss seems like a bit of a curmudgeon, but a job is a job, she loves to read, and the idea of possibly meeting writers sounds fabulous.

Soon she finds she’s not the only one in need of a refresh. Her new neighbors, Alice and Margot, are dealing with their own crises. Alice is still grieving her late husband and hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel of a car since a close call after his death. Margot is floundering after getting divorced and laid off in quick succession. They could all use a distraction, and a book club seems like just the ticket. Together, the three women, along with Alice’s grumpy older sister, Josie, embark on a literary journey that just might be the kick start they need to begin building their best lives yet.

This was a sweet read about friendship. And books, of course. I enjoyed how much all the ladies grew and changed—and how they helped each other grow into who they wanted to be. These women have all been through tough times, but they learn from those experiences and don’t let it make them bitter. There’s some love and romance scattered throughout, but I wouldn’t categorize this as only a romance book. It’s about much more than that.

Sheila Roberts is a bestselling author. The Best Life Book Club is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   One Last Shot, by Betty Cayouette

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  One Last Shot  
Author: Betty Cayouette        
Genre: Romance     
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

From the moment Emerson and Theo met as teenagers, they were inseparable. But just when they finally expressed their feelings to one another, they were torn apart.

Now, supermodel Emerson is nearing her twenty-eighth birthday, and she’s tired of looking for love in all the wrong places. When the calendar reminder for the marriage pact she and Theo made as teens goes off on her phone, she realizes this is it―her chance to rekindle the only romance that ever really made sense. Emerson convinces her grumpy agent to book her as the face of the fashion campaign that Theo, now a fashion photographer, is shooting. The good the campaign is being shot in ridiculously romantic Cinque Terre, Italy. The bad news? Theo might not be as happy to see her as she’d hoped.

The two embark on a four-day campaign that tests not only their feelings, but their ability to keep their hands off one another. But as roadblock after roadblock keeps them apart, Emerson starts to will this photoshoot be the key to getting one last shot at love, or will it be a final goodbye?

This was a decent read, but not anything unexpected. I liked the glimpse into modeling life (that I assume is somewhat realistic), and I actually enjoyed Emerson’s friendships with her two besties quite a bit. The miscommunication trope was, I felt, a bit overdone here. To a ridiculous degree. Come on, people, just talk to each other, already!

Betty Cayouette is an author, viral video content creator and cinematographer. One Last Shot is her debut novel.

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