One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak

July 27, 2022 By Leave a Comment


One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak
Publisher: Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Some families we’re born into
Some we find for ourselves

When Serenity Alston swabbed her cheek for a genetic test, she joked about uncovering some dark ancestral scandal. The last thing she expected was to discover two half sisters she didn’t know existed. Suddenly, everything about her loving family is drawn into question. And meeting these newfound sisters might be the only way to get answers.

The women decide to dig into the mystery together at Serenity’s family cabin in Lake Tahoe. With Reagan navigating romantic politics at work and Lorelei staring down the collapse of her marriage, all three women are converging at a crossroads in their lives. Before the summer is over, they’ll have to confront the past and determine how to move forward when everything they previously thought to be true was a lie. But any future is easier to face with family by your side.

Three sisters and one big secret. It’s going to be a long summer.

I have to admit I’d never read a book by Brenda Novak before this one. I don’t know why I waited so long, but I did. I’m glad I’ve rectified this. This was a good book. I liked the writing style and the characters were interesting. I zipped right through this in a matter of a couple days.

I wasn’t a fan of the cheating aspect of the story, but honestly it was not that important compared to the rest of the story. Lorelei had issues and I liked how she grew through the book. Reagan has to grow up, too, but also understand what gifts she’s been given. I liked how she learned gratitude. Then there’s Serenity, the one who got this all started. I liked how she came into her own and found her strength, too. Plus, the plot twists were great.

This isn’t a romance and romance readers might feel a little cheated by not getting a specific romance, but fear not. The story and the various threads more than make up for that. This is a great beach read and something I recommend others reading. Check it out!

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

*Coming into Focus by Eagan Daniels

July 25, 2022 By Leave a Comment


*Coming into Focus by Eagan Daniels
Publisher: Champagne books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Given the choice between being an overpaid assistant to a famous British rock band on the verge of making it huge in America, or staying home to work three menial jobs to take care of a brother who has outgrown the need for her, Willa Reynolds’s decision is obvious: her brother might need her again eventually, and she’ll stick around until that happens.

When you love someone, you don’t leave. She learned that the hard way from her mom. Granted, her dream of being hired as a photographer for music magazine Offstage is a long shot when the only people she mingles with are the customers that come into the coffee shop, but she’ll think of something.

But when her brother announces he’s going to college and practically shoves her out the door, and the rock star in question sweetens the deal by offering to pay her even more and giving her the opportunity to build her photography portfolio in the process . . . Willa has to admit that it seems like the universe is sending her a message.

If you enjoy reading stories about hot musicians, this is the book for you. Willa is a struggling photographer when she meets an up-and-coming British band. This chance meeting changes her life.

This story has a slow start but the more I read, the more invested I became with the two main characters, Oliver and Willa. It’s fascinating to read about Willa as she becomes the person she is meant to be. She is always taking care of everyone, and I love how she learns how to put herself first and to fight for what she wants.

The guys in the band are all British and Willa is American and it’s hilarious when the guys in the band use British slang and Willa has no idea what they are saying. Then, when Willa uses American slang, the guys are equally dumbfounded.

I liked everything about Oliver, he is the drummer in the band and he and Willa are perfect together. He is a good guy. He is low key and very cool and cares about Willa from the moment he meets her.

This is a beautiful love story, and I enjoyed the relationship Willa has with the entire band. The guys are fun loving and entertaining and easily accept Willa into their group. This is definitely a recommended read.

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* How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

June 14, 2022 By Leave a Comment


* How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen TV show has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she’s finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist’s scheme: fake a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.

Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, Ethan has slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it’s the last thing he wants to do.

Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn’t take long before Grey and Ethan’s sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?

If you like Hollywood romance, don’t miss this one. This is Ava Wilder’s debut novel, and I was really impressed. I loved everything about this story and I devoured it from the first page. I have to admit, Hollywood stories are my weakness, so that is what drew me to this story. From the first page, I was transported into Ethan and Grey’s world and I fell in love with the story and the characters.

Ava Wilder takes the reader on an emotional journey through the ups and downs of trying to have a relationship in Hollywood. Ethan and Grey are two actors who need a career boost and agree to a fake relationship. Ethan was a huge star but has become a recluse in recent years and Grey was a child star and now wants to be taken seriously.

Ethan and Grey have tons of chemistry. Although they try to ignore the feelings they have for each other, until they can’t anymore. They have an easy banter and there is a lot of sexual tension between them. They are perfect together and they help each other become stronger and better.

Ethan has demons and he is just existing. He is a tortured emotional mess and he doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings. He has lost his direction in life. He feels hopeless and helpless, until Grey comes into his life. Grey is a breath of fresh air in Ethan’s reclusive life. She isn’t afraid to tell Ethan what is on her mind and I think that is what Ethan likes about her the most. That is, besides his crazy attraction to her. Grey slowly turns Ethan’s world bright again and I loved reading about it.

This is a fantastic book and it has all the elements I love. The characters are easy to connect with, it has great pacing, the story immediately captured my attention, I couldn’t put it down and I never wanted it to end. I can’t wait to find out what Ava Wilder will write next. I will be first in line to read it. Perfection.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Wahala by Nikki May

January 11, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Wahala by Nikki May
Publisher: Custom House
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

An incisive and exhilarating debut novel following three Anglo-Nigerian best friends and the lethally glamorous fourth woman who infiltrates their group—the most unforgettable girls since Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha.

Ronke wants happily ever after and 2.2. kids. She’s dating Kayode and wants him to be “the one” (perfect, like her dead father). Her friends think he’s just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends.

Boo has everything Ronke wants—a kind husband, gorgeous child. But she’s frustrated, unfulfilled, plagued by guilt, and desperate to remember who she used to be.

Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle. No one knows she’s crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her “urban vibe.” Her husband thinks they’re trying for a baby. She’s not.

When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, it seems at first she’s bringing out the best in each woman. (She gets Simi an interview in Shanghai! Goes jogging with Boo!) But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, and Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s close friendship begins to crack.

A sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal, Wahala (trouble) is an unforgettable novel from a brilliant new voice.

The author presents a modern storytelling about three Anglo-Nigerian best friends Ronke, Boo and Simi. The characters are well developed with realistic personalities. The author gives the readers a glimpse into each of the character’s perspectives, their imperfections, their fears and their secrets. I enjoyed their friendship and the closeness the ladies shared. Will their friendship still remain when (Wahala) trouble comes?

Ronke is a dentist and the cook of the group who has a boyfriend she can’t depend on, and a client turned stalker. She wants the happy ever after but is her boyfriend Kayode actually the one? I wanted Kayode to act right or leave Ronke alone. He didn’t appear to be the strong man that she needed, so I agreed with her friends about him.

Boo made a statement “She made me hate my life.” when in fact that’s what she displayed to others. Boo seems to have the life that any woman would dream of. A husband, nicknamed Tubby Hubby by Isobel, willing to work and take care of things around the house, and a bratty 5-year-old daughter. But to her, her life is boring and unfulfilled. At times I didn’t like Boo, but then other times I could understand why she felt the way she did. She wanted someone else’s life, to be someone else but didn’t see that what she had a lot of women pray for.

Simi is her own woman with a doting husband who desperately wants to have children, but Simi isn’t ready to have children or to share this fact with her soon to be 40-year-old husband, Martin. I enjoyed the way Simi and her husband took time to talk to each other often despite the different in time zones. I wanted her to come clean with her husband on not wanting a child right now.

Even though the women were warned that the Babangari family was rotten, Isobel still made her glamorous appearance befriending the ladies and in her subtle and sly way wanting to know more about them. She starts out with friendly advice, working her way to gain their trust making everyone believe she’s an asset to the group. Even though I was suspicious of her to begin with, Isobel had a way about her that draws people to her. As the reader, I knew what was happening and I kept reading hoping one of the ladies would figure it out. I didn’t care for Isobel, but her character was well thought out and written. Isobel was able to find the ladies weak points and use it against them.

I enjoyed reading this book. It gave such insight on various cultures, languages and recipes. Their friendship circle does remind me of the reality housewives shows. The author created characters with personal issues that many women face. She revealed to readers the characters true self, their secrets and thoughts that for some reason they haven’t shared with others in their clique. At one point the ladies seem to have it all and then another they appear fragile and vulnerable.

The pace of the book flowed well. The author gave enough of their daily happenings, so it didn’t drown out the storyline. A few times, I wanted to rush the storyline, but I understood once I got to the end that it was part of the development for the ending. It’s an overall good read. It made me appreciate what I have and not take others for granted but to be open and not harbor secrets that could very well hurt others. There’s a saying ‘hindsight is 20-20’. Once the ladies’ world was shaken up, they each wanted to go back to what they had or it revealed a different way that they could have handled things.

An impressive read layered with culture and populated by characters that are so real readers may find it hard to forget them. This isn’t a housewife’s tale but a story of friendship, jealousy, betrayal and hopefully a tool so that you’ll see trouble when it comes.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman

December 3, 2021 By 1 Comment


The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

The forecast is calling for a reluctant homecoming and regrettable decisions with a strong chance of romance…

When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight or renegotiate its contract, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college—her northern Michigan hometown.

Sonny grudgingly returns to the long, cold, snowy winters of her childhood…with the added humiliation of moving back in with her mother. Not quite an outsider but no longer a local, Sonny finds her past blindsiding her everywhere: from the high school friends she ghosted, to the former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy who’s now her boss, to, most keenly, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow.

To distract herself from the memories she’s spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home.

Sonny is a middle-aged meteorologist who has a great job and a great home in a warm climate. Suddenly she finds herself out of work but takes up an old colleague on her offer to work for her. The trouble is, Sonny will have to go across the country, back to her childhood home, where it is cold and snows a lot. Sonny dreads going back. Her sister was killed there. But she needs the job at the small station.

Sonny’s mother is awesome, and Sonny meets other great people who all have issues, like her. She is troubled, but her experiences will help her grow and learn things. She will work through her pain.

Setting is important in this story and has a great impact on the plot and characterization. The charming winter wonderland scenes add much to the book. Themes of family, friendship, and facing tragedy help bring this tale to life.

This is a very engaging book with a message and plenty of entertainment. I highly recommend it.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Seekers’ Garden by Isa Pearl Ritchie

November 8, 2021 By 7 Comments

The Seekers’ Garden by Isa Pearl Ritchie
Publisher: Te Ra Aroha Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

If you stand still for long enough, the past catches up with you…

Leaving behind the fragments of her old life, Marcia Reed-Wilton crosses the world to return to her dilapidated childhood home and dig up the weeds of the past.

Next door, Mrs Everglade struggles to maintain her independence in spite of her increasing frailty.

Sixteen-year-old Lea escapes into her poetry to cope with depression until meeting Alex, a much more potent distraction.

Meanwhile, Iris leaves her career on a whim to embark on an adventure of an entirely different kind; moving to a sleepy seaside town to write a book.

On the other side of the world in opposite seasons, Zane, vocalist for a popular band is haunted by cryptic dreams that lead him home.

A few twists of fate and a buried secret leave these individuals deeply and unexpectedly connected.

The Seekers’ Garden is a lush and captivating exploration of loss, growth and spirituality, revealing the way connections form in unlikely places.

This book is a richly drawn tapestry of the lives of five characters and how they interconnect. I loved how the characters are each unique, with their own voices. The format the author used enables to reader to truly connect with each character on a deep level. They are all at different points in their lives, and the reader should easily be able to identify with one or more of the characters. Each character is drawn so differently, and their individual chapters reflects each of their voice and interest. Great job on that!

I was fascinated to work through the chapters and try to figure out how they were connected. That was almost as much fun as getting to know the characters themselves… no spoilers, though.

It is slower paced than a lot of the books I read, and it was a nice change to be able to just immerse myself in the lives of these characters and go along on their journeys. Very thought provoking. Great job! 4 stars

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Once in a Lifetime by Mary Monroe

October 8, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Once in a Lifetime by Mary Monroe
Publisher: Dafina
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Holiday
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Free-spirited, living on the fly, Vanessa Hayes is still always down for traditional family holiday fun—until now. She’s making her oft-delayed wish finally come true: Christmas in Paris, the glittering City of Lights. But when her passport gets delayed, it’s too late for Vanessa to rebook. Now it looks like the Yuletide she longs for won’t happen. Until a stranger suddenly enters her life, and changes it forever . . .

Overwhelmed by responsibility, Judith Guthrie is too busy worrying about her seriously ill brother to have time to celebrate. She’s taken a leave from her teaching job to care for him as he’s on the waiting list for a life-giving transplant. A trip to France is a kind of happiness she can’t imagine. But when she accidentally receives Vanessa’s passport, Judith can’t resist delivering it in person so Vanessa will at least have her holiday dream. She can’t anticipate that her small gesture will result in a series of big choices, big miracles, and lifelong rewards that all will be thankful for over many Christmases to come . . .

Is it fate?

The story is told from Vanessa Hayes’s point of view. The story seemed more of a high level overview than an in-depth get to know the characters that I am use to when reading the author’s writing style. This was an okay read. I finished it but didn’t quite get the normal excitement that I usually get when I read a Mary Monroe novel.

I enjoyed seeing Vanessa, a single 32-year-old woman enjoying her life and taking care of herself and helping her family. Her long time dream of going to Paris is halted when her passport didn’t arrive in time for her scheduled trip during Christmas. Because of the mishap with the postal service, it turns out she’ll receive another once in a lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately after Vanessa’s trip has been cancelled Judith Ann Guthrie knocks on Vanessa’s door to deliver the delayed passport. Here’s where things got strange for me, but who am I to say it could very well be divine intervention. Vanessa Googles Judith and gives her a call. The phone rung six times before Judith answered. For some reason Vanessa is eager to meet with Judith again. Judith invites a stranger to come to her home. While there the ladies have a bonding moment as well as Vanessa meeting Ronald, Judith’s brother who is in need of a kidney.

There were minor details that didn’t make this book a great read. I wasn’t able to connect with the characters. As I mentioned Vanessa has a loving personality but her life was just not that interesting to me. The book tells a lot about her with her family and friends and maybe it was the lack of drama that made the story bland.

However, I enjoyed the good hearted unselfishness on Vanessa’s part. She’s a lovely soul and she deserves to have someone just as loving. The story is a little easy to predict. I enjoyed how the author made me wonder and work for the ending. I knew there was going to be a happy ending but it wasn’t as instant as I thought. Here comes fate again. What are the chances of Vanessa and Ronald showing up at the same theater, to watch the same movie at the same time?

It’s not a holiday story but it is heartwarming and a story about family, unexpected friendship and helping others. It’s a nice read.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Half Life by Jennifer Weiner

August 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Half Life by Jennifer Weiner
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

From Redbook’s Red-Hot Read series, a short story by the New York Times #1 best-selling author of In Her Shoes and Fly Away Home

“My life is over,” Piper DeWitt thinks to herself, awaiting departure in the overcrowded International Terminal of the Philadelphia airport for an overseas business trip, to romantic Paris no less. She watched as her husband, Tosh, put his own suitcase into the trunk of a taxi the day before. He’d been telling her for months that he wasn’t happy, and though she still wants to believe it is just a phase, after a call to her mother from the Admiral’s Club, she can no longer deny that he’s left her, left their home, left their four-year-old daughter in her mother’s sole care.

Piper met Tosh when she was only twenty-two, just the way self help books said she would – when she wasn’t looking. Now at forty, she wonders how, through all those years, they’d gotten to this place in their marriage. When her flight is canceled due to volcanic ash spreading from Iceland across Europe, and when a handsome stranger offers her an invitation to share a cab, she realizes she can take a departure from her own life. And after a day of living like a tourist in her own city, she hopes she can still find her way home…

This quick little story will keep people engaged from beginning to end. Piper DeWitt is a career woman, a family woman, but her husband, Tosh, no longer wants her. Devastated, she prepares to go to Paris on a business trip with Tosh’s break-up note in her pocket. She dreads reading those words, but she’s known for months that his feelings have changed.

Her flight to Paris gets cancelled, and she meets an intriguing man at the airport. After a whirlwind night with him, she takes a deep breath and prepares to face her future without Tosh. Many questions come into play, especially those concerning her daughter. How will Piper get through this heartache? Following along, one will hear her backstory with Tosh as well.

For an entertaining escape, why not check out this short story about a woman trying to make sense of her new present and future? She will have to redefine herself, and surprises are in store.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Patron by Tess Thompson

June 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment


*The Patron by Tess Thompson
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

She’s afraid to take risks. He’s an incurable daredevil. When tragedy throws them together, will it spark a lasting devotion?

Crystal Whalen isn’t sure why she should go on. Two years after her husband’s death on a ski trip, she’s devastated when a fire destroys her quiet Colorado mountain home. And when she can’t keep her hands off the gorgeous divorcé who’s become her new temporary housemate, it only feeds her grief and growing guilt.

Garth Welte won’t be burned again. After his ex-wife took most of his money, the downhill-skiing Olympic medalist is determined to keep things casual with the sexy woman he can’t resist. But the more time they spend with each other, the harder it is to deny his burgeoning feelings.
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As Crystal’s longing for the rugged man’s embrace grows, she worries that his dangerous lifestyle will steal him away. And although Garth believes she’s his perfect girl, the specter of betrayal keeps a tight grip on his heart.

Will the thrill-seeker and the wary woman succumb to the power of love?

“Your life never ends up like you think it will.” When one of the characters in this story uttered these words, I thought it brilliantly summed up this story. The Patron is an enchanting story about Garth and Crystal, two people trying to move on from their past relationships. They are both closed off and afraid to take a chance on love, until a fire destroys both of their homes.

Tess Thompson is one of my go to authors and I especially love reading her small town romances. She does such a great job of writing this feel good story about small town life. I easily connected to Garth and Crystal. They are easy to like, well developed and both of them have a voice in this story, so I always knew what they were both thinking and feeling.

The plot isn’t complicated but it flows nicely and I loved being in Emerson Pass, right along with the characters in this story. This story has a sweet and magical feel to it and love is in the air, for not only Garth and Crystal, but some of the other characters included in this story.

This is a heartwarming story about forgiveness, new beginnings, moving on from grieving and learning to trust again. I liked all the characters In this story, but I especially loved Garth and Crystal. They are easy to like and connect with and I thought they were great together. If you like small town stories, that will put a smile on your face, give this a try.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Do No Harm by Christina McDonald

March 4, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Do No Harm by Christina McDonald
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Emma loves her life. She’s the mother of a precocious kindergartener, married to her soulmate—a loyal and loving police detective—and has a rewarding career as a doctor at the local hospital.

But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Will the truth catch up to her before she can save Josh?

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Nate decides to crack a case so he could get a promotion to be better able to pay the escalating hospital bills. The trouble is that he must investigate Emma’s brother and try to bring down a drug ring in their town. Many people have been dying from overdoses. He is a complex character and extremely likeable. He has must face demons from his past as he tries to solve the case facing him.

Emma is great—at first. She is a desperate mom who will do anything to save her child. How does one go about getting a large sum of money in a short time? She enters a world she thought she never would and becomes darker in the process. She constantly faces hard decisions and does despicable things, for a good cause—to save her child. However, does the end justify the means? That is the big question, the point of the book. Her character is well drawn as well, and her demons from the past are even greater than Nate’s. By the end, readers will either understand her decisions or hate her. The secondary characters are described enough so that we understand even their motivations.

Tension constantly builds in this nail-biting drama. Emma tries to keep her activities away from her husband, and it is getting ever more difficult.

Other themes come into play: family, friendship, right versus wrong, health care, and addiction. These themes are treated with sensitivity and respect and offer readers much to think about. The decisions are complex, for all the major characters.

Christina McDonald has done a great job writing an entertaining book while giving it depth. I recommend this book for those who want a page turner with substance.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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