Monday, March 18, 2024

The Sicilian Inheritance

Sara’s restaurant has failed. Her marriage is over and she has lost full custody of her daughter. As the world she carefully designed implodes, her dear Aunt Rosie quietly passes away. Always a spicy one and full of surprises, Rosie has left Sara a letter, her final instructions. She has arranged a trip to Sicily where their family lived for hundreds of years. Sara is meant to scatter Rosie’s ashes and confirm that the valuable piece of land Rosie inherited from her great grandmother, Serafina, still exists. If the land is legally theirs, Sara will inherit the property and finally have a chance to start over. Inheritance can be a tricky thing and many people want a piece of that pie. When Sara arrives in Italy she is immediately bombarded by a cast of quirky characters who appear little too anxious to help this beautiful American girl. With each step she takes, Sara uncovers more secrets than she ever imagined hidden beneath the ruins. Narrated by Serafina in the early 1900s and intertwined with Sara's contemporary journey, this captivating tale envelops us in the lives of courageous women driven by the pursuit of freedom, family, and love. Set amidst the breathtaking mountains of Sicily, this page-turner brims with rich historical detail and intriguing mysteries. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Friday, March 15, 2024

The Trail of Lost Hearts

At 34 Wren Waters thought she had her future all mapped out. She was engaged to charming guy named Rob, ran her own social media marketing business and enjoyed a close knit group of girlfriends. One day an unimaginable tragedy strikes and Wren’s entire world is turned upside down. Stuck in bed with barely enough energy to face the day, Wren finally decides what she needs is a geocaching trip. Once an avid hiker and nature lover, Wren has discovered a hobby that provides fresh air and a challenge to get her mind off her troubles. She plans a trip to Oregon and on the trail teams up with a fellow geocacher who turns out to be a handsome psychologist named Marshall. He literally saves the day and provides a shoulder to cry on. Feeling rejuvenated, the universe has provided the perfect partner to pull Wren from the hazy world she has occupied for months. Marshall and Wren share instant chemistry and even though they are both battling their own demons, they spend a glorious week in their own vacation bubble. As full as her heart feels, Wren cannot ignore that Marshall is holding back, and she will never again let these boxes go unchecked. The young couple must learn they have to set themselves free before they can start over again. A beautiful story of discovering love, friendship and forgiveness. I have adored all of this author’s books and this one is a simple, well written story that grabbed my heart and my imagination. Releases March 26 2024! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Jackpot Summer

The Jacobson siblings are still mourning their mother’s death. They are spending July 4th weekend cleaning out the family beach house as Dad has decided to sell and retire to sunny Boca Raton. As they reminisce and poke at each other as the siblings often do, it becomes crystal clear that the Jersey shore will never feel the same again. Taking a break, Noah, the youngest and often favored sibling, decides to venture to the local convenience store where apparently Powerball is the hot ticket of the weekend. His two sisters chip in for the fun, while the eldest and his snooty wife decline declaring that lotteries are designed for stupid people. Easy for Matthew to say since they are both power lawyers who make money faster than they could spend it. Adjusting to Dad’s big move and constantly avoiding the daily drama of their own lives the Jacobsons are beyond shocked when they win the pot! While the close siblings decide how they will spend their millions they must also decide if they can face the guilt of leaving Matthew out of the group. Extravagant purchases, unnecessary trips and meaningless donations backfire as this life changing event comes full circle. The Fabulous Foursome realize the truth - family is everything and money really can’t buy happiness. Loved every minute of this fast paced, laugh out loud story that is perfect for your beach bag this summer! Releases June 2024. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Oud Player of Cairo

Laila’s baba (father) raised her in the spirit of the boy he had always hoped for. Baba taught her strength and endurance, to stand up for what she believed and walk proud with the confidence of a man. In Egypt, during the mid 1900’s their family was just getting by. In Cairo, Kamal was a well known oud player at local cafes and parties. Talented and kind, his music entertained many but did not produce a large income. While his wife took in sewing and odd jobs to help the family financially, mostly her responsibilities were to care for their two girls. One day Kamal realized that Laila, his younger daughter had a beautiful voice. With some training and lessons her voice grew into a magnificent gift. Even though society frowned upon Laila  accompanying him on his musical endeavors, he was certain she could be famous. The duo became widely known and applauded. As life took some turns for the worse, Laila is married off to a handsome pasha from a wealthy family. At first their love feels authentic and hopeful. But as society proves them wrong, their initial emotions are not strong enough to withstand the pressures of life in the upper echelons of their city. Laila must ultimately forge her future path instead of following what is expected. In the midst of a society teetering on the brink of transformation, Laila finds her world upended by the dynamic forces of politics, religion, and the evolving dynamics within her own family. A beautiful story filled with incredible characters, interesting history and family love. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Say You'll Be Mine

Meghan is a theater teacher at the local elementary school. Deep down she always dreamed of becoming a writer but as her practical parents pushed her towards engineering she veered as far the other way as was allowed. Her best friend from college Seth is a successful songwriter and has just announced his engagement which quietly broke Meghna’s heart. After being named “best man”, she realizes she couldn’t possibly attend all the events alone. Meghna’s mother has been begging her to arrange a suitable match and desperate for a plus one she finally relents and meets Karthik. He is an engineer, of course, and surprisingly handsome. But Karthik has also been pushed hard by his parents, professionally and romantically. The two young people find themselves in the same frustrating position. They come up with a plan to solve all of their problems, a fake engagement! As Meghna and Karthik go through the motions resistantly at first, they eventually find common ground and get along really well. Their feelings grow alongside the pressures of what an engagement means to their families and the scheme gets trickier to pull off. Learning more about each other and the truth about themselves forces them to make some life changing decisions. Highly recommend this quick, adorable romcom filled with Indian culture, family and laugh out loud fun. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Leaving

Sarah bumps into Warren at the opera. She has not seen him in decades but remembers their college love affair with a clarity that makes her heart skip a beat. Divorced and 60 years old, Sarah lives outside NYC and is living a quiet existence sharing her passion for the arts at the local museum, seeing her daughter and grandchildren sporadically and her son who has moved to Seattle, hardly at all. But its peaceful, and after the tumultuous marriage she endured, quiet is good. Sarah never expected to fall in love again at her age. She most certainly never dreamed she would reconnect with Warren. While he lives in Boston and is a successful architect, Warren is in an unhappy marriage. No fighting or screaming but he is not in love and as his daughter grows up she is farther from his reach than he ever imagined possible. As their emotional affair deepens Sarah is sure that Warren will leave his wife and start a new life with her. Convinced it’s not too late, the two begin to formulate a plan. But as they say … the best-laid plans can go awry and most likely will. I could not put down this thoughtful, beautifully written novel about family and motherhood and love. A woman facing the second part of her life wondering how she got to this place. How your childhood and parents and future family affect all your decisions along the way but in the end you must pick up the pieces and live your best life. No-one else is going to do it for you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Monday, February 26, 2024

Someplace Like Home

Jenny Caudill grew up in Kentucky, near the foothills of the magnificent Appalachian Mountains. Her father was a mechanic who fixed cars in a building beside their home while her mother cooked, cleaned and raised four children struggling to stretch every dollar. Her mother was as tough and strict as she had to be to keep the children in line and away from the dangers so easily found in a small town on the outskirts of society. Without a lot of options the teenagers tend to do a lot of smoking, drinking and fighting. Jenny’s mother demanded her children to be respectful, independent and home before dark. But without opportunities for advanced schooling after high school, jobs were scarce and they all wound up at the local factory, bored and mistreated while they stitched zippers into jeans. They didn’t know from much more than that but Jenny was itchy for independence and love. Jenny fell for the first guy who paid her any attention. Rob Lewis was an older boy who dropped out of school and was a handful of trouble. Everyone warned her but once he was set on courting Jenny she transitioned from her mother’s rules to a prison of Rob’s making. He drank, excessively took pain pills and fought with everybody. With no education and a dead end job Rob found his power by lording over Jenny and their children. Living deep in the holler Jenny was suffocating from Rob’s violent mood swings and constant abuse and needed to find a way out before someone got killed. Loosely based on her mother’s life, this author pulled on all my heartstrings. The writing flowed beautifully in this quiet story about family, motherhood and learning to protect yourself. There is much to discuss and this would be a great book club pick!  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Monday, February 19, 2024

Days of Wonder

Ella Fitchburg had all the yearnings of a young teenage girl, mostly she dreamed of falling in love. She was raised by her single mom who had grown up in a Chasidic community in Brooklyn, exiled when she brought the family shame. The two of them lived a simple life with no extended family and few friends. When Ella meets Jude at a party they share an instant connection. Although Ella is pretty and smart, Jude’s domineering and abusive father, a Judge, forbids the young couple from spending so much time together. When sneaking around becomes too much, the young lovers make one bad decision after another. Accused of trying to poison the Judge, Ella is sentenced to 25 years and Jude disappears. With an early release after only six years Ella tries to rebuild her life. Her mother does everything she can to make Ella comfortable but her attentions are suffocating and Ella is overtaken by an obsession to find the daughter she birthed and put up for adoption while she was in prison. When an address leads to the adoptive parents living in Ann Arbor, Michigan this is where Ella reestablishes her life. Living in constant fear of her actual identity being revealed, Ella lives in a world full of secrets and constant distress. As the story is narrated between the past and present the reader finally learns what really happened that momentous night, the night that changed everything. I really wanted to love this but didn’t. The writing is excellent but there is a lot of repetition and unlikable characters that are tough to root for. It could have been edited down and become a much smoother read. On the fence with this one. Publishes in April 2024. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Girl Abroad

A year studying in London is a dream come true for Abbey Bly. Living a sheltered existence in Nashville with her rock star dad, she cannot wait to experience life on her own for the first time. At nineteen, her father rarely lets her out of his sight. Since he stopped performing his whole purpose became focused on protecting Abbey from the craziness he experienced partying on the road. As she arrives at the gorgeous Nottingham flat she arranged online, she is greeted by Lee, a boy. Soon after she meets Jamie and Jackie, two more adorable mates. Her vigilant dad would freak, but for the first time Abbey makes her own decision - what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him. First rule of the house is no romance between roommates. Well, that should make things easier. Taking on big brother personas, the charming lads always include Abbey and quickly become overprotective. As she juggles her secret crush on Jack(ie) the rugby playing Aussie, Abbey also meets Nate, the motorcycle riding sexy bassist who is already taken. Complicated by rules of house and heart, Nate and Jack fill her mind with fantasies she never imagined possible - until they are. Her research project for school includes meeting an infamous playboy called Lord Tulley providing a bit of nobility and mystery to her adventure. Coming of age story in a teenage utopia, I thoroughly enjoyed this adorable escape from reality.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Finding Margaret Fuller

In 1836 Margaret Fuller is invited to visit the well known philosopher and author, Ralph Waldo Emerson. She is welcomed at his family home in Concord Massachusetts next door to to the Alcott family (Louisa May is a child) and Henry David Thoreau is a young man who helps around the house. Waldo was excited to meet the famous female author and teacher (unmarried) who was making a name for herself as the best read person in New England. Beautiful, intelligent and outspoken, Margaret’s lifestyle was rarely approved and often misunderstood. The wives of these famous men she wished to learn beside frowned upon Margaret as their husbands displayed a dizzying attraction to this revered woman. Writing, thinking and fluent in a multitude of languages Margaret was a rare bird for a woman of these times. Expecting a boy, Margaret’s father had decided to raise her as one through education. He spent his entire adult life making sure Margaret was a well educated independent thinker. After his passing, her mother and siblings struggled financially and the pressure was on Margaret to venture out in the world and earn a living. That responsibility coupled with her own curiosity and love of learning led her to build a network of friendships with some of the most famous people of the time. When Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune sends Margaret overseas, she becomes the first female news correspondent. A magnificent cast of characters from a time known in the literary world as Romanticism and Transcendentalism. Reads like a fascinating novel and is filled with the rich history of authors we all grew up studying. Brave and brilliant, Margaret Fuller “should” have been a household name. Well written and researched. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Monday, February 5, 2024

Twice as Hard

Medicine, racism and women. Against all odds black women throughout history have managed to become physicians. Women who faced adversity and bigotry found ways to achieve their dreams and contribute to their communities. Each of these women excelled academically while scraping the money together to get to medical school. As if this was not hard enough, once graduated (often at the top of their class) their residency applications were often rejected simply because they were black women. Through mentorship, hard work and faith a precious few exceeded beyond their wildest dreams. Health centers were established in communities that had none, testing and life changing research was founded for Sickle Cell Anemia and healthcare was provided to the poorest of our nation. These women became surgeons, delivered babies, held political and academic positions and most importantly shined as role models for future generations. Fascinating details beginning in the mid 1800’s of women that should be in every history book, brought to life by medical student/author, Jasmine Brown. Having faced similar roadblocks, Jasmine highlights the incredible accomplishments of these physicians who changed the world. An uplifting and inspirational book, reading can be the best medicine. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Saturday, February 3, 2024

Ready or Not

The two lines couldn’t have been more clear, Eve is pregnant. The girl who has always followed all the rules has an unexpected one night stand with a very sexy bar tender - now finds herself at a doctor’s office confirming what her heart already knew, she is going to have a baby. In her early thirties and single, Eve wasn’t even sure she wanted children. The idea of doing this alone is simply terrifying but somehow she is completely sure she is going to keep this baby. To add to the turmoil of emotions her very best lifelong friend Willa, who has been ineffectively trying to get pregnant for quite some time, finds the news devastating. Of all people, Shep, Willa’s older brother steps in. Recently single and living in Brooklyn, this once shy nerdy computer geek has really grown up. He takes the reins both mentally and physically helping Eve in any way he can. This unexpected loyalty sparks a layer to their friendship she never imagined. While Ethan, the hot bar tender/father struggles with their new reality, Shep supports Eve, showering her with treats and amazing foot rubs. Eve cannot decide if Shep has always been this handsome or if its the pregnancy hormones going berzerk, but it takes all of her self control not to literally jump all over his kindness. This beautiful story flows through nine months of love, friendship and back aches continually surprising Eve towards the moment of truth. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Water

When Vanessa Carvin arrives on a remote island off of Ireland, the first thing she does is change her name to Willow Hale. A new start in her self exile, a way of escaping her life and the viscous gossip that has tormented her for the past year. Her husband (ex) is in prison, her eldest daughter has passed away and her youngest will not send more than a one word text message. Anyone she considered a friend is long gone from her life. She is inextricably alone and the isolated rustic cottage matches her mood and this odd little village. The question of guilt lies heavy on her heart, self punishment - her solution. Only she can determine if a way forward is possible. This novella by John Boyne is the first of a four part series, his writing is mesmerizing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️