Saturday, May 29, 2021

That Summer

Daisy Shoemaker met Hal during her last year of college. Swept away by his maturity, generosity, good looks and her very first orgasm made his proposal a no brainer. Initially planning to redecorate their home and delight him with exceptional cooking skills, Daisy never did finish Rutgers and was pregnant soon after. Living in an upscale neighborhood outside Philadelphia was exciting but Daisy had trouble fitting in and making new friends. The more independent her daughter Beatrice became, the lonelier Daisy felt. Success with her small cooking business could not compete with Hal’s long hours and his patronizing pat on the head. Daisy begins an unexpected friendship with an email incorrectly sent to her address. A woman with the name Diana - her name before Hal dubbed her Daisy years ago. As their correspondence increased she learned that Diana Starling was everything she dreamed of; a successful business consultant wearing stylish clothes and traveling the world. The closer they get, Daisy realizes their meeting was planned and calculated. Desperate to learn the truth about Diana and her connection to the past will drastically change the future for them all. You must struggle through the beginning when the two Diana’s are initially introduced which is a bit confusing. The teeny tiny connection to her  last book also set in Cape Cod is minute so don’t spend time going down that rabbit hole. Overall, a good story leaning towards some serious issues but there is very little mystery so the reader is just in waiting mode. Enjoyable enough but not the blockbuster I was hoping to read. ⭐⭐⭐

Friday, May 28, 2021

Under the Southern Sky

Parker and Amelia grew up in a small, idyllic town called Cape Carolina. Their mothers have been best friends since childhood and Parker was known as the cute, younger boy next door. Now, both in their thirties, fate has surprisingly reconnected these two old friends, for better or for worse. Amelia, a sharp journalist has uncovered a story regarding abandoned embryos. As her research dives deeper she locates Parker’s name and that of his late wife Greer on the list. As hard as it may be Amelia knows she must confront Parker with this painful information before the embryos are destroyed. Amelia, recently divorced is nursing her own tender heart and becomes immersed in her old friends journey to keep a part of Greer alive. Returning to their stomping grounds, their meddling mothers are quite sure this is the romance they had always hoped would tie their families officially together. Naturally, nothing goes according to plan and even as their feelings grow Parker and Amelia struggle to find their sea legs. Set amid the Carolina beaches and ritz of Palm Beach, I simply adored this sweet story filled with friendship, romance and the promise of new beginnings. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Soulmate Equation

Jess Davis and her daughter Juno have a tidy little routine. They live next door to Jess’s beloved grandparents and Jess has a fairly successful business as a statistician while Juno is in school. Seven years as a busy single parent without a moment to spare, sometimes Jess still feels a little off, like something is missing. When her and her best friend Fizzy accidentally meet the hot guy in the coffee shop they’d been ogling for months, they are quickly signed up with his company called GeneticAlly, a high tech dating service matching couples compatibility using their DNA. What begins as a whim becomes a whole lot more complicated when Jess matches with owner (hot guy) Dr. River Pena attaining the highest matching score the company has ever seen, 98%. A scientist herself, Jess is uncertain whether any of this makes sense and is quickly put off by handsome River’s calculating personality that doesn’t easily exude warmth. Careful with her heart and fiercely protective of her daughter, Jess capitulates as the company extends an offer she can’t refuse. Throwing caution to the wind, Jess finally opens her heart hoping her supposed soulmate will do the same. Delicious, romantic, adorable rom-com. Another hit from my favorite dynamic writing duo and absolutely perfect for a hot summer day. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mary Jane

Mary Jane is a 14 year old girl growing up in a well heeled neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. As the summer of 1970 approaches this smart, curious girl  - who lives under the strictest constraints of her mother’s etiquette book - gets a job offer to nanny for a local family. Her mother, suspicious of everyone,  succumbs to the idea as she’s impressed that the father is a doctor. Mary Jane cannot wait to escape the confines of her daily routine and boring lunches at the country club. Immediately smitten with her charge, she finds that 5 year old Izzy Cone is fun, smart and a joy to be around. The Cone household is another story. A complete mess with rotting food in the refrigerator, Dr. Cone turns out to be an eccentric psychiatrist and administers to his patients in the garage/office while Mrs. Cone does anything but play housewife. The cherry on top: Dr. Cone is taking care of a famous musician for the summer and invited both him and his world renowned movie star wife to stay as well. Mary Jane is blown away by this family that talks openly about sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. As a young woman in training she is expertly cooking, cleaning, and caring for the entire family within a week. Mesmerized by these beautiful people and their bohemian lifestyle, Mary Jane slowly comes out of her protective shell to discover a whole new world is within reach. Filled with music, humor and self discovery, get ready to sink your feet into the sand with this delightful book and read until the sun goes down! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐