Monday, May 23, 2022

Every Summer After

When Persephone Fraser’s parents buy a cottage in Barry’s Bay, Ontario Canada - she is a scrawny, insecure typical 13 year old girl. Next door to this quaint new summer home are the Florek’s - two noisy boys and their sweet mom, Sue. While Sue runs the small town tavern, Charlie (15) and Sam (13), tend to run wild and quickly take Percy under their brotherly wings. Jumping off rocky cliffs, swimming across the lake and getting into all sorts of mischief becomes the norm and Percy’s summers become what dreams are made of. Secretly in love with Sam from the day they met the two become best friends, often reading each others minds along with Percy’s horror stories and blushing at Charlie’s unending stream of girlfriends. Every summer the balance tips a little bit more and they grow up in every way possible. Finally seeing each other in a new light Percy and Sam explore first love. Narrated alternately with the past and present, we find Percy at 30 years old returning to Barry’s Bay after 12 long years of complete silence. The guilt she carries along with intense loneliness for the years gone-by, Percy is terrified to see Sam but knows it is time for the complicated truth to finally be revealed. Beneath the nuanced past is an exquisite peek at the often painful, exciting, confusing and memorable years of adolescence. Truly cherished this extraordinary debut novel of friendship, family and the young summers we never forget.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mustique Island

Mustique is a private island in the nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a chain of small islands in the West Indies. It is as idyllic as it is remote. When Willy May arrives following a three year adventure on her sailboat, she has a pocketful of cash and is ready to start a new life. After her ex-husbands unexpected passing Willy May finally leaves the stuffy London enclave where she was never really accepted. This Texan beauty queen is quickly coerced to become part of a new utopian community founded by a bizarre yet prominent English gentleman. Promised to be filled with only the rich and beautiful, even Princess Margaret has a home there. It doesn’t take long for Willy May’s grown daughters to join her. The older, a Vogue model arrives troubled and secretly pregnant while the younger is trying to desperately hold together any semblance of the family they once were. After introducing the magnificence and beauty of the island along with the quirky characters, I slowly became disenchanted. Midway through began the small itch of waiting for something to happen and sadly the snow balling dysfunctional family drama was a bit too late. Easy to read this authors wonderful writing but not my favorite. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Saturday, May 21, 2022

The Lies I Tell

Meg’s target is a man she has patiently waited for the last ten years. She was just a girl when she and her terminally ill mother Rosie lost their home, their stability and life as they knew it. All because of one man, Ron Ashton. Alone in the world Meg became a chameleon changing her personality, skills and her name as the situation required. Like the Robin Hood of emotional trauma, Meg focuses on men who have ruined the lives of women by taking all of their power away. Narcissistic, often good looking, successful men who believe they are above the law. Kat Roberts has also been biding her time. As a young journalist in Los Angeles she received a tip on a hot new story her boss was covering. Unfortunately, following up on this lead alone and inexperienced Kat was physically and emotionally traumatized leaving her life in shambles from which she has never truly recovered. Supporting her detective boyfriend Scott in gamblers anonymous, Kat finds herself at a crossroads. She has discovered that Meg is back in town. She is posing as a realtor, licensed and with a surprisingly authentic web site. Kat is determined to befriend Meg, infiltrate her latest con and put her sorely missed journalistic skills back to work. The two women quietly remain optimistic that justice will be served and are often reminded that the teacher is sometimes the student. Extremely fast paced suspenseful domestic thriller. Author Julie Clark has done it again with this absolute perfect beach read. Bring lots of lotion because you will not be able to put this one down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Book Lovers

For New York City literary agent Nora Stephens, spending time offline in North Carolina is not a get-away … it’s the one that got away! In real life this successful dealmaker has lost every one of her recent boyfriends to a meet-cute not of her making. There is no way this stylish hot shot with the regimented skin care routine and strictly scheduled calendar will ever make it through the month in oppressively sunny Sunshine Falls. But Nora has promised her younger sister Libby to spend time with her and bucket list before her next bun is out of the baby making oven. And she cannot bear to disappoint her. With wonky wifi she hunkers down in the local book store to get some work done and learns much to her chagrin that her NY nemesis, top notch editor Charlie Lastra is not only in this godforsaken little town at the very same time but his family owns the adorable shop and the B&B where she is staying. Many romcom moments later the two cannot deny the unlikely circumstances that brought them together and unquestionable chemistry they share. Sisterly connection, book obsession, steamy enemies to lovers - this laugh-out-loud summer read is a small town romance that will have you glued to that beach chair long after the sun goes down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Meant to Be

Joe Kingsley is the “It” guy of the eighties. Born into a high achieving, wealthy family - Joe always had that special something. Carrying the memory of his father, an astronaut and American hero who perished a tragic death, Joe is smothered with love from his stylish, well bred mother. With his all American good looks, athleticism and natural charm Joe finds it’s smooth sailing to pretty much get whatever and whomever he wants. His mother repeatedly reminding him that as the receiver of many gifts, much is expected. The pressure of being a Kingsley and barrage of unwanted publicity leaves Joe constantly on the search for true happiness and often his next adrenaline rush. One day, on a windy beach in the Hamptons, he stumbles upon a photo shoot and meets the most stunning woman he has ever seen. After continuous begging and pleading Cate finally agrees to a date. And just as Cate feared there is no turning back. Their pasts cannot be more different. Cate grew up in another world, a dysfunctional home filled with dread and disappointment. Until Joe, Cate never dreamed there was a love this great. Succumbing to the terrifying paparazzi and harsh public opinion, Cate cannot resist her full heart and Joe’s eternal optimism. Their romance is one people write books about.  Loosely (very loosely!) based on the Kennedy’s these characters were easily imaginable and beloved. This “what if” novel is beautiful all on its own - but with JFK Jr’s handsome face in mind, Meant to Be comes instantly to life and melted my heart. This imaginative, well written, captivating love story is unputdownable and the absolute PERFECT summer read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

An Island Wedding

On the remote island of Mure, between Scotland and Norway, Flora MacKenzie is planning her wedding. After a stint in London she is once again living on the island she was raised with her fiancĂ© Joel and their baby Douglas who is soon to turn one. Flora is finally ready to tie the knot surrounded by beloved family and friends. While she manages the beautiful local hotel with her brother, she could think of no better place to take her vows. Then Olivia MacDonald shows up. Having left the island ten years ago in search of a bigger shinier life the breathtakingly beautiful Olivia returns instagram famous and engaged to a wealthy man. She is in Mure to plan her wedding (fancy planner in tow) and rub her success in the faces of her past. To further complicate matters Olivia wants to hold the affair the same time and place as Flora. When Joel who suffered a difficult lonely childhood decides he prefers a small simple ceremony Flora is unsure whether she can juggle the two simultaneously. This fifth book of a series can easily stand alone - say “I Do” to this enchanting arm chair travel to the Scottish Isles. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wedding Crasher

Speak now or forever hold your peace? Solange Pereira, a beautiful Brazilian-American firecracker is helping her wedding planner cousin Lina with a fancy affair when she unexpectedly overhears a conversation in the stairwell. Unable to keep quiet during the ceremony, this wedding crasher becomes the wedding destroyer and stops this very sweet handsome groom from making the biggest mistake of his life. Little did she know that the couple had an odd agreement and Dean (sexy groom) does not believe in true love. This business-like arrangement checked all his boxes and that was that. Feeling absolutely mortified that she ruined his special day Solange cannot refuse Dean when he asks for a great big favor in return. As he fights for partnership in the law firm where he works, Dean must help recruit a woman from a well connected family. He needs Solange to “pretend date” him to accomplish this task. One rom-com mishap after another leads these adorable characters and their fake romance to finally acknowledge their very real chemistry. For these two career driven hotties giving real love a chance means putting to-do lists and meddling family aside and facing their own beating hearts. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️