Thursday, September 22, 2022

Wherever the Wind Takes Us

When Becca was barely an adult she met Alistair Larkin. He was older, a successful lawyer and from a prominent wealthy family. She was smitten and quickly pregnant with their daughter Olivia. Eventually finishing college (just to prove she could) Becca was mostly content as a stay at home mom raising her child and managing the family’s ever growing social calendar. Twenty two years later she can no longer ignore that her marriage is a sham, Alistair has changed for the worse and she has not been happy in a very long time. After the divorce is final, and Becca did not contest the prenuptial agreement, she walks away with little more than her dignity and Alistair’s prize possession, his 40 foot sailboat. For all practical purposes she must sell the boat having no idea how to sail and desperately needing the cash.  When what was meant to be a cathartic, relationship building experience with her daughter turns into a catastrophe, in walks Grant Murphy, the hottest sailing Irishman she has ever seen. Grant offers to sail the boat to the buyer in Miami and off they go on an adventure. For the very first time Becca is rolling with the waves, facing her fears of the ocean and her future. I simply loved this delicious sailing adventure of a woman deemed past her prime learning how to navigate life on her own terms. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Other Birds

Off the coast of South Carolina is a small charming island called Mallow Island. It’s history as sweet as the marshmallows it once produced. Eighteen year old Zoey arrives at the Dellawisp condo complex with her invisible bird Pigeon to claim her inheritance. This apartment is all she has left of her mother besides a few very early, blurry memories. She is quickly introduced to an eclectic group of tenants. Twenty six year old Charlotte, a surprisingly reclusive henna artist finds a way into her heart. Mac, an award winning local chef with his own haunting past befriends them both as he provides meaningful comfort food. Her neighbor Lizbeth, a mean spirited hoarder dies unexpectedly leaving Zoey with the tedious job of cleaning the apartment and the happenstance of meeting her very handsome son who hasn’t been home for years. Then there is Frasier, the older man who runs the complex and truly cares for them all, including the mysterious exotic birds that control the court yard. Feeling alone since her father remarried, Zoey is determined to use this special summer before college to create a new life for herself. As ghosts of the past embody the natural elements around them, these new friends are guided towards the mystery that has kept the Dellawisp alive. Other Birds is a delightful literary mystery filled with magical realism and moments of pure love and friendship. These are ghosts to be embraced. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wrong Time Wrong Place

It’s almost Halloween, the pumpkin is beautifully carved and lit on the porch. Jen anxiously waits by the window in their quiet Liverpool neighborhood for her teenage son Todd to get home. Initially, she only sees Todd walk towards their front path, then Jen glimpses another man approaching, an older man she does not recognize. Todd pulls out a weapon and stabs the man. Jen runs outside and as she tries to stem the bleeding she notices Todd’s withdrawn, pale face. He is as unrecognizable as their futures seem to be the moment the police take him into custody. Horrified and distraught Jen and her husband Kelly barely get a wink of sleep that night. But things only get worse when she wakes in the morning and it is the day before. As each day passes Jen finds herself going back in time. Days, months, years before. Each new episode she discovers more lies and clues as to what led their little family to this horrendous conclusion. For the love of her son Jen must figure out why this is happening and she will stop at nothing to change their destiny. This unputdownable fast paced psychological thriller is wholly original as a mystery solved backwards. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Something Wilder

Lily’s father Duke was never around much. He was always out chasing one of his treasure hunting dreams. The ranch was sold long ago and Lily, a hard working and resourceful young woman has managed on her own taking small groups on outdoor adventures. Lily shares just enough of her father’s old tales to give these guests a little mystery. Mostly, it pays the bills. When the ranch is for sale once again it is Lily this time that finds herself chasing the treasure dream. The handwritten maps her father left, with notes only she can interpret are her last chance to get back to the place she always believed she should be. The next group of tourists includes a ghost from her past. Leo once spent a summer helping on the ranch. Lily was young and impressionable when Leo disappeared her heart was completely broken. Here he is in the flesh with his buddies from the big city. Even though Lily is not quick to forgive and forget, Leo is willing to risk everything to win back her love. I have read every single book by this dynamic duo author team and this one is most certainly my least favorite. I think I know where it was heading with a mix of romance and adventure but the mark was way off. Silly beyond belief and just wanted it to end. ⭐️⭐️

The Lifestyle

Georgina and Nathan are a busy young couple living in NYC climbing the ladder at a prestigious law firm. Georgina has worked hard her entire life to attain each and every one of her goals. When her marriage hits an insurmountable bump in the road she is forced to make a tough decision. To remain on track with her life plan, Georgina decides to give Nathan a second chance and that what their marriage needs is a little more excitement. With questionable guidance from a female client she and Nathan are introduced to the mostly secretive world of swinging. Her best friends Norah and Felix (harboring their own marital issues) tag along for the ride and the unlikely foursome set out to navigate this new lifestyle. At the very first party they attend Georgina bumps into her old college boyfriend - the one that got away. This in itself has Georgina questioning whether it’s her plan or her husband that is the actual problem. Not a great way to begin this new adventure, one that demands the utmost of trust between partners, problems quickly snowball. Perhaps farfetched but definitely thought provoking and a quick read, this novel interweaves the complexities of marriage and friendship with a twist. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Luck & Last Resorts

Nina Lejeune has been working on a super yacht for the last ten years. She is now chief stewardess and runs her team with an iron fist. Nina’s ex-boyfriend, Irish chef Ollie, no longer works on the yacht but their on-again off-again romance is still off the hook. When they are together their attraction is unstoppable and neither have been able to maintain an actual relationship outside of their own. When Nina steps aboard after a long summer she is ready for the season and shocked to find Ollie in the kitchen, as he had been working in a fancy schmancy Miami restaurant the last few years. Naturally he is adorable, talented and has an accent that melts hearts but Nina refuses to be dependent on anyone. After the disappointment she experienced with her own parents, she trusts no-one. Believing it is easier to be on her own, Nina pushes away Ollie’s affections whenever it feels too real. Their secret past comes back to haunt them and Nina must choose her future or lose him forever. Very cute, Below Deck - ish, fun characters but the push pull is exhausting when someone really cannot get out of their own way. Its a quick easy read, I liked but not loved.  (I did not read Love, Lists & Fancy Ships which is the first in this series and has very good reviews.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank You For Listening

Sewanee is an award winning audiobook narrator. Her dreams of acting were crushed at the beginning of her career when she was involved in a horrific accident. After recuperating she found recording audiobooks kept her creativity flowing while remaining behind the scenes. One night at a Las Vegas book convention Sewanee has a completely unexpected one night stand with a very handsome stranger. After returning home she is offered an opportunity of a lifetime to dual narrate a romance by her favorite author for an ungodly amount of money. This windfall will help her care for her beloved grandmother who is losing her memory at an alarming speed. Her fellow narrator is Brock McNight, a well known, although never seen in public persona, with an Irish lilt that women swoon over. They begin a friendship/workship leads to a closeness she hasn’t experienced since her self imposed isolation. As her movie star friend Adaku encourages her to reach for more and her grandmother Blah Blah barely recognizes her, Sewanee senses this is a challenge she must face on her own. With multiple names I could not pronounce (and I am usually ok with that?) and an ending that was just within reach but dragged on and on, I cannot recommend this read. I loved her first novel and adored this premise (especially knowing Julia Whelan is an actress and admired audiobook narrator) but it just did not work for me. ⭐️⭐️

Scandalized

When Georgia Ross landed at the Seattle airport she was already beyond exhausted. Her work in London had been stressful, difficult and even dangerous but Georgia’s life changing deadline is looming and she refuses to give up. Her connecting flight to LAX is delayed over and over again, ultimately being canceled and leaving Georgia with too many other passengers racing to book hotels and flights for the next day. Recognizing exactly one face in the crowd, it takes Georgia - or as she used to be called “Gigi” - a minute to realize it is Alec Kim, the brother of her childhood best friend. And boy, did he grow up. Alec is even more gorgeous than her 13 year old crush remembers. When she finally gets the courage to say hello, she finds Alec is as charming as he is handsome. A completely unexpected one night stand turns leaves Gigi secretly begging for more but she is focusing on her journalistic ambitions at the moment and not about to let a man get in the way. Easier said than done. Not only is Alec larger than life but he is part of her actual story. Nice twist of suspense plot added to an extremely steamy romance. Completely enjoyed this hot little book candy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Monday, September 5, 2022

Mad Honey

Two single moms. Two high school students. One charming town in New Hampshire trying to solve an inexplicable murder. Olivia McAfee grew up in Adams and she couldn’t wait to leave. Dreaming of college and a career as a zoologist Olivia couldn’t get away quick enough after graduation. She never dreamed she would find herself taking over her family’s beekeeping honey business and raising her precious son Asher on the very same farm she fled. Ava Campanello is another local single mom. This brave, independent woman drove across the entire country to start over with her daughter Lily. Both seniors and instantly attracted to one another, Asher and Lily become inseparable. With holiday cheer in the air, college applications in the mail and hockey practice at ungodly hours, Olivia is shocked to receive Asher’s phone call from the police station. Lily is dead and Asher is the person who found her. Heartbroken and terrified, Asher is questioned and quickly released. Days later the puzzle pieces begin to fall into a devastating picture that simply cannot be true. Asher is arrested for murder. As this mystery unfolds completely unexpected twists and turns (no spoilers here!) will keep you on the edge of your seat. The chapters are expertly narrated and intertwined by the past and present lives of these two grieving families - one thing becomes crystal clear, you most certainly should not judge a book by its cover. Loved the suspense, education, characters and dual writing skills of these incredible authors. FIVE STARS! Wow! A must read for fall!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️