REVIEW: The Deal by Elle Kennedy

 

OUR REVIEW:

I'm not gonna lie, I could've sworn we reviewed this for the blog a kazillion years ago when we were very active in our blogging? But I have yet to find it in our archives, and I just reread it, so now we'll have it for the future. This novel is the epitome of New Adult Romance. You have two hot college aged characters who not only find each other, but are beginning to figure out some things about themselves. It's sexy and fun and not too heartbreaking, with a fairly easy recovery (Kennedy does not make us wait too long for that make up). The banter and secondary characters are fun and you can breeze through this novel in no time at all. There are some serious issues that are broached throughout the novel, but they aren't necessarily the focus.

I'm absolutely certain that this series is exploding because of the TV series and having read it and watched it, I can see why. While they're not exactly the same, the changes work and I'm eager to see how they modify the rest of the books in the series.

BUY IT: https://tinyurl.com/2usyd4tx

SYNOPSIS:

She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy... Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she's carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush's attention, she'll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice...even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. ...and it's going to be oh so good!

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he's worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he's all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

REVIEW: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

 

OUR REVIEW:

I've been reading The Covenant of Water in drips and drabs over the last year and my goal was to finish it before the end of the year. Success! This novel was a beast! It spans almost 100 years and many generations of family in India as they try to circumvent The Condition. It's thorough in its exploration of each generation and their fears, love, grief, and joy. As the times change, we see how the family adapts and explores the boundaries of their lives and loves. While there are side jaunts here and there, the main focus is the enduring love and capacity for love in a family that experiences loss and love again and again and again. Well worth the time I put into it. 

BUY IT: https://tinyurl.com/mrxbhz3u

SYNOPSIS:

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala's Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. Imbued with humor, deep emotion, and the essence of life, it is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.

REVIEW: If Not You by Ellen O'Clover

 

OUR REVIEW:

Ellen O'Clover is a new to me author and I'm so glad I tried her latest novel, If Not You. I typically enjoy my romances to have a dual narrator because I'm always fascinated by the other main character's perspective on things, I didn't feel like I was missing anything by there not being one in this novel. Mattie's perspective on their ongoing feud was enough to keep me engaged and interested (though I would've loved to know what Campbell was thinking). It's through her eyes, insecurities, past, and present that we come to understand the hows and whys to their beef. While a lot of the novel is focused on them battling it out to win a huge contract for their team and business, much of what we learn is that the source of Mattie's pain and insecurity has to do with her upbringing (doesn't it nearly always?!) and those wounds were deep and long lasting. Through a series of unexpected events, Campbell and Mattie make a seemingly impossible thing happen and both of them discover that a future with each other and a future filled with love isn't impossible. A solid 4 star read for me.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4eXPgiZ

SYNOPSIS:

Five years of history. Four weeks on the road. Two rival copywriters learning love is the hardest sell of all.

Mattie French has always known how to tell a good story. It’s why she stopped at nothing to land her dream career as a copywriter at a scrappy independent advertising agency. In fact, if it weren’t for one person, Mattie would probably be the most-talked-about rising star in town.

Campbell Porter is a senior copywriter at Chicago’s slickest agency. Absurdly talented, incredibly aware of it, and the bane of Mattie’s existence since they were interns together, Campbell is always just…there, with his golden-boy smirk and the familiar gaze that never fails to taunt her across a crowded room.

Mattie would love nothing more than to avoid Campbell forever. But when their agencies are pitted against each other to compete for a luxury resort account, it’s her chance to prove she can beat him—and earn the promotion she covets.

During the month of travel required for the pitch, Mattie and Campbell are thrown together as fierce competitors and, slowly, as unexpected witnesses to each other’s hidden wounds and softest parts. As their trip barrels toward its final pitch, Mattie is forced to confront the increasingly obvious the story she’s crafted for her and Campbell over the years might need a new ending.

REVIEW: ExtraCurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon

 

OUR REVIEW:

I read Extracurricular in between some heavier, denser novels and it was a great reprieve from all the seriousness I was reading. I remember feeling instantly curious about Ramona and Nick from the first chapters and that engagement level remained throughout. I was using this novel as a palette cleanser from the other things but it ended up being the novel that I couldn't. My only quibble is the fact that he's her professor and they got involved while he was her professor. I'd like to believe in real life that that doesn't happen but I know that's a naive wish. Other than that, this novel was an easy read that offered a satisfying ending. 4 stars. 

BUY IT: https://tinyurl.com/bdh6ewny

SYNOPSIS:

When a former pop star enrolls in college, the last thing she expects is A-plus chemistry with her psychology professor in this sexy and tender romance from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Ramona Wilder has spent her whole life in the spotlight. After a hit kids’ TV show, she transitioned into music, singing in arenas around the world and becoming an icon for millions of teenage girls. Now at age twenty-six, exhausted by the inhumane lack of privacy, she’s done—with all of it. She wants a chance at normal, whatever that might mean for her. And she’s starting with college.

Professor Nick Navarro is recently divorced but determinedly optimistic, allowing himself a very reasonable ten minutes per day to wallow. When his department calls a meeting about a celebrity enrollment, he plans to treat whoever it is like any other student. Except when Ramona blazes into class and causes an uproar, the typically easygoing professor is rattled, maybe for the first time in his career.

Ramona loves the way she flusters him, taking every opportunity to push Nick’s buttons, though what she really wants is to unbutton them completely. When a crisis brings them closer outside of class, they begin a tentative friendship amid an undeniable attraction. But Ramona can’t be so easily finished with her old life, and they’ll both have to confront their pasts if they want a chance at something real.

REVIEW: The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

 

OUR REVIEW:

Upon reflection, I really cannot tell you why I'd rank this novel anything lower than a perfect score. It's still lingering with me weeks after I've read it, just like her first novel did. The Burning Side plunges you into a tumultuous time in April and Leo's lives and the lives of her family. It explores the utter grief of a failed marriage, the grief of the long, slow goodbye of someone living with Alzheimer's, and the small joys that are peppered in between. The stories of Leo and April and Deb are told in present day and flashback and all three of them have a voice in the telling of their stories, which I greatly appreciate. There are a ton of lines that just complete resonated with me (see my goodreads account) and rang so true that I actually wrote them down in my journal. I'm so glad I read this and am eagerly awaiting whatever she writes next. 

BUY IT: https://tinyurl.com/2mucd4xc

SYNOPSIS:

From the author of The Bright Years, the story of April and Leo, a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

When April and Leo’s house burns in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. They retreat to April’s childhood home in Dallas, where her spirited parents and siblings provide both comfort and complication.

As the family reckons with the aftermath—grief, guilt, logistics, and memories scorched and intact—the fire exposes the cracks already forming in April and Leo’s marriage. The novel unfolds in alternating perspectives: from April, who feels the crushing weight of motherhood, marriage, and self-blame; from Leo, a high school history teacher shaped by a lonely, fractured childhood; from Deb, April’s generous and no-nonsense mother who has to contend with her husband’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis; and from flashbacks that trace April and Leo’s relationship from its earliest days of connection to the devastating decisions that led them here.

A family saga suffused with humor, longing, and heartbreak, The Burning Side is about what we inherit and what we choose, about forgiveness and the ache of being known. It is, above all, about the meaning of home and the costs of long love.

REVIEW: Land by Maggie O'Farrell

 

OUR REVIEW:

Of the two other works I've read by Maggie O'Farrell, I'd say Land has a similar emotional landscape as well as a depth of research that many have come to appreciate about her works. I think, for me, I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. This novel felt like a novel for her- a way for her to delve into a place she clearly loves and explore it in all of its richness and sadness. That being said, I was thoroughly engaged and was curious about how she'd tie the land + the characters together, which she did again and again and again, all the way to the end. And to be honest, the ending was something I'd expect from her, so in that respect it was very satisfying. I think I wanted a little relief from the relentlessness of it all, but to be fair, the land and the people she wrote about didn't really get that, so why would we? Despite my longing for a more happy ending, I did enjoy it-a solid 4 star read for me.

BUY IT: https://tinyurl.com/bdaefwxx

SYNOPSIS:

A spellbinding story of separation, longing, recovery and survival as a family makes a new home in the aftermath of tragedy.

On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole of Ireland. The year is 1865, and in a country not long since ravaged and emptied by the Great Hunger, the task is not an easy one. Tomás, however, is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster.

The British soldiers in charge are due to arrive any day, expecting the work to be completed, but Tomás is sent off course by an unsettling encounter in a copse. His life, and those of his family, will never be the same again. Liam is terrified by the sudden change in his taciturn father. What was it that caused such cracks to open in Tomás and how is Liam, aged only ten, going to finish the mapping, and get them both home?

Land is a story of buried treasure, overlapping lives, ancient woodland, persistent ghosts, a particularly loyal dog, and how, when it comes to both land and history, nothing ever goes away.

REVIEW: Whistler by Ann Patchett

 

OUR REVIEW:

Whistler is such a good read and yet when you try to describe it, it sounds like a book about nothing, really. And maybe that's why it's so good--because it is a book that seemingly not much happens, and yet you walk away with thoughts and feelings and emotions. I think it's Eddie. He's magic. He's such an interesting character-the way he loves Daphne and her sister and their mother...it's so personal and profound...and exactly what you'd want in a father. And Daphne's mother? She's also an interesting concoction of self-determination and selfishness and love. And the sisters-I love their bond. Even Daphne's dad, I come to understand. Despite some really crazy things that happen, and some really normal things that happen, I found there interactions and aplomb so very satisfying and admirable. 

I really enjoyed this novel and all of its sentiments on love and family, so much so that I now want to read more of her backlist. 

BUY IT: https://tinyurl.com/mr3a59uf

SYNOPSIS:

The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again.

Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.

REVIEW: P.S. I Hate You by Lauren Connelly

 

OUR REVIEW:

PS I Hate You was one of those lucky NetGalley finds. I saw it many months ago and it sounded interesting and so once school ended, I started it and found that I absolutely could not put it down. It was suprisingly sweet and sad and funny. I thought Connelly did a great job of creating a Maddie who was furious in her grief and creating a target: Dom. Dom, the guy Maddie had been convincing herself for too long that she hated, after one wonderful night a decade ago. Now these two are thrown together to complete her brother's dying wish and as they complete each task, we get to understand a little more about why she's so intent on holding on to her anger and sadness. 

I truly didn't anticipate the gut punch of emotion that was sprinkled throughout this novel, but I needed it. I needed a book to provoke me and it did. I hope there are more books like this in her backlist and I'm looking forward to exploring them. 

BUY IT: https://tinyurl.com/4cr3ptcj

SYNOPSIS: 

Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at his funeral, she would have killed him for this.

Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a farewell trip that spans thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.

REVIEW: By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin

 

OUR REVIEW:

This is my new favorite Alexa Martin novel. From the minute I picked up Luna Starr's quest to outrun her miserable past, I was hooked. I loved Luna and her funny internal monologue, her friendships with Gabby and her new friends in Celestial, and the continual hope that this new place gave her. I loved this idealized small town and the people in it. I loved the way she navigated things with Tate and Silas. And I loved that everything worked out in the end. I see that this is the first book in a series and I cannot wait for the next book...and I hope that there are many, many books in this series because I can already tell I'm not going to get enough of these characters and this small town romance. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/43AUY3f

SYNOPSIS:

A cowboy romance enthusiast discovers that everything’s bigger in Texas—even love—in this swoony novel from beloved author Alexa Martin.

Fueled by a love of romance novels, Luna Starr was destined for a life with her head in the clouds. Her delusional tendencies serve her well…or at least they used to. When life throws her a curveball, she decides it’s time to turn her cowboy fantasies into reality and purchases a tiny farm in Celestial, Texas. After all, don’t all heroines try to outrun grief?

Tate Jacobs hates cowboys, which is a small problem, considering his family happens to own the largest ranch in Celestial. Life might not have gone the way he wanted, but as head coach at his old high school and the town’s best (and only) handyman, he’s figured out how to stay busy and keep his head down—until the new girl in town shows up. Luna’s new property is a bad accident waiting to happen unless someone helps her with her DIY home renovations.

As Tate and Luna spend more time together fixing up her house, unexpected feelings and undeniable chemistry bubble to the surface. Luna might’ve moved to Celestial to make her cowboy dreams come true, but somewhere beneath the vast Texas skies, she discovers that love in the real world can be far better than she imagined.

REVIEW: The Dove and the Rogue by Harper St. George

OUR REVIEW: 

This final book in The Doves of New York series, The Dove and the Rogue, is probably my favorite. Jenny and her Duke enter into a marriage of convenience, but as they get to know each other, their initial assumptions of what will be change. Jenny and David find that they have a genuine affection for each other--one that they both try to deny and fight since it doesn't fit the narrative they've told themselves. Jenny considers their marriage a necessary evil, one that is finite, and one that she will not engage with, other than the one night she's agreed to. David, on the other hand, seems a little more open to a more long term future. He's been intrigued with her from the moment he met her and while he agrees to her terms, it seems like he's more open to a real future with her. As a matter of fact, he's the one who pursues it-a real future with this intriguing woman. He's met with resistance, mainly in the form of her refusal to see that a real future is possible (she's been burned before), but he eventually shows her that real love can exist.

I enjoyed that David was the pursuer. I loved that Jenny insisted on living her dream. And I loved that David respected her and her wishes and never considered any other option than what she wanted. A perfect ending to this series--one that has me wondering what and where Harper St. George will take us next.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3RZgBYD

SYNOPSIS:

American heiress Jenny Dove thought a marriage of convenience would solve all her problems, until her heart decided to rewrite the terms…

Jenny Dove has spent her life training to become an opera singer, determined not to repeat her mother’s mistake of sacrificing her career for love. But when her younger sister needs her help, Jenny strikes a daring bargain. To save her sister’s future, she’ll marry a titled gentleman long enough to unlock both their inheritances, then return to Paris to live out her dream.

Lord David Felding, heir to a dukedom and unapologetic rake, has no interest in finding a wife, until Jenny walks into his life with an audacious marriage proposal. She’ll give him one night in her bed in exchange for the protection of his name. It’s supposed to be a simple transaction—no emotions, no complications. But when their wedding night reveals unexpected passion and a startling connection, walking away is anything but easy.

Instead of continuing his roguish life in London, David follows Jenny to Paris—and begins to court his own wife. As their sham marriage deepens into something real, Jenny glimpses the wounded man behind his charm and feels her carefully guarded heart begin to yield. But falling in love means a slow, irresistible unraveling of everything they thought they wanted…and trusting in something neither dared to hope for.
 

REVIEW: The Final Score by Lana Ferguson

 

OUR REVIEW:

It's been a minute since I've been in this Lana Ferguson universe, but once I remembered who Jack and Abby were, I settled in and enjoyed the journey. On the surface, Jack and Abby couldn't be more different: Jack is a smiley, happy, jokester while Abby is a serious, snarky, more solemn character; however, as we get to know them, we understand that they're both pretty tender and sweet. Both of them hide their more vulnerable interiors behind their exteriors for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it's what they've been doing for a while. As they get to know each other, they begin to feel safe with each other, sharing things they wouldn't normally which allows them to begin to trust each other and genuinely like each other. 

I enjoyed Abby and Jack and their banter, their chemistry, and the overall development of their romance. This was a quick and fun read. I wonder if we'll get another book in this series? Here's to hoping. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4vGM7ZM

SYNOPSIS:

A hockey player and a grad student are on thin ice until they meet their match in this sexy romance by USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.

Jack Baker is on top of the world now that he’s back on the rink where he belongs. But the high comes crashing down when he reinjures his arm immediately following his return to the ice, and this time, he might never be able to play again. After a lifetime as the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needed him, Jack is left questioning everything he knows about himself.

Abigail Thompson feels like she’s hit rock bottom. It’s only been a few months since the massive scandal that finally severed the cord between her and her narcissistic father. And now, in her last weeks of grad school, she’s been kicked out of her building with very short notice. The last thing she wants to do is ask her half-brother for help after what she’s put him through, but it’s looking like his best friend’s spare room might be her only choice.

Jack is flighty, flirty, and a little full of himself—all the things Abby’s learned to avoid in men. However, spending every day together breaks the ice between them, and she starts to realize that Jack might not be who he seems. It’s possible that maybe, just maybe, he might be struggling as much as she is. Soon, confiding in each other leads to falling into bed, and this fling will either play with their hearts—or score them the ultimate goal of love.

REVIEW: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

OUR REVIEW:

Christina Lauren is a one-click for so many of us because they consistently deliver a good romance. The Romance Revival most definitely delivers romance and also does something I'm not used to in a Christina Lauren read--it had less comedy and more emotion with some suspense vibes. Now I'm not saying they're suddenly thriller writers but it definitely leaned more heavily on the 'what will happen next' plot. And while I definitely predicted the ending, it was a very enjoyable read. I enjoyed the rediscovery of Emery and Luca after the accident--it definitely made me wonder how this would play out for many of us, if we were in a similar situation. I also appreciated the care and love and hope that these two had for each other and thought this was a solid romance. It had a little of everything--swoony, funny, heartfelt moments that ended with that HEA we know will come.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3NRk0q2

SYNOPSIS:

Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together...all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.

 

REVIEW: The Woman from Nowhere by Kristen Ashley

 

OUR REVIEW:

I think this may be my favorite novel in the Misted Pines series, so far. I found myself immediately engaged in the story of Mabel and her mountain man. Both of their backstories were interesting as was the co-mingling of their lives. It doesn't hurt that KA books are my catnip and as soon as I pick one up, I want to immediately reread every single series she's written. The Woman from Nowhere definitely provoked that reaction--luckily for me, she has a new book coming out in a few weeks.

If you love Kristen Ashley, you'll love this one too. A little mystery, a little thriller, a ton of romance, banter, and fun characters. Love!

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4uESpZ9

SYNOPSIS:

After a heartbreaking betrayal, Mabel Adams reinvents herself for the fourth time. Regardless of the alarming reputation of the deceptively sleepy town of Misted Pines, she decides to move all the way across the country to start yet again.

Mabel has a one-night stand with a mountain man who rocks her world in bed but doesn't tell her his name.

The next day, after receiving a threatening note from her neighbors, she discovers she's living next to an extremist cult where the women go in and are never seen again.

After serving, former Navy SEAL Hutch Hutchison is living a peaceful life on his patch in the mountains outside Misted Pines. He's been burned so many times by women, he's happy to train his guard dogs, play his guitar, live remote, and most of all, quiet.

Until he hooks up with a beautiful woman who lives just down the way. And then he discovers she's been threatened by the cult next door.

Hutch's protective instinct sparks, and he decides his next mission is to keep Mabel safe at all costs.

But there's something even hinkier about that cult than Hutch or local law enforcement expect.

As Hutch executes the riskiest mission of his life—keeping Mabel safe at the same time keeping both of their hearts intact—Hutch and the Sheriff's Department try to unravel the mystery of The Lion and The Lamb before it's too late.

Because Mabel is in their crosshairs.

And Hutch is not about to allow her to disappear.

REVIEW: Kin by Tayari Jones

OUR REVIEW:

OhmygodIlovethisbook. I read it for my book club and am still thinking about it a month later. I am seriously considering it for one of the independent reading choices for my students next year. It's so good. It's rich and layered and thoughtful and thought-provoking. There are so many things I think anyone reading it could explore and consider and I loved having my book friends discuss with me. I hope everyone who reads it has someone to discuss it with. 

Vernice and Annie are such special characters. The way they grapple with the impacts of being motherless are so very different and yet you can see the overlapping of the pain and hurt and curiosity that guides them both down their very different paths. And even though their paths into adulthood are so very different, the love and respect they always hold for each other are deep and abiding.

I love the so much about this novel-the beautifully crafted characters, the settings and scenes that are truly unforgettable, and the ideas about sisterhood, chosen families, and love. I cannot recommend this novel enough. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4v9ZMc3

SYNOPSIS:

Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood, but are fated to live starkly different lives. Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother’s death, Vernice leaves Atlanta at eighteen for Spelman College, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and marries into an affluent family. Annie, abandoned by her dissolute mother as a child, and fixated on the idea of finding her and filling the bottomless hole left by her absence, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, and culminate in a battle for her life.

A novel about mothers and daughters, about friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South, Kin is an exuberant, emotionally rich, unforgettable work from one of the brightest and most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction.

 

REVIEW: Hart's Landing by Melanie Harlow

OUR REVIEW:

It's been a minutes since I've read anything by Melanie Harlow, so I was looking forward to trying this new series because her novels are usually a delight. Harts Landing managed to address some heavier issues dealing with narcissism and the harm it can do while feeling like a lighter read. Mila and Everett are cute and undeniably going to end up together, despite Mila's hesitancy. 

This novel read like the first one in a series: it introduces us to the town, many of the characters, and some of the conflicts we'll run into in future books.

I'm looking forward to what comes next. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4vNR7Mn

SYNOPSIS:

Four friends made a promise to live one night like it was their last.

That night changed everything.

Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson left behind a devastating fire, a stolen kiss, and a shattered circle of friends in her hometown of Hart’s Landing. But when a crisis brings her back, Mila just wants to get in and get out, unscathed by her mother’s constant criticism and unseen by her former crush, Everett McKean.

Only … Everett is everywhere. The town’s attractive, beloved mayor has resisted settling down, but he’s never stopped wondering about Mila. Having her back in Hart’s Landing is the second chance he didn’t know he was waiting for—and he’s not about to waste it.

As Mila slowly opens her heart to Everett and begins to rebuild her fractured friendships, she wonders if coming home was exactly what she needed. But old wounds threaten to open again when questions emerge about what really happened the night Mila left. Who’s really responsible for the fire that destroyed the bakery? And will knowing the truth free Mila from the past, or ignite a blaze that burns down the future she’s trying to build?

People say you can never truly come home again, but sometimes coming home isn’t about where you’ve been. It’s about who you’re brave enough to become.

Sexy, heartfelt, and steeped in small-town charm, Hart’s Landing is a story of forgiveness, friendship, and finding the family who loves you no matter how far you wander.

 

REVIEW: Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

 

OUR REVIEW:

As per usual, whenever I see a new Carley Fortune at the library, I immediately put myself on the list to check it out. And as usual, I find that her latest novel, Our Perfect Storm, was a pleasure to read. It had all of the things I've come to associate with her novels: two friends who have a long history together, who care deeply about each other, but have not acted upon it (at least in this novel). In this particular novel, there was a chance for this love story to start sooner, but as it happens in many romance novels, there was an epic miscommunication or misunderstanding that led to Frankie and George to keep each other firmly in the friendzone. This, of course, creates a situation where feelings go unrequited and tensions eventually begin to form, which all come to a head after Frankie's fiancée dumps her hours before the wedding. After weeks of depression and moping, Frankie invites George to go on her honeymoon and it's during this time that feelings emerge and these two discover that they were meant to be together all along.

In addition to the back and forth of the present and past, and the intense emotions they delve into, I also enjoyed this novel for the way the setting and food were described. I enjoyed it so much that I found myself wondering if I could one day visit this beautiful place. 

Very sold summer read.

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SYNOPSIS:

Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

REVIEW: Mistakes Were Made by Lucy Score

OUR REVIEW:

If you're looking for a light romcom, Mistakes Were Made is a good choice. Zoey is absolutely ridiculous, as are many of the situations she finds herself in. Gage and his family also provide some laugh out loud moments, as do many of the secondary characters in this novel. Be prepared, it's a long one, but many laughable moments and one that you don't have to follow too closely to enjoy. 

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SYNOPSIS:

Literary agent Zoey Moody doesn't like small town life, but here she is: exiled from Manhattan's publishing scene and trapped in a tiny Pennsylvania town with her BFF and only remaining client, Hazel. The problem? She's totally broke.

All she needs is for Hazel's next romance novel to become a gigantic hit, and Zoey will be back in New York. Nothing will stand in her way. Nothing except her six-foot-two-inch landlord, Gage Bishop. He's smart, serious, and sexy. Worst of all, he's ready to settle down.

Zoey might be the most beautiful woman Gage has ever met, but it's clear they're all wrong for each other. She's allergic to commitment and can't work a calendar app; he's looking for a wife and has the next five years all planned out. She's afraid of animals. He lives in a literal barn. But when Gage's world is rocked by a devastating family secret, he turns to Zoey for one night to forget everything. That one night just might change everything…or ruin it.
 

REVIEW: Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

OUR REVIEW:

As with everything I read by Sierra Simone, I did not want Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl to end. It was so good. I loved everything about Bram and Maddie, even when they made me a little nuts. Both characters were smart and funny and thoughtful and even when they weren't wonderful, I adored them. The secondary characters and setting were equally delightful and I absolutely cannot wait to read the next books in this series. From the cleverly drawn characters, the chemistry between them, and the connections to a previous series, this is a solid 5 start read. 

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SYNOPSIS:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone comes a brand-new college town raunch-com about a sexy single dad professor and a feisty law school grad turned nanny in this steamy tale of Academic Affairs…

She wants to be a good girl. He’s dying to teach her.

New to town and freshly single, rookie lecturer Maddie isn’t looking for trouble … until she ends up in bed with Bram – a sexy, grumpy single dad – on her first night.

The catch? He’s her new boss at home (he needs a nanny), and her colleague at work (he's a professor, too). So to make it work, they set some ground

- No more sex

- They can never be alone in the house together

But Maddie’s great at breaking these rules, and Bram’s even better at dishing out consequences…
 

REVIEW: The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

OUR REVIEW:

I read this ahead of assigning it as part of a dystopian book club unit; I wanted to make sure it would work as an option with the other options selected. It did and the students who read it had THOUGHTS. The things we all liked were: the integration of the texts and emails and the overlapping narratives/flashbacks and we loved to hate the premise because who really likes the idea of being in a world like the one Lalami created? Uhhhhh no one. That being said, she definitely made it feel realistic and uncomfortable. We also loved to hate the characters; at varying points I think we wanted to throttle each of them. The things we didn't love: the ending. We all wanted more and we all felt like there were some loose ends that could've been more tied up at the end. Despite all of that, it was a solid 3.5 read--a good fit for the dystopian unit I created and one that my students enjoyed.

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SYNOPSIS:

A novel about one woman’s fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

Sara has just landed at LAX, returning home from a conference abroad, when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration pull her aside and inform her that she will soon commit a crime. Using data from her dreams, the RAA’s algorithm has determined that she is at imminent risk of harming the person she loves most: her husband. For his safety, she must be kept under observation for twenty-one days.

The agents transfer Sara to a retention center, where she is held with other dreamers, all of them women trying to prove their innocence from different crimes. With every deviation from the strict and ever-shifting rules of the facility, their stay is extended. Months pass and Sara seems no closer to release. Then one day, a new resident arrives, disrupting the order of the facility and leading Sara on a collision course with the very companies that have deprived her of her freedom.

Eerie, urgent, and ceaselessly clear-eyed, The Dream Hotel artfully explores the seductive nature of technology, which puts us in shackles even as it makes our lives easier. Lalami asks how much of ourselves must remain private if we are to remain free, and whether even the most invasive forms of surveillance can ever capture who we really are.