Review: The Beach House by Jenny Hale

The Beach House

by Jenny Hale 

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 300

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  “Oh, my goodness,” she whispered. At the bottom of the box was a stack of letters. Tied with a ribbon, the pages were faded with age. “These are all addressed from here,” she said, “but they’ve never been sent.”

When her gram passes away, Melanie Simpson feels utterly lost. She has no idea what to do with her life after she has devoted years to looking after her beloved grandmother.

But Gram’s will may hold the answer, instructing Melanie to use her inheritance to buy a crumbling house in Rosemary Bay. They used to visit the village every summer, sit by the sparkling gulf on a beach the color of a fresh pearl, and daydream about turning the place on the corner into a bed and breakfast.

Fulfilling her grandmother’s legacy, Melanie decides to restore the beach house to its original glory. She sets out on renovations of the wrap-around porch weathered by the coastal breeze, and the peeling white paint faded by the sun.

When Melanie runs into local carpenter, Josh Claiborne, whose eyes match the dazzling sea, she jumps at the chance to ask him for help. But that’s the last thing he wants. He’s off to New York soon, leaving his troubled past behind. Over a game of darts Melanie gets her wish, even if Josh isn’t happy about it.

As they work together, Melanie tries to ignore their undeniable chemistry and how Josh’s rare smiles take her breath away––because soon they’ll be thousands of miles apart. But hiding in a closet is a yellowing stack of letters that could change everything. The looping handwriting reveals the mystery of the rickety house––a buried history that touches everyone in Rosemary Bay. Will its secrets bring Melanie and Josh together or tear them apart?

Kritters Thoughts:  Melanie returns to Florida to the dream home that her gram always adored when they visited and she has decided to repair the house and open it as a bed and breakfast.  When she heads to Florida she doesn't realize the state the home is in until she arrives and it will be quite an undertaking, but of course in walks Josh, a local who is a carpenter and after losing a bet ends up helping her get the house back up to a living standard.  

This is one of those romance books that just makes you happy while reading.  Of course from the beginning, Josh and Melanie aren't bitter enemies but it isn't love at first sight, so it is a slow roll for this romance and I enjoyed the journey.  I loved the ups and downs that they had.  They didn't feel forced but like they could have happened in real life.  

A book that would be perfect for a week at the beach this summer or some days by the pool.  These characters were fun and charming and who doesn't love a good home project!  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 69 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt

The Edelweiss Sisters

by Kate Hewitt

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 437

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  1938, Salzburg. A powerful story of hope, forbidden love, and incredible courage, about three sisters who will risk everything—even their own lives—as part of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Austria.

Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them.

At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.

Then comes the Anschluss—the reunification of Austria and Germany under Nazi rule. The three sisters’ lives have become ever more separate with Lotte joining the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and Birgit’s secret involvement with the Resistance. But as Johanna realizes how mistaken she was about the level of danger, she begins to see that it may be down to her to protect the man she loves.

She knows that she can’t do it alone though. She will have to turn to the people she trusts the most: her sisters.

The three of them work together to try to get Franz to the safety of Switzerland, and they soon prove invaluable to the Resistance. But they’re risking everything. Can three women who would die for each other, also be prepared to die for what is right?

The sisters’ subsequent journey from Nazi-occupied Salzburg to the devastating concentration camps of Ravensbruck and Mauthausen will show the strength of human spirit like never before. As, out of the darkness, a tiny seed of hope flowers…

Kritters Thoughts:  Another book about World War II and another time where I felt as though the story was so unique that even though it took place in a moment in time where I have read quite a plethora of books, the characters and setting made the story feel different from all the ones in this historical fiction sub genre.

Three sisters who are all very different from each other are trying to find their passions and direction in life as World War II is entering Austria where they live.  The oldest Johanna has spent a lot of time in their family's kitchen and would rather stay there and disregard what is going on outside their home.  Birgit the middle has apprenticed under their father the clockmaker, but has dreams to become a part of the resistance and fighting the German invasion of their country.  The youngest Lotte is known for her singing voice, but goes a completely different route in entering the abby as a nun and her perspective on the war is so interesting.

I appreciated that the author included three sisters who while at the heart of things believes the same values, but they each go about it in completely different ways.  This epic story really shows how the war impacted a family and how each responded differently.  I loved how each sister was given the opportunity to share their perspective and while reading I often wondered how accurate this book depicted families as war invade their countries and their homes.

I have read a few of Kate Hewitt's contemporary stories and loved that she brought the same character development and plot movement to a historical fiction book and made these characters come to life.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 68 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Her Tuscan Summer by Vanessa Carnevale

Her Tuscan Summer

by Vanessa Carnevale

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 266

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When I go to sleep at night, all I see is your face. All that matters to me is your happiness. I’d do anything for you. But don’t expect me not to fight for you. I’m prepared to lose you, but not like this.

Mia Moretti has always dreamed of becoming an artist. But after a fierce battle with a devastating illness that she is terrified will return, Mia is heartbroken to find herself unable to paint like she used to, and is forced to give up her place at art school.

So when an opportunity to spend the summer in Italy presents itself, Mia jumps at the chance for a fresh start. She hopes that by travelling to the sun-drenched streets of Florence, surrounded by art and Tuscany’s rich green vineyards and sweeping hills, she will finally be able to heal.

What Mia doesn't count on is meeting handsome local mechanic, Luca Bonnici. With his easy smile, endless warmth and irresistible joie de vivre, Mia can’t help but fall for him. And, as she slowly lets down her walls and opens her heart to Luca, Mia starts to fall in love with life again too.

But just when she is ready to let go of her past, tragedy strikes. Will Mia’s strength and her love for Luca be enough to save them both, or is it already too late?

Kritters Thoughts:  Mia has dreamed of spending time in Italy and while life has thrown a few speed bumps her way, she is finally in Italy to find her passion again and to have some new experiences.  Luca is a young man who lives in Italy and ends up crossing paths with Mia and they will have some ups and downs but as in most romance books, the happily ever after should happen . . . 

After reading this book, it solidified my feelings that I love a book where the romance is either a slow burn or rekindled after time apart.  This book went from zero to eighty in two seconds and I didn't love how quickly these two were madly in love with each other.  If you like those books where it goes from meeting to unequivocal love then this one is the perfect romance for you.  Mia and Luca went from meeting to declaring their undying love for each other and it just didn't make the book believable to me.  I wish they either had more time together to slow the build or maybe even a chance meeting and then a return.  When I read romance books, I love the journey to get to the destination and this journey felt way too fast and made it hard for me to love.

This was my second Vanessa Carnevale book and while this one wasn't completely my speed, I loved her other and would love to try her other two on the backlist that I haven't read yet.  I would give her a second chance because for me this one just wasn't my kind of romance book and it was completely due to my personal preferences after reading quite a plethora of romance!  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 67 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

The Warsaw Orphan

by Kelly Rimmer

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality--and that it's the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, a nurse who shares her apartment floor, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism.

Using Sara's credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara's cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm's way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.

Kritters Thoughts:  Just when I think I have read all of the World War II books and I knew everything about all of the people affected by this war, I read another one that gives an unique perspective that makes me see it from a different view.  

Two young people live in two different worlds that are mere miles apart.  One is living in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw and the other is living in a nice apartment on the other side of the wall.  Their lives will intersect and they will impact each other more than either could imagine.  Roman is living in the Jewish ghetto with his family, but he himself is only half Jewish and could pass as he doesn't have the typical physical traits.  Elzbieta is living "free" in Warsaw with a family that has taken her in and she waits to help in any way she can.  

I have read a few books that feature moments in a Jewish ghetto, unsure if it was Warsaw particularly, but no book has had so much of the book take place there and really shown the living conditions that took place and the misinformation that was spreading about life in the ghetto or the life of those who were leaving it.  I appreciated the way the author really presented life and it felt very real, almost too real and hard to read.  

And the other big lesson I learned from this book was the life in Poland after the Germans left.  While the people were glad they (the Germans) left, life under Soviet control wasn't any better if not worse for many.  I was really unaware of this whole moment in time for Poland and it was eye opening to see that life was just fine after the Germans left at least not for Poland.  

This was another one of those really hard to read World War II books, but worth it to learn something new in an entertaining way.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 66 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: East of Manhattan by Amanda Johnson

East of Manhattan

by Amanda Johnson

Publisher: Books to Go Now

Pages: 234

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Julie and Scott Cutter made a deal: 2 years. Scott will spend 2 years working as a butler for a rich reality TV star and then they will start the family Julie has always dreamed of. This makes total sense according to Julie’s life plan.

This situation was all well and good until Julie learns that, at 35, she is approaching pre-natal geriatric status. Julie never considered herself old, but biology says different. For the first time her plan is in question. She debates if she should cough up the money to freeze her eggs, as her doctor suggests, or start trying to get pregnant earlier than expected. This is complicated by the fact that her husband lives in the basement of his celebrity boss’s Manhattan mansion instead of with her, across the East River in Queens. Oh, and Scott casually announces over brunch one morning he doesn’t want kids anymore.

Convinced spending an idyllic Fourth of July weekend in the Hamptons will change his mind, Julie saddles up on the back of Scott’s motorcycle for the holiday festivities. A chance confrontation between Scott’s celebrity boss in the Hamptons confirms her worst nightmare but also leaves her with a glimmer of hope. She returns to the city confused, alone and with a really great idea that might just be the beginning of a new future.

Kritters Thoughts:  Julie and Scott Cutter are married and have their lives planned out due to their jobs and when they want to start a family.  With Scott in a new job that is lucrative they need two years to get set up and start a family, but this job is interfering with their lives and may break them apart instead of setting them up for the future.

I weirdly related to this book and the character of Julie.  My husband works interesting hours that are completely different from mine and there are many times where we pass and don't connect and I could relate in that a marriage may take a hit when there isn't a ton of good quality time spent together.  I wanted to go out for a coffee or a drink with Julie and commiserate on how jobs impact relationships.  If it weren't for a great well rounded character like Julie, I wouldn't have loved this book as much.  

I enjoyed this book, it was the right book for me at the right time.  I was on a beach vacation when I read this book and it was easy to get into and out of this book and keep the story straight.  This was one of those books that is easy and breezy that is best read between thicker, denser books or when you are in a situation where your attention span could go in and out.    

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 65 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

May - starting my garden!

source

The same amount of books I completed in January! I have no idea how I completed this many books other than a few rainy days kept me cooped up in my library with a pile of books!

1. Her First Mistake by Carey Baldwin

2. The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews

3. It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark

4. Twice a Daughter by Julie Ryan McGue

5. The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman

6. The Girl I Used to Be by Heidi Hostetter

7. Del Rio by Jane Rosenthal

8. Call Me Elizabeth Lark by Melissa Colasanti

9. The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

10. The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

11. If She Dies by Erik Therme

12. Little by Edward Carey

13. Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

14. The Secretary by Catherine Hokin

15. Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra

16. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

17. Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley

18. A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin

19. America's Wife by Celeste De Blasis

20. The Lost Boys of Montauk by Amanda Fairbanks

21. The Mix-Up by Elizabeth Neep

22. The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

23. East of Manhattan by Amanda Johnson

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 7,900

Where having I been Reading?:

San Diego, CA

Florida

New York City, NY (4)

Chicago, IL

Michigan

New Jersey

Mexico

Oregon

North Carolina (2)

Paris, France

Atlanta, GA

Berlin, Germany

Maryland

Montauk, NY

London

Warsaw, Poland

 

Review: The Mix-Up by Elizabeth Neep

The Mix-Up

by Elizabeth Neep

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 350

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  What if you meet the love of your life, but he thinks you’re someone else?

Anna and Marley are best friends. So when Anna rings Marley, panicking because she has to miss a tour of an exclusive wedding venue, Marley agrees to go in her friend’s place.

After being totally ignored by the glamorous receptionist who can tell she doesn’t belong there, Marley meets handsome hotel manager Cameron. He assumes she’s Anna and instead of admitting that she’s not the blushing bride, but the unlucky-in-love single friend, Marley plays along to see what it’s like to be Anna for a day.

After all, Marley is unemployed, single and was woken up that morning by her flatmate playing the bagpipes. Anna has a high-flying career and is planning the perfect wedding. Why wouldn’t Marley want to be her?

Only she wasn’t counting on Cameron being so smart and funny. Or this spark between them that she can’t ignore. She hasn’t felt this way about a guy in forever. But he thinks she’s somebody better.

Marley needs a way out of this mix-up to get her shot at true love. But her fictional fiancé is now standing in her way and it’s harder than she thought to stop living someone else’s life…

Kritters Thoughts:  Marley is a struggling actor and has just gone to another audition that didn't go her way when her best friend called her and asks for help she figures it is something that can eat up some of her time.  So she goes to a hotel and for her friend Anna, a possible wedding venue, is mistaken for Anna and antics ensue!  

This was such a fun read.  It was perfect for a weekend where I was getting ready for a trip and just needed something light to dip in and out of.  Everyone was keeping secrets and it was fun to see them hide their things and then when all the details came out there was still more book to go, so the reader can have a satisfying ending and not be left with a lot of questions.  

Marley was a great character.  It was hilarious to watch her to try to become her friend Anna and act engaged and as if her life was all put together.  And then to see Anna's life as it partially unraveled and although from the outside it looked as though she had it all figured out, it was enjoyable to watch these friends find the truth in each other's lives and their friendship to go deeper.  

I have one Elizabeth Neep backlist book that I need to read - The Spare Bedroom and I could see myself taking this one to the pool this summer for a fun poolside read!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 64 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Lost Boys of Montauk by Amanda Fairbanks

The Lost Boys of Montauk

by Amanda Fairbanks

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In March of 1984, the commercial fishing boat Wind Blown left Montauk Harbor on what should have been a routine offshore voyage. Its captain, a married father of three young boys, was the boat’s owner and leader of the four-man crew, which included two locals and the blue-blooded son of a well-to-do summer family. After a week at sea, the weather suddenly turned, and the foursome collided with a nor’easter. They soon found themselves in the fight of their lives. Tragically, it was a fight they lost. Neither the boat nor the bodies of the men were ever recovered.

The fate of the Wind Blown—the second-worst nautical disaster suffered by a Montauk-based fishing vessel in over a hundred years—has become interwoven with the local folklore of the East End’s year-round population. Back then, on the easternmost tip of Long Island, before Wall Street and hedge fund money stormed into town, commercial fishing was the area’s economic lifeblood.

Amanda M. Fairbanks examines the profound shift of Montauk from a working-class village—“a drinking town with a fishing problem”—to a playground for the ultra-wealthy, seeking out the reasons that an event more than three decades old remains so startlingly vivid in people’s minds. She explores the ways in which deep, lasting grief can alter people’s memories. And she shines a light on the powerful and sometimes painful dynamics between fathers and sons, as well as the secrets that can haunt families from beyond the grave.

Kritters Thoughts:  There are so many moments in history that are big when they happen, but maybe don't remain on the public mind and don't get passed down beyond the family members that the moment impacts and this is one of them.  A commercial fishing boat goes down in a horrible storm off the coast of Montauk, NY and with it all four aboard go missing.  This book recounts as many details as possible while also going back in time to share the past of these four men and how they came to be together on this boat and where their family members are now, all still dealing in one way or another with their passing.  

The contents of this book were so good, but I didn't love how it was put together.  I loved how the author started with the tragedy and some details behind the boat and the situation and then dove into each man, but within the sections of the men the stories felt jumbled and confusing.  By the end of the book, I felt as though I knew each of them really well and appreciated all the information in the book, just would have moved some things around to make for an easier reading experience.  

I hope that this author has another one up her sleeve, would love to see her tackle another moment in history and go into a deep dive into another.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 63 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Simon and Schuster.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: America's Wife by Celeste De Blasis

America's Wife

by Celeste De Blasis

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 524

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  1776. Addie’s world has changed beyond recognition. From her privileged position amongst Boston’s elite, she has embraced a dangerous new life with the American Revolutionary Army. While childhood sweetheart Silas risks all on the front lines, Addie waits anxiously for news. And when Silas does not return from the Battle of Monmouth, her worst fears come true.

Without thinking, Addie takes a horse and scours the now-calm battlefield for Silas, until word arrives that he has been captured by the British. And worse, by the troop of Scottish Highlanders led by the brooding general John Traverne. Addie hasn’t seen the powerfully built Loyalist soldier since she chose the Revolutionary cause over her own heart, and hearing his name sends butterflies to her stomach, even as she is filled with worry for Silas.

Disregarding her own safety, Addie leaves Washington’s camp and travels deep into enemy territory, determined to bring Silas home. But when she comes face to face with John Traverne once more, the feelings she has tried so hard to bury resurface and she must choose between the man she has pledged her life to, and the man whose dark eyes haunt her dreams. When Addie finally returns to her own camp, she carries a secret that could cost her everything she has fought for…

Kritters Thoughts:  Addie is now a married woman, but her and Silas aren't settled down and living that easy married life as they are in the middle of the Revolutionary war and they are trying to get their freedom from the crown.  

Unlike the first book, this one didn't focus so closely on Addie as much as the first and I wished it had.  While it circled around her and her siblings, there were quite a few pages without Addie and instead were focused on the war.  I don't tend to love the books where battles and war are told in detail and this one felt as thought it had quite a few pages without character development and I wanted more of that.  Every time the men came back to camp from war and were reunited with the ladies, I got excited and relished in those pages!

While I didn't love all the battles or at least all the pages devoted to the battles, I did love seeing "characters"/people from history that I knew from other books and of course from my love of the musical, Hamilton.  It was interesting meeting these people from Addie's perspective and seeing them through her eyes as she is married to a general that is close to Washington and who interacts with Lafayette, Hamilton, John Laurens and so on.    

Even after not completely enjoying this book, I am still intrigued to read book three to see where Addie's life ends up.  I am thankful that I was able to give myself a break between this book and the third and get away from this time period and these characters.   

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 62 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: A Special Place for Women by Laura Rankin

A Special Place for Women

by Laura Hankin

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It's a club like no other. Only the most important women receive an invitation. But one daring young reporter is about to infiltrate this female-run secret society, whose beguiling members are caught up in a dark and treacherous business.

For years, rumors have swirled about an exclusive, women-only social club where the elite tastemakers of NYC meet. People in the know whisper all sorts of claims: Membership dues cost $1,000 a month. Last time Rihanna was in town, she stopped by and got her aura read. The women even handpicked the city's first female mayor. But no one knows for sure.

That is, until journalist Jillian Beckley decides she's going to break into the club. With her career in freefall, Jillian needs a juicy scoop, and she has a personal interest in bringing these women down. But the deeper she gets into this new world--where billionaire "girlbosses" mingle with the astrology-obsessed--the more Jillian learns that bad things happen to those who dare to question the club's motives or giggle at its outlandish rituals.

The select group of women who populate the club may be far more powerful than she ever imagined.

And far more dangerous too.

Kritters Thoughts:  An underground club that is solely for women and is even more elite in that it is invite only with a few tests that must be passed before membership is granted.  Jillian Beckley is a journalist and until recently was employed full time, so she needs to find her next big article that could get a spot on the map.  An interesting encounter with some women from this underground club and some rumors that have been swirling set Jillian's life in motion.  

This was mean girls but on a whole other level where careers are ended and lives are in danger.  These women are vindictive and horrible and with each page I was honestly repulsed by them and it reminded me of all the reasons I don't love YA with the unnecessary character drama.  I want to live in a world where its sunshine and rainbows and women uplift others and see the good in all women succeeding, so this book just tore me apart and because of my own thinking I had a hard time enjoying it.  

But, I loved Jillian Beckley and her constant struggle to be an honest true person and the pull of the group.  I was giving her a pass as she was in a hard place mentally with the recent passing of her mother and the way these women used that against her.  She was the reason I was able to continue reading and could waffle between enjoying it and getting frustrated by it.  

I sat on the fence on this book and even delayed writing my review for a few days to see if my thoughts would settle on whether I could recommend it to other readers.  And to be honest, I am still on the fence because I know my thoughts about this book (more so than most) are very personal in that my own worldview and thinking really played into my reading of this book.  Yes, I know we bring our own world view to every book, but for me it felt more so in this one.  I am intrigued to see where Laura Hankin goes from here.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 61 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley

Talk Bookish to Me

by Kate Bromley

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Inspiration can come from the most unlikely—and inconvenient—sources.

Kara Sullivan’s life is full of love—albeit fictional. As a bestselling romance novelist and influential bookstagrammer, she’s fine with getting her happily-ever-after fix between the covers of a book.

But right now? Not only is Kara’s best friend getting married next week—which means big wedding stress—but the deadline for her next novel is looming, and she hasn’t written a single word. The last thing she needs is for her infuriating first love, Ryan Thompson, to suddenly appear in the wedding party. But Ryan’s unexpected arrival sparks a creative awakening in Kara that inspires the steamy historical romance she desperately needs to deliver.

With her wedding duties intensifying, her deadline getting closer by the second and her bills not paying themselves, Kara knows there’s only one way for her to finish her book and to give her characters the ever-after they deserve. But can she embrace the unlikely, ruggedly handsome muse—who pushes every one of her buttons—to save the wedding, her career and, just maybe, write her own happy ending?

Kritters Thoughts:  A romance author and bookstagrammer is working on her next novel, but is just a little hung up on what to do next and while she is maid of honor for her best friend, a former fling returns to her life and may spark a little writing creativity.  

What reader doesn't love a book about things to do with books!  I loved that this romance book had a romance author at its core and there were a few conversations about the art of writing and specifically about the world of romance.  I appreciated that this book didn't sway from the typical romance set up with the highs and lows and conflicts and resolutions while also including excerpts from the characters work in progress.  

If you are a reader who appreciates all things books then you will love this romance and these characters will warm your heart and remind you why romance is the most read genre.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 60 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island

by Colleen Oakley

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sometimes all you need is one person to really see you.

Piper Parrish's life on Frick Island—a tiny, remote town smack in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay—is nearly perfect. Well, aside from one pesky detail: Her darling husband, Tom, is dead. When Tom's crab boat capsized and his body wasn't recovered, Piper, rocked to the core, did a most peculiar thing: carried on as if her husband was not only still alive, but right there beside her, cooking him breakfast, walking him to the docks each morning, meeting him for their standard Friday night dinner date at the One-Eyed Crab. And what were the townspeople to do but go along with their beloved widowed Piper?

Anders Caldwell’s career is not going well. A young ambitious journalist, he’d rather hoped he’d be a national award-winning podcaster by now, rather than writing fluff pieces for a small town newspaper. But when he gets an assignment to travel to the remote Frick Island and cover their boring annual Cake Walk fundraiser, he stumbles upon a much more fascinating tale: an entire town pretending to see and interact with a man who does not actually exist. Determined it’s the career-making story he’s been needing for his podcast, Anders returns to the island to begin covert research and spend more time with the enigmatic Piper—but he has no idea out of all the lives he’s about to upend, it’s his that will change the most.

Kritters Thoughts:  Colleen Oakley is an author that I read without reading a synopsis and just dive in.  So, a book set on an island not far from where I live and a woman who is grieving the early loss of her husband and a journalist who is in need of that story to lift his career.  I wasn't so sure when I started, but I fell in love with the people on this island and the journalist who is waffling between his career and his personal life.  

For me, one of the really fun aspects of this book was that while Anders is a traditional journalist working in print, he also does podcasts and I loved reading some of his scripts and watching his subscriptions/downloads go up.  It was fun to incorporate that medium in a book and I wonder how it could be done uniquely in the audiobook.  Anders was also just a great character himself.  The internal struggle of putting your career or your personal life first and how often people have to make decisions on what comes first was enjoyable to read.  

Piper Parrish was interesting.  I waffled back and forth throughout the book how I felt about her and am still waffling as I write this review a few days later.  I wasn't so sure how to react to her response to her tragedy and then was even questioning if she was being real and authentic, so I really debated about her!  Thankfully I adored Anders, so he stole the show or book for me!

Maybe not one of my favorite Colleen Oakley books, but I still enjoyed it as she had some fun characters in an interesting premise.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 59 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.