Review: Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman

Other People's Houses

by Abbi Waxman

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  At any given moment in other people's houses, you can find...repressed hopes and dreams...moments of unexpected joy...someone making love on the floor to a man who is most definitely not her husband...

*record scratch*

As the longtime local carpool mom, Frances Bloom is sometimes an unwilling witness to her neighbors' private lives. She knows her cousin is hiding her desire for another baby from her spouse, Bill Horton's wife is mysteriously missing, and now this...

After the shock of seeing Anne Porter in all her extramarital glory, Frances vows to stay in her own lane. But that's a notion easier said than done when Anne's husband throws her out a couple of days later. The repercussions of the affair reverberate through the four carpool families--and Frances finds herself navigating a moral minefield that could make or break a marriage. 

Kritters Thoughts:  One of those books that takes place in a neighborhood and the reader gets a view into a few of the houses and how this neighborhood works day to day.  It is like a family drama but more since you get to see more than just one family in this book.  I have read a few of these neighborhood dramas and a few have worked and some have not and this one actually sat in the middle for me.

First, I have to compliment the author or editor by including in the first few pages a page with the breakdown of whose whose in each family.  AND then a map of the neighborhood!  Yes please, I loved these extra add ons in the beginning.

As far as the families as the stories, it was all just ok with me.  I loved the drama that is presented from the beginning with a stepford mom finding another mom having some sexy time with a man that is clearly not her husband.  There were also some moments in each family that I laughed or cried or cringed, but overall it was just ok.  The family that I loved peeking in on the most was Francis.  I could relate with her need for perfection and being the one that her family and friends called and the need to be needed, so I would say when she wasn't involved I didn't love it as much.

Beyond that the writing was the middle of the road.  I felt as though the writing could have been taken up a notch.  I don't mean to literary fiction, I know this is "women's fiction" or as I am using currently pop fiction.  I could tell at times the writing felt clunky and just not refined.  

I loved The Garden of Small Beginnings, Abbi Waxman's debut novel.  I will look forward to what she does next and see what kind of story she is going to tell.


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

Ebook 2018 challenge: 29 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley NAL.  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 Lemonade Year by Amy Willoughby-Burle

The Lemonade Year

by Amy Willoughby-Burle

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Pages: 352

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Nina’s once-sweet life has unexpectedly turned sour. Her marriage is over, her job is in jeopardy, and her teenage daughter is slipping away from her. Then her father dies and issues with Nina’s mother come to a head; her estranged brother, Ray, comes home; and her sister, Lola, is tempted to blow a big family secret out of the water. They say the truth will set you free, but first it will make a huge mess of things.

All Nina’s got left is her final photography assignment shooting images for the book 32 Ways to Make Lemonade. Well, that and the attention of a younger man, but Oliver’s on-again-off-again romantic interest in her ebbs and flows so much she is seasick. And then Jack, her ex-husband, shows up, wanting to get back together.

As Nina struggles to find a way through her complicated relationships and to uncover her true path, she discovers just how valuable a second chance at life and happiness can be.

Kritters Thoughts:  Nina had a life and she was on cruise control when a few parts of her life went a little off track.  She was a mom of a teenager, a devoted wife and a full time photographer for a publisher of food books.  Before the book starts, her marriage has crumbled and she is post divorce, her full time job doesn't look so secure and her daughter is definitely in the midst of full teenage angst!  A death in the family sets a few things in motion.

I like a good family drama, but this one seemed way too full of the drama.  I would have toned it down just a little.  It just seemed like way too much and I couldn't get my head around all of this happening to her at the same moment.  I liked the concept of trying to turn what could be a "sour year" into something with some "sweetness", but It just seemed too much.

Nina was a fine character, but for some reason, I just couldn't get connected with her.  I don't mind reading a book when I can't connect, but I couldn't seem to find the care emotion to care what happened next to her and that kept my reading enjoyment level at a low level.  There were many moments in the book where I would have loved to hear more about her sister Lola's story, both in the past and her present story.  I wouldn't have minded reading a few chapters throughout this book from her perspective, it could have broken up Nina's story a bit and maybe given me a more appealing perspective of Nina.

I have not read Amy's previous book and I would still go back and read it.  I wouldn't rule her out after this one read.  


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

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Shadow Mountain Publishing.  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 Forgotten Ones by Steena Holmes

The Forgotten Ones

by Steena Holmes

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 345

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Elle is a survivor. She’s managed to piece together a solid life from a childhood of broken memories and fairy tales her mom told her to explain away bad dreams. But weekly visits to her mother still fill Elle with a paralyzing fear she can’t explain. It’s just another of so many unanswered questions she grew up with in a family estranged by silence and secrets.

Elle’s world turns upside down when she receives a deathbed request from her grandfather, a man she was told had died years ago. Racked by grief, regrets, and a haunted conscience, he has a tale of his own to tell Elle: about her mother, an imaginary friend, and two strangers who came to the house one night and never left.

As Elle’s past unfolds, so does the truth—if she can believe it. She must face the reasons for her inexplicable dread. As dark as they are, Elle must listen…before her grandfather’s death buries the family’s secrets forever.

Kritters Thoughts:  This is a tale of unreliable narrators and a reader trying to figure out who to trust.  There are two narrators.  Elle is a daughter and that is all she has been her whole life that is the only family relationship she has known.  David is counting his days in the hospital and as he hasn't had communication with the rest of his family he is pretty sure he will die alone.  

Very early in the book, the reader finds out the connection between David and Elle and I loved the premise that his days are numbered and Elle must quickly get the truth of the past out of him.  I loved how that easily took us back in time through David's eyes to see the past.  

The thing that I didn't love completely was that everyone was second guessing everyone else's version of the truth.  I can handle an unreliable narrator, but it felt as though no one in this book could be trusted and it lasted for a very long time in the book.  I am not sure that I would change anything, but I could see myself getting frustrated once David told a story and I was ready to hold that as truth and would have other characters possibly dispute what he had just told.    

I am and will always be a fan of Steena Holmes.  Her characters are built so well and the stories are always interesting.  Her writing is easy to read, but still has depth.  All of her books are easy to curl up with on a rainy afternoon and read basically in one sitting - I love those kinds of books!


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

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 31 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.

Review: Brooklyn in Love by Amy Thomas

Brooklyn in Love

by Amy Thomas

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Pages: 288

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  On an island where finding love can be just as hard as finding a dinner reservation on a Friday night, Amy Thomas never imagined a family would fit into her lifestyle. So when Amy finds herself turning forty, moving to Brooklyn, and making way for a baby with a new man in her life, she realizes that starting over may be her biggest opportunity yet.

But how do you balance staying out all night dancing with staying up all night soothing a baby? Can a lifelong city girl trade in spontaneity for domesticity? Set amid the backdrop of Brooklyn and Manhattan's foodie scenes, Amy sets out to make her second act even sweeter than the first.

Kritters Thoughts:  Amy Thomas has had quite a life before this book even begins.  She lived and worked in NYC in advertising and when an opportunity to move to Paris comes her way she does just that.  Now she has returned from Paris and she is debating about reprioritizing her life and putting love and family a little bit ahead of careers, self and goals - this book is that journey.  

I hadn't read her book - Paris, My Sweet before I read this one and there were a few moments where I wish I had because she referenced her time in Paris and I would have known it intimately if I had read that book.  I would suggest reading that one before diving into this one.  

Although I was younger than Amy when I had the change from focusing on myself and my job, I could still feel her anxiety and her wonder about how the next chapter may look.  I think even if you are younger than Amy and may have already made this transition you can read this book and enjoy her journey.

The other thing I loved about this book was the growing places I need to visit on my New York City list - almost like a TBR pile for a reader.  Amy Thomas lists everything from crazy expensive restaurants to ice cream shops to bakeries and I was making notes about all the places I will now "need" to visit on my next trip to the city!

I sure hope Amy Thomas continues to write books like this.  I would love to see how her life has been since this book ended and her adventures in marriage and motherhood!


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

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 28 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Sourcebooks.  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: Fingerprints of Previous Owners by Rebecca Entel

Fingerprints of Previous Owners

by Rebecca Entel

Publisher: Unnamed Press

Pages: 212

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  At a Caribbean resort built atop a former slave plantation, Myrna works as a maid by day; by night she trespasses on the resort’s overgrown inland property, secretly excavating the plantation ruins that her island community refuses to acknowledge. Rapt by the crumbling walls of the once slave-owner’s estate, she explores the unspoken history of the plantation—a site where her ancestors once worked the land, but which the resort now uses as a lookout point for tourists.

When Myrna discovers a book detailing the experiences of slaves, who still share a last name with the majority of the islanders, her investigation becomes deeply personal, extending to her neighbors and friends, and explaining her mother's self-imposed silence and father's disappearance. A new generation begins to speak about the past just as racial tensions erupt between the resort and the local island community when an African-American tourist at the resort is brutally attacked.

Kritters Thoughts:  Myrna works as a maid at a resort that is on an island that she has lived on her entire life.  She has a feeling that there is more to this island than the resort and that things are being covered up.  She risks about everything she has to find out the truth.

I liked the concept of the book and I liked Myrna.  The execution and the writing just didn't completely hit the mark for me.  I rarely say this about the book, but I wanted more descriptions of the people and the setting.  I wanted to "see" this place more clearly and the especially wanted a little more of a picture of the "natives."  

For most of the book, I kept thinking about a resort I visit in Jamaica and had all these guilty feelings about the people who work there and going to a country where people live below the means that I do and vacationing there.  With these thoughts that I couldn't get past, I just couldn't enjoy the reading.  

If you are new to the blog, I try hard to find a reader for each book I read even though it may have not been for me.  For this one, I would say if you like short and sweet books that don't dive too deep this could be for you.  If you like the slowest of burns, and then a sucker punch at the end, then pick this one up.

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

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

What a crazy good week in books!  I really have no clue how I accomplished all of this reading, if only every week could be this good!
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Brooklyn in Love by Amy Thomas
On the Rocks by Ellen Hopkins
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman
Bridal Girl by Meredith Schorr
The Forgotten Ones by Steena Holmes
Fingerprints of Previous Owners by Rebecca Entel

Currently Reading:

The Lemonade Year by Amy Willoughby-Burle

Next on the TBR pile:

The House on Harbor Hill by Shelly Stratton

Review: The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Secret to Southern Charm

by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the strength to be the parent her children deserve.

Her mother, Ansley, provides a much-needed respite as she puts her personal life on hold to help Sloane and her grandchildren wade through their new grief-stricken lives. But between caring for her own aging mother, her daughters, and her grandchildren, Ansley’s private worry is that secrets from her past will come to light.

But when Sloane’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, remind Sloane that no matter what, she promised her husband she would carry on for their young sons, Sloane finds the support and courage she needs to chase her biggest dreams—and face her deepest fears. Taking a cue from her middle daughter, Ansley takes her own leap of faith and realizes that, after all this time, she might finally be able to have it all.

Kritters Thoughts:  Similar to the first book, this book centers around one of the three sisters Sloane.  Sloane's husband has been in deployment and at the end of book one he is categorized as MIA.  The sisters' mother is also a big part of this book as she is dealing with quite a bit on her plate.  

Without repeating yesterday's thoughts, this book was just like the last in that the sisters were such a joy to read about.  I loved how they felt so real; they argued and held grudges and made up, I loved it!

What I loved about this book is that yes it centers around Sloane, but the other sisters don't just make an appearance their stories are continued.  I think the author did the right balance of focusing on one sister while at the same time giving each sister a moment in the spotlight so the readers could see how Caroline and Emerson's lives were moving forward.    

The one thing that didn't set right for me during book one and continued and was more center of this book was the paternity of the girls.  I just didn't get it at all.  I understand how it was needed to justify some actions of the characters, but I just didn't enjoy that part.

After finishing this one, I am hoping that there is a book three lined up that centers around Emerson.  I want to know more about her and read more about these sisters.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 27 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.

Review: Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Slightly South of Simple

by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 400

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.

Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open.

Kritters Thoughts:  Three sisters are having three different difficult moments in their lives and all return home to small town in Georgia to get their lives put back together.  Caroline is the oldest and after some drama in her marriage while pregnant she needs her mother and sisters to lean on.  Sloane and Emerson her youngest sisters each have drama, but this book is mostly about Caroline and her mother.  (Sloane will get her time in book 2)

I love a good family drama and this one was right up there with my favorites.  With alternating narratives by Caroline and then her mother the story moves forward at just the right pace.  I would challenge any reader to get into it and then try to put it down!  

The sisters were just right.  I loved how they interacted.  I loved how you could see similarities and see that they were obviously raised in the same home, but still had personalities of their own.  Caroline the main character of this book struck so close to home for me.  There were quite a few moments where I took photos of the book and sent them to my mom and sister because Caroline said or did something that was so me!  I love when I relate to a character it makes the reading so much better.


There was a great delay in my reading this book and I am so thankful I was prompted to read it before I read its sequel.  I am reviewing the sequel so come back tomorrow to check out what I thought about it.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel (there was one, review up tomorrow)

Review: Swimming Between Worlds by Elaine Neil Orr

Swimming Between Worlds

by Elaine Neil Orr

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 400

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  The lives of one young woman and two young men collide in a small neighborhood in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Kate, a recent college graduate, is still reeling from the deaths of her beloved parents when the discovery of hidden letters forces her to re-examine everything she knew about her family. Tacker, a young engineering student and all-around boy-hero, has returned from a West African odyssey where he fell in love with the local culture but was sent home in shame. Kate's and Tacker's stories come together when, on the same day and in different moments, they encounter a young African-American man named Gaines. The relationship that develops between the three is complicated, as each one searches for love, freedom, and new beginnings. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Two main characters in this book.  Kate has just graduated from college and is trying to decide where she wants to go next.  She is parentless and living in her childhood home so she has some security, but no parental guidance.  Tacker has returned from a dramatic trip to Africa and is having to find a new direction in life.  Thankfully Tacker is able to take a job in his father's grocery store and take a moment to decide whats next.

Upon reading the synopsis and pitch for review for this book, I was ready for a great civil rights movement book and it absolutely had parts about the movements beginning moments in North Carolina.  I loved the parts that really highlighted how Winston Salem was in the middle of the civil rights movement.  BUT the African storyline and Kate in general were just ok in my opinion.  For most of the book I felt as though the African storyline was an afterthought and I couldn't see the connection between that storyline and the North Carolina storyline and then it all clicked towards the end.  I think the slowness of the beginning and the disconnectedness of it all were hard for me to get into, but in the end the book redeemed itself.   

Overall I think this book was fine, it wasn't outstanding and it didn't leave me wanting to pass it around to all of my fellow readers who love historical fiction.  I would send this book to a reader who has read all of the civil rights books and wants to add another to their list, but if you are like me and haven't read a ton of fiction that centers around this point of history, this book didn't satisfy that itch.  It did make me want to find another book about civil rights and dive into that one very soon.


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

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley NAL.  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: Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer

Before I Let You Go

by Kelly Rimmer

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.

As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhood, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?

Kritters Thoughts:  Two sisters have been estranged for two years and a late night phone call will bring them back together and hopefully heal their relationship.  Lexie Vidler has been the older sister her entire life and even at some moments she has had to be a second parent.  Annie is the younger sister and has always had Lexie to help pick up the pieces when life got rough.  Annie is in a bad place and she thinks only Lexie can help.  

What a fantastic sister book!  Being a part of a sisterhood is rewarding and hard.  Like Lexie and Annie, me and my sister are completely different, but unlike them I have never had to parent my sister, we have always been able to just be sisters.  Kelly Rimmer gives a voice to both sisters as they take turns narrating the book chapter by chapter.  I won't divulge too much, but the way Annie's chapters are presented is unique and different and made this book stand out for me.  BUT be prepared to cry!

The writing in this book is beyond outstanding.  AND the characters are just full and true.  I loved reading about these sisters so much.  The way she wrote the characters and the story was just so good.  You can tell how much I love this book because I am beyond the ability to use words to express the love!

I was excited to find out after reading this book that Kelly Rimmer has a backlist.  I will have to dive into her backlist soon and read away!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 26 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Little Bird Publicity.  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: Becoming Mrs. Smith by Tanya E Williams

Becoming Mrs. Smith

by Tanya E Williams

Publisher: 

Pages: 

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Not all of war’s destruction takes place on the battlefield.

Violet’s heart flutters from the scarlet fever she survived as a child, and it beats faster at the sight of John Smith, the man she plans to marry. America is entrenched in WWII, and when John enlists, Violet is certain she won’t ever forgive him for dashing their dreams. As the realities of war slowly overtake her life, Violet's days are filled with uncertainty and grief. She struggles to maintain her faith in John, as the world as she knows it, crumbles.

Kritters Thoughts:   This was an interesting and different perspective on World War II.  With short chapters that jump through time, the reader gets short little viewpoints on life before and after the war through one woman's point of view.  

Violet is a young girl in South Dakota and she is given the opportunity to go to high school and then take a job all as the war is happening.  Her childhood love decides to enlist and she must endure the war with him far from home.  

I don't read books set in South Dakota that often and I actually don't read a ton of books set in the United States during this war.  So I enjoyed the concept of the story.  Without spoiling the ending, I did not enjoy the ending at all.  It was quite frustrating and I couldn't believe that is how it ended.  I wanted something completely different.  

This is the first in a series and I saw a teaser of book two, but I am unsure if I can continue if I was so opposed to the ending of this first one.  


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

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 9 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

What a great week of reading!!  

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

A Woman in the Window by AJ Finn
Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer
Swimming Between Worlds by Elaine Neil Orr
Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey
The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Currently Reading:

Brooklyn in Love by Amy Thomas

Next on the TBR pile:

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly