Reading, Writing & Pondering

For me, Amanda Cox is an auto-read author. I have read all of her books up until now so I always look forward to her latest release. Things We Cannot Keep held my attention from beginning to end and was worth the wait. Tess Holcomb escaped a difficult upbringing and started a new life in a new town with a new name in Alabama. She works with a team to repair family heirlooms. She specifically is the clock repair person. She thinks her past is behind her when she receives a box sent to her former name. About the same time the box appears, Elliot Sullivan shows up at her workplace. He is someone she knew in her past who has a history with her. She isn't sure why he showed up and struggles to trust is true motives as their history wasn't all good.  As the book goes on, Tess decides to work with Elliot to uncover the mystery in the box. I love that Things We Cannot Keep is a book with mystery, history, family drama and a bit of romance. This author has a way of drawing you in and ...

  In a Word, Yes by Kit Tosello is my first book by this author, but I know it won't be my last. This is the most touching book that I have read this year so far. It is definitely a five star read for me. It also doesn't hurt that part of the book is set in a tea store and in a bookstore--two of my favorite places! Lucy Montgomery is a single mom raising an autistic son by herself for the past 5 years in Charity Falls, Oregon, after being married to an abusive husband. She started to get a journalism degree years ago and then left in the middle of the program. However, she works behind the scenes at the local newspaper and has some chances to write--if she will take them. Wyatt Hayes is a local law enforcement officer who also enjoys writing, words and adventures. Lucy is drawn to his kind heart and adventurous spirit, along with his love of words.  Carly Montgomery is Lucy's mom and a beloved woman's Bible study leader who is growing weary in her profession and wonder...

  I was anxiously waiting for Martha Aldridge's story after reading the first two books in the Checking Out Love series by Sarah Monzon. Bookmarked for Love is the third book in the series and it did not disappoint me.  Martha is the children's part-time librarian. Besides her paid work, she also volunteers her time to provide some extra programs because she enjoys working with the children so much. She lives on a horse farm where she does some work in exchange for her living quarters so she can afford to do that. However, when budget cuts come up and Martha's job is cut, Martha doesn't want to disappoint the children, but she also can't afford to work entirely free either.  Martha decides to talk to a publishing company to see if they could donate enough money to repair a damaged roof and pay Martha. She has a history with this company already as her parents work for the owners. She winds up talking to Julien King, son of the owners, and he hires her to do some co...

  I have been especially enjoying lighter romance novels this year. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson was a fun and relaxing read--perfect for summer or the beach.  Savannah Cade works as an editor for a non-fiction publishing house. However, her real dream is to have her own romance novel published--and she has a secret manuscript that she has written and is ready to submit.  Savannah's publishing house has a new employee, William Pennington, the son of the house's CEO. He seems stiff, and in their first big meeting where he was introduced, Savannah drops her manuscript pages all over the room when she trips.    Meet Me in the Margins plot follows a series of mishaps. In the beginning, Savannah's manuscript doesn't pass muster with the editor she hoped to impress. The editor then gives her 6 weeks to make it better and re-submit it. Savannah is discouraged until she realizes she has a secret editor who finds her manuscript and pens notes in the margi...

    Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn is the third book in the Suitcase Sisters series. I like this series focused on female friendships and travels. I especially enjoyed that this story was set in Scotland. In Shortbread in the Highlands , Cousins Nora and Allie agree to travel to Scotland on behalf of their grandmother when she requests that they go and retrieve her diary that is part of an unexpected Scottish library inheritance she received. Nora and Allie face a few roadblocks both in their travels in getting to Scotland and once they are in Scotland.  Nora and Allie are both adult women who have some struggles in their lives back home too. However, they both lead different lives and aren't sure the other can relate to their individual struggles. Through the story, though, they are drawn together to face their struggles--both together as they began to encourage each other and separately. It is also interesting to learn the grandmother's history in Scotl...

  Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon is the twelfth book in her Hope Harbor series. I love this series. I enjoy meeting the new characters in each new book. Then, I especially enjoy seeing the taco seller, Charlie, in every book as he dispenses wisdom with his tacos. Devyn Lee is a principal dancer with a prestigious New York ballet company. She returns home to Hope Harbor when her sister, Lauren, has a serious health issue and needs assistance. Devyn and her sister also have a rift to mend. Can they mend it? Aaron Steele is a widowed mill worker who lives in Hope Harbor with his nine-year-old daughter and his father. Together, they work to heal from their losses and make life happier for Aaron's daughter, Isabel.  In Harbor Pointe , there is another couple that is working on healing. Martin and Diane. They are secondary characters but they also add to the story in a good way.  Devyn and Aaron work together for a fundraising show for charity. It is fun getting to know them bot...

Claire Holloway Is Winging It by Angela Ruth Strong is a Christian contemporary romance novel. I wasn't sure what to think of this one when I heard that it was a love triangle story. However, having read it, I felt that trope was well-done. Claire Holloway was a ballerina who lost her dream of performing when she developed some foot issues. Her boyfriend, Wyatt, continued to support her and she valued that support and saw him as her main support. Then she decided to become a flight attendant and he isn't too happy to support her in that dream. He struggles with her being gone so much as he works in a regular office. First officer pilot in training Nathan Stuart recently faced a break-up with his fiance. He had been feeling down about that until he meets the frazzled Claire on her first day on the job. From the first day they met, Nathan and Claire share some humor and have a friendly bond. Does it stretch the boundaries of friendship? Claire continues to try to keep her relati...

    All Booked Up by Melody Carlson drew me in with the bookish cover. While there is some talk about books, the story is mainly about a widowed woman who takes in boarders for financial reasons. It is a character driven novel about relationships. Riva Owen lives in a large Victorian house that has been in her family for generations. Her lawyer husband passed away several months earlier and her finances were now a challenge. Riva doesn't want to move and leave her house--and her library of cherished books.  After some consideration, instead of moving, Riva takes in boarders. With a few women living under the same roof, they have to learn to navigate different personalities and challenges as housemates. There are some men included in the story but there isn't a lot of romance in All Booked Up . This book focuses on friendships. I enjoyed getting to know Riva and the other ladies in her house to start with. Then, when they were living together, there was some gossip and ch...

  One of the new genre's that I tried last year was magical realism. I found I enjoyed it quite a bit. The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick is my latest read in this genre. Greta Perks and her husband, Jim, along with their daughter, Lottie, were stars for about a decade in Maple Gold coffee commercials. When the company replaced them with another family, they all felt lost and their family changed. In fact, Jim and Greta decided to separate for awhile and figure out how to go on--either together or separate. Greta also had the passing of her mother to grieve, along with her job loss. Now she doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. Jim has a different set of struggles. Lottie is now a teenager and trying to figure life out from that angle. Then, Greta stumbles on a mysterious coffee shop that serves up magical brews. When Greta drinks the brew she wakes up in the town of Mapleville from the Maple Gold commercials. When she is there, life feels perfect. Her body is perfe...

  The Buy-In by Emma St. Clair is the first book in the Love Stories in Sheet Cake rom-com series. This year, I have read more rom-coms as I felt that I have needed some lightness in my life. For that reason, I think this book is a fun start to a rom-com series. Former Pro-Football Player Pat Graham has been struggling the past few years. He made a relationship mistake in the past with a woman he cared for and has regretted it ever since. Now his dad bought the town of Sheet Cake where that woman--his former girlfriend lives--and his dad wants him to sell his brothers on the idea.  Lindy had plans to travel the world as a travel writer. That all changed when she decided to raise her niece. Lindy would do anything for Jo--even a marriage of convenience to the man who once broke her heart. I enjoyed The Buy-In as a whole. I enjoyed getting meeting the Graham family and all of the main characters. I also enjoyed the slow burn romance that culminated in some swoony moments towar...

  Have you ever been in a friend relationship that turned into more? Her Pretend Holiday Beau by Susanne Dietz features this fun trope. Mick Larson and Sadie Dalton have been friends for years. Mick is the town veterinarian. Sadie is a florist. This year, Mick asks for Sadie's help in planning a town Christmas nativity event. She agrees--but she also needs a date for a wedding in return.  Mick agrees to be Sadie's Plus-One at a wedding where she will be seeing her ex-boyfriend who is engaged to someone else. That day, they are caught under some mistletoe and well-meaning matchmakers think they are a couple. Mick and Sadie agree to pretend to be a couple through the holidays to appease the matchmakers.  Her Pretend Holiday Beau is a quick read full of fun holiday events and family gatherings that Mick and Sadie attend. I enjoyed seeing the couple grow in who they were as individuals and as a couple. As the book went along, their communication got better too and I liked t...

  I have been wanting to read an Emma St. Clair book for some time since I have heard so many good things about this author. If All Else Sails is my first book by her. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed this grumpy-sunshine rom-com so much Josie's brother tricked her into thinking they were going to take their annual trip together. Instead, he sent her to Wyatt's house to be his nurse. Josie works as an elementary school nurse during the school year and has summers off. Jacob is a rep for hockey player Wyatt who injured his ankle and needs to recover for a new season. Up until now, he hasn't been taking care of himself like he needs to, which is why Jacob sends in Josie. The book gets off to a fun start when Wyatt sees Josie lurking around his summer cottage and calls the police on her thinking she is a stalker.  I enjoyed If All Else Sails from start to finish. I laughed a lot and I looked forward to seeing how everything was going to turn out. I liked the slow burn...

  The Sands of Sea Blue Beach by Rachel Hauck is a mix of the old and the new at Sea Blue Beach in this dual-timeline story. The Sands of Sea Blue Beach goes back and forth between Emery Quinn's teenage year that she visited Florida with her parents and stayed at the Sand Motor Motel. She met Caleb Ransom that summer and romance blossomed. She found out at the end of the trip that her mom had the cancer--and nothing was ever the same. In the current timeline, Emery is back at Sea Blue Beach as editor in chief of the Sea Blue Beach Gazette. Coincidentally, Caleb is also back in town because his mom had a cancer diagnosis and after starting his architectural career in Seattle, he wanted to move home to be closer to his family. I have to start off by saying I am a huge fan of this author. I have enjoyed several of her books in the past. However, The Sands of Sea Blue Beach is not my favorite. The writing is good. I especially like that the former sweethearts reconnect. At the same ...

  After enjoying the first book in the Suitcase Sisters series, I eagerly awaited the second book, Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones Gunn.  Gelato at the Villa takes readers on a trip to Italy with friends Grace and Claire. The ladies start out in Venice, and then travel to two other places in Northern Italy. I especially enjoyed traveling along and seeing the sights through their eyes. Gunn brings all of the locations to life through her rich descriptions of the countryside, the restaurants, the food, the gardens and the historical buildings. I did feel like I was there along with the main characters in the book. Grace and Claire also have some of their own struggles, like most people do in real life. Grace works in a job that isn't very satisfying for a demanding boss who isn't very nice to work for. She struggles to know what she should do in her situation--stay in the position or leave and do something else. She also struggles with some fears that she needs to let go of...

    Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham was an enjoyable swoon-worthy read for those of us who like Scotsmen. Katie Campbell is a popular travel writer who visits Scotland as part of a three-week Edwardian Immersion Tour. Katie is known as Miss Adventure. . .which is somewhat a play on words as she often gets herself into scrapes or "misadventures." Graeme MacKerrow is in the just the right place at the right time to be a part of Katie's first misadventure in Scotland. From that moment on, the relationship is off to a fun start. I so enjoyed getting to know Graeme (Pronounced Gray-ham) and his family through the eyes of Katie. I could relate to how she was drawn to his warm and caring family. I also loved getting to know Katie. Both were fun characters. I enjoyed how they shared humor and how they got to know each other through the book. There were also some deliciously romantic moments that filled my starry-eyed heart.  As I read Some Like It Scot , my heart also went o...

    On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni is her debut novel. I ended up reading the second book, The Blooming of Delphinium , first. It didn't matter, I enjoyed this one too. Cora Matthew is back in the town she started out at before her single mom took her away at age 7. They never saw her grandparents again and Cora doesn't know what happened. Her Mom passed away recently so she is back in town for the funeral and ends up receiving her family's run down lodge. She decides to remodel it. At the same time, she gets to know a variety of interesting townspeople. On Moonberry Lake is a character driven novel set in Minnesota. I enjoyed reading about all of the townspeople and I could pictures this area, maybe because we spent a couple weekends in Minnesota this past year. I enjoyed meeting them all. I enjoyed seeing Cora come into her own personhood, so to speak. I enjoyed the little bit of romance there was but I wish that had been a bit more of the story. I also liked how the ...

  The Blooming of Delphinium by Holly Varni is my first book about Moonberry, MN. I enjoyed it as a stand-alone, but I definitely want to go back and read the first book, On Moonberry Lake .  Delphinium owns a flower shop and  the apartment above the shop where her Grandma used to live before she passed away. Delphi, as her friends call her, has a fondness for the elderly. Her elderly friend Henry, brings all of his friends over to hand out in her cooler in the back room, when the Moonberry Gardens Assisted Living air conditioning goes out. Soon, she finds her shop is host to a whole bunch of elderly folks who she feeds and helps in other ways. Delphinium then must face the director of the senior care facility, Elliot Sturgis, who is trying to figure out how to handle the meandering folks.  Delphinium also has a unique talent where she can tell someone's most admirable characteristic by getting a whiff of them. Elliot carries the scent of love and loyalty, which sme...

  I have been looking forward to Robin Jones Gunn new book, Tea with Elephants so I was excited to have an advanced copy. I got it in the mail and started reading right away! I read and treasured every bit of this book. Fern and Lily have been friends ever since they met in Costa Rica while doing volunteer work. Together, as young girls, they dreamed of traveling the world and the good that they could do. Then life happened. Lily got married young and had two children. Fern took an internship that led to a job in publishing and has been working ever since. Then several years later, Fern's father and mother-in-law gave Fern and Lily tickets to Africa to go on safari. This is the story of their trip--as well as the challenges in their lives that they left behind. I read Tea with Elephants quickly as I could not put it down. I enjoyed The Sister Chicks series. This series is along those lines as the start of the Suitcase Sisters novels begins. I enjoyed the camaraderie of Lily and Fe...

  Kelsey Worthington was just going to Starbucks for coffee for her office-mates. How did she end up in the hospital--and with a terrible headache, no less?  Kelsey also soon discovers she has a roommate--who is none other than Georgina Tate, a legendary matriarch and New York businesswoman. Kelsey is a young businesswoman who is trying to make something of herself at work as an editor. Georgina is a confident businesswoman who owns a cosmetics company. She also has failing kidneys and some regrets lingering in her life. Kelsey asks Georgina some pointed questions. Georgina finally answers and makes Kelsey sign a NDA. The two don't exactly hit it off but they do a bit of collaborating with some help from Kelsey and JP, Georgina's right hand man. Together, they make the Summer of Yes. . .where they agree to say yes to anything they normally said no to--within their moral boundaries, of course. This agreement leads to some interesting adventures. I enjoyed reading about both Kel...

  Her Part to Play is a contemporary Christian debut novel by Jenny Erlingsson. This book features a couple growing to know each other on a movie set and around the town the movie is set in. Adanne has had her share of losses as both her parents have passed away in the last few years. Her nephew is also fighting cancer. Now she is struggling financially to continue to run a community center that her parents started. To help out her financial situation, she takes a job as a make up artist for a local movie production. There she meets actor John Pope. John is a new Christian who is trying to make changes in his life after living life in the fast lane for several years. Adanne actually met him before when he lived life in the fast lane but John doesn't remember her. Can these two work together now? I think Her Part to Play is a good first novel for this author. However, I had some trouble getting into it. That may all be on me as I wasn't prepared for a character to have a cancer...