Reading, Writing & Pondering

  The Roman Holiday Rule by Andra Loy captivated me from beginning to end. Loy is a debut author and this book is a wonderful debut! Lexi Walker is off on an Italian adventure. She has an itinerary to complete the dream trip she had planned with her mother before her mom passed away. Her mom is an artist and she will present her final painting at a festival. Lexi is also carrying letters her mother left her to open at certain locations in Italy. Mark Russo is an Italian-American Archetect who was once burned by an American tourist so he is a bit leary of Lexi upon meeting her.  Still, he is captivated by Lexi as they share their flight to Rome--and an interest in photography.  I loved The Roman Holiday Rule . I could have read it in one sitting if I had had the time. This book has some mystery, some history and a romance that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing from beginning to end. There is also humor as it is a rom-com. Even though there is a sadness in Lexi from her mother's...

  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...

  The Not So Neutral Zone by Susan and Sarah May Warren is the first in a new series called The Blue Ox Boys. While I am not a huge hockey fan, I am a fan of the Warrens and this contemporary romance set in Minnesota. Chloe seems to be invisible to her family. She is often overlooked. Honestly, without going into my own family, I could relate to her in a lot of ways. Then she meets Brody "Candy" Cane in Barcelona. He saves her purse from a thief and they connect with a romantic evening. Until Brody vanishes and she doesn't hear from him for six months. Now, she is home and planning her sister's wedding. Her sister is marrying hockey player, Derek. Brody has his own family problems. His mom died and his dad couldn't deal with it and became an addict. Brody is a hockey good boy. . .but he has to cover for his dad. Then an influencer seeks to ruin his reputation.  Chloe and Brody reconnect at a Minnesota coffee shop--and make a deal to fake date to help each other o...

  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...

  As Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh starts out, Claire Karadec feels like a failure. Her marriage is washed up after publicly finding out her spouse had an affair with a younger woman. To try to make sense of her hurt and sadness, Claire goes to therapy. The therapist encourages her to make a list of her dreams in her journal in response to being asked, What do I really want? As a result, Claire decides if she wants a new start in life, she needs to act on her list to start a new story. At first, I wasn't sure about Brighter Than Before. It started off quite a bit different than this author's other books. But as I went along, it grew on me, and by the middle of it, I was cheering Claire on with the rest of her new friends. Then there is Miles who lives in Claire's apartment complex. I genuinely liked Miles from the start. . .I wanted him to let go of his fears too so was also cheering him on. I always love that Courtney Walsh gives me a HEA ending too...

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...

  The Lighthouse at the Cove by Amy Clipston is the second book in the Coral Cove series. I read The View from Coral Cove first but you don't need to as this book works well as a stand-alone. Coral Cove looks like a postcard-perfect town along the coast--complete with a lovely old lighthouse. However, Kaiah Ross didn't decide to go there for a visit on purpose. Rather her car broke down and stranded her in town. Kaiah is a travel journalist who was on her way to write about another coastal town when she gets stalled at Coral Cove.  Reid Turner is a fire fighter, a part-time Uber driver, a twin and dad to Piper. He was born and raised in Coral Cove and has always called this town his home. After his wife passed away, the last thing he wanted was another relationship. Instead, he has been focused on raising his daughter. Then Reid is called to pick up Kaiah from the car-repair shop and he offers to let her stay at the apartment above his garage since the hotels are full. They ...

  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 ...

  Hearts Aweigh by Shannon Sue Dunlop is the third book that I have read by her. . .and they just keep getting better and better! Hearts Aweigh starts out with the "Shippers" meeting with Abby to decide if they will try to match her up on the ship to help her find a husband. The Shippers are 4 octagenarian women who have decided to stay on Monarch Cruise lines for their retirement years and to find some love matches for younger people. One of the Shippers has a son that has come on board for this cruise to try to talk his mom into moving back home. Spencer Randolph Masterson has a little girl named Madeleine, Maddie for short. Abby does child care on the cruise ship and is heading back home after a few more cruises to resume work as a teacher. She is good with children and has a connection with Maddie . .but what about Spencer? Hearts Aweigh offers readers a mix of romance, humor, and a mystery to solve. This book flowed quite well. It kept my interest all the way through a...

  The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese is the 3rd book in the Fog Harbor series.  The Voice We Find starts out with Sophie Walker returning home to California after she has fails at her broadway career. Her dysfunctional family owns a winery and expect her to take a small role as she stays with her family. She also finds a gig as an audio-book narrator. August Tate moved back near the same area in California to be a guardian to his younger adopted sister who has degenerative hearing loss after a traumatic accident that claimed the lives of their parents. August has a recording studio and is soon recording Sophie reading audio-books.  There is actually a lot going on in The Voice We Find . I enjoyed the romance in the beginning with Sophie and August. . .but then the communication troubles began. That is really one of my least favorite tropes. I dislike it when the guy and gal can't communicate, which happens for awhile in this book. There are also communication issues betw...

    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 ...

  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...

Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck is a split-time novel set in the late 1980s and the 1930s/40s. It was especially fun for me to read the 1980s story-line as that is when I was growing up. However, the whole book kept me turning pages. Harlow Hayes came to Sea Blue Beach, Florida, to heal after a bad break-up with her fiance. She has spent much of her life as a fashion model and also starred in a movie. While she is in Florida, she runs into a former co-star, Matt, who also has some healing to do after making their own mistakes. Harlow becomes involved with the star's grandmother, Tuesday, who runs the local skating rink, The Starlight, which may soon be demolished.  Part of the book focuses on Tuesday's early relationship with her husband and her sons as she ran the Starlight through the 1930s and 40s. I admired Tuesday for all she went through and how she kept the skating rink open. I also loved how she helped folks out during the Depression who needed help. She was a...

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Love Overboard by Shannon Sue Dunlap, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours ! My Review: Four older women retire and live year-round on a cruise ship. Together, they are called The Shippers, and they are the matchmakers on the ship. Lacey Anderson is the ship's hostess and Jonathan King is the Cruise director of the ship. Lacey and Jonathan knew each other from another ship. Sparks fly but there are some complications that seem to be difficult to overcome--but The Shippers are a determined group of ladies. At the same time, there is a mystery of who is smuggling cocaine on the cruise line. Are they on this ship? Love Overboard offers a mix of romance, humor, and mystery to the reader. I enjoy older people so I especially liked The Shippers in this book. I also was rooting for Lacey and Jonathan. I enjoyed getting to know the ship crew as well as the other characters. There was a couple of twists near the end of the book that I didn't ...

A Run at Love by Toni Shiloh is the second book in the Love in the Spotlight series. If you like horses and horse racing, I think you will enjoy this book. If not, the story around it is still a good one.  Piper McKinney is a black woman in the horse-racing world--a world with little diversity. Her adoptive parents raised Piper on their thoroughbred farm and she is determined to make her own mark in the horse-racing field. Her best friend and trainer, Tucker Hale, is right there by her side helping her train what she hopes is a winning horse, Dream. Then a shocking scandal involving her parents hits the media and some of the fall-out affects her. Can she overcome the scandal? Is it based on truth or a lie?  I enjoyed A Run at Love , although I was not much of a horse race fan prior to this book. I liked Piper. I also liked Tucker. I could relate to both of them in certain ways. Mostly, I like how real they seemed to be as well as how real the other characters in the book were...