Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Romance
Source: MIRA ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Would you rather play it safe in the friend zone, or risk it all with a modern marriage of convenience?

Noah and Mia have always been best friends, and their friendship is the most important thing to them. Life is going great for Noah and he’s up for a promotion in a job he loves. But Mia’s life is on hold as she awaits a kidney transplant. She’s stuck in a dead-end job and, never wanting to be a burden, has sworn off all romance. So when the chance of a lifetime comes to go back to school and pursue her dream, it’s especially painful to pass up. She can’t quit her job or she’ll lose the medical insurance she so desperately needs.

To support her, Noah suggests they get married—in name only—so she can study full-time and still keep the insurance. It’s a risk to both of them, with jobs, health and hearts on the line, and they’ll need to convince suspicious coworkers and nosy roommates that they’re the real deal. But if they can let go of all the baggage holding them back, they might realize that they would rather be together forever.

Ope’s Opinion: The story was a five chair, but the unnecessary use of the “f” word and a few too many steamy scenes brought it down to a four. On the positive side – this is my favorite sub-genre of a fake relationship that turns into a real one. On top of that Noah and Mia have known each other for a long time – I like that too.

The characters in this book drew me in from the first page. I wanted them to admit their feelings for each other to themselves as well as the other person. There were several turns along the way that I did not see coming which added so much to the story.

The ending was exactly what I wanted and expected, but came in a way that I didn’t expect. I would like to read Allison Ashley again.

Goodreads: Can the love of a lifetime be forever changed by one pink line? Dina Silver’s tender, absorbing novel, One Pink Line, is the warmhearted, wry story of love, loss and family, as seen through the prism of one singular, spirited young couple who find themselves in a predicament that changes the course of their lives, and those closest to them. With heart, humor and compassion, this debut work of women’s fiction is certain to stir anyone who relishes a good laugh, can stand a good cry, and, above all believes in the redemptive power of love.

This unique, contemporary story gives readers a dual perspective. Sydney Shephard, a sweet-tempered, strong-natured college senior is young, in love with an exceptional man, and unexpectedly pregnant. Faced with a child she never planned for, she is forced to relay this news to her neurotic mother, relinquish her youth, and risk losing the love of her life. Then there’s Grace, a daughter, who believed she was a product of this great love, grows to realize her existence is not what she assumed, and is left with profound and puzzling questions about who she really is.

Spanning generations and every imaginable emotion, One Pink Line reveals how two points of view can be dramatically at odds, and perhaps ultimately reconciled. Simultaneously deeply felt and lighthearted, One Pink Line deftly mines how the choices we make are able to alter so many lives, and how doing the right thing and living honestly can bring unexpected, hard-won happiness. It’s a must-read for anyone who relishes a great love story, absorbing characters, and plenty of laughs along the way.

Ope’s Opinion: The synopsis of this story really caught my attention. I enjoyed following Sydney’s story and watching Grace’s reaction to her situation. They were each well develop characters that felt like they could be someone I would know.

This whole book is about relationships – mother/daughter, friendships, co-workers and how a baby can effect all of them. It was an easy, fast read, but it was not light and fluffy. It handle a lot of different reactions to an unplanned baby.

This was given to me by a friend.
It is larger than I usually do and so much fun!

THANK YOU GOODREADS!

Publication Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Goodreads: A second chance at love awaits two brokenhearted people if they’re just willing to trust each other—and themselves, in USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle’s The Wedding Ranch.

When Lorri Walker’s husband gifted her with a mastiff puppy on Valentine’s Day, she believed he was recommitting himself to their marriage after going astray. Six months later, he left both her and their dog for someone else. Since her recent move to Dalton Mill to unbraid herself from the past, Lorri’s graphic design business is now flourishing, her growing mastiff, Mister, has plenty of space to romp, and her ex in Raleigh can fade to a distant memory.

Ryder Bolt is haunted by the tragic loss of his wife and young son seven years ago. Thankfully, ranching keeps Ryder busy, and spending time with his niece and nephew—whose venue, The Wedding Ranch, has become a popular tourist destination—keeps him from getting lonely.

When Lorri and Ryder met, love was the last thing they were looking for. When they’re together, smiles come easier and burdens feel lighter, and both are embracing the possibility of something deeper.

But when a long-buried revelation surfaces, the fate that brought them together threatens to tear them apart.

Thank you Goodreads! I won this on First Reads!
Can’t wait to read it.

Author: Jen Devon
Publisher: Griffin
Genre: Romance
Source: Griffin ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Two imperfect people. One year under the sun. A love story you won’t ever forget.

Rowan McKinnon doesn’t believe in love. With a botany PhD, two best friends who embrace her social quirkiness, and some occasional no-strings sex, she has everything she needs. But she hides deep wounds from the past—from a negligent mother, and a fiancé who treated her like a pawn in a game. When an academic setback leads Rowan to take on the restoration of an abandoned vineyard, she relishes the opportunity to restore the grapes to their former glory.

She does not expect to meet a man like Harrison Brady.

An obstetrician profoundly struggling after losing a patient, Harry no longer believes he is capable of keeping people safe. Reeling, Harry leaves Los Angeles to emotionally recover at his parents’ new vineyard in Pennsylvania.

He does not expect to meet a woman like Rowan McKinnon.

As their combative banter gives way to a simmering tension, sunlight begins to crack through the darkness smothering Harry’s soul. He’s compelled to explore the undeniable pull between them. And after a lifetime of protecting herself from feeling anything, for anyone, Rowan tries to keep things casual.

But even she can’t ignore their explosive connection.

Ope’s Opinion: This book was just okay for me. I don’t think this is the kind of romance I enjoy. The foul language was overly used. The characters seemed to either be talking about or thinking about sex. I wanted more well rounded characters with other things going on in their lives. I think I am in the minority with my review, so read others and see what you think.

The story was left for future Brady sibling books to come.

Author: Katie Couric
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Autobiography
Source: Purchased

Goodreads: Heartbreaking, hilarious, and brutally honest, Going There is the deeply personal life story of a girl next door turned household name.

For more than forty years, Katie Couric has been an iconic presence in the media world. In her brutally honest, hilarious, heartbreaking memoir, she reveals what was going on behind the scenes of her sometimes tumultuous personal and professional life – a story she’s never shared, until now. Of the medium she loves, the one that made her a household name, she says, “Television can put you in a box; the flat-screen can flatten. On TV, you are larger than life but smaller, too. It is not the whole story, and it is not the whole me. This book is.”

Beginning in early childhood, Couric was inspired by her journalist father to pursue the career he loved but couldn’t afford to stay in. Balancing her vivacious, outgoing personality with her desire to be taken seriously, she overcame every obstacle in her way: insecurity, an eating disorder, being typecast, sexism . . . challenges, and how she dealt with them, setting the tone for the rest of her career. Couric talks candidly about adjusting to sudden fame after her astonishing rise to co-anchor of the TODAY show, and guides us through the most momentous events and news stories of the era, to which she had a front-row seat:  Rodney King, Anita Hill, Columbine, the death of Princess Diana, 9/11, the Iraq War . . . In every instance, she relentlessly pursued the facts, ruffling more than a few feathers along the way.  She also recalls in vivid and sometimes lurid detail the intense pressure on female anchors to snag the latest “get”—often sensational tabloid stories like Jon Benet Ramsey, Tonya Harding, and OJ Simpson.

Couric’s position as one of the leading lights of her profession was  shadowed by the shock and trauma of losing her husband to stage 4 colon cancer when he was just 42, leaving her a widow and single mom to two daughters, 6 and 2. The death of her sister Emily, just three years later, brought yet more trauma—and an unwavering commitment to cancer awareness and research, one of her proudest accomplishments.

 Couric is unsparing in the details of her historic move to the anchor chair at the CBS Evening News—a world rife with sexism and misogyny.  Her “welcome” was even more hostile at 60 Minutes, an unrepentant boys club that engaged in outright hazing of even the most established women.  In the wake of the MeToo movement, Couric shares her clear-eyed reckoning with gender inequality and predatory behavior in the workplace, and downfall of Matt Lauer—a colleague she had trusted and respected for more than a decade.

Couric also talks about the challenge of finding love again, with all the hilarity, false-starts, and drama that search entailed, before finding her midlife Mr. Right.  Something she has never discussed publicly—why her second marriage almost didn’t happen. 

If you thought you knew Katie Couric, think again. Going There is the fast-paced, emotional, riveting story of a thoroughly modern woman, whose journey took her from humble origins to superstardom. In these pages, you will find a friend, a confidante, a role model, a survivor whose lessons about life will enrich your own.

Ope’s Opinion: I have said this before when I review an autobiography – it is hard to say much about how someone sees their own life. I did learn a lot of what happens behind the news broadcasts. Couric did go into great detail on many news events. It was very interesting to hear her take on Matt Lauer, his being fired and the aftermath.

Katie Couric did include many things about her family, her husbands death and her dating after the fact. She talked about her children some, but mostly left out of the public view.

I am close to Katie’s size and her age – I looked up to her – thought – if she can do it, so can I. After reading this, I changed my opinion of her and I can’t look up to what I thought she was. I am sure she had to be tough to be in that career, but she didn’t have to be that way at home.

I think it is best if I don’t read autobiography’s anymore. I’ll leave my belief in people, instead of reading things that make me disappointed.

Author: Kathleen Fuller
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: Thomas Nelson ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: She’s a high-fashion realtor; he’s a low-maintenance mechanic. What on earth could they have in common?

Dressed in designer labels and cruising around town in her red Mercedes, workaholic realtor Harper Wilson presents the picture of success in charming Maple Falls. But Harper’s carefully cultivated image is resting on a shaky foundation. With a sudden drought in sales, she’s starting to see her professional dreams—along with her posh lifestyle—slipping away.

Car trouble brings her to mechanic Rusty Jenkins, and their unlikely friendship is taken to the next level when the laid-back Rusty allows her to give him a makeover for a charity bachelor auction. Harper soon discovers that beneath the town mechanic’s wild beard and grease-stained clothing lies a true Southern gentleman—someone with a kind heart and dreams of his own. Their chemistry is undeniable, but as they get closer, past fears and relationships start to creep in, reminding them of just how much is at stake when carefully constructed facades fall apart.

Maybe their worlds aren’t so separate after all. And maybe covering up who you really are keeps you from discovering what was always meant to be.

Ope’s Opinion: This is my third book by Kathleen Fuller. I like so much about her books, including this one – they are Christian fiction, slow moving romance, the characters have other interests besides each other, and the women are strong and independent.

Rusty and Harpers story was fun to follow. Their misunderstandings could happen to anyone. Madge ( Harpers mother ) and Don ( Harpers father ) story was not necessary and not as enjoyable. I still enjoyed the book.

I will be looking for Kathleen Fullers next book.

…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In August I hope to read….

Publication Date: August 9, 2022
Publisher: Griffin

Goodreads: Jen Devon’s Bend Toward the Sun is a gorgeous, emotional love story about taking unexpected paths, accepting loss, and finding strength in the transformative power of love.

Rowan McKinnon believes love isn’t real. With a botany PhD, two best friends who embrace her social quirkiness, and some occasional no-strings sex, she thinks she has everything she needs. But she hides deep wounds from the past—from an emotionally negligent mother, and a fiancé who treated her like a pawn in a game. The only love she’s ever known came from her grandmother Edie, who taught her to care for all things that grow.

After a chance encounter at a future winery, Rowan takes on the restoration of the property’s abandoned vineyard, immersing herself in nurturing the grapes back to their former glory—and trying not to think about Harrison Brady.

An obstetrician profoundly struggling after losing a patient, Harry Brady no longer believes he is capable of keeping people safe. Reeling from the loss and his crumbled romantic relationship, Harry leaves Los Angeles to emotionally recover at his parents’ new vineyard in Pennsylvania. He’ll work to get the place ready to open, and try to pick up the pieces of his heart.

As soon as he meets Rowan, sunlight begins to crack through the darkness smothering Harry’s soul. He’s compelled to explore the undeniable pull between them. After spending a lifetime protecting herself from feeling anything, for anyone, Rowan tries to keep things casual.

But even she can’t ignore their explosive connection.

A powerful, emotional novel about the ways love can change your life, Bend Toward the Sun is an unforgettable romance and a feast for the senses and the soul.

What is coming soon …. to a bookshelf near you?

What is coming soon …. to a bookshelf near you?

Author: Susan Wiggs
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Genre: Romance
Source: Tavia at HarperCollins

Goodreads: The New York Times bestselling author of The Lost and Found Bookstore returns to Perdita Street with a can’t-miss tale of friendship, hardship, redemption, and love between a San Francisco baker and a barbecue master from Texas.

Jerome “Sugar” Barnes learned the art of baking in his grandma’s bakery, also called Sugar, on historic Perdita Street in San Francisco. He supplies baked goods to the Lost and Found Bookshop across the street.

When the restaurant that shares his commercial kitchen loses its longtime tenant, a newcomer moves in: Margot Salton, a barbecue master from Texas.

Margot isn’t exactly on the run, but she needs a fresh start. She’s taken care of herself her whole life, pulling herself up by her fingernails to recover from trauma, and her dream has been to open a restaurant somewhere far, far from Texas. The shared kitchen with Jerome Sugar’s bakery is the perfect setup: a state-of-the-art kitchen and a vibrant neighborhood popular with tourists and locals.

Margot instantly takes to Jerome’s grandmother, the lively, opinionated Ida, and the older woman proves to be a good mentor. Margot thinks Jerome is gorgeous, and despite their different backgrounds their attraction is powerful–even though Jerome worries that Margot will simply move on from him once she’s found some peace and stability. But just as she starts to relax into a happy new future, Margot’s past in Texas comes back to haunt her… 

Ope’s Opinion: Once again Susan Wiggs wrote a story that made me keep flipping the pages. I liked the pull yourself up by the bootstraps attitude that Margot had throughout the whole book. Each time she was pushed down, she figured out how to deal with it. I just think she was pushed down a couple of times too many. There also seemed an unlikely hero who just stepped in and saved the day – this happened too many times to feel real.

I did like Jerome and his relationship with Margot. The relationship moved at a slow paced and they were friends first. I did like the small side story of Jerome’s mom and dad.

I have enjoyed other books by Susan Wiggs more than this one. I will read her again.

Author: Heather McGovern
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Forever ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: This wedding needs to be the event of the season. Unfortunately, the best man is doing everything he can to derail it . . .

Wedding planner Beth Shipley has seen it all: bridezillas, monster-in-laws, and last-minute jitters at the altar. But this wedding is different—and the stakes are much, much higher. Not only is her best friend the bride, but bookings at her family’s inn have been in free fall ever since an unfortunate food-poisoning incident. Beth’s got one chance to save her family’s business, and she knows she can do it. As long as she doesn’t let Sawyer Silva’s good looks and overprotective, overbearing older brother act distract her.

Sawyer learned firsthand that forever doesn’t last. So when his brother decides to race down the aisle with a woman he barely knows, Sawyer is determined to keep him from making the biggest mistake of his life. Yet the more time Sawyer spends around the passionate and hardworking Beth, the more trouble he has disentangling his feelings—about the wedding and the wedding planner. When Beth discovers Sawyer’s plans, can he convince her that his only real objection is to a future that doesn’t include her? 

Ope’s Opinion: This is the perfect Hallmark movie. It is obvious from the beginning where the story is going and that is the way it should be. The fun part is the journey! It is a very romantic read with a closed door – just how I like it.

The three sisters relationships are amazing and supportive. Owning a business together pulls each of their strengths to keep it going. Independent woman are always my favorite characters.

This is light, easy and quick paced – perfect for a summer read by the pool or at the beach.