Invincible Summer

invincible

Author: Alice Adams
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: BEA 2016

 

Goodreads:  Four friends. Twenty years. One unexpected journey. Inseparable throughout college, Eva, Benedict, Sylvie, and Lucien graduate in 1997, into an exhilarating world on the brink of a new millennium. Hopelessly in love with playboy Lucien and eager to shrug off the socialist politics of her upbringing, Eva breaks away to work for a big bank. Benedict, a budding scientist who’s pined for Eva for years, stays on to complete his PhD in physics, devoting his life to chasing particles as elusive as the object of his affection. Siblings Sylvie and Lucien, never much inclined toward mortgages or monogamy, pursue more bohemian existences-she as an aspiring artist and he as a club promoter and professional partyer. But as their twenties give way to their thirties, the group struggles to navigate their thwarted dreams. Scattered across Europe and no longer convinced they are truly the masters of their fates, the once close-knit friends find themselves filled with longing for their youth- and for one another. Broken hearts and broken careers draw the foursome together again, but in ways they never could have imagined.

A dazzling depiction of the highs and lows of adulthood, Invincible Summer is a story about finding the courage to carry on in the wake of disappointment, and a powerful testament to love and friendship as the constants in an ever-changing world.

Ope’s Opinion: Do you like books set in London with British flare to it?  Then you might want to read this book.  The characters and situations were predictable.  For the most part, you get the surface facts of their lives, but not really the deeper meaning of it, so it was hard to get invested in how it was going to turn out in the end.  It was an easy, sort of summer read, not deep or leave you with lasting memories. 

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Doing It Over

doing

Author: Catherine Bybee
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: BEA 2016

Goodreads:  Voted Most Likely to Succeed, Melanie Bartlett ended up anything but. The down-on-her-luck single mom wants a complete do-over—is that too much to ask? With her family long gone from River Bend, strong, independent Mel is as surprised as anyone to end up in the quaint small town she once called home. But with her friends, Jo and Zoe, by her side, and a comfortable room at Miss Gina’s quirky bed-and-breakfast, she just might have turned the corner on a new life.

Wyatt Gibson never liked the big city. River Bend suits the ruggedly handsome builder just fine. Wyatt knows he’s home, even if that means being charmed by the appearance of Melanie and her spunky, adorable daughter. Is Wyatt’s calm devotion—even amid a coming storm—enough to convince Mel she may have found a home to call her own, a family that never leaves, and a true love to last a lifetime?

Ope’s Opinion: This book falls under the romance genre – it will not disappoint those who are truly looking for a romance ( there are some steamy parts ), but this book is so much more!  It is a great story, some family drama, friendship and a little mystery.  So if any or all of those fall into the genre you enjoy reading, this book is for you. 

Also, this is the first of a series.  This book is about Melanie, the next one is about her friend Zoe.  It will be coming out January 24th, so we don’t have to wait too long!  

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Steena Holmes

Today I wanted to give a shout out to an amazing author that has blown me away not only in her stories but also in person. Steena Holmes is a women’s fiction writer who has the heart of gold. Her books are captivating and the way she writes makes it so easy and a  pleasure to read.

steena

When I first met Steena in person her face lit up with joy when she noticed me. I was in shock that a little blogger like me would get such a heartfelt reaction. Her enthusiasm is infectious and it traveled with me through the rest of the day.

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Thanks to this amazing author and Lake Union Publishing, I get to sit with this incredible book and see what Abby has in store for the next chapter of her life. If you haven’t already read my review on Saving Abby, you can go see where Abby started or pre-order Abby’s Journey here.

BEA Shelf

empty shelf

This is my empty shelf, waiting for the BEA books to be loaded.

BEA books 2 BEA books 1All the books have found their way home!!
Now comes the fun part –
I look at them again
Put them on Goodreads,
Then they go on the shelf.

Tell me your top picks from BEA.
I would love to see and hear about what you brought home.

BEA Week!!

Can’t wait to see what BEA will like in Chicago!!
Kristin of Kritters Ramblings and I are looking forward
to many authors we have seen before and new ones
to add to our reading lists.

We are very interested in the difference between
a BEA in NYC and Chicago. 

I will be blogging this week to let you know
what all we enjoyed and got to see.
If you are here at BEA, let us know!

Books from BEA

There are always a few special books that draw me to BEA.
These are a few of my favorites from this year.

if you only knew

Publication Date:  May 26, 2015
Love Kristan Higgins!

winter stroll

Publication Date:  October 13, 2015
I will save this for the first snow!

dancing through life

Publication Date:  August 1, 2015
This was an unexpected find.

summertime girls

Publication Date:  August 4, 2015
This is a new author for me.
And the cover is awesome!!

unlovely

Publication Date:  January 2, 2015
Celeste Conway was fun to talk to at BEA.
I love the cover! I want to frame it.

nowhere but here

Publication Date:  May 26, 2015
Katie McGarry is a favorite of mine.

My Adult Book BEA Broadcast

Hope you are enjoying all this BEA news!
Along with all my YA books I did get some adult reading too.

Adult

Heather Gudenkauf is an author that always makes me
want another of her books when I finish reading her current book.

Positive is a non-fiction – which I don’t often read.
Couldn’t resist this one – looks very interesting.

ADult 2Some more good ones to read!

Adult Mystery

This is my mystery pile!!  Lisa Scottoline and David Baldacci
are top on my mystery list.

I hope if you had the opportunity to go to BEA that you felt
encouraged by other bloggers.  I also hope you came home
with books that made you want to stop your world and just
READ!!

What did you see in my piles that would get you excited to read?

My YA BEA Broadcast

I was amazed at all the YA books that were offered this year at BEA.  A lot of the authors were new to me.  I was excited to receive books that might lead me to an author I had never read before.  Then there were the authors that I couldn’t wait to get another book I knew would be amazing.

YA 4

Morgan Matson’s book Since You’ve Been Gone was one I couldn’t wait to get. It was great to meet her.  Susan Colasanti was really sweet – her books didn’t arrive, so she had to mail them out.  She was so friendly.

YA 1Rebecca Serle’s book Famous in Love looks awesome!
She even emailed me after BEA – very impressed.

YA 2

Rachel Harris is an author I have not read.
The Fine Art of Pretending looks like it will be fun to read.

YA 3

Breathe, Annie, Breathe was on TBR list before I knew
Miranda Kenneally was going to be at BEA!

So many to read – can’t read fast enough.
Any recommendation where I should start?

My Children’s BEA Broadast

 

 

Along with reading adult and YA books, I enjoy sharing my love of reading with my granddaughter.  While at BEA, these are a  couple of titles that grabbed my attention.

emma and me

Bad Dog Flash  by Ruth Paul
The Night Parade  by Lily Roscoe

Emma ( my granddaughter ) has a little sister on the way, so I chose a couple of books to share with her too.
child books
Nutley by Stephanie Sorkin
What’s So Yummy?  by Robbie H. Harris
Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli
Pioneer Girl  by Pamela Smith Hill

 

I also picked up these books to share with both granddaughters when they get older.

middle grade

 

Ava and Pip by Carol Weston
The Battle of Darcy Lane by Tara Altebrando
Secret of the Silver Key by Jane O’Connor
Pink & Green is the New Black by Lisa Greenwald