Tag Archives: fiction

Coming Soon……

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…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In April I hope to read….

 

Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Publisher: Gallery Books

Goodreads: Two childhood friends discover that love—and family—can be found in unconventional ways in this timely, moving novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of the “beautifully Southern, evocative Peachtree Bluff series” (Kristin Harmel, internationally bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife).

Recently separated Amelia Buxton, a dedicated journalist, never expected that uncovering the biggest story of her career would become deeply personal. But when she discovers that a cluster of embryos belonging to her childhood friend Parker and his late wife Greer have been deemed “abandoned,” she’s put in the unenviable position of telling Parker—and dredging up old wounds in the process.

Parker has been unable to move forward since the loss of his beloved wife three years ago. He has all but forgotten about the frozen embryos, but once Amelia reveals her discovery, he knows that if he ever wants to get a part of Greer back, he’ll need to accept his fate as a single father and find a surrogate.

Each dealing with their own private griefs, Parker and Amelia slowly begin to find solace in one another as they navigate an uncertain future against the backdrop of the pristine waters of their childhood home, Buxton Beach. The journey of self-discovery leads them to an unforgettable and life-changing lesson: Family—the one you’re born into and the one you choose—is always closer than you think.

From “the next major voice in Southern fiction” (Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Under the Southern Sky is a fresh and unforgettable exploration of love, friendship, and the unbreakable ties that bind.

 

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

Let me know – I am always looking for a good read!

Nowhere but Home

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Author: Liza Palmer
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings 

 

Goodreads:  Queenie Wake, a country girl from North Star, Texas, has just been fired from her job as a chef for not allowing a customer to use ketchup. Again. Now the only place she has to go is home to North Star. She can hope, maybe things will be different. Maybe her family’s reputation as those Wake women will have been forgotten. It’s been years since her mother-notorious for stealing your man, your car, and your rent money-was killed. And her sister, who as a teenager was branded as a gold-digging harlot after having a baby with local golden boy Wes McKay, is now the mother of the captain of the high school football team. It can’t be that bad…

Who knew that people in small town Texas had such long memories? And of course Queenie wishes that her memory were a little spottier when feelings for her high school love, Everett Coburn, resurface. He broke her heart and made her leave town-can she risk her heart again?

At least she has a new job-sure it’s cooking last meals for death row inmates but at least they don’t complain!

But when secrets from the past emerge, will Queenie be able to stick by her family or will she leave home again? A fun-filled, touching story of food, football, and fooling around.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a cute, predictable story.  I liked that Queenie tried all the different cities and jobs – she was independent and trying to make it on her own.  Life brought her back home – not where she wanted to be, but she made the best of that too.  I enjoyed Queenie and Merry Carol’s relationship.  It is a good book, but not a stand out one.  

The Speed of Light

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Author: Elissa Grossell Dickey
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  A compelling and provocative debut novel told in intersecting timelines over a tumultuous, defining year in one woman’s life.

Simone is trying her best not to think of what she’s lost. Diagnosed with MS, she awaits the results of another anxiety-inducing MRI. She’s just walked away from Connor, “a fixer” but possibly the love of her life. And nearing the holidays, the sights and sounds of winter in South Dakota only prick memories of better years gone by. Then, on a December morning at the university where she works, jarring gunshots pierce the halls. In a temporary safe place and terrified, Simone listens and pretends this will all be over soon.

As she waits for silence, her mind racing, Simone’s past year comes into focus. Falling in love and missing it. Finding strength in family and enduring friendships. Planning for the future, fearing it, and hoping against hope in dark places. Her life has been changing at the speed of light, and each crossroad brought Simone here, to this day, to endure the things she can’t control and to confront those that she can.

Ope’s Opinion: This was a wonderful story of love, mystery and multiple sclerosis.  The author flipped from present ( a mystery about a shooting ) to the past ( Simone learning she has MS ).  It really worked and kept me turning the pages to see how it was all going to turn out. I did not want to put the book down.

The main characters met in a natural way.  Their relationship happened in a realistic and enjoyable way.  They just seem to belong together.

The ending was what you wanted.  It answered all your questions.  I am going to look at Elissa Grossell Dickey’s other books now.

Girls of Summer

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Author: Nancy Thayer
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Fiction
Source: Gift from Kristi ( Daughter )

Goodreads:  One life-changing summer on Nantucket brings about exhilarating revelations for a single mother and her two grown children in this sensational novel from New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.

Lisa Hawley is perfectly satisfied living on her own. Having fully recovered from a brutal divorce nearly two decades earlier, she has successfully raised her kids, Juliet and Theo, seeing them off to college and beyond. As the owner of a popular boutique on Nantucket, she’s built a fulfilling life for herself on the island where she grew up. With her beloved house in desperate need of repair, Lisa calls on Mack Whitney, a friendly–and very handsome–local contractor and fellow single parent, to do the work. The two begin to grow close, and Lisa is stunned to realize that she might be willing to open up again after all . . . despite the fact that Mack is ten years her junior.

Juliet and Theo worry that Mack will only break their mother’s heart–and they can’t bear to see her hurt again. Both stuck in ruts of their own, they each hope that a summer on Nantucket will provide them with the clarity they’ve been searching for. When handsome entrepreneur Ryder Hastings moves to the island to expand his environmental nonprofit, Juliet, an MIT-educated web designer, feels an immediate attraction, one her rocky love life history pushes her to deny at first. Meanwhile, free spirit Theo finds his California bliss comes to a brutal halt when a surfing injury forces him back to the East Coast. Upon his return, he has eyes only for Mack’s daughter, Beth, to whom he is bound by an unspeakable tragedy from high school. Can they overcome their past?

As the season unfolds, a storm threatens to shatter the peace of the golden island, forcing Lisa, Juliet, and Theo to decide whether their summer romances are destined for something more profound. Nancy Thayer dazzles again in this delightful tale of family, a reminder that sometimes, finding our way back home can bring us unexpected gifts.

Ope’s Opinion:  I read this during the winter snows of February.  It took me away to summer with sun and beach – what a great get away!  I liked the characters in this book, except Juliet – her personality seemed to be all over the place – independent, insecure – I couldn’t keep up with her.    

The romances were a bit quick and predictable, but some times that makes a good read for me.  The ending is exactly what you would expect – no surprises here.

If you haven’t picked this book up yet, you should put it on your beach bag.  You will enjoy reading this one.

In the Mail

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Can’t wait to read this one!

Author:  Wendy Francis
Publisher: Graydon House
Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Goodreads:  The Seafarer is the place to see and be seen in the summer…

With its rich history and famous guests, the glamorous Boston hotel is no stranger to drama. But the bustle at the iconic property reaches new heights one weekend in mid-June when someone falls tragically to her death, the event rippling through the lives of four very different people.

Bride-to-be Riley is at the hotel to plan her wedding. She would have preferred a smaller, more intimate celebration, but her bossy mother-in-law has taken charge and her fiancé hasn’t seemed to notice. Jean-Paul, the hotel’s manager, is struggling to keep his marriage and new family afloat, but now he must devote all his energy to this latest scandal at work. Claire, recently widowed, comes to town to connect with a long-lost love, but has too much changed in the last thirty years?  And then there’s Jason, whose romantic getaway with his girlfriend has not exactly gone the way he’d hoped and instead has him facing questions he can’t bring himself to answer.

Over three sun-drenched days, as the truth about the woman who died—and the secret she was hiding—is uncovered, these four strangers become linked in the most unexpected of ways. Together, they just might find the strength they need to turn their own lives around.

Thank you Lia for passing this on to me.

The Antidote for Everything

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Author: Kimmery Martin
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

Goodreads:  In this whip-smart and timely novel from acclaimed author Kimmery Martin, two doctors travel a surprising path when they must choose between treating their patients and keeping their jobs.

Georgia Brown’s profession as a urologist requires her to interact with plenty of naked men, but her romantic prospects have fizzled. The most important person in her life is her friend Jonah Tsukada, a funny, empathetic family medicine doctor who works at the same hospital in Charleston, South Carolina and who has become as close as family to her.

Just after Georgia leaves the country for a medical conference, Jonah shares startling news. The hospital is instructing doctors to stop providing medical care for transgender patients. Jonah, a gay man, is the first to be fired when he refuses to abandon his patients. Stunned by the predicament of her closest friend, Georgia’s natural instinct is to fight alongside him. But when her attempts to address the situation result in incalculable harm, both Georgia and Jonah find themselves facing the loss of much more than their careers.

Ope’s Opinion: This was an interesting read.  This is my second Kimmery Martin book.  She definitely has a different perspective when she writes stories.  There were parts of this story that I felt went off on a tangent I never did figure out why they were included.  

I really did enjoy Georgia and Jonah’s relationship and support of each other.  This relationship was what saved this book for me.

She Gets that From Me

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Author: Robin Wells
Publisher: Berkley
Genre:Fiction
Source: A gift from my daughter Kristi

Goodreads:  Quinn never expected that her best friend’s courageous decision to be a single mother by choice would end up transforming her own life in this poignant novel from USA Today bestselling author Robin Wells.

When Quinn Langston’s best friend unexpectedly passes away, Quinn embraces Brooke’s three-year-old daughter Lily and elderly grandmother Margaret as the family she’s always wanted. She’ll do whatever it takes to help them heal, but she didn’t anticipate Lily’s biological father would be part of the plan. Margaret is old-fashioned, though, and she has no compunction about finding a way to reach Lily’s dad, a sperm donor. After all, he’s a blood relative, and she believes family should raise family.

Zack Bradley doesn’t know what to expect when he finds out he has a child. Sperm donors don’t usually get to meet their…well, he’s not sure what to call Lily yet, but he’s certain he wants to get to know her. There’s just one of problem: he’s about to move to Seattle with his wife, Jessica, who’s undergone multiple infertility treatments, desperately wants a family of her own and can’t stand the idea of Zack playing daddy to another woman’s child.

Together, they’ll all learn that the human heart is infinitely expandable and there are many different roads to family. 

Ope’s Opinion: This book was a very original story line that I throughly enjoyed. I liked all the different perspectives that moved the story along really well.  This book makes you reevaluate what makes a family and how is it created.  

A large part of the book is about infertility, sperm donors, and single parenthood.  If these are difficult subjects for you as a reader – you may want to pass on this one.  If not, you will enjoy this book.  There is romance in the book, but it is not the focus of most of the story. The end was exactly what I wanted.

This book made me want to read her other book on my shelf.

Vote for Remi

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Author: Leanna Lehman
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  Fiery US government teacher Remi Covington is relentless in her desire to impart the genius of the democratic process to her students. Her so-called “academically challenged” high school seniors sometimes find her enthusiasm more than a little annoying—so, in an effort to teach her a lesson, they execute a brazen, high-tech, social media blitz touting her as the newest candidate in the upcoming US presidential race. Much to everyone’s surprise, Remi plays along with her students’ ruse—and in a nation weary of politics and career politicians, she unexpectedly finds herself the darling of the American public. As the campaign takes on a life of its own, Remi is forced to confront a myriad of long-held social biases and cultural clichés, and realizes she isn’t quite the woman she thought was. Vote for Remi is about a would-be a presidential candidate who, despite being all wrong—the wrong gender, the wrong party, and certainly the wrong social status—discovers that she might be exactly what America needs: someone with a passion for doing what is right.

Ope’s Opinion:  You would have thought I had enough politics with all that has been going on lately – but I wanted a positive spin on it and I got it!  

It was  great to see a teacher so good at her job, she motivated her students to want her to be president.  The campaign, the politics and the students all seemed believable.

I enjoyed the read.  If you like to root for the underdog – you will enjoy this one.

In the Mail

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This is what came in.

Author: Lauren K. Denton
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: July 6, 2021

Goodreads:  High-school sweethearts Mac and Edie Swan lead a seemingly picture-perfect life in the sleepy-sweet community of Spring Hill, near Mobile, Alabama. Edie is a respected interior designer, Mac is a beloved pediatrician, and they have a historic home on tree-lined Linden Avenue, two great kids, and an orange cat named Ramona. From the outside, the Swan family is the definition of “the good life.” And life is good–mostly. Until a young woman walks into Mac’s office one day. A young woman whose very existence threatens all Mac and Edie have built and all they think they know about each other.

Nineteen years after a summer apart, with a family and established lives and careers, the past that Mac and Edie thought they left behind has come back to greet them. For the first time, constants in their lives are called into question: their roles as parents, their reputation as upstanding members of the community, and the very foundations of their marriage. As they wade through the upheaval in both their family and professional lives, they must each examine choices they made long ago and chart a new course for their future.

Thank you Margaret of Harper Collins!

A Place For Us

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Author: Liza Gyllenhaal
Publisher: NAL
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Purchased

 

 

Goodreads:  Brook Bostock has led a privileged life. The daughter of an extremely wealthy and prominent family, she married the man of her dreams and is raising two deeply loved children. But her happy home is shattered when a neighborhood teenager is assaulted during a night of drinking with the Bostocks’ son and his prep school friends.

The scandal receives national attention—not only because of Brook’s family name, but because of the lawsuit looming against Brook and her husband, Michael, that alleges they are responsible for what went on in their house. Suddenly the small Massachusetts town they call home seems to be turning against them, revealing the simmering jealousies and resentments that have been lurking under the surface all along.

With their once-perfect family in danger of falling apart, Brook and Michael must find a way to get through this together—or risk losing everything they love… 

Ope’s Opinion: This is a solid three chair read.  The characters feel real, the situation the family is in is hard and the reactions are normal.  I don’t want to talk specifics because I don’t want to give the story away.  

One thing that kept it from being a four was Brook is from a family that has money and they kept talking about it as if it were a bad or negative thing.  It just didn’t fit in with the rest of the story.  I just didn’t see why it was brought up so often or even mattered. Also, the use of the “f” word added nothing to this story – actually felt out of place.

There were secrets and they came out naturally and slowly.  I like that they didn’t save all the secrets to the end of the book.  The ending was what you would expect.  There weren’t too many surprises.