Tag Archives: St. Martin’s Press

Paris Never Leaves You

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Author: Ellen Feldman
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source:  St. Martin’s Press

 

Goodreads:  Living through WWII working in a Paris bookstore with her young daughter, Vivi, and fighting for her life, Charlotte is no victim, she is a survivor. But can she survive the next chapter of her life?

Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing, Paris Never Leaves You is an extraordinary story of resilience, love, and impossible choices, exploring how survival never comes without a cost.

The war is over, but the past is never past. 

Ope’s Opinion: Although I am not usually a historical fiction reader, I decided to try this one.  It was not for me, but I do think if you are a WWII reader you may enjoy it.  There were two story lines that felt disconnected.  The characters left me wanting something ( not even sure what.. just didn’t connect with them ).

I did enjoy all the parts of the story that had to do with the book store in Paris and the publishing house in NYC.  It was interesting to hear about how things were handled in the publishing world.

You may want to give this one a chance if you are more of a historical reader.

 

What You Wish For

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Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Romance
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

Goodreads:  From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

Ope’s Opinion: This is in the romance genre, but it is so much more then that. It is about a whole community and their relationships.  It is about letting your guard down and letting other people into your life.  

I am a huge fan of Katherine Center and her writing.  I think my expectations were too high for this book.  This story was good, but not my favorite of hers.  It took a large part of the book for the story to really get going for me.  Once I was into it, I really did enjoy it.  Having said that, I will still look for her next book to read.   The ending is what you expect.

 

Coming Soon…

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…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In July I hope to read….

Publication Date: July 14, 2020
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Goodreads:  Samantha Casey loves everything about her job at an elementary school on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school’s beloved principal retires, he announces that his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before. When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety.

Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—even trying to replace the building itself with a high-tech version that’s nothing short of a prison—Sam has to find her voice and use it to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

Told with Katherine Center’s unparalleled warmth, humor, and heart, this new novel proves why she is one of the fastest rising stars in fiction today.

 

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

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

How to Walk Away

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Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

Goodreads:  From the author of Happiness for Beginners comes an unforgettable love story about finding joy even in the darkest of circumstances.

Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancé she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect.

How to Walk Away is Katherine Center at her very best: an utterly charming, hopeful, and romantic novel that will capture reader’s hearts with every page.

Ope’s Opinion:  Although this is a hard subject to deal with and a bit sad, Katherine Center handled it with the perfect amount of struggle and encouragement.  I was rooting for Margaret from the beginning.  

Margaret’s whole family were very involved in her life.  It was interesting to read about those dynamics and how each member reacted to Margaret’s struggle.  It all felt real and frustrating some times.

The ending not sugar coated. It was satisfying.  Now I can’t wait for her next book – coming out in July!

Hello Summer

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Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin Press
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Erica at St. Martin Publishing Group

Goodreads:  New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Beach Reads Mary Kay Andrews delivers her next blockbuster, Hello Summer.

It’s a new season…

Conley Hawkins left her family’s small town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rearview mirror years ago. Now a star reporter for a big-city paper, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a fancy new position in Washington, D.C. Or so she thinks.

For small town scandals…

When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself right back where she started, working for her sister, who is trying to keep The Silver Bay Beacon afloat—and she doesn’t exactly have warm feelings for Conley. Soon she is given the unenviable task of overseeing the local gossip column, “Hello, Summer.”

And big-time secrets.

Then Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman—a beloved war hero with a shady past. The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets. As an old heartbreaker causes trouble and a new flame ignites, it soon looks like their sleepy beach town is the most scandalous hotspot of the summer.

Ope’s Opinion: Wow!  This was a really good story!  I would recommend if you have not read MKA before, this would be a great one start with.  I did think with the title Hello Summer that this was going to be a romantic, light beach read.  It had a little romance in it, but that was a very small part of this wonderful book.  

The pace of this book was perfect.  I loved that it didn’t drag things out – it didn’t all come out in the end.  It kept giving you small bits of secrets and information about who was who in this small town.  It made it so much fun to keep reading.

The end was wonderful in every way.  It told you where everyone was now, it did it a newspaper way, and it was very satisfying.  Exactly what I wanted!

Look What I Found in My Mailbox

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Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date:  January 14, 2020

Goodreads:  North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher’s life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women’s Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn’t expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies? 

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for sending this book to me!

Christmas in Vermont

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Author: Anita Huges
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Holiday Book
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  A sweet holiday love story about the magic of synchronicity and fate set at a quaint Vermont inn during the week after Christmas.

Emma can’t believe her luck when she finds an open pawn shop on Christmas Eve in Manhattan. She’s there to sell the beautiful bracelet her ex-boyfriend gave her when a familiar looking watch catches her eye. It’s the same engraved watch she gave her college boyfriend, Fletcher, years ago. On a whim, she trades the bracelet for the watch and wonders at the timing.

Practical Emma thinks it’s just a coincidence, but her best friend Bronwyn believes it’s the magic of synchronicity that caused Emma to find the watch. Fletcher was the one that got away, and somehow Emma never quite moved on.

When Bronwyn finds out that Fletcher is in snowy Vermont at a romantic inn for the week, she can’t help but give synchronicity a push. She signs Emma up to help the inn keeper as the children’s activity coordinator. Emma agrees that a week filled with quaint shops and maple syrup would do her good… and maybe Fate really does have a Christmas gift in store for her. That is until she sees Fletcher with his daughter and fiancée.

Suddenly, the fairytale trip seems doomed to fail… much like the innkeeper’s dwindling cashflow. It will take a miracle to save her heart and the inn. And that just might be what Fate has in mind.

Christmas in Vermont is a delightful and charming love story about the magic of second chances during the most festive time of year. 

Ope’s Opinion:  This was the perfect Hallmark movie book.  If you would like to be put in the holiday mood – this is the book for you.  It is a warm cozy story that makes you smile.  

The characters are well developed.  The setting was a wonderful winter town. The story was a great balance between present day and memories.

The ending was exactly what you would expect and everything you want from a holiday romance book.

Sharing Books

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The best books are the ones someone ( Kristi )
shares with you.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: October 15, 2019

Goodreads:  A sweet holiday love story about the magic of synchronicity and fate set at a quaint Vermont inn during the week after Christmas.

Emma can’t believe her luck when she finds an open pawn shop on Christmas Eve in Manhattan. She’s there to sell the beautiful bracelet her ex-boyfriend gave her when a familiar looking watch catches her eye. It’s the same engraved watch she gave her college boyfriend, Fletcher, years ago. On a whim, she trades the bracelet for the watch and wonders at the timing.

Practical Emma thinks it’s just a coincidence, but her best friend Bronwyn believes it’s the magic of synchronicity that caused Emma to find the watch. Fletcher was the one that got away, and somehow Emma never quite moved on.

When Bronwyn finds out that Fletcher is in snowy Vermont at a romantic inn for the week, she can’t help but give synchronicity a push. She signs Emma up to help the inn keeper as the children’s activity coordinator. Emma agrees that a week filled with quaint shops and maple syrup would do her good… and maybe Fate really does have a Christmas gift in store for her. That is until she sees Fletcher with his daughter and fiancée.

Suddenly, the fairytale trip seems doomed to fail… much like the innkeeper’s dwindling cashflow. It will take a miracle to save her heart and the inn. And that just might be what Fate has in mind.

Christmas in Vermont is a delightful and charming love story about the magic of second chances during the most festive time of year.

Thank you Kristin of Kritters Ramblings for sharing another book with me.