Sunday Skim

Week of 7/20/20:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

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Julie's Review: How To Save a Life

Author: Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Series: None
Publication Date: July 14, 2020
Publisher: Lake Union
Pages: 301
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: MAJOR book hangover
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Dom is having a very bad day—one he literally can’t escape. When Dom bumps into Mia, his ex-fiancée whom he hasn’t seen in almost a decade, he believes they’ve been given a second chance and asks her out. When Mia dies tragically on their date, Dom makes a desperate wish: to be given the chance to save her life. And when he wakes the next morning to the shock that she’s alive, he thinks his wish may have been granted. But day after day, no matter what he changes about their time together, she still meets a terrible fate. Dom frantically searches for answers to save his beloved Mia and rekindle their former love. But the further he digs, the more obsessed he becomes, making him realize that slowing down time may be the only way to see things clearly. As he’s forced to confront the truth about himself and those he’s closest to, Dom vows that he’ll watch Mia die a thousand times if it means he can save her once.

Review: I really don't say this lightly but I have read all their books and this to date, is Liz and Lisa's best novel. From the first line it pulls you in and then the emotional roller coaster never stops. It really puts you in Dom's place as he tries to figure out this worm hole he has been placed in.

Dom runs into Mia in a coffee shop that he wasn't even supposed to be at that day and decides that this is his 2nd chance at love. She's always been the one that got away and no one has ever compared to her. He gets her to agree to go on a date with him but it ends in disaster when she dies in a freak accident. 

For the next few days he wakes up to repeat the same opening sequence only to try to figure out what he can change to keep Mia alive. Each day he tries and each time he fails. He learns something from each replay and you have to wonder if that’s not the life lesson in all of this. 

I loved Dom. He was a terrific character and while I liked Mia I felt that she was more of just a catalyst for him to learn to live.

I loved this book so much that it has taken me a bit to get into another book; so major book hangover. I highly recommend this book and I don't think you'll be disappointed. 


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Sunday Skim - A Day Late

Week of 7/5/2020 and 7/12/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

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Julie's Review: The Last Train to Key West

Author: Chanel Cleeton
Series: None
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 320
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Three unique women whose stories converge in a great way
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: For the tourists traveling on Henry Flagler’s legendary Overseas Railroad, Labor Day weekend is an opportunity to forget the economic depression gripping the nation. But one person’s paradise can be another’s prison, and Key West-native Helen Berner yearns to escape. After the Cuban Revolution of 1933 leaves Mirta Perez’s family in a precarious position, she agrees to an arranged marriage with a notorious American. Following her wedding in Havana, Mirta arrives in the Keys on her honeymoon. While she can’t deny the growing attraction to her new husband, his illicit business interests may threaten not only her relationship, but her life. Elizabeth Preston's trip to Key West is a chance to save her once-wealthy family from their troubles after the Wall Street crash. Her quest takes her to the camps occupied by veterans of the Great War and pairs her with an unlikely ally on a treacherous hunt of his own. Over the course of the holiday weekend, the women’s paths cross unexpectedly, and the danger swirling around them is matched only by the terrifying force of the deadly storm threatening the Keys.

Review: I love when novels are told from different points of view and Chanel Cleeton nails that type of narrative in her latest novel. Each of these women: Helen, Elizabeth and Mirta are about to experience the storm of their lives in very different ways but yet their lives are all tied together. How they are all tied together is one of the most wonderfuly woven stories I've read in a long time.  These 3 women are brave, strong and resilient. 

Elizabeth's family has been torn apart and destroyed by the great depression. She's traveled to Key West to find the only member of her family she feels can help her. She has also traveled there to get away from her fiance. She's not sure what she's headed into but she's determined to help her family the only way she knows how. 

Helen married the wrong man and now she's about to give birth to his child. She was young when she married him and life hasn't been easy for them. She dreams of getting out but knows that it's impossible. That is until she meets a friendly stranger who sees her pain and offers to help. 

Mirta is married to a man she barely knows due to her family situation in Cuba. She knows she has a choice in this even if the marriage wasn't her choice. She can chose to get to know her husband and perhaps be happy but the choice really is hers. Plus her husband seems keen on getting to know her as well. 

Their different backgrounds help them to survive and then thrive after their experiences. I can not fathom the fear that would have been at the forefront of their minds during the hurricane.

I definitely recommend this one for a great read.

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Julie's Review: Party of Two

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Series: Wedding Date #5
Publication Date: June 23, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: I can't get enough of her novels
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe’s mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can’t resist—it is chocolate cake, after all.  Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble—not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max’s high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight? ~amazon.com 

Review: I adore Ms. Guillory's books and when they are released I devour them. Her heroine's are smart, spunky and independent. They don't need a man but they want a man but only if he's up to the challenge. A man is literally the last thing Olivia wants to deal with upon her move to LA; she's got bigger things going on than to worry about love. She's got to get her law firm up and running with her partner and that is her focus and takes up a lot of her energy. But Max, the cute guy from the hotel bar, isn't giving up.

Since Max is a high profile Junior Senator, they have to keep their relationship on the down low which means a lot of incognito dates which suits Olivia just fine because she's not looking for anything serious; she's too busy to be distracted. Or is she?

I love the back and forth of the banter between Max and Olivia but it's not all just that. They seem to relate to each other in a way no one else has in recent pasts. Both are driven and understand what it takes to get to where they are in their careers.

Of course things aren't always going to be smooth sailing and as soon as they go public, her past comes to light. Will Olivia decide to fight or flight this time? How will Max handle it?

What I love about her books is they are situations that you can see yourself dealing with in real life. Well maybe not dating a Senator but over coming different things that life throws in your way. What is your typical response? Fight or Flight? Plus the characters are just so fun and vibrant.

I can't wait for her next novel!



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Sunday Skim

Week of 6/28/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

Well after a week off, it'll be back to the grind tomorrow. I'm hoping some people took this week off instead of last week, so maybe it'll be a little quieter. I did get some good reading in at least between running around and doing some things for the house. As a matter of fact, as I look back on the week, I'm not really sure what I did. LOL

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