Week of 6/19/2022:
Finished:
Currently Reading:
Looking Forward To:
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Sunday, June 26, 2022
Friday, June 24, 2022
Julie's Review: The Beach Trap
Author: Ali Brady
Series: None
Publication Date: June 14, 2022
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Families are complex
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: When twelve-year-olds Kat Steiner and Blake O’Neill meet at Camp Chickawah, they have an instant connection. But everything falls apart when they learn they’re not just best friends—they’re also half sisters. Confused and betrayed, the girls break off all contact. Fifteen years later, when their father dies suddenly, Kat and Blake discover he’s left them a joint inheritance: the family beach house in Destin, Florida. The two sisters are immediately at odds. Blake, who has recently been demoted from regular nanny to dog nanny, wants to sell the house, while social media influencer Kat is desperate to hold on to the place where she lived so many happy memories. Kat and Blake reluctantly join forces to renovate the dilapidated house, with the understanding that Kat will try to buy Blake out at the end of the summer. The women clash as Blake’s renovation plans conflict with Kat’s creative vision; meanwhile, each sister finds herself drawn into a summer romance. As the weeks pass, the two women realize the most difficult project they face this summer will be coming to grips with their shared past—and learning how to become sisters. ~amazon.com
Review: Blake and Kat meet when they are 12 and develop a strong bond but only to be ripped about by discovering they have the same father. Kat viewed it as a betrayal from Blake and Blake was too stunned to understand what was going on, only that she came face to face with the man who deserted her when her mom died.
Fast-forward to 15 years, when their dad has died and left both of them the family beach house in Florida. For Kat, there's more surprises when her dad dies and things she has to reconcile. They each have grand plans for the house and for very different reasons. Kat is upset because she has to figure out what to do with the house with Blake.
Blake and Kat couldn't be more different but with this dilapidated beach house they have no choice but to figure out how to communicate. How are they going to do the renovations with little money? How will they live under the same roof as each other? They come up with a plan where they alternate weeks at the house and Blake wants to do most of the work.
There's a lot of emotion in this novel for both Blake and Kat but for different reasons. At first I found Kat vapid (I think that was the point) but realized that she had a good heart and was working her way through her own issues. It was easier for her to blame Blake and not the father she had tried so hard to please.
For Blake, she loved growing up with her grandparents but still deals with abandonment issues and needs to come to terms with the fact that part of Kat's family is hers as well. She has just as much of a right to the beach house as Kat does. It is part of her legacy.
As someone who watches HGtv but has no clue how to do anything, I was super impressed with Blake's now-how for renovating a house. Kat had some great design/color ideas as well. So, their skill sets did compliment each other.
I highly recommend The Beach Trap as a summer read but beware you might want to buy your own and fix it up.
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Julie's Review: As Seen on Tv
Author: Meredith Schorr
Series: None
Publication Date: June 7, 2022
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction; Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Nothing is what it is on tv
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: Emerging journalist Adina Gellar is done with dating in New York City. If she's learned anything from made-for-TV romance movies, it's that she'll find love in a small town - the kind with harvest festivals, delightful but quirky characters, and scores of delectable single dudes. So when a big-city real estate magnate targets tiny Pleasant Hollow for development, Adi knows she's found the perfect story - one that will earn her a position at a coveted online magazine, so she can finally start adulting for real...and maybe even find her dream man in the process. Only Pleasant Hollow isn't exactly "pleasant." There's no charming bakery, no quaint seasonal festivals, and the residents are more ambivalent than welcoming. The only upside is Finn Adams, who's more mouthwatering than the homemade cherry pie Adi can't seem to find - even if he does work for the company she'd hoped to bring down. Suddenly Adi has to wonder if maybe TV got it all wrong after all. But will following her heart mean losing her chance to break into the big time? ~amazon.com
Review: I admit I am not a Hallmark movie watcher but I do love my rom-coms, so when I read the summary of As Seen on Tv, I knew it would be in my wheelhouse. I can tell you that it definitely didn't disappoint. Adi is determined to start her career as a reporter by coming up with a great story about finding community and love in a small town because isn't that what happens in the tv movies or shows? So when the opportunity comes up for her to go to a small town where a big development is going in; she can't resist and promises her editor a great story.
Except of course Pleasant Hollow isn't pleasant and no one is really against the development going in. They haven't banded together to take down the evil developer and worst of all, there is no pie. Doesn't every small town have a bakery/diner with pie?! What about the cute handyman, the perky bed and breakfast owner? None of those exist but what does is a lot of glares at Adi and unfriendly local folk; except one bright spot in Finn Adams.
What I loved about the book is how Adi had to change her view of things to get to the real story she needed to write. How she had to get rid of the fantasy and live in the real world when it came to love, romance and life. Her best friends and mom are excellent characters as well and help Adi come to understand the path she's on.
This is definitely a novel to pick up if you are in the mood for a fun and meaningful romance.
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Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Julie's Review: The Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
Author: Kate Khavari
Series: Saffron Everleigh #1
Publication Date:
Publisher:
Pages:
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A good old-fashioned murder mystery
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to blaze a new trail at the University College London, but with her colleagues’ beliefs about women’s academic inabilities and not so subtle hints that her deceased father’s reputation paved her way into the botany department, she feels stymied at every turn. When she attends a dinner party for the school, she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon. What she doesn’t expect is for Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives, to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin. Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect and evidence quickly mounts. Joined by fellow researcher--and potential romantic interest--Alexander Ashton, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons to clear Maxwell's name. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list, in this entertaining examination of society’s expectations.
Review: Historical Mystery might be one of my new favorite sub-genres if they can all be like Kate Khavari's debut. Enter Saffron Everleigh who is trying to make her way into the male dominated world of academia by working her butt off to prove she's just as good as the men in the department. Unfortunately, some just see her as a pretty female in a skirt but that doesn't hold her back; she's determined to honor her father who died when she was young.
Saffron is going to have to use all her knowledge when someone is poisoned at a department party from a poison and her beloved mentor is accused. Little does she know is that she'll endanger herself and those she cares about to find the truth.
Saffron is a great heroine: she's smart, witty, self-assured and determined. She's confident in her knowledge and she'll take some calculated risks to protect those she cares about. I really enjoyed how I thought the book was going down one path (adultery) but it ended up in a completely different reasoning for the attempted murder. It doesn't hurt that she had the help of another scientist, Alexander Ashton, to help her with the clues. I'm pretty sure he didn't plan on getting sucked in with the case or with Saffron herself.
I am definitely looking forward to the next Saffron mystery; hopefully I don't have to wait too long.
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Sunday Skim
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Julie's Review: Our Last Days in Barcelona
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Series: Perez Sisters #3
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 320
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Sisters always have each other's backs
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: Barcelona, 1964. Exiled from Cuba after the revolution, Isabel Perez has learned to guard her heart and protect her family at all costs. After Isabel’s sister Beatriz disappears in Barcelona, Isabel goes to Spain in search of her. Joining forces with an unlikely ally thrusts Isabel into her sister’s dangerous world of espionage, but it’s an unearthed piece of family history that transforms Isabel’s life. Barcelona, 1936. Alicia Perez arrives in Barcelona after a difficult voyage from Cuba, her marriage in jeopardy and her young daughter Isabel in tow. Violence brews in Spain, the country on the brink of civil war, the rise of fascism threatening the world. When Cubans journey to Spain to join the International Brigades, Alicia’s past comes back to haunt her as she is unexpectedly reunited with the man who once held her heart. Alicia and Isabel’s lives intertwine, and the past and present collide, as a mother and daughter are forced to choose between their family’s expectations and following their hearts. ~amazon.com
Review: I'm a huge fan of all of Chanel Cleeton novels but am definitely sad to see her Perez Sisters novels come to a close with the one about Isabel. As the oldest, Isabel has always bared the brunt of her mom's tough love. A lot of expectations were put on Isabel that her sisters did not have to live up to. Especially since escaping Cuba for the sunny beaches of Palm Beach where they aren't readily accepted. So when her parents arrange for her to marry a well-to-do business man, Tom; Isabel goes along with the plan. She's hoping that if they don't love each other, they can at least have a partnership.
Just as she's settling in to married life, Beatriz goes missing from Barcelona. Even if they haven't spoken in ages due to a fight, Isabel feels the need to be the one to go over and figure out what is going on. She's not quite sure what she'll find out when she gets there. What she doesn't think she'll find is a family secret that involves her own past.
While Beatriz is her focus she gets involved in whatever her sister is in. This leads her to join up with Diego, a mysterious American businessman that knows her sister. Isabel isn't quite ready for the adventure she goes on in Barcelona or the secret that her mother has been hiding for decades.
This trip changes Isabel; how she views herself and how she interacts with others. I loved seeing the changes in Isabel and how she flourished being on her own.
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Sunday Skim
Week of 6/5/2022:
Finished:
Currently Reading:
Looking Forward To:
I absolutely adored Meredith Schorr's As Seen on Tv, it was just what I needed to read. If you are looking for an old-fashioned murder mystery, then definitely pick up Kate Khavari's The Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons. While I didn't love The Secret Keeper of Jaipur as much as The Henna Artist, it was definitely a worthy sequel.
Sunday, June 5, 2022
Sunday Skim
Friday, June 3, 2022
Monthly Rewind: May 2022
* Denotes Audiobooks
Home Run (You should run and get this):
*
Triple (You really don't want to miss it):
*
*
*Double (You could get on the waiting list at the library and be ok):
Single (Wait it out): N/A
StrikeOuts (Don't bother): N/A
Not a lot of physical books this month but made up for it in audio. It helps that the C.S. Lewis' books are really short. I can't say enough about The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian. I've been a long time reader of his and this is my 2nd favorite of his novels for me. For those people who grew up in the 80s, you won't want to miss Karen Winn's debut, Our Little World. If you are looking to have an emotional journey, then look no further than Rochelle Weinstein's When We Let Go. Those characters will stay with you after you close the book.
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