Julie's Reviews: Big Summer

Author: Jennifer Weiner
Series: None
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Female friendships are complicated even in adulthood
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song. A sparkling novel about the complexities of female relationships, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most. ~amazon.com  


Review: What would you do if the person you thought was your best friend scorned you years ago but then shows up back in your life? Would you forgive but not forget? More so, would you stand up in her wedding?!! This is exactly the things that Daphne needs to decide when Drue enters her life again and pretty much just when Daphne was heading in the right direction. Will being in Drue's orbit throw off her plan? Will she get sucked in again?

The answer to that last question is yes, otherwise we wouldn't have a novel. 😀 Daphne is a good hearted person who wants to believe that Drue has changed, but has she really? Even Daphne's good friend Darshi is wondering why she let her back into her life.  As Daphne is thrust in Drue's high flying life and wedding, she begins to understand that things are always what they seem and people have facades. They only show you what they want you to see.

I don't want to get into the details of the story but we all have that one friend who can rope us into their orbit again if they should reappear. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not. For Daphne it was a mixed bag. 

What Jennifer always does amazingly well is write colorful characters that we can identify with as women. Our friendships aren't perfect and they are most certainly complex but she gets that and writes about those things. Female friendships are not easy when you ar young but as you get older they can become more complex as your life changes, so does your group of friends. It's not always easy opening yourself up to new people or old people who re-enter your life but sometimes you can get something out of them.

Julie's Review: Oona Out of Order

Author: Margarita Montimore
Series: None
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Publisher: Flatiron
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
Bottom Line:Great concept but just fell flat for me

Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will turn nineteen, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence. Should she go to London to study economics, or remain at home in Brooklyn to pursue her passion for music and be with her boyfriend? As the countdown to the New Year begins, Oona faints and awakens thirty-two years in the future in her fifty-one-year-old body. Greeted by a friendly stranger in a beautiful house she’s told is her own, Oona learns that with each passing year she will leap to another age at random. And so begins Oona Out of Order...Hopping through decades, pop culture fads, and much-needed stock tips, Oona is still a young woman on the inside but ever changing on the outside. Who will she be next year? Philanthropist? Club Kid? World traveler? Wife to a man she’s never met?
Surprising, magical, and heart-wrenching, Margarita Montimore has crafted an unforgettable story about the burdens of time, the endurance of love, and the power of family. ~amazon.com

Review: Oona time travels to different parts of her life every year on New Year's Day. She never knows what order/age she'll end up at but the premise is that she will get to every age. She leaves herself a letter just giving herself a heads-up but never many details. The idea is that she really should experience all the ups and downs herself; no matter how heartbreaking. What Oona doesn't know is just how heartbreaking some years will truly be but not only for her but for those around her.

Some of the relationships she makes are fleeting and won't be around for more than one leap but others stay the course. Few people know about her leaps because honestly who would believe her? Her mom is her truest confidant plus her personal assistant Kenzie but at times it feels a bit lonely for Oona. Who can blame her? No matter how much she tries she just doesn't even know who will be in her life. What decisions can she make? Will it alter her future? Is that always so bad? How will she know if it changes the outcome?

What made me sad is that she never really gets to know herself in the same way we do. She doesn't get to grow emotionally the same way. Does she ever really get to experience full and meaningful love if her life it out of order?

I really liked Oona and felt for her plight. I will say though for me though for me was the supporting characters of Madeleine and Kenzie. They were the heart and soul of the novel and of Oona's life. I did feel like something was missing because I felt that it didn't elicit a lot of emotion from me and I really expected it to do something for me.

I would be curious to see what the author does next because I did enjoy the way she told the story and her unique point of view.


Google+

Jenn's Review: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe

Author: Heather Webber
Series: None
Publication Date: July 16th 2019
Publisher: Forge Books
Pages: 336
Obtained: Purchase
Genre:  Women's Fiction, Magical Realism
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: family, secrets, and misunderstandings 
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café. It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about. As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

Review: Heather Webber has long been one of my favorite authors ever since Julie introduced me to her Lucy Valentine  series years ago. She has a way of writing characters that is warm, inviting, and oh-so-accessible. I was intrigued by Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe as it is her first novel that ventures into the realm of Women's Fiction.

It's amazing how the strand of a single person's life can run through so many other lives and how events can change and shape who we become.  Even when several people are touched by the same experience the individual effects can be so incredibly different.  These are the themes Heather Webber skillfully explores and there is much to love here.  There are several character's stories that unfold gently and I was enthralled watching their past catch up with their present. Despite the fact that the story is told from several different points of view, the transitions were not jarring and I felt drawn into the quirky town and all of its inhabitants.

As much as I enjoy magical realism, I found that it was the only thing that seemed slightly out of place in the novel.  Don't get me wrong, it was artfully done and it gave the novel quaint charm. However, the magic of the pie would have been enough for me and I felt that the story could have easily stood on it's own without much of the rest of it.

The novel ends as quietly as it begins and one can't help but feel you are leaving the character's behind too soon.  I found myself wishing to be back in in Wicklow, sitting down for a piece of pie, and catching up with all the neighbors.  That's the thing about a Heather Webber novel, it sticks with you for days after you close the cover.

Julie's Review: You Were Always Mine

Author: Nicole Baart
Series: None
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 3/5

Bottom Line: I figured out a big piece of the puzzle early on. This one fell a bit short for me.

Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary:  Jessica Chamberlain, newly separated and living with her two sons in a small Iowa town, can’t believe that a tragedy in another state could have anything to do with her. But when her phone rings one quiet morning, her world is shattered. As she tries to pick up the pieces and make sense of what went wrong, Jess begins to realize that a tragic death is just the beginning. Soon she is caught in a web of lies and half-truths—and she’s horrified to learn that everything leads back to her seven-year-old adopted son, Gabriel. Years ago, Gabe’s birth mother requested a closed adoption and Jessica was more than happy to comply. But when her house is broken into and she discovers a clue that suggests her estranged husband was in close contact with Gabe’s biological mother, she vows to uncover the truth at any cost. A harrowing story of tenacious love and heartbreaking betrayal, You Were Always Mine is about the wars we wage to keep the ones we love close, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult. ~amazon.com


Review: You Were Always Mine is a story about what makes a family with a mystery woven into it. Jessica and her husband, Evan, have been separated for a few months when he doesn't pick up the boys on a Friday after school. No matter what is going on between them, he's always there for the boys. Then she gets the devastating call that Evan has been found dead in Minnesota. None of this makes sense to her but she's too distraught to make sense of it until things start seeming out of place.

Add that her eldest son Max has gotten himself into some trouble at school that he has to do community service for and he's also a very surly 13 year old. It was very evident to me that Jessica favored Gabe over Max. Now don't get me wrong, she loves Max but it's Gabe she showers with affection and pays special attention to as well.  I also kept in mind that Gabe was 6 which can make a difference as well. I also thought her burying her head in the sand when it came to Gabe's birth mom was selfish and ill advised. Just because you have contact doesn't make you less his mom.






I thought the premise of the novel was intriguing but it fell short for me for a couple reasons. First, I didn't really care for Jessica and she drove me a bit nuts with her pity me attitude. Second, I figured out an essential piece of the puzzle early on even if I didn't know how it fit in overall.

I loved Little Broken Things by Ms. Baart so while this one didn't resonate with me, I will continue to pick up her books.



 Google+

Julie's Review: Regrets Only

Author: Erin Duffy
Series: None
Publication Date: May 8, 2018
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 416
Obtained: author
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Picking up the pieces of a life shattered isn't easy but you have to do it
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Claire thought she had everything a woman was supposed to want—a loving husband, a newborn son, a beautiful home in the suburbs. Then she walks in on her husband canoodling with their realtor in their newly renovated kitchen, and in an instant, her perfect life comes crashing down. With her marriage heading for divorce, Claire knows it’s time to stop feeling sorry for herself. But how can she move on when she’s still stuck in the orbit of her husband’s world? For starters, she can get rid of her soon-to-be ex’s possessions—including his prized, gigantic foosball table—by dumping them onto the curb…until complaints from the neighbors get the police involved. Now Claire is busy dodging the mean mommies at story hour and hiding from her ex-husband’s girlfriend in the grocery store. But as Claire soon learns, suburbia still has a few surprises in store for her—surprises that will make her question her choices from the past, send her down an unexpected road to self-discovery, and maybe even lead to new love. Desperate for a positive outlet to channel her frustrations, she turns to girlfriends Lissy and Antonia for help. Together they join forces to rebrand Lissy’s local stationery store and turn it into a thriving business. But as Claire soon learns, suburbia still has a few surprises in store for her—surprises that will make her question her choices from the past, send her down an unexpected road to self-discovery, and maybe even new love. Featuring a second coming-of-age story, Regrets Only deftly explores the subtle nuances of marriage, family, friendship, and what it means to be a woman today, while delighting readers as its unforgettable heroine acts on impulses we’ve all been guilty of having. ~amazon.com

Review: Regrets Only was a welcome break from the psychological thrillers I've been reading and plus have loved all of Ms. Duffy's previous books, so I was looking forward to this one.  I loved Claire and even loved her mood swings. Who wouldn’t go a little bad crazy walking in on their husband having an affair with his ex girlfriend? Not to mention having a young baby to take care oh and giving up everything to move to his hometown. So while yes it seemed like she might have been losing it, she was really just reclaiming herself because she was a little lost.

Claire loses it after walking in on her husband and their real estate agent having an affair. She only finds out because Owen offered her a day in the city at the spa but she forgot her wallet, so she had to go home for it. This completely unravels Claire. How is she going to be a single mom to an 8 month old boy? How is she going to support them? Not only that but she's new to town and knows no one. She moved back east to be with Owen; she gave up her life in Chicago for him. 

Luckily a few things happen around the same time, her best friend shows up on her doorstep to help her get back on her feet and she meets Lissy, who owns a stationery store that turns into a project for Claire. Let me tell you, if that store existed in my town, I would most certainly be in there for cards and notepaper I probably don't need. The name and theme they come up with for the store is awesome. I love how her and Lissy form an immediate bond and support each other. She starts to come up for air and then her sadness/anger engulf her again. I felt that this was realistic because no one is going to be ok after a few weeks.

I adored all the other characters Lissy, Antonia and Fred. They brought Claire back down when she’s gone a bit too far. She’s surrounded herself with people that have her best interest at heart. If you are looking to read a book about picking yourself up again when life doesn't turn out like you thought, you should grab Regrets Only.


  Google+

Julie's Review: The Secret to Southern Charm

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Series: Peachtree Bluff #2
Publication Date: April 3, 2018
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 400
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: I love this family and these sisters
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Leaving fans “practically [begging] for a sequel” (Bookpage), critically acclaimed author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with the second novel in her beloved Peachtree Bluff series, featuring a trio of sisters and their mother who discover a truth that will change not only the way they see themselves, but also how they fit together as a family. After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the strength to be the parent her children deserve. Her mother, Ansley, provides a much-needed respite as she puts her personal life on hold to help Sloane and her grandchildren wade through their new grief-stricken lives. But between caring for her own aging mother, her daughters, and her grandchildren, Ansley’s private worry is that secrets from her past will come to light. But when Sloane’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, remind Sloane that no matter what, she promised her husband she would carry on for their young sons, Sloane finds the support and courage she needs to chase her biggest dreams—and face her deepest fears. Taking a cue from her middle daughter, Ansley takes her own leap of faith and realizes that, after all this time, she might finally be able to have it all. ~amazon.com  

Review: The Secret to Southern Charm was like slipping back into a comfy pair of sweatpants and hunkering down. I love these sisters. I love that Ms. Harvey shows complex sister relationships without having them estranged or hating each other. Now don't get me wrong, they do fight but they resolve it. Although, they always have each other's backs. Which is what this second novel focuses on, them rallying around Sloane when her husband, Adam, goes MIA. Why Sloane can't get herself out of bed, Caroline and Emerson plus their mom, Ansley, take over to take care of her two small boys. 

Emerson and Caroline have their own things going as well. Caroline is still trying to decide if she should forgive her husband, James for cheating on her while she was pregnant. Emerson is still deciding if she wants to pursue acting or pursue a relationship with Mark. Not to mention Ansley dealing with her feelings for James and the fact that she pushed him off . It really doesn't help when he moves next door.

A lot of this book revolves around the importance of family, faith and love. I think it is always good to be reminded that these things are what really makes us who we are. They never doubt their love for each other even if they sometimes question their decisions.

I love these women in this series. They are strong and yet vulnerable. They have issues that are real. You want to be their friends and sit on the porch of the house in Peachtree Bluff and tell stories.

If you haven't read Ms. Harvey then you should. Ms. Harvey can hurry up and publish the next one in the series.

 Google+

Julie's Review: The Husband Hour

Author: Jamie Brenner
Series: None
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Publisher: Little Brown & Company
Pages: 338
Obtained: Great Thoughts,Great Readers Book Salon
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: How do you heal when you are stunted by tragedy and guilt?
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Lauren Adelman and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid, are a golden couple. They marry just out of college as Rory, a star hockey player, earns a spot in the NHL. Their future could not look brighter when Rory shocks everyone-Lauren most of all-by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When Rory dies in combat, Lauren is left devastated, alone, and under unbearable public scrutiny. Seeking peace and solitude, Lauren retreats to her family's old beach house on the Jersey Shore. But this summer she's forced to share the house with her overbearing mother and competitive sister. Worse, a stranger making a documentary about Rory tracks her down and persuades her to give him just an hour of her time. One hour with filmmaker Matt Brio turns into a summer of revelations, surprises, and upheaval. As the days grow shorter and her grief changes shape, Lauren begins to understand the past-and to welcome the future. ~amazon.com

Review:  Husband Hour is about Rory and Lauren but for me it was really about family. How you can love someone in your family but dislike them at the same time. To say that Lauren and her sister Stephanie are at odds would be putting it lightly. They haven’t truly spoken in years and when Rory died, Stephanie didn’t attend his funeral.Talk about some issues, right?

So the idea of spending the summer in their family home on the Jersey Shore with her sister, is completely unappealing; especially when Lauren has the house mainly to herself most of the year. Their mother, Beth, thinks this summer will just the thing to fix her family. She doesn't understand why her girls just can't get along.

As a reader, you really feel for Lauren and everything she's gone through, especially as you learn the backstory. You also want her to forgive herself and move on. She can't stay stunted forever, even though that's exactly what she's choosing to do by hiding on the shore all year. As much as I found Stephanie annoying, I wanted her and Lauren to find their way back to each other. After all a sister can be your best friend.

My favorite part of the novel might have been the subplot about their parents but more specifically about their mother's rebirth/renewal. I loved how after years of doing something that needed to be done she reignited her passion. I think it made her husband see her in a new light.

What Ms. Brenner does an excellent in this novel is showing how someone’s death can stunt you in ways you didn’t even know and how life can pass you by. She also shows the different family dynamics and how kids can have no clue what is going with their parents. It's a study in love, loss, forgiveness and re-birth.

I would highly suggest you get Husband Hour as one of your Spring reads. You won't be disappointed by it at all.

 Google+

Julie's Review: Surprise Me

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Series: None
Publication Date: February 13, 2018
Publisher: The Dial Press
Pages: 432
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
Bottom Line: Not one of her best but still entertaining
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: After ten years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years . . . and panic sets in. They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me—from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to sexy photo shoots—mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all. ~amazon.com

Review: Sylvie and Dan are worried about their marriage becoming boring, after all they've been together for 10 years and based on their health will be together for almost seven more decades; so how will they keep that spark? Of course when you tell someone to surprise you, you don't always get what you bargain for. Plus I would think that it would be impossible to keep that up on a regular basis.

Sylvie has lived in a bubble her whole life. In many ways, she still lives in a bubble. She really doesn't know what real problems are and honestly this is what leads her to perhaps blow things out of proportion. She's got a husband that adores her and 2 lovely young girls. She's got a job that she enjoys even if it's not challenging. All in all her life is pretty good.

So when Dan starts acting closed off and secretive, Sylvie's alarm bells go off and she's off thinking the worst...an affair. As the reader this seems a little too obvious and I was hoping that we weren't going to be falling into that cliche here. I am pleased that it wasn't that cliche.

Honestly, I read Sophie Kinsella to laugh out loud but at least chuckle and with this one there wasn’t a lot of that going on. It’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did but it’s just different than her other books. I did enjoy that instead of a singleton, her main character is married and a working mom. There were a couple moments where I could feel the story shift into a different direction, which I was happy for. Overall, Surprise Me isn’t her best book in my opinion but I’ll still keep reading her. Her characters are at least silly and fun.


 Google+

Julie's Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Series: None
Publication Date: June 3,2017
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 400
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Women's Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Not at all what I expected but it was wonderful
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways. ~amazon.com  

Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a book about the choices we make and the consequences of those choice on our life and those we love the most. Evelyn Hugo is one of the most famous actresses from the 1950s and 1960s with her fair share of scandals. Now she's ready to tell her story without apologies. Although even at the beginning you have to wonder what is in it for her? What's her angle because Evelyn always has one.

Monique Grant is a journalist with Viviant magazine who Evelyn has requested to do a piece on her for the magazine, only that's not what she wants. Monique is to write her biography and to publish it after she dies. Which means that Monique will make millions off of it.  She just has to figure out how to handle it with her boss at Vivant.

I won't go into the details of all seven marriage of Evelyn's but each one took a piece of her and also helped her accomplish a goal. Evelyn wasn't anything if not resourceful and strategic. Evelyn very rarely felt remorse for the things that she had done. It is this and the fact that she states, several times, that she would do it all again even if it had the same outcomes and hurt the same people. How honest is that? It is what made me admire her just like Monique did.

This book might have been a stray from what Ms. Reid usually writes about but it still has her humor and eloquence. While the novel has several themes running throughout it, the main one is love. It always comes down to the ones we love the most and what we will do for them.

I highly recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for any one who wants a wonderful book that is character driven and centered around a strong female.

 Google+

Julie's Review: The Sunshine Sisters

Author: Jane Green
Series: None
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Berkeley
Pages: 384
Obtained: Publisher via First to Read
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: No one does family drama like Jane Green
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters. As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother’s overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother’s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London—and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother’s fame, while her marriage crumbled around her. But now the Sunshine sisters are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy have never been close, their mother’s illness draws them together to confront the old jealousies and secret fears that have threatened to tear these sisters apart. As they face the loss of their mother, they will discover if blood might be thicker than water after all. ~amazon.com  

Review: I haven't missed a Jane Green book since she started publishing them and The Sunshine Sisters  is what I expect from her; perfect blend of drama and humor. Ronni Sunshine isn't very likable and was a horrible mother. She was/is self-absorbed and rude. She, at least on her deathbed, recognizes what an ass she was to her girls. All of them have been effected in different ways but mostly they have moved on, until she summons them all home. The novel isn't so much about Ronni Sunshine as it is about the destruction she leaves in her wake.

Nell, the oldest, took the brunt of the moods while trying to shield Meredith and Lizzy from them. You can only shield them so much. Meredith was the sensitive one and didn't know how to back away from her mother when she was in her moods. Lizzy is the baby and pretty much got away with whatever she wanted. What Ronni did was not only alienate them from her but she alienated them from each other.

 

For years they lived separate lives, only calling when necessary. They were never there for each other and drifted apart. Meredith is getting married and none of her family is invited. Nell lives 20 minutes away from her mom running a farm and never sees her. Meredith took off for London and hasn't looked back. Lizzy has crafted a successful business of her own in NYC. 

I enjoyed learning about all the sisters and their lives as adults. I found Meredith's story to be the one that I thought was probably the most real. She's the one that struggles from all the emotional abuse that her mother dosed out. She's the one that questions her decisions and then settles for a career and man who aren't worthy of her. Nell is the one who built a wall up around herself but I'm not so sure it has so much to do with Ronni as it does with having a child young and having the father walk out on you. Lizzy, well she's the entertaining one in the family. She's always needed to be the center of attention and now she has all the attention she wants from her career. She's not happy though and her priorities are messed up. Maybe being around her sisters can bring her back to reality. 

Jane always crafts a great story that is accessible and grounded in great characters. The Sunshine Sisters joins that history. The Sunshine Sisters  is about finding your way home and accepting who you are all the good bad and ugly of it.

 Google+

Julie's Review: Same Beach, Next Year

Author: Dorthea Benton Frank
Series: None
Publication Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 384
Obtained: TLC Book Tours
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A intriguing look at marriage and how friendship can change that relationship
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary:One enchanted summer, two couples begin a friendship that will last more than twenty years and transform their lives. A chance meeting on the Isle of Palms, one of Charleston’s most stunning barrier islands, brings former sweethearts, Adam Stanley and Eve Landers together again. Their respective spouses, Eliza and Carl, fight sparks of jealousy flaring from their imagined rekindling of old flames. As Adam and Eve get caught up on their lives, their partners strike up a deep friendship—and flirt with an unexpected attraction—of their own. Year after year, Adam, Eliza, Eve, and Carl eagerly await their reunion at Wild Dunes, a condominium complex at the island’s tip end, where they grow closer with each passing day, building a friendship that will withstand financial catastrophe, family tragedy, and devastating heartbreak. The devotion and love they share will help them weather the vagaries of time and enrich their lives as circumstances change, their children grow up and leave home, and their twilight years approach. Bursting with the intoxicating richness of Dorothea Benton Frank’s beloved Lowcountry—the sultry sunshine, cool ocean breezes, icy cocktails, and starry velvet skies—Same Beach, Next Year is a dazzling celebration of the infrangible power of friendship, the enduring promise of summer, and the indelible bonds of love. ~amazon.com    

Review: Seeing how I have never read Ms. Frank before I wasn't really sure what to expect from Same Beach, Next Year. I will admit, I was pleasantly surprised, it had more depth than I thought it would. We live two decades in the lives of two couples; Eliza and Adam, Carl and Eve but the story is mainly told through the eyes of Eliza with Adam chiming in here and there. I liked Eliza but I thought she was too good for Adam. Adam is a bit self-involved and cocky. It's even more evident when they befriend Eve and Carl. Eve is a bit caught up in the superficial and Carl is consumed by his work as a pediatrician.

It is clear from the beginning that Eliza and Adam are in love and happy in their life that they share together. They have twin boys that keep them busy and have a construction company both of them are a part of. So when they happen upon Eve and Carl at the beach, they strike up a friendship. Little known to Eliza, although she can sense there's more to the story, Adam and Eve (yes, it's funny) have a history together. And this of course is where Adam completely messes up. He should have told his wife the truth in the beginning instead of burying it deep so that only he and Eve know the truth. So it festers over 20 years with it coming to a head one night.

For me it was amazing that Eliza let the sexual tension between Adam and Eve go on for so long. I know we get absorbed in our lives but seriously? I would have put that to bed early and called him out on his shit.

What I did like is that Eliza came into her own. Instead of living her life for her boys and Adam, she finally takes it into her own hands. I loved reading about her escapades in Greece and her love of cooking. I also appreciated that Ms. Frank didn't take the plot cliche way out in a couple instances during the novel. She shows how hard marriage is and what it takes to get through some tough times. I pretty much also want to live at the beach in the Lowcountry but sadly that's probably not going to happen, so I'll think about a vacation there some day!

If you are looking for a read while you are at the beach or pool this summer, then  Same Beach, Next Year would keep you entertained.

  Google+

Julie's Review: The Forever Summer

Author: Jamie Brenner
Series: None
Publication Date: April 25, 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Captivating read about losing and finding yourself
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Marin Bishop has always played by the rules, and it's paid off: at twenty-eight she has a handsome fiancé, a prestigious Manhattan legal career, and the hard-won admiration of her father. But one moment of weakness leaves Marin unemployed and alone, all in a single day. Then a woman claiming to be Marin's half-sister shows up, and it's all Marin can do not to break down completely. Seeking escape, Marin agrees to a road trip to meet the grandmother she never knew she had. As the summer unfolds at her grandmother's quaint beachside B&B, it becomes clear that the truth of her half-sister is just the beginning of revelations that will change Marin's life forever. THE FOREVER SUMMER is a delicious page-turner and a provocative exploration of what happens when our notions of love, truth, and family are put to the ultimate test. ~amazon.com  

Review: Forever Summer is a book that you will fly through in one or two sittings because you will want to see how it all plays out in the end. Marin is career driven and focused, until a short office affair causes her to lose her job and lose the life she's been living. She's become a big un-moored and then a stranger shows up on her doorstep claiming they are half-sisters. So her life really isn't as it seems.

Rachel, on the other hand, couldn't be more excited to find out who her biological father is since she'll finally have the family she's dreamed of. Rachel's mom is more like her best friend than her mom and isn't the most stable of human beings. Rachel seizes this opportunity to redefine her life and her family history.

The person I felt the most for was Marin's mom Blythe. She has to reconcile a lot of her history with Marin and with herself. She has to reconcile her actions and the outcome of those. It is also her realizing that while her marriage wasn't necessarily a happy one or a true partnership, there was a lot of good to it.

There is a lot of wit and heart within the pages of this book but at times I could feel where the story was going and in the end it was wrapped up with a nice bow. Both girls found love and came to terms with what family meant to them and not really letting it define them.

I did fall in love with the setting of the novel and for me it was just as important as any of the characters in the book. It helped them heal and helped them change in a way that only some settings can do.

Forever Summer is a book that you can sink yourself into and escape into a beachside B& B.

 Google+

Julie's Review: Falling

Author: Jane Green
Series: None
Publication Date: July 19, 2016
Publisher: Berkley/NAL
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Women's Fiction
Rating: 4.75/5
Bottom Line: Classic Jane Green in the best way
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary:
When Emma Montague left the strict confines of upper-crust British life for New York, she felt sure it would make her happy. Away from her parents and expectations, she felt liberated, throwing herself into Manhattan life replete with a high-paying job, a gorgeous apartment, and a string of successful boyfriends. But the cutthroat world of finance and relentless pursuit of more began to take its toll. This wasn’t the life she wanted either.  On the move again, Emma settles in the picturesque waterfront town of Westport, Connecticut, a world apart from both England and Manhattan. It is here that she begins to confront what it is she really wants from her life. With no job, and knowing only one person in town, she channels her passion for creating beautiful spaces into remaking the dilapidated cottage she rents from Dominic, a local handyman who lives next door with his six-year-old son.  Unlike any man Emma has ever known, Dominic is confident, grounded, and committed to being present for his son whose mother fled shortly after he was born. They become friends, and slowly much more, as Emma finds herself feeling at home in a way she never has before.  But just as they start to imagine a life together as a family, fate intervenes in the most shocking of ways. For the first time, Emma has to stay and fight for what she loves, for the truth she has discovered about herself, or risk losing it all.  In a novel of changing seasons, shifting lives, and selfless love, a story unfolds—of one woman’s far-reaching journey to discover who she is truly meant to be. ~amazon.com

Review: Falling is exactly what I would expect out of a Jane Green novel and I couldn't be happier. I've read Jane for years and has seen how her writing and subject matters have grown. Her latest is about a woman, Emma, who gives up the city life and the big banking job for a more subdued life in Westport, CT. Since she's unsure of where she's really going to end up, she decides to just rent a lovely beach house for a year; see where life takes her. It is renting this beach house and meeting the handsome landlord, Dominic, that sets her life in motion.

It is a slow, easy going romance. In fact, it develops overtime instead of being an instant relationship, which I appreciated. Emma was so determined that Dominic wasn't her type, that she kept pushing him into the friend-zone, until neither of them could deny it any longer. Of course there are hiccups and bumps along the way but they are things I would expect in real life. Those daily things that every relationship needs to work through, until of course, the worst thing happens.

I'm surprised I didn't cry because usually the circumstances in this novel would have but I knew that Emma was a strong enough woman that she would be ok. She would make sure that those she loved were cared for and would be ok. I wasn't sure how she would keep living in Westport but she did because after all she made it her home.

Besides Emma and Dominic there are great secondary characters in the novel that make for a well-rounded cast. They support and encourage both of them and are there when they are needed.

I would LOVE to see this as a movie. In fact, it would make my day. I'm surprised that one of her novels isn't a movie! So Hollywood, listen up and get to moving on that, would ya!!

If you are looking for some solid story telling with a couple to root for, then pick up Falling.


  Google+

Julie's Review: Lost Along the Way

Author: Erin Duffy
Series: None
Publication Date: July 12, 2016
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 336
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction,Women's Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Sometimes you need your old friends to remind you of who you used to be
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: All through childhood and adolescence, Jane, Cara, and Meg swore their friendship would stand the test of time. Nothing would come between them, they pledged. But once they hit their twenties, life got more complicated and the BFFs began to grow distant. When Jane eloped with her slick, wealthy new boyfriend and didn’t invite her oldest friends to the ceremony, the small cracks and fissures in their once rock-solid relationship became a chasm that tore them apart.
Ten years later, when her husband is arrested and publicly shamed for defrauding his clients, Jane realizes her life among the one percent was a sham. Penniless and desperate, deserted by the high-society crowd who turn their surgically perfected noses up at her, she comes crawling back to her childhood friends seeking forgiveness. But Cara and Meg have troubles of their own. One of them is trapped in a bad marriage with an abusive husband, while the other can't have the one thing she desperately wants: a baby. Yet as much as they’d love to see Jane get her long overdue comeuppance, Cara and Meg won’t abandon their old friend in her time of need. The story of three friends who find themselves on a laugh-out-loud life adventure, Lost Along the Way illuminates the moments that make us, the betrayals that break us, and the power of love that helps us forgive even the most painful hurts. ~amazon.com
 
Review: Lost Along the Way is about the power of female friendships and how sometimes no matter how much time passes you can still come back together. Jane, Meg and Cara have been estranged for some time because of things said and things unsaid but they are the only 2 people Jane feels she can count on when things come crashing down on her. Of course it's a bit of a bumpy road because well Jane doesn't always think before putting things in motion.

Cara's life is out of control. She doesn't even know who she is anymore. Her husband is a tool to the nth degree and she has no out. Nothing she does is good enough and up to his standards. She looks the part but is anything but up to it. How did she become this person? How can she go back to the spunky, smart and athletic person she used to be?

Meg is a shell of the person she used to be. She's always wanted to be a mom but it seems like it's not in the cards for her and her husband. She closes herself off to every one. Even going as far as locking herself away in their beach town.

At first it doesn't look like Jane's plan of getting them together again, is going to really work. Since they all haven't been on speaking terms, Jane has no clue that Meg and Cara had their own falling out and there's quite some bad blood there as well.

I liked that they had the guts to call each other other on their crap but didn't take it too far. At some point they had to decide to put the past in the past and move on. I liked how they found strength in each other and built off of that to find strength in themselves.

If you are looking for a great novel on how women can empower each other through friendship, then look no further than Lost Along the Way.

 Google+

Julie's Review: Luck, Love and Lemon Pie

Author: Amy Reichert
Series: None
Publication Date: July 12, 2016
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 320
Obtained: NetGalley via publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: Good story about figuring out what's important in life
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: When Milwaukee-area wife and mother MJ Boudreaux notices her husband Chris seems more interested in the casino than her, she’s more bothered that she isn’t upset than by her husband’s absence. She picks up poker as a way for them to spend more time together—and reignite their marital flame. Although the game doesn’t give her the quality time with Chris that she’d hoped, MJ finds she has a knack for it. Increasingly unhappy at home, she turns to the felt top of the poker table for comfort. Intoxicated with newfound freedom, MJ begins spending more time at the gambling tables and less with her family, finally carving out for herself a place outside her role of wife and mother. After a string of great wins, MJ finds herself in Vegas, attracting the attention of a certain magnetic poker star. But when she’s forced to choose between her family and her new exciting lifestyle, the stakes may be higher than she thought and MJ will have to play her hand carefully…or risk losing it all. ~amazon.com  

Review: Luck Love & Lemon Pie is a story about finding your way back to who you were and what your marriage used to be. MJ and Chris have been married for 20 years, have 2 kids and have hit a valley in their marriage. Chris is more interested in going and playing poker at the casino then spending time with her. So after he blows off their anniversary lunch, MJ decides the way that she can save her marriage is to learn to play poker with him. As you can guess this doesn't help their marriage as it drives a wedge deeper into it. MJ starts to realize that she's pretty good at playing poker and uses her days to hone her skills. Pretty soon she's entering herself into the casino's tournament and winning it.

Meanwhile, things are falling apart at home not only in her marriage but something is going on with her eldest daughter Kate. Her house is a mess, her husband is growing more distant instead of cheering her on or spending time with her. Instead he has a mysterious new client that MJ doesn't really think is a client.

While I enjoyed  Luck Love & Lemon Pie, I wish there had been a bit more of a twist or something. For me it was a bit too predictable. I didn't really think that MJ and Chris were headed for splitsville even if it looked like it. Doyle is just a nice piece of eye candy for the book, an exciting subplot to make MJ see what she really wants.

Google+

Julie's Review: The Perfect Neighbors

Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Series: None
Publication Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via Edelweiss
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Women's Fiction
Rating: 4.75/5
Bottom Line: A peek inside those secrets we keep closest to our heart
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: Bucolic Newport Cove, where spontaneous block parties occur on balmy nights and all of the streets are named for flowers, is proud of its distinction of being named one the top twenty safest neighborhoods in the US. It’s also one of the most secret-filled. Kellie Scott has just returned to work after a decade of being a stay-at-home mom. She’s adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office—and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie’s neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won’t eat any carbs, she’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour, and she’ll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together—except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of being brought into the light. Then a new family moves to this quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. Tessa Campbell seems friendly enough to the other mothers, if a bit reserved. Then the neighbors notice that no one is ever invited to Tessa’s house. And soon, it becomes clear that Tessa is hiding the biggest secret of all. ~amazon.com  

Review: The Perfect Neighbors is a peek into the lives of those we live around and see daily but may not really know. It is about the facades we put on to the public vs. how we really are behind closed doors. It's about how we all have secrets that we might not want to share; things that are private in our heart of hearts. What she added to this one was a mystery surrounding one of the couples. I loved how she kept you on the hook and laid out breadcrumbs for you to eat up.

Each of the women has something that they haven't told any of their friends. Kellie finds her new co-worker attracted and often finds herself thinking about him when she shouldn't be; Susan isn't over her ex-husband and stalks him and his new wife; Gigi's life seems perfect and it is if it wasn't for her rap sheet, plus she's dealing with a teenager, which adds stress to her otherwise good life. Then we have the new girl on the block, Tessa, who's secret is definitely darker than the rest of her neighbors but it's not until the end of the novel that we find out what it is.

All these women are your friends, sisters, next door neighbors and you really do feel for what each of them is going through. Most of us have been in their shoes to a certain degree so it feels familiar. I think I probably liked Gigi the most because of the spotlight she was in and what her past held. I loved that she supported Joe even if she wasn't really sure she was ready for the scrutiny. I loved that Joe seemed like a stand-up guy and that they seemed to have a rock solid marriage.

I enjoyed how these women relied on each and valued their friendships with each other. They seemed to accept each other for who they are and weren't afraid to tell someone when they were going down the wrong path.  They weren't afraid to speak their mind to each other. I appreciate that because we always want someone who speaks the truth when we are too afraid to confront it ourselves.

What Ms. Pekkanen does so well is take our relationships and expose them to a very bright light. If you haven't read her, you must and The Perfect Neighbors is a good one to start with but you must also read her whole back-list.


Google+

Julie's Review: First Comes Love

Author: Emily Giffin
Series: None
Publication Date: June 28, 2016
Publisher: Ballatine Books
Pages: 400
Obtained: Amazon Vine
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: How do you accept your family flaws and all, when you can't accept yours?
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious, relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing, Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes, their delicate bond splinters. Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter is assigned to her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands. On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired. As the anniversary of their tragedy looms, and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover that they need each other more than they knew—and that in the search for true happiness, love always comes first. ~amazon.com

 Review: First Comes Love is another fantastic book by Emily Giffin. I was thrilled when I read that she was going to tackle familial love in First Comes Love. Meredith and Josie are sisters that have never seen eye to eye or even gotten along. Meredith is wound tight and Josie is the free spirit. Meredith thinks that Josie's life is easy and that she has no clue on how to be responsible.

Josie thinks that Meredith has a great life and should loosen up a bit with her rigid rules that even Josie should follow. I will admit that Josie got under my skin and annoyed me. I had to keep reminding myself that she was the "older" sister because she seemed so selfish. Josie is single and looking for Mr. Right but she's tired of waiting to be a mom so she takes the matter into her own hands and decides to go with IVF. I wasn't sure if this was Josie being responsible or impulsive and selfish. Even at the end of the novel, I still wasn't sure.

Meredith had her issues as well but I could just identify with her a bit more. She felt stuck and worn down by life. She wasn't sure if the life she was living should be the one she was meant to live.  Meredith isn't sure that the choices she made after her brother died were the right ones. Meredith isn't a very happy person and even a prescription for anti-depressants can't shake the feeling that something isn't right.

Closing the book, I'm not sure if Meredith and Josie will ever be each other's confidant but I do hope that they can find a way to see each other in the best light. It also made me extremely grateful for my sister and our relationship. I couldn't ask for a better best friend.

What Ms. Giffin does so well is write about relationships. I mean either Josie or Meredith could be your best friend complaining about their sister. She writes the heartbreak of losing someone close to you and the after effects with care and heart.

If you are a fan of Ms. Giffin's, you won't want to miss First Comes Love.

 Google+

Julie's Review: The Wedding Sisters

Author: Jamie Bremmer
Series: None
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 320
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: A good reminder of never settling for less than you are worth
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: Meryl Becker is living a mother's dream. The oldest of her three beautiful daughters, Meg, is engaged to a wonderful man from one of the country's most prominent families. Of course, Meryl wants to give Meg the perfect wedding. Who wouldn't? But when her two younger daughters, Amy and Jo, also become engaged to celebrated bachelors, Meryl has to admit that three weddings is more than she and her husband, Hugh, can realistically afford.The solution? A triple wedding! At first, it's a tough sell to the girls, and juggling three sets of future in-laws is a logistical nightmare. But when Hugh loses his teaching job, and Meryl's aging mother suddenly moves in with them, a triple wedding is the only way to get all three sisters down the aisle. When the grand plan becomes public, the onslaught of media attention adds to Meryl's mounting pressure. Suddenly, appearances are everything - and she will do whatever it takes to keep the wedding on track as money gets tight, her mother starts acting nutty, and her own thirty year marriage starts to unravel.In the weeks leading up to the nuptials, secrets are revealed, passions ignite, and surprising revelations show Meryl and her daughters the true meaning of love, marriage and family. Jamie Brenner's The Wedding Sisters invites readers to the most unpredictable wedding of the year. ~amazon.com

Review: The Wedding Sisters is a wonderful story about figuring out who you are and what you want even if it means disrupting the plans you had for yourself. It is also about family and accepting that maybe who we are isn't necessarily how our family sees us.

Meet Meryl Becker a very nosy and overly involved mother of three girls. So when she finds out that her eldest Meg is going to marry a politician's son, she goes into overdrive mode to be the best hostess. She wants everything to be perfect but she also wants to be in control of the planning. So when the groom's family offers to pay for it and hire a planner, Meryl won't hear of it. Meg being practical, tells her future mother-in-law that some help might be wise.

We then have Amy, the middle daughter, who has been dating Andy for 5 years and is a bit miffed that her "perfect" older sister is getting married before her. Then Andy proposes and Amy feels the need to beat her older sister to the alter planning her wedding a month before her sisters. She's always felt competitive with Meg but being engaged at the same time fuels it even more.

Then you have the baby of the family, Jo, who's girlfriend leaves her just as she is thinking that maybe getting married to her sounds like a good idea. I think Jo's story is perhaps the most heart-wrenching because you just know it's not the right path for her or Toby, her best friend. It really is only going to end in disaster and  heartache.

I laughed throughout the book because of some of the antics that the girls were going through and how Meryl was acting. Although at times I wanted to smack Meryl for the same reasons she made me laugh. The grandmother was a hoot but in the end her story was just has heart-wrenching as Jo's and perhaps made the girls really think about what love is and isn't.

I loved this family and how they really did come together at the end to overcome some pretty big issues within the confines of the family. When it mattered they pulled together. If you are looking for a great summer, vacation, pool read, then you will want to pick up The Wedding Sisters.

Google+

Julie's Review: The Year We Turned Forty

Author: Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
Series: None
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 336
Obtained: author(s)
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Poignant, Funny and Endearing
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: If you could repeat one year of your life, what would you do differently? This heartwarming and hilarious novel from the authors of The Status of All Things and Your Perfect Life features three best friends who get the chance to return to the year they turned forty—the year that altered all of their lives, in ways big and small—and also get the opportunity to change their future. Jessie loves her son Lucas more than anything, but it tears her up inside that he was conceived in an affair that ended her marriage to a man she still loves, a man who just told her he's getting remarried. This time around, she’s determined to bury the secret of Lucas’ paternity, and to repair the fissures that sent her wandering the first time. Gabriela regrets that she wasted her most fertile years in hot pursuit of a publishing career. Yes, she’s one of the biggest authors in the world, but maybe what she really wanted to create was a family. With a chance to do it again, she’s focused on convincing her husband, Colin, to give her the baby she desires. Claire is the only one who has made peace with her past: her twenty-two year old daughter, Emily, is finally on track after the turmoil of adolescence, and she's recently gotten engaged, with the two carat diamond on her finger to prove it. But if she’s being honest, Claire still fantasizes about her own missed opportunities: a chance to bond with her mother before it was too late, and the possibility of preventing her daughter from years of anguish. Plus, there’s the man who got away—the man who may have been her one true love. But it doesn’t take long for all three women to learn that re-living a life and making different decisions only leads to new problems and consequences—and that the mistakes they made may, in fact, have been the best choices of all… ~amazon.com  

Review: The Year We Turned Forty is about having the opportunity to go back and fix the mistakes you made but do you fix the old ones only to create the new ones? Who's life ever fully goes as they "plan" it? If it does, then did they ever take risks? For Gabriela, Jessie and Claire life hasn't really been what they thought it would be in the 10 years since turning 40. As they approach 50, they wonder where their lives would be if they had done some thing(s) differently. They get the chance to go back to that year but there are some condition: one being at the end of the year they either all have to agree to stay on that path or come back to the point in time when they went back. That could be the real tricky part of this whole second chance.

What I loved about this book is that you can see yourself in each of these characters even if you don't necessarily identify with their problems. Each of the friends' gains something in the year they go back but I also think they lose something as well. This was most evident for me with Gabriela. She went from this kick-ass, take no prisoners, best selling author to a woman who was laser-focused on the one thing she thought she wanted, thought she was missing out on. She was sacrificing her health, mentally and physically, and her marriage. Before she went back, her and Colin had a solid marriage that was built on love and respect. Not so much this time around.

Jessie lost herself when she had an affair and lost her marriage. In the 10 years she's been divorced, she's never gotten over it, forgiven herself and moved on from her mistakes. This is her chance to undo all of that.  While I didn't agree with how she approached the situation by not being honest again. We all know the truth comes out eventually and she spent her year full of worry about when it would happen. I did like how in the end she did learn to fight for herself and her family. Perhaps that was what her year was about.

Now Claire, she thought her life going into 50 was pretty great. She has a man, she loves and is finally getting on good footing with her adult daughter, Emily. She has her regrets but I would say hers aren't as dire as perhaps her best friends. She would have liked a better relationship with her mom before she passed, been a bit tougher on Emily instead of giving in all the time and maybe she would have tried a bit harder with her former boyfriend. I liked Claire, a lot. She seemed to be the most leveled headed one of the group of girls. She knew what she had to do to repair her relationship with Emily and started doing it even though it was hard. She knew what 10 years in the future would look like if she didn't. She worked on her relationship with her mom, even if the ending was the same. She strove to make things different this time, although I think one of threw her for a loop, she ended up accepting it because she knew the alternative was selfish.

I have read Liz and Lisa's other two books and I enjoyed them immensely but there is something different about their writing and the soul of The Year We Turned Forty. It feels like they left it all out there for their readers. They created characters you cheered for, cried with and yes at times wanted to shake but that's friendship. While there is magic in the book, the words on the pages were magic. This book was just what I needed, even if I didn't know it.

If you haven't read these two authors you need to pick up their other two books: Your Perfect Life and The Status of All Things, you can come back and thank me later.

 Google+