Genre: Women's Fiction

#BookReview Seven Days in June by Tia Williams @TiaW_Writes @GrandCentralPub #SevenDaysinJune #TiaWilliams #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview Seven Days in June by Tia Williams @TiaW_Writes @GrandCentralPub #SevenDaysinJune #TiaWilliams #GrandCentralPub Title: Seven Days in June

Author: Tia Williams

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jun. 1, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget and seven days to get it all back again… From the author of The Perfect Find, this is a witty, romantic, and sexy-as-hell new novel of two writers and their second chance at love.

Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning literary author who, to everyone’s surprise, shows up in New York.

When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York’s Black literati. What no one knows is that twenty years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They may be pretending that everything is fine now, but they can’t deny their chemistry-or the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.

Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect, but Eva’s not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered. . .

With its keen observations of Black life and the condition of modern motherhood, as well as the consequences of motherless-ness, Seven Days in June is by turns humorous, warm and deeply sensual.

Review:

Humorous, romantic, and gritty!

Seven Days in June is an emotional, all-consuming, character-driven, second-chance romance that takes you on a journey into the lives of Eva Mercy and Shane Hall, two tormented and tortured souls who spent seven days as teens finding comfort and solace in each other’s arms, and who now fifteen years later must discover if what they had was real, unconditional love that’s still worth fighting for.

The prose is rich and polished. The characters are consumed, damaged, and sincere. And the plot using flashbacks and told from alternating POVs intertwines and unravels effortlessly into a complex, absorbing tale of life, love, friendship, family, addiction, introspection, palpable emotion, undeniable chemistry, motherhood, childhood trauma, chronic pain, and the ups and downs of life as a writer.

Overall, Seven Days in June is a raw, fresh, unforgettable tale by Williams that is the perfect blend of heart, hope, humour, and heat and is undoubtedly one of the must-read novels for summer 2021.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Tia Williams

Tia Williams had a fifteen-year career as a beauty editor for magazines including Elle, Glamour, and Essence. In 2004, she pioneered the beauty blog industry with Shake Your Beauty. She wrote the bestselling novel, The Accidental Diva, and penned two YA novels: It Chicks, and Sixteen Candles. Her award-winning novel, The Perfect Find, will be adapted into a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union. Tia is currently an Editorial Director at Estée Lauder Companies, and lives with her daughter and husband in Brooklyn.

Photo courtesy of grandcentralpublishing.com.

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#BookReview Secrets at Bletchley Park by Margaret Dickinson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #SecretsatBletchleyPark #MargaretDickinson

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#BookReview Secrets at Bletchley Park by Margaret Dickinson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #SecretsatBletchleyPark #MargaretDickinson Title: Secrets at Bletchley Park

Author: Margaret Dickinson

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jun. 15, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 560

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In Secrets at Bletchley Park by Margaret Dickinson, two young women from very different backgrounds meet in the Second World War and are plunged into a life where security and discretion are paramount. But both have secrets of their own to hide.

In 1929, life for ten-year-old Mattie Price, born and raised in the back streets of Sheffield, is tough. With a petty thief for a father and a mother who turns to the bottle to cope with her husband”s brutish ways, it is left to the young girl and her brother, Joe, to feed and care for their three younger siblings. But Mattie has others rooting for her too. The Spencer family, who live at the top of the same street, and Mattie”s teachers recognize that the girl is clever beyond her years and they, and Joe, are determined that she shall have the opportunity in life she deserves.

Victoria Hamilton, living in the opulence of London”s Kensington, has all the material possessions that a young girl could want. But her mother, Grace, a widow from the Great War, is cold and distant, making no secret of the fact that she never wanted a child. Grace lives her life in the social whirl of upper-class society, leaving Victoria in the care of her governess and the servants. At eleven years old, Victoria is sent to boarding school where, for the first time in her young life, she is able to make friends of her own age. Mattie and Victoria are both set on a path that will bring them together at Bletchley Park in May 1940. An unlikely friendship between the two young women is born and together they will face the rest of the war keeping the nation”s secrets and helping to win the fight. They can tell no one, not even their families, about their work or even where they are. But keeping secrets is second nature to both of them.

Review:

Captivating, sentimental, and cosy!

Secrets at Bletchley Park is a heartwarming, uplifting tale that takes you into the lives of two main characters who come from completely different backgrounds but whose shared work at Bletchley Park during WWII makes them the unlikeliest but best of friends. Victoria Hamilton, a young girl who has all the things money can buy but lacks the love she so desperately desires, and Mattie Price, a girl from an impoverished, broken background who blossoms under the support and kindness of those who surround her.

The writing is sweet and tender. The characters are intelligent, helpful, and kind. And the plot is an engaging tale of life, loss, love, family, secrets, heartbreak, community, romance, and the power of friendship.

Overall, Secrets at Bletchley Park is a charming, compelling, nostalgic tale by Dickinson that I think is a lovely choice for anyone looking to be swept away into a heartfelt storyline with rich characterization.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Margaret Dickinson

Born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Margaret Dickinson moved to the coast at the age of seven and so began her love for the sea and the Lincolnshire landscape. Her ambition to be a writer began early and she had her first novel published at the age of twenty-five. This was followed by many further titles including Plough the Furrow, Sow the Seed and Reap the Harvest, which make up her Lincolnshire Fleethaven Trilogy. She is also the author of Fairfield Hall, Jenny's War and The Clippie Girls. Margaret is a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller.

Photo courtesy of Author's Facebook Page.

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#BookReview Haven Point by Virginia Hume @virginiahume @RaincoastBooks @StMartinsPress #HavenPoint #VirginiaHume

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#BookReview Haven Point by Virginia Hume @virginiahume @RaincoastBooks @StMartinsPress #HavenPoint #VirginiaHume Title: Haven Point

Author: Virginia Hume

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jun. 8, 2021

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Raincoast Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A sweeping debut novel about the generations of a family that spends summers in a seaside enclave on Maine’s rocky coastline, for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Beatriz Williams, and Sarah Blake.

1944: Maren Larsen is a blonde beauty from a small Minnesota farming town, determined to do her part to help the war effort––and to see the world beyond her family’s cornfields. As a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center, she’s swept off her feet by Dr. Oliver Demarest, a handsome Boston Brahmin whose family spends summers in an insular community on the rocky coast of Maine.

1970: As the nation grapples with the ongoing conflict in Vietnam, Oliver and Maren are grappling with their fiercely independent seventeen-year-old daughter, Annie, who has fallen for a young man they don’t approve of. Before the summer is over a terrible tragedy will strike the Demarests––and in the aftermath, Annie vows never to return to Haven Point.

2008: Annie’s daughter, Skye, has arrived in Maine to help scatter her mother’s ashes. Maren knows that her granddaughter inherited Annie’s view of Haven Point: despite the wild beauty and quaint customs, the regattas and clambakes and sing-alongs, she finds the place––and the people––snobbish and petty. But Maren also knows that Annie never told Skye the whole truth about what happened during that fateful summer.

Over seven decades of a changing America, through wars and storms, betrayals and reconciliations, Virginia Hume’s Haven Point explores what it means to belong to a place, and to a family, which holds as tightly to its traditions as it does its secrets.

Review:

Tragic, nuanced, and moving!

Haven Point is a heartfelt, alluring story that immerses you into the lives of the Larsen family, especially three women, and all the secrets, smiles, tears, wounds, compassion, misery, and strength that has surrounded them through the years.

The prose is fluid and expressive. The characters are wounded, stubborn, and secretive. And the plot is a tender tale about life, loss, love, grief, forgiveness, familial drama, friendship, courage, hope, romance, and the unbreakable ties that bind us as family.

Overall, Haven Point is an immersive, compelling, multi-generational family saga by Hume that reminds us that life is a combination of all the complicated, messy, challenging, heartbreaking moments, as well as all the wonderful, special, lovely times that happen in-between.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Raincoast Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Virginia Hume

Virginia Hume is a freelance writer and editor. Her early career was spent in politics and public affairs. She lives outside Washington, D.C. with her husband, their daughters, and an under-groomed bichon named Chester.

Photo by David Baratz.

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#BookReview These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean @AmazonPub @LUAuthors @ThomasAllenLTD #TheseTangledVines #JulianneMacLean #LakeUnion

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#BookReview These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean @AmazonPub @LUAuthors @ThomasAllenLTD #TheseTangledVines #JulianneMacLean #LakeUnion Title: These Tangled Vines

Author: Julianne MacLean

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Jun. 1, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the USA Today bestselling author of A Curve in the Roadcomes a sweeping and captivating tale of one woman’s journey to the lush vineyards of Tuscany—and into the mysteries of a tragic family secret.

If Fiona has learned anything in life, it’s how to keep a secret—even from the father who raised her. She is the only person who knows about her late mother’s affair in Tuscany thirty years earlier, and she intends to keep it that way…until a lawyer calls with shocking news: her biological father has died and left her an incredible inheritance—along with two half siblings.

Fiona travels to Italy, where the family is shocked to learn of her existence and desperate to contest her share of the will. While the mystery of her mother’s affair is slowly unraveled, Fiona must navigate through tricky family relationships and tense sibling rivalries. Fiona both fears and embraces her new destiny as she searches for the truth about the fateful summer her mother spent in Italy and the father she never knew.

Spilling over with the sumptuous flavors and romance of Tuscany, These Tangled Vines takes readers on a breathtaking journey of love, secrets, sacrifice, courage—and most importantly, the true meaning of family.

Review:

Captivating, heartwarming, and absorbing!

These Tangled Vines is predominantly set in Tuscany during 1986, as well as 2017, and is told from two different perspectives; Fiona, a young woman who journeys to Italy after learning of her biological father’s death to unravel the secrets of her mother’s past and the mystery surrounding her conception, and Lillian, a young, married woman whose forbidden love for a winery owner will ultimately change her destiny and life forever.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are flawed, determined, and endearing. And the plot is a moving tale about life, love, loss, emotion, betrayal, family, friendship, heartbreak, guilt, grief, hope, and regret.

Overall, These Tangled Vines is an alluring, evocative, compelling tale by MacLean that highlights the enduring passion, loyalty and power of love and is a wonderful choice for anyone who enjoys a dual timeline story with a sliver of romance and mystique.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Julianne MacLean

Julianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the contemporary women’s fiction Color of Heaven Series. Readers have described her books as “breathtaking,” “soulful” and “uplifting.” MacLean is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist and has won numerous awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times. Her novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been published in over a dozen languages.

MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BlogTour #BookReview Song of the Nile by Hannah Fielding @fieldinghannah @midaspr #SongoftheNile #HannahFielding

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#BlogTour #BookReview Song of the Nile by Hannah Fielding @fieldinghannah @midaspr #SongoftheNile #HannahFielding Title: Song of the Nile

Author: Hannah Fielding

Published by: London Wall Publishing on May 27, 2021

Genres: Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction

Pages: 616

Format: Paperback

Source: Midas PR

Book Rating: 7/10

Luxor, 1946. When young nurse Aida El Masri returns from war-torn London to her family’s estate in Egypt, she steels herself to face the challenges ahead.

Eight years have passed since her father, Ayoub, was framed for a crime he did not commit and died as a tragic result. Yet Aida has not forgotten, and now she wants revenge against the man she believes betrayed her father – his best friend, Kamel Pharaony.

Then Aida is reunited with Kamel’s son, the captivating surgeon Phares, who offers her marriage. In spite of herself, the secret passion Aida harboured for him as a young girl reignites. Still, how can she marry the son of the man who destroyed her father and brought shame on her family? Will coming home bring her love, or only danger and heartache?

Review:

Sensuous, informative, and atmospheric!

Song of the Nile is a historical love letter to Egypt, complete with authentic and fascinating facts of life in the country following WWII and a breathtaking tour of the landscape, monuments, and landmarks that still grace this beautiful countryside today.

The writing is vivid and rich. The characters are warm, bold, and determined. And the plot is a richly described, captivating tale full of life, love, loss, family, drama, desire, intrigue, romance, customs, and societal expectations.

Overall, Song of the Nile is a steamy, mysterious, alluring tale by Fielding that highlights the unique political landscape of Egypt over the years and reminds us of the importance of trusting, forgiving, and ultimately the power of love.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Midas PR for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Hannah Fielding

Having already had huge success as one of the UK’s leading romance authors with total sales of over 130k, Concerto follows the award-winning success of Hannah Fielding’s previous novels Aphrodite’s Tears, Burning Embers, Echoes of Love, Masquerade, Legacy and Indiscretion. Echoes of Love won Romance Novel of the Year at the IPB Awards in 2012, Burning Embers was Amazon’s book of the month in 2011, and Hannah’s novels have been translated into 13 languages. With its spectacular setting and deep emotional drama, Concerto will appeal both to fans of her backlist, as well as lovers of atmospheric travel writing including Santa Montefiore, Penny Vincenzie, Victoria Hislop and Lucinda Riley.

Egyptian by birth Hannah is fluent in French, English and Arabic and has lived all over the world. She currently lives between her writing retreat in the South of France and her rambling family home in Ireland. Hannah’s grandmother, Esther Fanous, was the revolutionary feminist writer in Egypt during the early 1900s and helped found the Women's Wafd Central Committee in 1920.

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#BookReview Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown @HBGCanada #GoldenGirl #ElinHilderbrand

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#BookReview Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown @HBGCanada #GoldenGirl #ElinHilderbrand Title: Golden Girl

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Jun. 1, 2021

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

On a perfect June day, Vivian Howe, author of thirteen beach novels and mother of three nearly grown children, is killed in a hit-and-run car accident while jogging near her home on Nantucket. She ascends to the Beyond where she’s assigned to a Person named Martha, who allows Vivi to watch what happens below for one last summer. Vivi also is granted three “nudges” to change the outcome of events on earth, and with her daughter Willa on her third miscarriage, Carson partying until all hours, and Leo currently “off again” with his high-maintenance girlfriend, she’ll have to think carefully where to use them.

From the Beyond, Vivi watches “The Chief” Ed Kapenash investigate her death, but her greatest worry is her final book, which contains a secret from her own youth that could be disastrous for her reputation. But when hidden truths come to light, Vivi’s family will have to sort out their past and present mistakes—with or without a nudge of help from above—while Vivi finally lets them grow without her.

With all of Elin’s trademark beach scenes, mouth-watering meals, and picture-perfect homes, plus a heartfelt message—the people we lose never really leave us—Golden Girl is a beach book unlike any other.

Review:

Thought-provoking, sentimental, and a touch mysterious!

Golden Girl is a heartfelt, compelling tale that sweeps you away to the idyllic Nantucket Island and into the life of novelist Vivian Howe, a mother of three, who after being killed in a hit-and-run accident is given one last summer to watch over those she loves and granted three small nudges to alter events on earth before she must finally accept her fate and pass over to the other side.

The writing is eloquent and expressive. The characters are complex, authentic, and troubled. And the plot is an irresistible, touching tale of relationship dynamics, familial drama, life, loss, acceptance, moral dilemmas, secrets, forgiveness, friendship, and the intricacies of small-island living.

Overall, Golden Girl is another absorbing, nostalgic, poignant tale by Hilderbrand that does a beautiful job of reminding us that to be human is to be flawed, and everyone should love and deserves to be loved for who they are, flaws and all.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand is a mother of three, an avid runner, reader, and traveler, and the author of twenty-three novels. She grew up outside Philadelphia, and has lived on Nantucket for more than twenty years.

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#BookReview Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola @WmMorrowBooks #LoveinColor #BoluBabalola

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#BookReview Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola @WmMorrowBooks #LoveinColor #BoluBabalola Title: Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold

Author: Bolu Babalola

Published by: William Morrow on Apr. 13, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: William Morrow

Book Rating: 8/10

A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen.

A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.

A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.

In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.

With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres.

Review:

Uplifting, thought-provoking, and empowering!

Love in Color is an astute, beautiful collection of short stories that takes a variety of ancient folklore and tales and creatively reinvents them into contemporary love stories.

The writing is bold and colourful. The stories are imaginative, well written and romantic. And the plots, although slightly different, all feature strong, independent women and highlight the incredible power of love in all its forms.

Overall, Love in Color is a thoughtful, inspirational, perceptive anthology by Babalola that ultimately reminds us that to love and be loved is one of humanity’s most fundamental needs, or to quote Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic words, “Where there is love there is life.” 

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Bolu Babalola

Bolu Babalola is a British-Nigerian woman with a misleading bachelor's degree in law and a masters degree in American Politics & History from UCL. She feels it is important to state that her thesis was on Beyoncé's "Lemonade" and she was awarded a distinction for it. So essentially she has a masters degree in Beyoncé. A writer of books, scripts and retorts, a lover of love and self-coined "romcomoisseur", Bolu Babalola writes stories of dynamic women with distinct voices who love and are loved audaciously. She is a big believer in women being both "Beauty and the beast". She is not a fan of writing her own bios.

Photo by Folaju Oyegbesan.

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#BookReview The Secret Path by Karen Swan @KarenSwan1 @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheSecretPath #KarenSwan

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#BookReview The Secret Path by Karen Swan @KarenSwan1 @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheSecretPath #KarenSwan Title: The Secret Path

Author: Karen Swan

Published by: Pan Macmillan on May 3, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Every step leads me back to you.

At just twenty years old, Tara Tremain has everything: a trainee doctor, engaged to the man of her dreams—a passionate American biology student called Alex Carter. But just when life seems perfect, Alex betrays her in the worst way possible.

Ten years later, she’s moved on, with a successful career, good friends and a man who loves her. But when she’s pulled back into her wealthy family’s orbit for an unmissable party in the heart of Costa Rica, she finds herself flung into crisis: a child is desperately ill and the only remedy is several days’ trek into the heart of the jungle.

There’s only one person who can help—but it’s the man who shattered her heart a decade before. And how can she trust him, of all people?

Review:

Absorbing, escapist, and heartwarming!

The Secret Path is an atmospheric, passionate tale that sweeps you away to the lush wilderness of Costa Rica and immerses you into the life of Dr Tara Tremain as she tries to juggle a successful career, a handsome boyfriend, a well-deserved vacation, a friend’s severely sick son in serious need of medical intervention, and the one man who shattered her heart to pieces ten years ago.

The prose is smooth and seamless. The characters are altruistic, resourceful, and scarred. And the plot is a beguiling, twisty tale of life, loss, love, familial drama, friendship, deception, heartbreak, forgiveness, danger, and romance.

Overall, The Secret Path is another emotional, entertaining, enticing tale by Swan that keeps you engaged from start to finish with its beautiful depictions of island living, tantalizing adventures, and complex, romantic entanglements.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                   

 

 

 

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Karen Swan

Karen Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and a puppy, and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest outside Sussex, England, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs.

An internationally bestselling author, her numerous books include The Rome Affair, The Paris Secret, Christmas Under the Stars, and The Christmas Secret. 

Photograph by Alexander James

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#BookReview I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin @LUAuthors @AmazonPub @OverTheRiverPR #IThoughtYouSaidThisWouldWork #AnnGarvin #LakeUnion #OTRPR

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#BookReview I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin @LUAuthors @AmazonPub @OverTheRiverPR #IThoughtYouSaidThisWouldWork #AnnGarvin #LakeUnion #OTRPR Title: I Thought You Said This Would Work

Author: Ann Garvin

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on May 1, 2021

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 302

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: OTRPR, Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

A road trip can drive anyone over the edge—especially two former best friends—in bestselling author Ann Garvin’s funny and poignant novel about broken bonds, messy histories, and the power of forgiveness.

Widowed Samantha Arias hasn’t spoken to Holly Dunfee in forever. It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it. What they still have in common puts them both back on speed dial: a mutual love for Katie, their best friend of twenty-five years, now hospitalized with cancer and needing one little errand from her old college roomies.

It’s simple: travel cross-country together, steal her loathsome ex-husband’s VW camper, find Katie’s diabetic Great Pyrenees at a Utah rescue, and drive him back home to Wisconsin. If it’ll make Katie happy, no favor is too big (one hundred pounds), too daunting (two thousand miles), or too illegal (ish), even when a boho D-list celebrity hitches a ride and drives the road trip in fresh directions.

Samantha and Holly are following every new turn—toward second chances, unexpected romance, and self-discovery—and finally blowing the dust off the secret that broke their friendship. On the open road, they’ll try to put it back together—for themselves, and especially for the love of Katie.

Review:

Humorous, heartwarming, and sweet!

I Thought You Said This Would Work is an optimistic, touching story that takes you into the lives of three old friends and one unexpectedly new one as they embark on a journey to steal a camper, rescue a dog, confront grievances from the past, meet new people, welcome new additions, and prepare for a heart-wrenching goodbye.

The writing style is sensitive and light. The characters are quirky, multilayered, and endearing. And the plot is a heartfelt, lovely mix of friendship, family, introspection, parenthood, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, taking chances, and moving on.

Overall, I Thought You Said This Would Work is a pensive, witty, heartfelt tale by Garvin that reminds us to always live life to the fullest and highlights the importance and power of female friendships.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ann Garvin

Ann Garvin, Ph.D. is the USA Today Bestselling author of I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around, The Dog Year, and On Maggie’s Watch. She teaches writing at the University of Wisconsin Continuing Education and Drexel University Masters of Fine Arts program and has held positions at Miami University and Southern New Hampshire in their Masters of Fine Arts program.
Ann is the founder of the Tall Poppy Writers where she is committed to helping women writers succeed. She is a sought-after speaker on writing, leadership and health and has taught extensively in NY, San Francisco, LA, Boston, and at festivals across the country.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @BookSparks @GalleryBooks #UnderaSouthernSky #KristyWoodsonHarvey #SPRC2021 #SpringBookScope

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#BookReview Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @BookSparks @GalleryBooks #UnderaSouthernSky #KristyWoodsonHarvey #SPRC2021 #SpringBookScope Title: Under the Southern Sky

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Published by: Gallery Books on Apr. 20, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: BookSparks

Book Rating: 9/10

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

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

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

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

Review:

Poignant, hopeful, and romantic!

Under the Southern Sky is a beautifully written, heartfelt tale set predominantly in the small-town of Cape Carolina that takes us into the lives of Amelia Saxton, a young journalist struggling to come to grips with a recent separation and an important discovery she inadvertently stumbles across involving her childhood friend, and Parker Thaysden, a young widower who is still grappling with the loss of his wife and the all-consuming grief that is preventing him from moving on.

The prose is smooth and genuine. The characters are scarred, hesitant, and sympathetic. And the plot is an addictive, alluring mix of friendship, family, introspection, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, selflessness, community, new beginnings, and the power of love.

Under the Southern Sky was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, and it did not disappoint. Once again, Kristy Woodson Harvey has written a charming, absorbing, moving tale that has an abundance of irresistible characters and a storyline I couldn’t get enough of, and it is without a doubt the perfect choice for summer!

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

 

Thank you to BookSparks and Kristy Woodson Harvey for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the USA TODAY bestselling author of six novels, including Feels Like Falling, The Peachtree Bluff series, and Under the Southern Sky. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her work has been optioned for film and television, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the co-creator and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

Photo by Jay Ackerman.

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