#BookReview The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler @simonschuster @SimonSchusterCA #TheWifeApp #CarolynMackler #SimonSchuster #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler @simonschuster @SimonSchusterCA #TheWifeApp #CarolynMackler #SimonSchuster #SimonSchusterCA Title: The Wife App

Author: Carolyn Mackler

Published by: Simon & Schuster on Jun. 27, 2023

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster

Book Rating: 8/10

Because every wife deserves a happy ending.

Three best friends decide they’re finally done with their ex-husbands taking their work as wives and moms for granted. They’re ready to monetize the mental load, stick it to their exes, and have a wild ride in the process.

Lauren, mother of twins, wakes up one morning to her Wife Alarm Bells sounding. She sleuths on her husband’s phone and stumbles on a dirty secret that explodes her marriage. Madeline has it all—a penthouse apartment, a perfect daughter, and no-strings-attached romps with handsome men. When she learns that she might lose her child to her ex in England, it stirs up a decades-old personal tragedy. Sophie, with too much FOMO and never enough money, obsesses over her ex-husband’s Family 2.0—all while keeping her true desires hidden, even from herself.

It starts as a joke during a tipsy night out, as Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie rail against everything wives do for free. Let’s build an app that monetizes the mental load. And maybe get revenge on our exes in the process? Soon, the Wife App is born, and before long, it’s the fastest growing start-up in New York City. But then life intervenes. Love intervenes. Ex-husbands intervene. And the consequences are bigger than anything Lauren, Madeline, or Sophie could have expected. Carolyn Mackler marks her debut into adult fiction with a hilarious rollercoaster ride of revenge and redemption that is at once a send-up of modern marriage and a celebration of female friendship and love in all forms.


Review:

Fresh, spirited, and fun!

The Wife App is a lighthearted, engaging tale that sweeps you away to NYC and into the lives of three divorced friends, Madeline, Lauren, and Sophie who, after spending a night grumbling over all the selfless tasks mothers and wives are bombarded with on a daily basis, decide to join together to create an app which would monetize and give value to all those unappreciated, time-consuming, dreaded domestic chores nobody likes to do.

The writing style is witty and sharp. The characters are independent, layered, and supportive. And the plot is a humorous tale about life, love, family, friendship, child-rearing, introspection, marital inequality, interfering exes, tender moments, taking chances, and new beginnings.

Overall, The Wife App is an easy, uplifting, entertaining tale by Mackler that is bursting with female friendships, self-discovery, romance, and the ups and downs of single parenthood.

 

This novel is available now.

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

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Carolyn Mackler

Carolyn Mackler is the acclaimed author of the YA novels The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (A Michael L. Printz Honor Book); The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I; Infinite in Between; and Love and Other Four-Letter Words; and the middle grade novel, Best Friend Next Door. Carolyn’s award-winning books have appeared on bestseller lists and been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. The Wife App is her first adult novel.

Photo by Sarah Klock.

#BookReview Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #welcometobeachtown #authorsusanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign

#BookReview Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #welcometobeachtown #authorsusanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign Title: Welcome to Beach Town

Author: Susan Wiggs

Published by: William Morrow on Jun. 20, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Every town has its secrets… In idyllic Alara Cove, a California beach town known for its sunny charm and chill surfer vibe, it’s graduation day at the elite Thornton Academy.

At Thornton, the students are the worldly and overindulged children who live in gated enclaves with spectacular views. But the class valedictorian is Nikki Graziola, a surfer’s daughter who is there on scholarship. To the shock of everyone in the audience, Nikki veers off script while giving her commencement address and reveals a secret that breaks open the whole community. As her truth explodes into the light, Alara Cove will face a reckoning. Nikki Graziola’s accusation shakes the foundation of Alara Cove, pitting her against the wealthy family whose money runs the town. Her new notoriety sends Nikki into exile for years, where she finds fame—but not fortune—overseas as a competition surfer…until a personal tragedy compels her to return to Alara Cove.  

As Nikki struggles to rebuild her future, she finds that the people of the town have not forgotten her. But time has changed Alara Cove, and old friendships, rivalries, and an unexpected romance draw her back into the life of the beach town she’s never quite forgotten, and where joy and redemption may be possible after all.


Review:

Sincere, heart-tugging, and rewarding!

Welcome to Beach Town is an emotional, immersive, heartwarming tale that takes us into the life of the sweet, vulnerable Nikki Graziola as she struggles to juggle returning to her hometown that’s laced with tragic memories and a place she hoped she’d never have to live again, the overwhelming grief caused by the sudden loss of the love of her life, a strained relationship with a father she hardly knows, a determination to finally uncover all the secrets hidden by those in power, and a newly budding attraction to a friend she was pretty close with in the past.

The writing is sentimental and engaging. The characters are layered, supportive, and generous. And the plot is a touching tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, happiness, heartbreak, taking chances, growth, healing, revelations, tender moments, light drama, greed, corruption, selflessness, romance, and new beginnings.

Overall, Welcome to Beach Town is another heartwarming, uplifting, nostalgic tale that reminds us that the true meaning of family is unconditionally respecting, loving, supporting, and accepting each other through all the highs and lows. It’s the perfect read for summer that proves once again that when it comes to writing heartfelt, moving stories with characters you can’t help but root for, Wiggs is one of the best.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends…and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and in good weather, she commutes to her writers' group in a 21-foot motorboat. She’s been featured in the national media, including NPR, PRI, and USA Today, has given programs for the US Embassies in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and is a popular speaker locally, nationally, internationally, and on the high seas.

From the very start, her writings have illuminated the everyday dramas of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature. Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries and languages. According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable."

Her novels have appeared in the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and have captured readers’ hearts around the globe with translations into more than 20 languages and 30 countries. She is a three-time winner of the RITA Award,. Her recent novel, The Apple Orchard, is currently being made into a film, and The Lakeshore Chronicles has been optioned for adaptation into a series.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. She lives on an island in Puget Sound, where she divides her time between sleeping and waking.

#BookReview The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown @HBGCanada #TheFiveStarWeekend #ElinHilderbrand #HBGCanada

#BookReview The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown @HBGCanada #TheFiveStarWeekend #ElinHilderbrand #HBGCanada Title: The Five-Star Weekend

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Jun. 13, 2023

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hotel Nantucket: After tragedy strikes, food blogger Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages in her life to spend an unforgettable weekend on Nantucket.

Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.

So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.

The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it happens, has many secrets.

The Five-Star Weekend is a surprising and captivating story about friendship, love, and self-discovery set on Nantucket. It will be a weekend like no other.


Review:

Heartwarming, comforting, and nostalgic!

The Five-Star Weekend is a lighthearted, engaging tale that takes you into the life of Hollis Shaw, a middle-aged successful food blogger who, after returning to her hometown of Nantucket, invites four friends, one from each stage of her life, to spend a weekend at her home on the island to help her come to grips with the recent loss of her husband and the strained relationship with her daughter she’s struggling to repair.

The prose is sentimental and tender. The characters are independent, supportive, and layered. And the plot is a compelling, touching tale of life, love, family, honesty, kindness, communication, acceptance, self-discovery, grief, loss, understanding, forgiveness, romance, taking chances, and new beginnings.

Overall, The Five-Star Weekend is another emotive, thoughtful, cosy read by Hilderbrand that does a beautiful job of reminding us just how important, powerful, and meaningful female friendships can truly be.

 

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 gifting me 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.

#BookReview Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler @geeewheeler @StMartinsPress #Adelaide #GenevieveWheeler #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler @geeewheeler @StMartinsPress #Adelaide #GenevieveWheeler #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Adelaide

Author: Genevieve Wheeler

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For twenty-six-year-old Adelaide Williams, an American living in dreamy London, meeting Rory Hughes was like a lightning bolt out of the blue: this charming Englishman was The One she wasn’t even looking for.

Is it enough?

Does he respond to texts? Honor his commitments? Make advance plans? Sometimes, rarely, and no, not at all. But when he shines his light on her, the world makes sense, and Adelaide is convinced that, in his heart, he’s fallen just as deeply as she has. Then, when Rory is rocked by an unexpected tragedy, Adelaide does everything in her power to hold him together—even if it means losing herself in the process.

When love asks too much of us, how do we find the strength to put ourselves first?

With unflinching honesty and heart, this relatable debut from a fresh new voice explores grief and mental health while capturing the timeless nature of what it’s like to be young and in love—with your friends, with your city, and with a person who cannot, will not, love you back.


Review:

Introspective, poignant, and timely!

Adelaide is a passionate, thoughtful tale that sweeps you away to London and into the life of the young American, Adelaide Williams, as she navigates her goals, dreams, expectations, and mental health, all while consistently giving her all to a love affair littered with disappointments, one-sided effort, lack of communication, and heartbreak.

The prose is sincere and evocative. The characters are kind, multi-layered, and vulnerable. And the tightly crafted, effortless plot unfolds in a back-and-forth style, unravelling all the actions, motivations, personalities, desires, needs, tragedy, and complex relationships within it.

Overall, Adelaide is a sensitive, fresh, reflective debut by Wheeler that does a remarkable job of highlighting all the universal struggles of growing up, acquiring self-confidence, battling depression, anxiety, and worthlessness, forging friendships, experiencing an all-consuming love that isn’t reciprocated, and ultimately realizing that everyone is entitled to always be loved fully.

 

This book is available now.

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

        

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Genevieve Wheeler

Genevieve Wheeler is an American writer and communications manager. Her bylines have appeared in publications like VICE, Vogue Business, Teen Vogue, Elite Daily, and POPSUGAR, with her work and words cited in The New York Times, Vox, the BBC World Service, Cheddar News, Jezebel, and beyond. She holds an MA in marketing communications from the University of Westminster in London and a BS in Advertising from Boston University. She's currently based in London. Adelaide is her debut novel.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Lesser

#BookReview Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon @PaigeToonAuthor @PutnamBooks @penguinrandom #OnlyLoveCanHurtLikeThis #PaigeToon

#BookReview Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon @PaigeToonAuthor @PutnamBooks @penguinrandom #OnlyLoveCanHurtLikeThis #PaigeToon Title: Only Love Can Hurt Like This

Author: Paige Toon

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons on Apr. 25, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Penguin Random House

Book Rating: 10/10

In the spirit of Colleen Hoover and Jojo Moyes’s Me Before You, an unforgettable and heartbreaking love story with an earth-shattering secret at its core that asks the question: is love worth risking everything for?

An earth-shattering secret. A life-changing love story.

When Wren realizes her fiancé is in love with someone else, she thinks her heart will never recover.

On the other side of the world, Anders lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on.

Wren hopes that spending the summer with her dad and step-family on their farm in Indiana will help her to heal. There, amid the cornfields and fireflies, she and Anders cross paths and their worlds are turned upside-down again.

But Wren doesn’t know that Anders is harboring a secret, and if he acts on any feelings he has for Wren it will have serious fall-out for everyone. Walking away would hurt Wren more than she can imagine. But, knowing the truth, how can she possibly stay?


Review:

Addictive, pensive, and heart-wrenching!

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is an immersive, emotional, heartwarming tale that takes us into the life of the sweet, vulnerable Wren as she struggles to juggle a broken engagement, a strained relationship with a father she hardly sees, a newly budding friendship with a half-sister she always slightly resented, and a complicated relationship with a man who is stealing her heart piece by piece but who may unfortunately already be emotionally shackled to another.

The writing is sentimental and engaging. The characters are layered, supportive, and generous. And the plot is a touching tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, happiness, heartbreak, taking chances, growth, healing, revelations, tender moments, light drama, selflessness, romance, and new beginnings.

For the past few years, Paige Toon’s books have topped my must-read, favourites list, and even though I didn’t think it was possible to love her books any more than I already did, she proved me wrong once again. Only Love Can Hurt Like This made my heart smile, shatter, and then put it all back together again in 400 pages, and not only did I absolutely adore it, but it might just be, dare I say it, one of my all-time faves!

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to G. P. Putnam’s Sons – Penguin Random House for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Paige Toon

Paige Toon grew up between England, Australia and America and has been writing books set in sun-drenched locations around the world since 2007. She has written fourteen women's fiction novels, a three-part spin-off series for young adults and a collection of short stories. Her novels have sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.

In Spring 2021, Paige and her publishing team launched ‘feel it all’ branding for her novels, which is inspired directly by her readers and what they have been telling her for years: that when they read a Paige Toon novel, they experience a myriad of emo>ons, from love, heartache and passion, to grief, happiness and hope. The message is simple: get lost in one of Paige’s stories and you really will feel it all.

#BookReview Five First Chances by Sarah Jost @swissSarahUK @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #FiveFirstChances #SarahJost #bookmarkedbylandmark

#BookReview Five First Chances by Sarah Jost @swissSarahUK @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #FiveFirstChances #SarahJost #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: Five First Chances

Author: Sarah Jost

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 8.5/10

What would you do if you had one more chance for the life of your dreams?

Lou feels like she is stuck on the wrong path: alone, in a city far from home, watching other people be happy. When the man she’s in love with announces his engagement to someone else, Lou is consumed by ‘what ifs’.

That’s when she finds herself slipping back in time to a night two years ago, where one small decision changed everything…

Suddenly, Lou has a chance to fix her mistakes. But as her choices lead her down roads she never could have imagined, she finds herself stuck in a time loop of her own making. And with each slip, Lou notices her life intersecting with one person again and again. A friend of a friend who once lived on the periphery, who is slowly becoming the one person who makes her feel like she might finally be on the right track.

Lou is about to realize that our greatest love stories aren’t always the ones we expected, but are the ones we choose to fight for.


Review:

Poignant, pensive, and moving!

Five First Chances is a heart-wrenching, time-loop tale that takes you into the life of Lou while she’s attending the wake of a casual acquaintance, when grief-stricken family members, a handful of vague memories, and thoughts of what-if leave her contemplative, curious, and exceptionally emotional until fate magically intervenes leaving her reliving the same two years over and over again in order to change, grow, reshape friendships, and discover everlasting love.

The writing is heartfelt and tender. The characters are strong, passionate, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing, bittersweet tale of life, loss, family, friendship, kindness, honesty, acceptance, generosity, grief, romance, humour, introspection, and unconditional love.

Overall, Five First Chances is a reflective, emotional, promising debut by Jost that does a remarkable job of reminding us just how important it is to appreciate all those little things in life, the moments, the sunsets, and the shared smiles, while also highlighting the sheer power of love.

 

This book is available now.

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

        

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarah Jost

Sarah Jost is a Swiss national who has been living in the UK since 2008. She works as a Housemistress and French teacher at a girls’ school, which she considers an immersive course in character study. Sarah lives in Buckinghamshire with her partner Luke and their adorable and destructive puppy Winnie. Five First Chances is her debut.

#BookReview The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @htp_books @HarlequinBooks #TheSisterEffect #SusanMallery #HTPbooks #HarlequinTradePublishing

#BookReview The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @htp_books @HarlequinBooks  #TheSisterEffect #SusanMallery #HTPbooks #HarlequinTradePublishing Title: The Sister Effect

Author: Susan Mallery

Published by: HQN Books on Mar. 7, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 9/10

Beloved bestselling author Susan Mallery brings readers an emotional, witty, and heartfelt story that explores the nuances of a broken family’s complex emotions as they strive to become whole in this uplifting story of human frailty and resilience.

Finley McGowan is determined that the niece she’s raising will always feel loved and wanted. Unlike how she felt after her mom left to pursue a dream of stardom, and when the grandfather who was left to raise them abandoned her and her sister, Sloane, when they needed him most. Finley reacted to her chaotic childhood by walking the straight and narrow—nose down, work hard, follow the rules.

Sloane went the other way.

Now Sloane is back, as beautiful and as damaged as ever…and she wants a relationship with her daughter. She says she’s changed, but Finley’s heart has been burned once too often for her to trust easily. But is her reluctance to forgive really about Sloane or worry over losing what she loves the most? With the help of a man who knows all too well how messy families can be, Finley will learn there’s joy in surrendering and peace in letting go.


Review:

Sincere, sentimental, and rewarding!

The Sister Effect is a warm, intimate tale that immerses you into the lives of the McGowan family, especially sisters Finley and Sloane, as they confront the past, accept the things they cannot change, forgive, take chances, repair fractured relationships, move on, and embrace the future.

The prose is expressive and fluid. The characters are troubled, supportive, and compassionate. And the plot is a tender tale about life, love, forgiveness, secrets, responsibilities, alcoholism, addiction, familial drama, redemption, sisterhood, friendship, and hope.

Overall, The Sister Effect is another heartwarming, uplifting, nostalgic tale by Mallery that reminds us that the true meaning of family is unconditionally loving, respecting, accepting, and supporting each other through all the highs and lows. It’s the perfect read for spring and proves once again that when it comes to writing heartfelt, moving stories with characters you can’t help but root for, Mallery is one of the best!

This book is available now.

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

          

 

 

Thank you to HTP Books – Harlequin Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Susan Mallery

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.

Photo by Annie Brady

#BookReview For Twice In My Life by Annette Christie @MsAnnetteMC @littlebrown @HBGCanada #ForTwiceInMyLife #AnnetteChristie #HBGCanada

#BookReview For Twice In My Life by Annette Christie @MsAnnetteMC @littlebrown @HBGCanada #ForTwiceInMyLife #AnnetteChristie #HBGCanada Title: For Twice In My Life

Author: Annette Christie

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Feb. 7, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A second try at love becomes more than one woman bargained for in this “timeless, enchanting” rom-com from the author of The Rehearsals (Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author).

Can one little lie lead to a big second chance?

Layla’s chaotic life transformed when she met Ian Barnett. Ambitious, committed, and thoughtful, Ian has been everything she’d dreamed of, and she knows he’d say the same of her. So when he breaks up with her out of the blue, Layla is stunned. What went wrong?

But then, Layla gets a call from the local hospital. Ian’s had a biking accident. He’s okay, but he needs someone—his someone—to get him home safely. As it becomes clear Ian doesn’t remember he ended things, it also becomes clear that the accident has given him a new outlook on life . . . and Layla a second chance to get things right. 

That is, until Ian’s younger brother comes to town. Matt is restless, unpredictable, and threatens to upset the careful balance Layla and Ian have rebuilt. As things get more complicated both at home and at work, Layla realizes she might lose her chance at real love—and real happiness—if she doesn’t come clean about the stories she’s been telling: to Ian, to Matt, to her family, and most importantly, to herself.


Review:

Cute, amusing, and delightfully entertaining!

For Twice In My Life is an uplifting, charming tale that takes you into the life of the kind, heartbroken Layla Rockford who, after having her heart shattered a few months ago by the man she thought was forever, finds herself in a dilemma when her ex has an unfortunate accident on his bike and loses all his memories giving them an opportunity at a somewhat devious second chance until his brother she’s never met finally arrives and throws a little curve ball into the mix.

The writing is light and warm. The characters are multilayered, hesitant, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale of relationship dynamics, introspection, chemistry, friendship, family, secrets, deception, tender moments, spirited mishaps, second-chance love, and new beginnings.

Overall, For Twice In My Life is a big-hearted, engaging, cosy tale by Christie with characters you surprisingly can’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that leaves you smiling, satisfied, and wishing for more.

 

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 gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Annette Christie

Annette Christie is a Canadian-American hybrid with a BFA in Theatre and a history of very odd jobs. Her writing has been published in HelloGiggles and The Guardian, and the back of her head is featured prominently in the film Mean Girls. She currently resides in Alberta with her husband and two children.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BookReview One Month of You by Suzanne Ewart @SuzanneEwart1 @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #OneMonthofYou #SuzanneEwart #bookmarkedbylandmark

#BookReview One Month of You by Suzanne Ewart @SuzanneEwart1 @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #OneMonthofYou #SuzanneEwart #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: One Month of You

Author: Suzanne Ewart

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Feb. 7, 2023

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 9/10

When Alec asks Jess out, she knows it won’t work. Is Alec charming? Of course. Attractive? Definitely. Can she not stop thinking about him…yes, but that’s also the problem. Because Jess has rules. And the first? Don’t fall in love.

What no one knows is that Jess has inherited Huntington’s disease from the mother that she cares for. And while witnessing her own future play out, Jess has learnt to keep everyone and everything at arm’s length. But Alec is determined to break down those barriers. When she finally tells him why they have no future, he proposes a different option—just one month together.

One month to date. One month to live. One month to fall in love.

But as Jess grows closer to Alec, she knows she has to end it. It’s better that he is hurt now rather than heartbroken later, isn’t it?


Review:

Poignant, heartwarming, and sweet!

One Month of You is an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that sweeps you away to Manchester and into the life of hardworking administrator Jess as she struggles to come to terms with her mother’s deteriorating health, a positive diagnosis of Huntington’s disease herself, sticking to the nine rules she’s determined to live by, and not falling in love with a sexy bartender who’s kind, compassionate, and always ready to help.

The writing is heartfelt and tender. The characters are authentic, dependable, and supportive. And the plot is a delightfully enchanting mix of life, love, family, friendship, kindness, honesty, acceptance, generosity, romance, humour, introspection, and loss.

Overall, One Month of You is a moving, reflective, bittersweet tearjerker by Ewart that is a lovely reminder to always live life to the fullest and surround yourself with those you love.

This book is available now.

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

           

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Suzanne Ewart

Before becoming a writer, Suzanne Ewart taught English to teenagers in northwest England. In 2019 she won the eHarmony/Trapeze books Write Your Own Love Story competition. One Month of You is her first novel. She lives near Manchester with her husband and two children.

Photo courtesy of davidhighmam.co.uk website.

#BookReview The Sisters We Were by Wendy Willis Baldwin @WLBaldwin @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheSistersWeWere #WendyWallisBaldwin #bookmarkedbylandmark

#BookReview The Sisters We Were by Wendy Willis Baldwin @WLBaldwin @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheSistersWeWere #WendyWallisBaldwin #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: The Sisters We Were

Author: Wendy Willis Baldwin

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Jan. 17, 2023

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 10/10

Pearl and Ruby’s choices drove them apart.

Finding their way back to each other might be the only way forward.

The weight of their family secrets could not have shaped Pearl and Ruby Crenshaw any differently. Ruby’s a runner, living in Dallas and only reluctantly talking to their mother, Birdie, when she calls from prison. Pearl is still living in her mother’s fixer-upper and finds herself facing a line in the sand: her weight is threatening to kill her. She’s hundreds of pounds beyond the point where she can celebrate her curves or benefit from the body positivity movement, and unless she takes drastic action, the future looks dire.

But when Ruby’s buried rage explodes in a hilariously viral way, the mistake has life-altering consequences. Now the sisters are back living under the same roof and forced to put the pieces of their separate lives together again. Funny, cinematic, and bursting with heart, this is a story of hope and redemption that celebrates the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.


Review:

Sincere, memorable, and sweet!

The Sisters We Were is an intimate, uplifting tale that sweeps you away to Austin, Texas and immerses you into the lives of the Crenshaw sisters, Pearl and Ruby, as they must finally accept the things they cannot change, make risky, life-altering decisions, confront a past littered with tragedy and heartbreak, repair fractured relationships, and embrace a future that doesn’t involve running away or eating for solace.

The writing is effortless and polished. The characters are multi-layered, genuine, scarred, and courageous. And the plot, including all the subplots, skillfully intertwines and unravels into a delightfully touching tale about life, love, loss, guilt, grief, family drama, secrets, friendship, happiness, self-discovery, romance, the day-to-day struggles of morbid obesity, and the special bonds that exist between sisters.

Overall, The Sisters We Were is a beautiful mix of hope, heart, and healing that is not only a humorous, emotive, lovely novel by Willis Baldwin but one which I don’t think anyone could possibly read and not be completely absorbed and utterly moved.

This book is available now.

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

           

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Wendy Willis Baldwin

Author and freelance writer Wendy Willis Baldwin is a natural born storyteller. Her communications background includes broadcasting, marketing, talk radio, and sales. A native of Texas and a graduate of Texas Tech University, Wendy is a recent empty nester now living on a farm in New England, with one husband, three dogs, and thousands of honeybees. She is the co-host of the Life After Fat Pants Podcast.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.