Itās the start of another week. Itās Monday! What are you Reading is hosted by Kathryn from Book Date , this is a weekly event to share what weāve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind. Iām hoping to squeeze in some of my books that I own but remain unread!
LAST WEEKS READS:
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Identity presents a suspenseful new novel of tragedy and trauma, love and family, and the evil that awaits.
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmotherās. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammieās handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea theyāre about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.
Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.
The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Theaās vision, their parentsā killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curseābecause the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between themāand eventually bring them face to face, and head to headā¦
CURRENT READS:
Two converging mysteries compel a womanās search for the truth in a captivating novel about loss, love, family, and healing by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.
Biographer Ellie Connor is in Gideon, Texas, to research blues singer Mabel Beauvais who, on the verge of fame, mysteriously disappeared more than forty years ago. Gideon holds another mystery for Ellie. Itās the truth about her parentsāa restless mother who died young and a father she never knew. They are an unsettled piece of Ellieās own past. Somewhere in this town is the answer to both of her quests.
No one is more accommodating than charismatic Laurence āBlueā Reynard, a local with deep roots in Gideon. Sexy and charming, heās also getting under Ellieās skin like a smooth jazz rhythm. Yet beneath his seductive facade is a soul damaged by loss. Tragic, wanting, and beautiful. So wrong for a woman just passing through town. If only his passion and vulnerability werenāt so irresistible.
As Ellie pieces together Mabelās puzzling life and that of her father, Blue takes the surprising journey with her. What then for Ellie? Follow her instincts and say goodbye, or follow her heart?
READING NEXT:
Four women face the turning points of their lives in a warm and wise novel about choices and second chances by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.
A loving wife and a mother of three accomplished children, forty-six-year-old Trudy Marino has an uncomplicated lifeāuntil sheās blindsided by her husbandās affair. But in Trudyās close-knit neighborhood, sheās not alone in navigating the sudden surprises in a womanās life.
Then Trudy meets Angel, a sensual young man with the vulnerable heart of a poet who awakens her to invigorating new sensations. With a bracing confidence and three dear friends coming together in confusion, anger, and hope, Trudy is encouraged to take control of her life, to reflect on the choices she didnāt make, and to fulfill the youthful dreams she abandoned. As a new world opens up, Trudy can only marvel at where to go from here.
Once I started reading SEVENĀ SUMMERSĀ I discovered thatĀ there’sĀ evenĀ more to this story than meets the eye.Ā There’sĀ an added layer to it that I absolutely loved butĀ that IĀ won’tĀ mention because discovering it as you read isĀ honestlyĀ the best.Ā One of the things I love most aboutĀ PaigeĀ Ā Toon’sĀ writing is how deeply she makes me care for her characters and how strongly she makes me feel for them. Deception and pain, love and loss, secrets and truths, hope and redemptionāthey all twist and tangle togetherĀ creatingĀ another unforgettable novel from one of the freshest and most trusted voices in romance. Finally, you need to readĀ SEVEN SUMMERS. Ā It will surprise, shock, impress, grip and absorb you into its story. And thoseĀ wonderfulĀ characters, how happy I am for havingĀ āmetāĀ Ā them! They will stick with me for a very long time. IĀ justĀ know the same thing will happenĀ to you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ā Fresh Fiction.Ā Opinions expressed in this review areĀ completelyĀ my own.
Six summers to fall in love. One summer to change everything.
Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finnās life is in LA with his band, and Livās is in Cornwall with her familyāso they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together.
This summer Liv crosses paths with Tomāa mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isnāt broken every autumn. Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, sheāll need to trust her heart even more . . .
Thank you for stopping by and have a fantastic Monday!ššš
THE CHARMED FRIENDS OF TROVE ISLE is a wonderful novel about letting go of the past and making amends. Of rediscovering what it’s like to be in love again, friendship and coming to terms with loss. I read THE CHARMED FRIENDS OF TROVE ISLE straight through because the story is an easy read with engaging characters, a drama-filled plot, and a believable storyline. Keep the tissues close by, trust me! I look forward to reading more from Annie Rains. Liz deals with some heavy situations, and several shocking revelations change everything for her. Hang on to your seats, trust me!! THE CHARMED FRIENDS OF TROVE ISLE is not my first book by Annie Rains and it surely wonāt be my last!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Fresh Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A powerful, uplifting story of female friendship and resilienceāwith just a hint of magicāas three young women whose bond was shattered years before by tragedy rediscover their connection, with the help of a long-lost gift they were meant to share.
Ten years after she left her hometown of Trove Isle, NC, Melody Palmer is back to receive an unexpected inheritanceāher great auntās thrift store, Hidden Treasures. There, in a glass case beneath the register, Melody spies the long-lost charm bracelet she shared with her high school friends, Liz and Bri, and her younger sister, Alyssa. After a devastating prom night accident, it disappeared, and the girlsā friendship evaporated with it. Slipping the bracelet on her arm for safekeeping, Melody soon finds herself crossing paths with her former friends once more.
While Melody fled, Liz has stayed in Trove Isle, helping with her parentsā business instead of pursuing her photography goals. Guilt still weighs on her after that fateful night when they lost Alyssa. For Bri, the consequences were even more stark. After spiraling into self-destruction, Bri served four years in a womenās state prison and is about to be releasedābut can Trove Isle ever feel like home again?
Yet despite everything thatās changed, the promise that the bracelet once heldāof adventures, achievements, love, and lifelong friendshipāhasnāt quite faded. And together, they might yet find a way to reconcile their pasts and futures, one charm at a time . . .
Thank you for stopping by and have a fantastic Sunday!š»šš»
Good morning! Its 62 here, going up to 75. I’m going to get the bread machine going for Everything bagels in a little bit.Ā I need coffee first!Ā Today, I have laundry and the All Star Race tonight.Ā I plan on filling the rest of my time with reading.Ā Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!š
I tried not to go too crazy and here is what happened! This week I snagged six new books!Ā Ā I still have five requests pending!āNow to find the time to read them.
NETGALLEY:
Everything that was lost will be found again.
Jubilee PD Officer Wiley Pope thinks he’s ruined things with Linette Elgin. He hasn’t seen or heard from the local nurse since their date gone wrong. But when Wiley’s trip to the bank turns into a robbery with Linette as one of the hostages, his training and protective instincts kick into full gear. A heroic bullet to his armor-protected chest is enough for Linette to forgive Wiley’s past mistakes and begin anew.
While his love for Linette grows daily, Wiley finds himself in over his head when a murder investigation is linked to Pope Mountain. If that wasn’t enough, a woman from Wiley’s father’s past abandons her seven-year-old daughter at the police station in an attempted money scheme. But the minute the woman signs over her parental rights, Wiley and Linette welcome the wary little girl into their family and show her what real love looks like.
One impulsive decision changes the lives of two best friends forever in a powerful novel of suspense by the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Caretaker.
If Lark and Mikki didnāt have each other, theyād have nothing in this miserable town. So the best friends stick together, working night shift at the highway travel stop, going nowhere fast. Until a stranger drops in, heading for Florida, and Mikki impulsively leaves with him, never to be seen again.
Eight years later, Lark is finally getting her life back together for the sake of her young daughter and Mikkiās lovably prickly grandma, who can no longer care for herself. People have almost stopped blaming Lark for Mikkiās disappearance, and sheās engaged to the nicest guy on highway patrol. But when the stranger who drove Mikki away reappears and asks for her, nobody knows what to believe.
As the search reignites, Lark fights to find out whether Mikki is really missing or doesnāt want to be found. But piecing together the chain of events set into motion that fateful night could threaten everythingāand everyoneāLark has left.
A master manipulator accused of murder. An attorney sworn to defend her. Keera Duggan returns in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into courtāsheās Jennaās childhood friend. But considering their history, Keera knows that where Jenna goes, trouble follows.
Five years earlier, Keeraās father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her companyās chief scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she was: a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent.
As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears that this time she’s telling nothing but the truth. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.
From the author of Before Iām Gone comes an intensely affecting romance about love, loss, and second chances, sure to elicit a good ugly cry.
Grayson Caballero sees the glass half-empty. Born with a life-threatening heart defect, heās been living on borrowed time. The uncertainty of tomorrow makes him push people away, helping Grayson to avoid any real commitment.
Then he meets Reid Sullivan and falls madly in love. The two work together at the Wold Collective, Grayson as a project manager and Reid in HR. They even live in the same apartment complex. But Grayson continues to keep his distance, despite their obvious attraction. And Reidās not interested in waiting around.
When Grayson collapses at a basketball game, Reid learns heās been keeping secrets from her. Now his life hangs in the balanceā¦and a stranger from Boston holds the key to his survival.
Nadia Karlsson makes a life-changing decision after her husband, Rafe, is involved in a tragic accident near Harvard Square. Her choice will unwittingly alter the course of Graysonās futureāand tie his fate unexpectedly to her own.
A disappearance and a dead body put Cork OāConnorās family in the crosshairs of a killer in the twentieth book in the New York Times bestselling series from William Kent KruegerĀ, āa master storyteller at the top of his gameā (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
The disappearance of a local politicianās teenaged daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork OāConnorās grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe womanābut nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police. As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager. And soon, itās clear that Corkās grandson is in danger of being the killerās next victim.
From the internationally bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs comes a rugged feel-good valentine, a small-town novel for readers who still believe in sunset triumph and second chances.
Charlie and Vivian’s marriage did not work. The love was there, but there were too many problems, too many struggles. After parting ways, Charlie took off to work on the railroad, becoming accustomed to California living, and Vivian stayed in their small midwestern town, raising a daughter from her next marriage all on her own. For all they knew, the marriage was over, their love story never to be rekindled.
Have an awesome day and thank you for stopping by!Ā āššā
Good morning! Happy Saturday!Ā Its 68 here and cloudy, going up to 79 and rain is on the way.Ā We will be home relaxing today watching the races. Have an awesome day my friends and be well!šāš
The idea is to read *and review* 10, 15, or 20 books over the summer (June 1 ā September 1). Cathy is quite reasonable about swapping out books if needed, adjusting targets etc. but I hope to stick to my list stated below.
Sheās rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?
Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. Sheās spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comediesāgood ones! That win contests! But sheās also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie YatesāThe Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!āitās a break too big to pass up.
Emmaās younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Donāt meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesnāt want to write with anyoneāmuch less āa failed, nobody screenwriter.ā Worse, the romantic comedy heās written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesnāt even care about the scriptāitās just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.
But Emmaās not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matterāeven if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story theyāre writing breaks all Emmaās rulesāand comes true?
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Attachments comes Slow Danceāa bright, beaming power ballad of a novel about a love so true it refuses to be forgotten.
Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together . . . everybody but Shiloh and Cary.
They were just friends. Best friends. Allies. They spent entire summers sitting on Shilohās porch steps, dreaming about the future. They were both going to get out of north OmahaāShiloh would go to college and become an actress, and Cary would join the Navy. They promised each other that their friendship would never change.
Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. And yet, somehow, everything changed.
Now Shilohās thirty-three, and itās been fourteen years since she talked to Cary. Sheās been married and divorced. She has two kids. And sheās back living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned.
When sheās invited to an old friendās wedding, all Shiloh can think about is whether Cary will be thereāand whether she hopes he will be. Would Cary even want to talk to her? After everything?
The answer is yes. And yes. And yes.
Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. Two friends who lost everything. Two adults who just feel lost.
Itās the story of Shiloh and Cary, who everyone thought would end up together, trying to find their way back to the start.
She canāt remember. He canāt forget.
When Lauren Wentworth wakes up in the hospital after falling from a ladder, she has more questions than answers. Way more. She knows where she isāthe wilds of New Hampshire. But sheās apparently lost the last four months of her life. Is she really contemplating forfeiting her big-city dream job for a position at a rustic resort? And how did her number one nemesis become her adoring boyfriend?
Jonah Landry is crushed to learn Lauren has forgotten their entire summer together. Terrified of losing her for good, he determines to help her remember their deep connection as she finishes her obligation to the resort. But soon it becomes apparent Lauren doesnāt want to remember falling in love with him or rethinking the entire course of her career. She wants to pretend the summer never happened and move on with her life. Without him.
As Lauren falls back into the steady routines of resort work with Jonah, sheās relieved her memories havenāt returned and remains resolute about her big-city future. But as autumn leads into winter, she begins to see glimpses of the Jonah sheās forgotten. Will she be able to resist the steady love of this patient man? Or Is her heart destined for its own freefall?
A heartwarming love story set at Christmas time by USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle.
In the enchanting mountain town of Chestnut Ridge, where tree farms blanket the hillsides and the promise of a white Christmas is ever-present, a heartwarming holiday romance is about to blossom. When Sheila’s best friend convinces her to help decorate a tree in the annual Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, she embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery, all wrapped in the cozy embrace of a tight-knit community. As she immerses herself in the joy of twinkling lights, hot cocoa, and the camaraderie of the townsfolk, Sheila’s world begins to transform, and she finds the sense of belonging she never knew she needed.
Meanwhile, Tucker, the town’s reliable fire captain, is gathering volunteers to help a family with four young children who have just lost their home to a devastating fire weeks before Christmas. Sheila offers her helping hand, and as the town rallies to support the family in their time of need, sparks of love begin to flicker between her and Tucker.
In this charming town where dreams come true, and Christmas magic is everywhere, come along for a tale of love, community, and the true spirit of the season.
The brand new feel-good read from MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland.
Could one chance meeting change your life forever?
Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer’s assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn’t truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be…
Snowy is hiding from the world. He’s devoted his life to home schooling his young son and caring for sick owls at his home, Owl’s Lodge, deep in the Yorkshire Wolds countryside. While he’s passionate about both, it’s a lonely existence and he’s starting to question his decisions. But how do you step back into a world you’ve pushed away for years…?
When Zara brings an injured owl to Owl’s Lodge, its frosty, reclusive owner is far from welcoming. Despite hostilities, there’s a connection that neither could ever have prepared themselves for. As they discover a shared passion, a new friendship blossoms, but both Zara and Snowy are used to shutting people out.
Can they both find the courage to open up and the strength to move on from their pasts? And what could this mean for their future happiness?
Escape to the world of Bumblebee Barn and Hedgehog Hollow with MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland for this brand new feel-good romance of family, friendship and hope.
One summer can change everything.
Brooklyn-based Hannah is a bestselling author struggling to write her second book after personal losses. Her older sister, Sara, still lives in Chatham, Cape Cod, where they grew up, and is married with four children. Once a dedicated librarian, Sara dreams of reviving her love affair with literature, but instead, she is stuck with too many family responsibilities and a fizzling marriage.
When Hannah gets the chance to retreat to her aunt’s oceanfront house in Chatham for the summer, it seems like just the thing to get her creative juices flowing. And sheāll be able to spend more time with Sara, who is eager to find her way back into the workforce, to do something rewarding and book-related. The pair will spend the summer making friends, rekindling romanceā especially Spencer, an old acquaintance from high school-turned very hot grumpā and opening themselves up to the magic of books and the beach.
Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Susan Mallery and Brenda Novak, The Seaside Sisters will delight and charm you as easily as an ocean breeze.
For fans of Denise Hunter and Susan Mallery, a captivating story about a single summer that could completely break a family apartāor bring them back together. Recently widowed Marin Henderson considers time with her two adult children a gift. And sheās intent on not prying into their lives while theyāre all together, cleaning out her late parentsā Colorado home. But from the start, nothing goes as planned. Her free-spirited daughter, Slade, and her strait-laced son, Reed, both arrive ahead of schedule, and no one is explaining why. Marin knows theyāre hiding issues in their personal lives. But she can only push so far because she, too, is keeping secrets. Setting aside family tensions, the three of them get to work purging the house. But when Slade discovers a decades-old newspaper clipping about a body found on the rocks below the house, questions arise. Marin insists the death was ruled an accident, but Sladeās curiosity is piqued. And when a roof leak compels Marin to call on an old friend and flame for help, itās the catalyst for a wave of revelations. Between a daughter bent on distracting herself from her own career turmoil, a son desperate to hold on to his marriage and a mother forced to confront her choices from that long-ago summer, pieces of the past and present begin to unravel. And before the summer is over, they each must decide what to hold on to and what to let goā¦
A charming, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny novel following an American woman competing on a Swedish reality show in an attempt to discover her roots. Paulie Johansson has never put much stock in the idea of she has her long-term boyfriend Declan and beloved best friend Jemma, and thatās more than enough for her. Yet one night on a lark, she lets Jemma convince her to audition for Sverige och Mig , a show on Swedish television where Swedish-Americans compete to win the ultimate a reunion with their Swedish relatives. Much to her shock, her drunken submission video wins her a spot on the show, and against Declanās advice Paulie decides to go for it. Armed with her Polaroid camera, a beat-up copy of Pippi Longstocking, and an unquenchable sense of possibility, Paulie hops on a plane to Sweden and launches into the contest with seven other Americans, all under the watchful eye of a camera crew. At first, Paulie is certain that she and her competitors have nothing in common besides their passports and views their bloodthirsty ambitions with suspicion. Yet amid the increasingly absurd challengesārowing from Denmark to Sweden in the freezing rain, battling through obstacle courses, competing in a pickled herring eating contestāPaulie finds herself rethinking her snap judgments about her fellow countrymen, while her growing attachment to her Swedish roots increases her resolve to win the competition herself. Grappling with long-held notions of family, friendship, and loveānot to mention her feelings for the distractingly handsome Swedish cameraman whoās been assigned to follow her aroundāPaulie starts to reconsider her past and rethink what she wants for the future. A fish-out-of-water tale filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, Big in Sweden is at its heart a love love for family, friends, country, andāmost importantlyāoneself.
From the wildly popular bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things: a heartfelt and inspiring story about a wealthy widow who revives a beloved famous local landmarkāand restores joy and sparkle to her own life in the process.
Itās never too late to start dancing again…
For fifty years, Venetia Hargreavesās world revolved around her husband. She built their life around his big career, with dinner on the table at six, a lovely home, and a dutiful son just as business-minded as his father. Now Venetiaās a wealthy widow left with a beautiful but empty home, an enviable bank balance, and a distinct feeling that she missed the boat. Once upon a time, she was a dance instructor who dreamed of opening her own ballroom school with a fellow teacher who won her heart. Instead, Venetia chose the safer path.
So, at seventy-four years of age, Venetia declares her independence, first with a makeover, and then by adopting a new dog. But something is still missing…until on one of her dog walks by the river she passes by a building she remembers all too well. In her youth it was the spectacular Phoenix Ballroom, where she used to teach waltzes and tangos. These days itās a community center and spiritualist church, funded by a mysterious benefactor who only pays for the upkeep.
Eager to revive at least one meaningful thing from her past, Venetia buys the Phoenix Ballroom, and finds a supportive and loving community of lost souls who become a delightful multigenerational family-by-choice.
As the ballroom regains its former glory, the community and Venetiaās humdrum life are revived as well…proving wonderful things can come from the darkest of places.
A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fictionā¦ literally.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men donāt leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why sheās so set on going to her annual book club retreat this yearāshe needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gesturesāno matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like itās right out of a novelā¦
Because it is.
This place canāt be real, and yetā¦ sheās here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy storeās honey taffy is always sweet, the local barās burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. Itās perfectāand perfectly frozen, trapped in the late authorās last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure thatās why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she canāt placeāa grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the townās happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
A bestselling author finds love and second chances in the stacks of a quaint beach town bookshop
Author Shelby Archer found inspiration for her first novel while living on the picturesque shores of Provincetown on Cape Cod. When she comes to the town to celebrate her new bestseller, she is expecting a warm homecoming. But instead she is confronted with the cold shoulders of friends and neighbors who feel exposed and betrayed.
Heartbroken, Shelby tries to move on and focus on her next novel. But then an unexpected call comes: her dear friend who owns the beloved Land’s End bookshop needs help for the summer. Shelby reluctantly returns to the Cape to manage the store.
Back at the beach, Shelby sets her focus on the tiny seaside shop, getting lost in the shelves of steamy romance novels and dusty classics and trying to right the wrongs of her past. With every page turned and every customer served, Shelby comes closer to gaining back the trust of those she hurt. But as her manuscript deadline nears, she is again forced to choose between her own success and a second chance at love and belonging.
Two best friends who havenāt spoken in ten years pretend to date after break-ups with their respective exes go viral, in this delightfully fun and deeply emotional new novel from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.
But after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their ownāa photo of them together has the internet convinced they’re a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help Juneās shop get back on its feet and make Leviās ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they’re in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time.
Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved. Because everyone knows fake dating doesnāt come with real feelings. Right?
A Season of Perfect Happiness fundamentally questions what makes a āgoodā mother, with a propulsive and heartrending portrayal of one womanās efforts to find her voice.Ā Ten years after an unspeakable tragedy caused Claire to flee her hometown in Delaware, she finally feels content. She has a quiet, tidy life in Wisconsin, a place she picked at random for its shape on a map. Her careful existence centers on a simple keep her social circle small and keep the past a secret. But when she meets Erikāa lighthearted theater nerd who gives Claire more of a chance than sheās given herself in a long timeāthat plan seems increasingly impossible, especially after she finds herself emotionally entangled not only with Erik, but with his ex-wife, Annabelle; their three young children; and a small set of friends, the kind sheād always wanted to have around her. Life after the accident can be full of joy, Claire realizesāgoing on a date to see a thousand-pound pig at the state fair, giggling over obscure inside jokes with friends at a music gig, making smoothies while the kids wear their infamous cooking hats. Being a partner, a best friend, a mother. But when a person from her past arrives, Claireās worst mistake threatens her new life, and the deep friendships sheās made hang in the balance. If Claire chooses to share the parts of herself she has kept locked away for so long, will the family she has built still recognize herāand have a place for her? Or will everything she has spent the last decade working toward fall apart?
From the author of The Littlest Library āa heartwarming novel about a widowed childrenās book author who moves into a cottage in the English countryside and finds herself face-to-face with the handsome and brooding blacksmith who lives next door. In her books she can write āhappily ever afterāābut real life?Ā Thatās another matterā¦ For childrenās book author Imogen, an idyllic life in the English countryside seems like the perfect fit for her and her husband. But when tragedy strikes, Imogen is left widowed, and finds herself moving into Storybook Cottage alone with only her monstrously narcissistic cat for company. After discovering she is pregnant, Imogen grows determined to embrace a new start in Middlemass, with its duckpond, cricket matches and village fĆŖtes. The only thing Imogen canāt seem to shake is her neighborāa brooding, artisan blacksmith named Zachāwho she canāt quite decide is friend or foe. That is until she realizes, thanks to an arcane clause in her deeds, that Zach is not just an artist, but lord of the local manor house. He has the power to take her home and leave her completely broke. Devastatinglyāhe seems keen to do exactly that. Yet, Imogen finds herself drawn to him nonetheless. And in her darkest hour, Zach may just be the bright spot to save Imogen in more ways than one.
Follow Gertie MacIntyre from knitting circle to air stewardess in this glorious and romantic summer novel set in Scotlandās windswept Northern isles, by beloved New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan.
In the northernmost reaches of Scotland, where a string of little islands in the North Sea stretches towards Norway, lives Gertie MacIntyre, a proud island girl by birth. Her social circle is small but family and friends, particularly the women in her knitting circle. In the whitewashed cottages of their hometown, everyone knows everyone, and the ladies of the knitting circle know more than most. In a place of long dark winters and geographic isolation, the knitting circle is a precious source of gossip, home, laughter, and comfort for them all. And while she knits, Gertieās busily plotting what to do with the rest of her life.
When Gertie develops a crush on Callum Frost, who owns the local airline, she dares herself to take a job as an air stewardess on the little plane that serves the local islands. Terrifying at first, the sixteen-seat puddle jumper also offers the first taste of real freedom sheās ever known. Will Gertieās future lie in the skies? Or will she need to go further afield to find the adventure she craves?
An unsuspecting artist uncovers her late motherās secrets and unravels her own hidden past in a beguiling novel by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.
Months after her mother passes away, artist Tillie Morrisey sees a painting in a gallery that leaves her inexplicably lightheaded and unsteady. When a handsome stranger comes to her aid, their connection is so immediate it seems fated, though Liam is only visiting for a few days.
Working on her own art has always been a refuge, but after discovering a document among her motherās belongings that suggests Tillieās life has been a lie, she begins to suffer from a series of fugue states, with memories surfacing that she isnāt even sure are her own. As her confusion and grief mount, and prompted by a lead on the painting that started it all, Tillie heads to a seaside village in England. There, she hopes to discover the source of her uncanny inspirations, sort out her feelings about Liam, and unravel truths that her mother kept hidden for decades.
The fluidity of memory, empowering strength of character, beauty of nature, and love of family braid together in this artful tapestry of a novel.
If youāre reading this email, I am dead. I know this will sound strange, but someone has been trying to kill me.
Liv and Gabe Ahlstrom are estranged siblings who havenāt seen each other in years, but thatās about to change when they receive a rare call from their older brotherās wife. āMack is dead,ā she says. āHe died of a seizure.ā Five minutes after they hang up, Liv and Gabe each receive a scheduled email from their dead brother, claiming that he was murdered.
The siblings return to their family run resort in the Northwoods of Minnesota to investigate Mack’s claims, but Leech Lake has more in store for them than either could imagine. Drawn into a tangled web of lies and betrayal that spans decades, they put their lives on the line to unravel the truth about their brother, their parents, themselves, and the small town in which they grew up. After all, no one can keep a secret in a small town, but someone in Leech Lake is willing to kill for the truth to stay buried.
New York Times bestselling and Emmy award-winning author Matt Goldman returns with a gripping, emotional thrill ride in this compelling story on grief and uncovering the past before itās too late.
All NEW from the #1 Bestselling Author Shari Low When all seems lost, hope remains…
Val Murray has mislaid her most precious mementoes of the people sheās loved and lost. Can her family, the wonders of technology and a little divine intervention somehow mend her shattered heart?
Sophie Smith had to take a rain check on a marriage proposal. Will her bid to turn back the clock lead her to her greatest love or yet another heartbreak?
Alice McLenn stood by her husband, Larry when a scandal cost them everything. When he hits the headlines again, Alice has an opportunity to leave ā but can she find the strength to finally walk away?
Rory Brookes was forced to turn his back on his parents to save his career and marriage. Now, heās lost his job and wife on the same day. Is it too late to make amends with the one person who never let him down?
Three days. Four broken hearts. Just one weekend to make them whole again.
From the acclaimed author of Georgie, All Along and Love Lettering, a pitch-perfect, radiantly transporting love story about an unexpected road trip, true crime obsessions, and hard won vulnerabilityā¦
āPoignant, observant, tender, and deeply romantic. Clayborn takes what she does best and goes deeper, deftly braiding mystery and family drama with an absorbing romance in her trademark lyrical voice. This book is everything.āāCHRISTINA LAUREN, New York Times bestselling authors of The True Love Experiment
Hairstylist Jess Greene has spent the last decade raising her younger half-sister, Teganāand keeping a shocking secret. Ever since their reckless mother ran off with a boyfriend sheād known only a few months, Jess has been aware that heās the same accomplished con man who was the subject of a wildly popular podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore.
Now thirty-one, Jess didnāt bargain on Tegan eventually piecing together the connection for herself. But Tegan plans to do exactly what Jess has always fearedāleave their safe, stable home to search for their motherāand sheāll be accompanied by the prying podcast host and her watchful, handsome producer, Adam Hawkins. Unwilling to let the sister sheās spent so much of her life protecting go it alone, Jess reluctantly joins them.
Together, the four make their way across the country, unraveling the mystery of where the couple disappeared to and why. But soon Jess is discovering other things too. Like a renewed sense of vulnerability and curiosity, and a willingness to expand beyond the walls sheās so carefully built. And in Adam, she finds an unexpected connection she didnāt even know was missing, if only she can let go and let him in . . .
āA laugh-out-loud funny romance with depth and heart, readers will love this spellbinding novel!ā āDebbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Is he the real dealā¦or did she truly summon a golem?
Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy.
Not that she needs one. Sheās definitely happy alone.
That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe herāpottery. A golem protector is just what her town needsā¦and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man canāt hurt, right?
When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be trueāif you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memoryā¦
But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Gregās sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.
So, What do you think of my choices? Have you read any of my 20? Which one do you think I will start with? Iād love to hear what you think and I canāt wait to see your lists. If you are joining in, grab the image for your blog and donāt forget to tweet along at #20booksofsummer ā hereās to a great summer of reading!