Tag: romance

Favorite Author – Susanna Kearsley

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I first fell in love with Susanna Kearsley’s stories with The Winter Sea and she’s captivated me ever since. It’s historical fiction, with varying degrees of romance and time travel, at its best. She reminds me of Diana Gabaldon in many ways.

The first book I read by her was The Winter Sea. I heard her tell someone that this is what some consider her ‘gateway’ book to introduce new readers to her work. If you want to judge her by the company she keeps these are the authors who wrote blurbs for the cover of the lastest book; Diana Gabaldon, Ariel Lawhon, Sarah Penner, Barbara Erskine, Susan Elia MacNeal.

If you like stories with historical intrigue, a little bit of magic and a hint of romance, and lots of great research holding it all together, she’s for you! I was able to meet her last year when she came to a local library to promote her latest book. She was every bit as wonderful in person as I’d hoped she’d be.

The Winter Sea (Slains 1) from my review in 2013

Satisfied. I finished this book tonight and I am completely satisfied.  I was drawn into the story right away.  Scotland, both now and in 1908, is an appealing setting and the idea of a successful woman being able to pick up and move anywhere in the world to world is exciting.  I admit to being a little confused in the earlier chapters by all of the people and politics of 1708, but I got a handle on most of them and dismissed the others until they became useful in the story.

I was rooting for Carrie and Sophia to find love and happiness. I was sure of Carrie’s fate and hopeful for Sophia, but I did get nervous.  I also kind of love that Sophia’s happy ending did not include everything she wanted.  I shed tears and that’s not something I do often when reading a novel.

My love of genealogy was celebrated and Carrie’s discovery of ancestral memory was a fun one to consider.  We all know we share DNA with our ancestors, why not the memories of them too?  It’s safe to say that we won’t come close to this romantic notion in our own experience, but it is fun to dream.

A book full of love, political intrigue, strong women, strong men, mystery, and both storylines were good.   I wish there’d been more of Carrie’s story but that’s because I’m greedy.  I didn’t want it to end!

The Firebird (Slains 2)

I loved The Winter Sea and this is a continuation of that story. I didn’t love it as much as its predecessor for one big reason. It also tells two stories, a modern one that links to a historical one, but in this book the modern story is not at all engaging. It involves two people who can read minds and travel in time by using their paranormal abilities. It was just to hard for me to care about Nicola and to a lesser extent, Rob. They could do too much. It was too easy. This was pretty much the first third of the book so I made a slow go of it. Once we got to Anna’s story in Imperial Russia, I loved it! Anna is the true star and I loved every minute of her adventures.

The Vanished Days (Slains 3)

This was my least favorite of all of her books. If she hadn’t written it I would have given up on it before the halfway point. There was a nice twist at the end that was a reward for making it that far, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Mariana, one of my favorites, from my thoughts in 2017, the only one of her books I’ve read twice.

Here were my first thoughts on Goodreads when I finished this one, “My love affair with Susanna Kearsley continues. This was one of her first books and it may be my favorite so far. I didn’t want it to end. I was worried that the ending would be all wrong. But it wasn’t. It was perfect.”  There is something so magical and romantic about her stories.  There is history, romance, and a perfect sense of place in all of her books.  This one also felt a little like a ghost story.

Julia was sure she’d found her house and she packed up and moved from London to a small English village without a second thought.  She was a children’s book illustrator and was able to make a few friends right away just as she was being transported back in time at unpredictable times.

It’s tricky when you are going back and forth between time periods and characters.  Inevitably, you are drawn more to one story than the other.  This one did a great job of tying the two together so I was invested in both.  Was this book, the first time she tried the time travel travel romance, perfect? No.  Was it perfect enough to have me rereading the last few chapters again and again because I wasn’t quite ready for it to end?  A resounding YES!

The King’s Messenger set in 1613 Scotland.

I love all of Susanna Kearsley’s books, but this is a favorite. King James has tasked Andrew Logan to find Sir David Moray and bring him back to the king to answer for the death of the prince. I LOVED the group making their way to the king while trying to escape from groups with competing interests.

There’s history, love in all its forms, second site, betrayal, respect, loyalty, and revenge. It’s fun and left me feeling satisfied for the futures of the characters. The authors note at the end tells what is based on truth (quite a bit) and what was made up in the mind of a gifted storyteller.

A Desperate Fortune, from my 2020 review

Sara, as explained early on, has Asperger syndrome.  Her best friend is her cousin, who is offering her a chance at a code breaking job in Paris.  A famous writer wants her to decipher an almost 300 year old diary and she accepts since she is between jobs.  She gets put up at a nice home with a cook and with a good looking man who catches her eye as a neighbor.  She begins to uncover Mary’s story, one that could easily be called a thriller, and it’s there that this book finds its heart.

I liked Sara and enjoyed the honest portrayal of a character on the autism spectrum, but it was Mary that had me turning the pages, hoping that she would get her happily ever after.  For a girl abandoned by her family and then used to curry favor, she was easy to love.  In the 1700s a trek from Paris to Italy was fraught with danger, especially when you were caught with a man who recognized the bounty on the head of her travel companions.  I won’t spoil Mary’s end, but I will say that it was fitting.

Kearsley is a master at the dual storylines set in different time periods.  Usually the storylines match up a bit better than they do in this one and there is most often more of a mystical aspect, but I was still happy to be reading.  

The Shadowy Horses, from my 2019 review

I fell in love with Susanna Kearsley’s storytelling with The Winter Sea which connected to The Firebird which is connected to this one.  They are all standalones, but you’ll recognize the Roman soldiers from this one in The Winter Sea and Robbie from this book appears all grown up in The Firebird.  Just go ahead and read them all (you know you want to).

Verity makes a temporary move from London to Eyemouth, Scotland, a border town with a rich history.  She is to help find evidence that the famed Ninth Roman Legion had been there.  Archeological digs are not that exciting when they’re just starting out, so the slower pace allows Verity to get a feel for the new place and the new people who will feel like family before all is said and done. While most of Kearsley’s stories have contained dual story lines, one in the past and one in the present, this one was different with just a modern story and one active ghost.

Kearsley is one of my favorites. I always enjoy the trip into her magical worlds. This one had history, mystery, danger, just a touch of romance, and some paranormal shenanigans. 

The Bellewether, from my 2019 review

This was my first book of the year and it took me a while to become invested in the three characters whose stories make up Bellewether.  Charley who moved to the area so that she could live with her niece after the untimely death of her brother, took a job as museum director of the under construction Wilde House.  There she encountered maybe my favorite character of the book, the ghost.  There was also a cute contractor and some animosity toward the grandmother she’d never met who lived nearby.

As for the 1700’s storyline, we move between Lydia and Jean-Philippe’s perspective as the former tries to come to grips with unwanted houseguests and brothers with problems of their own.  Jean-Philippe only spoke French, so for much of the book he didn’t communicate freely.

I liked getting a deeper understanding of the war and what was happening in the region.  Some of these characters were based on real people or compilations which made the story richer, but maybe not quite as fanciful as I’d hoped.  There was romance, sure, but most of Kearsley’s books feel magical and this one didn’t quite get there for me.  It’s still good and I really enjoyed the multitude of characters and history.  My favorite ghost saved the day and the end was excellent and worth reading 400+ pages.

Season of Storms, from my 2018 review

Any book that takes me to Italy starts as a winner and when Kearsley does it, well, don’t talk to me until I’ve turned the last page. This one felt different than all of her others, there was a gothic atmosphere that I always like. I liked the setting and the dark nature of it, Italy and Kearsley will always save a bad day.

Named of the Dragon, from my 2018 review

Susanna Kearsley is a perfect escape for me.  I fall into a different world, both geographically and historically, get a little romance (never too much), and close the book with a smile on my face a little smarter than when I started. This book took me to a small village in Wales, where literary agent, Lyn, is accompanying one of her clients to her boyfriend’s home for Christmas.  He happens to be a successful author and Lyn hopes she can land him as a client.  He also has a cute brother, but the real thrill is when she discovers one time flavor of the month writer, Gareth, hiding himself from the literary crowd.

Splendour Falls, from my 2015 review

Kearsley has officially become a comfort read for me.  This was my third read from her and each of them has left me satisfied and happy.  There is always a back story that takes place in another time that connects with the current story in some way.  This book had less of the back story, which I think it suffered for, but the mystery, romance, and yes, evil all combined to make this a fun read. 

The essence of the setting is always so easily felt and her writing is so accessible that once I get started I find it hard to put down.  There were so many potential bad guys in this one that I didn’t really have and handle on it until late in the game, but those smarter than I probably figured it out much sooner.

The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden was set on the Cornish coast with Eva traveling between today and the time of the Jacobite Rebellion. I had to resist the urge to peek at the last page to see how things ended up. Rest assured, everything was good.

This one had an extra twist to the time travel storyline that was as confusing to my brain as it was a fun twist at the end.

The Deadly Hours

This book is a collaboration with three other women, none of whom I’ve read before. I’m going to ruin the surprise and tell you that I loved this.

There once was a watch made from cursed gold and it ruined the lives of all who touched it. The four women seamlessly tell the tale of the watch, from its inception in 1700s Spain (Kearsley), to 1831 Scotland (Huber), 1870 London (Trent), and finally to 1944 Kent (Harris). The authors use characters from their previous books or series which will make their readers happy, but didn’t confuse me when I wasn’t familiar. It only made me want to read more about them.

You can see who else is on my Top 100 Authors list here.

October Reads

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A slow reading month with only eight books, but given the craziness of the month it’s a win! October had two birthdays (mine and Gage’s), one anniversary (our 27th wedding anniversary), and a wedding trip/vacay to Colorado where the three of us and my mom watched my cousin’s daughter (and one of my flower girls) get married. Oh, and we also added a 2 pound furball to the house, making this a 3 cat house, and one of the other cats, Razzi, had to have surgery. I’m honestly looking forward to a more low key November!

Spotlight!

Not a Free Ion by Elinor Wilder. 112 pages, 2025

My friend wrote a book! This novella is a set up for the series and I’m so proud of her! Not a Free Ion is a novella that sets up the Claw Ridge Mountains community that is home to wolf shifter packs. It’s a love story with a shifter who lost his sense of smell and a neurodivergent woman who has always loved him. They finally get there second chance when the stakes are high.

I’m not usually into wolf shifters or novellas BUT this was a fun introduction to the first book, where I’ve had the privilege to read a few early chapters. If you do like shifter stories, go ahead and show some love to my friend by reading this one. The opening rescue chapters will have you hooked from page one.

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgans. 435 pages, 2019

This was my favorite book of the month by one of my favorite authors. A widowed matriarch who is dying, a granddaughter once cast away now invited back with the promise of a sizeable inheritance for her daughter, and an absent son/father who still has a role in the story.

I loved watching Emma come into her own as she went back to the place she was raised and where her one and only love still lived with his new family. I liked hearing Genevieve’s voice as she told her story and the purified air way she had at looking at the world. I also loved that the mystery of the missing, presumed dead son was just a small part of the story and that when the truth finally became known it was almost a surprise I wasn’t sure was going to happen.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. 389 pages, 2022

I really liked this age gap, social disparity romance. I loved watching kind hearted, somewhat clueless Alexis of a medicine dynasty fall in love with Daniel and the small town he lived in. I also fell in love with Daniel, the man of many hats, and the close-knit small town that needed and embraced Alexis.

This did address abuse both emotional and physical, which I appreciated. Too many girls/women can’t see the emotional abuse after they’ve accepted it as fact. Any story that can save girls from those relationships is one that should be shared widely.

In Polite Company by Gervais Hagerty. 368 pages, 2021

Simons is a Charleston blue blood who always feels out of place. When she starts questioning her engagement to the perfect man according to her family she must make a choice.

I loved the Charleston setting and all of the ins and outs of the elites that live there. The story was part family ties and part dating horror stories and it moved along at a good pace. The grandma’s story of being brave was a nice through line.

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida. 297 pages, 2023

The book is a collection of stories with a central location, the Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto. The clinic can only be found when a person is struggling with life and the doctor only ever prescribes one thing, a cat!

Such a charming story with each chapter the name of the prescribed cat with a picture. Cat lovers will like the sweetness of a cat being able to cure all ills.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center. 309 pages, 2025

Zany scenes told with wit and humor are a Katherine Center gift. Her latest, the Lover Haters, has that along with a perfect specimen of a man and a woman dealing with body issues. Oh, and a large Great Dane who is involved in much of the story.

This was fun and I liked it. Not my favorite of hers, I like my men with at least as many flaws as I have, but still good.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. 279 pages, 2006

Gage and I read the second Percy Jackson together. It’s slow going with school starting, but we did it! And he’s willing to continue so that’s the best thing

I still like how these books make mythology fun and are educating as well as entertaining. I’m looking forward to the next one just as much as he is!

The Dark Side by Danielle Steel. 288 pages, 2019

So, this is my first Danielle Steel book in decades and, wow, it was not what I was expecting! I am not a big believer in trigger warnings and am sure I would have ignored them if there’d been any, but this book was just one big trigger for me.

My trigger warnings for you includes sick children and lots of child ER visits. I found no joy in this book from beginning to end, so if you like those types of books, have at it 😆

I don’t often post about books I don’t really like, but given how much it bothered me I thought I’d warn you.

May Reads

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Another month where I’ve largely neglected my space here. Sigh. I don’t know if it’s going to get any better with Gage home for the summer, but we’ll see.

I read 12 books, with 4 thrillers being my most loved category. This is mainly because I’m caught in a Mickey Haller bubble as I read books 2-4 of the series. It’s June 3rd and I’ve finished the 5th already, lol. I also read 2 fiction, 2 non-fiction, 2 YA, 1 historical romance, 1 picture book.

5 Stars

Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh. Buddhism/Spirituality, 128 pages, 1987

“Learn to look at other beings with the eyes of compassion”. “The first time I recited the Lotus Sutra, when I came to these words, I was silenced. I knew that these words are enough to guide my whole life.”

“Understanding and love aren’t two separate things…to develop understanding you have to practice looking at all living beings with the eyes of compassion. When you understand you love.”

“I myself feel Ike I cannot get along with this society very well. There are so many things that make me want to withdraw, to go back to myself… but I am aware that if I leave society, I will not be able to change it. That is our only hope for peace.”

“We will respect the right of others to be different and to choose what to believe and how to decide. We will, however, help others to renounce fanaticism and narrowness through compassionate dialogue.”

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly. Mystery/Thriller. 422 pages, 2008

This is the second book in the Mickey Haller series. It picks up about a year after the first and it’s the basis of season 1 of the Netflix series. I loved it and thought it was way better than the first.

At the end of the first book, defense attorney Mickey is shot. He has multiple surgeries and ends up addicted to pain killers. After rehab he’s just thinking of going back to work when he inherits a practice and all of his clients from a murdered colleague. And one of them is a a doozy. To my surprise, Harry Bosch is in this one quite a bit. I wasn’t expecting that since he wasn’t in the series at all. And that twist at the end was fun!

The Reversal by Michael Connelly. Thriller/Mystery, 389 pages, 2010

This is book 3 and it’s a good one. Mickey becomes a special prosecutor and makes sure he works with his ex-wife and Bosch. The case was good and had one of those shocking scenes that we all read thrillers for. Twisty turns and a legit evil bad guy keep Mickey and Company on their toes. 

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly. Thriller/Mystery, 421 pages, 2011

This is book 4 in the Mickey Haller series and is the basis for season 2 of the Netflix series. There were quite a few significant changes to the plot, but they weren’t necessarily bad. Mickey and company are spending their time and efforts on forclosure defense, seeing how long they can keep clients in theirs homes before the banks force them out. One of these clients gets jailed for murder and all of the sudden Mickey is back on a big case. The twist at the end was a good one, even if I knew it was coming because of the show.

My review of Somewhere Beyond the Sea is here.

4 stars

The Skin Collector by Jeffery Deaver. Thriller, 430 pages, 2013

Book 11 in the Lincoln Rhyme series.

Lincoln Rhyme was a brilliant criminologist for the NYPD until he was injured in the line of duty and now is a consultant on major cases. Amelia, an NYPD detective and the the love of Lincoln’s life, is asked to look at the body of a woman who has been tattooed with poison ink. The pair and their friends are on the case and in danger. A solid addition to the series.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. Historical Romance, 360 pages, 2007

The first book in the Hathaways series.

Amelia and her siblings just became wealthy beyond their imaginations, but keeping their brother from gambling it away will be a challenge. Enter Cam, a well respected ‘gypsy’ and Amelia begins to feel a support and caring she’s never had. I love this series and was happy to reread this one for a book club discussion. Kleypas is an automatic read when I come across her books.

3 1/2 Stars

Maya Angelou: The Poetry of Living by Margaret Courtney-Clarke, Non-fiction, 132 pages, 1999

Maya Angelou was a force and her strength and raw honesty was a beacon for so many around the world. Watching her perform Still I Rise is still one of my favorite poetry experiences.

This gift book is a lovely tribute to the author/speaker. It has some words by her, but it’s really the words of those close to her that make this book special. That and the gorgeous photographs. If you’re a Maya fan this one’s for you.

“She knows what we were born to discover. Every moment is important to her, and she brings to each her love and laughter, and passion for beauty, for life. She creates a world of caring around her and sees that it is good; each smile, each touch, each kindness offered, mirroring the grace of God. That’s our beloved Maya.” Susan Taylor

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. YA, 277 pages, 2007

Where do we go after we die? In this YA novel we all go to the island of Elsewhere. When 15 year old Liz ends up there living with the grandmother she never met she is resentful, but eventually she accepts her fate.

What’s so special about Elsewhere? You age backwards from the day you arrive. When you reach newborn status you are sent back to the land of the living to enter a new body. So essentially, you get two lives. I love the concept of the book and as a YA book it works. It left too many unanswered questions for me to love it. But the pet dogs that made it to Elsewhere did steal my heart.

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. YA, 304 pages, 2021

I’ve read and loved two other Nicola Yoon young adult books. They are heavy on romance with lots of real life issues to ground them. Surprisingly, this one had a touch of magical realism and I wasn’t mad about it 😁 Evie has grown up reading romance and her visit to a Little Free Library was the catalyst for her finding a superpower and love. I lover her openness to try something bold and new, but her acceptance of her new ‘gift’ baffled me and she treated two of her best buds horribly. The takeaway of the book is a strong one and the ending was unexpected so that made up for some of my issues.

3 Stars

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. Fiction, 240 pages, 2020

Who wouldn’t want to go to a cafe run by talking cats giving real deal life advice? This Japanese bestseller is a quick fun read following the intersecting lives of four people who really need a cat god’s perspective.

I think it would be a fun book club book since it breaks down the stages of life and the astrology of our births. Fun things to talk about among friends. I didn’t love it, but again, I’m not one to complain about spending time at cat cafe.

Mischief in Tuscany by Nancy Shroyer Howard, art, 48 pages, 2008

Such a creative and fun kids book! It takes the fresco by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, The Effects of Good Governance in the City and Countryside, and makes a story. Using the original fresco the pig becomes the main character as we travel through the artwork. His exuberance was infectious.

I thought it was fun and it’s a perfect way to get kids to look at art differently and maybe inspire their own creativity.

February Reads

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I read 12 books this month, bringing my total to 22 for the year. I’m disappointed that I didn’t get more read for Black History Month, with only four. I’m also not reading as much nonfiction as I wanted to this year with only 2 each month.

My favorite books were the Dear Martin and Dear Justyce by Nic Stone. I reviewed them here and here.

I finished the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French with

The Likeness. Book 2. Cassie from In the Woods has started dating a fellow detective and things are going well, but she can’t resist the call to the murder squad when an undercover case seems tailor made for her. There’s a murdered young woman who looks just like Cassie and Mackey convinces her to go and live with the clan-like circle of friends at their house and try to pass herself off as the dead girl. Yeah, it’s a little much, but just go with it. Cassie becomes a little too entrenched and too comfortable.

This wasn’t my favorite, mainly because of how much of a stretch it was, but it was still a fascinating look at a group or friends looking for family.

AND

The Trespasser. Book 6. Stephen Moran and Antoinette Conway are back from the last book and the pressure in on. They are given a murder case and told it is a domestic slam dunk. But both are new and wary. When they dig a little deeper, it’s going to make them even less popular in the squad room. I thought one of the storylines at the very end was a fitting way to finish off the series without too much fanfare. I wish there were more!

My book club reads…

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. One day Lauren wakes up in her London area home with a husband who appeared out of her attic. When she sends him up again a different husband comes back down. This goes on for a while as she tries on different lives with different men. What makes her send one back and what if they refuse to go?

It’s a fun concept. I wish it had been a little deeper on some levels, but each new husband brought new excitement so I was never bored.

Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. Josh + Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is a fun friends to lovers, second chance love story. Hazel’s newish best friend has a party and she finds out that her college crush is her BFs brother.

Hazel has one of those quirky, larger than life personalities and I loved her. I loved how she embraced who she is. As Josh and Hazel become friends and start to double date it’s the sweet, fun romance that I wanted. Don’t worry there was a little spice too!

Nonfiction

Book Nooks: Inspired Ideas for Cozy Reading Corners and Stylish Book Displays by Dina, Gilhuly, and Achilleos. A high quality coffee table book for book lovers! The photos are gorgeous and there are book lists from well known authors.

Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman’s Case for Equality and Respect by Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford. Miss Mary Hamilton was a school teacher and a Freedom Rider in the 1960s, given the nickname Red by Martin Luther King Jr. She was arrested many times but her refusal to not answer to Mary in court went all the way to the Supreme Court. Now, thanks to Miss Hamilton, you must be addressed with the respect of your title in the courtroom.

Fiction

Murder Road by Simone St. James. You’ve just gotten married and are driving to your honeymoon hotel when you see a girl on the side of the road at 3 am and decide to pick her up. What could go wrong? Answer: Quite a lot. This isn’t the only hitchhiker this road has seen and it only gets more sinister when they get to town.

I loved this couple. April had secrets, Eddie did too, and together they were broken people. I wouldn’t even mind reading another book about what they’re up to in the future.

It’s Simone St. James so you know there’s going to be some supernatural stuff happening. Not too much and not too little. Just enough to be spooky.

YA

Slay by Brittney Morris. Discussions about race wrapped up in a gaming story will surely appeal to older teens. Gage is reading this for school and I read it with him.

Picture Books

January Reads

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I’ve read 10 books this month. Four were mystery/thrillers, three romances, two non-fiction, and one fiction. Well on my way to my 100 goal for the year. Most amazingly, I’ve actually shared my thoughts about each of them here this month!

My favorite

This will not hit the same for everyone. I’ve read some of the issues people have had with it, BUT it did so much right! The disappearance of the father is what keeps this first person narrative moving along, but there are so many other things happening. Mia, the narrator, gives neurospicy vibes, which I love, but it’s her non-speaking younger brother with Angleman Syndrome that brings accurate representation to all kinds of families. There are studies about happiness and a biracial element too. You will be rooting for a happy ending for this family. my review here

Good Stuff

In my quest to read more current nonfiction this year, I picked this up at the library. It’s written by a woman diagnosed with autism as an adult and she shares some of the current thinking on the front lines of the neurodivergent. The numbers are abysmal. If you are neurodivergent your chance of having a job are so low it makes this mama want to cry. Also, the life expectancy is in the 30s. 30s! Something needs to change. my review here

This is the 4th and final book in a historical romance series set in London. The series revolves around three friends who bond over their love of riding. This last one, may have been my favorite because it was about two people finding comfort in each other. The hero was in a wheelchair and the heroine started going gray as a child so her desirability was low. A sweet romance. my review here

While the last romance was more about feelings, this one was a bit more on the physical attraction, enemies to lovers side. I had issues with some of it, but I really liked that this got messy and still managed a happily ever after. my review here

This was my first book of the year and it was a twisty fun thriller. A woman who lies for a living gets played. my review here

I love Anita Shreve and am working my way through her backlist. Her writing mesmerizes me 🙂 In this one a widow and a divorcee is staying with a family on Cape Cod to tutor the teen daughter. There are also two brothers, a caring father, and hateful mother. my review here

If you need a restart or a jolt to your daily life, this is a nice place to start. Meditation and mindfulness are the themes, but there are also studies and ways to look at the world and the people in it. Buddhism based, but good for anyone who wants to be more connected. my review here

These were okay

I didn’t realize this was the third in a series when I started it, but wish I had so I could have started with the first one. It was fine as a standalone, but probably would have been better if I’d read the first two. my review here

Kleypas is one of my favorite historical romance authors. This was the first book in the Wallflowers series, and as a first book it was fine. I didn’t particularly care that much for the heroine, but her other friends might prove more interesting. my review here

I didn’t care that much for it before the recent plane crash, but now it makes it almost impossible to talk about. A plane crashes into the ocean. You can read my review from a few weeks ago here.

This Week – New

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It’s that time of year that I’ve made some goals, including being more mindful with reviewing book and being more active with my blogger friends.

As a family we made vison boards together yesterday, a first. This morning Jason was in his first pickleball tournament at the new club in town and he WON! Gage and I checked out a new church based on the recommendation of a friend. It was decidedly different, but not in a bad way. The jury is still out. We recorded the results of Gage’s science fair project which involved him counting and trying to sprout various fruit seeds. So no we have a lot of sprouts and he wants to grow them all, lol. That’s a project for later.

On the blog

My 2024 favorite books

My 2024 favorite movies and shows

My first book of the year

Books

I finished my first book of the year yesterday, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

and my second one this morning, Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas.

Movies

We had a fairly chill New Year’s, all of us had covid over Christmas so we’re just getting back on track, and we watched JAWS with Gage. After we were a bit into the movie, he said he wasn’t a fan because they were gaslighting everyone about sharks, lol. He made it to the end, but described it as mid.

Shows

Jason and I started season 3 of The Diplomat this week. That marriage is a train wreck I can’t look away from.

Plans for the weekend

I hope we don’t don’t do much of anything else today, but Gage’s last day of winter break and we’re meeting friends for the movies.

What are your plans for the rest of the day?

2024 Romances

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I read 20 modern romances this year. My friend Karen @cover.to.bookcover runs a monthly online romance book club so at least handful were from that. I have my ongoing faves and new authors too.

YA Romance

I will read anything Nicola Yoon writes. Everything, Everything was great. Ali Hazelwood is another author I’ve enjoyed over the last few years and Check & Mate felt older than most teen books. Still a girl owning the chess circuit was pretty cool.

My Romance Go Tos

My old faithfuls came through for me this year. Funny Story by Emily Henry was, by far, my favorite romance of the year. If you don’t like romances, give this a try and tell me what you think. Katherine Center and Susan Elizabeth Phillips both had new books I loved. I read two Ashley Poston and I really liked The Seven Year Slip. Kristan Higgins has some fantastic backlist romances and I love both of the Gideon’s Cove books I read. Jasmine Guillory is a newer fave and I really liked By the Book, I guess a take on Beauty and the Beast but it didn’t quite read that way for me. Still good!

New To Me

And I read these authors for the first time and I’m already excited about reading more from them in 2025…Christina Lauren, Denise Williams, Mariana Zapata, and Tessa Bailey.

I read more, but I’ve mentioned the best ones.

What’s the last romance you read?

This Week – Books, books, and more books!

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This has been a very bookish week. It started with a Friends of the Library beard meeting. If you aren’t involved with your library Friends group (or they don’t have one) I encourage to check it out. We hosted our annual meeting event on Thursday night, a family poetry jam and it was so much fun.

On Wednesday I volunteered at the Cleveland Kids Book Bank with friends. A great nonprofit that takes used books in good condition and distributes them to the Cleveland area to schools or organizations that would like to send books home with kids who might not otherwise own books. We spent a few hours sorting.

I’ve been to library almost every day doing some prepping for our upcoming big fall book sale next week. After I get done with this post I’ll emailing all of the volunteers reminding them of their shifts. I have always loved library book sales and love coordinating these big ones. It takes a village for sure.

This week has been particularly bookish!

Posts you may have missed over the last few weeks…

Book vs. Movie – It Ends With Us

August Reads

Movies and Shows – July/August

Books I’ve finished in the last few weeks…

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. 4.25/5 stars. romance, 352 pages, 2024

I will be adding more Christina Lauren books to my TBR list. Fun and sexy with a bonafide hot multi millionaire as a fake husband. Sign me up (just don’t tell Jason). Did I totally buy the Cinderella-like transformation? No, but it was still fun.

Happy Place by Emily Henry. 4/5 stars, romance, 400 pages, 2023

The six friends meet once a year in Maine for a week at the cottage, but this year will be the last since the cottage has been sold. Harriet and Wyn are there, pretending to still be engaged, even though they broke up six months ago.

There’s more than just a broken romance. Friends who are family can break your heart just as easily and a week spent nursing lies and resentment can cause fireworks.

I’ve now read all five Emily Henry books. The few that I haven’t loved as much (still loved though) have had something in the end that felt unfinished. This felt a little rushed with some issues that needed more attention in the end, but I will still read everything she writes because she’s just that good.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas, 3.75/5 stars, fantasy, 757 pages, 2021

5th book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. (technically book #4)

What a fun ride this series is. Adventure, love, magic, lots of magic, death, battles, friendship, family, wings, winnowing, and a large cast of characters. This last one was from only two perspectives, Nesta and Cassian. I know after 751 pages I’m supposed to like Nesta, but I’m still not her biggest fan 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t dislike her but she’s got a lot of sharp edges that are willfully sharpened to slice. She did have a nice story progression in this one, but every few chapters she kept finding new miraculous powers and it seemed a bit much.

On the Screen…

We watched the 6 episode miniseries on Netflix. The Perfect Couple was a frilly, fun whodunit. Great cast and a beautiful Nantucket setting.

We watched season 1 of The Boys on Amazon. What a crazy, messed up ride this show is! Superheroes among us, only idolized and accepted without a check on their powers.

Plans for the weekend

We’re headed to the Guardians baseball game this afternoon. The last time I attended a game they were still the Indians so I’m excited!

What are you up to today?

Posting on the Sunday Salon.

Book vs. Movie – It Ends With Us

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I read this book at the end of 2022 and was apparently so busy at the time that I didn’t write a review of any sort. On Goodreads I said, “Perfect book to end the year on a high note.” On Instagram I included it in a post of 5 star reads. I took my mom to see the movie last week and we both liked it. Yes, I know some about the controversies surrounded the film, but they didn’t ruin my enjoyment at all. I think it’s best knowing that while there is a love story there is also a more serious theme. I think it’s fantastic that young women have a story like this as a cautionary, yet hopeful, tale.

So, now you know that I liked them both. But which did I like better? Let’s find out!

I’ll try to keep it spoiler free but read at your own risk.

The Story/Plot

We begin with Lily ‘delivering’ her father’s eulogy. When she returns back to Boston she has a rooftop encounter with Ryle, a very attractive neurosurgeon. Lily opens up her own flower shop and, unaware of the connection, hires Ryle’s sister to work for her.

We also see flashbacks to her teen years in Maine. Her parents have a violent relationship. Lily befriends Atlas, a boy from school who’s been kicked out of his house.

So as the story moves forward I feel that they are both fairly true to each other. The book features Lily’s diaries written to Ellen DeGeneres as a way to move the story forward, the movie doesn’t. I think that was a missed opportunity to enrich the story.

Thumbs up – Book

The Visual

So, I loved seeing Lily’s flower shop come to life onscreen. But, spoiler alert, the hot neurosurgeon was also fun to see come to life onscreen. It was steamy in all the right places.

Thumbs up – Movie

Characters vs. Actors

I thought Blake Lively was a good Lily and Brandon Sklenar was a good Atlas. Isabela Ferrer was a fantastic young Lily. I thought Justin Baldoni shined as Ryle and Jenny Slate sparkled as Allysa.

Thumbs Up – Both/Neither. I’m calling it a draw

The Ending

Most movies muck things up by changing an ending too much. In this case there were a few details changed, but it mostly got it right. But I didn’t like them leaving out visitation issues near the end. It may be a small thing, but it still missed an opportunity to show the story more truthfully.

Thumbs Up – Book

And the winner is…the BOOK! This was a close call because I really liked them both.

Other book vs. movie polls you can still vote on: (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) (The Sun is Also a Star) (We Have Always Lived in the Castle) (Good Morning, Midnight/The Midnight Sky) (Before I Go To Sleep) (The Little Prince) (Charlie St. Cloud) (Far From the Madding Crowd) (The Girl on the Train) (Tuck Everlasting)  (Northanger Abbey) (Me Before You) (And Then There Were None) (Still Alice) (The Blind Side) (The Fault in Our Stars) (The Hound of the Baskervilles) (Gone Girl) (Jack Reacher) (Ender’s Game) (Carrie, the original) (Under the Tuscan Sun) (The Secret Life of Bees) (The Shining, the original)

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

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The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston. 4.5 stars, Romance, 352 pages, 2023

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.

Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.

After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.

Clementine is publicist for a New York publishing company. James is a famous young chef. They’ve just met, haven’t they?

This took a few minutes for me to get in to since I thought I could see where it was going. And then it took a nice turn and I was hooked.

What happens when you meet in different times, 7 years apart. I loved this story of heartbreak and waiting, acknowledging that a person is never the same moment to moment. In love and life timing is everything. Romantic and sweet.

I listened to the audio and could have listened to him calling her Lemon all day long. Oh wait, I did that!

I did take off half a point for the somewhat slow start of the book.

Have you read it? Do you like time bending books?

I also loved her first book The Dead Romantics and gave it 5 stars last year.