Great reads for adults and children!
Well, we all have heard that cats have nine lives but do we really consider that? The author of this book did! Here is the story of a ghost cat who lives out all of its lives over the course of more than 100 years. This leads to much observation on the cat’s part and a good deal of entertainment for the reader.
This book will appear to those who enjoy cats and their points of view, history, Edinburgh and a quirky read.
Before Covid I had never read a book by Ms. Novak. I started with One Perfect Summer and just kept going, also reading Summer on the Island, The Bookstore on the Beach, and When I Found You. All of these were enjoyable women’s fiction titles; each had a good setting storyline and characters. So, of course, I was eager to read this new book by the author.
The story takes place in a seaside community. Three friends grew up there. Ivy stayed and runs the library. Cam stayed; he became a talented architect. Ariana worked in New York in the publishing industry; she comes back to spend time with her grandmother.
The three all know of a tragic event that occurred when they were in high school. A girl went missing. What will be stirred up as events from the past spill into the present?
This book is a bit more of a mystery but retains many elements of the author’s talent for writing women’s fiction. I enjoyed this novel but did think that it had a bit of a slow start.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
#TheBookSwap #NetGalley
The Book Swap was a delight to read. I very much enjoyed this story of two characters who got to know one another (even) better through sharing their thoughts about books and life. The device that the author uses is to have them each taking books from a little free community library and writing to one another in the margins. I found that I was always looking forward to see which book these two would be reading next; maybe this reflects the eagerness that they had as well.
Readers meet Erin. She has faced a great loss and has a unique way of coping (find out in the book). In a scene that many readers may envy, she quits her toxic work place despite not knowing what she will do next. Readers follow as she figures this out with a therapist sister often voicing her opinions.
James has his own difficulties. His mother suffers from mental illness and he periodically spends stretches of time with his parents to help out. James has a job that he does not love. What will he do about this?
Bonnie…well, read the book to find out who she is and what her role in the story is.
No spoilers so don’t want to go into how these characters intersect.
This book is not entirely light in nature but it is a consistently good read. I was always happy to settle down and spend time in the world of these characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 03 September 2024
#ReturntoVirginRiver #NetGalley
Robyn Carr wrote her first Virgin River novel back in 2007. Many books followed before Ms. Carr moved to other series including Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossings. Perhaps the author was inspired to return to Virgin Riven because of the TV series that is now on Netflix. Whatever the motivation, long term readers of the Virgin River novels will undoubtedly be happy to return. They know that they can count on good people, a nice community and a love story.
This novel is about Kaylee and Landry. Kaylee is an author of suspense novels who is experiencing writer’s block following the death of her mother. Through family friends, she chooses to travel to Virgin River in the hope that she will finish her novel. No spoiler to say that she does and even that she moves into a new genre, that she falls in love and that some unexpected things happen to her. That is the Virgin River formula.
Kaylee’s romantic foil is Landry, an artist and dog trainer. He helps Kaylee to overcome her fear of dogs and to move forward even as she recognizes that she will always miss her mom.
The relationship that Kaylee had with her mom is lovingly described and maybe even idealized a bit. I suspect that many readers will wish for the same closeness, acceptance and encouragement that Kaylee’s mom gave her.
There are other characters in Kaylee’s orbit but readers will perhaps most enjoy that the names of all the characters from the earlier novels are called out here. While many make an appearance, it is Jack and Mel who are most featured.
As an extra treat, the story is seasonal. Readers will enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas in this most perfect of towns. I especially enjoyed the description of the tree lighting.
This is a sweet novel. I don’t know if Robyn Carr will write about Virgin River again. Regardless, this novel is a gift to her fans.
An additional bonus in the novel is a section describing the making of the TV series and Ms. Carr’s visit to the set. There is also a long excerpt from one of her other novels.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable beach read about love, secrets, betrayal and the family we’re born into—and the one we choose for ourselves, perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Mary Kay Andrews.
What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?
While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she’s even prouder of her charismatic brother Rick, who rose from foster care through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Life takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana’s handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth’s days…and nights.
But when she catches Rick with another woman—like, with-with—her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother, or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.
Love and loyalty collide with secrets and betrayal in this witty and emotional tale about the lengths we’ll go to for family, from Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop.
Beth Nield had no choice but to admit that her sixty-seven-year-old aunt had a much more interesting love life than she did. Actual living proof of that sad fact sat at their shared breakfast table, eating a high-fiber cereal while watching the morning news.
Hunter was a still handsome seventy something who’d worked for the USPS his whole life, retiring with a very nice federal pension. But his “real” money had come from playing the stock market. She had no idea where the two had met, but this was the third morning this month she’d found Hunter eating a hearty breakfast after a night of, well, nothing she wanted to think about.
Despite the fact that Beth’s divorce had been final just over a year ago, she hadn’t been on a date. As for spending the night with a man, well, she couldn’t begin to imagine that ever happening. She’d been telling herself she didn’t need that sort of distraction and that relationships were more trouble than they were worth, but thinking about how happy her aunt was these days, she was starting to wonder if maybe she was wrong. Perhaps there was something to falling in love. Not that she’d ever had much luck in the romance department—her divorce was proof of that. Her brother hadn’t been successful in love, either. Maybe there was a genetic flaw.
Not anything she was going to think about this morning, she told herself firmly as she put her breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and called out a goodbye to Hunter.
While the Los Angeles metro area was known to be a nightmare traffic-wise, Beth had what could only be described as a glorious commute. She lived a mere twenty minutes from where she worked, and the majority of that drive was along Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu. Yes, there were plenty of annoying stoplights, and on the weekends, visitors clogged the roads, but it was difficult to mind when just to the west was the Pacific Ocean.
Although Malibu was known the world over, the LA-adjacent community was in fact much smaller than most everyone imagined. The actual population was less than twelve thousand people, with the majority of the businesses and houses clinging to the coast. There were canyons and hills that stretched east, but the area everyone thought of when they heard the name was within a couple of miles of the water.
Beth made the familiar drive with her windows open and the scent of the salt air brightening her day. The ocean was more lively today with whitecaps visible out to the horizon and seagulls circling overhead. A light breeze danced with the palm trees. This early, the beaches would be relatively empty, but by noon, they would fill with locals and tourists, all eager to enjoy nature’s beautiful offering.
When she pulled into her reserved spot behind Surf Sandwiches, the sight of the cheerfully painted one-story building filled her with fierce, happy pride. She might have bought the business out of a sense of obligation and a need to help her brother, but over the years, she’d grown to love the place. When she and Ian had divorced, he’d asked to buy her out of their house. She’d used the money to purchase the vacant storefront next door and had expanded her business, giving her a much larger eating area for customers and a remodeled kitchen and prep area, not to mention additional parking. The latter was a precious commodity in always congested Malibu.
She’d kept the surfboard rack and outdoor shower for her customers who came directly from the beach across the street, and had painted the outside the same bright, cheerful yellow she used on the logo. To make the remodel go more quickly, she’d closed for three weeks, giving her just enough time to second-guess herself and wonder if all her regulars would forget about their favorite sandwiches. But at the grand reopening, there’d been a line nearly around the block, and since the remodel, sales were up thirty-eight percent. Information that would make any small business owner’s heart flutter with joy.
She unlocked the back door and walked to the newly enlarged employee space. Big lockers filled one wall, with comfy sofas opposite. During the refresh, she’d added a couple of sets of tables and chairs and had upgraded the Wi-Fi. By giving up space in her office, she’d squeezed in a third bathroom—this one for employees only.
It was barely eight in the morning, three hours before the store opened, but Yolanda and Kai were already hard at work prepping for the upcoming day. Surf Sandwiches was open from eleven until seven. The biggest rush was from about eleven-thirty until one, with a second, surprisingly intense post-school surge, followed by a gentle wind-down until closing.
Yolanda, a pretty, petite brunette with more energy than the battery bunny and three kids under the age of ten, was her go-to morning person. Despite her tiny stature, she had a killer mom glare that could reduce anyone with attitude to submission in less than three seconds. Even more significant, she wielded the Hobart meat slicer with surgeon-like precision. Even Rick, Beth’s actual surgeon brother, agreed Yolanda had mad skills.
“Morning,” Beth called as she stepped into the kitchen. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” Yolanda smiled at her. “Kai’s a worker. I don’t mind when he comes in early.”
Kai, a twenty-two-year-old who’d walked away from family money to surf rather than go to college, beamed at the compliment. “Yo, that’s high praise. Makes me want to work harder.”
Yolanda winked at Beth, as if silently saying that was the whole point of the words. Then her humor faded.
“We need lettuce. When I went to get it out this morning, I saw it’s all rotten.”
Beth groaned. “Not the lettuce. What happened?”
Yolanda pointed to the small kitchen where the industrial refrigerator and restaurant-size stove sat. “You can go look for yourself. I salvaged a few bunches, but we’re going to need a lot more for the day.”
An unexpected but not unheard-of disaster, Beth thought as she went into the kitchen and saw containers of sad-looking lettuce sitting on the counter, the good bunches already off to the side. She calculated the damage, took a couple of pictures with her phone and then pulled the ongoing Costco list from a drawer.
While she ordered most of her supplies from various distributors, like most small restaurant businesses, she relied on a big box store for backup. She added tomatoes to the list, then returned to the front to confirm they had everything else they needed.
She and Yolanda quickly discussed what she would be buying.
“Let me get in touch with my produce guy. I’ll head to Costco as soon as they open.”
“We’ll be fine,” Yolanda told her. “We know what to do.”
Beth went into her office, where she quickly booted her computer and the pay system she used. She found two large office lunch orders waiting and immediately forwarded them to the kitchen, where they would be flagged and reviewed. Once Yolanda determined what had to be made, the orders would automatically go in queue thirty minutes before they were supposed to be ready. The improved software had been expensive, but worth it. These days a lot of customers wanted to order and pay online, then just drop by to grab their food and get on with their lives.
She sent a quick email to her produce guy, complete with pictures. She’d been working with him for years and knew a credit would be sitting in her account by the end of day.
She helped with the prep work until it was time to head out with her shopping list. Getting to the closest Costco required a longer and less interesting drive than her commute to work. She listened to the radio and thought about all she had to get done when she returned to the store. Kai would make the cilantro, pumpkin seed and jalapeño pesto, which was usually her job. He was her newest employee, but he was a good hire. She was very fortunate with everyone who worked for her. Most had been with the store over a decade, and turnover was low. She paid well, offered great health care and did her best to be a fair and reasonable boss.
When she’d shut down for the three-week remodel, everyone had been paid their usual amount. She’d even arranged for a special evening at a local movie multiplex where she’d rented the smallest theater and had hosted dinner and a movie for staff and their families. Everyone had had a good time, and a few had mentioned making it an annual event—a reaction that made her happy. Tragically for her, that was the wildest her social life had been since the divorce. Except for work and her recent commitment to volunteering at a local food bank, she was kind of turning into a grumpy hermit, which wasn’t her nature at all. But she couldn’t seem to get motivated to, you know, get out and be in the world.
She missed having friends to hang out with. She missed being in a relationship, yet given how she was spending her days, she was very much stuck in a rut of doing nothing. Her aunt was warm and caring, but Agatha had her own life, what with her man friend and a new and oddly successful home business of crocheting custom bikinis.
Beth turned in to the industrial area where the Costco was located and drove toward the sprawling building at the end of the street. As she headed through an intersection, her gaze drifted to a large billboard on her right. Immediately her entire body went on alert as her brain struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. She instinctively turned toward the billboard—and accidently steered in that direction as well. Before she could slam on the brakes, she’d driven off the road, up onto the sidewalk (mercifully empty of pedestrians), stopping less than a foot from a fire hydrant.
It took a couple of seconds for her to start breathing again. Adrenaline poured through her from both the near accident and the billboard itself. She managed to put the car in Park before turning off the engine and getting out to stand on the sidewalk and stare in disbelief.
The billboard was huge and showed a happy couple staring into each other’s eyes. Not really noteworthy if she ignored both the fact that the man in question was her ex-husband Ian and the heartfelt message next to the photo.
Patti, you mean the world to me. I’m so grateful to have found you. I love you. Will you marry me?
She pressed a hand to her chest, as if to keep her heart from jumping out and flopping around on the road. Her brain was still having trouble processing what she was seeing, and she honestly didn’t know what was more confusing to her. The billboard itself, the fact that it was two blocks from Costco, or that her very ordinary, believer-in-a-routine ex-husband had proposed in such an un-Ian-like way. Oh, and maybe the fact that he had obviously moved on and fallen in love with someone else while she hadn’t been out with friends, let alone a man.
Ignoring a sudden wave of sadness, she sagged back onto the driver’s seat and pulled her phone from her handbag. Within seconds she was on Instagram and scrolling through to find Ian’s account. As their divorce had been as low-key as their marriage, she’d never blocked him, and apparently he’d never blocked her, either. Which meant she could see everything he’d posted for the past couple of weeks in color photographs and videos.
If the picture of the two of them holding champagne glasses and smiling at the camera was any indication, Patti had said yes. But instead of staring at the happy couple, Beth found herself searching the crowd of friends that was gathered around them. Friends she’d thought had been her friends as well, back when she and Ian had been married. The three couples had been tight, hanging out together, even taking the odd vacation as a group. But when the marriage had fallen apart, she’d discovered she was actually only the friend-in-law. The other two women hadn’t wanted to get together and had finally explained they were picking Ian. At the time, that had hurt about as much as the end of her marriage.
She flipped through more pictures and saw one of Ian and Patti with Ian’s large, extended family. The family she’d thought of as her own, appreciating the sheer size and volume of get-togethers. Growing up it had just been her, her brother and her mom. She’d always dreamed of being part of a big family, and with Ian, that had happened. Only once she and Ian split up, her relationship with them had ended as well.
Beth dropped the phone on the passenger seat and stared at the billboard. Ian was getting married again, to Patti—whoever she was. They would have a life, possibly kids. All the things she’d thought would happen when she and Ian had been together. Only they hadn’t.
She knew she didn’t want him back—their relationship was long over. But she did envy his future, or at least all the possibilities. Ian had kept living his life and looking for ways to be happy.
And here she was, in her car, alone and semi-friendless. Except for Jana, a relatively new friend she really liked, there was no one. Yes, she’d done great things with her business, but what about her personal life? Why was she half-parked on a sidewalk, staring at a billboard while on her way to Costco? Didn’t she want more?
A sharp pain cut through her—two parts regret but one part intense longing for more than the nothing she’d apparently chosen. She needed friends in her life and possibly a man. While the latter seemed like more than she could comfortably take on right now, the former was doable. She was a good person. She was likeable. The friend thing shouldn’t be so hard.
She needed more than just work, she told herself. She needed to get out of the house and start doing things. Anything. Beginning right this second. Or possibly after she made her Costco run. But today for sure.
Excerpted from Beach Vibes by Susan Mallery, Copyright © 2025 by Susan Mallery Inc. Published by Canary Street Press.
SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that shape women’s lives―family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree―40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. She’s passionate about animal welfare, which shows in the many quirky animal characters she has created.Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband and adorable poodle. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.
Social Links:
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Buy Links:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beach-vibes-susan-mallery/1145530536?ean=9781335402530
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/beach-vibes-original-susan-mallery/21489308?ean=9781335402530
Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781488233371-beach-vibes
Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Beach-Vibes/Susan-Mallery/9781335402530?id=9141594605078
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Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/beach-vibes-1
AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/beach-vibes/id6501987626
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Susan_Mallery_Beach_Vibes?id=Fp4FEQAAQBAJ
The book:
I happily began reading Beach Vibes as the author is known to me and has provided me with some good escapes. I was interested in it as soon as I saw the evocative cover.
I found that the cast of this book included many characters whom I enjoyed getting to know. I had a moment of thinking that the plot was taking obvious directions but that was not, in fact, the case.
Those who enjoy stories about women and their many relationships (family, friendships, work lives, romance) will want to take a look.
While this was not my favorite novel by Mallery it was a good read.
The audio:
The narrator was excellent with the sharpest and clearest diction. The story comes to life as it is read. For those who prefer to listen to their novels, this is a very good choice.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to both read this title and be a part of the blog tour.
Beach Vibes
Susan Mallery
On Sale Date: March 18, 2025
978-1335402530, 1335402535
Hardcover
$30.00 USD, $37.00 CAD
Fiction / Family Life / Siblings
384 pages
I have just begun reading this book which is gently provocative and inspiring. The author, ordained within the Episcopal Church, has left the ministry to begin teaching World Religion in a small, largely Christian college.
Written in a highly accessible, almost novelistic tone, Ms. Taylor introduces the reader to her students and their studies. She encourages the reader to think about the role of religion in our lives. Although I have not yet finished the book, I have the feeling that I will be savoring it right up to the end. This is a thoughtful and highly recommended read.
From Goodreads:
The renowned and beloved New York Times bestselling author of An Altar in the World and Learning to Walk in the Dark recounts her moving discoveries of finding the sacred in unexpected places while teaching the world’s religions to undergraduates in rural Georgia, revealing how God delights in confounding our expectations.
Barbara Brown Taylor continues her spiritual journey begun in Leaving Church of finding out what the world looks like after taking off her clergy collar. In Holy Envy, she contemplates the myriad ways other people and traditions encounter the Transcendent, both by digging deeper into those traditions herself and by seeing them through her students’ eyes as she sets off with them on field trips to monasteries, temples, and mosques.
Troubled and inspired by what she learns, Taylor returns to her own tradition for guidance, finding new meaning in old teachings that have too often been used to exclude religious strangers instead of embracing the divine challenges they present. Re-imagining some central stories from the religion she knows best, she takes heart in how often God chooses outsiders to teach insiders how out-of-bounds God really is.
Throughout Holy Envy, Taylor weaves together stories from the classroom with reflections on how her own spiritual journey has been complicated and renewed by connecting with people of other traditions—even those whose truths are quite different from hers. The one constant in her odyssey is the sense that God is the one calling her to disown her version of God—a change that ultimately enriches her faith in other human beings and in God.
#TheBookClubforTroublesomeWomen #NetGalley
The early sixties were a time of nascent change for many, including women. There was restlessness as some felt that being a housewife and mother was not fully satisfying in and of itself. (This may have been true before, of course, but it was at this time that Betty Friedan published a book that spoke to and legitimized these feelings).
In this novel, Marie Bostwick looks at a group of women who are living in a planned, suburban community outside of Washington DC. The group includes Margaret who was a bright, successful college student when she met her husband. Now she is a mother of three. When she gets an opportunity to do a bit more will she take it?
Bitsy married an older man. She loves horses but passed on vet school to marry a vet. Readers will find out why. Bitsy is having trouble with the suburban dream because she hasn’t been able to have a child.
Viv is a mother to many with a husband who seems supportive. But, when she wants more and looks for a job, will she tell Tony?
Then there is artistic, chaotic Charlotte. She challenges Margaret and the others. Will she cross a line too far?
These women meet regularly in a book club with the first book being The Feminine Mystique. Readers follow their lives over the course of this long and satisfying novel that is special to the author (read what she says).
Recommended to those who enjoy (women’s) fiction and would like a look at the 1960s.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 22 April 2025
Historical Fiction-Women’s Fiction
384 pages
I have loved Natasha Lester’s historical fiction starting when I read The Paris Secret. Since then, I have read every new book as it has been published and also look forward to a few earlier ones that I still need to catch up on.
Lester always tells a great story with a mix of fashion and history. This book is no exception although I think that it is the author’s most ambitious book yet.
Here readers meet three generations of strong women who are related and share a commitment to fashion. The oldest of these is Mizza Bricard. She was a real person and one who was described as a muse to Christian Dior. Living through several world wars was just one of her challenges.
Next is Mizza’s daughter Astrid. Why did Mizza not raise her? Astrid grows up in the seventies. She attends fashion/design school and meets the mesmerizing Hawk Jones. How will their relationship ebb and flow and how will their fashion stories and accomplishments continue to cross? And, importantly, how and why did Astrid disappear? What does/did Hawk know?
The daughter of Astrid and Hawk is Blythe. Blythe is also trying to establish her fashion line. She is divorced with two children. Does she want to try again with the (sometimes) charming Jake? Will her fashion business be successful?
This book has an excellent plot, good settings, interesting characters and a real eye on the fashion scene. In addition, I think that Lester wants to bring women out of the shadows and for them to be recognized for their accomplishments. Bravo for that.
I recommend this book very highly. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, fashion and/or stories about women, family and career should give this title a look. I already can’t wait for Lester’s next novel.
Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this title. All opinions are my own.
Five stars *****
#katescharff #NetGalley
Not every relationship lasts. When kids are involved, these endings can be upsetting and difficult. They often feel alone, embarrassed, like no one understands. The author of this book (herself a child of divorce who became a therapist), does, and tries to offer kids some understanding and tips in these pages.
This book consists of many short sections. Some of these include This is so unfair!; Finding out; It’s not your fault; Money stuff; and, They’re still both your parents, among others. Each section is illustrated as well. The page layouts are appealing in their appearance.
A child can read this book on their own and may, indeed, even want to. I suggest, though, that a trusted adult offer them the opportunity to talk and share reactions and feelings. That just might help a bit.
This book is a good resource for a troubling time.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group-McMillan for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 04 March 2025
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 