Tag: romance

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Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2026

5 Stars

SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a wonderful feel-good escape, well worth the time, and perfect for sunbathing at the beach or your own backyard this summer. 

Women’s fiction – Contemporary Romance – Family Drama – Beach Read

Photo of the book Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Book Summary

Daisy Stevens, a NICU nurse, finds caring for newborns with extra needs very rewarding. However, the emotional strain of a particular case leads Daisy to move to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, to start fresh with a new nursing job.

High school baseball coach Mason Thaysden struggles with his dashed dream of pitching in the major leagues after an injury.  Stuck in his hometown coaching, he needs to find meaning in life beyond the teenagers he’s impacting.

On Daisy’s first day of her new job, Mason and his star player bring in a newborn they found in a dumpster behind the high school. Mason’s concern for the baby connects him to nurse Daisy who is becoming extremely attached to this little girl.  Based on her own childhood experience, she doesn’t want baby Jane Doe to ever feel unwanted.

Hoping to adopt the baby, Daisy requests to foster her after being released from the hospital. Mason begins to see the possibility of a family with Daisy and the baby.  Under the influence of demons from her past, Daisy struggles between what she wants and what’s best for the baby, and she tries to rationalize that they’re the same thing.  All the while, she knows social services could take the baby from her if the parents step up or someone else is approved for the adoption.

Mason makes a huge step by introducing Daisy to his big, crazy family, including his Aunt Tilley. Aunt Tilley has been emotionally tethered to a loss in her early days and a deep family secret. She makes huge steps in healing when she’s cast as the title role in a community production of Hello, Dolly!

Meanwhile, as Daisy and Mason begin to realize who the baby’s parents are, life turns messier than a diaper!

My Thoughts

I loved Summer State of Mind! This is by far Kristy Woodson Harvey’s best book to date. I loved the southern charm and storyline. I love how she wove echoes between character stories. Watch for those! I don’t want to give any spoilers.

Kristy adds authenticity to her story with characters that make questionable decisions. The first obvious one is the mother who leaves her newborn baby in a dumpster.  Wrong, yes, but when readers understand the position she was in, we become more compassionate.

Readers will want to fall in love with the protagonists Daisy and Mason, but even they face decisions that don’t have black and white answers. Daisy isn’t a perfect person, even though she’s caring and protective of the baby. She looks through the lens of her scars from her mother leaving her when she was a child. Readers will want to love her, but they may not like how she processes this baby situation.  And yet, it’s a real, understandable reaction.

Although Aunt Tilley’s mental state seems a bit unrealistic, she’s so much fun! I can’t imagine the book without her and her background being a part of it. She adds depth to Daisy and Mason’s situation.

People aren’t all good or all bad. Some of our wrong choices and rationalizations are made with good intent. Some are made out of desperation. Knowing the circumstances for the choice doesn’t make a poor decision acceptable, but it leads to understanding and compassion.

Concerning Daisy and Mason’s romance, they fall in love quickly. If you’re more of a slow burn fan, this isn’t for you. Although he book has romance, it’s really about family dynamics and the choices we make.

At first I wasn’t sure I would be into a book about a baby left in a dumpster, but it’s so much more than that.  Read it! You’ll see. 5 stars!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC for my review. The opinions are my own. SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey comes out May 5, but you can preorder now. One way is through this link at Bookshop.org.

About the Author

Author Kristy Woodson Harvey
Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey is a New York Times Bestselling author. Beyond her novels, her writing has appeared in many publications including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, and USA Today. She is also a co-founder and co-anchor on the Friends and Fiction weekly podcast with Mary Kay Andrews, Patti Callahan Henry, and Kristin Harmel.

Every Wednesday at 7 PM ET these ladies talk about their books and interview other authors with recent releases. It’s a great way to discover new titles and authors! Join in the fun by joining the Friends and Fiction Facebook group or go to their YouTube channel where you can watch live and catch up on older episodes.

Friends and Fiction authors

If You Like…

If you like the description of SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey, check out my past reviews on some of her other books: Beach House Rules, A Happier Life, The Peachtree Bluff series, and Under the Southern Sky. You may also like these: The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter, and The Sea Glass Cottage  and The Cafe at Beach End, both by RaeAnn Thayne.

 

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Twice by Mitch Albom


Robin’s Rave Reviews 2026

5 Stars

TWICE by Mitch Albom was an intriguing, creative story that I gobbled down in one day! I love contemporary romances that find a unique way to include magical realism. This one did it and kept me turning pages.

Book Summary

The story begins with Alfie Logan being questioned at a casino. He put his money on three correct numbers in a row in roulette, an impossible feat to do legally. Then he suspiciously and immediately wired the two million dollars to a woman’s account. Detective LaPorta is convinced Alfie gained his winnings illegally and wants to know how he did it. Alfie claims he’s innocent and that his notebook will tell the detective everything he needs to know. It reveals Alfie’s life from childhood to present time, including an unexpected how and why of the day at the casino.

Image of the novel cover for Mitch Albom's TWICEEight-year-old Alfie discovers he has a special gift. He can redo any moment he’s personally part of. As he tries out his gift, he uses it to undo awkward situations, correct mistakes, and risk his life knowing he can get a redo. He can go back minutes, months, or even years, but then he must relive events from that moment forward. The catch? There are several: First, he has to live with the consequences of the second time around, good or bad.  Next, he can’t change when someone will die. Last, he can’t make a person fall in love with him a second time. (His grandmother warns him to be careful with love.)

When he falls for Gianna, he uses his gift to make himself more attractive to her. They are happy together until Alfie is tempted by another woman. He can go back in time to change things, but he remembers the warning that he can’t make a person fall in love with him again.

This is a love story, but also one that explores how our selfish desires can lead to losing everything we ever wanted and already had.

My Thoughts

TWICE by Mitch Albom was a creative story and thought-provoking for such a quick read. Book clubs will get a lot of discussion out of it. I didn’t want to stop reading this unique book once I started.

As the detective delves into Alfie’s notebook and we hear how Alfie uses his gift throughout his life, I got more interested in his choices to use it or not. As the story progresses out of childhood, I became invested in his relationship with Gianna. With the detective’s curiosity, I got more curious as to what really happened at the casino and why. I found myself trying to unravel the mysteries of Alfie right along with Detective LaPorta as he uncovers more of the unbelievable story. Although the book requires suspension of belief, the magical realism of Alfie’s redo’s in a romance story was interesting and right up my alley.

I absolutely loved the ending. I didn’t see it coming quite the way it happens, but it is satisfying and hopeful.

The premise of the book will cause readers to contemplate the choices in their own lives. What if you could redo events in your life? Would you? Which ones? And how would that change the person you are today?

Since HarperCollins published TWICE by Mitch Albom in 2025, copies are currently available in bookstores and online. I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org since they help support small, independent bookstores across the country. You can purchase here. 

Several quotes from the book remain with me.

This first one appears a few times when he can’t change certain circumstances, like death.

“I want, you want, and God does what God wants.”

When discussing why he only gets one do-over, his grandmother tells him,

“Alfie, if you keep getting second chances, you won’t learn a damn thing.”

When Alfie is afraid of letting people see his true self, awkwardness and all, he often does the moment over and learns a lesson.

“Instead, I hid my flaws, afraid they would cost me her affection. That would prove to be a mistake, and my first lesson in The Truth About Love: what we yearn for, deep down, is a heart that will embrace us after we make a fool of ourselves.”

About the Author

Photo of author Mitch AlbomMitch Albom’s website states his books (collectively) have sold 42 million copies worldwide and have been published in 51 territories in 48 languages. Some of his stories have been made into Emmy Award-winning television movies.

His New York Times bestseller TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, the bestselling memoir of all time, topped the list for four straight years. Readers also know Mitch for writing THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN, FINDING CHIKA, and THE STRANGER IN THE LIFEBOAT.

Beyond being a best-selling fiction and non-fiction writer, Mitch is a journalist, screen and playwright, radio and TV broadcaster, musician, and philanthropist. Much of his time is spent operating the nine charitable programs of SAY Detroit, including the nation’s first medical clinic for homeless children. He founded a dessert shop and a gourmet popcorn line to help fund his charities. Additionally, he operates Have Faith Haiti, a home and school for impoverished children, which he visits monthly. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan.

If You Like…

If TWICE by Mitch Albom sounds interesting, check out my past reviews on these recommended books: The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross, The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young, The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon, and Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber.

 

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Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2025

BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey should be in your beach bag this summer! Grab it before the summer slips away.

Book Summary

Beach House Rules book coverCharlotte Sitterly has been going through life’s normal routines until she is blindsided by her husband’s arrest for securities fraud. She finds herself without a home, without access to their bank accounts, and without a job. How will she support herself and her teenage daughter Ivy?

Alice, a local, overhears Charlotte’s meltdown in the bank. She invites Charlotte and her daughter to live with her until they can get back on their feet. Alice owns a house that was once a B&B, but now she lives there with two other women and their children. They have room for Charlotte and Ivy to join them until they can get back on their feet. The B&B is often referred to as the “mommune,” lovingly by those who live there and disdainfully by community members who don’t understand the unusual arrangement. But this is the same community that whispers about Alice’s three dead husbands and calls her the “Black Widow.”

BEACH HOUSE RULES focuses mainly on three characters: Charlotte—balancing her doubts about her husband’s innocence or guilt, struggling to stand on her own two feet, and trying to consider her daughter’s needs; Ivy—struggling with the realization that her father may not be coming back home, wondering how she can help prove his innocence, dealing with teenage drama, and falling for the older, popular teen who also lives in the mommune; and Alice—feeling the pressure of the community’s opinion of her, knowing she had nothing to do with her husbands’ deaths but still feeling cursed, and denying herself to protect the man she loves.

My Thoughts 

This coastal North Carolina story is one of women supporting women. It’s such a great book about friendship and building that proverbial village to raise a child. Here, four women live together and help with each other’s kids and household responsibilities all while being each other’s support and encouragement. It’s a twist on the found-family trope. We live in a world today that is all about women having agency. Strong as women are, this book reminds us that from time to time, we may need a little help from our friends.

Throughout the novel, the reader will wonder, along with Charlotte, if her husband is innocent or guilty. And if he’s innocent, who did the crime and why? It’s also about love and romance. Charlotte has been married for years. Whether her husband is guilty or innocent, will her love of this man survive such an event? And Alice’s romance is rekindled for a man she pushed away once before. Dare she allow herself to fall in love when she feels cursed with her past husbands’ deaths? We also experience a coming-of-age story with Ivy as she navigates school, friends and teenage love all while her father is the talk of the town. Throughout the story, @JuniperShoresSocialite is spilling all the gossip on social media. Who’s behind the posts?

The ending was a surprise. It always amazes me when an author sets up so many situations in a book and magically ties them all together in a nice bow at the end! BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey is about loss, heartbreak, women and children in tough circumstances, forgiveness, loyalty, female friendships, forgiveness, second chances (or fourth chances, in Alice’s case), and new beginnings. BEACH HOUSE RULES is a wonderful choice to slip in your beach bag this summer! The summer isn’t over yet!

Consider purchasing BEACH HOUSE RULES through this link on Bookshop.org to help support independent mom and pop bookstores. (Personally, I like to support MacIntosh Books on Sanibel Island with their recovery after Hurricane Ian. I don’t receive any commission from this. I simply want to help independent bookstores.)

About the Author

Photo of author Kristy Woodson HarveyKristy Woodson Harvey is a New York Times Bestselling author. She is also a co-founder and co-anchor on the Friends and Fiction weekly podcast with Mary Kay Andrews, Patti Callahan Henry, and Kristin Harmel.

 

Every Wednesday at 7 PM ET these ladies talk about their books and interview other authors with recent releases. It’s a great way to discover new titles and authors! Join in the fun by joining the Friends and Fiction Facebook group or go to their YouTube channel where you can watch live and catch up on older episodes.

Friends and Fiction authors

If You Like…

If BEACH HOUSE RULES appeals to you, check out these Kristy Woodson Harvey books I’ve previously reviewed and recommend:  A Happier Life, The Summer of Songbirds, The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, Feels Like Falling, and the Peachtree Bluff series.

 

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

 

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The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

Robin’s Reviews 2025

Book cover for The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry is a beautifully written novel about an impossible choice made by a mother, the emotional scars left in her daughter’s heart, and a book that might heal her pain decades later.

Summary

As a child prodigy, Bronwyn writes a book that becomes famous. As an adult, she writes the long-awaited sequel. The book is written in a coded language Bronwyn created and is yet unpublished. Under mysterious circumstances in 1927, she leaves her husband and her 8-year-old daughter Clara, and takes the dictionary needed to translate the cipher. The family believes Bronwyn is dead, and the pages are gone forever.

Twenty-five years later, Clara receives a phone call from Charlie, a stranger living in London. He claims her mother’s papers have been discovered. Her mother’s abandonment has haunted Clara and driven her need for answers and resolution. Suspicious but hopeful that the papers are real, Clara travels with her daughter Wynnie from South Carolina to London to retrieve them.

They arrive during The Great Smog of 1952. To escape the toxic air in London, they travel with Charlie to his family’s retreat in the Lake district, near where Beatrix Potter lived. While staying at the country estate, Clara must find the courage to uncover her mother’s secrets and the story she left behind.

My Thoughts

It’s fascinating that the real life and disappearance of author Barbara Newhall Follett inspired Patti’s novel. I had never heard of Barbara Newhall Follett, so of course I looked her up. You should, too! I appreciate that books have the power to bring someone unknown or nearly forgotten back into the spotlight.

Photo of author Patti Callahan Henry
Author Patti Callahan Henry

So many times while reading this novel, I marveled at Patti Callahan Henry’s descriptions. Take time while you’re reading to savor the language she uses.

Clara goes through many trials in the story to get answers, but the ending is satisfying. The Story She Left Behind is filled with discovery, connection, understanding, forgiveness, lost family, and unexpected love.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. The opinion are my own.

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND’s pub date is March 18, 2025, but preordering is VERY helpful to authors. I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org since they help support small, independent bookstores across the county: order hardback or ebook here.

If You Like…

If you like THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND, check out these past recommendations by Patti Callahan Henry: The Secret Life of Flora Lea and Once Upon a Wardrobe.

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

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The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne

Robin’s Reviews 2025

5 Stars

Book cover for The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne ThayneTHE SEA GLASS COTTAGE by RaeAnne Thayne focuses on three generations of Harper women. This small-town family story is intertwined with a second-chance romance and includes family drama, secrets, misunderstandings, guilt, and forgiveness. RaeAnne smoothly leads us along a family’s path through life with all its messiness, and she lands on a satisfying ending.

Summary

Olivia Harper hasn’t returned home in a long time. Avoidance has helped her push away the pain of losing her father in a fire and her sister from an overdose. However, when her mother falls off a ladder at her greenhouse business and breaks her hip, she needs Olivia’s help. Olivia returns to her childhood home while her mom recuperates. She steps in to help around the house and run the greenhouse at the busiest time of year while balancing her own remote jobs. Olivia is also challenged to build a relationship with her moody teenage niece, Caitlin, who lives with them. Three generations of Harper women in the same house is a struggle, to say the least. While home, Olivia also reconnects with her friend Melody and Melody’s brother/Olivia’s past crush, Cooper.

My Thoughts

Photo of author RaeAnne ThayneRaeAnne Thayne is gifted at writing characters with strained, complicated relationships while still creating a loving, feel-good story. The novel seamlessly flows through each of the Harper girl’s perspectives. The multiple POV helps readers understand their relationships through their innermost thoughts and feelings. Each one hides a secret and needs healing from the past.

You will cheer on the Harpers to successfully overcome old wounds and repair their personal connections. THE SEA GLASS COTTAGE is a warm hug, perfect for any time of year.

(*Note Possible Triggers: This novel deals with the aftermath of the addiction and overdose of a character.)

Although this is my first book review of 2025, I read THE SEA GLASS COTTAGE in late 2024. The story and characters have stayed with me. After reading it, I discovered this is the second book in a series. I didn’t miss anything by hopping in on this one. Each book in the series is a standalone story, the town being the only connection. The Cape Sanctuary series starts with THE CLIFF HOUSE, if you’d rather start there. RaeAnne Thayne’s most recent novel is THE DECEMBER MARKET, a Christmas novel.

Consider buying THE SEA GLASS COTTAGE through this link to Bookshop.org. You will be supporting small, indy bookstores with your purchase.

If You Like…

If you like THE SEA GLASS COTTAGE, check out these past recommendations: The Cafe at Beach End by RaeAnne Thayne and Seabreeze Inn by Jan Moran. 

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

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The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024 

Time to catch up on my book recommendations starting with THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman! This contemporary women’s fiction with romantic elements is perfect for the upcoming winter months. Viola Shipman is a master at writing about charming Michigan towns. THE SECRET OF SNOW takes place mainly in Traverse City, Michigan.

Summary

Meteorologist Sonny Dunes, age 50, works for a top ranked Palm Springs TV news channel. After learning she’s being replaced by an AI meteorologist, Sonny responds with a drunk, on-air meltdown. Her tirade goes viral. No other stations want to hire a potentially volatile TV personality, except the station in her hometown of Traverse City. This job would be a demotion. The Michigan station has a much smaller viewership and poor ranking in the local market. Accepting the offer would bring along other challenges as well, but what other choice does she have? Sonny will have to live with her mother and face why she left Michigan in the first place. 

Sonny’s new boss  and college frenemy hopes to capitalize on Sonny’s infamous meltdown. New viewers may tune in to see if Sonny has another one, especially since she’s assigned to cover all the outdoor quintessential Michigan winter events. Will the viewers welcome her back as one of their own or dismiss her as an outsider from California? Will Sonny be able to deal with the winter assignments, or is she destined to boost rankings through another breakdown?

While reporting, Sonny keeps running into Mason, a widowed Chamber of Commerce Director. The sweet romance adds to the story without overpowering the story of Sonny’s personal growth. She struggles with adjusting to the snow, confronting her memories of her sister who loved it, dealing with a jealous TV reporter, and accepting that her mother only wants to help her get her life back on track.

Wade Rouse writes about his beloved Michigan under his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman.

Sonny left Michigan decades earlier because it was easier than dealing with the memories and guilt associated with her young sister’s death. When you realize what caused the guilt Sonny’s been running from for decades, you will want her to finally come to terms with the past. If that’s not hard enough, someone is trying to sabotage her career. Could it be her boss who wants to boost ratings, the jealous TV reporter, her camera guy, or someone else she hasn’t considered?

THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman reminds us of the importance of love, family and true friends. We get a feel-good lesson about forgiving ourselves through a satisfying conclusion.

If You Like…

If you like THE SECRET OF SNOW, you may want to check out these past recommendations:  One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery, Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews, and Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman.

 

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

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One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024 

One Big Happy Family book cover

You may be thinking pumpkin spice, but Christmas isn’t as far off as you’d like to think, and I already have a recommendation for your holiday reading this year! Susan Mallery’s One Big Happy Family comes out October 1, 2024. You can preorder now!

Summary

Julie’s adult children made their own plans for Christmas this year. Heath, Julie’s boyfriend, has young children, but they’re spending the holiday on vacation with his ex and her boyfriend. That means Julie and Heath can have a quiet Christmas together. Until plans change.

Julie’s children, Dana and Nick, drop their plans because they want to do their traditional family Christmas at the cabin. They hope it will help them get through their first Christmas since their dad’s death. Although their parents have been divorced for many years, their father normally spent the holiday with the family at the cabin.

When Heath agrees to join them, Julie needs to figure out how to introduce her kids to her boyfriend, younger than her by 12 years, whom she’s been keeping a secret. Then, just before Heath’s ex takes the kids on the vacation, her boyfriend dumps her. Julie invites Heath’s kids and his ex to join them for the holidays. Isn’t that what most people would do? Oh, and they’re bringing their dog.

Nick’s mother-in-law has recently moved to the area. Even though his wife Blair and her mother have a strained relationship, she needs somewhere to be for the holidays. Why not include her? Meanwhile, Dana is getting over a breakup with her boyfriend Axel, again.

Suddenly Julie has a lot of planning to do to accommodate a house full of people. The “cabin” has plenty of room, but it’s the mixture of personalities, secrets, and past hurts that bring the conflict and tension. And Julie, a woman with a big heart, is forced to deal with her control issues. Does ANY big family gathering turn out exactly how you want it?

My Thoughts

Susan Mallery, author pic
Susan Mallery, author

If you like fun Christmas novels about dysfunctional families, this is a wonderful read. This family’s holiday is a lovely, chaotic mess full of wonderful traditions, fun, love, personal growth, and acceptance. I enjoyed getting to know each of the guests and watching them squirm through situations often out of their control. It’s a fun, easy read for your holiday season!

Pick up Susan Mallery’s new book, One Big Happy Family! Give yourself a gift for the holidays.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review of the book.

If You Like…

If you like One Big Happy Family, you may want to check out this past recommendation:  Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews.

 

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

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The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024 

Thinking about your reading list for this summer? If you’re looking for a good older book you may have missed, try THE ISLAND by Elin Hilderbrand. THE ISLAND came out in 2010, so it should be easy to find at the library and at bookstores.

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand book cover

 

THE ISLAND is a story of familial and romantic love, recovery from tragedy, sibling rivalry, and family support. The story reveals the individual paths four women have taken for love and the course each path set for their futures.

Summary

Shortly after Chess called off her wedding, her ex-fiancé tragically dies rock climbing. To help her through this dark time, her mother Birdie, her aunt India and her sister Tate take Chess to their family vacation home for a full month. They haven’t been back to the house on Tuckernuck Island near Nantucket in over a decade. They hope the family memories and serenity of the location will be healing.

The homes on Tuckernuck have no electricity, no heat or air conditioning, no hot water, no internet, and no cell service. A vacation home caretaker whom Birdie hired years ago has been checking on the house. When he retired, his son Barrett Lee took over the business. Birdie sent Barrett money to make the place livable for their visit since it had been neglected for so long. Upon their arrival, Barrett supplies their transportation by boat between Nantucket and Tuckernuck. He also brings them mail and groceries. Barrett, who is a widow with a child, focuses on keeping all of his clients happy, but one client, Nantucket socialite Anita Fullin, is jealous. She doesn’t want to share Barrett’s time and attention with the other family. Tate’s focus is also on Barrett, hoping this could be the summer he finally notices her.

The characters each have their own story and baggage. Birdie, the mom, is still recovering from her divorce. Free-spirited, artsy India is rediscovering herself after her husband’s death. Computer geek Tate thinks her sister has always had the advantage, but she still wants to support her. Chess, who is dealing with her grief and guilt, is also hiding a deeper secret.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this novel. The island/beach setting is right up my alley. I love a good book about love and family relationships. Birdie’s journey was a bit too predictable for me, but I did like that each character’s journey and personality was unique and had depth. Elin Hilderbrand has a way of breathing life into complex, distinctive characters.

My favorite character storylines were India and Tate. India is a widow, but her reflections on her marriage with a famous artist husband felt realistic, and her free-spirit was interesting. Tate has a successful career, but love hasn’t been in the picture. She has always felt she was in her sister’s shadow. With memories of Barrett from their summer trips years ago, she wonders if she might have a shot with him. Her same old fear rears its head – Is he more interested in Chess?

If you’re considering your summer reading list, THE ISLAND by Elin Hilderbrand is a great addition. If you like this book, check out my review on The Identicals, another Hilderbrand book here.

 

Note About My Book Reviews This Year

Although I love reading books close to when they’re published, I have so many older books on my TBR (To Be Read) pile! I want to catch up on some of them. This year I promised myself I’d work on those more than new releases. My blog will reflect that. Sure, you’ll still see some newer books or ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) because I automatically say yes to certain authors’ books, but you’ll see some older outstanding books here as well. Hope you enjoy the mix of older and newer in my reviews this year!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

 

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Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024 5 Stars

What a treat to read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews!

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews book coverThis book is just fabulous! I love it so much that I did a thing. I wrote to the author directly! Although I write a lot of reviews, I seldom write to the author personally. Even after decades of writing, Mary Kay Andrews just keeps getting better and better! She makes something so difficult (writing a book that hooks the reader) look so easy.

So let’s talk about SUMMERS AT THE SAINT!

Summary

Summertime, beach resort, romance, mystery…and murder.

The St. Cecelia resort, nicknamed “The Saint,” welcomes the rich who vacation there year after year on the Georgia coast. The people who can afford to stay here are called the Saints. Locals are the Ain’ts.

Traci, one of the Ain’ts who worked as a teenage lifeguard at the hotel, ended up marrying one of the owner’s sons. Now widowed, she’s the owner of the hotel. Her ruthless brother-in-law Ric is appalled that his brother’s death left Traci as the owner of the hotel part of the business. He is a constant thorn in her side while she’s trying to bring The Saint back to a 5-star hotel after Covid caused financial troubles and staffing issues. 

Those aren’t Traci’s only troubles. An accidental drowning from years ago comes back to haunt her. She and her friend Shannon were the lifeguards on duty when it happened. Now, when another tragic death occurs on the grounds, Traci is barely holding it all together. She’s also beginning to realize so much more is going on behind the scenes at the hotel. However, the possibility of romance adds some relief to the craziness in Traci’s life.

My Thoughts

I expected SUMMERS AT THE SAINT to be a women’s fiction/romance/ beach read. It is, but it’s so much more! Cozy mystery readers will also love this one.

It was a light, easy-read story with twists and turns you won’t see coming. Filled with juicy secrets, family discord, shady deals, murder, past indiscretions, strong females, misplaced trust, new employees with all their “baggage,” and a side dish of romance, you’ll need to set aside time for this one. Once you start it,  you’ll put everything else on hold.

Right when I thought I understood everything that was going on at The Saint, MKA threw in a new detail or twist. I kept wondering how deep she would go! Could she possibly come up with another unexpected turn?

At first I was concerned about the large cast of characters and keeping them straight. Silly me. The writing was in the hands of a master. Not only could I keep them straight, they were all necessary to the story. Every time I thought I had the whole picture of how all the characters were intertwined, Mary Kay would throw in another twist. Don’t let the introduction of all the characters discourage you from reading on.

Reserve your spot at The Saint and put SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews on your 2024 summer reading list. The pub date is coming up — May 7, 2024. Did you know it REALLY helps an author if you pre-order? You can pre-order from any bookstore, but I like to support independent bookstores here through bookshop.org. 

Book Tour

If you live in NE Ohio like me, register to meet MKA in person and have her sign your book. She’ll be at the Parma-Powers Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 PM. I’ll be there! Register here. For other tour stops, click here.

 

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@author.robin.shelley

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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024 – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

5 Stars

*Note my warning below concerning this book’s content

Let’s start with-YES!  FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros was an amazing 5-star read for me. FOURTH WING was considered one of the best books of 2023, but I just got to it this year. The hype around it was crazy. Sometimes that worries me that a novel won’t stand up to the hype, but this one did.

Romance, fantasy, life and death action, magical dragons, friendship and betrayals, cut-throat competition, and training to fight for a kingdom that may be hiding secrets…what more could a reader ask for?

I’m wondering if FOURTH WING became so popular because it has wide appeal. Readers like me, who don’t regularly read fantasy, are picking it up.Curl up with Fourth Wing

Some hard-core fantasy readers giving bad reviews mention that this book stole ideas from other novels like Harry Potter, ACOTAR, Shadow and Bone, Hunger Games, and Divergent. These are books that also broke through those genre boundaries, enticing a wide group of readers. Is similarity to these beloved books really a problem or a magic formula? Besides, no book is fully unique.

Other popular stories may have inspired Yarros’s writing. So what? I don’t think that’s a bad thing. This story differs from those other books. I enjoyed that this female protagonist has everything riding against her, and yet her bravery, perseverance, inner-strength, and intelligence, along with help from some friends, get her through. She has a lot of plot armor, but hey-she’s our main character.

FOURTH WING Summary:

Twenty-year old Violet, a strong female protagonist, is at the age when she must commit to a quadrant. As her deceased father was a scribe, she’s been training for that path her whole life. She has a love of books and knows her people’s history well. However, her mother is General Sorrengail. The general knows a large percentage of dragon rider candidates die, but she still forces her daughter to enlist in the Dragon Rider Quadrant at Basgiath War College.

This quadrant represents the elite, the defenders of the kingdom. The other dragon rider candidates have been training for this opportunity, just as Violet has trained to gain entrance to the Scribe Quadrant. That leaves Violet lacking the training needed for the deadly Dragon Rider entrance exam.

If she somehow passes, it becomes a lethal competition to connect with a dragon since there are fewer dragons willing to bond than there are candidates. Violet is smaller than average and has a rare disease which causes loose ligaments and brittle bones. Even if Violet makes it through the initial physical tests, dragons would rather incinerate the weak rather than bond with them. Even after bonding, only a fraction of those riders live through the four years of training. There are only two ways dragon riding school ends: either graduate or die. And graduates are sent to the war.

Fourth Wing book cover

In the FOURTH WING world, dragons are the superior species. This isn’t a dragon-taming book. Rather, the dragons put their riders through excruciating exercises to test their mettle. The dragons also have clear personalities, shown through their actions and the thoughts sent telepathically to their riders.

Violet is reunited with her childhood friend Dain, a third-year. Readers will wonder if he will turn into a love interest. His protective actions are good intentioned but keep her from becoming all she can be. Still, he’s there, watching her back.

She faces danger every day of training, but danger also lurks within the ranks, especially for the daughter of the general. Violet’s nemesis in the first half of the book is Xaden Riorson, the son of a rebel leader.

Back when the rebellion ended, Violet’s mother had the rebel leaders executed. The government forced their children to enlist as dragon riders when they reached the proper age. These riders have a vendetta against Violet because of her mother’s actions. Xaden, the most powerful wing leader, is one of these. As much as he wants to hate her, circumstances out of his control force him to reevaluate his relationship with Violet. As Yarros reveals the backstories of some students, readers better understand the characters’ actions and loyalties.

News continues to come in from the far reaches of the kingdom’s borders. Protective wards are failing, and perimeter villages are being attacked. More dragon riders are needed. As Violet continues her training exercises and classwork, she suspects the leaders, including her mother, are keeping secrets concerning the dangers across the border.

*FOURTH WING Final Note (and Content Warning)

Ok, so maybe FOURTH WING is a 4.75 read for me. I’m deducting part of a point due to a couple of SPICY sex scenes I personally could have done without. Since they come late in the book, I was taken off guard. It is consensual sex, but I like a more closed-door, committed relationship approach. It’s my personal preference.

Not a YA bookPublishers usually label books with characters of this age as YA, but the sex and violence bump it into the adult category. I hope parents are aware of the sex, the violence, and the F-bombs before deciding on FOURTH WING’s appropriateness for their teens. For adults, if you can get past those issues, I highly recommend this book. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to ponder if I want to read it again before I start the sequel, IRON FLAME.

 

If you want to learn more about Rebecca Yarros, click here. If your ready to purchase, consider buying FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros here.  (The sequel IRON FLAME  is also available.) These links will take you to Bookshop.org, a business that supports Mom and Pop bookstores nationwide. I don’t receive anything from Bookshop if you buy from them. I just believe in their mission.

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@author.robin.shelley

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The Good Part by Sophie Cousens

Robin’s Rave Reviews5 Stars

As soon as I finished The Good Part by Sophie Cousens, I wanted to start it all over again! (I don’t often say that.) Since this was such an enjoyable read, I will be reading more by this author. I was lucky to get an ARC of The Good Part, my first novel by Sophie Cousens. You can get a copy, too, because today is Sophie’s pub day! Happy Pub Day, Sophie! (November 7, 2023) 

Summary:

Tom Hanks in the movie Big asks Zoltar to grant his wish.

Lucy is disheartened by her life in her twenties – working hard and getting nowhere, going on bad dates, living in a dumpy apartment. Wanting to skip to The Good Part of her life, Lucy makes a wish on an old arcade wishing machine (inspired by the movie Big). Imagine waking up to find sixteen years have passed you by! Suddenly Lucy is married, has two children, and is a successful TV executive. The world has changed, and she has no memory of the missing years. As she adjusts to this life she’s been dropped into, she begins to question if the wishing machine worked or if she simply has amnesia.

Watching Lucy maneuver through her new circumstances included some laugh-out-loud moments, and watching her fall in love with her husband and children was especially heartwarming. So many rich characters in this story!

Toward the end I couldn’t decide if I wanted Lucy to go back in time or stay where she was. I had to see what her decision would be! This novel makes readers consider how experiencing the good and bad makes us who we become, and the necessity of going through it.

*I lean toward “clean” novels. Although this one isn’t exactly clean, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s five-star fun! Just so you know: The author handled the sex scenes with discretion. The characters drop some F bombs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for an arc of The Good Part. The opinions are my own.

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What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

Robin’s Rave Reviews

5 Stars

Egyptian pyramidAre you one of those armchair archeologists, a wanna-be like me? Get your fix with What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez, a great book with intrigue, twists and turns, Egyptian history, archeological digs, adventure, and danger. Just to sweeten the pot, throw in a strong female protagonist, magic, romance, constant questioning of who can be trusted, and exotic settings including in Cairo, on the Nile River, and at a dig site in the desert. Although What the River Knows is labeled as YA, it’s also perfect for adults.

This is book 1 of a duology. Be prepared as you approach the last pages; not everything will get wrapped up. It ends on a major cliffhanger. Other than that, the book was 5 stars for me!

Summary:

What the River Knows book cover19th century Buenos Aires – Inez’s parents have left her behind six month out of every year for as long as she can remember. Since her parents are actively involved in the archeological digs they fund in Egypt, Inez has grown up living with her aunt and two cousins. Now nineteen-years-old, Inez receives news that her parents are missing and presumed dead. She devises a plan to go to Egypt to get answers from her uncle.

A woman traveling alone in the 1800s is considered inappropriate and dangerous, and yet, Inez, pretending to be a young widow, sails all the way from Buenos Aires to Cairo. Whit, her uncle’s handsome assistant, meets her at the docks. Her uncle’s orders are to immediately send her back. Inez has other plans and slips away.

When she finally finds her uncle, he doesn’t want her to be there. He puts Whit in charge of keeping tabs on her until he can arrange another passage home. Having opposite goals puts Inez and Whit in conflict with each other, yet there is undeniable chemistry between the two.

Inez learns there is much more to her parents’ deaths/disappearances, but Whit continually blocks her attempts to discover the truth. However, when the men realize Inez may be useful to them in their pursuit to find Cleopatra’s burial site, they allow her to join them.

Egyptian mummy coffin

Other parties, also interested in Cleopatra’s final resting spot, add danger to Inez and her uncle’s group. Who are the responsible archeologists and who would simply profit from the black market? What happened to Inez’s parents? Can Inez trust Whit? Can she trust her uncle?

 

Isabel Ibañez is the author of multiple novels including Woven in Midnight which is listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time. If you love fantasy, check out the list! To learn more about Isabel Ibañez and her books, go to her website here.

What the Rivers Knows comes out October 31, 2023. You can pre-order from your favorite bookstore or click here to order from bookshop.org. (They support Mom and Pop bookstores across the country.) Or, when you visit your local library, ask them to buy a copy!

If you liked this book review, check out my other book reviews here.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of What the River Knows. The opinions are my own.

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Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

Robin’s Rave Reviews5 Stars

It may seem early to talk Christmas, but Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews releases on September 26. Get your gifts bought early. Pre-order from your favorite store now! Yes, pre-ordering does make a difference! You could always go to Bookshop.org, a great place that supports Mom and Pop bookstores. (Hint. Hint.)

Robin's Rave Reviews - Christmas Edition 2021

I loved Bright Lights, Big Christmas. If you want a feel-good Christmas story filled with making new friends, believing in yourself, finding love, and supporting family, this is it! Bright Lights, Big Christmas is a holiday hug ending with a satisfying sigh. I loved MKA’s last Christmas story, The Santa Suit, but this one is even better. You will not be disappointed!

SUMMARY

When Kerry Tolliver finds herself in-between jobs, she’s lost as to what’s next in life. She returns to her hometown in the North Carolina mountains where her father and brother run the Tolliver Christmas Tree Farm. Due to her father’s health issues, he can’t make the trip to NYC to sell the trees. Kerry steps in to help. She and her grumpy, older brother spend a month selling trees in a NYC neighborhood where their family has sold trees for decades. For a full month, they camp in a vintage (run-down) trailer next to the tree lot. The trailer is fondly called Spammy because of the canned ham shape.  : )

Kerry discovers that the neighbors and shop owners already know and love her brother. Her family has developed community support and loyalty over the many years.

The story is about connecting with and caring for people. The community wraps the Tollivers in their love, and Kerry deeply connects with this group of quirky, lovable people. These neighbors care about each other. They check in on each other and help those in need. (I want this version of a NYC neighborhood to exist. I’ve never been there, so I’ll dream that it does.) Kerry especially gets involved in the lives of a divorced man and his son, and a mysterious older gentleman who gives her pointers on her drawings. 

 

Think about your Christmas list. I’m sure you’ll find one copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas will not be enough for all your loved ones who would love this book. Check out my reviews on these other Mary Kay Andrews’s books: The Santa Suit, The Homewreckers, The Newcomer, and Sunset Beach.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Mary Kay Andrews and NetGalley for the ARC of Bright Lights, Big Christmas. The opinions are my own.

 

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The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Robin’s Rave Reviews

Do you want to hang on to summer a little longer? Try The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey. It will take you back to fond childhood memories of going to summer camp. Even if you never went to summer camp, you will enjoy this story of three women who became friends as children and create a bond that lasts into adulthood.

The Summer of Songbirds novelCamp Holly Springs has a special place in the hearts of these three women since they first met there at age six. They continued attending every year, even becoming camp counselors in their teens. Now in their thirties, they learn the camp is floundering after Covid. The girls kick into high gear to help save it. Otherwise, Daphne’s Aunt June will have no choice but to sell out to a developer. While the three friends devise and carry out plans to save the camp, the story is complicated by their personal lives.

Mary Stuart is getting married. The guest list includes her friends Daphne and Lanier, and Lanier’s brother, Huff. Daphne and Huff were “a thing” a long time ago, and Lanier would like it to stay that way. Could seeing each other at the wedding reignite the flame? After the wedding, Mary Stuart has time to put her PR/marketing background to use to help save the camp.

Lanier, a bookstore owner, is engaged, but she isn’t as excited about getting married to Bryce as she should be. She senses he isn’t telling her something. When the girls throw her a bachelorette party at the camp, Lanier runs into Rich, the owner of the neighboring boys’ camp AND her teenage crush. What will come of this temptation?

Before Lanier’s bachelorette party, Daphne, a lawyer, is put into an impossible situation. She knows Bryce has multiple lawsuits against him that will tarnish his professional reputation and financially destroy him. As a loyal friend, she should tell Lanier before she marries him, but telling her would lead to Daphne being disbarred. As a single mother, Daphne has a son to support. To top it off, seeing Lanier’s brother Huff at Mary Stuart’s wedding was . . . interesting. Unfortunately she knows Lanier isn’t the forgetting type when it comes to Daphne’s past struggles.

Harvey uses Lanier’s, Daphne’s, and June’s alternating POV, so it’s important to keep the characters straight. Mary Stuart doesn’t have her own POV chapters, probably because her life is the most stable. She’s an anchor for the others.

♥ What I loved  ♥

*Camp Holly Springs reminded me of good times at the summer camp I attended as a child–the activities, the new friendships, and the sense of freedom.

*The entire story isn’t about the camp’s problems. Kristy Woodson Harvey included multiple complications going on in the lives of these women.

*Bryce’s poor decisions put Daphne into one of those situations where she just doesn’t have any good choices. That makes for great conflict.

*The women regularly sent each other emails asking the others to do the “hard things” for them. They each used their strengths to help in  areas where their friends struggled.

*Daphne had a great plutonic relationship with her son’s daddy, even though they never married.

*A strong storyline revolved around one character who experienced a challenging childhood. She makes her own mistakes in her twenties but learns to overcome. This past struggle still taints a friend’s perspective of her today. Will this friend truly forgive and put the past in the past? Will she support her friend now?

 

This isn’t just a summer book. The Summer of Songbirds is a wonderful choice for the fall as well. Kick the leaves on the ground as you take a walk to the campfire. Sit down and relax to the crackling of the fire, watch the firefly embers float off into the night sky, and indulge in a S’more. Lose yourself in watching three friends navigate their personal problems while also trying to do good for the camp, Aunt June ,and the community.

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey hit the New York Times Best Sellers list shortly after its release.  It was also a Good Morning America buzz pick. Interested in other books by Kristy Woodson Harvey? Click on the title to go to other KWH book reviews I’ve written: The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, Feels Like Falling, or if you’re interested in a series, The Peachtree Bluff series.

Friends and Fiction authors

Also catch Kristy on the Friends and Fiction weekly podcast with co-anchors Mary Kay Andrews, Patti Callahan Henry, and Kristin Harmel. Every Wednesday at 7 PM the group talks about their books and interviews other authors with recent releases. It’s a great way to discover new titles and authors! Join in the fun by joining the Friends and Fiction Facebook group or go to their YouTube channel where you can watch live and catch up on older episodes.

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@author.robin.shelley

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Indigo Isle by T.I. Lowe

Robin’s Rave Reviews

5 Stars

Looking for a great summer beach read? I LOVED INDIGO ISLE by T. I. Lowe. It was light, fun and interesting while also wrestling with a few tough topics.

Summary

Sonny Bates is a successful Hollywood location scout. When a movie takes her near Charleston, close to her childhood home, she considers stopping in; however, this would mean dealing with the mistakes of her past. Fifteen years ago on graduation day, she left home without warning anyone. Since then, she’s struggled to make something of herself. Sometimes she stretched the truth about her life on social media so her family thinks she’s doing fine.

While on location, Sonny stumbles onto a secluded island off the coast of Charleston, perfect for a scene in the movie. A recluse, known by the locals as The Monster of Indigo Isle, owns the private island. He isn’t happy to find her on his property, and he certainly doesn’t want a film crew interrupting his privacy. Sonny isn’t deterred. It’s her job to get him to sign a release. And it’s what her boss expects from her. The question is, how much is Sonny willing to do to keep her job?

Hudson Renfrow, a lawyer by trade, has exiled himself on Indigo Isle, a family property. He is dealing with guilt from a trauma which somewhat disfigured him (The Monster of Indigo Isle). He spends his time tending his indigo fields and making indigo dye. Over many visits, Hudson begins to soften toward Sonny. When they are forced together during a hurricane, Hudson’s hardened demeanor shows some cracks.

Indigo Isle: What I Liked

-Sonny’s unique career give readers a behind the scenes look at the movie-making experience, both the good and the bad.

-This remote isle has a magical feel.

-Both characters have issues they need to work through. They give each other a much needed, different perspective on their flaws. As the characters work to improve themselves, it realistically takes time.

-Sonny sees through Hudson’s mask and realizes there is something special behind the gruff exterior. (Think Beauty and the Beast.) I thought it was funny that Hudson had her arrested for trespassing, but she kept coming back and wore him down.

-Learning about making dye from indigo plants was unique.

-Fun supporting characters round out the book, like Vee, the make-up artist who should be an actress, and Erlene, who owns the run-down motel where the crew is staying.

-Lowe includes a few Bible verses throughout the story. She makes great Biblical points for the characters without feeling threatening or preachy to non-Christians.

-There is simply something special about the FEEL of this book. It touches on some tough topics while staying light and intriguing.

Conclusion

Thank you, T. I., for helping me forget my troubles while I escaped to Indigo Isle. And readers, you really MUST pick up a copy of INDIGO ISLE by T. I. Lowe ASAP! Don’t let the summer slip away without getting your own copy.

 

T. I. Lowe is a best-selling Southern author and has written at least 18 novels. Check out the other books by her that I’ve reviewed: UNDER THE MAGNOLIAS (which you’ll like if you liked Delia Owen’s WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING) and the Carolina Coast series.

 

You probably know I’m a big fan of the Friends and Fiction group. Four best-selling authors – Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Patti Callahan Henry, and Kristy Woodson Harvey – interview several authors each week on their show. T.  I. Lowe was on the June 21st episode. Here is a link to that episode on YouTube. If you want to watch the whole show, great! Or fast-forward to Lowe’s interview at 51:30.

You can tune in live to the Friends and Fiction’s podcast on Facebook or YouTube every Wednesday at 7 PM EST. On Facebook, join Friends and Fiction and watch live on their page, or search Friends and Fiction on YouTube and watch it live there. If you like it, subscribe! I tune in almost every week, but when I miss one, I watch the recording on YouTube. If you’re not watching yet, you’ll love becoming part of a supportive, friendly book community of authors and readers.

 

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@author.robin.shelley

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The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews

Robin’s Rave Reviews – 2022

What would summer be without another hit by Mary Kay Andrews? The Homewreckers is perfect for you to read at the beach, by a pool or in your own backyard.

When Mary Kay writes a book, it’s a no brainer for me. I’m going to read it. They are always enjoyable and filled with her characteristic wit. Her novels, romance mixed with a mystery, are always light and entertaining.

If, like me, you enjoy watching home renovations shows, you’ll enjoy this novel. The Homewreckers is a fun story with MKA’s take on a home remodeling show facing countless problems, and that’s before a body is found!

Hattie Kavanaugh is flipping houses on Tybee Island. After some professional setbacks, she is putting everything on the line with her next house. When Mo, a television producer, asks her to do a beach house renovation show, Hattie realizes this job could save her and get her back on her feet. Even so, she isn’t thrilled with the idea of being on camera. And, used to making all the decisions herself, working with her co-host designer Trae and his big, on-camera personality will be a challenge.

As if constant problems with the rehab and a tightening timeline from the network aren’t enough, a mystery surfaces that involves the police. The wallet of a woman who has been missing for seventeen years is found in the wall of the house. Now they’re shooting the show on  a potential crime scene as well. Leave it to Mary Kay Andrews to make a murder mystery delightful through the ups and downs of home renovations and a love triangle.

Fun side note:

This may be a case of life being stranger than fiction. Mary Kay and her husband have rehabbed several houses on Tybee Island which are now vacation rental properties. Last year, as they were working on their latest house, Coquina Cottage, a woman’s wallet was found in the wall. Somehow, years before, the wallet had been pushed through the razor blade slot, common in old medicine cabinets.

The documents inside the billfold identified its owner as Melba Lanier. The wallet held photos, an American Legion ID card, her commissary card, and other documents. Mary Kay reached out to the public through social media and found Melba’s children. Unfortunately Melba had since passed away. Mary Kay learned that she had lived in Coquina Cottage for a year in 1954 with her husband, Jack, when they were newlyweds.  Mary Kay gave the wallet to Melba’s children and has put a tribute to her on a wall in the rental cottage.

The real mystery still is – how and why did Melba Lanier’s wallet get pushed through that slot in the wall? Mary Kay used this mystery to fuel her imagination, and it became part of her storyline in The Homewreckers.  She used Melba’s last name, Lanier, as the first name of a woman missing for seventeen years in the story. If the real-life mystery intrigues you, click here to see a video of a TV news story on the found wallet.

I’ve reviewed several books by Mary Kay Andrews in my blog. If Mary Kay is a new author to you, check my reviews on these books as well:  The Newcomer, Sunset Beach, and The Santa Suit.

 

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Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon

Book Review

Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon was an interesting and unique time-travel novel that reminds me of the play/movie Brigadoon. It’s a love story, and a story about being caught in the middle of knowing what you want and what is best for your child.

Valley of the Moon is a time travel book much like the story of Brigadoon.

Lux Lysander, a single mother, struggles to make ends meet in 1975 San Francisco. When her five-year-old son visits his grandparents, Lux goes on a camping trip in the Sonoma Valley. When she wakes around midnight, she finds a mysterious fog around her. Following a light through the fog, she ends up in a sunny meadow. Here she meets people living in an idyllic farming community called Greengage where time literally moves slower.

Since the 1906 earthquake, the people of Greengage have been cut off from the world. A fog surrounds the community that will kill anyone trying to go through it. Lux is the first successful person. Somehow she is able to come and go. Each time, Lux must be careful to return to her own time while the gate is still open to get back to her son.  One time she chooses to stay a bit too long with a sick friend, has to wait for the doorway to reopen, and ends up losing a whole year in her time. That mistake causes problems between her and her son, who felt abandoned.

Valley of the Moon was published in 2016.

The more visits Lux makes to Greengage, the more she feels torn between the two worlds.  She loves the beauty of Greengage as well as the sense of community. There is a simplicity in their lives that calls to her. She has a responsibility to her son, a child of the seventies’ world, but she longs for the connections and peace of Greengage. Like the story of Brigadoon, she has to make a choice about which place she wants to live.

Personally, a 1906 farming community isn’t my idea of paradise, but I was fine with that being what Lux wanted. I loved the friendships she built at Greengage, especially Joseph. It was interesting that the doorway to Greengage wasn’t always open. That made it hard on the characters on both sides when years would go by between Lux’s visits.

Valley of the Moon  by Melanie Gideon may be a book for you if you like time travel books like Outlander or The Time Traveler’s Wife, or are a fan of books by Sarah Addison Allen. I enjoyed the book! I give Valley of the Moon a strong four stars.

 

 

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The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2022

Recently I won a copy of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake from the Bloom with Tall Poppy Writers Facebook group. (Thank you, Amy E. Reichert!) Amy’s an author I’ve read and reviewed before, so I was excited to read this one. Check out my October 2021 review of the first book I read and loved by Amy, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake  was different from Kindred Spirits, but still good. If you love the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks 1998 movie You’ve Got Mail, this romance is for you. Substitute a bookstore for a restaurant and add a bad critic review, and you’ve got a fresh take on this well-loved plot. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a slow burn romance, a bit too slow burn for me, but I still enjoyed the book.

Al can’t get Lou off his mind after he bumps into her. She’s on her way to her fiancé’s apartment to deliver a coconut cake. Popping in on her fiancé is bad timing (or good timing, depending on your perspective), and her world begins to fall apart.

When Al and Lou meet again, Al, a British transplant in Wisconsin, makes it clear that he isn’t impressed by his new city, viewing this as only a stop along his career path. Lou takes up the challenge to show him the best Milwaukee has to offer – museums, restaurants, ethnic festivals, and so on. On these outings, they agree to leave business behind by not talking about their jobs. When Al finally discovers Lou owns Luella’s restaurant, he may regret a review he wrote as the restaurant critic for the newspaper.

Did you know? You’ve Got Mail was based on Parfumerié, a 1937 Hungarian play by Miklos Laszlo. The story was reimagined, becoming the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner, and then repackaged as You’ve Got Mail in 1998.

Some of my favorite romance movies are You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, Fool’s Gold, Letters to Juliet, and Sweet Home Alabama. What are your favorite romance movies?

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The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

Robin’s Rave Reviews – 2022

THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES by Jennifer E. Smith was a fun read by a new author to me. Whenever I had to put the book down, I couldn’t wait to get back to it. An Alaskan cruise wouldn’t be my personal first choice, but the book has the fun cruise ship vibe. 

Book Cover of The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. SmithCome aboard a cruise to Alaska with indie rock star Greta James and  her cantankerous father. Greta’s career is on shaky ground after an emotional break-down on stage due to her mother’s death. On top of that, Greta just broke off a lengthy relationship. She needs time out of the spotlight and away from performing. Her brother talks her into going on the cruise with her father to support him. This cruise was their mother’s dream, booked as a fortieth anniversary celebration, but she died before she got to go. Greta reluctantly agrees and books a room on the ship.

While on the cruise, Greta fits in a bit of romance with Ben, an author who is there to lecture on Jack London. As they start an uncertain relationship, his traditional life makes Greta question her rock star lifestyle. Also, Greta and a young girl (who idolizes her) help each other with their music. 

Greta and her father have a distance relationship. Greta questions if her brother was right. How could her presence on the trip be helping her dad through a tough time? Her father wonders if his son was right. Did Greta need him to help her through a tough time? The answer is, of course, yes to both.

I enjoyed watching the father/daughter relationship evolve in the novel. Greta begins to better understand her father and how some of her song lyrics hurt him.  Her father, even in his grief, begins to see Greta and her career in a new way.

THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES by Jennifer E. Smith is her debut into adult fiction, although she has already written nine YA books. Take a vacation along with Greta when THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES comes out  March 1, 2022. Consider supporting independent “mom and pop” bookstores through bookshop.org.

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