The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2026

Mystery – Atmospheric/Lightly Gothic – Historical Fiction – Women’s Fiction

Book about Books – Spooky House – Australia – Family Secrets – Mother/Daughter Relationship

THE STORY KEEPER by Kelly Rimmer has so much to like! Australian setting, an old mansion that “might” be haunted, a woman doing the renovations, a book within the book, buried family secrets, Gothically atmospheric but not scary. Yes! Sign me up. This was my first Kelly Rimmer book, and I was excited that it continued my streak of amazing books to recommend this year!

Book Summary

A famous author lives in a mansion called Wurimbirra in the small, country town of Forbes, Australia. He leaves his estate to his son, Jon, but included a section in the will suspiciously insisting that no big renovations be made to the house. Jon sells the house to his cousin, Fiona, a historical architect with a fond attachment to the house. She grew up there with Uncle Tad, Jon and her mother. After all, there is no way Uncle Tad’s no renovations request can be enforced, and the estate has been neglected for years.

Fiona is looking for a fresh start as she goes through a divorce after her husband and her best friend’s affair forced her out of their company. She begins the huge task of cleaning the house that’s been neglected for years, including the red Australian dust that’s settled everywhere.

A short time after Fiona arrives, strange things happen around the house. The locals think the house is haunted, but Fiona never experienced anything odd when she lived there. She thinks Uncle Tad would be laughing about it. He told ghost stories about the house to keep people away to maintain his privacy as he wrote. After all, he is THE STORY KEEPER. Fiona’s looking for logical answers, but the local lore about the house creeps back into her mind, as well as the stories of an indigenous tragedy that took place near the property generations ago. And then there’s the creepy, old cemetery on the property from the original owners of the house.

Old tombstones in a small cemetery photo by Rusty Watson on Unsplash — Photo by Rusty Watson/Unsplash.com

Fiona’s plan to renovate the mansion visibly shakes and angers her mother. Fiona’s mother has always kept her at a distance emotionally and buying/renovating the old mansion sets her off. She tells her daughter, “History doesn’t always stay in the past, Fiona. I hope to God you know what you’re doing.”

While clearing out Uncle Tad’s things, Fiona discovers a box of books titled The Midnight Estate. Not recognizing the author’s name, she assumes it was sent by an author friend of Uncle Tad’s. She immediately gets sucked into reading it. (Readers get to read it along with her – the book within the book.)

The story takes us back to 1960s with a character named Silas. He lives in Australia, but he has returned home to the U.S. because his mother is very sick. While in town, he notices a familiar, haunted look on a young woman at a cafe. His mother, who was a victim of domestic abuse, had the same look. He decides he must help the woman, if she’ll accept it. The story tells the great lengths and risks taken to get her out of her abusive marriage. When others turned away and ignored it, Silas was the only one to help.

As Fiona begins to understand her family’s connection to this story, she gains knowledge and empathy that allows for healing with her mother.

My Thoughts

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA and NetGalley for the ARC of THE STORY KEEPER by Kelly Rimmer. The opinions are my own.

I was thrilled that I’d picked another winner of a novel to read this year, especially since I didn’t know this author. It’s been a great year for some wonderful writing that I’m happy to recommend! THE STORY KEEPER is a 5-star read.

The Australian setting, the “haunted” mansion, and a woman who wants to bring the home back to its former glory all drew me in. I’m absolutely NOT a fan of scary novels, so luckily, this isn’t. It’s more atmospheric with a few odd events, but it isn’t a book that will keep you up at night listening for all those suspicious noises.

With Fiona’s recent failed marriage, I cheered her on. It’s time for her to get a break. Throughout the novel, Fiona does basic things in the mansion (cleaning, turning on the electricity and water, sorting papers, etc.), rather than getting to the actual renovations, but by the end of THE STORY KEEPER, I was sure she would continue with those plans. It’s a huge house so it definitely would take time to simply organize it.

The first chapter that switched from Fiona’s story to her reading the book in the box threw me for a minute, even though the chapter was clearly titled The Midnight Estate. Once I realized I was reading the novel along with Fiona, it made sense. It’s actually a brilliant and unusual technique to create a dual timeline story. It wasn’t long before I realized this “fictional” story would tie into Fiona’s family secrets, but that didn’t detract from my interest in the story.

Trigger warnings: infidelity/cheating, coercive control/spousal abuse, and historical violence to indigenous people.

Order Your Copy

You can preorder now anywhere books are sold (pub date is July 21, 2026); however, may I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org? I am now an affiliate of Bookshop.org because I love their mission to support small, independent bookstores across the country. To be transparent, I may receive a small commission, but it doesn’t increase your cost AND you’re helping small bookstores! It’s a Win-Win! You can order THE STORY KEEPER by Kelly Rimmer here. And check out my Bookshop page with other great recommendations HERE.

About the Author

Kelly told her father she was going to be an author back when she was in kindergarten. Her storytelling dreams have come true, and her books can be found in bookstores all over the world. Kelly’s books have been Top 10 bestsellers in her home country of Australia, and in the U.S., she’s been on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists. Some of her well-known books are historical fiction. Previous books include Things We Cannot Say, Before I Let You Go, and The Warsaw Orphan.

If You Like…

If THE STORY KEEPER by Kelly Rimmer sounds like a book you’d enjoy, also check out my past reviews on these books: The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross, The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan, The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young. I don’t have a review on my blog for these books that I’ve read, but they would be great books you may enjoy: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow and Slade House by Davide Mitchell.

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June 24, 2026June 18, 2026

Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2026

Romance – Contemporary Fiction with Historical References – Women’s Fiction

MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel is described as Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.

In this contemporary story the novel follows the lives of multiple Americans, unknown to each other, who have come to the City of Light for very different reasons, and yet their stories intertwine among the bookstores, bistros, bars, hotels, and tourist sites.

Book Summary

Julia and Piper

Julia always planned on returning to the city, but a recent diagnosis has finally pushed her to take the trip now to give her daughter, Piper, a special memory to hold onto. Piper, in her early twenties, intends on spending all her time with her mother. After Piper meets a cute waiter, she squeezes in time for him when Julia needs to rest. Julia’s amazed when she also meets someone who stirs unexpected feelings in her, but she must tell him about her diagnosis.

Jackson

Jackson, a 90s rock star, has come to Paris to launch his reunion tour to reignite interest with his fans. Even so, fame doesn’t sit well with him because others have used it to their advantage in the past. That deep connection of being loved for who he is on the inside has eluded him until Jackson meets a woman who doesn’t recognize him while in a Paris bar. She could be the missing part of his life.

Henry and Celeste

Henry, now in his 90s, writes hit songs, including Jackson’s big hit, City of Light. What fans don’t know is this well-loved song is about Celeste, a woman Henry loved during WWII. When he returned for her after the war, he thought she died. All these years later, a letter told him she’s alive but has dementia. Henry hopes his love song can break through her fog long enough for her to realize he came back for her. As he stays in Paris with his granddaughter, Melanie, Henry discovers Melanie’s marriage is in trouble.

Kayla

Kayla moved to Paris to get to know her French father. She’s settled into a job at a nursing home to support herself. A young artist in the park has noticed her walking past nearly every day and asks if he can paint her. Some Parisians are more welcoming to a foreigner living there than others.

Shelby and Jack

Shelby’s two girlfriends have brought her to Paris for a celebration of her divorce, only days away from being finalized. Shelby becomes interested Jack, a bar owner, who treats her with care and respect. Meanwhile, her almost-ex calls because he wants to try again. He broke it off with his girlfriend, but the reason is a red flag. Shelby is stuck between a decision to return to what she knows or to have the courage to believe she deserves more.

George and Lou

George and Lou fought together in Vietnam. After fifty years, the two widowers are still best friends. Lou convinces George to go on a Paris group tour with other Vietnam vets. He wants to see where the peace accords ending the war were signed.

With a full cast of characters, MEET ME IN PARIS addresses tough experiences real people go through such as dementia, lost love, first love, loneliness, life after widowhood and divorce, infidelity, lies, cancer, desire to connect with a distant parent, difficulties of fame, love that seems to have arrived too late, and the need for connection.

My Thoughts

Kristin Harmel is known best for her brilliant historical novels, mostly based in WWII. This new book is different but just as brilliant. It’s a contemporary story with touches of historical references to WWII and Vietnam. It’s clear that Kristin is right at home writing about Paris, having lived there for a while herself.

Photo of the Eiffel tower in Paris — Eiffel tower in Paris

I loved this book so much. It’s full of interesting, complex characters and situations. Kristin’s characters come alive during a week in Paris, walking the street, entering the hotels, enjoying the bars and bistros, and seeing the sites of Paris. Piper and Julia’s story takes center stage with Henry and Celeste coming in a close second. I adored both of these stories and how Kristin expertly wove them together.

My only small criticism is about the number of characters. Generally, it wasn’t too hard to keep track of, but the story may have been better with a few less. Personally, I would have cut the veteran storyline since it didn’t closely tie in to the others. George and Lou’s story felt like it was thrown in after the rest of the book was written to give more character diversity. They are old, one is white and one is black, and (SPOILER ALERT) they express their long-time, unspoken love for each other. Character diversity is a good thing, but this storyline just didn’t feel connected to the other stories and added more characters to keep track of. I would have preferred more depth in Kayla’s story.

Rating

Due to my last point, I rank this novel 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5). I loved how the stories and characters transported me into their lives. Paris isn’t on my bucket list, but I wasn’t ready to leave this city or these characters at the end of the book. Your summer vacation may only be sunbathing in your own backyard, but MEET ME IN PARIS can sweep you away in your mind.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC of MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel. The opinions are my own.

Order Your Copy

You can preorder now or purchase soon anywhere books are sold (pub date is July 28, 2026); however, may I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org? I am now an affiliate of Bookshop.org because I love their mission to support small, independent bookstores across the country. To be transparent, I may receive a small commission, but it doesn’t increase your cost AND you’re helping small bookstores! It’s a Win-Win! You can order MEET ME IN PARIS HERE. And check out my Bookshop page with other great recommendations HERE.

About the Author

Kristin Harmel is a New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author, and a breast cancer survivor. She spent her childhood in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Florida, and after earning her journalism degree from the University of Florida, she lived in Paris and Los Angeles. Orlando, Florida, is now her home with her husband and son.

Paris, often the setting for her WWII novels, is one of Kristin’s favorite places. (Her other favorite place is Disney World. How convenient that she lives in Orlando!) She is also a co-founder and co-host of Friends and Fiction, a weekly web show where authors interview other authors.

If You Like…

If MEET ME IN PARIS sounds like a book you’d enjoy, also check out my past reviews on these books by Kristin Harmel: The Book of Lost Names, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, The Winemaker’s Wife, The Paris Daughter, and The Forest of Vanishing Stars.

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May 28, 2026May 22, 2026

Lost in the Summer of ’69

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2026

General Fiction – Women’s Fiction – Summer Read – ’60s nostalgia – Rock ‘n’ Roll

LOST IN THE SUMMER OF ’69 by Eliza Knight: a grandmother with early Alzheimer’s lives out her dream of being a musician by joining a band in the rock festival circuit while her worried daughter and granddaughter go on a road trip to find her.

If you like books with ’60s nostalgia and rock ‘n’ roll, LOST IN THE SUMMER OF ’69 by Eliza Knight is for you! It comes out in paperback on June 9, just in time for summer reading. Embark on a road trip across the country to music festivals in the golden era of rock.

Book Summary

Doctors have given Eleanor a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s. Regretting she never pursued her dream to be a professional musician, she leaves her Atlanta home to go to a California music festival. After performing in an open mic tent, Shep Moon invites her to play on the big stage with his band. Next thing she knows, she’s traveling the country, playing with Shep’s band on the festival circuit.

Straight-laced Leanne always wears pearls and a dress and always has her husband’s dinner on the table when he gets home from work. Lately she’s been longing for more in her marriage and life than the restraints put on 1950s and ’60s housewives. She’s shocked and worried when her mother left home without leaving a note. She asks her daughter, Nora, to ride with her to track down Eleanor. Leanne hopes time together will strengthen their relationship before Nora goes off to college.

Nora wants to hang out with her friends before she faces her freshman year at Yale as one of the first women students. She planned on spending her summer at the lake with friends, but her mom and grandmother need her help. Being trapped in a car all day, day-after-day, with her mom sounds like torture, but she agrees to go.

Eleanor is having the time of her life. She is worried that if her daughter finds her, she’ll spoil all her fun and make her come home. Her daughter and granddaughter are hot on her trail, but every time they arrive at a festival, Eleanor has already moved on to the next one. They continue to track her without any modern technology. No cell phones. No computers. No GPS. Meanwhile, Leanne and Nora are being more adventurous than they’ve ever been. Their fun and troubles bring them closer together as they enjoy a new found freedom on the trip.

And yes! The do get to Woodstock. Is IS the summer of ’69, after all.

My Thoughts

LOST IN THE SUMMER OF ’69 by Eliza Knight is an enjoyable, light-hearted story about Grandma Eleanor being lost (although she knows where she is—most of the time), and her daughter and granddaughter tracking her down.

I love that Eleanor gets a chance to experience the spotlight as an entertainer, a dream she’d given up in her youth to marry and have a family. She gets to prove to herself that she could have done it and that she still has value at her age. She gets to live that life, even if only for a summer. She’s the most interesting character for me. However, Leanne is at the most interesting crossroads, historically.

Leanne has played the dutiful wife with all the restrictions on women in the 1950s-’60s, but she dips a toe in the evolution of women’s rights. She’s the transitional woman, glimpsing future possibilities. Drowning in her marriage and life while dreading becoming an empty-nester, she gets a taste of adventure and freedom while on the road with her daughter. She recognizes she wants more for both of them. She goes from always wearing a dress and her pearls to wearing tie dye shirts and bell bottom jeans. What would the ladies back home think?!

Nora represents the generation that will change societal expectations of women, including being one of the first women to attend Yale. On the verge of adulthood, Nora moves from seeing her mother through a child’s eyes to seeing her from a more adult perspective. She also experiences young love with Joe, a reporter she keeps running into at the festivals.

All three women, three generations, learn about being themselves and about breaking out of the mold the world imposes on them. (Can’t help but think of Jell-o molds from the ’60s!) These women learn they have agency. They discover the joy in getting ‘lost’ on purpose—and, through the process, being found and seen.

Eliza Knight has done her research. She did a fabulous job creating the world of 1969 through many historical touches. She hit right on with sensory details of the hotel rooms, diners, and pay phones, as well as the festivals, from the patchouli to the mud to the tear gas. The only criticism I have is some of the festivals could have been cut out. It began to feel repetitive, even though different experiences happen at each. Perhaps a few could have been combined together.

I really enjoyed taking a road trip with these three ladies. Watching Eleanor get her moment to shine and the transformation of Leanne and Nora, both individually and as mother/daughter, was entertaining. LOST IN THE SUMMER OF ’69 should go on your summer reading list. Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. The opinions are my own.

LOST IN THE SUMMER OF ’69 by Eliza Knight comes out in paperback on June 9, 2026. It’s almost here! Pre-ordering is VERY helpful to authors. I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org since they help support small, independent bookstores across the country. Since it’s a paperback, it’s very affordable. Order here.

About the Author

Eliza Knight, an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author, currently lives in Florida with her knight in shining armor, three princesses, two naughty Newfies, and a turtle names Fish.

Her love of history began as a young girl, traipsing the halls of Versailles and running through the fields in Southern France. Standing before the great golden palace, she imagined what life must have been like. Today she takes readers on historical journeys around the world.

She is the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed, and hosts the History, Books and Wine podcast.

If You Like…

If you like the description of LOST IN THE SUMMER OF ’69 by Eliza Knight, check out my past reviews on these recommendations: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul.

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@author.robin.shelley

April 22, 2026April 22, 2026

Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2026

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

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.

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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August 13, 2025August 11, 2025

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

Charlotte 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

Kristy 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.

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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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!

August 5, 2025August 5, 2025

Out of the Crash by Susan Poole

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2025

OUT OF THE CRASH by Susan Poole is out into the world! Congratulations to my friend and fellow writer! I’m so excited for Susan as she sends her debut book baby out into the hands of readers. And I’m so excited for readers to get ahold of this one!

Book Summary

OUT OF THE CRASH is women’s fiction, family drama, and (light) legal drama, about a hit-and-run of a bicyclist by a teenage driver, resulting in a fatality.

At eighteen-years-old, high school senior Kyle Beasley has his whole life ahead of him, including a full college scholarship to play baseball. While driving, everything changes in a flash when he hits and kills bicyclist Amy Shawver. He makes it worse by panicking and driving off. He is arrested for vehicular homicide, for which he could serve prison time.

As the town passes judgement on the situation, both families are suffering. The victim’s husband struggles with the loss of his wife while his son struggles with the loss of his mother. When the son learns a secret about his mother, it creates conflict between him and his dad.

The driver’s family struggles with their grief and guilt over the tragic death, as well as the impact it has on their son, changing the course of his life through a reckless mistake. This family is already on shaky ground after the mother’s health scare a few years ago.

Also, the teen siblings in each family have to navigate school and friends with this tragedy in the forefront of everyone’s mind while they try to make sense of it all.

Author Susan Poole expertly dives into the lives of both the teen driver’s and the victim’s families showing how trauma has the ability to tear families apart or bring them closer together, as well as lead people to reevaluate their lives and what’s truly important. The author explores the husband/wife dynamic, the parent/child bond, and the after-math effects of trauma on children.

My Thoughts

I commiserated with both sides. For me, that’s what is so special about this novel. It’s easy (and appropriate) to sympathize with the family who lost a loved one, but so often the tragedy it causes in the family on the other side is ignored. It’s eye-opening and heart-breaking to examine both sides.

Can you imagine the pain of losing your wife or mother in a bicycling accident? You’d be devastated. You’d want justice.

Can you fathom what the teenager and his family are going through—the guilt over the death and the fear of what it means for the future? You’d be devastated. As a parent, you’d grieve for the family that lost their loved one, but you’d also want to protect your child. Should a split-second accident ruin the rest of his life, putting him away in prison for years, and labeling him a felon for the rest of his life? And how can he live with knowing he caused someone’s death?

Can you picture living in this town. How would you react after hearing about the accident, knowing it was a teen driver and a hit-and-run? What conclusions might you jump to? Would your judgment be black and white without knowing the whole story?

I loved how I became invested in both families and their struggles over the months following the accident. The story reminds us that there’s two sides to every story. Amy’s death is a tragedy for her family, but we can also feel heart-breaking pain for Kyle and his family.

This novel speaks to everyone since we’ve all had times when our world spins out of control, and we have to weather the storm to get to the calm. Sometimes life presents predicaments with no clearly right answer, and we can only consider, “What if this happened to me? To our family?”

Although the subject is difficult, OUT OF THE CRASH by Susan Poole is gripping. I flew through it in two sittings. The author masterfully handles the topic beautifully, without the story becoming too heavy, and leaves us with hope for those impossible life situations.

About the Author

The author of Out of the Crash by Susan Poole is holding her book at her book launch party. — Author Susan Poole at her book launch party

Susan Poole lives in Avon Lake, Ohio, with her husband and dogs.

After graduating from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, and the University of Buffalo School of Law, Susan practiced real estate law before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Now that her children are grown, Susan runs a consulting business and writes fiction.

Author of Out of the Crash by Susan Poole is signing a book at her book launch party, — Author Susan Poole signing a book at her book launch party

The Women’s Fiction Writers Association awarded Susan the Rising Star Award for her debut novel, OUT OF THE CRASH. Through her writing, Susan wants to explore life’s ups and downs and makes sense of the human experience.

Consider purchasing OUT OF THE CRASH by Susan Poole 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.) Or purchase from YOUR favorite book seller.

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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!

February 10, 2025

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

Robin’s Reviews 2025

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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January 6, 2025January 3, 2025

The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne

Robin’s Reviews 2025

THE 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

RaeAnne 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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December 23, 2024December 23, 2024

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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September 27, 2024

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024

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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July 30, 2024July 30, 2024

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024

Yes! Another perfect book for your beach bag this summer! A HAPPIER LIFE by Kristy Woodson Harvey, part historical fiction, part mystery, part women’s fiction, part romance, is told in a dual timeline: present day with Keaton Smith, and in 1976 with her grandparents Rebecca “Becks” and Townsend St. James.

Summary

Keaton, a young professional in NYC, has lost her job and her condo. While she figures out her next move, her mother asks her to clear out Keaton’s grandparents’ house in Beaufort so it can be sold. Keaton knew they died in a car accident before she was born, but this is the first she’s heard of the historic house on the North Carolina seaside. Her mother and uncle have held onto the house for nearly fifty years. Keaton agrees and takes her dog Salt along for the trip. (Who doesn’t love a story with a dog? And this dog is based on Kristy’s own dog named Salt!)

Keaton isn’t prepared to walk into a 1970s time-warp. It looks like Becks and Townsend just stepped away, including dishes left on the dining room table from one of Becks’ famous dinner parties. As Keaton is adjusting to the shock, Anderson, a ten-year-old, boy pops in. He lives next door with his divorced, grumpy, hot dad, Bowen.

While Keaton struggles with the enormous cleaning job, she connects more deeply with the locals. Keaton learns that everyone knows everything in a small town, so different from NYC. She becomes friends with the Dockside Dames, a group of older women who get together every morning for coffee and gossip. Their stories of her grandparents help Keaton connect with family she never knew. Keaton sees what life could be like here. She’s faced with comparing her fast-paced, workaholic life in NYC to what small town life on the ocean with Bowen and his son could be like.

The story of her grandparents dying in a car accident begins to have some holes. Although her grandparents’ car was found submerged in the water, their bodies were never recovered. When Keaton discovers her mother and uncle have suspicions that their parents were actually murdered, Keaton better understands why they never returned to the house. But what really happened to Becks and Townsend?

We go back in time for Becks to tell her love story. Becks was disowned by her parents for marrying Townsend, the love of her life. She focuses on making life easier for others and throwing her famous dinner parties while Townsend starts his doctor practice in Beaufort. Although Becks journals all her entertaining tips for her daughter, her granddaughter Keaton is the one to find it nearly fifty years later. It helps her connect with the grandmother she never knew.

Trying to decide what to keep and what to discard from her grandparents’ life and mother’s childhood is more difficult than Keaton expected. Keaton finally convinces her mother and uncle to come look through some things and get closure. Becks and Townsend left multiple clues behind, leading the family to learn the truth of what happened to them.

My Thoughts

There’s a lot here for readers of several genres including romance, women’s fiction, and mystery. It’s a multi-generational story of family relationships and how we deal with damage done in the past. It’s about forgiveness and reconciliation, about valuing the past and the family who came before us, and about romantic love and second chances. It reinforces that we shouldn’t judge the happiness of someone else’s life because people define happiness differently. What’s right for one isn’t for another. Perhaps when you determine you’ve lived a life worth living, you’ve found true happiness.

I loved A HAPPIER LIFE by Kristy Woodson Harvey. May I suggest you purchase A HAPPIER LIFE here at Bookshop.org? This online bookstore supports mom and pop bookstores nationwide!

Kristy Woodson Harvey, author

If you like…

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

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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June 11, 2024May 31, 2024

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024

THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW by Adrienne Young is a unique novel. I’m being careful to not give you too much about this one because it’s best experienced by the reader. If your reading tastes are similar to mine, you’ll love it!

This time travel novel includes the loyal/loving family theme wrapped with mystery and a touch of romance, but it also has a complexity that will keep you on your toes. Your brain will be engaged while reading this book, and it will keep you thinking long after, all in a good way.

Summary

The Farrow women are well-known for two things: their flower farm in Japer, North Carolina, and a mysterious curse. Years ago, after showing signs of mental instability, Susanna Farrow disappeared. She left behind baby June to be raised by the grandmother.

Now an adult, June is very familiar with the town’s rumors and whispers about her family and her mother’s disappearance. When June hears a voice calling her name and wind chimes that don’t exist and sees a ghost horse and a mysterious red door that appear out of nowhere, she questions if she is headed down that same slippery slope of mental illness. That’s why she feels she must sacrifice finding love and having children. The curse will stop with her.

Early in the story, just before June’s grandmother dies, she mails an old photo to June. June questions how the two people in the picture could be together since they didn’t live in the same time period. June investigates more about her mother and the disappearance. Every bit of information leads to another question. After receiving a yellowed envelope with the message “Trust me,” June decides to test her hallucinations. The next time the red door appears, she opens it and walks through. When she does, June must navigate a scenario where the present and the past intertwine, and answers lead to tough decisions.

My Thoughts

In the beginning of THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW by Adrienne Young, the author tosses the readers tidbits of strange experiences until she hooks you into the story. You suddenly realize you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole, but the Mad Hatter doesn’t seem so mad after all. Here, the impossible becomes reality. As Junes learns about the Farrow women’s ability to time travel, her view of the family curse changes.

Motherhood is a major theme, revealing the family love and loyalty of generations of Farrows. The story explores the choices we make and what we’re willing to sacrifice for those we love. Add a murder mystery and fierce, heartbreaking romance, and you have a winner of a novel.

I’d rate THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW with 4 1/2 stars out of 5. The only reason it isn’t a 5 is that trying to understand the timelines as they relate to the Farrow family makes my head spin. Once I understood the familial relationships between the characters, I was fine. It’s amazing how complex time travel is in this story, but the author handles it smoothly. Readers will let down their walls of believability long enough to accept the impossible is possible, at least in this world.

So I pose a question to you: If a door appeared that wasn’t there a moment before, would you step through it? Leave me a comment below.

If you like…

If this book appeals to you, check out these books I’ve previously reviewed and recommend: Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (same author), Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber. Happy reading!

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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May 21, 2024May 9, 2024

The Cafe at Beach End by RaeAnne Thayne

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024

Family reconciliation is a major part of the storyline in THE CAFE AT BEACH END by RaeAnne Thayne, but you also get two love stories for the price of one! Cousins Meredith and Tori both get second chances at love in this clean romance. The small beach town setting will draw you in and the characters will make you want to hang around.

Background

Tori and Meredith were best friends when they were younger, more like sisters than cousins. As adults, their relationship is non-existent.

At age 19, Tori got pregnant and married, keeping her in Cape Sanctuary and helping her grandmother at The Beach End Cafe. But when Tori’s husband died making her a single mom to their six-year-old daughter, Tori’s life wasn’t easy. When her grandmother became ill, Tori balanced being a caregiver, a single mother, and the manager of the cafe.

Meredith, on the other hand, graduated with an art degree, married a wealthy man, and opened her own art gallery in the city. She didn’t help emotionally support Tori when her husband died, and she wasn’t around to help care for Grandma or run the cafe. Tori felt ignored and left behind while Meredith enjoyed a perfect life.

Tori didn’t know what Meredith’s marriage looked like behind closed doors. Bad led to worse when Meredith’s husband was convicted of cheating investors out of millions of dollars. The FBI made her life even more miserable after her husband died in prison. They believe she knew about the scheme and knows where the money is hidden. The FBI finally drop the case against her since they couldn’t prove her involvement. Meredith has a hard time feeling sorry for herself and what she’s lost when so many people lost money to her husband.

Grandma never held a grudge against Meredith, believing she had good reasons for not coming around. When Grandma died , Tori was dismayed that she left Meredith a cottage and 49% ownership of the cafe. Tori has the other 51%. It didn’t matter much until Meredith returned to Cape Sanctuary to start over.

Summary

The book opens with Meredith — shamed, depressed, broke, and without a job. She returns to Cape Sanctuary to hide away, distancing herself from her ex-husband’s scandal. Tori isn’t happy to see her. She’s bitter. And she certainly doesn’t want Meredith to suddenly have a say in “her” cafe after she’s spent so much time and energy running it. Much of the story is the gradual rebuilding of their relationship.

Liam, who is renting out the house next door to Meredith, says he came to the quiet town to write a book, but he’s hiding his real identity and motives. Liam shows interest in Meredith, and she opens up to him. As they develop feelings for one another, his secret could ruin everything.

Tori’s divorced brother-in-law Sam moves back to Cape Sanctuary with his daughter, Cristina. When Tori’s daughter Emilia and her cousin get into trouble at school, Tori and Sam work together to guide the girls onto the right path, hopefully including passing the eighth grade. Tori and Sam are drawn to each other, but Tori holds back. Even though her husband passed years ago, being interested in her husband’s brother doesn’t feel right.

My Thoughts

THE CAFE AT BEACH END by RaeAnne Thayne is a wonderful feel-good book to pick up for your summer reading. It came out in 2023. When I started reading it, I didn’t realize this was book five in the Cape Sanctuary series. I didn’t matter one bit that I hadn’t read the others. Each book in the series is a standalone, following different characters and situations, all in the small fictional California beach town of Cape Sanctuary. I’ll be returning to the Cape Sanctuary series another time. RaeAnne Thayne just may become one of my go-to authors for contemporary romance. This book is well written, and RaeAnne respects her reader’s IQ by not repeating details like some romance authors do.

If you like…

If this book appeals to you, check out these books I’ve reviewed and recommend: Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman, The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith, The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews, and The Beach House and The Beach House series by Mary Alice Monroe. Happy reading!

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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April 23, 2024April 3, 2024

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 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

January 12, 2024January 12, 2024

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Robin’s Reviews

THE WISHING GAME by Meg Shaffer is an adult novel, but it brought back the magical feelings of reading from my childhood.

I emotionally remembered that feeling of enchantment from reading books for the first time, like Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew/The Hardy Boys, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, to name a few. Certain books touch the heart of a child.

Think back to books you read as a child. Now remember with your heart, not your mind. Were you enchanted by a story you couldn’t put down? Do you remember the joy as a story unfolded? Do you remember feeling proud of yourself for figuring “it” out? Did you want to escape into the world in that book? To become the character in the book? To finish a book under the covers with a flashlight after bedtime? Ever not want to come when called for dinner because you were reading?

THE WISHING GAME will have you reliving all those feelings, but in an adult story. It’s easy reading, could be YA, but it also covers several heavier topics: childhood neglect, the foster system, running away, and childhood illness, to name a few. Meg Shaffer skillfully includes these tough problems in a way that doesn’t darken or weigh down the story. THE WISHING GAME by Meg Shaffer should definitely go on your adult bookshelf!

Summary of THE WISHING GAME

Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is a reclusive, eccentric, and best-selling children’s author. He lives on Clock Island, the setting of his magical, mysterious children’s book series. In each of his books, a child has to make a wish and then find his or her way to the island. They are all brave children who then face their fears through riddles and games to get a chance at their wish coming true.

Five years ago, Jack mysteriously quit writing. Finally, he now announces he has a new book and will be running a competition for four adults. These adults were picked because, as children, they actually found their way to Clock Island after reading his books. Now, as adults, they will compete in a Clock Island game. The winner will get the one and only copy of Jack’s new children’s book to keep or sell. The publisher is already willing to pay six figures for it, but other interested parties may be willing to pay even more. Each contestant has a real need to win.

The protagonist of THE WISHING GAME is Lucy Hart. As a child, Lucy found comfort in reading the Clock Island series. It helped her through a difficult childhood. Now an adult, Lucy desperately wants to adopt seven-year-old Christopher, to give him the love she never had. She has been reading the Clock Island books to Christopher to help him through his own messed-up childhood. Lucy can’t afford to adopt him on her teacher’s aide salary. This contest could be the answer to both of their wishes. If Lucy wins, selling the book would provide all she needs to adopt Christopher and give him a loving, stable home.

My Thoughts

Jack Masterson and Hugo Reese are wonderful secondary characters. Jack, the author, is mysterious, and yet he’s that grandfatherly character. The twinkle in his eye hints at his joy in creating games and riddles. Hugo Reese, the long-time illustrator of the books, lives on the island with Jack. Hugo is ready to move on with his life, but when Jack hit a low and stopped writing, Hugo couldn’t leave him. He needs to know Jack will be okay without him. Hugo and Lucy develop a fondness for each other that grows into a sweet relationship.

THE WISHING GAME was endearing and wholesome. I thoroughly enjoyed this whimsical, mysterious book, although I wanted to get to the contest faster. The plot was a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind. It brought me something no other adult book has: I remembered in my soul what it felt like being a kid again, trying to solve the riddles right along with the competitors.

Interested in purchasing? Try here at Bookshop.org. They’re a wonderful website that supports the Mom and Pop bookstores nationwide.

Last Thoughts

Although the Clock Island books don’t actually exist in the real world, I would LOVE to see Meg Shaffer try her hand at children’s literature to create them! What books bring back fond memories of childhood for you? I’d love if you shared below!

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@author.robin.shelley

December 21, 2023December 4, 2023

Beautiful Little Fools by Jill Cantor

Robin’s Reviews

Yes. I admit it. I was one of those people that loved reading THE GREAT GATSBY, so I was excited to hear about BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS by Jill Cantor. Let me tell you, her retelling didn’t disappoint. It gives fans a chance to relive the classic through a new lens. Same plot. Same characters. BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS is told from the women’s point of view, including capturing the limitations of women in the 1920s.

Cantor’s title is perfect! Perhaps you recall Daisy Buchanan’s quote in the classic when her daughter is born: “I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE GREAT GATSBY (NOT FOR BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS)

*I’m going to assume you’ve read THE GREAT GATSBY or watched the movie at some point, so fair warning, there are some Gatsby spoilers in this review. It would be hard not to when reviewing a book heavily inspired by the original.

Readers know Jay Gatsby ends up dead in his swimming pool in the original, and readers believe George killed him in a jealous fit. In BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS Cantor turns the story into a murder mystery. She gives readers a reason to re-evaluate who murdered Jay when a hairpin is found in the bushes near the murder scene. A mobster hires Detective Frank Charles to determine the actual murderer.

WOMEN CHARACTERS COME ALIVE

The best fleshed out character in the classic is Daisy Buchanan. Married for financial security, she’s an unhappy socialite, but Cantor fills in more of her backstory. You may remember her best friend Jordan who is involved in a scandal on the golfing circuit. Cantor reveals her to be a lesbian. (It isn’t that big of a stretch from the insinuations in the classic.) Readers also dive deeper into Myrtle Wilson’s character. The wife of a garage mechanic, she’s unhappy with the lack of glitz and excitement in her life and becomes Tom Buchanan’s mistress. Catherine, Myrtle’s sister, was only a background character in one scene in the original. She now becomes a fully fleshed out character as a 1920s suffragette who had a casual relationship with Gatsby.

Cantor’s character development keeps the reader guessing who killed Gatsby. They each have a motive. Although Cantor makes some character choices based on the classic that I wouldn’t have, it was interesting to follow her vision of these women.

Although readers can enjoy BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS as a standalone, it fits best as a companion to THE GREAT GATSBY. Perhaps Fitzgerald wouldn’t have seen his characters exactly as Cantor develops them, yet it’s interesting to see how she develops storylines and backgrounds that fill in gray areas left by the original. And Cantor’s ending gives readers a twist you won’t see coming!

Have you read THE GREAT GATSBY? How long ago? Is it time to revisit this old friend? Or is it time to finally read this classic for the first time? What about watching the movie version on a cold winter evening? If you love the classic, you’ve got to read BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS.

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@author.robin.shelley

November 7, 2023November 6, 2023

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens

Robin’s Rave Reviews

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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@author.robin.shelley

August 31, 2023

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.

Camp 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.

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

July 12, 2023July 7, 2023

Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2023

Step into nostalgic comfort in Good Hart, Michigan with FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN by Viola Shipman. Your summer pace will slow as you relax by the shores of Lake Michigan with BFFs Becky and Q. When you tire of the lake, take a drive through the picturesque Tunnel of Trees. Then head to the Very Cherry General Store to send a postcard. Or better yet, pick up a bakery goody or a sandwich . While there, say hello to Mary, the feisty octogenarian owner. And you don’t want to miss the annual Cherry Festival and Cherry Pit Spittin’ Championship. Did I mention Mary won when she was 15, back when women had never entered such an unladylike activity? In these parts she’s known as Cherry Mary, and no one has broken her record since 1958. Up for a try?

Summary

Cherry Mary is the third-generation woman to own the general store, but she doesn’t have a daughter to pass it down to. Her son and grandson aren’t particularly interested, either. But Cherry Mary still holds onto a prediction given to her in childhood – that another woman is destined to join the female line of store owners. Mary repeatedly sees a vision of four women in the distance walking toward her over the lake, reinforcing the prediction. Or is it simply a mirage? Mary was told it will take a lifetime to be fulfilled.

Becky just turned 40, the same day her long-time relationship crashed and burned. She feels unfulfilled in life after always making safe choices. Becky and her friend Q go on a Michigan vacation reminiscent of childhood summers with Becky’s grandparents. Becky sees herself fitting in at this lakeshore community. Just as Cherry Mary takes her under her wing, Mary’s grandson Ollie shows up. He’s changed his mind about the quirky town and old-fashioned general store, and he feels threatened by Becky. He wants to protect his grandmother from this stranger “taking advantage” of her.

FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN is about love, friendship, family (by blood and by choice), destiny, and the choices we make. It’s a story with heart and soul. Be prepared. You’ll want to book a trip to Michigan after you read it!

I only review books I would give a 4 or 5 star rating, for well-written, enjoyable books I would recommend. Just keep in mind, if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea from the description, then move on to my next book review. Perhaps this book is too slow paced for you, but that’s part of its charm. The author does a fabulous job conveying a small lake town struggling to keep life simple in a crazy world. The slow-paced summer days, the quirky people in the community, the general store as the hub of community life, the small-town festival – it’s cherry pie Americana at its best.

Interesting fact

Viola Shipman is a pen-name. The books are written by Wade Rouse, but he writes under his grandmother’s name as a way to honor her. He writes stories that take place in Michigan, his home state. I had the joy of meeting Wade at an author event back in June through the Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Beyond the Book Jacket Speaker Series.

Check out review I did a few years back on another Viola Shipman book, The Heirloom Garden.

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@author.robin.shelley

June 9, 2023June 8, 2023

The Secret Book of Flora Lea – Take 2

This is a redo of a post that looks fine on my website but came out all wonky for blog followers who get the email version, so here’s The Secret Book of Flora Lea – Take 2!

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2023

You may have seen my excitement opening my book mail when The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry arrived. If you missed it, check it out on Facebook or Instagram. Now let me tell you how good this book is! The further I got into the book, the faster the pages flew by, and I was hooked. When I finished, I looked around and realized I’d left my world behind for a time. That’s the sign of a good book! The Secret Book of Flora Lea has already made the NY Times Best Seller List for several weeks.

SUMMARY

During WWII, Operation Pied Piper sent English children out of the cities to the countryside to protect them from falling bombs. The novel revolves around sisters (fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora Lea) who are sent to a small village outside Oxford. Luckier than some, they are billeted by a kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, who live in an enchanting stone cottage along the River Thames. Hazel creates a fairytale about Whisperwood, an enchanted forest, as a comfort mechanism for her sister. When Flora mysteriously vanishes and is believed to have drowned, Hazel blames herself. Twenty years later, Hazel comes across a fairytale book from America called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Could the sister who disappeared so many years ago be alive? Could Flora be the author?

The Secret Book of Flora Lea examines the bond of sisters, the conflict of loving two men at once, the scars of guilt and grief, and perseverance to never give up hope. And to keep you guessing, Patti adds surprising twists to the twenty-year-old mystery. So good! Now let’s hope this post, The Secret Book of Flora Lea – Take 2, translates correctly for my email blog followers as I press the “Publish” button!

Check out my other reviews of Patti Callahan Henry’s work: Once Upon a Wardrobe, Surviving Savannah, and Becoming Mrs. Lewis. To learn more about the author, go to PattiCallahanHenry.com.

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@author.robin.shelley

May 19, 2023

The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2023

You may have seen my excitement opening my book mail when The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry arrived. If you missed it, here it is on Facebook and Instagram. Now let me tell you how good this book is! The further I got into the book, the faster the pages flew by, and I was hooked. When I finished, I looked around and realized I’d left my world behind for a time. This book has already been on the NY Times Best Sellers List for two weeks since it came out in early May.

Photo of The Secret Book of Flora Lea next to a fairy garden cottage.

Summary

During WWII, Operation Pied Piper sent English children out of the cities to the countryside to protect them from falling bombs. The novel revolves around sisters (fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora Lea) who are sent to a small village outside Oxford. Luckier than some, they are billeted by a kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in an enchanting stone cottage along the River Thames. Hazel creates a fairytale about Whisperwood, an enchanted forest, as a comfort mechanism for her sister. When Flora mysteriously vanishes, Hazel blames herself. Twenty years later, Hazel comes across a fairytale book from America called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Could the sister who disappeared so many years ago be alive? Could Flora be the author?

Robin Shelley with author Patti Callahan Henry at a book signing

The Secret Book of Flora Lea examines the bond of sisters, the conflict of loving two men at once, the scars of guilt and grief, and a young woman who never gives up hope. And to keep you guessing, Patti adds surprising twists to the 20-year-old mystery. So good!

Check out my other reviews of Patti Callahan Henry’s work: Once Upon a Wardrobe, Surviving Savannah, and Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

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@author.robin.shelley

September 12, 2022September 2, 2022

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks

Robin’s Rave Reviews – 2022

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks gets a strong 4 1/2 stars!

Readers enjoy guessing how two storylines in a novel will cross. Not so easy with this one! Sparks doesn’t reveal it until a long way into the book. I kept guessing, and the anticipation kept me reading. I figured it out, but later than I’d like to admit. ; )

Beverly’s story: She is on the run with her young son. I wanted her to successfully get away from an abusive husband and father, but to make the situation harder, he works for Homeland Security. That means he has access to many tools to try to locate them. I got involved in her story, but I was annoyed that some of the details in Beverly’s story felt like clips from Safe Haven. (That’s the only reason I didn’t give the book a full five stars.)

Colby’s story: Colby gave up his dream of writing music and singing when the aunt who raised him needed his help to save the family farm. After a few years of getting the farm running smoothly, it was time for Colby to take a break. He takes a working vacation as a musician when he lands a short-term gig in Florida. He meets Morgan who is vacationing with friends before her big move to Nashville. She is about to chase her dream of a music career. Colby and Morgan fall in love as they bond over writing songs, but Nashville calls to Morgan while Colby has obligations back at the farm. Is it possible to continue a summer romance as a long-distance relationship?

Readers will be doubting that these two very different stories could possibly match up, but they will. It’s worth the wait. That’s the best part of the book. It’s what makes it stand out.

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks comes out Sept. 20, 2022, but you can pre-order a copy today! If Dreamland sounds like a book you’d like, check out my past reviews on these Nicholas Sparks novels: The Wish , Every Breath (and a feature on the Kindred Spirits mailbox ), and Two By Two .

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this novel. The opinions are my honest thoughts.

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@author.robin.shelley

June 28, 2022

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Robin’s Rave Reviews – 2022

The best book I’ve read so far this year?

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey! I’m so excited to encourage you to pick this one up!

This dual timeline story has something for almost everyone. The Wedding Veil is women’s fiction, contemporary romance, and historical fiction all in one book. It has wedding stories (wins and fails), family drama, multi-generational stories, younger and older characters, tradition – and breaking tradition. The story travels from the ocean side of North Carolina to the mountains surrounding the grand estate of Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina to the ocean side of St. Thomas. I am truly impressed that Kristy Woodson Harvey wrote two equally strong storylines, an especially difficult task when the fictional modern story has to compete with the story of the Vanderbilt family.

In the present day, the story focuses on Julia Baxter and her grandmother, Babs. Julia plans on wearing a wedding veil that has been passed down in her family. The stranger who gave it to Julia’s great-grandmother told her it has been a symbol of good luck in her family. Women in Julia’s family have worn the veil, a symbol of happy marriages, ever since. The wedding weekend festivities have already begun, but Julia has reason to believe she is making a mistake, and she doesn’t want to be the one to break the good luck of the veil. Panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands for a honeymoon for one. The events there change the course of her life. Meanwhile, Babs, who is grieving the loss of her husband, leaves the emptiness of the house they shared and moves to a retirement community. She doesn’t expect a romance story of her own to begin.

The other timeline follows Edith Dresser, the woman who married George Vanderbilt. As a child, Edith often tried on her mother’s magic wedding veil. Her mother told her it would bring a fairy-tale life to all who wore it. Readers experience what life was like for Edith at Biltmore, a majestic home her husband built in the mountains of North Carolina. Edith and her daughter Cornelia had so much and yet hard financial times fell on the Vanderbilts through George’s premature death, war, flooding and the depression. Trying to make the estate self-sustaining to keep George’s legacy alive was no easy task for the Vanderbilt women. On her twenty-fifth birthday, Cornelia became the legal owner and new mistress of Biltmore. Less than a year later, Cornelia wore the family veil for her wedding to John “Jack” Cecil. Cornelia’s husband became a great help to Edith as they modernized processes to save money, but Cornelia struggled with being tied down to the estate, not the life she wanted for herself.

I want to tell you so much more, but I won’t spoil the story for you! Let’s just say Kristy skillfully connects the modern story with Vanderbilt history. Read my reviews of other novels I’ve enjoyed by Kristy: Under the Southern Sky and Feels Like Falling.

Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of The Wedding Veil

I was able to visit Biltmore a few years back. This book brought back wonderful memories and made them richer. Now Biltmore seems like so much more than a beautiful mansion preserving a time in history. The Wedding Veil brought the people who lived and worked there alive for me, making the experience more personal. When Kristy described where the family sat down for breakfast the morning after Cornelia’s birthday parties, I pictured the banquet hall with the immense table and enormous tapestries hanging on the walls. When Kristy described Edith sitting in George’s library, talking to his spirit as she smoked a cigarette, I remembered seeing the walls of books, smelling the leather and old paper, and admiring the ceiling painting worthy of any museum.

While visiting Biltmore, we drove around the grounds, getting a sense of how complex it was to keep the estate running – the mansion, the gardens, the farm, the dairy, and more modern additions – the vineyard and winery. The Vanderbilts needed a small army to run the estate, so they built a town on their property where their workers lived and raised their families. Even though Edith Vanderbilt could have simply enjoyed her great wealth, she had a passion to help lift the community.

The balcony has a panoramic view of the mountains.

If you are interested in the history of Biltmore, you’ll enjoy how Kristy brings it to life. Pick up your copy of The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey! And if you haven’t visited Biltmore, put it on your bucket list! To learn more about Biltmore, go to the Biltmore Estate website here. Also check out this short video of the Biltmore Estate .

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@author.robin.shelley

March 11, 2022

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Robin’s Rave Reviews – 2022

THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner was sitting on my TBR (To Be Read) pile for awhile. I’m so glad I finally got to it! Although it’s classified as women’s historical fiction (which I do enjoy reading), this isn’t a typical women’s fiction novel. The dark premise is what caught my attention: A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them – setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Nella is an apothecary in 1790’s London. Although she learned the art of healing from her mother, Nella has personal reasons for making poisons. Her women clients want to kill off their husbands, lovers, and other men who have hurt or betrayed them. The potions are never to be used to harm other women. Nella keeps a record of each transaction with the client’s (and intended victim’s) name(s). Her world begins to change when a 12-year-old servant girl picks up a potion for her mistress and, to Nella’s annoyance, she continues to hang around. Then, an aristocratic client’s attempt to poison someone goes very wrong. A police investigation threatens to uncover the record of her clients and what Nella has been doing from her back alley store. This timeline in the story kept me turning the pages.

The other timeline follows a modern American woman, Caroline, who is visiting London. She discovers an old blue vial in the Thames while mudlarking (searching the mud near a river for interesting or value items). Due to her love of history, she uncovers information about the vial that connects it directly to Nella’s apothecary. This timeline was the weaker part of the story; however, due to my love of history, I was interested to see how she tracked down the connections. I wasn’t as connected to her personal life and her cheating husband.

Some of the themes in the book weren’t what readers might think from reading the blurb. Revenge was expected. I wasn’t expecting Nell’s reason for recording the women clients’ names. She felt the attitude that women were inferior in that time period most likely meant their names would be lost to history unless she recorded it. I also didn’t expect some of the themes: sacrifice for another, the importance of friendship, women supporting women, and getting your dreams back on track.

I would have liked a darker, mysterious ending for the apothecary’s story. It felt a bit forced – tied up too neatly. Still, overall, I enjoyed the read. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars. (Keep in mind, I only write reviews of books I enjoy and would recommend.) So if THE LOST APOTHECARY sounds like your type of story, try it out. I would not have guessed this to be Sarah Penner’s debut novel. I look forward to seeing what she has for us next!

If you want to read my other book reviews, click here.

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September 7, 2021December 9, 2021

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

Robin’s Rave Reviews – Christmas 2021 Edition

It may seem early, but The Santa Suit, a heart-warming Christmas novel, comes out September 28. It can be pre-ordered now. (Remember: buying a new book through pre-order or the first week of publication is the most helpful to an author.) The Santa Suit would make a great gift – even for yourself! Too busy to read during the holidays? No problem. The Santa Suit is a light, easy read with a Hallmark movie feel (but less predictable). You might just find the holiday stress slipping away while you read.

After her divorce Ivy moves to a small town and into an old farm house she bought sight unseen. Ezra, her hunky realtor, helps her fix immediate problems in the house leading to sparks of romantic interest. Meanwhile, when clearing out items the previous owner left behind, Ivy finds an old Santa suit with a child’s note in the pocket. Ivy wants to solve the mystery of who the girl was and if her Christmas wish was fulfilled. This curiosity connects her to the small town community and culture right at Christmas-time while she makes new friends and reconnects others who have lost touch.

I have to admit, when I got the advanced reader copy, I wasn’t really in the mood to read a Christmas story in September, but I got sucked in right away. The Santa Suit feels Christmas-y without being cliché. Every time I read a Mary Kay Andrews book, I’m in awe at how it flows so naturally. (MKA’s writing expertise makes it look easier than it is.) MKA’s characters always feel real and relatable. She masterfully ties up loose ends I didn’t even realize were loose, tying everything together like a pretty Christmas bow on a special package.

If you like Mary Kay Andrews, take a moment to read my review on The Newcomer, the book she wrote before The Santa Suit.

February 9, 2021February 16, 2021

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey‘s newest book Under the Southern Sky is my first ARC (Advance Reader Copy). An ARC book is given to reviewers before the book hits mass distribution in exchange for an honest opinion.

Right from the first page, I was sucked in. It wasn’t just the story or characters but a freshness and energy in the writing. Originally I was a bit hesitant about the topic, but Harvey brought hope and joy to a tricky, sensitive situation.

When journalist Amelia digs into her research for a story, she discovers that her childhood friend Parker and his late wife Greer have frozen embryos that have been classified as “abandoned.” Bringing it to his attention adds to Parker’s pain of his loss but also gives him new options to consider.

I had to keep turning the pages to see how their friendship would evolve as they dealt with these adult situations. A nice addition to the list of characters included best friend/meddling mother characters that were patient and subtle. I also enjoyed Aunt Tilley’s character. She’s lovable, quirky, and more complex than first meets the eye. Plenty of twists and turns in the story keep readers engaged.

I would highly recommend reading Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey. It comes out in April 2021, but you can pre-order a copy from your favorite bookstore today. Pre-orders are very helpful to authors so if you think you’ll buy this book, why not pre-order today? If your sweetheart is looking for a special gift to get you for Valentine’s Day, ordering this book would be a great suggestion.

January 15, 2021December 9, 2020

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Time to share another book recommendation with you. Feels Like Falling was the first book I’ve read by Kristy Woodson Harvey. If you are looking for a light and easy read in women’s fiction, Feels Like Falling is a great choice. It’s a pleasant story to escape into. I really enjoyed the unlikely friendship that develops between two women from opposite socio-economic positions. Feels Like Falling is an uplifting example of friends, new and old, supporting each other through good times and bad.

The structure of this book was refreshing since it was different from the women’s fiction books I’ve been reading.The structure switches POV back and forth (in a clear way) between Gray and Diana so the reader can experience these women’s thoughts and actions through their eyes.

While Gray seems to have it all, she struggles with a divorce that drags on and with dating again as a single mom. On the other hand, Diana seems to have nothing, living in her car after leaving an abusive relationship and getting fired from her job. When Gray gives her a chance to improve her situation, Diana takes the opportunity which changes the direction of her life. Both women become better people through the development of their friendship. Readers will enjoy unfolding their stories page by page.

Harvey has also written the Peachtree Bluff series as well as Dear Carolina. Under the Southern Sky is currently on pre-order and slated to be released in April 2021.

Let me know if you’ve read a book by Kristy Woodson Harvey. If so, which one(s)? What did you think of it?

February 27, 2019February 20, 2019

The Genre Game

Hi Shells! Thanks for opening my post today. I hope you are enjoying my blogs. Please share with your friends and family. The more, the merrier! Anyone can go to robinshelley.com and sign up to get my blog sent directly to their email box. Your support is much appreciated!

Over the last few years I’ve been learning about the publishing world so I can make an educated plan of attack to get my book published. To publish in the traditional way (not self-publish), I need to find an agent who believes in my writing and my book. When approaching agents, one thing they want to know is the book’s genre. That sounds like an easy request, but not all novels are cut and dry. It’s actually a deeper topic than it first appears for identifying my novel, The Lighthouse Legacy.

Let’s start analyzing: It’s fiction. That’s easy. It has romance in it, but it isn’t a romance book. Still, women readers will be attracted to this story which includes romance. The protagonist strives to overcome his past to become a better person because of the woman he’s falling for. Ahhh, it must be women’s fiction, right? Wrong. Apparently this isn’t the normal formula for women’s fiction. People in the industry argue that women’s fiction must have a female protagonist. Go figure!

Ok, well . . . The Lighthouse Legacy centers around Ryan, a male protagonist, who must break a family cycle to find success in love again. It’s his journey, and yet this multi-generational story is so much more. Ryan arrives in Port Morgan to learn about his grandfather who was a lighthouse keeper there. Through his interest in his family’s past, Ryan meets Kate, a shop owner and local history junkie. She discovers a journal written by Ryan’s grandfather. As they follow up on stories in the journal, Kate and Ryan build a relationship. Together they investigate unanswered questions about a moonshine rivalry during prohibition, his grandfather’s death, and an antique necklace. Meanwhile, when a rich developer wants to force Kate out of business, Ryan tries to fix the situation for her. Plenty for both women and men to enjoy!

During my research to identify the genre, I kept believing my novel was women’s fiction. I went looking for well-written and well-received books that would prove that women’s fiction can have a male protagonist. That’s how I stumbled upon Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love by Sebastian Cole. Unfortunately he doesn’t label his book as women’s fiction. He considers his book romantic fantasy. So does that mean my novel is romantic reality? Is there such a genre? Silly, right? It just shows how hard it is to wrap my head around this genre debate.

After reading Sand Dollar and writing The Lighthouse Legacy, I don’t see why male protagonists aren’t in more stories with romantic elements. A male character can be strong while also having a vulnerable side due to love. After all, isn’t that what women are looking for in a mate?

Yes, the industry looks for a female protagonist for women’s fiction, but I continue to wonder why it can’t include male protagonists who are made better by a good woman. Don’t most women think their guy is a better man because of her influence in his life? Wouldn’t women want to read about a man who overcomes for his woman?

What do you think? Can women’s fiction have a male protagonist? Would that turn you off or doesn’t it matter to you? Let me know your thoughts.

Finally, after much deliberation, I’ve decided my book isn’t women’s fiction. Nope. It’s upmarket fiction with a crossover to the women’s fiction market (at least until someone in the industry tells me otherwise!) Upmarket novels lie somewhere between the commercial and literary genres. These books appeal to readers who want a high quality and complexity of writing but also look for strong characters and plot.

Okay, I’ll stop my ranting now. But since I read it for research, my next post will be the book review of Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love by Sebastian Cole. Look for it coming to your email box soon!

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