Celeste Ng is one of my favorite authors – she’s only written two novels, Little Fires Everywhere (2017) and Everything I Never Told You (2014) but both books are fantastic! So of course I’m dying to know what she is reading.
Celeste Ng | What I’m Reading
May 31, 2018
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Posted by Stacy Alesi
ALL NIGHT WITH THE COWBOY by Soraya Lane
May 30, 2018
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A River Ranch Novel, Book 2
Tanner Ford is a hot cowboy with a penchant for a very dangerous sport; bull riding. He has been on top of the sport for years, and is thrilled when he draws the toughest bull for his ride. From reading several cowboy romances, I have learned that you get more points for the toughest bulls, you can’t win on an easy ride, and it’s a matter of luck and the draw.
Tanner is in his glory until he gets thrown, trampled and gored. He survives but has a lot of rehab ahead of him because he is determined to get back on the bull. Yes, he’s already one of the biggest money winners in the sport, not to mention he comes from a very wealthy ranching family, but it’s what he loves. So when his sister tells him she’s arranged for the best physical therapist for him, he’s really happy. And then she tells him that the woman was going on vacation to Fiji but she’s agreed to work with him as long as he goes there. Not only does he go there, he upgrades her hotel and they fly there on the family’s private jet.
There’s only one fly in the ointment and that is the physical therapist herself – it’s Lauren Lewis, Tanner’s high school girlfriend and love of his life. She unexpectedly broke up with him right before leaving for college and he’s never gotten over it. But he knows he needs the help so off they go.
The cowboy has to shed his jeans and boots and try to keep his hands off Lauren – their chemistry is as hot as it was in high school and he’s not the only one who thinks so. Finally, they decide to give in to it and have a Fiji fling, ending things when they return home. But what kind of romance would that be?
The descriptions of Fiji made me want to get on the next plane, until they had some Florida hurricane type weather. I’ll just stay here for that, thank you very much. I liked these characters and their past brought a lot of tension to the story in a very good way. This was a fun, sexy read and I really enjoyed it.
5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
ALL NIGHT WITH THE COWBOY by Soraya Lane. St. Martin’s Paperbacks (May 29, 2018). ISBN: 978-1250131034. 304p.
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Posted by Stacy Alesi
The Great American Read
May 29, 2018
PBS rules! A two-hour television special about books? Who thinks of something like this? Only PBS. Not only a TV special, but several more episodes to follow in the fall.
What’s it all about? America gets to vote on their favorite novel!
A preliminary poll resulted in a list of 100 books. Now you can join an online book club, share your story about which novel has had the biggest impact on your life and take a quiz to see how many of the 100 you have read (I’ve read 62, not as many as I would have thought!)
Much to my surprise, the list of books is in alphabetical order by title. The librarian in me found that odd, so I searched around and found that you can also sort it by author – except it is by the author’s FIRST name. That is so not helpful! (Obviously, a librarian was not involved in this process.)
So I created my own lists. The entire list alphabetical by author’s last name; then I created other lists breaking out fiction, science fiction & fantasy, young adult, children’s and Spanish. That is how my library does it, but your mileage may vary, etc. For instance, on the PBS special, the host, Meredith Vieira, noted that about 25% of the titles on the list were science fiction or fantasy. At my library, less than 10% are filed that way, most are in Fiction because they are considered classics or they are in Young Adult (like The Hunger Games & the Twilight books.) The Harry Potter books are the only books that straddle two specific lists, both YA and children’s, because at my library, they are shelved in both. And because I am a librarian and we love to spread good information far and wide, I’m sharing my lists here.
Great American Read Library List (complete list, alphabetical by author’s LAST name!)
| AUTHOR | TITLE | |
| 1 | Achebe | Things Fall Apart |
| 2 | Adams | The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy |
| 3 | Adichie | Americanah |
| 4 | Alcott | Little Women |
| 5 | Anaya | Bless Me, Ultima |
| 6 | Andrews | Flowers In The Attic |
| 7 | Asimov | Foundation (series) |
| 8 | Atwood | The Handmaid’s Tale |
| 9 | Auel | Clan of the Cave Bear |
| 10 | Austen | Pride and Prejudice |
| 11 | Baldwin | Another Country |
| 12 | Brontë, Charlotte | Jane Eyre |
| 13 | Brontë, Emily | Wuthering Heights |
| 14 | Brown | The Da Vinci Code |
| 15 | Bunyan | The Pilgrim’s Progress |
| 16 | Carroll | Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland |
| 17 | Cervantes | Don Quixote |
| 18 | Christie | And Then There Were None |
| 19 | Clancy | The Hunt For Red October |
| 20 | Cline | Ready Player One |
| 21 | Coelho | The Alchemist |
| 22 | Collins | The Hunger Games (series) |
| 23 | Conrad | Heart Of Darkness |
| 24 | Crichton | Jurassic Park |
| 25 | Díaz | The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao |
| 26 | Dickens | Great Expectations |
| 27 | Dostoyevsky | Crime and Punishment |
| 28 | du Maurier | Rebecca |
| 29 | Dumas | The Count of Monte Cristo |
| 30 | Ellison | Invisible Man |
| 31 | Fitzgerald | The Great Gatsby |
| 32 | Flynn | Gone Girl |
| 33 | Follett | The Pillars of The Earth |
| 34 | Gabaldon | Outlander (series) |
| 35 | Gallegos | Doña Bárbára |
| 36 | García Márquez | One Hundred Years of Solitude |
| 37 | Golden | Memoirs of a Geisha |
| 38 | Green | Looking for Alaska |
| 39 | Haddon | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time |
| 40 | Heller | Catch-22 |
| 41 | Hemingway | The Sun Also Rises |
| 42 | Herbert | Dune |
| 43 | Hesse | Siddhartha |
| 44 | Hinton | The Outsiders |
| 45 | Hunt | Mind Invaders |
| 46 | Hurston | Their Eyes Were Watching God |
| 47 | Irving | A Prayer For Owen Meany |
| 48 | James | Fifty Shades Of Grey (series) |
| 49 | Jordan | The Wheel of Time (series) |
| 50 | King | The Stand |
| 51 | Knowles | A Separate Peace |
| 52 | Koontz | Watchers |
| 53 | LaHaye | Left Behind (series) |
| 54 | Lee | To Kill a Mockingbird |
| 55 | Lewis | The Chronicles of Narnia (series) |
| 56 | London | The Call Of The Wild |
| 57 | Lowry | The Giver |
| 58 | Martin | Game of Thrones (series) |
| 59 | Maupin | Tales of The City (series) |
| 60 | McCammon | Swan Song |
| 61 | McMurtry | Lonesome Dove |
| 62 | Melville | Moby-Dick |
| 63 | Meyer | The Twilight Saga (series) |
| 64 | Mitchell | Gone with the Wind |
| 65 | Montgomery | Anne of Green Gables |
| 66 | Morrison | Beloved |
| 67 | Orwell | 1984 |
| 68 | Patterson | Alex Cross Mysteries (series) |
| 69 | Paulsen | Hatchet (series) |
| 70 | Peretti | This Present Darkness |
| 71 | Puzo | The Godfather |
| 72 | Rand | Atlas Shrugged |
| 73 | Rawls | Where the Red Fern Grows |
| 74 | Reynolds | Ghost |
| 75 | Robinson | Gilead |
| 76 | Rowling | Harry Potter (series) |
| 77 | Saint-Exupéry | The Little Prince |
| 78 | Salinger | The Catcher in the Rye |
| 79 | Sebold | The Lovely Bones |
| 80 | Shelley | Frankenstein |
| 81 | Smith, Betty | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn |
| 82 | Smith, Zadie | White Teeth |
| 83 | Souljah | Coldest Winter Ever |
| 84 | Sparks | The Notebook |
| 85 | Steinbeck | The Grapes of Wrath |
| 86 | Stockett | The Help |
| 87 | Swift | Gulliver’s Travels |
| 88 | Tan | The Joy Luck Club |
| 89 | Tolkien | The Lord of the Rings (series) |
| 90 | Tolstoy | War and Peace |
| 91 | Toole | A Confederacy of Dunces |
| 92 | Twain | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
| 93 | Vonnegut | The Sirens Of Titan |
| 94 | Walker | The Color Purple |
| 95 | Weir | The Martian |
| 96 | White | Charlotte’s Web |
| 97 | Whitehead | The Intuitionist |
| 98 | Wilde | The Picture of Dorian Gray |
| 99 | Young | The Shack |
| 100 | Zusak | The Book Thief |
Great American Read Library List (Fiction list, alphabetical by author)
| AUTHOR | TITLE |
| Achebe | Things Fall Apart |
| Adichie | Americanah |
| Alcott | Little Women |
| Anaya | Bless Me, Ultima |
| Andrews | Flowers In The Attic |
| Atwood | The Handmaid’s Tale |
| Auel | Clan of the Cave Bear |
| Austen | Pride and Prejudice |
| Baldwin | Another Country |
| Brontë, Charlotte | Jane Eyre |
| Brontë, Emily | Wuthering Heights |
| Brown | The Da Vinci Code |
| Bunyan | The Pilgrim’s Progress |
| Cervantes | Don Quixote |
| Christie | And Then There Were None |
| Clancy | The Hunt For Red October |
| Cline | Ready Player One |
| Coelho | The Alchemist |
| Conrad | Heart Of Darkness |
| Crichton | Jurassic Park |
| Díaz | The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao |
| Dickens | Great Expectations |
| Dostoyevsky | Crime and Punishment |
| du Maurier | Rebecca |
| Dumas | The Count of Monte Cristo |
| Ellison | Invisible Man |
| Fitzgerald | The Great Gatsby |
| Flynn | Gone Girl |
| Follett | The Pillars of The Earth |
| Gabaldon | Outlander (series) |
| García Márquez | One Hundred Years of Solitude |
| Golden | Memoirs of a Geisha |
| Haddon | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time |
| Heller | Catch-22 |
| Hemingway | The Sun Also Rises |
| Hesse | Siddhartha |
| Hurston | Their Eyes Were Watching God |
| Irving | A Prayer For Owen Meany |
| James | Fifty Shades Of Grey (series) |
| King | The Stand |
| Knowles | A Separate Peace |
| Koontz | Watchers |
| LaHaye | Left Behind (series) |
| Lee | To Kill a Mockingbird |
| London | The Call Of The Wild |
| Maupin | Tales of The City (series) |
| McCammon | Swan Song |
| McMurtry | Lonesome Dove |
| Melville | Moby-Dick |
| Mitchell | Gone with the Wind |
| Montgomery | Anne of Green Gables |
| Morrison | Beloved |
| Orwell | 1984 |
| Patterson | Alex Cross Mysteries (series) |
| Peretti | This Present Darkness |
| Puzo | The Godfather |
| Rand | Atlas Shrugged |
| Robinson | Gilead |
| Salinger | The Catcher in the Rye |
| Sebold | The Lovely Bones |
| Shelley | Frankenstein |
| Smith, Betty | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn |
| Smith, Zadie | White Teeth |
| Souljah | Coldest Winter Ever |
| Sparks | The Notebook |
| Steinbeck | The Grapes of Wrath |
| Stockett | The Help |
| Swift | Gulliver’s Travels |
| Tan | The Joy Luck Club |
| Tolstoy | War and Peace |
| Tolstoy | War and Peace |
| Toole | A Confederacy of Dunces |
| Toole | A Confederacy of Dunces |
| Twain | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
| Vonnegut | The Sirens Of Titan |
| Walker | The Color Purple |
| Whitehead | The Intuitionist |
| Wilde | The Picture of Dorian Gray |
| Young | The Shack |
Great American Read Library List (Sci Fi & Fantasy list, alphabetical by author)
| AUTHOR | TITLE |
| Adams | The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy |
| Asimov | Foundation (series) |
| Herbert | Dune |
| Hunt | Mind Invaders |
| Jordan | The Wheel of Time (series) |
| Martin | Game of Thrones (series) |
| Tolkien | The Lord of the Rings (series) |
| Weir | The Martian |
Great American Read Library List (Young Adult list, alphabetical by author)
| AUTHOR | TITLE |
| Collins | The Hunger Games (series) |
| Green | Looking for Alaska |
| Hinton | The Outsiders |
| Lowry | The Giver |
| Meyer | The Twilight Saga (series) |
| Reynolds | Ghost |
| Rowling | Harry Potter (series) |
| Zusak | The Book Thief |
Great American Read Library List (Children’s list, alphabetical by author)
| AUTHOR | TITLE |
| Carroll | Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland |
| Paulsen | Hatchet (series) |
| Rawls | Where the Red Fern Grows |
| Rowling | Harry Potter (series) |
| Saint-Exupéry | The Little Prince |
| White | Charlotte’s Web |
Great American Read Library List (Spanish book)
| Gallegos | Doña Bárbára |
THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware
May 29, 2018
Click to purchase
Harriet (Hal) is a young girl that has reached the end of her tether. Her mother was killed in an auto accident. There is very little money to support herself except for one thing. Hal’s mother had a small business on a pier dedicated to fun and games for the public. She told fortunes, in particular reading of Tarot cards, for people believing in those things.
When her mother was killed Hal had no recourse other than to take over the business and dedicate herself to the Tarot cards. She owes money all over the place and has even gotten herself into the clutches of a loan shark who has threatened her with violence if she doesn’t pay a now very inflated sum of money.
A mysterious letter inexplicably is sent to her with the notice that she has received a substantial inheritance. Looking at the data on the letter Hal feels that she has no choice but to use her people skills acquired via the Tarot readings to try and collect the inheritance which she knows is not hers. She soon finds herself at the funeral of the woman who has apparently made the bequest to her and immediately feels that there is something very wrong with everything – the inheritance, the other people present who think that she is part of their family. But her decision is made – Continue!
Ware provides the reader with a mesmorizing feeling of continued suspense throughout the novel; a feeling that keeps one glued to the pages. The characters are done very well, and Hal herself becomes a person that one roots for and entertains the hope that in spite of committing what would be a major crime she will come out ahead and utilize what is happening to her as a method of bringing herself out of the situation she is in moving forward in her life. Certainly Ruth Ware is a force in the world of literature with her books being sought out by an expanding group of followers.
5/18 Paul Lane
THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware. Gallery/Scout Press (May 29, 2018). ISBN 978-1501156212. 384p.
2 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Louise Pentlandd
May 28, 2018
I am so excited to be part of the blog tour for WILDE LIKE ME by Louise Pentland! A huge bestseller across the pond and now taking the U.S. by storm!
THE NUMBER 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!
Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk will love Wilde Like Me!
‘Warm and engaging’ Sophie Kinsella
‘Hilarious, moving and extremely well written’ Style Magazine
Click book cover to purchase
“One of this year’s hottest beach reads” MTV.com
You’ll never forget the day you meet Robin Wilde…
Single mum Robin Wilde adores her six-year-old daughter and loves her job as a make-up artist’s assistant. She has a wonderful best friend and an auntie who is bonkers, yes, but loves her to the moon and back.
But Robin has a secret. Behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things just feel … grey. And lonely. She struggles to fit in with the school mum crew. Online dating is totally despair-inducing, and she worries every day about raising her little girl with self-confidence, courage and joy.
Take a peek…here is a short excerpt!
‘I resisted this for too long,’ I think as I step out of my black cab, bubbling with excitement. After a long call and an intense exchange of messages I’d finally agreed to meet him. He invited me to a rather exclusive bar at the top of the OXO Tower, one of London’s most iconic buildings on the River Thames with wrap-around views of the city from its terrace and, apparently, cocktails to die for. I was secretly pleased that the job I’d assisted Natalie, my boss, on today – make-up for a shoot in a trendy loft studio in Shoreditch – had finished early. With an entire afternoon to spare, I’d taken the time to pamper myself and really enjoy getting ready for this night.
Stepping onto the pavement and gliding down the pathway to the riverfront, I feel like a peacock parading its feathers. As I approach the red-brick old factory building, I catch my reflection in the gleaming windows. For the first time in a bloody long time, I feel beautiful. I’ve always thought that my 5′ 6″ frame, conker-brown hair and brown eyes were the dullest of all the potential ‘beauty stats’. They’re not exactly exotic or outstanding, are they? And they’re certainly not hailed as the epitome of perfection in the magazines, but today something feels special. My eyes seem softer and my hair bouncier, as I glimpse myself walking along with my head held high. I don’t think, ‘slummy mummy’ but, instead, ‘lovely woman, out on a special date’. Feeling this worthwhile makes me stand a little taller and, oh my God, am I sashaying my bum about?
Happily, my make-up looks sultry and glowing. I’ve gone all out on the contour and highlight, but managed to pull it back before I gave my face actual corners (I still don’t regret that luxury make-up binge last month), and I’m in love with my outfit. I’m wearing a knee-skimming black layered lace skirt that I picked up for pennies in a tuckedaway vintage shop. In between the light layers of lace and tulle are tiny stars embroidered with gold thread. You can barely see them until the street lights catch them, and then they look like the night sky swirling past. I’ve tucked a deep V wrap top into the satin waistband and paired it with black-patent heels passed down from my best friend’s sister, Piper, before she moved away. If I were deep-down ballsy enough to ask a stranger to take a full-length picture, I’d put it on Instagram with an #OOTD (Outfit Of The Day, for those not as obsessed with social media as I am) and pretend to be a blogger.
Taking a deep breath and reminding myself of everything I am, I pull open the grand glass door, walk confidently to the lift and push the ‘up’ button.
It’s going to be perfect.
It’s going to be everything I want it to be.
SPEND YOUR EVENINGS WITH ROBIN WILDE AND FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS YEAR’S HOTTEST DEBUT! Can’t wait to read more Robin Wilde? Pre-order the sequel, Wilde About the Girl. It will be out August 9!
About the Author
- Louise Pentland has 2.6 million YouTube followers, 2.3 million Twitter followers and 2.4 million Instagram followers
- Hers is one of the fastest growing international social talent platforms.
- Louise is the fresh voice contemporary women’s fiction has been waiting for. She is sharp, funny, a natural storyteller and
- completely relatable
Award-winning lifestyle and beauty blogger, fashion designer and number one bestselling author Louise Pentland had long dreamed of publishing her first novel. Her dream came true in June 2017 when Wilde Like Me was published in hardback by Zaffre.
As well as a hugely popular YouTuber, Louise is a UN Global Ambassador for Gender Equality, was shortlisted for 2016’s Glamour Woman of The Year and recently won InStyle ‘Best High-Street Fashion YouTuber’ and the Shorty Award for ‘Best YouTube Guru’. In 2016, she released her second collection for fashion retailer SIMPLY BE (sizes 10-32) and her second LOUISE LIVE UK tour was a sell-out this summer. Her non-fiction book Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter hit the Sunday Times number one bestseller slot in summer 2015.
Join the conversation: #WILDELIKEME
https://www.youtube.com/user/Sprinkleofglitter
Twitter: @LouisePentland
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Posted by Stacy Alesi
COLD AS THUNDER by Jerry Apps
May 28, 2018
Click to purchase
Cold As Thunder is a more sedate version of George Orwell’s classic novel “1984” but carries the same message. If the people don’t look after their own welfare it will fall on a less than benevolent government to administer the nation as they see fit rather than a system that protects the rights of all. In the case of this novel, power has been consolidated with the “Eagle” party, a political party that has eliminated all other parties and established a docile populace.
The Eagle party has established a system of laws that basically squash any and all thought in opposition to it’s own ideology. Thinking independently has been driven out of the normality of most of the people and non conformity is a non starter Apps has placed a level of importance on certain factors present and made worse by the Eagle Party’s attitude. The most important is the issue of climate change that is not being addressed. Consequently areas of Florida and the Northeast are covered by flood waters and not inhabitable. Weather forecasting has been sold to private companies who don’t have the means to actually do any forecasts. This makes storms of any sort a menace for all, but especially for farmers subject to all weather conditions.
An opposition group has evolved in attempting to set up learning systems for the people now accustomed to being led by their noses. These are groups of “oldsters” that are disguised as volunteer groups supporting the Eagle mantra. The novel follows the growth and development of one such group located in Wisconsin and how it manages to influence events in the rest of the country.
The novel makes for an entertaining read with the only drawback an insistence on good always triumphing over opposition with little variance which would appear in any human endeavor having varying opinions present. Character development and any attempt at looking at individual motivations goes by the wayside. The concepts, however are interesting and make reading the book a worthwhile experience.
5/18 Paul Lane
COLD AS THUNDER by Jerry Apps. University of Wisconsin Press (May 29, 2018). ISBN 978-0299315900. 232p.
Comments Off on COLD AS THUNDER by Jerry Apps | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Tagged: Thriller | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi
LAKESHORE CHRISTMAS by Susan Wiggs
May 27, 2018
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The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 6
Yes, it’s back to the tiny hamlet of Avalon for me, nestled in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. This time it’s a slightly magical Christmas story, which I can always get behind. There are actually a couple of Christmas books in this series. and this is the first one.
This time out our heroine also happens to be the town librarian, so it speaks to me, even if she is a bit cliché. She may look and sound like a stereotypical librarian when the book opens, but by the end she is someone I could be friends with. At least she is professional, and bookish, and those are qualities I see in myself and many of my co-workers.
Maureen is very excited because this is the first year she will get to direct the annual Christmas pageant. Unfortunately, she is stuck with an assistant not of her own choosing. Eddie Haven was a child star who ran into a bit of trouble and his community service requires him to help with the pageant.
You could not find two people more different. Maureen, and every other woman in town, find Eddie gorgeous. He’s also very laid back and easygoing. Maureen, on the other hand, thinks she’s plain and dumpy and dresses to make sure she looks that way. She’s also freaking out because the library has a budget shortfall and will be shutting down. Nevertheless, Eddie is intrigued with her and yes, they fall in love and find their happily ever after but only after a lot of angst and drama along the way.
That’s the romance portion of the story. There is also a magical subplot about a young man who shows up out of nowhere and has a voice like an angel…and leaves no footprints…and you get the point. I love that slightly mysterious, mystical, magical Christmas stuff so this worked for me.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read. I would have liked to say this was my favorite (librarian character and Christmas and all) but it wasn’t. It is a very enjoyable read, however, especially if you love Christmas magic.
5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
LAKESHORE CHRISTMAS by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010). ISBN 978-0778327820. 384p.
Comments Off on LAKESHORE CHRISTMAS by Susan Wiggs | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi
FIRESIDE by Susan Wiggs
May 26, 2018
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The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 5
Another beautiful saga in what has become one of my favorite series. It is always remarkable to me that an author can create a series – and this one is 11 books long – and keep each story as fresh and fun and fantastic as the others. Sure, some may be better than others, but all are wonderful. I am a very happy reader.
This story is actually very timely, dealing with immigration issues that are in the news every day now but probably not as much when it was written. Prescience!
There are certain tropes in romance novels that appear again and again. The father with a child he never knew about is a fairly popular one because for the most part, we know it happens, and it works, as it does here.
Bo Crutcher is the star pitcher for the Avalon baseball team and he has a real shot at the majors, but he needs some help. Part of the process of going pro is learning how to deal with the media, so a media camp type thing is scheduled. But then AJ, the son he never knew he had, shows up and Bo has to take care of him. His mother was Mexican-American and got caught up in an ICE sting. She is detained and cannot get out. Bo tries to help but it is a long, expensive process and AJ needs a home.
Kimberly van Dorn was a big shot publicist in California who had a very public breakup and firing. She flees to the tiny town of Avalon, where Bo first spots her at the airport. He thinks she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and tries to talk to her, but she is way too gun shy to talk to any man. But they keep running into each other, after all Avalon is a very small town. And when he realizes he can’t go to the media school, Kimberly steps in to help.
Eventually they both realize their feelings for each other but Bo still has to deal with the immigration stuff, too. They reach their happily ever after but there are a lot of bumps along the way. Kimberly was not my favorite character but I still loved this book.
5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
FIRESIDE by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; Reprint edition (June 26, 2012)). ISBN 978-0778314899. 416p.
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Posted by Stacy Alesi
YOU ME EVERYTHING by Catherine Isaac
May 25, 2018
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From the publisher:
Set in the French countryside on an idyllic summer vacation, a delicious, tender novel about finding joy and love even in the most unexpected places.
Jess and her ten-year-old son William set off to spend the summer at Château de Roussignol, deep in the rich, sunlit hills of the Dordogne. There, Jess’s ex-boyfriend—and William’s father—Adam, runs a beautiful hotel in a restored castle. Lush gardens, a gorgeous pool, delectable French food, and a seemingly never-ending wine list—what’s not to like? Jess is bowled over by what Adam has accomplished, but she’s in France for a much more urgent reason: to make Adam fall in love with his own son.
But Adam has other ideas, and another girlfriend—and he doesn’t seem inclined to change the habits of a lifetime just because Jess and William have appeared on the scene. Jess isn’t surprised, but William—who has quickly come to idolize his father—wants nothing more than to spend time with him. But Jess can’t allow Adam to let their son down—because she is tormented by a secret of her own, one that nobody—especially William—must discover.
By turns heartwrenching and hopeful, You Me Everything is a novel about one woman’s fierce determination to grab hold of the family she has and never let go, and a romantic story as heady as a crisp Sancerre on a summer day.
Jess has raised William alone with a bi-annual visit from his father. They are not close, to say the least. But luckily, her parents have helped quite a bit, at least until her mother got sick. Her mother has Huntington’s Disease, which is pretty much your worst nightmare.
Jess takes William to spend the summer at the hotel his father owns and invites some friends to go along, too. What should be an lovely summer has plenty of ups and downs to keep things from being too perfect.
This book reminded me a bit of Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. It definitely gets maudlin near the end, but it takes an inordinate amount of time to get there. So little happens that the book felt overly long, which was surprising from Pamela Dorman. She is one of those editors that I look for and will generally read anything she puts out. This one was a tiny bit disappointing. I liked the romance, the French setting, the food, and the characters. Dorman books tend towards literary fiction, which is more character driven than plot driven, despite whatever genre they might fall into. I just wished there was more story to this story.
5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
YOU ME EVERYTHING by Catherine Isaac. Pamela Dorman Books (May 1, 2018). ISBN 978-0735224537. 368p.
Comments Off on YOU ME EVERYTHING by Catherine Isaac | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Tagged: Literary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi
THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS by Sarah MacLean
May 24, 2018
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Scandal & Scoundrel, Book III
Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, is a very ambitious man. He has worked his way up through the government as one of their best spies, and his dream job is in sight but just out of reach. To get the job, he needs a wife.
Spies do not make the best husbands. They are secretive and travel extensively, but that is not Bebingstoke’s problem. He is, in fact, already married, but shortly after he wed, his wife left him and moved to France. They have been out of touch for many years. But he needs her to get this promotion, so off to France he goes.
Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, has grown quite to used to being on her own. When her husband shows up, they strike a deal to have her return to England. They were once very much in love, but neither was mature enough or strong enough to make the marriage work. This is their second chance, not that either one of them will admit it.
This was a very enjoyable read with a lot of wit and some heat. I don’t think I read the earlier books in the series and it didn’t seem to matter. Well done.
5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS by Sarah MacLean. Avon; Reissue edition (June 27, 2017). ISBN 978-0062379436. 400p.
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Posted by Stacy Alesi
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 