August Merriweather has always been good with animals. In fact, she’s known as Manhattan’s Dog Whisperer. Men, on the other hand? Not so much. She’s been falling for the wrong guys ever since her regrettable crush on Keaton Sax, older brother of her best friend, Leah, and the biggest jerkface this side of the Hudson.
Now an emotionally closed off widower, Keaton has become one of the most formidable men on Wall Street, but August knows his secret. He’s not driven by sales targets and bonus checks—Keaton just wants to give his family the security they never had. So when Leah asks Keaton to wrangle her over-the-top, dramatic husky at a weekend talent competition, Keaton says yes…and begs August to help him win the event for Leah.
Between obstacle courses, Molly’s husky temper tantrums and a cabin with just one bed, August is having a blast. Away from the pressure to have a “perfect life” with the “right guy,” she finds herself relaxing and getting to see the softer side of the man she once loved. Is this just a temporary truce? Or could Keaton finally be the right guy at the right time?
August has had a crush on her best friend Leah’s older brother Keaton since high school. But the one time he kissed her, she bolted and lived to regret it – he married someone else a short time later. Now he’s a widower and has closed himself off from love, other than for his family. Leah has Multiple Sclerosis, and he is always there to help her out. So when she has a relapse just before an important event, she asks him to fill in for her.
Leah has entered her dog Molly into a social media contest. There is no way she will be able to drive upstate for a few hours, then show off her dog for the next three days. Keaton just can’t say no to her, despite how much he and Molly don’t get along. He gets inspired to beg her best friend August, dog groomer to the stars in New York City, to help him out, and she can’t say no either. So off they go to the contest.
By the time they get there, there is only one cabin with one bed still available. Forced proximity, anyone? Leah has been trying to set them up together on several occasions, without much luck. They quickly figure out that Leah never reserved a second cabin for them. These two are so competitive that they deal with it like a contest, only neither is sure what winning will look like. But we know!
It looks like this may be the last book of the series, and it was so much fun to read. I’m looking forward to whatever London does next!
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
CONFESSIONS OF A CANINE DRAMA QUEEN by Stefanie London.Canary Street Press; Original edition (August 1, 2023). ISBN: 978-1335498212. 320p.
The perfect romcom for dog lovers! Pets of Park Avenue is the story of a self-confessed hot mess who learns that life is more fun when things don’t go according to plan.
What do you do when The One is also the one who broke your heart?
Self-proclaimed hot mess Scout Myers is determined to prove she’s finally got her act together. Raised by grandparents who saw her as her wayward mother’s wayward daughter, Scout’s used to being written off. So when the opportunity for a promotion arises at Paws in the City, the talent agency where she works, Scout is desperate to rise to the occasion. With shared custody of her little sister also on the line, Scout can’t afford a single mistake…like suddenly needing a canine stand-in for an important photoshoot. Luckily (or not) she knows the owner of the perfect pup replacement: the estranged husband she walked out on years ago.
On the surface, it appears Lane Halliday’s life has been blissfully drama free without Scout, but she suspects her handsome-as-ever not-quite-ex-husband doth protest too much. Working together even feels like old times—except for all that lingering, unresolved tension. But Scout’s not sure she’s ready to confront the reasons she left Lane, and when their plans to finalize the divorce become very real, Scout starts to wonder whether second chances might be worth a little hot mess.
“London pairs…satisfying romance with a deep dive into dysfunctional family dynamics, the corrosive power of secrets, and the importance of communication. This is sure to win hearts.” —Publishers Weekly
This is such a fun series! You can tell from the title of the series, Paws in the City, that this will especially appeal to readers who love animals. In this second book of the series, the focus is on Scout, the best friend and employee of Isla, who was featured in the first book. Isla has opened her own social media company for pets, and Scout is her only employee.
Scout has a terrible work history; losing so many jobs has fed into her low self-esteem. But Isla is more than willing to give her a chance and Scout is determined to do the best job possible. When she has to step in for Isla at the last minute, everything that can go wrong does, and Scout feels awful. She is determined to make it up to Isla and she knows exactly how to do that.
After accidentally dying the fur on their biggest doggie star hot pink, Scout quickly realizes that her husband’s dog is a dead ringer for the now pink one. The only drawback? Scout snuck out in the middle of the night just one month after getting married – five years earlier. She hasn’t had any contact with her husband, Lane, since, and neither one has bothered filing for divorce. They are both brokenhearted, but this may be a chance for them to get closure.
Lane agrees to help Scout out by subbing in his dog for the up-and-coming star. Turns out there are several events scheduled, and before you know it, they are spending a lot of time together, revisiting their past and possibly creating a future. But Scout has other problems she is dealing with; the grandparents that raised her and threw her out of the house when she turned 18 now have custody of her much younger half-sister, and they severely limit the time the sisters can spend together. Scout is afraid that if she doesn’t do exactly as she thinks they want, she’ll lose all visitation rights. This is a pretty serious hurdle to get over, but the happy ending is worth it all.
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
PETS OF PARK AVENUE by Stefanie London.HQN; Original edition (December 6, 2022). ISBN: 978-1335498199. 336p.
Welcome to the sweltering summer. Where I live, in South Florida, the temperatures have been staying in the 90’s, with a “feels like” hovering in the low 100s. But we have it better than most of the country where people are suffering from the hottest summer on record; everything here is air-conditioned. I go from my air-conditioned house to my air-conditioned car to my air-conditioned job to the air-conditioned supermarket, etc. You get the idea. (Just keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t get hit by any hurricanes this year and lose power and that precious A/C!) Arizona is probably similarly air-conditioned as well as parts of Texas, but most of the country is not.
Deaths from heat are becoming more common, and personally, I am still reeling from Governor Abbot (Texas) signing a new law that says employers no longer have to schedule water breaks for their employees who work outdoors. It’s even hotter in Texas than in Florida, and depriving workers of scheduled water breaks will surely lead to more deaths. Turns out Texas is not alone — from The Washington Post:
A worker in Houston digs fence post holes in late June during a historic heat wave in Texas. (David J. Phillip/AP)
“As the planet records some of its highest average temperatures, workers have barely any legal protections from extreme heat.”
And let’s not forget about the flooding in the northeast, the fires burning through Canada that are polluting the air along our northern borders, the landslides in California, and who knows what’s next.
Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins in the 1964 film “My Fair Lady.” “As a working-class kid I daydreamed about owning Henry Higgins’s library,” Michael Dirda writes. “While I’ll never have that wonderful room, I now have the books.” (Mary Evans/Ronald Grant Archive/Everett Collection)
Michael Dirda shares 29 of his rules for reading. They are not hard and fast.
This one spoke to me:
“Typeface troubles: My heart sinks when I see a desirable book printed in eye-strainingly small type. Publishers must imagine that only eagles will read it.”
A few months earlier, a handful of residents had begun demanding the removal of certain books in the children’s section of Warren County’s only public library. Most of the titles involved LGBTQ+ themes. Powered by support from conservative media, the group persuaded the county’s Board of Supervisors in June to withhold 75 percent of the library’s funding until something was done to address the complaints…moving books around will have to be enough. Banning them — removing books that the library’s trained professionals have determined to be in the interest of even a small number of people in the community — that can’t happen.
Schneider, G. S. (2023, July 23). Public libraries are the latest front in culture war battle over books. The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/46Y88Yu
By Nicole A. Cooke, 24 Jul 2023 (This time it’s personal!)
They now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves.
Despite misconceptions and stereotypes – ranging from what librarians Gretchen Keer and Andrew Carlos have described as the “middle-aged, bun-wearing, comfortably shod, shushing librarian” to the “sexy librarian … and the hipster or tattooed librarian” – library professionals are more than book jockeys, and they do more than read at story time.
They are experts in classification, pedagogy, data science, social media, disinformation, [I’m adding misinformation,] health sciences, music, art, media literacy and, yes, storytelling.
And right now, librarians are taking on an old role. They are defending the rights of readers and writers in the battles raging across the U.S. over censorship, book challenges and book bans. Continue reading…
Food News
I hadn’t heard of this type of “fruit ice cream” until I read this article about it. From what I can tell, it is not being sold in South Florida, where I live. There is a machine that mixes frozen fruit into vanilla ice cream, then dipsenses it in a swirl. I love ice cream, and this sounds intriguing. If you’ve tried it, please let me know in the comments!
We are getting ready for a visit from my son and his family – I can’t wait! We usually go up to NY to see them in the summer, and while airfare between South Florida & NYC is still pretty decent, the rates at hotels in the area have gone through the roof! We usually stay at the Brooklyn Sheraton, as it’s only a half a mile from their apartment. We paid about $900 for a week two summers ago, $500 for three nights last summer, but this summer, they want $800+ for three nights. It’s a nice hotel, but there’s nothing special or fancy about it to warrant those kinds of rates. They are not alone though; travel expenses this summer have risen dramatically. I kept seeing articles like this one but was hoping for the best – I am the eternal optimist! Sadly, my optimism here has crashed and burned.
My grandson turned two-years-old in March and can no longer be called a baby – he is a little boy, through and through. He loves playing outside on the playground, reading books, helping whoever is cooking, and palling around with his best friend, Ollie.
Jonah & Ollie
Cooling off!
Jonah loves his books!
A personal note: I moved from working in a public library (for almost 18 years!) to an academic one four years ago, and I’ve never regretted it. There are things (and people) I miss from my old job, but my new one has been fulfilling and brings me happiness most days. August 4 is looming, however – that is my current library director’s last day at Lynn University. Amy Filiatreau is moving to the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, to start leading their library with the fall semester, and they are incredibly lucky to get her.
I understand why she is leaving, but nonetheless, I am so sad about it. I have had a few good bosses in my life, but only two I can say who became good friends (looking at you, Ron Block!) and Amy. Amy is brilliant, empathetic, and kind, and it is such a rarity to work for someone that I respect and admire so much. With that comes fear for the future. Change is always difficult, but Amy and her amazing staff made my transition to Lynn easy. I wish that for her in her new position. Meanwhile, there will be a search for a new library director here at Lynn, and I am hoping for the best – Amy set the standard, and, it is, frankly, impossibly high.
As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Thanks to The New York Times and The Washington Post for allowing me to “gift” my readers with free access to these articles, a lovely perk for subscribers.
How do you start over when the biggest mistake of your life has more than one million views?
Forget diamonds—the internet is forever. Social media consultant Isla Thompson learned that lesson the hard way when she went viral for all the wrong reasons. A month later, Isla is still having nightmares about the moment she ruined a young starlet’s career and made herself the most unemployable influencer in Manhattan. But she doesn’t have the luxury of hiding until she’s no longer Instagram poison. Not when her fourteen-year-old sister, Dani, needs Isla to keep a roof over their heads. So, she takes the first job she can get: caring for Camilla, a glossy-maned, foul-tempered hellhound.
After a week of ferrying Camilla from playdates to pet psychics, Isla starts to suspect that the dachshund’s bark is worse than her bite—just like her owner, Theo Garrison. Isla has spent her career working to make people likable and here’s Theo—happy to hide behind his reputation as a brutish recluse. But Theo isn’t a brute—he’s sweet and funny, and Isla should not see him as anything but the man who signs her paychecks. Because loving Theo would mean retreating to his world of secluded luxury, and Isla needs to show Dani that no matter the risk, dreams are always worth chasing.
“London’s characters leap off the page… It’s a delightful start to a series that promises to be good fun.”—Publishers Weekly
Stefanie London is on my must read list – this rom-com is a prime example of why. Camilla is a long-haired dachshund with a serious attitude. Her owner was a famous, wealthy New Yorker who has passed away, leaving her beloved Camilla to the grandson she raised and loved – but neglected to tell him. Camilla is none too fond of Theo, to say the least, and her behavior has gone from bad to worse in her grief. Theo is a famous New York City recluse who has no patience for, well, much of anything. He likes his hermit status and has no plans of changing it.
After losing so many dog walkers that the agency refuses to help him anymore, he dons a disguise – hat, sunglasses – and takes Camilla on a walk through Central Park. There he runs into Isla and her sister. Isla was a professional social media influencer, or rather she worked for a management company that helps influencers raise their standing and their income. When she accidentally broadcasts her latest client, an underage Disney princess, drinking champagne, voicing some terribly un-Disney-like words with the grand finale of vomiting all over herself, that video goes viral, and Isla is fired.
Theo is amazed that Camilla goes right up to Isla and seems to like her – the dog likes no one, unless she is biting them. He offers Isla the dogsitting job on the spot. Desperate for some income, she jumps on the opportunity to restock her coffers while figuring out her next step.
There is something about Isla that gets under Theo’s defenses and he finds himself incredibly drawn to her. They both realize it isn’t the greatest idea, the power imbalance alone is a huge hurdle. But they can’t stop their feelings and they take things to the next level.
Meanwhile, slightly bored with her dogsitting job, Isla starts taking pictures of Camilla – not anything where she or Theo could be identified, and creates a social media account for the dog she calls “C” online. She is amusing herself and a few others, that is until the number of followers starts climbing and climbing. Inspired by her success, Isla sees this as the opportunity she has been looking for. She will start her own influencer marketing company for animals. Then she can quit dogsitting for her boss/lover and their relationship can move forward.
Of course, nothing goes quite the way Isla was hoping. Theo finds out about the social media account before she can tell him what she’s been doing, and he feels completely betrayed. The happy ending seems to be completely out of reach, but nonetheless Theo and Isla get their happily ever after. And we get a whole lot of laughs along the way. Looking forward to the next book in the series, Pets of Park Avenue, which I found through my library. I have the third book, Confessions of a Canine Drama Queen, ready to go – it comes out August 1.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE DACHSHUND WEARS PRADA by Stefanie London.HQN; Original edition (May 3, 2022). ISBN: 978-1335639837. 336p.
Three women search for joy in #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s new novel of hope, heartache, and the power of friendship.
Heather is happy . . . ish. She has a successful business, a cute but contemptuous cat, and best friends Daphne and Tori who know where she’s broken and love her anyway. So why does she feel crushed when her ex gets serious about someone new? No problem, she has a plan. More connections will hold her together while her world falls apart, so she finally reaches out to the stranger who might be her dad.
Daphne isn’t having an emotional affair, despite what her husband believes. He started the rift in their marriage when he said they weren’t ready for a baby. They used to be the closest couple she knew. Can they find their way back to one another before it’s too late?
When Tori forms an inconvenient crush on Daphne’s brother-in-law, she suppresses her feelings. Until her apartment floods, and she moves in with the dog-loving doctor. If things go wrong, she could lose her friends. . . but if they go right, she could lose her heart.
“This novel of emotional honesty and found family will appeal to readers of Jill Shalvis and Kristan Higgins…Mallery is a reliable star of relationship fiction, and her latest is a great choice for beach-read season.”–Booklist
Mallery excels at female friendship and romance; the combination is irresistible here. Heather didn’t have the greatest childhood, partly because she never knew her father. But when one of the online DNA websites confirms a match for her father, she is torn about what to do with the info. Daphne is married and a great step-mom to her husband’s kids from his first marriage, and they always agreed to having a child of their own. Daphne is a high powered lawyer who works a lot of hours. When one of her colleagues sends her flowers, she finds it a bit unusual but doesn’t think much of it. But when her husband finds out, he is terribly hurt and angry, and immediately assumes she is having an affair.
Tori has no family to speak of, and her two best friends fill that void in her life. She has strong feelings for one of her friend’s brothers, but is afraid to act on it because she’s afraid if things go wrong, she’ll lose her friends.
All three women work through their problems, helping one another until they reach their happily ever afters. I was immediately drawn into these characters and their stories, and couldn’t put the book down! Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE HAPPINESS PLAN by Susan Mallery.MIRA; Original edition (June 20, 2023). ISBN: 978-0778333555. 400p.
Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
“Lapena is a master of manipulation.” —USA Today
Welcome to Stanhope. A safe neighborhood. A place for families.
William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.
Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing.
Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. And William isn’t the only one on his street who’s hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery’s neighbors become increasingly unhinged.
Who took Avery Wooler?
Nothing will prepare you for the truth.
“As usual, Lapena offers a clever, disturbing page-turner with deeply flawed characters and a stunning conclusion.” —Booklist
“The suspense here is real; Lapena does a great job of exposing layers of domestic dishonesty and betrayal one conversation at a time…[Everyone Here Is Lying] succeeds as a domestic thriller and procedural.” —Kirkus
Shari Lapena has truly perfected the domestic thriller. She takes suburbia to the dark, twisted places that fill our nightmares and the local evening news. This story is based on a missing child, which seemingly happens way too often.
Avery Woolery is a nine-year-old problem child. She’s difficult, headstrong, and disobedient and has caused a lot of trouble in her parent’s marriage. Her mother only sees the good in her and is oblivious to her lying, manipulative ways. Her older brother is 12, and he recognizes how manipulative she can be, as does her father. He is a well-respected surgeon and is having an affair with a neighbor, Nora, who volunteers at the hospital where he works. Nora is also married with two children, and the guilt is really getting to her. She finally tells William that she can’t do this anymore and ends things.
William is upset and decides to go home so he can be alone for a little while. But when he gets home, Avery is there by herself. She is supposed to be at school, and her brother is supposed to walk her home. But she tells William she got ejected from choir practice for misbehaving and decided to walk home alone. She is very mouthy to him, and in his bad mood, he snaps and slaps her so hard that she falls to the floor. He is immediately contrite and begs her forgiveness, but she won’t even look at him. He takes off, leaving her home alone, and drives around for another hour or so.
Meanwhile, Avery’s brother goes to pick her up, but since she’s not there, he hurries home. When he can’t find her, he calls his mom. She starts panicking, running out of her office and heading home. Then William arrives, and there is still no sign of Avery. William figures she must have run away to teach him a lesson, but when a frantic search of the area is fruitless, the police are called. But he doesn’t tell anyone that he had been home and had struck Avery.
The two detectives are fairly new partners, but seem to work well together. They find some inconsistencies with William’s story of leaving work early and driving around for a few hours, ending up treating the home as a crime scene, with William as their prime suspect. But as they canvas the neighborhood and the parents do their TV plea for help, they start chasing down all the info they gleam. There is a lot of finger-pointing from the neighbors, and yes, everyone is lying – or at least appears to be.
The ending was a bit rushed, and not everything is tied up neatly at the end, but it is a page-turner for sure. Pamela Dorman Books never disappoints. Be prepared to see copies of this book everywhere this summer; it is the quintessential beach read, unputdownable, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena.Pamela Dorman Books (July 25, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593489932. 336p.
Opposites attract―and go head-to-head―in this cheerfully irresistible small-town romance.
With just ten days left till her folks’ loan comes due, ever-pragmatic Charlotte Delaney is officially throwing in the towel on the bet that she made with her sisters. It looks like it’s up to her to save their parents’ café and beloved home with a marriage of convenience to her family’s rival. It’s time to get the in-name-only nuptials over with. Of course, Charlotte’s never been one to easily admit defeat…
Aidan Strong has exactly zero intentions of marrying one of the Delaney sisters―even Charlotte, his first crush. He’s come to Majestic, Maine, to make things right…only Charlotte has other plans.
She’s challenging Aidan to a new wager. And the prize? His billion-dollar coffee empire. Now the tiny seaside town of Majestic is about to witness the ultimate game of hearts…and winner takes all.
Each book in the Majestic Main series is STANDALONE: * First Bride to Fall * Second Bride Down * Last Bride Standing
“There’s no denying the appeal of this quaint Maine town and the loves that blossom within it.”-Publishers Weekly
At one time, Aidan and Charlotte’s parents were best friends and business partners, but that time is long past. While Aidan’s parents turned their half of the business into a global empire, Charlotte’s parents ended up with a coffee shop. After a death in the family, the moms have cooked up a plan to marry off Aidan to Charlotte, as she is the only sister not engaged already. Charlotte is ready to do her part in saving her parent’s business, so she is shocked when Aidan arrives from England to announce he is not marrying anyone. He offers them half his business, but that’s not good enough for Charlotte. She challenges him to a wager: whoever sells the most cups of coffee at the upcoming town festival gets the entire company. And a bet is made.
What Aidan and Charlotte didn’t count on was falling in love. Spending all that time together has brought them closer than ever, but Charlotte is stubborn and has dug her heels into this competition. The happy ending is inevitable, and it is easy to suspend your disbelief until they get there. This is the third book in the series (somehow, I missed the second one,) and it is a good ending to the series. I’m looking forward to whatever Baird does next.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
LAST BRIDE STANDING by Ginny Baird.Entangled: Amara (June 27, 2023). ISBN: 978-1649373724. 384p.
Indulge in a second chance standalone romance by #1 NYT bestseller Lauren Blakely!
The first rule of working together? Don’t fall for the boss’s daughter. Definitely don’t fall for her when you’re trying to buy the business. The trouble is Sloane is smack dab next me from 9 to freaking 5. And she’s as captivating, brilliant, and sexy as ever, which means I’m taking more than the recommended dosage of office romance temptation every day. Make that every single second, because she’s not only “the one” — she’s the one who got away. But she’s the very definition of off-limits, so I keep my hands to myself. Fine, we might flirt. Okay, we do indulge in the occasional dirty text. And there was that one time when we kissed on the street. But we’ve been good since then. Until the night she issues me a challenge — seven nights of O lessons and then we walk away. Sounds like a simple arrangement. But I was never good with those kind of rules
I love Lauren Blakely’s books – she is a great storyteller, writes great sex scenes, and imbues her romances with enough angst, drama, and laughs to make the pages flow. She is mostly (entirely?) a self-published author, and I have yet to find advance copies of her books on either of the mainstream egalley providers. That means I either have to buy them, a big no-no for a reviewer with access to thousands of egalleys, or get them from my library when they have them (on occasion) or through Kindle Unlimited. I grabbed the three-month free trial of Kindle Unlimited right before Prime Days, and I plan to utilize it as much as I can (see former comment about thousands of egalleys!) This was one of the first books I grabbed.
This is a super steamy, second-chance romance in a work setting. Malone is a veterinarian, like his father was before he passed away. Even though his father is gone, he feels a strong desire to please him, to follow the career path that would have made his father proud. He lands a job in an upscale clinic in Manhattan, and his boss becomes his mentor.
Just before landing this job, he met Sloane, and they shared an incredible week together. But when Malone interviews for this job, he notices a picture of Sloane on his new boss’s desk – he’s her father. Malone ends things with Sloane because he’s pretty sure his new boss wouldn’t like it. One of the things they had in common was their love of animals – Sloane has her own foundation and animal rescue.
Meanwhile, Malone is hoping his mentor retires so he can take over the practice, but it is happening on a much longer timeline than he envisioned. As Sloan comes around the office and eventually moves her office there, they are both sure they did the right thing by ending it seven years earlier. But it is impossible to work next to one another and ignore their explosive chemistry. Eventually, they both get everything they want and their happy ending. Blakely is always a sure thing for a fast-paced, sexy romance.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED by Lauren Blakely.Little Dog Press (June 10, 2019). ISBN: 978-1732575561. 302p.
Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.
Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.
June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.
Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.
But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.
From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” (E! Online), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood—and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.
“Harvey reminds us that sisterhood can take many forms…With a strong dose of nostalgia and multiple narrations from Daphne, Lanier, and June, the book will appeal to Mary Kay Andrews and Katherine Center fans, who will revel in the support the women demonstrate for one another.”—Booklist
“Equal parts moving and nostalgic, Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest novel is a story of four friends who unite to save a summer camp and find out much more about friendship, love, and their own lives in the process.”—Southern Living
“Anyone in the sleepaway camp mood? Now that our kids’ trunks are in their cabins, it’s the perfect time to dive into this beautiful, heartwarming narrative by New York Times bestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey. [An] ode to female friendship and the places that shape us into who we are.”—Good Morning America
This author was new to me, but I’ve heard great things about her over the years and I’m not sure why it took me so long to get here. Better late than never, and this was a glorious read, especially if you have fond memories of sleepaway camp.
I did not have the experience of returning to the same camp summer after summer, but I did attend a variety of sleepaway camps, mostly in upstate New York. I loved the escape of camp, to be away from my divorced but still warring parents, to spend so much time outdoors in the freezing mornings and hot afternoons, to learn new skills like diving, rowing, water-skiing (ok, I never quite learned how to water-ski but it wasn’t for lack of trying!) archery, horseback riding, making lanyards (the only craft I mastered!) and of course, boys. But I have wandered way off course here, and if you attended camp, you probably will, too. This book brought back a lot of memories.
The three women at the heart of this story met their first summer at camp when they were six-years-old; their age group was called Songbirds, and the girls became lifelong friends. When the camp is in danger of going under, they flock together to try and save it. That is the basic premise of the story, and that’s all you really need to know about the plot.
What you should know is that these characters are fully realized on the page – I felt like if I took a trip to their small North Carolina town, I’d recognize them all. This was a nostalgic read and brought back so many wonderful summer memories. I loved watching their friendships grow from childhood to adulthood, and how much these women cared about one another and their families. Not everything was an easy ride though; they deal with serious topics like drug abuse, death, single motherhood, and much more. There is also a touch of romance, which I appreciated, and a happy ending. And one of the characters owns a bookstore, which was just the icing on this delicious cake. If you are looking for a charming, beautifully written, nostalgic summer read, look no further. I loved it.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS by Kristy Woodson Harvey.Gallery Books (July 11, 2023). ISBN: 978-1668010822. 368p.
A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk.
Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in “ghostwriter” until she attends a signing for a book she wrote—and the author doesn’t even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps.
Chandler’s determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he’s distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they’re not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure—or if there’s a way for them to have both.
ABOUT BUSINESS OR PLEASURE
An Indie Next Pick A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick
Named a Most Anticipated Summer Read by Buzzfeed, Glamour, Town & Country, BookRiot, and more!
“Solomon consistently balances spicy and sweet, making her romance novels a sure bet for a good read. A must-read modern romance that emphasizes silliness and sexiness in equal parts. Solomon’s best yet.”—Kirkus Reviews(starred review)
“Solomon delights with this hot and heartfelt rom-com…This is a joy.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Sweet, steamy, and satisfying, this is sure to please readers.”—Library Journal
“Fans of comic conventions and Hollywood crushes will adore Solomon’s sexy celebrity romance…Finn is exactly the book-boyfriend readers will adore.”—Booklist
I loved Solomon’s earlier books and this one is another winner! It is also one of the sexiest romances, so if you are not a fan of sex on the page, look elsewhere.
Chandler and Finn meet at a bar next door to the bookshop where she attended a signing. The author didn’t recognize Chandler, which she found really off-putting since she was the actual ghostwriter of the book. Finn seems like a nice guy and there is some real chemistry there, so they end up in his hotel room where sadly, Chandler fakes an orgasm before sneaking out of the room.
When Chandler’s agent calls with her next ghostwriting job, it turns out to be a memoir of a TV cult classic star who has spent most of his career since that show doing Hallmark movies and traveling the Comic-Con circuit. And he is also her one-night stand.
Chandler takes the job; the money is too good to pass up, plus she’ll get to travel to all the Comic-Cons with Finn. As they get to know one another, Chandler tells him she faked it with him. A blow to the male ego for sure, but then he asks his former long-time girlfriend, and she concurs. Humbled, Finn asks Chandler if she would perhaps help him learn how to please a woman in bed. She agrees, and as they travel the country, she learns more about him and his definite ideas about what he wants his book to say. They fall in love, but as always, there are obstacles in their way.
What I loved about this book was how they both learned from one another, and helped each other grow and achieve more than they dreamed possible. There are a lot of laughs along the way as well. This was a fast, fun, sexy read, and I highly recommend it.
7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
BUSINESS OR PLEASURE by Rachel Lynn Solomon.Berkley (July 4, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593548530. 384p.
Posted by Stacy Alesi 
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 