Stacy Alesi

IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover

October 28, 2022

It Ends with Us, Book 2

From the publisher:

Before It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the “glorious and touching” (USA TODAY) #1 New York Times bestseller It Ends with Us.

Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).

“Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“Hoover breaks hearts all over again in this stunning sequel to her bestselling It Ends with Us . . . The author’s talent for creating nuanced and empathetic characters is on full display, and fans will be especially excited to finally hear Atlas’s side of the story. Hoover is as unafraid as ever to explore the darker and more vulnerable aspects of love, expertly demonstrating the soul-deep trust required to reach happily after ever.” ― Publishers Weekly (starred)
https://amzn.to/3FqJbtt

I’m not on TikTok. I occasionally watch a video there, and I check out BookTok every now and then, but I missed the whole Colleen Hoover thing that was happening there until a friend (thanks, Caitlin!) told me what was going on. Since leaving the public library for an academic one, I don’t watch the bestseller lists as closely either, so I have to admit I was a little surprised to see Hoover dominating both the USA Today list, and the paperback NY Times list (this book opened as number 1), but I couldn’t be happier for her. Talk about a mega success! I haven’t seen anything like this since E.L. James and the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon. I mentioned the USA Today piece about her back in September, and the New York Times did a terrific piece on her more recently, so if you are not familiar with this author, it’s a good place to start. I’ve been reading and reviewing her since 2015, and while I haven’t read all of her books, I’ve read most and she is definitely one of my favorite writers, and now I have tons of company!

Several years ago she wrote It Ends With Us, which I loved, and it (like most of her books) made my Best Books of the Year list. Apparently, her fans started a petition for a sequel which she really wasn’t planning on doing, but the outpouring of love was enough to push her into doing it. And here we are.

It Starts With Us can possibly be read on its own, but I don’t recommend doing that. Read It Ends With Us first. I actually went back and reread it as it’s been several years and it was still an emotional, gut-wrenching read. The sequel is a bit gentler, and the perfect ending to this two-book series. I don’t want to give anything away so I’m not going to tell you anything more than the publisher does about the plot. This book was simply stunning – it will be on my Best Books of the Year list this year. I loved it.

10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover. Atria (October 18, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1668001226. 336p.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS COWBOY by Maisey Yates

October 28, 2022

Four Corners Ranch, Book 2

From the publisher:

As the snow falls on Four Corners Ranch, all this untamed cowboy wants for Christmas is the family he’s never had…

Cowboy Wolf Garrett is delighted his brother is happily married—really, he is. But time can never heal Wolf’s own wounds, so being surrounded by such marital joy is a bit…much. A trip to his extended family’s ranch in Copper Ridge seems the ideal change of scenery. Until he meets local innkeeper Violet Donnelly and realizes he’s exchanged one form of torture for another—trying, and spectacularly failing, to resist their instant, wildly hot chemistry.

Violet knew Wolf was trouble the moment he walked into her inn. But it’s a whole new level of trouble when she discovers that their secret nights have left her pregnant! Especially when she has six feet of gorgeous, furious cowboy demanding that she come home with him for the holidays and marry him. Wolf has lost more than she could ever imagine, but Violet believes in the power of love to heal, and she’ll do anything to give their future family a chance. Wolf has already given her so many firsts—dare she hope he’s about to become her first Christmas miracle too?

“Fans of Robyn Carr and RaeAnne Thayne will enjoy [Yates’s] small-town romance.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/3g8oY0P

Wolf has been through a lot – too much, really, for the cowboy to handle. The Garett’s have what Wolf considers a curse on their property. Women don’t stay. His mother left when he was 6 years old, and his half-brothers’ mothers left as well. His father is not much of a parent, either. When Wolf was in high school, he fell hard for a girl, but she died – another woman leaving him. So it is understandable that he fears any type of intimacy. He’s a charming, good-looking man in a dangerous sort of way, so one-night stands come easy for him and suit him just fine. Until he meets Violet.

Violet runs the inn in the small town where Wolf’s cousins live. He’s visiting to help them with their ranch for a couple of weeks. Their chemistry is off the charts, but Wolf makes it clear from the outset that this can only be a fling and he has no intention of anything more. Of course, the best of intentions can go awry. Violet falls hard and ends up begging him to stay, but as much as he enjoys her company, he knows he will get hurt when she leaves him, as all women do, so he returns home.

A few months later, Violet finds out she’s pregnant and goes to tell him. Wolf’s reaction is to take her home with him for the holidays and try and convince her to marry him. He is a traditionalist at heart, and he refuses to think that a child of his would grow up without both parents.Violet’s mother also left, which is something they bond over, but she isn’t sure about marrying Wolf. He has so much to work through, but she is hopeful that she will get some kind of Christmas miracle – and she does.

Violet and Wolf eventually find their happy ending, and I was so happy that they did. He was a difficult character, so hurt and lost and afraid of love, but Violet was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he figures that out soon enough. This was a very emotional read that really pulled me in and was impossible to put down. I loved it.

10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MERRY CHRISTMAS COWBOY by Maisey Yates. HQN; Original edition (October 25, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1335600950. 384p.

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KISSING GAMES by Evie Alexander

October 28, 2022

The Kinloch Series, Book 3

From the publisher:

She might have made it to Hollywood, but he’s about to show her what she’s missed…

When actress Valentina Valverde arrives in Scotland to film Braveheart 2, she’s at breaking point. Driven by demons, she’s worked tirelessly since she was a teen. But she can’t stop now: everyone she loves depends on her. Yet despite all the glitz and glamor, Valentina can’t shake the feeling that she isn’t really living.

Bodyguard Charlie Hamilton’s lived too much. With looks and charm, he should have it all. But he’s broken. Estranged from his family, sacked from his job and with nothing left to lose, he flies to the Scottish Highlands to help his best friend protect Kinloch castle from a crazy Hollywood film crew.

But falling hard for a movie star isn’t in Charlie’s contract…

Thrown together on set, chemistry crackles between them. When Charlie suggests she take a holiday from life, Valentina is tempted to let down her guard and live a little. But as fun crosses the line into love, disaster bursts their bubble.

Can they let go of the past and find a future together? Or is this just a Highland fling?

Kissing Games is a steamy, dual POV, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, with no cheating, no cliff-hanger, and a guaranteed happy ever after (HEA).
https://amzn.to/3W19OLh

This series is a lot of fun, and this latest installment was a good read. It’s a contemporary romance set in the Scottish Highlands, one of my favorite settings. What is it about men in kilts?

Charlie has left the military and is working in private security. He left for his married girlfriend, but she went back to her husband. He decides to help out his buddy and protect the castle from a Hollywood film crew, who don’t always understand boundaries.

Valentina has been a working actress for what seems like forever. When she meets Charlie, sparks are apparent but neither of them is looking for love. But this is a romance so it’s unavoidable. Charlie basically dares Valentina to do some of the things that teenagers generally do, like skinnydipping and writing bad love poems. She missed out on all that while she was working.

Besides falling in love, Charlie works out some family issues and Valentina learns to relax a bit and enjoy life. There are some hot scenes and some really funny ones as well, making this a fast, fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

KISSING GAMES by Evie Alexander. Emlin Press (September 10, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1914473050. 340p.

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Spotlight Review: THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by Debbie Macomber

October 25, 2022

From the publisher:

Two lifelong friends decide to trade places the week before Christmas and end up finding love along the way in this delightful novel from the queen of holiday stories, #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax are best friends, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Peter, the local pastor who is dedicated to his community, spending time visiting the flock, attending meetings, and, with the holiday season approaching, preparing for the Christmas service and live nativity. As a bartender, Hank serves a much different customer base at his family-owned tavern, including a handful of lonely regulars and the local biker gang.

When Peter scoffs that Hank has it easy compared to him, the two decide to switch jobs until Christmas Eve. To their surprise, the responsibilities of a bartender and a pastor are similar, but taking on the other’s work is more difficult than either Peter or Hank expected. As the two begin to see each other in a new light—and each discovers a new love to cherish—their lives are forever changed.

In The Christmas Spirit, Debbie Macomber celebrates the true meaning of the holidays and the inclusive community spirit that binds us all.

“Bestseller and Hallmark Channel stalwart Macomber (Dear Santa) does it again with a candy cane–sweet holiday romance about two friends who swap lives for a week before Christmas. . . . An eclectic supporting cast—including cadres of strippers and bikers—and a comically disastrous climactic Christmas Eve church service make the narrative shine bright. It’s exactly what readers want from a Macomber holiday outing.”—Publishers Weekly

“This light, sweet Christmas novel is perfect for someone looking for a chaste love story with a happy ending.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/3z9UBhm

Every year I read Macomber’s Christmas novel, but they run hot and cold for me. This was not one of my favorites. A pastor and a bar owner/bartender are best friends and each thinks the other’s job is easy. They switch jobs for several days leading up to Christmas and find out the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

I found this book to be preachy and too religious for me, a nice Jewish girl who loves holiday romances with an emphasis on romance and the magic of the holiday season. The romances here – there are two – are not very engaging, and this book, with apologies to Marie Kondo, just didn’t spark joy for me. If you like the more religious side of Christmas, this may be your perfect book. It’s a sweet, Christian romance with a bit of humor. It’s a quick read at only 240 pages, and while I did finish it, I wasn’t terribly captivated. I’m curious to see if Hallmark turns this one into a movie.

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (October 18, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593500101. 240p.

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SNOWED IN FOR CHRISTMAS by Sarah Morgan

October 21, 2022

From the publisher:

What happens if the only Christmas celebration you want to attend is one you haven’t been invited to? USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan delights with this hilarious and heartwarming Christmas cracker of a novel!

A family gathering

This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal—to avoid their well-meaning family’s endless stream of prying questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention.

An uninvited guest

Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone and the prospect of losing her job. Unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller, the season promises to be anything but festive. She’ll just deliver her proposal to his family home and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller family’s perfect Christmas.

A Christmas to remember

When Lucy appears on the Miller family’s snow-covered Highland doorstep, she’s mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. By the time the confusion is cleared up, they’re snowed in—she can’t leave, even if she wants to! But does she want to? As secrets spill out like presents from an overstuffed stocking and the chemistry between her and Ross ignites, this is going to be either Lucy’s worst Christmas ever or the best mistake of her life.

“Morgan is a masterful storyteller…. For fans of Jojo Moyes, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Stacey Ballis. —Booklist

“Mallery’s second installment in this heartwarming and humorous holiday romance series (following The Christmas Wedding Guest) brings readers back to Wishing Tree, WA. Hand to readers who enjoy romances featuring tight-knit small-town communities with heartfelt holiday traditions and friend groups that are more like found families.”—Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3g8oY0P

Lucy works hard at her job; she loves her boss and her co-workers, but the company is in trouble and she wants to help. She decides to put together a presentation for a hugely successful sportswear company. When she has to go to Scotland to film some reindeer for another account, Lucy decides she’ll gift wrap her presentation and drop it off at the owner’s nearby home. But when she gets to the house, the people there seem to recognize her, and they invite her in. Turns out Ross, the business owner’s sisters, tell his parents that he has a girlfriend, Lucy, to take some of the pressure off one of the sister’s who brought home a boyfriend. But when Ross gets there and doesn’t recognize her, there is a lot of explaining to do.

In her haste to escape, Lucy slips on the ice and badly hurts her ankle. Ross’s sister is a doctor, and he drives them both to the hospital. Upon returning home, the Miller’s invite Lucy to stay and recuperate. She demurs but the snowstorm has cancelled her train and the bridge to leave the Miller home is now impassable.

There are several storylines happening here but Lucy and Ross are at the center of it all. Lucy is all alone in the world; her parents died when she was a young child, and her grandmother raised her, but she passed away two Christmases ago. The Miller family embrace her and make her feel a part of their family, and Lucy loves that feeling. But Ross is annoyed that she brought her presentation to his home instead of to his office, where she became good friends with Ross’s assistant since he was never available.

Lucy is drawn to Ross but isn’t sure how he feels, but soon enough he makes his feelings known. Meanwhile his sister is having trouble with her boyfriend, his youngest sister announces she is planning on having a baby via artificial insemination and raising it on her own, and the whole family is in turmoil. But this is a holiday romance, and Christmas miracles occur right on these pages as everyone gets their happily ever after.

I loved spending time with these characters. Being snowed in was the best thing to happen to Lucy for sure, but the whole family manages to find love and work out their differences. This was such a heartwarming, beautiful story but with enough laughs to keep it light and entertaining. Gift this book to someone you love, and they’ll thank you.

10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SNOWED IN FOR CHRISTMAS by Sarah Morgan. HQN; Original edition (September 20, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1335449962. 384p.

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HOME SWEET CHRISTMAS by Susan Mallery

October 21, 2022

Wishing Tree, Book 2

From the publisher:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes a witty and heartfelt story of two friends who unexpectedly find the person-and the place in which-they belong this Christmas.

With twinkling humor and heartfelt Christmas spirit, two friends find love in a town called Wishing Tree…

Until Camryn Neff can return to her “real” life in Chicago, she’s in Wishing Tree to care for her twin sisters. She’s not looking for forever love, not here. But handsome hotelier Jake Crane is a temptation she can’t resist, so she suggests they pair up for the season. No golden rings, no broken hearts. At his side, she sees her hometown through Christmas-colored eyes. The cheer is cheerier, the joy more joyful. She thought she had put her future on hold…but maybe her real life was here all along, waiting for her to come home.

New in town, River Best is charmed by Wishing Tree’s homespun traditions and warmhearted people. When she’s crowned Snow Queen, she’s honored but wary. Dylan Tucker, her king, seems like the stuff of sugarplum dreams, but she can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something big. As they perform their “royal” duties—tasting cookies, lighting trees—Dylan’s good humor and melty kisses draw her to the brink of love. But she can’t let herself fall until she uncovers his secret, even if her lack of faith means losing him forever.

“Mallery’s second book set in Wishing Tree (after The Christmas Wedding Guest, 2021) is just as charming, with two gentle romance story lines and a reminder that family ties can bind a little too tightly, but it’s still family. The perfect holiday confection for fans of Jill Shalvis and Sarah Morgan.”—Booklist

“Mallery’s second installment in this heartwarming and humorous holiday romance series (following The Christmas Wedding Guest) brings readers back to Wishing Tree, WA. Hand to readers who enjoy romances featuring tight-knit small-town communities with heartfelt holiday traditions and friend groups that are more like found families.”—Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3CNPTGW

This is my new favorite holiday series, even though there are only two (and a half – the first book was a novella) out so far. Mallery is just a great storyteller, and I love this small town that is all about Christmas. I don’t know if there are such places in the real world, but the romance novel world abounds with them.

This is a two-fer romance; Camryn and Jake, who are the primary characters, and River and Dylan, the secondary romance. They are all friends, which adds to the fun.

Jake’s family owns the lavish resort in town and while he loves his mother dearly, her interference in his life has reached new bounds. She interviews Camryn as a possible bride for her son, and Camryn is none too pleased. She decides that Jake should probably know about this, and even though they are not especially close, they’ve known one another since their school days. Jake and Camryn have chemistry that practically leaps off the page, but so do River and Dylan.

River is fairly new to town but has been embraced by this small circle of friends and is loving that. When they stuff the ballot box she gets elected Snow Queen for the holiday festivities, along with Dylan, her “king”. Dylan and Jake have been best friends since they were kids, and Jake’s mom practically raised him since his parents just weren’t involved or interested.

The two couples are thrown together repeatedly and it is so much fun watching their relationships heat up. There are some definite hurdles to get through, but in the end, love wins out. And Christmas, of course. I’m just sorry I have to wait until next year for the next installment.

10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HOME SWEET CHRISTMAS by Susan Mallery. HQN; Original edition (October 4, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1335449986. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: A COSMIC KIND OF LOVE by Samantha Young

October 18, 2022

From the publisher:

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of October!

Space is the last thing an event planner and an astronaut need in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

When event planner Hallie Goodman receives party-inspiration material from the bride of her latest wedding project, the last thing she expects to find is a collection of digital videos from Darcy’s ex-boyfriend. Hallie knows it’s wrong to keep watching these personal videos, but this guy is cute, funny, and an astronaut on the International Space Station to boot. She’s only human. And it’s not long until she starts sending e-mails and video diaries to his discontinued NASA address. Since they’re bouncing back, there’s no way anyone will ever be able to see them…right?

Christopher Ortiz is readjusting to life on earth and being constantly in the shadow of his deceased older brother. When a friend from NASA’s IT department forwards him the e-mails and video messages Hallie has sent, he can’t help but notice how much her sense of humor and pink hair make his heart race.

Separated by screens, Hallie and Chris are falling in love with each other, one transmission at a time. But can they make their star-crossed romance work when they each learn the other’s baggage?
https://amzn.to/3ENh73h

An astronaut and a party planner fall in love, but both have to deal with their very messy families and their own past mistakes. Chris was dating Darcy for a couple of years before his mission to the Space Station, where he was stationed for five months. During his time up there, he recorded videos to send home to Darcy. But when he got back, he found out she was cheating on him and he ends their relationship. Darcy gets engaged to the other man, and a party planner works on their engagement party.

Hallie is the party planner, and she is a real people-pleaser, which isn’t a bad thing in her line of work. While working on the engagement party, Darcy emails her a file with the pertinent information, but doesn’t know (or care) that she also included all the videos that Chris had sent her. Hallie starts watching the first one, realizes that this is personal and she probably shouldn’t be watching it, but she is so drawn to Chris that she just can’t help herself. She watches all the videos, then feels so guilty she decides to record her own, apologizing for watching them, and sends them to the email address from the videos. When Chris gets Hallie’s video, he is annoyed that she watched his at all, and tells NASA to have it look like her email bounced. Undeterred, Hallie decides she like recording videos that no one will see, and she does a few more and they all bounce.

Little does she know that Chris has been watching her personal videos, and he is smitten with the party planner with the pink hair. When his ex invites him to the engagement party, he figures that Hallie will be there so he goes. That’s a long meet-cute, but it works. Chris and Hallie hit it off, especially when the first thing she does is apologize to him for watching his videos. But he likes her too much to admit he did the same, he wants to get to know her first.

Hallie and Chris fall into a friendly relationship. He is at a crossroads in his life; he resigned from the Air Force, and he knows he doesn’t want to go back out into space, but until he figures out his next move, it doesn’t seem fair to get involved in a romantic relationship, as much as he likes Hallie. And Hallie is falling for Chris, too – until he friend-zones her.

The ups and downs of their relationship keep them both reeling, not to mention they both have a lot of family issues they are also dealing with. But this is a romance, and even though the odds seem insurmountable, love always wins out. At least in fiction it does.

This was an engaging story with interesting characters, a bit of heat, and the requisite happy ending. I didn’t know a whole lot about astronauts and the Space Station, so I really enjoyed learning more about that, which was just the icing on the cake. A Cosmic Kind of Love is my kind of book – don’t miss it!

A COSMIC KIND OF LOVE by Samantha Young. Berkley (October 18, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593438619. 416p.

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WE ARE NOT FROM HERE by Jenny Torres Sanchez

October 14, 2022

From the publisher:

A poignant novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S.-Mexico border, inspired by current events.

Pulga has his dreams.
Chico has his grief.
Pequeña has her pride.

And these three teens have one another. But none of them have illusions about the town they’ve grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Even with the love of family, threats lurk around every corner. And when those threats become all too real, the trio knows they have no choice but to run: from their country, from their families, from their beloved home.

Crossing from Guatemala through Mexico, they follow the route of La Bestia, the perilous train system that might deliver them to a better life–if they are lucky enough to survive the journey. With nothing but the bags on their backs and desperation drumming through their hearts, Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña know there is no turning back, despite the unknown that awaits them. And the darkness that seems to follow wherever they go.

In this striking portrait of lives torn apart, the plight of migrants at the U.S. southern border is brought to light through poignant, vivid storytelling. An epic journey of danger, resilience, heartache, and hope.

* “A brutally honest, not-to-be-missed narrative…gripping, heart-wrenching, and thrilling.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

* “A candid, realistic story that will leave readers thinking about the characters–and about our own world–long after the last page.” —SLJ, STARRED REVIEW

* “Gripping, poignant…this soul-shaking narrative [recalls] the works of Gabriel García Márquez.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

* “A devastating read that is difficult to put down, this unforgettable book unflinchingly illuminates the experiences of those leaving their homes to seek safety in the United States.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

A Pura Belpré 2021 Young Adult Author Honor Book
A BookPage Best Book of 2020
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best of 2020
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2020
A New York Public Library 2020 Top 10 Best Book for Teens
https://amzn.to/3CQHmV1

I selected this book for discussion during Hispanic Heritage Month and had a discussion with 37 college freshmen. It was enlightening, to say the least.

Pulgra is 16 years old and living in a small town in Guatemala with his single mother and his best friend, Chico, who is a few years younger, after Chico’s parents were killed. Pulgra’s father left for America to pursue his music career, and Pulgra would love to follow in his footsteps. He studies the routes people have taken to get to America, saving maps and any information he can find.

One day, Pulgra & Chico stop by the local bodega, where the owner, an old man, told them he would give them each a soda if they would help him stock the shelves. While they were working in the back, Rey, the local drug king pin, and his henchmen came in and kill the old man. Terrified, Pulgra & Chico waited in the back until they felt they could leave without being seen.

Rey had taken over this small town, terrorizing all the residents who came in contact with him, including the police. He sexually assaults Pequeña, a 17-year-old, and she ends up pregnant, scared to death of Rey, and afraid to tell her mother who the father is. She tries suicide, but ultimately lives and the book opens with her giving birth to a baby she does not want. Meanwhile, Rey keeps coming by and tells her he wants to marry her and gives her a diamond ring. Too terrified to say no, and sure he will kill her eventually, she turns to her friend Pulgra.

It turns out Rey’s spies did see Pulgra and Chico leaving the bodega, and now he is forcing the boys to work for him, and they don’t know what to do. When Pequeña approaches the boys about leaving and heading to the United States, they all decide it is the only way out. They know it is a very dangerous route, but they feel as though they have no choice – the danger they will leave behind will only get worse, if not deadly, if they stay.

The book follows their journey, from a middle-of-the-night bus ride out of Guatemala through Mexico to riding Le Bestia, the train that will take them to America – if they survive. They cannot buy tickets; instead, they have to hop on and off the train to avoid border checks. There are shelters along the way – some are wonderful, others are dangerous. Pequeña disguises herself as a boy, cutting off her hair, and has left her baby behind. None of them told their mothers that they were leaving.

It is a long, arduous journey that alternates between heartbreaking and horrifying. Arriving at the U.S. border is no picnic either, and the author pulls no punches about how asylum-seeking immigrants are treated, even children. The author’s inspiration was taken mostly from the news, but also her own family. While she was born in America, her mother was from Guatemala and they visited often, so the house and town where the boys live are based on her aunt’s house in that same town.

This was a very difficult read due to the power of the story, but it was also compelling and impossible to put down. If you have any interest in the reality of why people risk their lives to come here, or how they get here, beyond the politics and the sound bites, this is a good way to find out. I can’t imagine anyone reading this book and not walking away more empathetic to immigrants. I couldn’t help but get angry, too, about the U.S. immigration policies and lack of compassion in this country.

A few of the students in the book discussion with me were from other countries; South Africa, Trinidad, and a couple from Venezuela. They shared some of their experiences in their countries, and it was enlightening while at the same time, so sad. The young woman from Trinidad said that kidnappings are a daily occurrence there, and kidnappers tend to drive white Jeeps, so when she sees a white Jeep here, she panics. She realizes it is not the same here, but some things just become ingrained.

I am not much of a TikTok viewer, but I was curious about this book, as it is a Young Adult book that is a tear-jerker, the best-loved fodder on “Book Tok”. Sure enough, there are many videos of young women raving about this book and crying – this was my favorite.

10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WE ARE NOT FROM HERE by Jenny Torres Sanchez. Viking Books for Young Readers (May 18, 2021). ISBN:‎ 978-1984812285. 368p.

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A MATCH MADE AT CHRISTMAS by Patricia Davids

October 14, 2022

The Matchmakers of Harts Haven, Book 2

From the publisher:

Christmas comes to a small Amish community—and brings new beginnings with it.

Karl Graber is too busy struggling with his hardware store and two young daughters to indulge local matchmaker Rose Yoder’s schemes. After his wife’s death, the thought of loving and perhaps losing another woman holds no appeal. So while he’s relieved to learn he’s not on Rose’s list of potential husbands for new schoolteacher Sophie Eicher, he’s also surprised. Despite himself, Karl can’t help wondering what Rose thinks he lacks—and why outspoken, attractive Sophie has so little interest in marriage.

After surviving breast cancer, Sophie is hoping to make a fresh start in Harts Haven. Perhaps the handsome widower next door would make a good match for her sister, but Sophie won’t burden any man with her uncertain future. But when Karl offers to help her to create a “living nativity” Christmas program for the schoolchildren, she gratefully agrees.

It’ll take a bold plan and help from Karl’s children to make this chaotic Christmas play a success. And as friendships deepen, hearts open and hopes are rekindled, two unlikely people may discover the healing gift of love.
https://amzn.to/3U79ycJ

I haven’t read an Amish romance for a while, and honestly, two or three a year is plenty for me. I like reading about people living in different cultures, and the Amish surely fall into that group. They are always interesting and so far from my world that I usually learn something new.

Sophie is a breast cancer survivor – for now. The disease took her grandmother and her mother, so she doesn’t feel like she has much time left. On the other hand, she went through chemo and a mastectomy but refuses to listen when her doctor tries to explain her prognosis. And her fiance dumped her when she got sick. When her aunt Rose tells her about a teaching job in the small town where she lives, Sophie sees it as a chance to start over in a place where no one knows her medical or romantic history. Her sister moves with her, and they stay at their aunt’s inn until they can find a place of their own.

That opportunity comes up pretty quickly. Karl Graber just lost his tenant in the apartment attached to his home and it’s right across the street from the schoolhouse. He could use the money the rental brings in, so is happy to hear that he may have a new tenant. Karl is a young widower with two daughters he is raising alone now. The older one works in his hardware store with him, but the younger one misses school for sure. There is a bit of humor with her three little lambs that keep escaping their pen and following her, yes, to school, where havoc ensues.

Rose considers herself the town matchmaker, and she keeps throwing women at Karl but he isn’t over losing his wife to cancer. Karl and Sophie do not have an auspicious first meeting, to say the least. He thinks she is a busybody and she thinks him rude and cold. Both feel much better after Rose decrees that they are not meant for one another – except despite their bad beginning, there is definitely an attraction there.

Sophie thinks her sister would be good for Karl, but she seems interested in someone else. Sophie doesn’t want to get married because her body is disfigured, but more importantly because she thinks she will die in the next year or so like the other women in her family. So even though she is attracted to Karl, she feels her sister would make him a better wife.

Sophie loves teaching and is excited to meet her new pupils. But she quickly finds out that Christmas is a big deal in this school; every year, the children put on some sort of Christmas pageant, and even though it is just a matter of weeks until the holiday, they are expecting Sophie to do the same.

This is a slow-building romance and even though it seems hopeless at times, a happy ending is guaranteed. If you are looking for a gentle, inspirational romance this holiday season, this is a good one.

10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A MATCH MADE AT CHRISTMAS by Patricia Davids. HQN; Original edition (October 4, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1335453471. 352p.

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THE IDEA OF YOU by Robinne Lee

October 14, 2022

From the publisher:

Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of an art gallery in Los Angeles, is reluctant to take her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band. But since her divorce, she’s more eager than ever to be close to Isabelle. The last thing Solène expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.

What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate and genuine relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways in Paris and Miami. For Solène, it is a reclaiming of self, as well as a rediscovery of happiness and love. When Solène and Hayes’ romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her romantic life has impacted the lives of those she cares about most.

Included on The Skimm’s 2020 list of Eight Books Both You and Mom Will Love
https://amzn.to/3RYXOXt

I had not heard of this debut novel that came out in 2017 until I received an email from a publicist with Amazon Original Movies. More on that later. I asked for a copy of the book to review but I found it at my library. I read it in a day and to be honest, it is a first novel and it shows. It is also purported to be a romance but is missing the main element of romance, the happy ending. Instead of romance, I would call this more of an erotic love story.

Sophie is a divorced mom with a 13 year-old-daughter, Isabelle. Her ex, Daniel, had left her for a much younger woman, but the marriage was doomed anyway. Sophie owns a contemporary art gallery, and her ex didn’t want her to work at all. He’s a very successful entertainment lawyer, and these are very wealthy people. When Daniel flakes out on taking Isabelle to see her favorite boy band, August Moon, in Las Vegas, Sophie steps up and takes Isabelle and two of her friends. They even have backstage passes to meet the band.

The young teens are all in love with these British boys in the band, and when Sophie meets Hayes, their leader/founder/songwriter, she can see why. He is beautiful, and he seems to be intrigued with her. But he’s twenty years old, and she is, as she puts it, thirty-nine and a half. So twice his age. Nevertheless, he pursues her, and she agrees to meet him for a drink.

Hayes is really turning on the charm and Sophie decides she can just use the young man for sex and then move on. Except he keeps pursuing her and he is obviously paying attention to everything she says, and he is much more mature than one would assume. He’s also very smart and good with people.

It turns into a full-blown affair, with Sophie and Hayes meeting up in various cities around the world as she grows her art gallery business and he is doing concerts with the band. For a long while, Sophie assumes he is seeing other women as they only get together every month or so, and while he never confirms it, he never denies it, either. And when he finally tells her he is not seeing anyone else, she is relieved. They are falling in love but are also keeping their affair a secret. When they are spotted together, Sophie claims that he is just a client. Her business partner and friends soon know, but Sophie is afraid to tell her daughter, who is madly in love with Hayes.

Eventually, some salacious pictures come out, and the world knows. This turns Sophie into a pariah, replete with death threats and the usual internet trolling. At this point it becomes like watching a train wreck; you know it isn’t going to end well, yet you can’t look away.

There is a lot of explicit sex in this book as their relationship is based on sex before it grows into something more. It’s a nice change to see the older woman/younger man relationship and it is a very fast read as you follow Sophie and Hayes around the world, having sex. Fashionistas will love all the designer name-dropping, and women in their thirties & forties will identify with Sophie and love escaping with Sophie & Hayes.

So, the Amazon publicist sent info about the film and a picture of the lead actor, Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Hayes, and informed me that Anne Hathaway is playing Sophie. That this is an Amazon Prime movie shouldn’t be a surprise as more and more actors that dominate the film industry are showing up on streaming television. Hathaway was excellent in “WeCrashed” on Apple+ TV, a limited series based on the downfall of WeWork. The role was very different for her and I thought she did a phenomenal job, even though she was ignored at awards time. But I digress…here are all the details I’ve gotten so far. I couldn’t help but notice that there are several discrepancies from the book, so I’m assuming this is the direction the film is taking:

Today it was announced that Nicholas Galitzine will star in Prime Video’s The Idea of You in the role of ‘Hayes Campbell,’ alongside Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway.
The film, based on Robinne Lee’s bestselling contemporary love story of the same name, centers on Sophie (Hathaway), a 40-year-old divorced mother. Sophie’s husband Dan left her for a younger woman, and now he has canceled his Coachella trip with their 15-year-old daughter. Sophie picks up the pieces and braves the crowds and desert heat. There, she meets 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), the lead singer of the hottest boy band on the planet, August Moon.
Galitzine will next be seen in Prime Video’s highly anticipated romantic comedy Red, White & Royal Blue, based on Casey McQuiston’s fan-favorite and instant New York Times and USA Today best-selling novel of the same name and Bottoms from MGM’s Orion Pictures. He also recently starred as the male lead in Netflix’s Purple Hearts, alongside Sofia Carson, and as ‘Prince Robert’ in Prime Video’s Cinderella, opposite Camila Cabello. Prior to that, he starred as the male lead in Zoe Lister-Jones’ The Craft: Legacy. On the television side, he can be seen in Netflix’s Chambers. Some of Galitzine’s other credits include A24’s Share, Handsome Devil, The Beat Beneath My Feet, The Changeover, and The Watcher in the Woods.
Michael Showalter (The Big Sick, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, The Dropout) will direct. Academy Award winning producer Cathy Schulman (Crash, The Woman King) will produce the film via her Welle Entertainment label, joined by I’ll Have Another’s Gabrielle Union, Anne Hathaway via her Somewhere Pictures label, Robinne Lee, Eric Hayes, Michael Showalter, and Jordana Mollick. Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein, Friends with Kids) wrote the screenplay and will executive produce. I’ll Have Another’s Kian Gass will also executive produce.
The Amazon Original Movie will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide at release. Production will begin in October.