QUEEN BEE by Dorothea Benton Frank

July 19, 2019

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From the publisher:

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank’s Carolina Lowcountry in this evocative tale that returns at long last to her beloved Sullivan’s Island.

Beekeeper Holly McNee Jensen quietly lives in a world of her own on Sullivan’s Island, tending her hives and working at the local island library. Holly calls her mother The Queen Bee because she’s a demanding hulk of a woman. Her mother, a devoted hypochondriac, might be unaware that she’s quite ill but that doesn’t stop her from tormenting Holly. To escape the drama, Holly’s sister Leslie married and moved away, wanting little to do with island life. Holly’s escape is to submerge herself in the lives of the two young boys next door and their widowed father, Archie.

Her world is upended when the more flamboyant Leslie returns and both sisters, polar opposites, fixate on what’s happening in their neighbor’s home. Is Archie really in love with that awful ice queen of a woman? If Archie marries her, what will become of his little boys? Restless Leslie is desperate for validation after her imploded marriage, squandering her favors on any and all takers. Their mother ups her game in an uproarious and theatrical downward spiral. Scandalized Holly is talking to her honey bees a mile a minute, as though they’ll give her a solution to all the chaos. Maybe they will.

Queen Bee is a classic Lowcountry Tale—warm, wise and hilarious, it roars with humanity and a dropperful of whodunit added for good measure by an unseen hand. In her twentieth novel, Dorothea Benton Frank brings us back to her beloved island with an unforgettable story where the Lowcountry magic of the natural world collides with the beat of the human heart.

If you are looking for a book to immerse yourself in, to be entertained by, and if you love quirky characters as much as I do, then this is your book! Holly is a bit of a nutter, but in a very good way. She lives at home with her mother because she feels she must, it is her responsibility since her sister got married and moved away. Holly is also a beekeeper, and she talks to her bees and they seem to understand her. And they seem to act on her behalf. Even Holly can’t believe that’s true so yes, it strains credulity at times, but in a really fun way, so I was all in.

Archie is a bit of a stereotype; a single dad who is clueless about his own kids and easily taken in by a stone cold bitch. Holly thinks of Leslie as her opposite, and in many ways she is, but nonetheless they are sisters united by genetics and a common enemy. And the Queen Bee, who in lesser hands than Frank’s could have been more a caricature than a character, actually changes the most in this story.

The notion of neighbors taking care of one another is sweet and at one time, my neighborhood was very much like that. It made me yearn a bit for those days. But south Florida, where I live, is a transient place so there are only a few of the original families in my neighborhood still around. But the Lowcountry has magic of its own, and I love visiting there with Dorothea Benton Frank. This is a sweet, evocative read that is perfect for the beach. I loved it.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

QUEEN BEE by Dorothea Benton Frank. William Morrow (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-0062861214. 432p.

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MRS. EVERYTHING by Jennifer Weiner

July 4, 2019

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From the publisher:

An instant New York Times bestseller 

“A multigenerational narrative that’s nothing short of brilliant.” —People
“Simply unputdownable.” —Good Housekeeping
“The perfect book club pick.” —SheReads

Named a Best Book of Summer by Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, PopSugar, HelloGiggles, and Refinery29

From Jennifer Weiner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who Do You Love and In Her Shoes comes a smart, thoughtful, and timely exploration of two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world. 

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?

This is unlike any of Weiner’s previous books; it’s more a family saga and a coming of age story for the two main characters, and I loved it. These two women go through everything life throws at them, and how they deal with it, and with each other, is compelling reading. The way they grow and change and everything that happens is a slice of life portrayal through the past fifty years or so. I’m old enough to remember a lot of what was going on at the time and it was not always wonderful.

There are some difficult moments, but they are necessary and worthwhile. This country went through a lot of turmoil in the the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s and Weiner’s characters do as well. She covers a lot of the turmoil, and some of it bleeds through to today. But it’s the characters and how they are brought to life and grow and change that make this book so exceptional. They do not necessarily follow the path most easily taken, and it is that honesty that is so refreshing. This is a truly American story, and definitely women’s fiction with some history and even a touch of romance thrown in. Book groups will find lots to discuss – I found myself talking about it with my daughter, even though she hadn’t (and won’t) read it, but she was very interested in the story and I was happy she was willing to listen. Highly recommended.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MRS. EVERYTHING by Jennifer Weiner. Atria Books (June 11, 2019).  ISBN  978-1501133480. 480p.

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THE UNBREAKABLES by Lisa Barr

June 23, 2019

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From the publisher:

A delicious, sharp novel about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while rediscovering her own joie de vivre—a lust for life, art, and steamy sex.

“Artful, feminist, and emotionally gripping. The Unbreakables is a remarkable tribute to a woman’s strength in the face of heartbreak and adversity.” — Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

The worst birthday ever might just be the gift of a lifetime…

It’s Sophie Bloom’s forty-second birthday, and she’s ready for a night of celebration with Gabe, her longtime, devoted husband, and her two besties and their spouses. Dinner is served with a side of delicious gossip, including which North Grove residents were caught with their pants down on Ashley Madison after the secret on-line dating site for married and committed couples was hacked. Thirty-two million cheaters worldwide have been exposed…including Sophie’s “perfect” husband. To add insult to injury, she learns Gabe is the top cheater in their town.

Humiliated and directionless, Sophie jumps into the unknown and flees to France to meet up with her teenage daughter who is studying abroad and nursing her own heartbreak. After a brief visit to Paris, Sophie heads out to the artist enclave of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. There, for the first time in a long time, Sophie acknowledges her own desires—not her husband’s, not her daughter’s—and rediscovers her essence with painful honesty and humor, reawakening both her sensuality and ambitions as a sculptor.

As she sheds her past and travels the obstacle-filled off beaten path, Sophie Bloom is determined to blossom. Allowing her true self to emerge in the postcard beauty of Provence, Sophie must decide what is broken forever…and what it means to be truly unbreakable.

I don’t remember where I first heard about this book, but it kept coming up in various emails and websites with glowing reviews so I opened it. I was immediately surprised by the whole Ashley Madison plot line and thought why hasn’t anyone else written about this. It seems like a really good jumping off point for a novel and Barr took it and ran with it.

If you aren’t familiar or forgot the salacious details, Ashley Madison is a “dating” site for married people who wanted to have affairs. Yuck. But it was very successful, financially at least, until hackers broke in and started releasing lists of names of the married cheaters. You can read all about it here: Fortune and you can search the database if you really want to here: CNN helps you figure out how to do that. And of course, Wikipedia has an overview. In case you thought this huge, embarrassing data breach would cause the site to shut down, think again. Ashley Madison survived and is still going. No, I’m not linking to it. Again, yuck.

Sophie, Samantha and Lauren have been best friends since childhood and they dub themselves the unbreakables. But life has a way of laughing at such proclamations, and the damage done by the Ashley Madison scandal is immediate and devastating. This is a story of a woman who has to start over at age 42. I didn’t agree with all her choices, but I cheered her on regardless. I will say that having an unlimited stream of money seemed most helpful here so if this happens to you, plan ahead and save up for it.

I was immediately absorbed into the story and was alternately shocked, saddened, angered and inspired; sometimes, I swear, all on the same page. This definitely falls under emotional reads for me. Barr does a really good job of making the reader care about Sophie and all her life choices. This should make good fodder for book groups.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE UNBREAKABLES by Lisa Barr. Harper Paperbacks (June 4, 2019). ISBN  978-0062895394. 352p.

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THE SUMMER OF SUNSHINE & MARGOT by Susan Mallery

June 19, 2019

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From the publisher:

The Baxter sisters come from a long line of women with disastrous luck in love. But this summer, Sunshine and Margot will turn disasters into destiny…

As an etiquette coach, Margot teaches her clients to fit in. But she’s never faced a client like Bianca, an aging movie star who gained fame—and notoriety—through a campaign of shock and awe. Schooling Bianca on the fine art of behaving like a proper diplomat’s wife requires intensive lessons, forcing Margot to move into the monastery turned mansion owned by the actress’s intensely private son. Like his incredible home, Alec’s stony exterior hides secret depths Margot would love to explore. But will he trust her enough to let her in?

Sunshine has always been the good-time sister, abandoning jobs to chase after guys who used her, then threw her away. No more. She refuses to be “that girl” again. This time, she’ll finish college, dedicate herself to her job as a nanny, and she 100 percent will not screw up her life again by falling for the wrong guy. Especially not the tempting single dad who also happens to be her boss.

Master storyteller Susan Mallery weaves threads of family drama, humor, romance and a wish-you-were-there setting into one of the most satisfying books of the year!

This book falls somewhere between women’s fiction and romance, but whatever you want to call it, it is an engrossing read. The characters are skillfully brought to life and I liked the two storylines, one following each of the sisters. They briefly overlapped now and again as the sisters are not estranged, just living their own lives as most of us do.

Sunshine is determined to turn her life around. She loves working as a nanny, but regrets the kids she left behind to follow after random men who invariably ended up hurting her. This time she is not going anywhere; she loves the young boy she is caring for and she is taking her first college class as well. The problem arises when she realizes she is very attracted to her recently widowed boss.

Margot loves helping people and this job is proving to be the most challenging one of her career. Bianca is living with her son and Margot is completely besotted – with the house. It is an old monastery that has been renovated and turned into a home, leaving much of the original intact. Bianca’s son is an historian who wants nothing more than to be left alone with his ancient documents, so he is surprised to find himself so strongly attracted to Margot. And she is equally surprised to find herself attracted to him.

Once I started this book, I was drawn completely into the lives of these sisters. If you like family stories with some romance, then you will enjoy this. I sure did.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SUMMER OF SUNSHINE & MARGOT by Susan Mallory. HQN Books; Original edition (June 11, 2019).  ISBN  978-1335659972. 368p.

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THE SUMMER GUESTS by Mary Alice Monroe

June 13, 2019

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BLOG TOUR!

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Beach House series comes a heartwarming and evocative novel about the bonds and new beginnings that are born from natural disasters and how, even during the worst of circumstances—or perhaps because of them—we discover what is most important in life.Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast—the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. A perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a threat: it’s also peak hurricane season.

When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North Carolina: the Phillips’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can fit in their vehicles. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they must ride out the storm together.

During the course of one of the most challenging weeks of their lives, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters isn’t what they brought with them to the mountains. Rather, it’s what they’ll take with them once they leave.

With Mary Alice Monroe’s “usual resplendent storytelling” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author), The Summer Guests is a poignant and compelling story of self-discovery, love, and redemption.

This was not my favorite Monroe book. Probably because I have lived through so many hurricanes, and I’ve never been in the financial position to weather the storm like the characters in this book. It also surprised me that I wasn’t more interested in the all the information about horses. I grew up riding (not competing! just for fun) and I live a short (car) ride down the road from Wellington. If you are not familiar, Wellington is the home of extremely wealthy horse people during season. Winter, when it’s warm here. People like Bill & Melinda Gates. They not only bought a house there, (their daughter competes), they bought the whole block. Or are in the process of buying all the homes on the street. I didn’t follow the story closely enough to know if they ever managed to do it. Anyway, you get the idea. The only thing I have in common with these people is that I love animals. Even though there is a lot more to the story, I just wasn’t all that interested in reading about how the 1% deal with hurricanes. f you are, then this is your book!

 

About MARY ALICE MONROE:
Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the Beach House series: The Beach House, Beach House Memories, Swimming Lessons, Beach House for Rent, and Beach House Reunion. She is a 2018 Inductee into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the 2008 South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing, the 2014 South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence, the 2015 SW Florida Author of Distinction Award, the RT Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Book Award for Green Fiction, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize for Fiction. Her bestselling novel The Beach House is also a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. An active conservationist, she lives in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Visit her at MaryAliceMonroe.com and at Facebook.com/MaryAliceMonroe.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE SUMMER GUESTS by Mary Alice Monroe. Gallery Books (June 11, 2019). ISBN: 978-1501193620. 368p.

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THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Jane Green

June 4, 2019

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From the publisher:

The Friends We Keep is the heartwarming and unforgettable new novel from Jane Green, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sunshine Sisters and The Beach House. 

Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known one another since college. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now years have passed, the friends have drifted apart, and they never found the lives they wanted—the lives they dreamed of when they were young and everything seemed possible.

Evvie starved herself to become a supermodel but derailed her career by sleeping with a married man.

Maggie married Ben, the boy she fell in love with in college, never imagining the heartbreak his drinking would cause.

Topher became a successful actor, but the shame of a childhood secret shut him off from real intimacy.

By their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have lost touch with one another and with the people they dreamed of becoming. Together again, they have a second chance at happiness…until a dark secret is revealed that changes everything.

The Friends We Keep is about how despite disappointments we’ve had or mistakes we’ve made, it’s never too late to find a place to call home.

I have been a Jane Green fan since her first book (Jemima J) and I’ve read every book since. I’ve never been disappointed. In fact, I’m usually gobsmacked about how this author just keeps turning out one terrific story after another. I had this one on my Kindle and also received a print galley, which I gave to my 93 year old mother-in-law. She reads a lot and rarely says much about the books I give her, but this time, she raved – and so did I.

These characters are so well drawn I couldn’t help but root for them all to find their way. I loved that the threesome of friends included a man, a refreshing change from the all women,  all the time friendship stories that are so prevalent. While Topher’s story was secondary in the first half of the book, his presence is much more keenly felt in the second half.

This is a story of how friendships can flourish and grow, recede and return as life goes on. The secrets being held foreshadow a future explosion, but it’s the way everything is resolved that I found so inspiring. I found this book unputdownable, and I loved these characters so much that I know they will be staying with me for a while. A terrific and riveting summer read – don’t miss it!

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Jane Green. Berkley (June 4, 2019). ISBN  978-0399583346. 384p.

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THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson

May 24, 2019

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From the publisher:

An Oprah’s Buzziest Books Pick for May
Indie Next Pick
LibraryReads Pick
Southern Independent Book Alliance SIBA Spring OKRA PICK

The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything―everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt’s Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome’s got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter. Cussy’s not only a book woman, however, she’s also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy’s family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble.

If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she’s going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler.
Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman’s belief that books can carry us anywhere―even back home.

Another recommendation from LibraryReads and a really good one. A friend who had read it warned me that it is a very sad book, and it is, but I am also very glad I read it.

There are some really popular memoirs from people who grew up in severe poverty, but in more modern times (Educated, Hillbilly Elegy, The Glass Castle, All Over But the Shoutin’) but this novel is set during the depression, and makes all those stories look like good times. So yes, it is a very sad book but I also learned a lot.

I had never heard of blue people before but it is a real thing. Their skin is literally blue in color, and in Appalachia, they are considered “colored” as in signs reading “no coloreds” on the bathroom door. Cussy is a really strong woman, and a smart one despite no formal education. She lost her mama when she was young and her father is bound and determined to get her married. That doesn’t work out all that well, to say the least, and Cussy gets to be a Book Woman.

I am pretty familiar with President Roosevelt and the Works Progress Administration. (The Broward County Library has an amazing collection of books that were commissioned as a WPA project called the “Federal Writers Project” at the Main Library in Fort Lauderdale.) But I had never heard of the Kentucky Pack Horse library service and it was truly remarkable.

So despite the sadness, the extreme poverty, illness, starvation, prejudice, and mostly ignorance, this was a wonderful read. I don’t think I will be forgetting Cussy and her story any time soon. I read a light, funny romance before reading this, and another after which helped me get through it. All that said, I highly recommend it, especially for book groups.

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson. Sarah Crichton Books (April 16, 2019). ISBN  978-0374156022. 368p.

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MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim

May 8, 2019

From the publisher:

A thrilling debut novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng about how far we’ll go to protect our families―and our deepest secrets

My husband asked me to lie. Not a big lie. He probably didn’t even consider it a lie, and neither did I, at first . . .

In rural Virginia, Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine―a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic “dives” with the hopes of curing issues like autism or infertility. But when the Miracle Submarine mysteriously explodes, killing two people, a dramatic murder trial upends the Yoos’ small community.

Who or what caused the explosion? Was it the mother of one of the patients, who claimed to be sick that day but was smoking down by the creek? Or was it Young and Pak themselves, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? The ensuing trial uncovers unimaginable secrets from that night―trysts in the woods, mysterious notes, child-abuse charges―as well as tense rivalries and alliances among a group of people driven to extraordinary degrees of desperation and sacrifice.

Angie Kim’s Miracle Creek is a thoroughly contemporary take on the courtroom drama, drawing on the author’s own life as a Korean immigrant, former trial lawyer, and mother of a real-life “submarine” patient. Both a compelling page-turner and an excavation of identity and the desire for connection, Miracle Creek is a brilliant, empathetic debut from an exciting new voice.

I heard about this debut when it landed on the April LibraryReads list. It was blurbed by Scott Turow and Laura Lippman. It was recommended for readers who love Liane Moriarty (me, usually) and Celest Ng (definitely me!) All that and for me, a disappointment. I would say it was too much hype except it is a first novel and frankly, there can never be enough hype for a debut.

It started off interesting but for some reason, I quickly lost interest. I kept picking it up and putting it down. It took me a week to read and I read half a dozen other books in the meantime. I didn’t particularly care about any of the characters. The story was convoluted at times, and never really grabbed me. If it had, I wouldn’t have put it down.

This was a debut novel and I do understand its appeal; the cultural issues, the whodunnit at the heart of the story, the exploration of autism and all the controversies surrounding treatment, but mostly, I just found it slow.

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim. Sarah Crichton Books (April 16, 2019). ISBN  978-0374156022. 368p.

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DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid

March 30, 2019

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From the publisher:

A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup.

“I devoured Daisy Jones & The Six in a day, falling head over heels for it. Daisy and the band captured my heart.”—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine book pick)

Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

This was a fun and nostalgic read for me. I kept thinking it must be loosely based on real people but I couldn’t figure that out. I grew up in roughly the same time line as this book and sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll was no joke and all of that abounds in this book. It is more or less a coming of age story for Daisy mostly, but is more about relationships. I really liked that the surprise ending a lot but no spoilers here other than to say I didn’t see it coming. Oh, the addendum of all the song lyrics was a nice touch.

The format of the book, for lack of a better word, is interview style. An oral history of sorts. Each character is quoted in response to questions, but we don’t know who is asking the questions or why until the end. So it reads in basically multiple first person, an interesting technique. It’s also a fast read, especially as I got deeper and deeper into it. It is a very compelling story and I really loved it! I can totally understand all the praise this unique book is getting. Highly recommended – and should be great for book groups.

3/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Ballantine Books (March 5, 2019). ISBN  978-1524798628. 368p.

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TOMORROW THERE WILL BE SUN by Dana Reinhardt

March 14, 2019

Reinhardt (Tell Us Something True) brings two families together on a vacation at a luxurious villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in this marital farce.

Jenna plans the trip for her husband Peter’s 50th birthday and invites his best friend/business partner, Solly, along with his family – his second, much younger wife, their young son and Solly’s disreputable teenage son from his first marriage. Jenna’s sullen teenage daughter is attracted to the troubled teen which makes Jenna uncomfortable, but her real problem is Peter’s beautiful, young assistant that he’s left in charge of the business, and their secretive phone conversations.

Meanwhile, Solly is the life of the party while Peter is acting the sycophant, and both of them are getting on Jenna’s last nerve. Things come to a head when political unrest in the town forces everyone to stay inside, causing feelings that have been brewing beneath the surface to explode.

Verdict: The interaction of all these characters makes for compelling reading and is often amusing, while book groups should find lots to discuss. Should appeal to fans of Jane Green and Emma Straub.

©Library Journal, 2019

3/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TOMORROW THERE WILL BE SUN by Dana Reinhardt. Pamela Dorman Books (March 12, 2019). ISBN: 978-0525557968. 288p.

From Paul Lane:

Jenna and her husband Peter have been married for 20 years, have a 16 year old daughter. They are comfortable; not rich, with Peter in business with his lifelong best friend Solly. Jenna is a planner and makes the decision to plan an extraordinary vacation to best celebrate Peter becoming 50 years of age, with Solly to reach that age a few months later. After much research and deliberation Jenna sets up a dream seven day trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She rents a private villa with all the trimmings right next to the ocean.

Both couples, Jenna’s daughter and Solly’s two boys are with them, all primed to have the vacation of a lifetime. Upon arrival at the villa they are greeted by their maid and butler who will do all the cooking, serve drinks, clean up the quarters and leave the vacationers nothing to do but enjoy themselves. it does start out that way, but begins to go downhill slowly but surely. Using Jenna as the first person narrator, Reinhardt keeps the reader following the changes in situation and in the thinking and feeling of the group. She shows herself to be a master in painting the personalities and characters of the adults, teenage children and a young, quite spoiled little boy.

This is indicated as being Reinhardt’s first adult novel after writing many children’s books. After spending all night panting to finish the book I certainly am hoping she follows up with more adult fiction which I’m sure will give me additional sleepless, but pleasant evenings. A very well done book with a very surprising ending becoming the capstone of an excellent read.

Comments Off on TOMORROW THERE WILL BE SUN by Dana Reinhardt | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

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