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Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite writers, and this may be her best book yet.

Infertility is the issue that is causing a major rift in Quinn and Graham’s marriage. Sex has become a means to an end and when that end doesn’t result in pregnancy, month after month, Quinn sinks further and further into depression. Hoover handles this tough topic with grace and sensitivity.

Graham tries to be supportive but he hides his fears in hopes of protecting her. That doesn’t work and we watch as this marriage inevitably starts unraveling. It is a heartbreaking journey.

The book moves back and forth through time so we get to watch Quinn and Graham falling in love while simultaneously watching them fall apart. It was a difficult read at times, as the pain of infertility hit pretty close to home for me, but nevertheless, I couldn’t put it down.

Hoover has a way of drawing the reader in and making us care about her characters, even when it is painful to do so. By alternating the darkness of a marriage on the rocks with the light of falling in love, she makes us think about how a relationship goes from one extreme to the other. I never saw this ending coming, and it was a masterful finish to a very thought provoking, emotional read. I loved it.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL YOUR PERFECTS by Colleen Hoover. Atria Books (July 17, 2018).  ISBN 978-1501171598.  320p.

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A new Susan Wiggs book! Happy day!

From the publisher:

Deep within the peaceful heart of Amish country, a life-or-death emergency shatters a quiet world to its core. Number-one New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs delivers a riveting story that challenges our deepest-held beliefs.

Caught between two worlds, Caleb Stoltz is bound by a deathbed promise to raise his orphaned niece and nephew in Middle Grove, where life revolves around family, farm, faith—and long-held suspicions about outsiders. When disaster strikes, Caleb is thrust into an urban environment of high-tech medicine and the relentless rush of modern life.

Dr. Reese Powell is poised to join the medical dynasty of her wealthy, successful parents. Bold, assertive, and quick-thinking, she lives for the addictive rush of saving lives. When a shocking accident brings Caleb Stoltz into her life, Reese is forced to deal with a situation that challenges everything she thinks she knows—and ultimately emboldens her to question her most powerful beliefs.

Then one impulsive act brings about a clash of cultures in a tug-of-war that plays out in a courtroom, challenging the very nature of justice and reverberating through generations, straining the fragile threads of faith and family.

Deeply moving and unforgettable, Between You and Me is an emotionally complex story of love and loss, family and friendship, and the arduous road to discovering the heart’s true path.

I love Susan Wiggs, she is one of my favorite authors and this book just reaffirmed that for me. It is a deeply moving and engaging novel and I couldn’t put it down. I loved these characters and the Amish culture is always fascinating to me. There is enough angst to make the story compelling without going over the top, and while the romance was secondary, it really resonated.

I loved this book.

6/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BETWEEN YOU AND ME by Susan Wiggs. William Morrow (June 26, 2018). ISBN 978-0062425539. 368p.

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Wildstone, Book 2

So once again I missed the first book of a series, but I would never have known and I don’t think I missed anything – other than what was probably a really good read. Shalvis is a terrific storyteller and I love her sense of humor so I just reserved Lost and Found Sisters at my library.

Lanie Jacobs is a young widow whose life took a turn towards a Lifetime movie after her husband’s death when four more women came forward and claimed they were also married to him. Lucky for Lanie, she was the first so she got the insurance policy but money doesn’t cure everything. She feels totally humiliated so when a temporary job offer comes up out of town, she jumps on it.

Lanie is a graphic designer and it is the Capriotti family run winery that gives her some respite. She is a bit shell shocked over the whole ordeal with her husband, so keeps to herself. But the Capriotti family doesn’t get that – they are a big, loud, nosy, loving Italian family that likes nothing more than feeding and taking care of everyone, family and employees alike.

Mark Capriotti is a single father with twin girls. An Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff, he resigned his military career after his wife took off, abandoning their young girls. He knew the only way he’d be able to handle it was to move back home. With all the loving family support, he is managing.

River Brown is hired after Lanie when she shows up at the winery, pregnant and obviously living in her car. The Capriotti’s take her in, give her a job and a place to live and things seem to be finally going well. Except River is there for some nefarious purpose that we don’t find out until everything blows up.

Mark is determined to be the best cop and best father he can be, and in his mind, that means no dating, no women at all until his girls are grown up. Lanie has lost all confidence in her ability to judge men, and has some real trust issues. Nonetheless, they form a friendship that eventually grows into something more.

This was a very enjoyable escape with terrific characters, an interesting storyline and a wonderful setting. I liked the little bit of mystery and the budding romances. Shalvis usually writes contemporary romance, but this book is much more women’s fiction with a touch of romance. Pour yourself a glass of wine and settle in for a good read.

6/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

RAINY DAY FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis. William Morrow Paperbacks (June 19, 2018). ISBN 978-0062448149. 384p.

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The Beach House Series

From the publisher:

Whisking you back to the shores of her bestselling Beach House series, Mary Alice Monroe weaves together a tale of the struggles and triumphs of the historic Rutledge family of Charleston, South Carolina. Beautifully wrought and rich with keen insight, this is an illuminating tale of new beginnings, resilience, and one family’s enduring love.

Cara Rutledge returns to her Southern home on the idyllic Isle of Palms. Everything is comfortingly the same, yet each detail is rife with painful memories. Only through reconnecting with family, friends, and the rhythms of the lowcountry can Cara release the hold of the past and open herself to the possibility of a new love, career, and hope for the future.

Meanwhile, her niece Linnea, a recent college graduate who doesn’t know where her life will take her, leaves her historic home in Charleston, with all its entitlement and expectations, and heads to her aunt’s beach house. On the island, she is part of the freer, natural ocean lifestyle she loves, rejoining the turtle team, learning to surf, and falling in love. Remembering the lessons of her beloved grandmother, Lovie, the original “turtle lady,” Linnea rediscovers a meaningful purpose to her life and finds the courage she needs to break from tradition.

In this heartwarming novel, three generations of the Rutledge family gather together to find the strength, love, and commitment to break destructive family patterns and to forge new bonds that will endure long beyond one summer reunion.

I’ve only read the last book in this series, Beach House for Rent, and I really enjoyed that book. This one, not so much.

It is set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina on Isle of Palms and in the same house as the last book. But that story had a lot more story to it. Not much happens here until about halfway through this book.

The first half is a love letter to the area with lots of descriptions and an emphasis on the turtles. I live in a turtle nesting area so I’m already very familiar with this so maybe that’s why I found it a bit boring. Eventually, there is a bit of romance and family drama, but it just took too long to get there and the book really dragged for me.

I was tempted on several occasions to just put it down and forget it, but because I liked the last one so much I stuck with it. I’m not sorry I did but I would only recommend it to fans of either Mary Alice Monroe, turtles, or the Lowcountry. There are much more interesting beach books out there.

6/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BEACH HOUSE REUNION by Mary Alice Monroe. Gallery Books (May 22, 2018).  ISBN 978-1501193293.  400p.

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From the publisher:

“A shimmering story of art, money, and celebrity, The High Season is wicked summer fun.”—Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

The Hamptons hath no fury like a woman scorned.

No matter what the world throws her way, at least Ruthie Beamish has the house. Lovingly renovated, located by the sea in a quiet Long Island village, the house is her nest egg—the retirement account shared with her ex-husband, Mike, and the college fund for their teenage daughter, Jem. The catch? To afford the house, Ruthie must let it go during the best part of the year.

It’s Memorial Day weekend and Ruthie has packed up their belongings for what Jem calls “the summer bummer”: the family’s annual exodus to make way for renters. This year, the Hamptons set has arrived. The widow of a blue-chip artist, Adeline Clay is elegant, connected, and accompanied by a “gorgeous satellite” stepson. But soon Adeline demonstrates an uncanny ability to help herself to Ruthie’s life—her house, her friends, even her husband (okay, ex-husband, but still). And after her job as the director of a local museum is threatened, Ruthie finally decides to fight back.

Meanwhile, away from the watchful eyes of her parents, Jem is tasting independence at her first summer job, but soon finds herself growing up too fast. One of Ruthie’s employees, a master of self-invention named Doe, infiltrates the inner circle of an eccentric billionaire and his wayward daughter. With a coterie of social climbers and Ruthie’s old flame thrown into the mix, the entire town finds itself on the verge of tumultuous change. By the end of one unhinged, unforgettable summer, nothing will be the same.

In a novel packed with indelible characters, crackling wit, and upstairs/downstairs drama, Judy Blundell emerges as a voice for all seasons—a wry and original storyteller who knows how the most disruptive events in our lives can twist endings into new beginnings.

There has been a lot of buzz about this book so I was interested, plus it’s set in the Hamptons where I have spent a bit of time. It is an interesting story, the characters are fairly well drawn, too, especially Ruthie, the main character, but I didn’t necessarily relate to any of them. Ruthie was the most sympathetic but she often acted out in ways I didn’t understand.

Judging a book by its cover is usually not a good idea and that is the case here. It looks like the typical summer beach read and while it is set in a summer resort area, it is much deeper than the usual beach reads. It was everything the publisher promised and a good, thought provoking read.

6/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HIGH SEASON by Judy Blundell. Random House (May 22, 2018). ISBN 978-0525508717.  416p.

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