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HELLO STRANGER by Lisa Kleypas

July 11, 2018

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The Ravenels, Book 4

Sometimes I do judge a book by its cover, and this was one of those times. Although to be honest, I love Lisa Kleypas so if I had known about this book sight unseen I still would have read it. But I stumbled across it in the library (hello, serendipity!) and here I am. And the thing is, I have read the other books in this series so I think I missed this because it came out while I was post-eye surgery and not able to read. That’s my excuse and I can live with that.

We met our heroine, Dr. Garrett Gibson, previously in the series but now it is her time to shine. Convinced that no man would possibly be interested in the first and only physician in England, she doesn’t even bother with social niceties. Until she meets Ethan Ransom.

Ethan is a spy who is intrigued by the brilliant and beautiful doctor, and secure enough in his place in the world not to care that she (gasp!) works. Born in poverty, he has worked his way up to his position, by way of Scotland Yard and very hard work. He is also brilliant and more importantly, a man of good character and a silver tongue. That charm really swept me away as it did Garrett, a woman who is not used to it but is used to solitude. Instead, she is caught up in a great romance.

These two unconventional characters really made for an interesting and compelling romance. The story line was intriguing and relevant, and the sex was hot. That’s pretty much all I ask for in a historical romance, and Kleypas delivers once again.

As a note of added interest, Kleypas named her character after Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first physician in England. She was a fascinating and accomplished woman and I really appreciated this nugget of truth that had me searching out the real deal. Well done.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HELLO STRANGER by Lisa Kleypas. Avon (February 27, 2018). ISBN 978-0062371911. 400p.

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THE WIDOWER’S NOTEBOOK by Jonathan Santlofer

July 10, 2018

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A Memoir

Jonathan Santlofer is an artist and a writer and someone I consider a friend. In 2013, he lost his wife, Joy, quite suddenly, and his way of coping was to draw and write. This book is the culmination of that endeavor.

There are many books written about grief and many about losing a spouse, but most are written by women about losing their husbands. I hate to generalize but I’m going to. Men tend to be more stoic about loss, less likely to talk about it, much less write about it. But Jonathan is not your average man.

I’ve known Jonathan a long time but didn’t hear about Joy’s passing until a year or so after the fact. At the time, he couldn’t really talk about it and I understood that. When he told me about this book many months ago, I got a digital galley and put it aside. Even though he told me about it and I knew he wanted me to read it, I had to come to grips with reading about his pain. It’s a difficult thing to do when you know and care about the person who is in pain. But with publication looming, I put aside my usual escapist fare and sat down to read it.

Jonathan’s voice was immediately recognizable. This isn’t some new-agey, self-help guide but rather a journey through loss and devastation, grief and pain, and ultimately hope and love. There are many drawings as well, drawing was one of his coping mechanisms and he explains how it helped him. The drawings are simple and beautiful and so expressive of a life well lived.

Joy had been working on her own book called Food City when she passed. A food historian who taught at NYU, she had worked for six years on this book about the food history of New York City and it was truly a labor of love. When she died, she left a manuscript that was twice as long as was contracted for and in need of serious editing. Jonathan and their daughter raised money to pay for an independent editor and along with her publisher, and both of them, they were able to get the book completed. (See my review here.) It was the culmination of an exhaustive project, yet bittersweet that Joy never got to see her finished book. But what a way to honor her.

Lest you think this book is a maudlin meandering of thought, it most certainly is not. Jonathan has a terrific sense of humor and understands the absurdity of life and loss.. He is self deprecating and self aware, and even through some of the most difficult parts of the book, his humor shines through. Don’t get me wrong, I cried through much of this but I also laughed.

Stories about how friends tried to help, or didn’t, were mostly encouraging, occasionally discouraging, and often funny. The set ups, (single men are always a target) not to mention a friend who tried to get him to hire hookers from a website, and poignantly, the realization that widowers are treated differently (better) than widows. I especially loved the chapter, “Stupid Things Said by Smart People,” which was so honest and pointed to something many people struggle with.

A couple of quotes that I thought were simple, eloquent and elucidating:

The fact is, losing one’s partner is an unsolicited litmus test. Some friends pass the test beautifully and others fail.

And this:

Grief is two-pronged: to get past it is to move on, a good thing; to get over it, to forget your grief and your former life and all that is attached to it, impossibly sad.

Comparisons to Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking are inevitable, and Jonathan is the yin to her yang. This is a beautifully written, haunting and emotional memoir about loss, grief, love, and moving on. It is thought provoking, intelligent, important and ultimately inspirational. This is a book worth reading and sharing.

I’m very glad Jonathan decided to share his Widower’s Notebook.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE WIDOWER’S NOTEBOOK by Jonathan Santlofer. Penguin Books (July 10, 2018). ISBN 978-0143132493. 272p.

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THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang

July 9, 2018

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From the publisher:

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…

Let me start by saying that this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It is a hot romance with a strong, intelligent female heroine and a sensitive, swoon-worthy hero. When I first heard about this book, it put me in mind of a really fun movie,”The Wedding Date.” Debra Messing hires an escort, Dermot Mulroney, to be her date for her sister’s wedding, they fall in love and boom, happily ever after. But this book is much more than just fun.

I’ve never read a romance where the main character is autistic and it worked really well, adding depth not usually found in romances. Hoang handles it with sensitivity, grace and understanding, as she says she is also on the spectrum. Michael is a biracial escort who works for the money and for very good reasons, which slowly unfurl as we learn more about him and his family. Both of these characters are truly brought to life with all their baggage and foibles.

There is amazing heat between them as well, once Stella gets past her aversion to kissing and being touched. Michael is so gentle and patient with her and exactly what she needs. It is a real change from the usual hurry up sex and the realism of consent is beautifully illustrated here. I also loved how they each had their own challenges and helped each other – the power dynamic was constantly shifting between them, another refreshing aspect of this terrific read.

So hot sex? Check. Lots of laughs? Check. Great characters? Check. An unputdownable story? Double check! This book checks all the boxes for a great romance and really ups the ante. I can’t wait to see what Hoang does next. Don’t miss it.

NOTE: This book is getting a ton of well-deserved press because of the dearth of romances that deal with minorities and disabilities. Some interesting articles:

The Changing Face of Romance Novels

In ‘The Kiss Quotient’, Helen Hoang uses writing to process her Autism diagnosis

‘The Kiss Quotient’ By Helen Hoang Is The Hottest Romance Of Summer — And Its Main Character Is Autistic

A Very Personal Love Story: PW Talks with Helen Hoang

Helen Hoang On The Kiss Quotient And Her Autism Journey

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang. Sourcebooks Landmark (July 3, 2018). ISBN 978-1492670131. 416p.

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THE RISK OF ROGUES by Sabrina Jeffries

July 8, 2018

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From the publisher:

Featuring New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’ “hallmark humor, poignancy, and sensuality” (Romantic Times), this entry in the Sinful Suitors series inspires you to risk all for love.

Lady Anne is shocked when Captain Lord Hartley Corry—her former fiancé who left for India after her father forbade their marriage—returns to England and acts as if everything is all water under the bridge. He never fought for her hand or eloped with her as he promised and he thinks she’d still be willing to marry him? Not a chance.

Hartley is equally shocked to literally run into his past love upon arriving at his brother’s house. Though he yearns to take advantage of this second chance to woo his beloved, he can hardly admit that he is secretly a spy—at least not until he can be sure he trusts her. But convincing Lady Anne to let him prove his sincerity by courting her respectably all over again might be his undoing. Because all he wants is to show her how much of a rogue he can be when the right woman is in his arms…

This is a Kindle Single, a novella only available as an ebook. Although it has been my experience that many of these novellas turn up later in anthologies of one kind or another or in the back of a paperback, so you never know. But for now, the only way to read it is digitally.

I didn’t realize how short this story was until I read it and thought, where’s the rest of the story? There is a beginning, middle and an end but I am not a fan of the novella, I like my stories fleshed out a bit more. I like Jeffries writing and it was a good read but more, I need more.

This series has five books plus four novellas so far. It’s a good way to keep readers into the series while waiting for the next book, and all these novellas will probably end up in their own book eventually. If you like Regency romances and want a super fast read, this is your book. I’d rather read a novel.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE RISK OF ROGUES by Sabrina Jeffries. Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc., July 2, 2018. ASIN: B078M5C7DS. 95p.

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SHEER MISCHIEF by Jill Mansell

July 7, 2018

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Ths author was new to me, but I’m very glad I found her. This is a really fun read, some romance, some sisterhood, and a lot of laughs.

Sisters Maxine and Janey really couldn’t be any more different. Maxine is a big flirt and very self centered, always looking out for herself. Janey is the “nice” one, married young, and one day her husband just disappeared completely, leaving everything behind. Janey isn’t sure if he’s dead or alive, and after a few years, she has rebuilt her life on her own. She owns a florist shop and works hard to support herself.

Maxine blows into town and expects Janey to put her up, which she does, but it grows old quickly. Maxine is a slob, so when a job comes up as a nanny for a great looking, wealth,y glamorous photographer -widower in town, Janey pushes Maxine to go for it. One look is all it takes for Maxine to decide not only will she take the job, she’ll get a husband out of the deal, too.

Of course things don’t go exactly as planned for either sister, or their mother for that matter, but there is a lot of fun to be had in the trying. If you are looking for a quick summer read, look no further than this thoroughly enjoyable romp.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SHEER MISCHIEF by Jill Mansell. Sourcebooks Landmark (July 3, 2018). ISBN 978-1492670131. 416p.

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ALL WE EVER WANTED by Emily Giffin

July 6, 2018

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This deep dive into a suburban community torn apart by a teenage girl’s half naked photo is a bit of a departure for Giffin, but she does a damn fine job of it.

Nina Browning married well. Growing up in a middle class family did not prepare her for the life that happens when her husband Kirk sells his high tech startup for some serious money. Kirk was brought up in the country club set, and has no trouble processing their new found wealth. Their only disagreements concern their son, Finch. Nina is afraid he is getting spoiled and does her best to ground him, while Kirk’s basic philosophy is if we can afford it, who cares.

Lyla is a scholarship student at the exclusive private school Finch attends. Self conscious of her status, Lyla has a huge crush on Finch so when he invites her to a party, she lies to her father and goes. Lyla’s dad, Tom, is a carpenter and a single parent who may struggle a bit raising his only child, but he is a good father.

Lyla gets drunk at the party and when a picture of her passed out on a bed, her breast exposed, is sent to a few students, of course it goes viral and the next thing she knows the whole school knows about it.

When Nina finds out she is devastated to learn that Finch is the one who sent out the pic. Kirk, on the other hand, figures he can just bribe his son out of trouble. Tom is furious and can’t understand why Lyla doesn’t want to pursue the culprit.

This is a story that seems like it could happen almost anywhere today. Giffin really explores all sides and writes a very compelling novel that would make for a very interesting book discussion. I couldn’t put it down. If you like Jodi Picoult, you will like this book. I sure did.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL WE EVER WANTED by Emily Giffin. Ballantine Books (June 26, 2018). ISBN 978-0399178924. 352p.

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THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Paul Tremblay hi

July 5, 2018

From the publisher:

The Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts adds an inventive twist to the home invasion horror story in a heart-palpitating novel of psychological suspense that recalls Stephen King’s Misery, Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood, and Jack Ketchum’s cult hit The Girl Next Door.

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road.

One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault”. Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: “Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world.”

Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay.

It seems to me that this story falls somewhere between thriller and horror. It’s suspenseful but not quite at the level of breathlessness I find with a Stephen King novel, but certainly more than most thrillers. The basic story of a home invasion where a young child is involved is pretty much every parent’s nightmare, and this one was well played.

It is a fast read at only 288 pages, and the suspense definitely helps keep the pages turning. I would have liked a bit more character development but for the most part, this is a good read. The terror feels real and so did the ending, and I can’t ask for more than that.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Paul Tremblay. William Morrow (June 26, 2018). ISBN 978-0062679109. 288p.

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ALL-AMERICAN COWBOY by Dylann Crush

July 4, 2018

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Holiday, Texas Series, Book 1

The 4th of July seems like a good time to review a book about that most American of characters, the cowboy. Yes, they are still around – I lived in Dallas for several years and met many, and I know things haven’t changed all that much since.

Holiday is a very small town in Texas, named after one of the founding families. The town doesn’t have much in the way of businesses, but they are known all over the state for their honkey-tonk, the Ramblin’ Rose, owned by Sully Holiday himself. But when he passes away, he leaves the bar to the grandson he never met.

Sully’s son left town as soon as he could, moved to New York City and became one of the city’s biggest builders. He never spoke to his father again, and his son, Beck, knows nothing about his family. So he is shocked to learn that he has inherited the Rose.

Beck works for his father and their relationship is tenuous at best. His father is a demanding, egotistical power player while Beck has a heart hidden beneath his fancy suits. Beck has to go see the lawyer in Holiday to find out about his inheritance. He learns that there is a stipulation attached to the inheritance; he has to stay in Holiday for three months and work in the bar, and he also has to ride on the float in the Founder’s Day parade. Scrambling to reschedule his life, Beck figures it’s worth it – the estate includes a house and land worth millions.

Charlie’s worked for Sully since she was a teenager, and is devastated by his death. She has been managing the Rose for a few years now, and has built up the business into something special. She promised Sully to help his grandson as he wanted the Rose to stay in family hands, but it’s not easy dealing with a city boy who is lost in the country.

Beck and Charlie have combustible chemistry and working together is making it even hotter. Beck knows he’s in trouble when he can’t imagine his life without Charlie, even though he is planning on turning the Rose back over to his dad. And Charlie is nursing a broken heart herself, and is leery of a relationship with a man who seems to have one foot in the country but the other planted firmly in the city.

There are lots of obstacles but also lots of laughs before the happily ever after. This was a very enjoyable, fast read with some heat. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL-AMERICAN COWBOY by Dylann Crush. Random House (January 2, 2018). ISBN 978-0812996685. 320p.

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HOW TO BE FAMOUS by Caitlin Moran

July 3, 2018

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Caitlin Moran writes strong, feminist fiction with a unique protagonist and a wicked sense of humor. In this sequel to her debut, How to Build a Girl, Dolly Wilde returns. She is nineteen years old, lives on her own in a London flat and writes about new music for a popular British magazine.

Dolly is living her dream, until she falls in love with a young musician, John Kite, who suddenly hits it big in the 1994 music scene, and she feels left behind. John and Dolly are friends, but she doubts he would ever want more so she decides to start a monthly column on all the aspects, good and bad, of being famous.

Dolly is a talented writer, albeit somewhat immature, and she makes a bad decision to have a one-night stand with a famous comedian. Slut shaming soon follows and in light of the #metoo movement, makes this book both timely and important. Eventually, through her own inimitable personality, Dolly pushes through the pain, turns the shame into her own kind of fame, and wins the man of her dreams. While set more than twenty years ago, this Bildungsroman feels very topical and should appeal to strong women of any age.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HOW TO BE FAMOUS by Caitlin Moran. Harper (July 3, 2018). ISBN 978-0062433770. 352p.

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THE MUSIC SHOP by Rachel Joyce

July 2, 2018

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From the publisher:

“An unforgettable story of music, loss and hope. Fans of High Fidelity, meet your next quirky love story.”—People

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE TIMES (UK)

It is 1988. On a dead-end street in a run-down suburb there is a music shop that stands small and brightly lit, jam-packed with records of every kind. Like a beacon, the shop attracts the lonely, the sleepless, and the adrift;

Frank, the shop’s owner, has a way of connecting his customers with just the piece of music they need. Then, one day, into his shop comes a beautiful young woman, Ilse Brauchmann, who asks Frank to teach her about music. Terrified of real closeness, Frank feels compelled to turn and run, yet he is drawn to this strangely still, mysterious woman with eyes as black as vinyl. But Ilse is not what she seems, and Frank has old wounds that threaten to reopen, as well as a past it seems he will never leave behind.

Can a man who is so in tune with other people’s needs be so incapable of connecting with the one person who might save him? The journey that these two quirky, wonderful characters make in order to overcome their emotional baggage speaks to the healing power of music—and love—in this poignant, ultimately joyful work of fiction.

Every year the American Library Association encourages a summer reading program. This year’s theme is “Libraries Rock!” so I leaned in with some music programs including a book discussion featuring The Music Shop.

Rachel Joyce had a couple of hits on her hands with the Harold Fry books (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry & The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy,) but I couldn’t get into the first one and didn’t bother with the second. So I had some trepidation about choosing this book. But my BFF Judy loved it and I trust her so I selected it for the summer reading book discussion. Ultimately, I am very happy that I did.

It is, as the publisher explains, both a love story and a journey through music, and it is the journey that kept me turning pages. I did find it slow going through a good chunk of the book, and to define these characters as quirky is to practically redefine the word.

The main character, Frank, is obsessed with music and vinyl records, in particular. The book is set mostly in the 1980’s when CDs were first becoming popular. Frank refuses to carry anything other than vinyl, which becomes a problem for distributors after a while. He also has his own unique filing system – he groups albums together by how he thinks they go together. He has an innate sense of music and can see the music that people need. For instance, a man comes in asking for Chopin, but Frank knows he needs Aretha Franklin’s “Oh No Not My Baby”.

We learn about Frank’s most unusual childhood, which explains a lot of his passion. Kit works for Frank and he is a bumbling, not very bright, but sincere young man. The folks who own the neighboring shops are also eccentric, to the point where there doesn’t seem to be a single character who seems “normal”, whatever that is, or even believable. A little believability would have been a nice touch here or there.

When Ilse comes into their lives, she makes quite an entrance – she faints dead away. Eventually her music lessons with Frank leads to them falling in love but neither will admit it. Ilse is scared due to her backstory, and Frank has serious trust and commitment issues due to his own life experiences.

But what brings them together is the music, and the music is what makes this book worth reading. I learned a lot, and I was delighted to find the author created a playlist to go along with the book. You can find it on Spotify (free accounts available) or on YouTube. Penguin UK has a wonderful page set up with some quotes from the book and the music discussed:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/book-talk/soundtrack/2017/the-music-shop-playlist/

You can get a real feel for the book on that page and see what I’m babbling about. This is a wonderful book to discuss, and ultimately an unusual and lovely read.

7/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE MUSIC SHOP by Rachel Joyce. Random House (January 2, 2018). ISBN 978-0812996685. 320p.