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THE SINGING TREES by Boo Walker

August 3, 2021

From the publisher:

**A young artist forges a path of self-discovery in an enriching novel about forgiving the past and embracing second chances, from the bestselling author of An Unfinished Story.**

Maine, 1969. After losing her parents in a car accident, aspiring artist Annalisa Mancuso lives with her grandmother and their large Italian family in the stifling factory town of Payton Mills. Inspired by her mother, whose own artistic dreams disappeared in a damaged marriage, Annalisa is dedicated only to painting. Closed off to love, and driven as much by her innate talent as she is the disillusionment of her past, Annalisa just wants to come into her own.

The first step is leaving Payton Mills and everything it represents. The next, the inspiring opportunities in the city of Portland and a thriving New England art scene where Annalisa hopes to find her voice. But she meets Thomas, an Ivy League student whose attentions―and troubled family―upend her pursuits in ways she never imagined possible. As their relationship deepens, Annalisa must balance her dreams against an unexpected love. Until the unraveling of an unforgivable lie.

For Annalisa, opening herself up to life and to love is a risk. It might also be the chance she needs to finally become the person and the artist she’s meant to be.

Boo Walker’s beautifully written coming of age story (after An Unfinished Story) is set against the backdrop of the unpopular Vietnam War. We get to view life in those turbulent times through the eyes of a young artist, Annalisa Mancuso. Annalisa tragically lost her parents when she was young, and her Nonna stepped in and took care of her. Annalisa remembered her mother’s creativity being stifled in her marriage, and as an artist herself, is determined to never let that happen. The only path she sees forward is to live in solitude, but when she meets Thomas, he changes the trajectory of her life in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Annalisa’s goal to escape the small town in Maine where she grew up and move to Portland is realized. There she finds a thriving art community, a teacher, and a gallery owner who recognize and encourage her talent. Meanwhile, Thomas’s wealthy family threatens to cut him off unless he ends things with Annalisa.

Annalisa grows up the hard way when Thomas loses his deferment and is sent to Vietnam. She breaks up with him so she can concentrate on her art, but she still feels their connection. They correspond during the war, and she spends a week with him in Hawaii when he gets some leave. Annalisa is torn between following her dream or her heart and has many difficult decisions to make.

Verdict: Walker’s latest is ideal for book discussion groups and should appeal to readers who enjoyed Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Dance Away with Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, or the emotional resonance of Nicholas Sparks’ books.

©Library Journal, 2021

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SINGING TREES by Boo Walker. Lake Union Publishing (August 3, 2021). ISBN: 978-1542019125. 429 pages.

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ISN’T IT BROMANTIC? by Lyssa Kay Adams

August 2, 2021

Bromance Book Club, Book 4

From the publisher:

One of Bustle’s Best New Books of July 2021

A Popsugar Best Book and Best Romance of July 2021

With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad wrote one.

Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how: She married her childhood friend, Vladimir, and moved to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville.

Vlad, aka the Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But it’s become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he’s learned is that he deserves more. He’s ready to create his own sweeping romance—both on and off the page.

The bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love—and this time they’re not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad’s neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves the Loners. But just when things finally look promising, Elena’s past life intrudes and their happily ever after is cast into doubt.

This is one of my favorite series and this latest entry is just as wonderful as the previous books. This is one series I’ve actually read in order! The premise behind the series is this group of men, most professional athletes and one country music star, have a friendship unlike most. These men talk, really talk, about relationships and life and they help one another. They also have a book club where they read romance novels, the idea being that they will learn how to be better boyfriends and husbands. It works pretty well for them.

This book centers around Vlad, nicknamed “the Russian” because he is from Russia. He is married to Elena, but none of the men have ever met her. While they all live in Nashville, Elena’s been living in Chicago for six years attending Northwestern University, where she’s almost completed her master’s degree in journalism. So when she shows up at a wedding, Vlad is so happy to see her, until she takes off. They are at crossed purposes here; he wants their marriage to be real, and she wants to move back to Russia to be a journalist. Her father was “disappeared” while working on a story about sex trafficking, and she wants to continue his work. She’s been digging into his story all the while she’s been in school, but with her masters at hand, she is ready to go to work.

Turns out that Vlad and Elena were childhood friends, and his parents often took care of her as her mother died when she was very young, and her father was often away working. When she turns 18, Vlad asks her to marry him, giving her the chance to move to America and go to school. They never even consummate their marriage before she moves away.

But this is not your typical green card marriage. For one thing, they have been friends for most of their lives. For another, Vlad isn’t an American citizen. He’s got a work visa because he’s a professional hockey player, and the rules are different for athletes. But Vlad is in love with Elena, and wants her to come home after she graduates.

Elena overheard something when they were getting married that led her to believe that Vlad was only being kind to her. She feels like a burden to him, and wants to stop having him support her. But right as she was getting ready to go, she gets a phone call from the hospital, asking her to come in. Vlad had been severely injured in a game, and she decides that is one way she can pay him back for all the kindness and generosity he has shown her. She moves into his house to take care of him.

Vlad has several secrets that he hasn’t shared with Elena or his book club buddies, but as he is dependent on his wife and friends during his recuperation, the secrets start to come out, one of which is that he has written his own romance novel. The guys are all excited about that, and even Elena gets to read it eventually.

I love these books because I think the premise is so clever, and I love these characters. Plus the books are all really funny, including this latest. While this is a series and is probably best if at least the first book is read before this one, I think they all stand alone pretty well. Reading this book left me feeling happy all day, and what better recommendation do you need that that! Don’t miss it. BONUS: I spotted this on Adams’ twitter page: “coming soon to Netflix!”

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ISN’T IT BROMANTIC? by Lyssa Kay Adams. Berkley (July 20, 2021). ISBN: 978-0593332771. 352 pages.

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Cerebration: August 1, 2021

August 1, 2021

Made it through July! The heat is kicking butt all over the country. You know things are screwy when New York is hotter than south Florida and new heat records are being set in the Pacific northwest. That’s just wrong. My daughter will be visiting Seattle this month and I am hoping the weather cools off. In August. Is that even possible at this point? South Florida meteorologists are busy watching all the tropical storms and Floridians are hoping they pass us by. So far, so good but it is early times so we are ever vigilant. But interestingly, heat isn’t the big problem in south Florida because everything is air conditioned. It’s the places in this country (and the world) that aren’t used to the heat and don’t have the infrastructure in place where people are dying. The NYT had this scary yet fascinating piece: America in 2090: The Impact of Extreme Heat, in Maps

Can you believe summer is half over already? The days are flying by, probably because I’m not stuck at home 24/7. I’m still careful going out but I go to the supermarket and Costco and Target and just wear my mask. Yes, I’m vaccinated, but a lot of people in my area are not. As the pandemic and the Delta variant heat up, there has been about 10% breakthrough for vaccinated people ending up with Covid. Luckily, the vast majority are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, mild enough to keep out of the hospital. Something like 97% of hospitalized Covid patients have not been vaccinated. Not surprised here. It’s just mindboggling to me that people all over the world are literally dying because they can’t get the vaccine, and people here won’t walk down the street to the CVS or whatever and get a free shot, no waiting. Ignorance is not always bliss. Nowadays, it’s downright dangerous.

College classes start up later this month and I can’t wait to see all the students again! Lynn University is going back to full time on campus, and hopefully, it works. They are not requiring vaccines but cannot even if they wanted to because our idiot governor keeps passing laws making sure people are going to die here. So schools who did institute a vaccine mandate (like Nova Southeastern University) had to rescind it. I worry because college students are in the age group least likely to get vaccinated, and Lynn has a large (20%) international student population, some of whom didn’t have access to vaccines in their home countries. They have kept pretty good control of the situation over the past year, and I sincerely hope they continue to do so.

Just recently, the ladies room in the library where I work lost its paper towel dispenser. In its place? A high speed hand dryer. Those things are known to spread disease so it really seems like a horrible idea, especially during a pandemic. To be honest, I was really shocked at this decision. I have felt pretty safe at work. They installed plexiglass shields at the public desks, a huge air purifier on each floor of the library, and hired a special cleaning service to come through several times a day. But I haven’t seen the cleaners for weeks and now this germ machine. Guess I’ll drip dry on my way back to my office!

The Dirty Truth About Hand Dryers
Cleveland clinic

The Bacterial Horror of Hot-Air Hand Dryers
Harvard health

Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Lines is suing Florida after the state banned vaccine passports, saying it cannot safely resume sailings without ensuring its passengers and crew are vaccinated against COVID-19. They are even considering pulling ships out of Florida. So far they are losing the battle, but hopefully if they get to the Supreme Court, they will win. The court, despite the Trump appointees, recently ruled that Indiana University can require vaccines so maybe the same will hold true for the cruise industry. They had horrific problems during the beginning of the pandemic. “Roughly one year ago, thousands of people were trapped on cruise ships just waiting to go home. They would spend weeks, some months, in tiny rooms with the world watching as the coronavirus became all too real.” https://fox40.com/news/local-news/a-look-back-stuck-on-cruise-ships-local-couples-relied-on-wavering-hope-as-covid-19-became-a-shocking-reality/

The CDC revised its evaluation of the mask situation in light of the ever-rising number of Covid cases and hospitalizations. They are now recommending even vaccinated people where masks indoors, and that all students wear masks when school starts. Here in Florida, that is right around the corner. Palm Beach County goes back August 10, they only gave those kids a 6 week summer vacation, which is probably for the best considering that the latest report shows kids lost at least 6-8 months of school last year and minorities are particularly hard hit. So masks, again. The CDC says it’s not necessary in areas where more people are vaccinated, so if you’re not sure, here’s a map:

My beautiful grandson is growing like crazy and is still the happiest baby ever! I miss him so much. Please indulge me…

As always, thanks for reading and stay safe!

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DEVIL IN DISGUISE by Lisa Kleypas

July 31, 2021

The Ravenels, Book 7

From the publisher:

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a Scot with a mysterious past and strong-willed lady looking for adventure—and love.

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

Kleypas is one of my favorite writers, and I really love this series. I especially love how she tied together her Wallflowers series with the Ravenels, from one generation to the next. This book elucidates that beautifully, but no spoilers here so I’ll not say much more on the subject.

Instead, I’ll tell you about the main characters of this romance. Merritt is a young widow who has taken over running her husband’s shipping business, and doing quite well with it. When one of her clients, Keir MacRae, loses a cask of whiskey due to an accident, he comes storming into her office, soaked in the Scottish whiskey he distilled. She placates him and that is our meet-cute. Even in Victorian England, we have to have the meet-cute!

Merritt thinks he is the best looking man she has ever seen, and that’s with half his face covered by a beard. Not to mention that brogue! Keir thinks she is a beauty, but as they talk there is even more of a connection. Then someone tries to kill Keir as he is on his way to Merritt’s house for dinner. He arrives late, and bleeding, and she gets a doctor to stitch him up. Then she invites him to spend the night.

Merritt hasn’t been with a man since her husband five years earlier. This is not the time period where widows can do as they please, they still must follow the strict guidelines of polite society and Keir knows that. She seduces him anyway and their chemistry just leaps off the page.

A second attempt on his life forces them together for a longer period, but he has short term amnesia, having lost the previous week of his life and his time spent with Merritt. But he is still strongly attracted to her, and as he recuperates he finds out a lot about his background that he never knew.

This was a steamy romance with terrific characters who come to life for the reader. It was a pleasure seeing some of the characters from the Wallflowers and Ravenel series, but if you haven’t read the previous books, I think this book stands alone nicely. Another excellent read and a wonderful addition to the series.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DEVIL IN DISGUISE by Lisa Kleypas. Avon (July 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-0063082168. 288 pages.

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ONE NIGHT ONLY by Catherine Walsh

July 30, 2021

An absolutely hilarious and uplifting romantic comedy

From the publisher:

Who could have predicted this? Being at the same wedding. In Ireland. There’s a reason one-night stands are one-night stands. You’re not supposed to see each other again, especially not when you’re the maid of honor, and he’s the groom’s brother…

Sarah Anderson has never been more excited about anything in her life. She’s going to her best friend’s wedding. And not just any wedding. An Irish wedding. Goodbye New York, hello rolling green hills and men with beautiful accents and twinkling eyes.

But Sarah should have known that not all guests are fairy-tale princes…

There’s the chinless Uncle Trevor, whose idea of small talk is to claim climate change is a conspiracy.

Then there’s Great Aunt Eileen, who doesn’t talk at all (she’s too busy replacing the hotel cutlery with her own set).

Worst of all, there’s Declan Murphy. Best man. Brother of the groom. And the man Sarah last saw naked.

Is there anything more mortifying than bumping into a one-night stand halfway across the world? Especially as Declan seems determined to embarrass Sarah at every turn. At least when the wedding’s over she’ll never have to see him again.

But, back in New York, Sarah finds the more she tries to forget Declan, the more she can’t shake the thought of that infuriatingly charming smile and the way he wears a tux…

Was he really just for one night only, or might Declan Murphy be The One?

Prepare to laugh until you cry with this perfect feel-good romantic comedy about taking a chance on love. Fans of Sophie Ranald, Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes won’t be able to put this down!

The premise here isn’t new, but it works. Sarah has some history that she is determined not to repeat. For starters, her mother had an affair and took off, leaving her father brokenhearted for years. Then Sarah met Josh, and they dated for a year until she told him she was in love with him. Then he dumped her. So Sarah decides relationships just aren’t for her, but she has needs so she sticks to one night stands. Meet a guy, sleep with him, then say goodbye; clean and neat and bloodless.

Sarah’s favorite neighborhood bar is a great place to pick up men. She brings home this gorgeous man, but when she wakes up, he’s still there and doesn’t seem like he wants to leave. He’s talking breakfast, possibly more sex, but Sarah panics and kicks him out, none too gently. She has to get to work and she’s done.

Work is no picnic lately and Sarah is happy to have this vacation coming up. Her best friend is getting married in Ireland, and she can’t wait to escape. There are a week’s worth of pre-wedding activities, and as maid of honor, Sarah will be kept busy. The first night is a welcome dinner, where she is seated with some odd relatives and the groom’s brother, Declan. Who turns out to be the one night stand. And whose mother is doing a little matchmaking and trying to push them together.

Obviously, there is attraction there or she wouldn’t have brought him home to begin with, but one and done means she is not interested. But Declan is, and he pursues Sarah regardless. She is starting to enjoy spending time with him, and ends up sleeping with him again. But that’s it, two and done.

Back in New York, Sarah finds out Declan owns her favorite bar and he’s been noticing her for a while. She is trying to keep her distance but she can’t control her thoughts, or her dreams. Plus she keeps bumping into him and enjoying the time they spend together. But Sarah is very skittish, to say the least. It’s going to take a lot for Declan to earn her trust.

Eventually, they reach their happy ending but not without a lot of back and forth and hurdles for both of them. This was a fun read with a lot of laughs but there is also surprising emotional depth here. There are a lot of characters, probably too many to get to know them all at least minimally, but the main characters are interesting and definitely worth spending time with. I enjoyed this and recommend.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ONE NIGHT ONLY by Catherine Walsh. Bookouture (July 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-1800195653. 398 pages.

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SUMMER ON HONEYSUCKLE RIDGE by Debbie Mason

July 29, 2021

Highland Falls, Book 1

From the publisher:

Sparks fly between an L.A. career woman and a former Army Ranger in this delightful enemies-to-lovers romance from the USA Today bestselling queen of small-town love stories.

Welcome to Highland Falls, a small town where love is always in the air.

In just a few months Abby Everhart has gone from being a top LA media influencer to an unemployed divorcée living out of her car. So inheriting her great-aunt’s homestead comes at the perfect time. Abby heads to Highland Falls, North Carolina, to spruce up Honeysuckle Farm before putting it on the market for some much-needed cash. But instead of finding a charming getaway, she discovers a serious fixer-upper, complete with a leaky roof, overgrown yard, and a reclusive — albeit sexy — man living on the property.

Ex-Delta Force soldier Hunter MacKenzie has faced war and loss, but nothing has quite prepared him for an outgoing redhead who’s determined to turn his life upside down. Hunter doesn’t want to get involved with anyone, especially a city girl who plans to sell the only place he’s ever felt at home. But the sparks between them are undeniable. Spending time with Abby is easy. Convincing her to stay for good is another matter entirely.

I’ve read the second and third books in this series and really enjoyed them, so I went back and found the first book that I missed. Sometimes the first book in a series ends up being the best, but I actually liked the two that followed better. I think part of that is an author goes into a series knowing they have to introduce a bunch of characters who won’t play a big part in the story, but will in later books. So there are a lot of characters here that are briefly mentioned and sometimes I found that distracting.

Abby and Hunter are the most mismatched pair I’ve read about in a while. They both have tons of baggage but handle it differently. Abby is determined to get past her previous rejection and regain the fame and fortune that was taken from her. Hunter appears to have PTSD (my diagnosis, thank you very much!) and has chosen to withdraw from society completely. He lives on the farm and Abby’s Aunt bequeathed him most of the land and the barn, while leaving Abby the house and the backyard. Neither is thrilled about that but Abby desperately needs money, so she has to take on renovating the house to sell it. It is in very bad shape.

While Hunter was living on the farm, he somehow managed to avoid seeing his family or anyone, for that matter, by never going into the small town where they all live. Apparently he felt it worth his time to travel to the next town to do his shopping – a town where no one knows him or bothers him. At least that was my understanding. He is also an artist, a sculptor, and his barn houses all his creations as he refuses to show them or try and sell them.

Abby is a YouTube star with millions of followers. But when she gets dumped, the ex manages to take it all away from her. She ends up living in her car for a while, works as an Uber driver, and is just barely hanging on when she inherits the farmhouse across the country. Thinking it is the solution to her problems, she is determined to fix it up and sell it. Then she meets Hunter.

It’s pretty much hate at first sight. He hates women who wear high heels on a farm and carry a tiny dog wearing a dress. She hates that he is so taciturn and obviously has disdain for her, but she is a very friendly woman who likes to chatter, something else he hates. But grudgingly he agrees to help her fix up the place.

You can guess what happens but it takes a long time for them to get together. Usually the journey is the most fun, but it sort of dragged a bit for me. Honestly, if I had read this book first I might not have read the next two. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and I’m glad I didn’t read this series in order. There are plenty of laughs here though, and it is a sweet romance with a satisfying ending. By the way, the Kindle version is on sale for $2.99 for however long that lasts.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SUMMER ON HONEYSUCKLE RIDGE by Debbie Mason. Forever (May 26, 2020). ISBN: 978-1538716946. 400 pages.

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IT’S RAINING MEN by Julie Hammerle

July 28, 2021

From the publisher:

Don’t drink and text.

Even on the cusp of forty, I had to learn that the hard way. After discovering my best friend, who I was supposed to grow old and single with, got engaged, I drowned my loneliness in one too many Old Fashioneds and woke up with thirty-nine responses from every available man in my phone. Yup, I even texted my plumber…and he turned me down.

Apparently, my liquor-infused text said that while I don’t need a man, maybe I’d be down for a constant sidekick for movies, plus-one invites, and dinner on the table after my grueling shifts as a concierge doctor―till death do us part…and was anyone in?

Through the absolute mortification of thirty-seven rejections, shockingly, I realize two men have said yes. Behind Bachelor Door #1 is Rob, my old high school crush: the comfortable, dependable boy-next-door. Behind Bachelor Door #2 is Darius, the exciting, flashy news reporter about to hit it big. Does this mean I’ll have to get out of my yoga pants and actually go on dates now?

Dax, the local bartender who got me into this disaster in the first place―remember the Old Fashioneds?―can’t believe I’ve given up on finding true love. What does a tattooed, broody twentysomething know about carving out a future for yourself, anyway?

Too bad the further into this hot mess I get, the less I know about who I am. And I’m going to have to figure out exactly what I need if I ever want to find a true happily ever after.

Adorable title, cute cover, I was in. And according to Amazon’s “about the author”, Hammerle, who is new to me, is a “USA Today bestselling, RITA (R) nominated author (who) writes romantic comedies focused on women over forty.” Our protagonist is just under at 39, but that 40th birthday is definitely looming.

Annie has two best friends, one of whom, Yessi, is married and has a child, and the other, Kelly, single and living in her basement apartment. Kelly and Annie are focused on their careers. Kelly sells real estate and Annie is a concierge doctor who recently took over a very successful practice. But she’s on her own and on call to her patients 24/7, and they take full advantage of that. So when Kelly announces she’s engaged to a man that Annie hasn’t met or even heard of, things become strained between the two friends. Then Kelly moves across the state to be with her fiancé.

After that announcement, Annie stays at the bar where they had been playing trivia and gets hammered. The bartender, Dax, is a hot young 27-year-old but he ends up taken the very drunk Annie home. She wakes up with an awful hangover and the young man sleeping on her couch. She also wakes up to the fact that she drunk-texted every man she knows and basically proposed to them. Shockingly, two men said yes.

Even though Annie is pushing 40 and knows she is way too old for Dax, they definitely have chemistry. But Annie is looking to settle down, so she is going to marry for companionship and just has to choose between the two men who said yes.

I really enjoyed this romance because the characters were so believable. I couldn’t help but root for Annie to find her happily ever after. Like Dax, I don’t believe marrying for companionship is ever a good idea, but Annie had to figure that out for herself, as well as mend fences with the friends she brushed off for her patients. This was a fast, fun read and I highly recommend!

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

IT’S RAINING MEN by Julie Hammerle. Entangled: Amara (July 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-1649370280. 400 pages.

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SECOND CHANCE AT SUNFLOWER RANCH by Carolyn Brown

July 27, 2021

The Ryan Family, Book 1

From the publisher:

From the bestselling author of Queen of Cowboy: regrets and old heartbreaks are unearthed in this sweeping love story as hometown sweethearts get a second chance at love—and being a family.

Retired combat medic Jesse Ryan hasn’t been home much since he enlisted twenty years ago. Now he’s headed back to Texas to help take care of his aging foster parents and run Sunflower ranch. But when he gets there, he finds his parents’ live-in nurse is Addison Hall, his high school best friend and the woman he always regretted leaving behind after their one steamy night together before he shipped out. He’s not at all surprised that their chemistry is still sparking, but Jesse is shocked to learn Addy gave birth to a little girl about nine months after he left—his little girl.

Addy has her hands full as a single mom of a nineteen-year-old daughter who suddenly wants to rebel at everything. The last thing she needs is Jesse Ryan complicating her life even further, especially since she’s always had a crush on the handsome cowboy. But the more time she spends with Jesse, the more she wonders what might happen if they finally let their friendship blossom into something more and became the family she’d always hoped for.

Includes the bonus novella Small Town Charm for the first time in print!

Brown writes several different series, but I especially enjoy her cowboy romances. In this story, the romance is centered around Jesse, a cowboy that enlisted and served in the Air Force. Twenty years in and he’s retiring, just in time to come home and help his aging parents with the family ranch. Addy was his best friend growing up, and they finally spent the night together his last night at home before leaving for the service. Addy never told him that she got pregnant that night.

When he returns home it’s to find Addy and her 19 year old daughter living on the ranch. Addy is a nurse, and after Jesse’s dad had a couple of strokes, they asked her to stay on so he would have a nurse nearby. She also helps out on the ranch along with her daughter, who also works there.

It doesn’t take Jesse long to do the math and figure out who the baby daddy is. But it takes a lot longer to rekindle the romance with Addy. There is a lot of family drama before Jesse and Addy get their happy ending. But the journey to get there is fun, and at times, emotional. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next Ryan Family book.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SECOND CHANCE AT SUNFLOWER RANCH by Carolyn Brown. Forever (July 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-1538735619. 400 pages.

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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

July 26, 2021

From the publisher:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
SELECTION OF THE REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB
A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED, BEST BOOK OF SUMMER SELECTED BY * VOGUE * USA TODAY * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY * CNN * TOWN & COUNTRY * PARADE * BUSTLE * AND MORE!

A “gripping” (Entertainment Weekly) mystery about a woman who thinks she’s found the love of her life—until he disappears.

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

I haven’t read a thriller in a while and this one kept popping up as the one to read this summer, so I did. It is a fast paced story with interesting characters, but not a lot of depth. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining read, look no further. I read it in one night.

Hannah’s mother took off when she was a young child, leaving her in the care of her grandfather as there was no father in the picture. Her grandfather was a woodturner, and he taught Hannah his craft. Once a table she made landed in Architectural Digest, her career was made. She creates mostly custom pieces on commission for the uber wealthy. That’s how she meets Owen.

Owen works for one of Hannah’s regular customers. They are in NY and Owen’s boss stops by the wood shop to check on their current piece in progress. Owen is entranced with Hannah, and she is equally attracted to him. Owen is a young widower, having lost his wife in a tragic car accident when his daughter was a toddler. He hasn’t dated much over the years since he lost his wife, but he quickly realizes that Hannah is someone special. Bailey, his 16-year-old daughter, is not thrilled; she hasn’t had to share her doting father and isn’t sure she wants to. This is not unexpected behavior. What is unexpected is how Hannah relates to Bailey. Having no real relationship with her own mother, and at 40 Hannah is pretty sure she is not having her own children, Hannah leans in to the relationship as best as she can. Bailey eventually accepts her but grudgingly.

The family dynamic is upended when Owen disappears. He leaves a note for Hannah, but all it says is “protect her.” She knows he means Bailey. He leaves Bailey a longer note and a bag full of cash. hundreds of thousands of dollars, stuffed into her school locker before he takes off. Then the shit hits the fan; turns out the company he works for is in serious trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Shop, as it is known, has been raided and the Owen’s boss arrested. Hannah’s best friend, Jules, is a photojournalist and she gives Hannah a heads up on the upcoming raid which is how Owen has time to disappear.

The FBI and the US Marshal’s office send agents to their home, a houseboat in Sausalito, but neither Hannah nor Bailey know anything. Hannah starts to suspect there is more to Owen’s disappearance than what happened at The Shop. This suspicion takes her to Austin, Texas, where she pretty quickly figures out why Owen has gone missing. By quickly I mean just a few days but it takes most of the book to get there.

The ending was so family-centric that it was almost jarring and hard to believe. Maybe if I had been more emotionally wrangled into the Owen-Hannah relationship it would have made more sense, but I didn’t quite get that the two years they were together were enough to make it all plausible. That said, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it. This was a Reese Witherspoon pick which I generally like, and this book was no exception.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave. Simon & Schuster; Book Club edition (May 4, 2021). ISBN: 978-1501171345. 320 pages.

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2 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Thriller | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HEART ON A LEASH by Alanna Martin

July 25, 2021

Hearts of Alaska, Book 1

From the publisher:

Young pups teach frozen hearts new tricks when a pack of rescue huskies inspire love and romance in a coastal Alaskan town fractured by feuding families.

Taylor Lipin has made it her life’s mission to leave her hometown and its ridiculous, century-old feud with the Porters behind. But when her sister needs help running the family inn, Taylor agrees to return to Helen, Alaska on a temporary, definitely not longer than two weeks, basis. Or so she thinks, until she’s quite literally swept off her feet and into enemy territory by three happy huskies and their drool-worthy owner, Dr. Josh Krane.

Though Josh didn’t grow up in Helen with the rest of his Porter cousins, he’s heard the stories: Porters rescue huskies. The Lipins are cat people. Keep to your pack. But Taylor is too tempting to give up–plus, his dogs love her.

As Taylor and Josh grow closer, tensions in the town escalate and the need for secrecy starts taking a toll. Soon they’ll need to decide whether their newfound love is just a summer fling or if they’ve found their forever home.

As soon as I finished reading the second book in this series (Paws and Prejudice) I sought out this book. It would have been better had I read this one first. Some series are meant to be read in order and I think this series works better that way.

First of all, the cover. The dogs are a major part of both stories, and I love that. The small town of Helen, Alaska has this century-old feud going on between the Lipin and Porter families. The history of the feud is shady, at best, but it supposedly started when one of the families tries to steal the other family’s dogs, and that was it. Porters are the dog people, and Lipins like cats. So cats and dogs!

But when Josh, a Porter, falls in love with Taylor, a Lipin, the families take sides and both are determined to break up the happy couple. They had a few weeks of peace by sneaking around, but once the families find out, all bets are off. Vandalism, threats, family sit-downs and more don’t deter the couple but the families will not stop. Until finally Josh is scared that Taylor could get seriously hurt, so he dumps her to protect her. Big mistake.

The characters, and there are a lot of them, come to life on the page and the setting is, well, small town Alaska and all that I love. Oh, and Josh is half Jewish. I’ve found it interesting to find Jews in Alaska when it seems like most (all) small town romances usually end up with a Christmas book at some point. I love those, but I like finding my people, even if it’s just one character in the story. It means a lot to me.

There are lots of laugh out loud moments here plus some steamy sex and packs of cute dogs, Huskies to be exact. Look at that cover! Completely irresistible, like this story. Can’t wait for the next book in the series (and I hope it’s Taylor’s sister Lydia’s happy ending next!)

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HEART ON A LEASH by Alanna Martin. Berkley (April 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-0593198834. 368 pages.