Category: Women’s Fiction

ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Fiction, Women's Fiction

The Hotel Nantucket, by Elin Hilderbrand

Kristie

AVAILABLE June 14, 2022

This is the first time I’ve read one of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels and, yes, I get it. I get why this author’s books are everywhere: grocery stores, newsstands, airports, etc. What I do not get is why the cover makes it look like a light little read. This is a meaty ensemble piece with multiple story lines. I picture a cover that’s a version of a Downton Abbey poster, showing the hotel staff and their more memorable guests.

At the center is general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, Lizbet Keaton, who is hired to bring the newly renovated space back to its former glory. We meet staff as she’s interviewing them and guests as they check in. Then there’s the self-appointed conscience of the hotel, Grace Hadley, the 19 year old ghost (or is it 119?) who died in a fire at the hotel back in 1922. She’s protective, nurturing, and mischievous, depending on what she thinks people deserve. She’s a lot of fun as she lurks in places where only a ghost can hide, acting as our eyes, ears, and entertainment.

Everyone has a back story, everyone has an agenda, everyone has a reason to work or stay at the hotel. Although most of the book is from the POV of Lizbet, Ghostly Grace, and sometimes Sweet Edie, there is a hidden narrator who remains unnamed. Despite being a bit long, I couldn’t put this book down. Know that the language and adult situations are at about a PG rating. Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a very enjoyable book!

9/10 Stars

ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

The Bodyguard, by Katherine Center

Kristie

AVAILABLE July 19, 2022

Throw in a bit of While You Were Sleeping, mixed with Notting Hill, and It Happened One Night…you get The Bodyguard, Katherine Center’s upcoming book and one of the most entertaining reads I’ve had in years.

Hannah Brooks is a petite woman in her twenties who is also a highly-trained protection agent. Her life is at a crossroads when she is assigned to protect Jack Stapleton, movie star and celebrity extraordinaire. He’s resistant, she’s determined. She can also kill you with a napkin.

Despite going off the grid a few years ago after a family tragedy, Jack is still a target. There are rabid fans, a sweater-knitting stalker, and ever-predatory paparazzi. But under those chiseled abs he’s a fairly down-to-earth person seeking normality and connection. At Jack’s request, Hannah must keep her identity a secret from his family, posing as his girlfriend instead.

There is humor, romance, action, tears, and, yes, even depth as Hannah and Jack spend more time getting to know each other in these unusual circumstances. Their banter is equally hilarious as it is heartwarming.

Katherine Center has done it again. This book is the reason I signed up with NetGalley. My thanks to them and to St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy. I loved it.

9.5/10 Stars

ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Author Spotlight, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Author Spotlight: Jennifer Ryan

Kristie

Jennifer Ryan is known for her tales of bucolic village life in World War II England. She grew up listening to her grandmother’s stories of the time period, longing to write while working as an editor for different publishing houses. After receiving an MA in Fiction from Johns Hopkins University, she wrote her debut novel, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. I enjoyed that book very much in 2019– a personally dramatic year–and it never received a mention on this site. It’s time to fix that, along with introducing you to her upcoming book, The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle.

The Chilbury Women’s Choir: Told through a series of letters, we learn about the lives of several different women in the village of Chilbury in 1940. The war is raging and the vicar has decided to close the choir until the men return. The ladies take it upon themselves to establish a ladies’ choir (shock and horror) in their absence.

The characters who write the letters have very different personalities, a true testament that perception is everything. There is service, there is gossip, and there are lessons learned. I read and listened to this book. The audio book was especially enjoyable because of the multiple narrators. 9/10 Stars

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle, Available May 31, 2022: This book is a treat from start to finish. I loved it. Cressida Westcott is a renowned London fashion designer whose home and studio are destroyed in the Blitz. She finds refuge in her family’s manor where her niece, Violet, and nephew, Hugh, now live. Violet is thrilled to meet her famous aunt and invites her to the local village sewing circle. The newest project is to mend and update Grace Carlisle’s mother’s wedding dress. Rationing has made it impossible to get materials for a new dress and Grace, the vicar’s daughter, is engaged to be married. We cycle through the lives of Cressida, Violet, and Grace, whose stories become more entwined as time goes on.

This book is very special. I loved all the characters, their individual journeys, and–yes–the positive effects the war has on their lives. Each of them experienced their share of losses before the story begins and a few bumps after, but the majority of the novel is about their separate epiphanies and realizations about what is really important. People are humbled, they learn more about themselves, the British class system is called into question, and the American soldiers even make an appearance. Highly, highly recommended. 9.5/10 Stars

Historical Fiction, Romance, Series & Collections, Women's Fiction

Genre Spotlight: Romance

Kristie

I wandered into the Romance genre recently. Here are some quick reviews. There are Victorian and Regency romances, some are parts of a series, a few have wounded veterans. Most are pretty clean, which I prefer.

The Lost Letter, by Mimi Matthews tells of Sylvia Stafford and the Earl of Radcliffe. She’s a governess and he’s brooding and distant, like Rochester from Jane Eyre. There is a series of misunderstandings and meddling servants. If only everyone communicated better, those misunderstandings would be resolved quicker. A pleasant, but often frustrating story. Very clean. 7/10

The Work of Art, by Mimi Matthews is a book I enjoyed very much. Phyllida Satterthwait is living with relatives she barely knows. Her unusual eyes (one blue, one green) bring her to the attention of a man known as “The Collector.” Meanwhile, she befriends Captain Arthur Heywood, a kind neighbor, recently wounded in battle. The relationship between Phyllida and Heywood is very sweet, with the overall theme of two people rescuing each other. 8.5/10

Heartsight and Heartfelt, by Kay Springsteen are quick reads. Trish is cleaning out her late grandmother’s North Carolina house. She’s recently divorced with daughter, Bella, who has Down’s Syndrome. Their neighbor is Dan Conrad, to whom Bella takes to very quickly. Dan is adjusting, not easily, to life out of the military. A friendship develops between the single mother and the veteran. Both books are fairly clean, maybe a mild PG rating.

Heartsight is the kind of book I could see adapted into a made-for-TV movie. Trish and Dan are great characters with excellent chemistry. There is some suspense and action, but it mostly focuses on these two getting to know each other. 8.5/10

Heartfelt is a mess. A very chaotic plot, frenzied pace, too many new characters, and Bella needed to be written better. It is disappointing. 5/10

See Me, by Autumn Macarthur is part of the Chapel Cove series. It reads like a Hallmark movie, but Jake and Bronte are so likable that I didn’t care. Both are entering new chapters in their lives and necessity brings them together. This is a Christian romance, so there are religious discussions. I found it very endearing. 8.5/10

Turn to Me, by Becky Wade will be available May 3, 2022. It is part of the Misty Rose Romance series and also a clean Christian romance. I wanted to like this one more. Luke and Finley are great characters, along with Finley’s coworkers and Luke’s family. He is an ex-con who promised Finley’s father he would protect her. She’s mourning her fiancee who was killed in a car accident. The main plot is great, but there is a lot of fluff–including a detracting side romance that I all but skipped. This could be a winner with better editing. 7/10

In Front of Me, by Dana LeCheminant is part of the Simple Love Story series. There are recurring characters in the series, but this one focuses on Lissa Montgomery, Brennan, and his roomate, Steve. There’s a bit of a love triangle, but not really. Like See Me, this is about two people who need each other. Most of it is from Lissa’s point of view and readers can easily identify with her. Fairly clean. 8/10

Isabelle and Alexander, by Rebecca Anderson is barely worth a mention. This book had so much potential, but poor pacing made it fall short. Clean romance. 6/10

Falling for the Guarded Duke, by Sally Forbes also could’ve been better. I liked the main characters, Olivia and Alexander, very much as well as the basic plot. Alexander’s younger brother is terrible, with motives that do not make much sense. There are some errors that should’ve been caught before the book went to print and the word “giggled” is used to excess. Clean romance. 7.5/10

The Arrangement and The Escape, by Mary Balogh are part of The Survivor’s Club series. It’s a unique premise. Six men and one woman have suffering a variety of injuries in the Napoleonic War. Some wounds are physical, some are emotional. After three years convalescing together, the friends reunite annually to update and support each other. The writing is actually very good. However, this series has some steamy scenes. (Think Titanic steamy–with description.) Personally, I found those scenes unnecessary and a bit “blush-worthy.” I would give 7.5/10 to The Arrangement and 8.5 to The Escape.

Thoughts: Like any genre, Romance can be done well or not. I prefer reading about the relationships and dialogue between characters more than private moments and torrid affairs. Mimi Matthews is an author whose books I’ll keep pursuing. Most others in the genre will be Advanced Reader Copies from NetGalley.

Fiction, Mystery, Women's Fiction

The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave

Kristie

Rarely does my impatience for a book motivate me to buy it instead of waiting for it to become available through the online library. But 65,000 stellar ratings on Amazon cannot be wrong, so I held my breath and purchased The Last Thing He Told Me sight unseen. I was not disappointed.

We all know there are things in life that are unreliable, but we hope for a few constants. In Hannah Hall’s life it was Owen, her husband of 18 months. Until it wasn’t. Owen has disappeared, leaving only a cryptic note. “Protect her.”

The rest of the story takes us on a seesaw of flashbacks of their courtship and the present, while Hannah pieces together clues that might lead up to why her life is suddenly spiraling out of control. Few can be trusted, but her past eventually prompts her to make a final, life-changing decision.

If this sounds vague, it’s only because this novel contains one of the most engrossing stories I’ve ever read. I could not put it down. The less details you know, the better. It’s a book to be experienced and that experience is quite the ride. Be aware that the language is of a PG-13 rating.

9.5/10 Stars

Fiction, Romance, Series & Collections, Women's Fiction

Westcott Bay Series (Books 1-3,) by Amelia Addler

Kristie

Continuing my journey into light mysteries and clean romances is the Westcott Bay series by Amelia Addler. Although it took me a while to get into the lives of the characters, by the time I finished the third book, they had become familiar friends.

Following the formula of so many similar books, this series begins with newly divorced Margie Clifton, who is starting over on the San Juan islands in Washington State. (A place I still need to visit, considering that I have lived in Washington for ten years.) Margie takes over her brother, Mike’s, property, which includes a huge barn just right for an event center.

Along the way we meet Chief Deputy Hank Kowalkski (newly widowed, so you have one guess what’s going to happen) and Morgan Allen, who is on the island to piece together the puzzle of her mother’s death in a hit-and-run accident. Margie’s daughter, Jade, also visits and, later on, her older sister, Tiffany. Each bring their own subplots.

Over the course of three books (Book 4 will be released in December 2020,) we follow each of the women on their individual adventures of self-discovery and renewal. Morgan is the focus of Book 2, Jade in Book 3, and I’m guessing Tiffany will be spotlighted in the upcoming Book 4.

Aside from an unusual tactic the author uses to describe what several characters are doing at the exact same time, the plots are a bit bland. Margie’s and Hank’s characters feel like sitcom parents after Book 1 and the entire family is just a little too perfect. Morgan, along with newcomers Luke and Matthew, add the most spice to an otherwise bland series. There is potential for these characters, though. Let’s hope the author finds it as the series progresses.

Book 1: Saltwater Cove

Book 2: Saltwater Studios

Book 3: Saltwater Secrets

A lukewarm 8/10 stars.

Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

Bluebird Bay Series, by Denise Grover Swank and Christine Gael

Kristie

It is fun to find a new series and immerse yourself in it for a couple of days, which is all the time it took me to read these three books by Denise Grover Swank and Christine Gael.

The Sullivan sisters: Celia, a housewife; Stephanie, a veterinarian; and Anna, a wildlife photographer, are each at a crossroad in their lives. Celia’s husband has abruptly left, Stephanie is mourning her husband’s death in a boating accident, and unmarried Anna is finding less and less fulfillment in a job that requires constant travel. In addition, they have their widower father, Red, to contend with as he battles dementia and becomes both more cantankerous and more a danger to himself and others.

Over the course of three books we follow the sisters on their journeys of love, loss, and personal rediscovery. Celia, the sensible housewife, who has always acquiesced to her former husband, finally has the opportunity to live freely. Stephanie discovers something about her deceased husband that throws her whole marriage into suspicion. Funny, gregarious Anna, faces her own mortality. Like any siblings, they bicker and compete, but go into full-on “sister mode” when one is is trouble.

The books read like an entertaining nighttime soap, just on the fringe of reality, until the final book, which downgrades to a daytime soap with a wild, uncharacteristic ending. Despite that, they are fun and mostly well-written, with smooth transitions from one sister’s story to another. I enjoyed them. They make no apologies about being quick, light reads and in the end we should all be so lucky to come from a family that supports each other like this one.

Book 1: Finding Tomorrow

Book 2: Finding Home

Book 3: Finding Peace

8.5/10 Stars

Christian Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction

Courting Mr. Emerson, by Melody Carlson

Kristie

I have always enjoyed Melody Carlson’s books, but Courting Mr. Emerson might be my favorite one so far.

George Emerson is a fifty-five year old high school literature teacher. He has never married, has no friends, and his entire life is as buttoned up and starched as the shirts he wears every day. “Casual” is not in his vocabulary. He avoids anything social and is easily overwhelmed. But he is also well-mannered and kind, with a hidden strength that rises to the surface when necessary.

Enter Willow West, a free-spirited artist and gallery owner who visits the high school one day to ask George to write a college letter of recommendation for her grandson, Collin. Something about George intrigues Willow and, through a combination of circumstances and her dogged determination, she decides to befriend him.

The rest of Courting Mr. Emerson is like a dance between these two characters. (Characters I would LOVE to see on screen.) The more Willow tries to take George out of his comfort zone, the more he resists. Sometimes Willow is successful, sometimes not. When she is, it’s a step forward. When she isn’t, it’s a few steps back. There are apologies and renewed efforts. Little by little, George makes progress. As he does, we begin to understand what made him that way and why he believes God has turned His back on him.

It is refreshing to see Melody Carlson write through the eyes of a male protagonist like George Emerson. It’s a very different plot than other books she’s written. Willow West is a wonderful character. She’s caring and wise, but far from perfect. Her life is upended when her vagabond daughter, Josie, who is Collin’s mother, appears, bringing resentment and anger that has built up over the years. Willow handles her daughter expertly and even George plays a supportive role.

The entire story takes place over a summer that turns out to be an educational one for everybody. There is laughter and tears, new-found faith and healing. I love everything about this book.

9.5/10 Stars

Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

The Family Journal, by Carolyn Brown

Kristie

When you enter a newsstand at an airport, one of the writers whose books you are sure to see is Carolyn Brown. Prolific, engaging, and appealing to the masses, her style is good flight reading.

Brown aims for a middle aged female audience. Her protagonists are usually women in their forties or fifties, recently divorced or widowed, and starting over. Eventually a new romance will appear and the plot will take a redemptive turn. It’s formulaic, but it works. The Family Journal is no different.

Lily is ready for a change. Her husband has left her for a more glamorous replacement. Her two kids, Holly, age fourteen, and Braeden, age twelve, are turning more and more into modern, entitled brats. (Of course, when you give them everything and spend no time with them, it’s to be expected, right?)

Lily’s solution is to uproot the kids from their Austen, Texas apartment and move them to her grandparents’ house in the small town of Comfort. The only catch is that the house has a renter, Mack Cooper, who teaches vocational agriculture at the local high school. The plan is to share the house. Mack will be downstairs and Lily and the kids will be upstairs. The kitchen and living room will be common areas.

In the house, Lily discovers an old journal with entries from several generations of female ancestors. While the book’s title is dedicated to this find, it is a small subplot, except for the fact that Lily is now creating her own destiny and will have her own entries to add.

At this point pretty much ANY prediction you can make from the start of this plot is going to materialize later in the book. You can guess how the kids are going to react after their mother moves them away from their friends, takes away all their devices, and makes them ride the bus. You can also guess what will evolve from Lily’s family moving into the house with Mack Cooper. Secondary story-lines with Lily’s ex and Mack’s narcissistic twin brother also turn out how you’d expect. A heavy dose of karma, good and bad, for everyone.

Carolyn Brown is an above average writer. The book kept my attention and there are plenty of interesting things that happen to Lily’s family. But, aside from the extreme predictability, I chafed against a couple of things. First of all, Lily and Mack keep calling her Holly and Braeden “great kids.” They are not great kids. Parents breaking up does not give kids a free pass to behave the way these kids do–unkind, selfish, whiny, and constantly asking for this and that. I couldn’t stand them. Second, I didn’t like some of the morality and language. I find that type of writing tactic to be a crutch as a way to gain a larger reading audience.

At the end, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was wrapped up in a nice little bow. Ladies and gentleman, we’re starting our descent. Please put your seats and tray tables in an upright position and power down your electronic devices. Thank you for flying with us. (Couldn’t help it.)

8/10 Stars

Cozy Mysteries, Fiction, Women's Fiction

Island Reunion Series (Books 1-3,) by Kathi Daley

Kristie

Six friends, including one who is recently deceased and one who mysteriously disappeared twenty five years ago.

In the present we hear the voice of Kelly, one of the six, whose twin sister, Kayla, has recently passed away. Kelly, along with the remaining three friends Carrie, Nora, and Quinn, have plans to reunite in a rented house that once belonged to Kelly’s family. Meanwhile, on the fictional Shipwreck Island, patterns emerge of other teenage girls who have vanished over the years.

Throughout the Island Reunion series the women share their highs and lows, mourn Kayla’s passing, investigate the decades-old mystery of their missing friend, Peggy, and try to move forward from their individual life challenges. Now in their early forties, all of them have reached an impasse.

Despite the many characters, Kathi Daley does not bombard the reader. New characters are introduced at a pace that allows you to get to know a few at a time. The writing is fluid and comfortable. The dialogue feels realistic. Some romance and intrigue is peppered throughout. The final book was my least favorite of the three, but it tied up loose ends nicely and confirmed one prediction I made earlier.

I would definitely call this “women’s fiction,” bordering on cozy mysteries, although the plot is unlike any of the cozy mysteries I’ve read in the past. It was quick and light but the characters and plot had substance. All have clean language–good “pandemic” reading to pass a few hours. And, while the lives of the wealthy can be hard to relate to, their privilege always remains a side point not a focus.

This was my introduction to Kathi Daley’s books and I’m motivated to try others. She is best known for her Inn at Holiday Bay series. The Island Reunion books are all included with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Book 1: Summerhouse Reunion

Book 2: Topsail Sundays

Book 3: Campfire Secrets

8/10 Stars

Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

How To Walk Away, by Katherine Center

Kristie

how-to-walk-away-book

Katherine Center’s sassy females are just so dang likeable! And some of these life-altering events are big, things we can only pray we never have to experience.

Our sassy female in How To Walk Away is Maggie Jacobsen. Her event is….a spoiler that I’m not going to divulge here. Let’s just say that everything was in place for her life and her future and what happens next sends those plans down in flames. (hehe)

What makes How To Walk Away a reader’s escapist delight is the journey. That journey is fun, witty, karmic, and emotional. There is something life-affirming to the style Katherine Center uses because it’s something many of us have experienced–your life is headed in one direction, gets derailed, and you end up in a better place than you could’ve imagined. And though that derailment isn’t very fun as it’s happening, the ending would not have been possible without it. When it’s all over, you’re a little stronger, a little wiser, and a lot happier–just like these characters.

I know, vaguest review ever. I’ll just conclude by saying that Maggie’s journey is worth the read. (Mine was a zippy 3 hours. I could not put the book down!)

8.5/10 Stars

Disclaimer: While sassy females are going through that process of mourning the life they knew, they sometimes get frustrated and angry. Those emotions can bring out some choice words. One particular choice word that starts with F appears about 10 times in this book. I’m very much not a fan of that language, but it’s there and it didn’t keep me from reading. Still, now you know.

Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Love & Gelato, by Jenna Evans Welch

Kristie

Love-Gelato

This cute story is the debut of Jenna Evans Welch, daughter of author Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box, The Locket, The Walk, and so many others.) When I started the book I thought the reader demographic was women, but I quickly discovered it is Young Adult Fiction. That is FINE. I’ve read enough YA Lit to see the way boundaries are constantly being pushed with sexual themes and coarse language, so it is comforting to know a new author like Welch is providing cleaner options. If I had a teenage daughter, I would have no problem recommending this book. (age 15+ IMHO)

Speaking of teenage daughters, on to the plot, told in first person by 16 year-old Lina Emerson. Lina, originally from Seattle, has just suffered the worst loss of her life, the death of her mother, photographer Hadley Emerson. Now, at her mother’s request, Lina is off to Florence, Italy to stay with her mother’s art school friend, the dependable Howard Mercer, who is superintendent of a World War II cemetery.

All of the adventures in Love & Gelato take place in just under a week, a dizzying pace for anyone over 21, but not so for an emotional teenager. The day after her arrival, Lina meets Ren (short for Lorrrenzo..be sure to roll that “r”) Ferrara. Ren introduces Lina to other ex-pat kids and possible classmates (if she decides to stay,) shows her Florence’s points of interest, and becomes Lina’s confidante on her quest to discover her mother’s connection with the city–and with Howard, who may or may not be Lina’s father.

Like most teenagers, driven more by heart and hormones than their heads, Lina jumps to certain conclusions without all the facts. But what I enjoyed most was the writing, which had plenty of wit as Lina sizes up each new person and situation she encounters.  Her “map” to the city is an old journal belonging to her mother. Those entries I found to be a bit flat and forced–the author is obviously trying to create a separate, distinct voice–but they were not numerous enough to detract from the overall story.

The sequel, Love & Luck, is also available, and centers around Addie, Lina’s American best friend with whom she frequently calls or video-chats for advice and support.

Love & Gelato is sweet and engaging, without being too saccharine or sarcastic, a tough line to walk with YA Lit. It is a quick read (one day for me) and a simple escape. I even found myself Googling some of the tourist spots mentioned, which was helpful. Now I just need to buy some gelato.

8.5/10 Stars