New Book Releases: May 2014

I love the month of May.  Spring is in full bloom and summer is on the horizon.  This is a good thing – because I’m going to need lots of beach time to read all the books that are coming out.  May’s new releases are full of chick lit bounty, written by some of the genre’s best writers.  I can’t wait to read all of these books!

Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen – May 6th, 2014.  Kira is a stressed out and over-worked lawyer, who jumps at the chance to leave Florida and buy a bed and breakfast in Vermont with her husband, Peter.  Peter’s brother, Rand, and his wife, Alyssa, join them in their venture.  Finding herself in a remote town in Vermont, in the middle of a snowy winter, living with a couple she barely knows, makes Kira question whether or not she’s made the right decision.  Kira’s doubts multiply with the arrival of a strange young woman and the discovery that the idyllic little town where she lives has secrets of its own.

Cure for the Common Break-Up by Beth Kendrick – May 6th, 2014.  Summer Benson is a flight attendant who loves adventure.  She’s also been a free spirit when it comes to love.  All that changes when tragedy strikes and Summer runs to the town of Black Dog Bay.  It’s there that Summer experiences something she’s never felt before – the feeling of being home.  Unfortunately, the hidden agendas of some residents threaten to destroy her newfound peace.  Should she stay or should she go?

The One & Only by Emily Giffin – May 20^th, 2014.  Emily Giffin is one of my all-time favorite authors.  I usually complete her books in one sitting.  Her latest tale takes place in Walker, Texas, where Shea Rigsby has lived all her live.  She grew up loving football and is best of friends with the daughter of Walker University’s football coach.  Shea is so devoted to the university and football that she chooses to stay in her hometown following graduation, to work in the university athletic department.  In the aftermath of a local tragedy, Shea questions her life choices and whether or not she can find the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.

Goodnight June by Sarah Jio – May 27^th, 2014.  Sarah Jio cleverly tells stories by interweaving the past with the present.  I’m intrigued by her latest novel, which imagines the inspiration behind the classic children’s book, Goodnight Moon.  The story centers on June Anderson, a high powered banker, who is settling her late Great Aunt Ruby’s estate.  Aunt Ruby once owned a children’s bookstore.  June discovers letters that her Aunt received from Margaret Wise Brown (author of Goodnight Moon).  These letters lead June on a journey to discover how the “great green room” came to be.  Love the premise of this novel.

The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams – May 27^th, 2014.  Williams wrote one of my favorite books of 2013 (A Hundred Summers), so I’m eagerly anticipating her latest.  The book is written in a style similar to that of Sarah Joi, by mingling the stories of two women living decades apart.  Set in the Mad Men era of 1960s Manhattan, Vivian Schuyler is a privilege young woman who’s chosen the radical path of working at a woman’s magazine.  Her family is aghast – can you imagine?  After she receives a surprise parcel from overseas, Vivian discovers that she had an aunt – Violet Grant.  Violet’s story unfolds in pre-World War I Germany.  Vivian is determined to discover why her family disowned Violet and erased her past.