Book Review: Love on Location by Claire Baxter
Reviewer: Leah I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review Love on Location, by Claire Baxter, is a novella that…
In My Mailbox: Week of May 12
Title: Coulda Woulda Shoulda Author: Tara Lee Reed Received: CLP Blog Tours Synopsis: “The End” is the New Beginning. Elle Masters is over dating. It…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Diamonds in the Sky by …
Reviewer: Samantha MA Harper is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Diamonds in the Sky Summary: DIAMONDS, LOVE, AND UFOS… When struggling artist/shoe…
Book Review: Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
From the internationally bestselling author of four books, including The Opposite of Me, a vibrant, compulsively readable novel about two married couples who pursue a dream to open a bed-and-breakfast in small-town Vermont.
In her previous works including The Best of Us, “rising star” (Library Journal) Sarah Pekkanen captivated readers by penning “refreshingly introspective, sharply realistic, and tenderly humorous” novels (Booklist) that had readers “flying through the pages” (Hoda Kotb, Today show). Now, in Catching Air, Pekkanen turns an unflinching eye on the tangled relationships of two pairs of thirty-somethings.
A chance to run a B&B in snowy, remote Vermont—it’s an offer Kira Danner can’t resist after six soul-crushing years of working as a lawyer in Florida. As Kira and her husband, Peter, step into a brand new life, she quells her fears about living with the B&B’s co-owners: Peter’s sexy, irresponsible brother Rand, and Rand’s wife, Alyssa…who is essentially a stranger.
For her part, Alyssa sees taking over the B&B as the latest in a string of adventures. Plus, a quiet place might help her recover from the news that she can’t bear children. But the idyllic town proves to be anything but serene: Within weeks, the sisters-in-law are scrambling to prepare for their first big booking—a winter wedding—and soon a shy, mysterious woman comes to work for them. Dawn Zukoski is hiding something; that much is clear. But what the sisters-in-law don’t realize is that Dawn is also hiding from someone…
Relatable and dynamic, Catching Air delves deeply into the vital relationships that give shape to women’s lives.
Review:
I became a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen right off the bat, and I’m so happy I loved her latest offering! Readers take note – don’t miss this one! This story is so complex with different characters and their issues, but Pekkanen writes with such an ease that I simply flowed along from page to page, feeling all the issues and emotions the characters do while being transported to their B&B in Vermont. From Dawn being on the run to Alyssa and her baby story to Kira and her unsettled past, I loved this book from page one till the end. A definite 5 star read!
5 stars
Book Review: Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Summary:
Teddi Overman loves her family and the simple life they share on their Kentucky farm, but when high school graduation nears and her mother pushes her towards secretarial school, Teddi knows it’s time to strike out on her own and pursue her dream of working with antiques. Gifted at refurbishing furniture and possessing an uncanny knack for uncovering the beauty and history in what other people discard, Teddi leaves Kentucky in the middle of the night and makes her way to Charleston, South Carolina. There, Teddi builds a new life for herself, and makes her dream come true in a small antiques shop frequented by a cast of quirky customers and friends. But each time Teddi, now thirty-six years old, leaves Charleston and visits the farm of her youth, she’s drawn to the mysterious beauty of Red River Gorge, where her brother went missing at the age of seventeen. Though everyone believes that her beloved brother is dead, Teddi never gives up hope of finding him. When circumstances lead her to clean out the old barn, Teddi makes a discovery that challenges her in ways she never could have imagined. And while trying to fit together the pieces of her family’s shattered past, Teddi unwittingly finds herself among the ruins.
Review:
This was a fantastic page turner. The characters were complex and well defined. Beth’s writing was so descriptive that I felt like I was in Kentucky and Charleston and maybe I could refinish some antiques myself!
Teddi Overton met some wonderful people during her journey as an antique dealer. Her family members were intriguing as well, although, I couldn’t relate to them as much as the Charleston friends.
Each person’s story unfolds at just the right time and I was eager to learn everything about them as well as the family secrets that are pieced together.
My favorite line from the book was from Grammy – “Sometimes it’s not what we hold onto that shapes our lives – it’s what we’re willing to let go of”. This line touched me personally and I plan to practice Grammy’s words of wisdom.
Beth Hoffman did a fantastic job with this novel. I have not read Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt, but it is definitely on my TBR list now.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a complex and touching story that will stick with you for quite a while.
5 stars!
Book Review: The Last Time I Saw You by Eleanor …
Reviewer: Allie I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sally and Olivia were best friends when they were in…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Finding Home by Tammy L …
Tammy L Grace is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Finding Home
Summary:
Finding Home is a coming of age novel, but for a middle-aged woman devastated by past heartaches and loss, who flees to a small island expecting a change of scenery and discovers much more.
Shattered by her husband’s infidelities after twenty-five years of marriage, Sam Collins is plagued by constant fear and loneliness, reliving the tragic death of her parents and the betrayal by the man she loved. She leaves Seattle seeking relief from the relentless darkness that has swallowed her. With only her dog for companionship, she sets out to live in her vacation home on San Juan Island.
In her search for a carpenter, she meets the handsome and very available, Jeff Cooper. Sam’s not looking for romance, but can’t deny the attraction to the retired firefighter, turned handyman. While working together and eating her pies, Jeff finds himself falling for her.
The past she wrestles to let go of comes hurtling back when she least expects it. In an effort to help a struggling young man, she is forced to confront the anguish she is desperate to escape. While torn between love and friendship, she must face her fears and choose between the life she’s known and a chance for a family and home she’s been longing for all her life.
Review:
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book, even though I wasn’t always crazy about the writing style. I always get impressed when a main character is so different from me, like Sam is in this story, but I can still connect with them. I thought the book started in a good place, with Sam moving to Friday Harbor, and we didn’t get a lot of back story on why her and husband had divorced, just enough to understand her motivation for a change. The book was interesting to me all the way through, with a few different sub plots keeping us on our toes and moving the story along. Sometimes the writing got to be a little “telling” versus “showing” and I wasn’t a huge fan of everyone getting such a happy ending – everything was wrapped up in the neatest of all neat bows – but overall I enjoyed this story and I see it’s the first in a series, and I would be happy to read more from Grace!
4 stars
Book Review: In the Mirror by Kaira Rouda
Reviewer: Samantha I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Summary: What choices would you make if you knew you…
Book Review: Skylar Wishes (Enchanted #2)
Reviewer: Andrea I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The Summary: Grace is the only one who remembers the…
