Monthly Wrap Up: May

Hi, Y’all! May wasn’t a very good book month for me I don't know what it is but I just haven't been reading much these last few months. However, Summer is here and usually, this is when I read the bulk of my books so wish me luck! Here is how my sad month of May went.

Books Read

23. The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry

24. The Friends We Keep by Jane Green

25. Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer

Reading Stats

5 Stars - 0

4 Stars - 2

4.5 Stars - 1

3 Stars - 0

2 Stars - 0

1 Stars - 0

Genres

Fiction - 3

Pages Read - 1,056

Books via Publisher

The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause

Summer Hours by Amy Mason Doan

The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister

Bone Deep by Sandra Ireland

Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale

Thank you William Morrow, Lake Union, Putnam, Gallery and Henry Holt Co for all the amazing books!

ARC’s via NetGalley/Edelweiss

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

Summer at Firefly Beach by Jenny Hale

That’s it for my May Wrap Up please feel free to share your wrap up I love to check out all things bookish!!

Review: This Bright Beauty by Emily Cavanagh

This Bright Beauty by Emily Cavanagh

Published: March 1, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Format: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Franci and Lottie may be identical twins, but that’s where the similarities end. Franci has always been the stable one, while Lottie has bipolar disorder, constantly battling depression and mania. After years of taking care of her sister, Franci moves across the country to build a life for herself. Now, all the two share is distance.

But when Lottie gets in an accident, Franci reluctantly steps back into her familiar role as protector. She returns to find her sister’s life in complete disarray and makes a shocking discovery: Lottie has an infant daughter she never told Franci about. Although Franci swore she wouldn’t get sucked back in, she can’t leave the baby alone in Lottie’s care.

As Lottie further unravels, a secret is revealed that she has kept since childhood—one that has the power to reframe the sisters’ entire relationship, forcing Franci to ask herself if the secret was too much for Lottie to bear. Was the accident really an accident, and who has been protecting whom all these years?

My Thoughts

In This Bright Beauty twins, Franci and Lottie have had a lifetime of sorrow. They lost their mother after a freak accident and now their father has Alzheimer’s. Franci seems to have the perfect life with a loving husband and twins of her own, she seems to have it all. Lottie, on the other hand, has always had the bad end when it came to life. She is bipolar and it has affected her life in so many ways, she has been with her boyfriend for many years and he and Franci see to it that Lottie is on her meds and does what she has to do to stay stable.

However, everything came to a halt years ago when Franci and Lottie have a falling out and years have passed since then and they haven't even talked until one day when Franci gets a call saying Lottie has been in an accident and she needs to come to look after the baby. Franci is shocked because she never even knew her sister had a baby and when she comes to help she’s even more shocked to find out she and her longtime boyfriend have ended their relationship and the baby isn't his. During their time together they clash and during these times is when secrets are revealed some that will test their relationship like nothing has before. I liked the relationship between the sisters and how while one clearly took care of the other, one knew why more things than the other did.

What I really liked was how in depth they went into Lottie’s disorder. We saw its highs and lows and how it played with her mind and how it changed who she was. It gave us a good look into how this disorder not only affects the person but those around them. This story was touching and emotional especially the ending and it brought me to tears. Its a story of sisterhood and how loving someone with mental illness is a daily struggle and how it can take its toll on everyone. This is definitely one story that will pull at your heartstrings and is well worth the read.

Review: Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagan

Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagan

Published: February 7, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Format: via Kindle Unlimited [audiobook]

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

When struggling novelist James Hernandez meets poet Louisa “Lou” Bell, he’s sure he’s just found the love of his life. There’s just one problem: she’s engaged to his oldest friend, Rob. So James toasts their union and swallows his desire.

As the years pass, James’s dreams always seem just out of reach—he can’t finish that novel, can’t mend his relationship with his father, can’t fully commit to a romantic relationship. He just can’t move on. But after betrayal fractures Lou’s once-solid marriage, she turns to James for comfort.

When Lou and James act on their long-standing mutual attraction, the consequences are more heartbreaking—and miraculous—than either of them could have ever anticipated. Then life throws James one more curveball, and he, Rob, and Lou are forced to come to terms with the unexpected ways in which love and loss are intertwined.

My Thoughts

This is a love story of sorts, in the beginning, we met James and Rob who are the best of friends and one day James goes the visit Rob and Rob tells him he has met someone and she’s the one. The One is Lou and James can't believe his friend is in love but as soon as James meets Lou he knows why. He instantly falls for Lou and he knows this isn’t right but Lou is the one for him. He knows he can't do anything about it so he stays away knowing if he’s near her he won't be able to help himself. Soon Lou and Rob get married and Rob is devested he goes on with his life meeting other people but in the back of his mind, Lou is always there.

Rob and Lou after years of marriage start to have problems and Lou goes to James for comfort and after Lou finds out she’s pregnant and its James since she and Rob have separated. James is thrilled wanting to be with Lou but she decides they can co-parent since she doesn’t want to rush into another relationship.

In the beginning, we know James is telling a story to someone but we don’t know who well we soon find out it's their daughter and while I won't tell you everything that happens it’s a very heartbreaking story. While Lou and James never get together they have built a family in their own way and when something happens that family means everything.

This is a story of love and family and in the different forms, they come in. That true love can be romantic or friendship and to receive love is something we should be thankful and grateful for. This is one novel that while it's sad it shows us what really is important in life.

Review: The Memory of Butterflies by Grace Greene

The Memory of Butterflies by Grace Greene

Published: September 5, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Format: audiobook via Kindle Unlimited

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Hannah Cooper’s daughter is leaving for college soon. The change is bittersweet. A single mother since the age of eighteen, Hannah isn’t eager to confront the pain of being alone, but she’s determined not to let her own hang-ups keep Ellen from the future she deserves. As Ellen’s high school graduation approaches, Hannah decides it’s time to return to her roots in Cooper’s Hollow along Virginia’s beautiful and rustic Cub Creek.

With the help of longtime friend Roger Westray, Hannah devotes her energies to building a new house on the site of the old family home, destroyed in a fire more than a decade ago. But Hannah’s entire adult life has revolved around one very big secret. And her new beginning comes with unanticipated risks that will cost her far more than she could have imagined—perhaps more than she can survive.

When a confrontation forces Hannah to expose her secret, the truth may destroy her beloved daughter. Hannah is prepared to sacrifice everything to protect her family, but can their lives and their bond withstand the seismic shift that’s coming?

My Thoughts

In The Memory of Butterflies, Hannah never knew that rebuilding her family house would result in uncovering family secrets that could destroy everything she holds dear. Hannah was raised by her grandparents after her parents were said to have died in car accident. She didn’t go to college and instead stayed behind pregnant and taking care of her ill grandmother. One rainy night tragedy strikes and things will never be the same again.

A few years go by and a miracle of sorts appears making Hannah and her grandmother whole ago. From then on things appear to be fine all until Hannah decides to rebuild her old family and in rebuilding all the family secrets are uncovered. Hannah has no choice but to confess her part in things and to her surprise, she uncovers secrets she never even knew.

Sorry if I’m being very vague but this story is so good that I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who would want to read it. This is a tale of family, secrets, and forgiveness. I loved how this story had a few twists and turns and some caught me by surprise which I enjoyed. What I loved most was how in the end everything wasn’t neatly tied up in a bow which was a nice thing to read because this is how life is most of the time. In reality, things aren’t always summed up right away and we just have to let things play out in their own time. This is one read that will have you in tears at times and will also break your heart but it’s a wonderful tale that I guarantee you will enjoy very much.

Mini Review: Mrs. Saint and the Defectives by Julie Lawson Timmer

Mrs. Saint and the Defectives by Julie Lawson Timmer

Published: August 1, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Markie, a fortysomething divorcée who has suffered a humiliating and very public fall from marital, financial, and professional grace, moves, along with her teenage son, Jesse, to a new town, hoping to lick her wounds in private. But Markie and Jesse are unable to escape the attention of their new neighbor Mrs. Saint, an irascible, elderly New European woman who takes it upon herself, along with her ragtag group of “defectives,” to identify and fix the flaws in those around her, whether they want her to or not.

What Markie doesn’t realize is that Mrs. Saint has big plans for the divorcée’s broken spirit. Soon, the quirky yet endearing woman recruits Markie to join her eccentric community, a world where both hidden truths and hope unite them. But when Mrs. Saint’s own secrets threaten to unravel their fragile web of healing, it’s up to Markie to mend these wounds and usher in a new era for the “defectives”—one full of second chances and happiness.

My Thoughts

In Mrs. Saints and the Defectives, we met Markie who has decided to move to another town after a humiliating divorce with her son and is trying to pick her life back together and moving on. She decides she will move and keep to herself to lick her wounds but soon she realizes that nothing beats neighbors, most notably Mrs. Saint, who want to care and soon friendships blossom and Markie is richer than she ever realizes.

What I loved most about this novel is…well, everything! I loved the quirky neighbors and how they rally together to pull Markie out of her funk. I enjoyed how though Markie had everything in her previous life she now sees how much more she has since her fall from grace. She realizes that money isn’t everything and how friendships and people truly caring about you is worth more than anything in the world. This is truly a gem of a story one that is a pleasure to read and demands to shared with everyone.  

Reviews: Wait for the Rain and Bridges by Maria Murnane

Wait for the Rain by Maria Murnane

Published: February 24, 2015

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Format: via author in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Daphne White is staring down the barrel of forty—and is distraught at what she sees. Her ex-husband is getting remarried, her teenage daughter hardly needs her anymore, and the career she once dreamed about has somehow slipped from her grasp. She’s almost lost sight of the spirited and optimistic young woman she used to be.

As she heads off to a Caribbean island to mark the new decade with her best friends from college, Daphne’s in anything but the mood to celebrate. But when she meets Clay Hanson, a much younger man, she ignores her inner voice warning her that she’s too old for a fling. In fact, this tropical getaway might be the perfect opportunity to picture her future in a new sun-drenched light.

With the help of her friends, Daphne rediscovers her enthusiasm for life, as well as her love for herself—and realizes that her best years are still ahead.

My Thoughts

Like so many others I thought okay so another How Stella Got Her Groove Back, a woman who goes to the islands and finds romance with a younger guy but surprisingly I was wrong this was much more than that. Daphne and her friends all get-together and celebrate their 40’s on vacation. We met Skylar who is career obsessed, single no kids and loves it that way and Kc who is the exercise freak of the group. While we get a glimpse of all the women, Daphne is the main focus and we see her trying to get over her divorce and seeing her daughter spend more time with her father and his soon to be wife.

There is some romance between Daphne and a younger guy and later a guy more her age, what I loved most was the journey that Daphne is on trying to find herself and renewing her friendships with her life long friends. She finds out that she’s finally ready to move on and allow herself some fun and romance and also that it's time to follow her dreams that she has put on the shelf all this time.

Wait for the Rain is a wonderful read of friendships and finding who you are and allowing yourself some joy in life. This read is a quick read that showcases female friendships something that needs to be celebrated more.

 

Bridges by Maria Murnane

Published: April 4, 2017

Publisher: Kindle Press

Format: NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

It’s a piece of news Daphne never expected to hear: Her globe-trotting friend Skylar, who vowed never to get married, is engaged! Time to celebrate in Manhattan—Skylar’s treat, of course. After years scaling the corporate ladder, she can more than afford it.

Daphne arrives in NYC with news of her own—the novel she’s finally finished appears to be going nowhere but the trash bin of every publishing house around. She’s devastated but plans to keep her disappointment under wraps, something that becomes trickier when she sees Skylar’s spectacular apartment. Could her life have been like this if she’d chosen a different path?

What Daphne doesn’t know is she’s not the only one with a secret. Skylar and their friend KC are also holding something back, but what? As the trip unfolds, the truth about each woman emerges, along with tears.

And laughter. And love.

My Thoughts

We are blessed to see Daphne and her friends Skylar and KC reunite in NYC for a weekend of fun! Skylar has invited them all to join her but surprises them by letting them know she has just got engaged! The woman who has always sworn off commitment has finally met her match and is getting married. Daphne has followed her dreams and wrote a novel and is currently shopping it around for publication, and KC has some amazing news…she just found out she is pregnant.

The three of them are moving on to important phases in their lives and each of them are terrified as to what the future holds in store for them. Daphne’s love life is so so she has been “dating” the age appropriate guy she met on the islands but it’s long distance and she doesn’t feel like she’s fully into it. What I loved most in this read is the growth of the characters, it shows us no matter our age we are always growing and learning throughout life. However, the friendships have always been the star of the books. I love how much they love each other and that they are always there for each other no matter what, that’s true friendship people!

Maria Murnane gives us another winner with this one. While this has the same characters as Wait for the Rain both can be read as stand alone's, but I highly encourage to read both, trust me you won't be disappointed!

Mini Review: The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Published: September 1, 2016

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Format: via Prime reading

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

 From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house.

Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts—until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel.

During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?

My Thoughts

 The Things We Wish Were True is a story of neighbors and what secrets lie behind the closed doors. We meet the neighbors, told in alternating voices each with a story to tell but all comes full circle one summer at the community pool.

What I like most are the interesting characters and how each one had a rich and intriguing story that you can't help but keep reading to find out what happens next. Like most small town it seems like everyone one is in each other business and just when you thought no one knew it seems like everybody does. Let it be known there are a number of characters but don’t be scared off by thinking you will get confused, you won't the author makes it all come together and you never seem like you're lost at all. If you want a great storyline and a cast of unforgettable characters pick this one up you won't be disappointed.

Waiting On [162]: In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch

Waiting on Wednesday [Wow] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

 

In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch

Expected Publication: July 1, 2016

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Synopsis

Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea’s fortieth birthday.

But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts—but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that’s all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn’t have to face the truth about her own empty reality.

Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

Why I Can’t Wait

I love these kind of books that focus of life-long friendships and seeing how they have changed over time. This sounds like a really good storyline and I can’t wait to get the chance of reading it.

Blog Tour: Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes

Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes

Published: November 11, 2014

Format: Copy via Booksparks

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Rating: 4/5
Buy the book: Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback

Synopsis

After losing her son in an elementary school shooting that devastates the tight-knit community of Stillwater Bay, Jennifer Crowne finds herself unable to settle back into her role of perfect stay-at-home mom and committee organizer. Meanwhile, her best friend, Mayor Charlotte Stone, struggles to keep the town together, and Charlotte s husband, the school principal, may not be the hero everyone thinks him to be.

As they try to heal from this irrevocable trauma, Jenn and Charlotte find themselves at a crossroads within the town and within their friendship. For Jenn, broken and grieving, there is no going back, and she demands that the school be closed so that she can bury the past. Yet Charlotte is equally desperate to hold the town together, fighting the school closure and helping the shooter’s mother regain her place in the community. Jenn and Charlotte s relationship is put to the ultimate test as each weighs her own interests against the bonds of their friendship.

My Thoughts

Talk about a touching story that will grip your soul! Stillwater Rising is the story of a community trying to recover after a recent school shooting. I love how in this story we get the points of view of the aftermath from different residents and how it affected them all differently. We hear from Jenn who has lost her youngest child and how certain people want her to move on, like her husband as if nothing has happened. There’s Charlotte the mayor who is trying to help and heal her town while trying to deal with her husband the principal of the school all while being pulled into different directions from the citizens, some want closure while others are mad and can’t seem to forgive. Lastly there is the shooters mom whom it seems has taken the most hits from people in town.

This story hits home with all the sadness that has taken place with school shooting around the country. While we always feel sad and heartache from the family victims, we sometimes forget about the shooters family. While what he did was horrible and unforgettable why are these people sometimes forgotten. I’ll be honest I’m one of those people who doesn’t really think of them after the tragedies. Don’t these people grieve just like all others? We tend to blame and look down on the parents when in actuality can we really blame them? No one has control over anyone else; sadly putting the blame on others doesn’t help in what happened.

No matter how you feel about the subject there is no denying that this book will touch you no matter what. The bottom line isn’t blame or hate what I took away is forgiveness and compassion. Although it is easier said than done no hurt is greater than another. I’m a strong believer in forgiving not so much for others but for you.  You will never be able to move on without forgiving. I can’t say enough great things about this book even though it’s a tough subject matter it’s one that’s poignant in the world today.  

     About the author
With a passion for storytelling, Steena Holmes took her dream of being a full-time writer and made it a reality, writing her first novel while working as a receptionist. She won the National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012 for her bestselling novel Finding Emma. Steena currently lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs. She likes to celebrate completing each new novel with chocolate.

Connect with the author
Facebook / Twitter / Website / Goodreads 

WoW [92] and SAVE Day: Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes

Expected Publication: November 11, 2014

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Synopsis...

After losing her son in an elementary school shooting that devastates the tight-knit community of Stillwater Bay, Jennifer Crowne finds herself unable to settle back into her role of perfect stay-at-home mom and committee organizer. Meanwhile, her best friend, Mayor Charlotte Stone, struggles to keep the town together, and Charlotte’s husband, the school principal, may not be the hero everyone thinks him to be.

As they try to heal from this irrevocable trauma, Jenn and Charlotte find themselves at a crossroads—within the town and within their friendship. For Jenn, broken and grieving, there is no going back, and she demands that the school be closed so that she can bury the past. Yet Charlotte is equally desperate to hold the town together, fighting the school closure and helping the shooter’s mother regain her place in the community. Jenn and Charlotte’s relationship is put to the ultimate test as each weighs her own interests against the bonds of their friendship.

Why I Can’t Wait…

Talk about POWERFUL! This sounds so amazing I can’t stand it. It’s a read with a message and to see the aftermath from all views, I can already feel the pulls at my heartstrings.

    About Steena Holmes
 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Steena Holmes comes her fourth major novel with Lake Union Publishing, Stillwater Rising (November 11). Selling over one million books, Steena is a master at taking ripped-from-the-headlines stories and revealing their heart and intimate backstories that are so often overlooked. In the vein of Jodi Picoult, Steena has become a heavy hitter for drama, motherhood, mystery and fiction, creating emotionally packed stories that resonate with readerslong after the last page. Holmes’ novels have become must-reads with discerning women’s fiction and mystery/ suspense fans. 

Be sure to check out Before the Storm: Before the first shots are fired within the walls of Stillwater Elementary School, life went on as normal for five women who were close friends. Their monthly girls' night was coming up and they couldn't wait to get together. They all needed this night to run away and be carefree - from their husbands, their children, their church - with no expectations, no responsibilities, where they weren't mothers or wives. No one expected their lives to be torn apart, their friendships tested in one short minute when their town is rocked by a danger lurking in their tight-knit community. This novella gives you a glimpse into the town of Stillwater Bay and its residents. You will see what their lives were like BEFORE the storm that rocked their little community descended upon them. This is a novella and comes before Stillwater Rising and a portion of proceeds from this novella will be donated to KidsPeace.org to help stop school violence.