Review: Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: June 18, 2019

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5 

Synopsis

Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the twentieth century! It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket: but this year Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, a nursing student, is caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests, a passion which takes her to Martha's Vineyard with her best friend, Mary Jo Kopechne. Only son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. Thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother who is hiding some secrets of her own. As the summer heats up, Teddy Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, a man flies to the moon, and Jessie experiences some sinking and flying herself, as she grows into her own body and mind.

My Thoughts

I’ve always been obsessed with the 60’s it was a fascinating time in history so when I heard Elin Hilderbrand newest novel was focused during that time I knew I had to read it. Summer of ‘69 focuses on The Levin family. We met Jessie who is thirteen and this is the summer when everything changes for her. We get the stories of her siblings Tiger who is in Vietnam, oldest sister Blair who is married and pregnant but doesn't know if she still wants to be and is struggling with her husband who wants her to be a housewife while she loves her independence. Middle sister Kirby who is in school but is drawn to protests and the civil rights movement and wants to make a change in this world. All of this while the world is changing and with historic moments thrown in Summer of ‘69 is one year no one will ever forget.

Jessie is the main voice of this novel, it's her coming of age story of a girl who is simply trying to figure out this thing we call life. She doesn't want to spend her summer in Nantucket with her grandmother but she is forced to by her parents and while there she learns a lot about growing up and falls in love for the first time. She is dealing with grown-up issues and is hoping her family can survive all that is happening during this crazy summer. The family is on edge hoping Tiger can make it back home and that the war will end. That takes a toll on everyone but especially their mother and that takes a toll on her marriage. This novel focuses on everything from love, marriage, family, to the war.

Summer of ‘69 is a compelling story of family, secrets and is a coming of age story that also spotlights the historic moments in history that take place during this time. It's an interesting story one that spotlights every member of the family but never makes you feel overwhelmed by all the characters. Every character has a distinct voice and their stories are all very interesting. While this is a departure for Elin Hilderbrand I loved this read. Her dive into historical fiction was great and I loved it. This is another winner from her and one novel that makes for the perfect summer read.

Review: Drawing Home by Jamie Brenner

Drawing Home by Jamie Brenner

Expected Publication: May 7, 2019

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Summer has started in idyllic Sag Harbor, and for Emma Mapson that means greeting guests at the front desk of The American Hotel. But when one of the town's most famous residents, artist Henry Wyatt, dies suddenly, Emma learns he has mysteriously left his waterfront home - a self-designed masterpiece filled with his work - to her teenage daughter, Penny.

Back in Manhattan, legendary art patron, Bea Winstead's grief at her lifelong friend and former business partner Henry's passing turns to outrage at the news of his shocking bequest. How did these unknown locals get their hands on the estate? Bea, with her devoted assistant Kyle in tow, descends on Sag Harbor determined to reclaim the house and preserve Henry's legacy.

While Emma fights to defend her daughter's inheritance, Bea discovers that Henry left a treasure trove of sketches scattered around town. With Penny's reluctant help, Bea pieces them together to find a story hidden in plain sight: an illustration of their shared history with an unexpected twist that will change all of their lives.

Drawn together in their battle for the house, Emma and Bea are forced to confront the past while facing a future that challenges everything they believe about love, fate, and family.

My Thoughts

In Drawing Home we met Emma and her daughter Penny who live in Sag Harbor and have formed a life there. Emma is a single mom and Penny her daughter, who suffers from OCD are just living their lives until one day when a dear friend dies and it changes their lives forever.

Penny befriends Henry who is an artist and over time they form a friendship and Henry helps out Penny with her art. So when Henry unexpectedly dies Penny is hurt to her core but is speechless when it's revealed that he left everything to her in his will. No one is more surprised than Henry’s old friend Bea who when she finds out goes to Sag Harbor thinking she is the heir to his will. Bea is determined to get what she thinks is hers but over time she soon realizes that Henry brought her there for other reasons.

Emma is just trying to be the best mother she can be, she has been a single mom since Penny was little but suddenly Penny’s dad has come back into the picture call it a coincidence or not but since Penny got this big inheritance he suddenly wants sole custody. Her life is turned upside down trying to fend off her ex and now Bea who wants to take her down and a daughter who she can't see eye to eye with, what is Emma to do?

In time Penny and Bea begin to spend time together mainly because Bea wants to see why Henry would leave all his belongs to Penny but as she begins to truly see Penny she soon realizes what a talented kid she is and why Henry felt the way he did about her. She begins to feel bad about the way she has treated her and about all she has done to her and her mom.

I really enjoyed this novel about family and how you can find it in the least expected places. The way Jamie Brenner gives us characters that you never thought could come together but in the end, they do. I loved how through all the bitterness and arguments forgiveness still shined through. What started out as strangers and rivals, in the end, gave us family and showed us its never too late to see the good in one another.

Review: Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand   

Expected Publication: October 9, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Irene Steele’s idyllic life-house, husband, family-is shattered when she is woken up by a late-night phone call. Her beloved husband has been found dead, but before Irene can process this tragic news, she must confront the perplexing details of her husband’s death. He was found on St. John island, a tropical paradise far removed from their suburban life. Leaving the cold winter behind, Irene flies down to the beautiful Caribbean beaches of St. John only to make another shocking discovery: her husband had a secret second family. As Irene investigates the mysterious circumstances of her husband’s death, she is plunged into a web of intrigue and deceit belied by the pristine white sand beaches of St. John’s. This exciting first book in the Paradise series will transport readers to a new beach locale-another world that Elin knows as well as her beloved Nantucket-and have them longing for winter.

My Thoughts

In Elin Hilderbrand’s new novel Winter in Paradise, we leave her usual setting of her beloved Nantucket and she brings us to the tropical setting of St. John in her newest Winter series. We meet Irene who loves her life and has everything she has wanted except more time with her husband who works so much for all they have. She also has two grown sons who are going through tough times of their own but everyone’s lives are about to change when Irene gets a phone call that her husband has died.

Irene is stunned when she learns that her husband has lead a double life and she begins to wonder who exactly was she married to? She learns that he lead this totally different life in St. John and that he didn’t die alone that he did, in fact, have a mistress and possibly a secret child. So what is Irene to do but go down there and try to find out who her husband really was and decides to bring her two sons along for the ride. One son is trying to find his way in life. He is so different from his father, he is carefree and just wants to enjoy life while his brother is exactly like their dad he is a go-getter and is all about business but he has pushed that away to take care of his son full time while his wife a doctor focuses on her career. However, he is shocked when moments before he finds out about his fathers' death his wife tells him she is leaving him for another woman.

In St. John we meet a cast of other characters who play major parts in this story. We find out more about the mistress and her best friend whom both of Irene sons fall for. We also met the mistresses stepfather who has a spark of sorts with Irene which I’m totally on board with. There are a lot of characters on this small island but you never get confused and they just bring lots of depth to the story.

I really enjoyed this first book in her new series, I think the set up for the next novels is definitely there and the storyline is really good. I like how she has added elements of mystery with this one and how there is so much to explore in regards to Irene’s husbands’ death. What exactly happened? Was it really an accident or was it something more sinister? And what exactly was his job and who did he work for? I can't wait to discover all these things in the future and hopefully, my questions will be answered. This was definitely a good first book and I can't wait to learn more about these really interesting characters.

Review: The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: June 19, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: arc via publisher

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

It's Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer-the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate.

But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield-and no couple is perfect.

My Thoughts

For me, it isn’t summer until I read an Elin Hilderbrand book and this summers book might be her best to date at least in my opinion. In The Perfect Couple we have Celeste and Benji who are set to wed in Nantucket but the night before their wedding the maid of honor is found dead which leads to a who dun it and what is revealed is just secrets after secrets being uncovered.

We get the backstory on how Celeste and Benji met and how their love story is. On paper, both are as different as night and day but Benji showed Celeste a life she never knew and while she has feelings for him she doesn’t know if she wants to marry him not when her heart belongs to someone else. Now, who that person is isn't someone who she should be with but the heart wants what it wants right?

As the police try to solve who was at fault, the question is was the maid of honor murdered or was it indeed just an accident? We see the police undercover the layers of all those involved from both families and their friends. What the police thought would be an easy case isn’t,  it's soon revealed that some of the family members have bigger secrets that could point to any one of them as suspects. I loved how there were twists and turns and I was shocked at some parts which were great. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This is one of Elin Hilderbrand’s best novels, I loved how she brought back some her beloved characters from her past books and I really enjoyed the mystery part that was included which was honestly my favorite. I didn’t think I could love her books more but I do! I felt that this book was fresh and intriguing I just couldn’t put it down. If you want something fun and compelling at the same time I highly recommend this amazing book its everything you could want in a book for the summer.

Mini Review: The Tailgate by Elin Hilderband

The Tailgate by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: May 1, 2014

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Clendenin Hughes first kissed Dabney Kimball during a Nantucket snowstorm freshman year of high school. Ever since that moment - God, the rush, the chemistry! - Dabney has known that she and Clen are an unsplittable unit - essentially the same person in two different bodies.

Of course, with Dabney now at Harvard and Clen at Yale, those bodies are 140 miles apart. And traveling is a serious challenge for Dabney, for reasons she'd prefer not to discuss, reasons having to do with her mother (or lack thereof). But with the big Harvard-Yale game coming up, Dabney is determined to make the trek to New Haven to see Clen. She's even borrowed a sexy black outfit from a classmate down the hall.

But when she arrives at the tailgate to see sparks flying between Clen and Jocelyn, a girl with dark blue eyes and luscious black hair, Dabney fears the collapse of a bond she has never questioned before, a bond so important that she'll be lost without it. A stirring portrait of young love at a crossroads, THE TAILGATE introduces two irresistible characters and invites us into a world we don't want to leave.

My Thoughts

This was an okay introduction to Elin Hilderbrand’s characters from The Matchmaker. We get a glimpse into the early lives of Clendenin and Dabney during their college years. Though I had already read The Matchmaker I didn’t really get much from this short story. I was aware of the characters and their backstories so I already knew them, but this didn’t really give me any more than I knew just by reading The Matchmaker by itself. Nevertheless, as a huge fan of the author and I will read anything she writes and if you do too this is a fast read that gives us a short history of Clendenin and Dabney the early years.

Review: The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner

The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner

Expected Publication: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Format: via publisher

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Lauren Adelman and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid, are a golden couple. They marry just out of college as Rory, a star hockey player, earns a spot in the NHL. Their future could not look brighter when Rory shocks everyone-Lauren most of all by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When Rory dies in combat, Lauren is left devastated, alone, and under unbearable public scrutiny.

Seeking peace and solitude, Lauren retreats to her family's old beach house on the Jersey Shore. But this summer she's forced to share the house with her overbearing mother and competitive sister. Worse, a stranger making a documentary about Rory tracks her down and persuades her to give him just an hour of her time.

One hour with filmmaker Matt Brio turns into a summer of revelations, surprises, and upheaval. As the days grow shorter and her grief changes shape, Lauren begins to understand the past and to welcome the future.

My Thoughts

In the Husband Hour, we met Lauren who has recently lost her husband Rory who was NHL player and military man. Lauren moves back home to New Jersey to get away from it all and from everyone who wants to know her and Rory’s story. After some time a filmmaker named Matt comes in search of her hoping to have her blessing in making a movie about her husband. Matt’s presence soon shakes up everyone's lives and secrets that didn’t think would surface comes up and people are hurt and lives could be ruined forever. This will either break Lauren forever or it will heal her in a way she never thought possible, all because of Matt.

I really enjoyed this story, at first you think this is just the story of Rory and Lauren which it is but I see it more of Lauren trying to get her life back. She has loved Rory since they were teens so when he passed away it broke Lauren to pieces he was her world so it was understandable that she would try and save this reputation but she soon finds out things about him that will break her image of him. I also loved how her family played a huge role in the story. Her parents had a subplot in this which was also interesting and the dynamics between Lauren and her sister was also very interesting and we get to see how their relationship plays a role in all of this.

The Husband Hour is another winner from Jamie Brenner who gives us characters with such depth that you can't help but get invested in their lives. She gives us a story of love, loss, forgiving but most important one of rebuilding. To pick yourself up after something so devastating takes more courage than anything and that’s what makes this read so wonderfully page turning. Do yourself a favor and take the time to fall into this great novel.

Day 8 of 12 Days of Christmas: What Light by Jay Asher

What Light by Jay Asher

Published: October 18, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

My Thoughts

In What Light we met Sierra and her family who own a Christmas tree farm and every Christmas they go down to California to sell their trees. Sierra has had a double life of sorts since she splits some time between her Oregon life and her California life. She has two sets of friends but all of that is in danger when this might be the last Christmas her family goes down to California due to problems with the business.

When she is in California she focuses solely on helping her family and spending time with her friend, she rarely thinks of dating especially since she is never there long enough to think about getting involved with anyone. However all of that changes when she meets Caleb someone she never saw coming and of course, he captures her heart quicker than she could ever imagine. There is a chemistry between them that either can deny but there is a rumor out there that she soon finds out about that could end things before they even begin.

I listened to this on audiobook and found it to be a quick and easy going read. I really liked this story and found Sierra to be the nice girl who always played by the rules but when others don’t agree with her choice of guys she stands up for herself and her gut feelings about Caleb. She believed in him from the start despite what others think and was determined to get to know the real person behind the image and not just rely on rumors.

This was the typical tale of young love with that dash of Christmas magic that I love so much. The real stars were the romance between the two but also the tale of growing up and finding ourselves, finding who they are and what they ultimately what to become. There is nothing better than a coming of age tale but add Christmas time as the backdrop and well you have a winner of a read.

Day 1 of 12 Days of Christmas: Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: October 3, 2017

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Format: via Netgalley

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Raise one last glass with the Quinn Family at the Winter Street Inn. It's been too long since the entire Quinn family has been able to celebrate the holidays under the same roof, but that's about to change. With Bart back safe and sound from Afghanistan, the Quinns are preparing for a holiday more joyous than any they've experienced in years. And Bart's safe return isn't the family's only good news: Kevin is enjoying married life with Isabelle; Patrick is getting back on his feet after paying his debt to society; Ava thinks she's finally found the love of her life, and Kelly is thrilled to see his family reunited at last. But it just wouldn't be a Quinn family gathering if things went smoothly. A celebration of everything we love--and some of the things we endure--about the holidays.

My Thoughts

This is the last installment in Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter series and I would be lying if it wasn’t bittersweet for me. I have highly enjoyed this series that centers around the Quinn family who over the years have had their ups and downs. In this book, we get a glimpse of all the Quinn family members but I love how we really get to know Bart’s story. Bart is trying to readjust to “normal” life after being held captive while in the service and is slowly trying to find his way back with his family. We also see Bart get a love interest, someone from one of Elin’s past novels. I love how she intertwines her characters from other books, I really do like the pairing of these two and hope that we get to see them again, maybe even in their own book? Fingers crossed!

I found this book perfectly tied up some storylines but like always there is always something that leaves them open to being picked up later. I found Kelly's storyline to be quite touching, his health isn’t at its best but he gets to see all of his family together one last time and that makes everything worthwhile for him.

This is the perfect ending to a series I found completely satisfying. The Quinn family was one who made me laugh, cry and I found myself fully invested in their lives as if they were real. That's the point right? You could always find someone to relate to and that was refreshing to know. Elin Hilderbrand always brings it in her novels and this series was no exception, so if you haven’t do yourself a favor and get to know the Quinn’s like I have trust me you won't be disappointed.

Review: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: June 13, 2017

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Nantucket is only two and a half hours away from Martha's Vineyard by ferry. But the two islands might as well be worlds apart for a set of identical twin sisters who have been at odds for years. Just because twins look exactly the same doesn't mean they're anything alike--and Tabitha and Harper Frost have spent their whole lives trying to prove this point. When a family crisis forces them to band together--or at least appear to--the twins come to realize that the special bond that they share is more important than the resentments that have driven them apart. A story of new loves, old battles, and a threat that gives a whole new meaning to the term sibling rivalry, THE IDENTICALS is Elin Hilderbrand at her page-turning best.

My Thoughts

I look forward to the summer for the simple pleasure of knowing I will be blessed with an Elin Hilderbrand novel and this one is my favorite by far. In the Identicals, we meet identical sisters Tabitha and Harper who couldn’t be more opposite. When their parents got divorced they decided to split the sisters and when they couldn’t decide who would go with whom, they play rock paper scissors to decide their fate. Tabitha grew up with a fashion designer mother who likes the finer things in life and who only wanted the best things in life. Harper grew up with her father who leads a simple life, so different from her mother and sister. While they only lived a ferry ride away both sisters had no contact with each other for years after the death of Tabitha’s son.

After their father has died Tabitha and her mother along with her daughter make the trek to pay their respects and say goodbye, while there we find out that Harper has a boyfriend and also has been having an affair with her father's doctor. When her affair is exposed and her world tumbling down around her she decides she needs to leave. When an accident happens and she receives a call that her sister needs her help she soon goes to be with her niece. What happens next is a series of secrets as to why they aren’t close and how this has torn them apart as sisters and as a family.

I love nothing more than a story that centers around family especially those evolving sisters. The dynamics and emotions that are exposed are amazing. We see how each sister’s life might have been if each had been with the other parent and how their lives could’ve been totally different. However what I loved most were the sisters themselves and how old emotions needed to be brought back to the surface and finally settled. We see how those long ago feelings suffocated both of them and their ability to forgive and move on. This novel was wonderfully written and it made me laugh and cry. The sisters as much as they claimed to be different they were indeed very much alike. In the end, all they wanted was love. Love from others, their parents and especially from each other, through everything in the end they truly got what they have been searching for. I highly recommend this stunning read and it’s a must have on every summer reading list.

Audio Review: The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn

The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn

Published: March 21, 2017

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Format: Audio via publisher

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Lucy and Owen, ambitious, thoroughly-therapized New Yorkers, have taken the plunge, trading in their crazy life in a cramped apartment for Beekman, a bucolic Hudson Valley exurb. They've got a two hundred-year-old house, an autistic son obsessed with the Titanic, and 17 chickens, at last count. It's the kind of paradise where stay-at-home moms team up to cook the school's "hot lunch," dads grill grass-fed burgers, and, as Lucy observes, "chopping kale has become a certain kind of American housewife's version of chopping wood."

When friends at a wine-soaked dinner party reveal they've made their marriage open, sensible Lucy balks. There's a part of her, though-the part that worries she's become too comfortable being invisible that's intrigued. Why not try a short marital experiment? Six months, clear ground rules, zero questions asked. When an affair with a man in the city begins to seem more enticing than the happily-ever-after she's known for the past nine years, Lucy must decide what truly makes her happy-"real life," or the "experiment?"

My Thoughts

The premise of The Arrangement is that Lucy and Owen a couple who want to try something different decide on an open marriage for six months. They come up with rules and a time frame but it soon comes to light that this was way more than they bargained for. Owen quickly finds himself attractive to and evolved with someone, it's all fun and games but soon Owen realizes that this woman he wanted to have a fun time with wants it to be more. She wants a relationship and treats him like a boyfriend which wasn’t in the rules and he soon hates this whole situation. Lucy, on the other hand, is taking her time in finding someone so her friend decides why should Owen have all the fun and takes it upon herself to find someone for Lucy. Lucy agrees to meet up with this guy and goes through with it and soon they are spending a lot of time together.

Within months Owen wants out and wants to return to his life with his family, while Lucy feels the freest she has felt in years. She and her guy soon are spending time with each other and talking and really getting to know each other and soon he tells her he is falling for her. Lucy doesn’t know what to do, she loves her husband but they haven’t connected in years and this guy is like a breath of fresh air, he makes her feel alive again. In the end, will this arrangement break or make Lucy and Owen? I won't say what happens but this really makes you realize the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It shows you always have to continue to work at relationships and continue with the lines of communication, its always easy to let things slide but in the end, you will regret not letting your partner know what you want and to know what they thinking also.

I truly enjoyed this story it was funny and a quick read, I listened to this in almost one setting not wanting to stop, I always wanted to know what was happening next. The audio was wonderfully read by Ellen Archer who brought a fun and quirkiness to the characters that I really loved. Sarah Dunn brought a richness to this subject matter that could’ve gone a whole other way but by bringing some humor to the subject it shows us that sometimes we have to laugh at our lives and relationships but we can't let things fall to the wayside and we have to make the effort and put in the work. This is one read I’m telling everyone about, I honestly can't say enough great and amazing things about it.

Review: The Forever Summer by Jamie Brenner

The Forever Summer by Jamie Brenner

Published: April 25, 2017

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Format: via publish

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Marin Bishop has always played by the rules, and it's paid off: on the cusp of thirty she has a handsome fiancé, a prestigious Manhattan legal career, and her father's hard-won admiration. But with one careless mistake at work, Marin suddenly finds herself unemployed and alone. Before she can summon the courage to tell her parents, a young woman appears, claiming to be Marin's half-sister. Seeking answers, Marin agrees to join her on a soul-searching journey to Cape Cod, to meet the family she didn't even know she had.

As the summer unfolds at her grandmother's beachside B&B, it becomes clear that her half-sister's existence is just the first in a series of truths that will shake Marin's beliefs--in love, and in her own identity--to the core. Filled with shocking revelations, heartfelt romance, and resilient women banding together against the most unexpected twists of fate, THE FOREVER SUMMER is an emotionally resonant page-turner and a delicious escape for any season.

My Thoughts

We enter Marin’s life just when it seems it is falling apart. She has dumped her fiancée after an affair with a co-worker, her parents are divorcing and she just got an email saying she has a half-sister she never knew existed. After having to deal with all of this she gets fired and doesn’t know what to do next. Her sister comes by and wants her to join her in meeting their grandmother whom she just found out about. Marin not believing any of this decides to go and get away from all her troubles and just see where and what she wants to do next. I truly felt for Marin she just discovered that her father isn’t really her father and that she has a whole family she never knew but she just lost her job and soon finds out she is pregnant and doesn’t know who the father is, can her life get any worse?

I also was really drawn into the story about her grandmother that storyline was amazing! We see why her relationships with her kids were strained and how her wife tied into it. I truly enjoyed this read it is indeed the quintessential summer read. While it has its share of drama it also has a great story about family. It shows us that family isn’t just the one you are born into but it's much wider than that. That family isn’t just about DNA but it's also about building one with the ones you love no matter if you are related or not. The Forever Summer is a wonderfully written novel one that demands to be on everyone's summer reading list.

Mini Review: You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

Expected Publication: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Katie and Eric Knox have dedicated their lives to their fifteen-year-old daughter Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful. But when a violent death rocks their close-knit gymnastics community just weeks before an all-important competition, everything the Knoxes have worked so hard for feels suddenly at risk. As rumors swirl among the other parents, revealing hidden plots and allegiances, Katie tries frantically to hold her family together while also finding herself drawn, irresistibly, to the crime itself, and the dark corners it threatens to illuminate.

My Thoughts

I’m a newbie when it comes to Megan Abbott books but after this one, I will seek out her previous novels. She gives us a look into the competitive world of gymnastics and its one that is breathtakingly amazing and one that it will make your head spin.

We meet Katie and Eric parents who have devoted their lives to making sure that their daughter Devon dreams will come true. In a world where years of hard work and dedication are determined in a matter of seconds, every competition is life or death. Their world is hit hard when an unspeakable death makes everyone if their community a suspect and we are shown that the unthinkable has happened. Could someone really kill another all in the name of competition?

Megan Abbott gives us a story that will draw you in and at the same time equally make you want you to turn away. I like the suspense of the read and how it is definitely a page turner. This is a who done it that will stay with you long after the last page is turned. It’s honest, mesmerizing and unlike anything I have read before, this is one read that belongs on everyone’s must read list.

Audio Review: The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan

The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan

Published: May 19, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Format: audio via publisher

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Leo has long joked that, in the event of his death, he wants his best friend Garrett, a lifelong bachelor, to marry his wife, Audrey. One drunken night, he goes so far as to make Garrett promise to do so. Then, twelve years later, Leo, a veteran firefighter, dies in a skiing accident.

As Audrey navigates her new role as widow and single parent, Garrett quits his job in Boston and buys a one-way ticket out west. Before long, Audrey's feelings for Garrett become more than platonic, and Garrett finds himself falling for Audrey, her boys, and their life together in Portland. When Audrey finds out about the drunken pact from years ago, though, the harmless promise that brought Garrett into her world becomes the obstacle to his remaining in it.

My Thoughts

In The Sweetheart Deal, we meet Audrey whose husband has recently died and is trying to deal with that all while raising three sons. We meet Garrett who is Leo’s best friend and has always said if something happens to him he wants Garrett to marry Audrey. Garrett has never even seriously considered this but when Leo dies he knows he must go and help Audrey out as much as he can and that means finishing an addition on the house that Leo had started and also help out when it comes to his sons.

While everything started out has friends slowly but surely the tension is so much and Audrey and Garrett experience some sparks. As much as Garrett tries not to get involved with Audrey he can’t help but fall for her. They try and keep it a secret from everyone especially the boys but in time their secret is exposed. Not only that secret but the note that Leo had Garrett sign, as a joke, saying he would marry Audrey is also found out. Needless to say, when she finds it she isn’t pleased, she thinks it’s all a joke, she thinks she’s the joke. That everything that has happened wasn’t real. This is where I get a little upset, she goes off on him like this is his entire fault when in actuality she is the one who started all the physical stuff.

The Sweetheart Deal was a good read. I liked how we got the full back story of Leo and Audrey and how deep their love was. I think in order for us to buy the whole Audrey and Garrett story you had to know the relationships between Leo and Audrey and especially the one between Leo and Garrett. While the whole idea of asking your best friend to marry your wife if you die is really odd, I can see that Leo’s logic was that he knew Garret would do anything for Audrey and his kids, he knew they would be in good hands. Overall I enjoyed this story of loss and eventually finding love again in the most unexpected places.

Review: Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: June 14, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Format: via publisher

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Laurel Thorpe, Belinda Rowe, and Scarlett Oliver share only two things; a love for the man they all married, Deacon Thorpe--a celebrity chef with an insatiable appetite for life--and a passionate dislike of one another. All three are remarkable, spirited women, but they couldn't be more different. Laurel: Deacon's high school sweetheart and an effortlessly beautiful social worker; Belinda: a high-maintenance Hollywood diva; and Scarlett: a sexy southern belle floating by on her family money and her fabulous looks. They've established a delicate understanding over the years--they avoid each other at all costs.

But their fragile detente threatens to come crashing down after Deacon's tragic death on his favorite place on earth: a ramshackle Nantucket summer cottage. Deacon's final wish was for his makeshift family to assemble on his beloved Nantucket to say good-bye. Begrudgingly, Laurel, Belinda, and Scarlett gather on the island as once again, as in each of their marriages, they're left to pick up Deacon's mess. Now they're trapped in the crowded cottage where they all made their own memories--a house that they now share in more ways than one--along with the children they raised with Deacon, and his best friend. Laurel, Belinda, and Scarlett each had an unbreakable bond with Deacon--and they all have secrets to hide.

Before the weekend is over, there are enough accusations, lies, tears, and drama to turn even the best of friends--let alone three women who married the same man--into adversaries. As his unlikely family says good-bye to the man who brought them together--for better or worse--will they be able to put aside their differences long enough to raise a glass in Deacon's honor?

My Thoughts

Summer wouldn’t be complete in my eyes without an amazing Elin Hilderbrand novel. In Here’s to Us we meet the eclectic family that famous chef Deacon Thorpe leaves after his death. After a life of women, drugs and drinking there are a few things that Deacon has done right in life but everyone will agree he was a great father. He loved all his children to the fullest, mainly because he felt what it was like to not have that after his father up and left the family when he was young. Although he was famous he lived like there was no tomorrow and ultimately died in debt. He did have one prized procession that was his Nantucket house that despite all the women in his life, that was the one thing that was his and was not to be touched or changed.

In this novel, we get the back story of each of Deacon’s wives: Laurel his high school love and some say true love and wife of his only son. Belinda: the famous movie star who stole him away from Laurel and mom to their adopted daughter Angie who of all his kids he was closest to and shared his love for cooking. Scarlett: former nanny to Angie and his current wife and mother to his youngest daughter who has always pined for her ex-Bo. We see while all women are different from one another all loved him dearly even until the end. So when it is revealed that the beloved Nantucket house is to be foreclosed on soon, they must work together to get over their issues and become a family to spread his ashes and hopefully save the house.

I loved his book so much while it is a lengthy tale over 400 pages it is a read that I couldn’t stop reading. It was funny but touching at the same time, once again Elin Hilderbrand paints a picture of Nantucket that is so idyllic you can’t help but feel the sand under your toes and the cool breeze in the air. She delivers a family tale while dysfunctional one that in the end works for them. We are shown that no matter what issues we might have as families in the end, we are simply that…family. We will always have each other’s back because as corny as it might sound family and love truly conquers all.

Waiting On [156]: Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

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

Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: June 14, 2016

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Synopsis

Celebrity chef Deacon Thorpe has always been a force of nature with an insatiable appetite for life. But after that appetite contributes to Deacon's shocking death in his favorite place on earth, a ramshackle Nantucket summer cottage, his (messy, complicated) family is reeling. Now Deacon's three wives, his children, and his best friend gather on the island he loved to say farewell. The three very different women have long been bitter rivals, each wanting to claim the primary place in Deacon's life and his heart. But as they slowly let go of the resentments they've held onto for years and remember the good times, secrets are revealed, confidences are shared, and improbable bonds are formed as this unlikely family says goodbye to the man who brought them all together, for better or worse--and the women he loved find new ways to love again.

Why I Can’t Wait

What can I say it’s not summer unless I read an Elin Hilderbrand book and, of course, this one looks like another winner! I can’t wait to sit back and enjoy this fab read.

Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Room by Emma Donoghue

Published: September 13, 2010

Published: Little Brown and Co.

Format: purchased

Rating: 5/5

 

Add to Goodreads * Buy: Amazon

 

Synopsis

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work. Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

 

My Thoughts

Talk about an emotional rollercoaster! Room is everything I thought it would be and more and let me tell you this read WILL NOT DISAPPOINT! As many of you might know from the book or movie this is the story of Jack who with his Ma are victims of a kidnapper and are confined to a single room.

The book is told through Jack and it is heartbreaking. From his limited speech and knowledge, we learn what their days consist of and his sole view of the outside world is via a skylight. Ma does the best she can and she protects Jack fiercely when Old Nick comes by from time to time. Jack doesn’t know that there is a whole world outside those four walls but as he grows older his Ma wants more for him so she sets a plan in motion to give Jack a chance in life. I won’t go into details because I honestly want everyone to read this book, it’s one that not only will touch your heart but it will creep into your soul as well. The things we take for granted every day are things he doesn’t even know exist. The fact that he doesn’t even know there is a world out there is what’s shook me up so much. You feel for them both and know that once they are “free” it’s simply the beginning while they might be free so to speak the years of abuse have taken its toll. They must now learn to adapt to the outside world but it’s the hardest for Jack who has to learn everything and that is what is so hard to read.

You can’t help but to feel for these two and once you read their full story you will be brought to tears. I am very curious to see how this story will transfer to film. Usual it’s not a good move but seeing how it’s gotten a lot of great reviews and raves this is one that I will definitely check out. As a stated before this is a rollercoaster of emotions one that I was glad I took and one that I highly advise everyone to take as well.

Day 1 of 25 Days of Christmas: WInter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Anyone who has read my blog know how much I love the holidays especially Christmas. There is just something about this time of year that makes me believe that anything can happen. I've always thought of this time as magical I know many people hate it but I'm a sucker in believing the good in people. I love the movies, music and especially spending time with family and nothing makes it as special as Christmas. So once again this year I'll be doing my 25 days of Christmas reviews. Most are short which is perfect for those who want to read something Christmasy but don't have the time for full fledged read. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and remember to simply enjoy it!

Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: October 13, 2015

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Format: audio book via Hachette Audio

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Another Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn reflecting on the past year as he writes a holiday letter to friends and family. Though the year has had its share of misfortune and worry, the Quinn’s have much to celebrate. Kelley, now single, at least is on better terms with his first wife Margaret, who is using her celebrity to lure customers to the inn in record numbers. Their son Kevin has a beautiful new baby, Genevieve, with the Inn's French housekeeper, Isabelle; and their daughter, Ava, is finally dating a nice guy--her devoted colleague, Scott.

Now the Quinn’s are looking forward to celebrating Genevieve's baptism, welcoming Isabelle to the family, and enjoying the cheer of Nantucket's traditional Christmas Stroll. But just when a peaceful family gathering seems within reach, Kelley's estranged second wife, Mitzi, shows up on the island after souring on her relationship with the inn's former Santa Claus. Soon Kelley isn't the only Quinn entertaining a surprise guest from Christmases past as lovers old and new gather beneath the mistletoe. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it's going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinn’s--and the inn--through the holidays intact.

My Thoughts

We continue once again with Christmas with the Quinn family and this Christmas they face even bigger challenges like never before. If you like here is my review of Winter Street. Kelley and his wife Mitzi are still separated and feeling the effects of not knowing if their son is dead or alive and still captive overseas. His ex-wife Margaret is falling in love for the first time in years and is coming to terms with that. Their kids are each facing family crisis within their own families. Kevin is dealing with being a new father when his ex comes in waiting to destroy his happy family. Ava is dealing with her feelings and deciding if her feelings for her boyfriend Scott are real or does she still hold deep feelings for her ex who has decided that now he realizes what he lost and is determined to get her back. And their sister in law who is hanging by a thread trying to deal with the fact her husband is in jail and her sons are acting like it’s all her fault.

I have grown to love the Quinn family because their dysfunction is so real. It always seems like the most drama comes out around the holidays but in the end they always know family comes first. They will always band together and never let anyone or anything come between their large family always including ex’s and strangers alike. While they all have their individual problems their strength always is to be there and pray for their son/brother Bart who is missing. I love that Bart is always the undercurrent of the story line yet we have never in the two books actually meet him, I hope there is another book because I would love to hear his story and what he thinks of all that has happened in his absence.

Elin Hilderbrand once again sparkles with this winter tale of family, heartache and redemption. Sometimes we have to weather the storm in order to realize what is most important to us. The Winter series is one that everyone should read it will make you laugh and cry and I know you will fall in love with the Quinn’s just like I did.