Thanks to all of my Readers

You may have noticed that I haven't been post much information on my reading lately.  I have become a grandmother twice over in the past 2 years and a lot of other family issues have been taking up my attention.  As a result, I have decided to discontinue the blog (but NOT my reading)!  Maybe sometime in the future, I'll have time to write again.
Keep reading!

THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS (Meg Waite Clayton)

THE RECIPE BOX (Viola Shipman)

THE FRIENDS WE KEEP (Jane Green)

SURFSIDE SISTERS (Nancy Thayer)

THE BOOKSHOP BY THE SHORE (Jennie Colgan)

A DAUGHTER'S TRUTH (Laura Bradford)

DRAWING HOME (Jamie Brenner)

When renowned artist Henry Wyatt dies suddenly, his long-time business associate and friend Bea Winstead immediately travels to Sag Harbor from Manhattan to claim her inheritance.  Henry's self-designed house on the water and collection of his own art were meant to be left in Bea's care, a decision made years before.  However, Henry's lawyer announces that the art and estate have been left to 14-year-old Penny Mapson, daughter of Emma Mapson, the manager of the iconic American Hotel where Henry spent much of his time.  Henry and Penny bonded over art and were, in fact, each writing a graphic novel after Penny introduced Henry to the format.

Bea is in denial and determined to break the will, Emma is stunned, and Penny just misses her friend and mentor.  When Penny's absentee father, Mark, suddenly arrives in town to spend time with his daughter after not seeing her for almost 2 years, Emma is suspicious.  Eventually, Emma, Penny, Bea, and her assistant, Kyle, all end up staying at the house while Bea helps Emma organize a fundraiser.

Brenner has created some likable characters, but I'm not sure about single mother Emma.  She seems to allow Penny a bit too much freedom, especially considering that she has her friend/tenant Angus to help out, and I don't quite understand how the manager of a popular hotel in a resort area could not make enough money to afford a decent place to live and save a little money.  Surely Angus is contributing something!

All in all, though, I enjoyed the novel, especially the slow revelation of the real Bea and her efforts to discover the mystery behind Henry's will.

SUMMER COTTAGE (Viola Shipman)

When I reached page 300 of this novel I decided it was time to read the author biography in the back.  I was shocked to find that Viola Shipman was actually a man, Wade Rouse!  I'm still reeling from that one!

Adie Lou's college professor husband is a male chauvinist pig whose ongoing affair with a coed named Fuschia is the last straw.  The couple is divorcing and Adie's husband tries to strong-arm her into selling her family's boat and their beloved Cozy Cottage in Saugatuck on Lake Michigan despite the fact that he has no rights to either.  Instead, Adie decides at the last minute to reject the prospective buyer, restore the boat, and turn the cottage into a B&B with the help of her best friend, a lawyer, her college student son, and an old childhood friend who has returned home and taken over his father's business in Saugatuck.

This is a heart-warming story of a middle-aged woman starting a new chapter in her life, learning along the way that history and family are more important than money or  social status and that sometimes second chances turn out better than anyone could have imagined.

THE GIRL WHO WROTE IN SILK (Kelli Estes)

This was a lovely, lovely book.  You'll find your heart breaking more often than not.

Inara Erickson, whose very successful father has been pushing her to accept a corporate position at Starbucks, unexpectedly inherits her maternal aunt's estate on Orcas Island, off the Washington coast.  The island holds both great joy and sorrow for the Erikson family.  It was here that they spent many happy summers, but also here that Inara's mother lost her life in a tragic auto accident.  Inara decides to spend some time in her aunt's house, now hers, and eventually decides to develop the estate into a boutique hotel.  Her father agrees reluctantly to finance her venture.  When she finds a piece of elaborately and expertly embroidered silk under a stair tread Inara is intrigued and intent on discovering its origins.

The reader also becomes enmeshed with the story of Mei Lein, a young woman whose Chinese family is expelled from Seattle in the 1880s under the Chinese Exclusion Act.  The novel begins with Mei Lein's father pushing her off the rail of an ocean liner into Puget sound, and act that is ultimately revealed to be life-saving and motivated by love.

Little by little the author develops the connections between Mei Lien, the story embroidered on the piece of silk, and Inara's modern-day family.  As she works with Chinese historian Daniel Chin, Inara also discovers a deep and, she believes, important relationship that may be shattered when the true story of the silk and Inara's ancestors is revealed.

This was a wonderful debut novel that is apropos in this era of anti-immigration.  Aside from that, it will have your fascinated, incensed, and crying at the same time.  Highly recommended!

THE SHORTEST WAY HOME (Miriam Parker)

This was an interesting book, a little different in its focus from my usual reading.  The main character, Hannah Greene, is a 30-year-old recent MBA who is set to become engaged to her staid, organized, and wealthy boyfriend, Ethan, and start a coveted new job in finance at Goldman Saks in Manhattan.  When she and Ethan visit a winery in Sonoma, California just before graduation, she finds that her goals in life seem to have transformed overnight.  She is drawn to both to the geographical area and to the winery itself and when she is offered a summer job marketing the struggling winery she changes her plans and plans to stay in California, much to Ethan's shock and dismay. 

This is not a romance, but more of an adult coming-of-age story on several levels.  Hannah has issues (a bit annoying at times) with communication.  She hides rather than confronting her problems, as evidenced in her relationship with her mother back in Iowa.  I found it appalling that Hannah never returned her mother's phone calls despite the fact that there had never been a nasty break or falling out between them.  Hannah simply didn't want to deal with her mother due to issues in her childhood.  She also avoided contact with Ethan after he moved back to NY even though they had left their relationship status up in the air.

This is also a novel about wine and wineries, which I found fascinating.  In fact, I can still almost taste the wine described in the novel

I would recommend this novel as a lighter, but also thought-provoking, summer read about the nature of relationships and the choices that we make in life.  Every character at some point has reached a point where they have to choose - Linda and Everett (their marriage), William (his aspiring film-making career), Celeste (her marriage), Linda and Jackson (their relationship), and more.  Whenever I actually remember a story once I finish the last page, I consider it an accomplishment.  When I'm still tasting the wine that I haven't actually sampled, it seems like a book is a little special!

QUEEN BEE (Dorothea Benton Frank)

Dorothea Benton Frank's latest novel is a perfect, hilarious escape for a summer weekend.  I wasn't sure at first because Holly McNee, the main character, seemed a bit Cinderella-like and immature and her mother, the title character, kept bringing Howard Wolowicz's mother to mind!  Holly is a beekeeper who talks to her bees.  She is nearly a slave to her critical mother and has an unrequited crush on the widower next door.  She is, though, kind and creative and full of love just ready to brim over for the right person.  In the meantime, she lavishes time and attention on Tyler and Hunter, the adorable young sons of Archie, the college professor next door.

When Holly's very dramatic older sister (and Mom's favorite), Leslie, leaves her husband and moves back home from Ohio to North Carolina, the Queen Bee blossoms and life takes on a sudden new excitement for Holly.  As her relationship with handsome Archie tanks and Leslie reveals the truth about her husband, Charlie, the family pulls together and embarks on what can only be described as a roller coaster ride of new energy, new experiences, and new hope for the future.  I think what I loved most about this book, once I got past the somewhat depressing beginning, was the teamwork and mutual support that developed among the McNee women and their loved ones.  Forgiveness, acceptance, and self-awareness are themes that run throughout the novel.  I would highly recommend it, but not if you are looking for a quiet, unassuming little novel.  You won't find that here!

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW (Sally Hepworth)

I will admit that I found the concept of this novel intriguing.  Doesn't every married woman feel, deep down inside, that she can never measure up to her mother-in-law's expectations and doesn't every daughter-in-law at some point wish that she could kill her mother-in-law?  However, this is not my favorite Sally Hepworth novel, although I enjoyed it immensely.  One of the negatives was that there was virtually no likable character aside from Tom, the father-in-law.  Tom was a self-made man of great wealth who loved unconditionally and joyfully.  He was the one person who seemed to understand Diana, the mother-in-law.

When Lucy met Diana she had high hopes for a wonderful relationship, but neither she nor her mother-in-law has the communication skills nor the temperament to form a warm and mutually satisfying bond.  Their inability to share their true selves with each other creates a wall of misunderstanding between them.  For example, in Diana's family, each time a new baby is born the grandmother gives a raw chicken to the new mother, so this is what she does at the birth of each of Lucy and Ollie's 3 babies.  Unfortunately, Diane doesn't try to explain (or even understand) this tradition and Lucy, who each time is struggling with a colicky infant, is infuriated by her mother-in-law's failure to actually COOK the chicken for the family.  However, she never asks why.

This is actually a mystery revolving around Diana's death, which appears at first glance to be a suicide.  But was it?  Ollie's sister Nettie and her husband Patrick, plagued by infertility, have spent their life savings on unsuccessful fertility treatments and Nettie is heartbroken that her widowed mother refuses to finance more treatments.  Patrick has been spotted with other women.  Lucy once pushed her mother-in-law in anger, resulting in a concussion.  Ollie's poor business decisions have left the family on the brink of financial ruin.  Could Diana have been murdered for her money?  Running through the story are references to Diana as a pregnant teenager, an intriguing mystery related to Diana's great philanthropy towards unwed mothers.

There is a lot to like in this novel aside from the unlikable characters.  I would highly recommend it.

A ROSE PETAL SUMMER (Katie Fforde)

Katie Fforde writes the most wonderful, uplifting romances. Set in England and Scotland, their common denominator is that they always feature strong, likable, independent women who aren't afraid to take chances or make changes in their life. These women are always compassionate and caring and have the most wonderful friends! In this one Caro, a 41-year-old whose daughter is away visiting her father in Australia takes a temporary position as a companion to an elderly man, Mundo, in Scotland. While there she makes the amazing discovery that Mundo's son is the same boy she met (and has never forgotten) more than 20 years ago in Greece, having spent one magical evening in conversation with him on a dimly lit balcony. Fforde always manages to create a group of fascinating characters who are, inevitably, just nice and who connect charmingly with one another. Of course, there are always happy endings. She just leaves me longing to be part of the action, to engage with these resourceful, generous Brits and be part of their lives.

A COUNTRY ESCAPE (kKatie Fforde)

Fran, a chef, is in the running to inherit a farm in the Cotswolds from a distant relative of her father's who has moved to a care home.  All she needs to do is to live there for a year and turn the farm into a going concern.  The farm is actually a dairy farm and unique because the land has never been plowed, resulting in delicious milk and cheeses with a singular flavor.  The cows are content, but milk production barely covers the basic expenses of the farm, especially when transporting is always an issue in bad weather, so Fran has to come up with additional ways to make money.  The handsome, wealthy man next door, initially hated because he supposedly wants to buy the farm and turn it into a vineyard, turns out to be surprisingly (really?) helpful in developing Fran's ideas.  Then one day another contender t inherit the farms turns up, fresh from Australia and full of ideas to see the land to a developer and break up the herd.  Can Fran convince her elderly cousin that she is the right person to continue the traditions of the farm?  Will she fall in love?  This is, after all, a Katie Fforde romance! 

I never fail to enjoy Katie Fforde's novels.  I've never been able to figure out how she does it, but I have never read one (and I've read them all) that left me feeling that I had wasted my time or been disappointed.  I always end up happy with the story but sad that it has ended!  If you haven't read Katie Fforde, try one.  You won't be sorry!

THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU (Liv Constantine)

COME, MY BELOVED (Pearl Buck)

SUNSET BEACH (Mary Kay Andrews)

If you looking for a good mystery / beach read / women's fiction novel, check out Andrews' latest.  You may feel like your not sure where the author is going with this at first.  After all, it has a beach, a conflicted heroine going through some major life changes, deep-seated family problems, and a potential romance, just what you would expect from a novel by Andrews, but the mystery that runs through the novel might throw you off.  I'll let you in on something you may not realize, though: Mary Kay Andrews is also mystery author Kathy Hogan Trochek, so maybe the mystery part is not so odd!

Drue Campbell is grieving for her late mother, Sherri, who recently died after a long illness.  Drue is in a dead-end job and suffering from a devastating knee injury that has made impossible for her to pursue kite-boarding, her favorite activity.  When her estranged father calls he informs her that she is the heir to her grandparents' cottage, she decides to pull up stakes and move to the dilapidated cottage at Sunset Beach, which she proceeds to restore.  Her father, now married to her high school nemesis, offers her a job in his law office, which she reluctantly accepts.  During the course of her first few weeks on the job, Drue becomes interested in a wrongful death case and starts investigating on her own.

Once I got into this I couldn't put it down.  Drue is a strong, likable, and compassionate woman who isn't afraid to pursue justice on behalf of someone else.  I'd recommend it.

TAGGED FOR DEATH (Sherry Harris)

THE SECOND SISTER (Marie Bostwick)

MAJOR PETTIGREW''S LAST STAND (Helen Simonson)

I think I would have to classify Major Pettigrew's Last Stand as one of my favorite novels ever.  I had decided to listen to audiobooks in my car as I was making frequent trips to see my mother in Massachusetts and I was very fortunate to pick this one.  It is the incredibly heart-warming story of an old-fashioned, set-in-his-ways widower, a retired major, Ernest Pettigrew, living in a little English Village called Edgecombe St. Mary.  When he receives word that his only brother has died, the Major is shaken, but he ends up embarrassed when Pakistani neighbor and shop-owner Mrs. Ali catches him cleaning his house wearing his wife's dressing gown over his clothes (it makes him feel closer to her), when she stops over with some comforting tea and biscuits.

Watching the blossoming relationship between a traditional upper-class Englishman and the sweet, caring Jasmina Ali is a wonderful experience. Their friendship forms over a mutual love of the works of Kipling and the shared experience of widowhood and as the relationship evolves the very proper major begins to question some of the accepted societal norms that have been a part of his life.  Every single moment of this novel was a joy to read!

THE FORGOTTEN ROOM (Karen White)

HOPE ON THE INSIDE (Marie Bostwick)

THE GLASS OCEAN (Beatriz Williams, Karen White, Lauren Willig)

This novel has it all: romance, political intrigue, adventure, suspense, history, petty theft, and interesting characters.  I listened to the audio version.  My only complaint about that is that one of the readers glaringly mispronounced several words.  I would highly recommend any version of this novel, which takes place on the doomed Lusitania in May 1915 and in England 98 years later.  It's intriguing that 3 popular authors collaborated to write 3 separate, yet overlapping, stories.  Apparently, they won't reveal who write which sections!  I'm planning to read their other collaborative novel, The Forgotten Room, soon.

BITTERSWEET (Susan Wittig Albert)

A DAGGER BEFORE ME (Jeanne Dams)

THE GLASS OCEAN (Beatriz Williams)

MY VERY 90'S ROMANCE (Jenny Colgan)

MURDER IN THE LOCKED LIBRARY (Ellery Adams)

DEATH AND DAISIES (Amanda Flower)

PEONY (Pearl Buck)

GO TO MY GRAVE (Catriona McPherson)

GOOD RIDDANCE (Elinor Lipman)

I picked this up from our newest books going out to the shelves for the first time.  It's a funny, quirky book full of odd characters, but not too odd.  Daphne Maritch, the protagonist, is clearing out after the demise of her brief, ill-fated mistake of a marriage when she decides to recycle her mother's class of '68 yearbook.  Her mother wasn't a member of the Pickering, NH high school class of 1968, but a teacher, and the heavily annotated yearbook was left to Daphne in her will.  Daphne has no idea why her mother considered the yearbook valuable or why she attended class reunions every year.  Her father, the high school principal, never attended with his wife.  When the yearbook fails to pass the joy test Daphne she tosses it in the recycle bin where it is found by her neighbor, Geneva, a "filmmaker" who decides to make a documentary about Mrs. Maritch and the class of '68. 

Despite Daphne's efforts to reclaim the yearbook, Geneva coerces her into attending the next reunion to help her sort out the graduates and discover the story behind the yearbook.  Needless to say, some unwanted secrets are revealed at the reunion, secrets that make Daphne even more determined to stop Geneva's project and get the yearbook out of her life.

There are some interesting characters here.  Daphne herself is not particularly likable, but Geneva, Mr. Winters, and neighbor Jeremy are appealing enough.  I know I enjoyed the novel and I know I'd recommend it, but I can't exactly say why!

PERIL IN THE COTSWOLDS (Rebecca Tope)

Something about Rebecca Tope's writing reminds of Joanna Trollope - the village, the family life, the low-key approach to the story.

Former house sitter Thea Slocombe is recently married to married to Drew and they have moved with his 2 children to the village of Broad Campden, where Drew is an undertaker dedicated to natural burials.  Thea's attempt to get to know her neighbors results in the gruesome discovery of a neighbor's body in the deep freeze, with her husband nowhere to be found.  Thea isn't satisfied with the police investigation and starts looking into the crime herself.

Normally Cotswold villages leave me thirsting for more, but this one is a bit too low key for me (hence, the comparison to Trollope).  I would call this series "pleasant," a nice way to spend an afternoon.  Don't pass it over if you want a calm read, but don't expect thrills, either.

I OWE YOU ONE (Sophie Kinsella)

Sophie Kinsella seems to keep upping her game with each new novel.  This one, to me, seems as fresh as her first.  Her main character, Fixie Farr, is one of those people who get taken for granted, whose competence and dedication end up encouraging others to walk all over her.  Fixie, along with her mother, runs the family store according to her late father's motto, "Family first," picking up the slack from her entitled brother and sister.  She a girl who believes the best of everyone and has a hard time saying "No" to anyone.

One day Fixie meets Sebastian, an investment manager, in a coffee shop and saves his laptop from destruction when the ceiling caves in.  He gives her an IOU written on a coffee sleeve, which she never intends to use, but when Fixie's old boyfriend Ryan returns to the UK after a year in Hollywood she is anxious to rekindle their relationship, believing that her lifelong crush on him will develop into a lifelong love.  The reader can see what scum Ryan is (he left for Los Angeles without even saying goodbye and is obviously a user), but Fixie, blinded by what she believes is love, agrees to cash in her IOU by asking Sebastian to give Ryan a job.  At the same time, her siblings and uncle have stepped in to "improve" the family store in her mother's absence.  Any astute reader can see where all of this is going, but it is so fun to watch!

Overall, I enjoyed this novel from start to finish.  Sophie Kinsella's talent seems to be getting better with age.  I hope she keeps writing for a long time to come!

THE GOLDEN TRESSES OF THE DEAD (Alan Bradley)

I'll admit that I was kind of worried about what would happen when Flavia aged, but I don't think we have anything to fear.  She and Dogger have opened their own business, Arthur Dogger and Associates, dedicated to solving crimes discreetly.

Flavia's older sister Ophelia (Feely) is rendered hysterical at her wedding reception when she cuts into her cake and finds in it a human finger, an object that is quickly and efficiently spirited away for testing by Flavia, who is, of course, delighted by this unexpected turn of events,.  She and Dogger set out to discover the owner of the finger, a quest that leads them into a tangled web of deceit and, yes, desecration of corpses for monetary gain!  Several of the reviews I read indicated that they were disappointed in the evolution of Flavia and her more subdued personality in this book, but I found it a natural progression as the character matures.  I give this one a thumbs up!

THE LAST MRS. PARRISH (Live Constantine)

Amber Patterson is fed up with being a "have not," especially since the world she occupies seems to be filled with "haves" like the beautiful socialite Daphne Parrish, whose enviable marriage and bank account turn Amber green with envy.  Intent on stealing the handsome Jackson Patterson from under Daphne's unsuspecting nose, Amber worms her way into Daphne's life and family, beginning with the made-up story of her sister who, coincidently, died of cystic fibrosis, just like Daphne's sister.  The two bond when Amber volunteers to help with Daphne's fundraiser for CF and soon become close friends, even as Amber plots to take the unsuspecting Daphne's place in Bishop's Harbor, Connecticut.

It is true that none of us really knows what goes on behind closed doors.  The grass may look greener beyond the fence, but is it, really?   Constantine's plotting is clever and her characters are revealed at just the right pace to keep the reader.  There are lots of surprising twists and turns that reminded me of Gone Girl and similar thrillers.  Highly recommended!

FLIPPED FOR MURDER (Maddie Day)

This is a great start to the appealing Country Store mystery series by the author of the Quaker Midwide series, Edith Maxwell (writing here as Maddie Day). 

Robbie Jordan has moved back to South Lick, Indiana after the death of her mother to be near her mother's sister, Aunt Adele.  She opens Pans n' Pancakes, a cozy country restaurant that also sells vintage-style kitchen equipment, but soon after her grand opening, the mayor's obnoxious assistant is found dead with one of Robbie's cheesy biscuits stuffed into her mouth.  There's nothing like opening a new business and immediately becoming a murder suspect, but Robbie apparently has no motive!

Day offers a great group of interesting characters with a lot of potential for development in future books.  There is also the intriguing subplot about Robbie's father, whose identity has never been revealed to her.  I know that the author earned her doctorate in linguistics in Indiana, so I enjoyed every instance of local dialect that she included in the story.  I would give this series a definite thumbs up!

THE AU PAIR (Emma Rous)

What a novel!  The absolute only complaint that I have about it is the some of the same people appear in the two timelines (1992 and 2017) of the book, resulting in just a touch of confusion for my poor old brain.

In the spring of 1992, Ruth and Dominic Mayes hire Laua Silviera for a year to care for their 4-year-old son, Edwin.  Laura, who has been dealing with family problems and health issues, welcomes the move away from her stultifying home to the Summerbourne estate and enjoys her time with Edwin.  According to Dominic, Ruth is moody and depressed due to her inability to conceive another child, especially after the untimely death of Edwin's twin, Theo.  Eventually, Ruth becomes pregnant but commits suicide on the same day that she gives birth.

Seraphine Mayes, her twin brother Danny, and older brother Edwin mourn the accidental death of their father, Dominic, in 2017. When Seraphine finds a picture of Dominic, Edwin, and her mother, Ruth holding ONE infant, she begins to question her identity.  Who is the baby in the picture, Seraphine or Danny?  Where is the other twin?  The picture had to have been taken on the day that they were born because their mother went over the cliff that afternoon.  Danny strongly resembles Edwin, but Seraphine does not.  When Seraphine tracks down Laura Silviera for information it sets off a series of dangerous and unexplained events that seem to be related to her inquiries.

Rous has written an intriguing novel that will keep the reader engaged right up until the end.  It has a great twist that you won't see coming.  It is highly recommended!

SAFE HAVEN (Patricia MacDonald)

You can always count on Patricia MacDonald to deliver a great thriller.  Her novels remind me of Mary Higgins Clark's early work.  I do have to say, though that Dena Russell, MacDonald's main character, does not have particularly good judgment in choosing men. nor does she appear to be overly perceptive to subtle character nuances that could save her a lot of trouble in the long run!  I also have to say that I guessed who the "bad guy" was before page 100 (I admit that I actually then glanced at that last pages to confirm my suspicions), but it didn't ruin the novel for me because there were so many red herrings, suspicious characters, and plot twists that there was no time for boredom!

Dena Russell is expecting a child with her increasingly volatile boyfriend, Brian, a high school crush that turned into an adult affair when she returned to town for a reunion.  She moved back from Chicago to be with Brian after discovering that she was pregnant, but when he becomes violent she reports him to the police and moves out.  Old friends, weirdly uncooperative cops, and suspicious deaths provide an abundance of action in this fast-paced novel.  I always recommend Patricia MacDonald!

NINE PERFECT STRANGERS (Liane Moriarty)

A luxury spa sounds sounds like the perfect way to unwind, rejuvenate, and maybe lose a few pounds.  Tranquillum Resort is the destination of 9 diverse strangers (2 of them a young married couple who recently won the lottery) who all have their private reasons for booking a 10-day stay at the resort.  Frances is a romance writer in a slump, Ben and Jessica have been struggling to find their relationship again, Tony wants to change his life, Napoleon, Heather, and Zoe share grief and guilt, Lars is addicted to spas, and Carmel wants to lose weight. 

Moriarty has successfully presented the story from all points of view - the 9 strangers and the spa founder, Masha, and her staff, Yao and Desiree - giving each characters turns to express their insecurities, hopes, and dreams.  Of course, this wouldn't be an interesting novel without twists, turns, discoveries, and unexpected events, which Moriarty provides abundantly.  She makes the reader care about each and every character, even the unlikable ones!  I would call Nine Perfect Strangers an excellent way to spend a weekend (but, please, don't book into Tranquillum!).