tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15560745126770113642024-03-24T14:54:52.820-07:00The Nomadic LibrarianThe Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-41815905107014284052024-03-24T14:54:00.000-07:002024-03-24T14:54:17.123-07:00The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVt8XmXZ0lbMHPA2R4sc77nFgskAO8-ZMF0m1gEz_5YH2nk98GiFPhpctHfHk57coaFxzlet8zQEhz6MUPfCB1XU4IixIs4nPA_AdPkN5Gy2FJFKEYBJdQRGwu4E4Z3_GVhVat1brrAUL777NQPosj_YNSOD0GL8HRoRGuWYmfac_NNbSijXGhUXmMLG4/s552/Screenshot%202024-03-24%20at%202.40.22%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVt8XmXZ0lbMHPA2R4sc77nFgskAO8-ZMF0m1gEz_5YH2nk98GiFPhpctHfHk57coaFxzlet8zQEhz6MUPfCB1XU4IixIs4nPA_AdPkN5Gy2FJFKEYBJdQRGwu4E4Z3_GVhVat1brrAUL777NQPosj_YNSOD0GL8HRoRGuWYmfac_NNbSijXGhUXmMLG4/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-24%20at%202.40.22%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="215" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Legal thrillers aren’t my usual genre. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read more than a few. However, after reading <i>The Truth About the Devlins</i> and enjoying it immensely, I’m eager to read more of Scottoline’s books. She’s a former lawyer herself who, in her own words, hews “as close to the law when there are legal situations in the novels.”</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />In this story about a family of lawyers and TJ (the narrator, the youngest sibling, the college dropout, and the recovering alcoholic), the plot revolves around the mysterious death of a corporate accountant and how TJ and his older brother John are caught up in the mystery, to the point that they’ve put themselves and their entire family in the criminals’ crosshairs. However, it’s also about addiction and the lengths those afflicted will go to chase the high, the selfish actions they take that put people at risk, and the toll it takes on their loved ones.<br /><br />Daughter Gabby Devlin, who is dedicated to her pro bono work, elicits TJ’s help as the family firm’s investigator on an actual civil case involving men incarcerated in Holmesburg Prison between 1951 and 1974. Without informed consent, they were subjected to legal, but unethical medical experimentation led by Dr. Albert Kligman, a dermatology professor at UPenn, that left them with horrendous scarring and often fatal illnesses as well as PTSD. Although the men in the book are fictional, the horrors the actual former inmates faced and the lengths the complicit corporations (who benefitted from the experiments), doctors, and our military and CIA went to avoid any civil or criminal liability are as appalling as what the Nazis did to concentration camp prisoners. You can read more about this in the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">novel </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Acres of Skin </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">by </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">eyewitness Dr. Allen Hornblum </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">who believes these experiments violated the Nuremberg Code.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The pacing of this story is perfect, keeping you on the edge of your seat while trying to figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together. TJ’s narration is charming, vulnerable, and honest, and you can’t help but hurt for him while also cheering him on. Whether or not you’re a legal thriller fan, I highly recommend you read this story. <br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-42158896698209006182024-03-23T19:00:00.000-07:002024-03-23T19:00:33.384-07:00The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj0fRc4wyZiiJ6zVOOPXVUgDgImlNqbaiyvDhPuCpwEaZ-kzWZuwtPkb92j7cKMFiU8SMLDR8q7BV8fsvfkQDaGRdWuvI3zz615ejklDkEZbRpK-YxlxFynlbREFZKzBbclCSUhTzZMvqz3AECx6GSiH04-LZDFmEH_bydCtk-Gaf439NIVTykTkp2o9t/s420/Trail%20of%20Los%20Hearts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj0fRc4wyZiiJ6zVOOPXVUgDgImlNqbaiyvDhPuCpwEaZ-kzWZuwtPkb92j7cKMFiU8SMLDR8q7BV8fsvfkQDaGRdWuvI3zz615ejklDkEZbRpK-YxlxFynlbREFZKzBbclCSUhTzZMvqz3AECx6GSiH04-LZDFmEH_bydCtk-Gaf439NIVTykTkp2o9t/s320/Trail%20of%20Los%20Hearts.png" width="209" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">4*<br /><br /><br />This is the 2nd book by Graves I’ve read, the first being <i>The Girl He Used to Know</i>. That one remains one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read, and I’ve recommended it to countless people. This one is also a tender love story, but it didn’t grab me quite the same way. I found the pacing a bit slow and, as an “indoorsy” person, I couldn’t get excited about geo-caching, the activity that brought Wren and Marshall together, but also provided much of the framework for the story.<br /><br />I appreciate this romance in which the couple, despite tragic circumstances that have left them grief-stricken and wary of starting a new relationship, have the maturity and personal integrity to communicate as openly as their wounded souls will allow them to while acknowledging that trust takes time to build and that healing does not follow a linear path. In <i>The Trail of Lost Hearts</i>, these two start as friends who quickly develop feelings but live thousands of miles apart. What should have been a brief fling turns into so much more but Wren, having been betrayed in the worst sort of way in her previous relationship, isn’t willing to accept anything less than a man who “checks all the boxes” and doesn’t hold anything back. She’s self-aware enough to recognize that and to be honest about her boundaries. The irony is that he, as a psychologist, needs to get help in coming to terms with his own loss so that he can share his feelings and his future with Wren. The question is, will the tenuous connection they made in their week together be enough to motivate them to do the emotional work they need to be together, especially when Wren drops a huge surprise?<br /><br />If you’re a reader looking for romances with depth, mutual caring and consideration, a focus on relationship-building, and a small touch of spice, this is one worth checking out. If you’re a fan of the great outdoors, even better, since the scenes in Oregon sound breathtaking. Recommended.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-12797423170046244562024-03-13T19:07:00.000-07:002024-03-13T19:07:49.058-07:00One Moment by Becky Hunter<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovX-RtOlE_z5HrNQPyQ2zfkDIyfwczZTJcXUQpu7vVRHbzqCs5mOBqxvfpFyTOFcF_nzY4jIdb_zbw3ALAEKkBCNxDNLMlb-EAJ6gDy9g2jKnFDGLmS482dUFe7b3unnUrZTCKj2mEKnLcDC1nmNqKdY4JWPW_swOvmigk3ebUZ9wN-Ofv30LjWUnhhPR/s549/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%205.37.32%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovX-RtOlE_z5HrNQPyQ2zfkDIyfwczZTJcXUQpu7vVRHbzqCs5mOBqxvfpFyTOFcF_nzY4jIdb_zbw3ALAEKkBCNxDNLMlb-EAJ6gDy9g2jKnFDGLmS482dUFe7b3unnUrZTCKj2mEKnLcDC1nmNqKdY4JWPW_swOvmigk3ebUZ9wN-Ofv30LjWUnhhPR/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%205.37.32%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">3*<br /><br />I struggled to get into this story, due to the content rather than the writing style. Hunter did a good job of creating characters with depth and navigating a story from two perspectives: the ghost of Scarlett and a third-person narrator of Evie’s life post-Scarlett. I guess I’m just not in the headspace to be able to handle a story that starts with a tragic death and has a main character who is trying to come to grips with a devastating health diagnosis while still in her 20s as well as the loss of her best friend. <br /><br />Usually when a ghost features heavily in a book, it’s because they have unfinished business and can somehow influence outcomes. In this case, Scarlett was simply an observer and commentator who couldn’t be seen, couldn’t move objects, and had no way of communicating with the living. So, other than her witnessing how her loved ones are coping with the grief, we don’t know until the end what conclusion she draws for her lingering presence, and it’s rather frustrating that she can’t “show herself.”<br /><br />I enjoyed the romance between Evie and Nate, especially how thoughtful, supportive, and even-keeled he is (really a perfect book boyfriend). In his non-judgmental, non-pitying way, he helps Evie realize that life doesn’t end with a diagnosis; it just means she has to adapt to her new, unpredictable normal. Likewise, she helps him see that slowing down his itinerant lifestyle as a travel journalist to form a connection won’t have negative consequences. <br /><br />If I could separate my own feelings from the narrative, I’d give it 4*, but since I struggled to get into it, I’ve dropped it to 3*. However, for readers who don’t mind depressing topics combined a very slow burn, closed door romance, it would be worth checking this out.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p></div><p><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-13176816411482249002024-03-10T11:39:00.000-07:002024-03-10T12:14:30.940-07:00Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be #4) by Christina Lauren<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2GgdREFaVM3wWKuH5O9IDgORLUPss6IvI-HQlHdr4l1CZgym0OTMFEmnXbpvdS932uk-W1xP2vzRVAXcDLUQLVzflpe4giO-AhR0q-7jzWmxXzSyrJJpNKihK2tliRXKk1YGa2ueUnmywvvsbbRLA9fINWpCxWVLn9Tx40hPcrjSi34QuoN0y-662fNO/s557/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20at%2010.23.44%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2GgdREFaVM3wWKuH5O9IDgORLUPss6IvI-HQlHdr4l1CZgym0OTMFEmnXbpvdS932uk-W1xP2vzRVAXcDLUQLVzflpe4giO-AhR0q-7jzWmxXzSyrJJpNKihK2tliRXKk1YGa2ueUnmywvvsbbRLA9fINWpCxWVLn9Tx40hPcrjSi34QuoN0y-662fNO/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20at%2010.23.44%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="202" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5* <br />(release date: 6/25/24)<br /><br />Contemporary, creative retelling of Disney’s Rapunzel movie, <i>Tangled</i>. <br /><br />In <i>Tangled Up in You</i>, the writing duo Christina Lauren spins a backstory of how Rapunzel (Ren) ended up isolated from society for years until the fateful meeting with Flynn (Fitz). I love Ren’s wide-eyed innocence and inherent goodness and how bad boy Fitz, despite his desperate need to protect himself and trust no one, can’t help but want to be a better man for her. The use of a road trip with forced proximity in a variety of hotel rooms is a great plot device, giving the couple plenty of time to get to know each other through endless days of driving with stops at famous tourist traps along the way. (The biker bar scene is especially endearing.) Yes, Ren is seeing a world she only knew from books after her sheltered childhood, but Fitz is also viewing everything through a new lens, and it is actually Ren who is rescuing him. <br /><br />I haven’t read any of the other books in the <i>Meant to Be</i> series, but I’m so glad Disney placed this story in Christina Lauren’s very capable hands. They have shown their readers that, although fairy tales are just make-believe, it is possible to have a happily-ever-after following heartbreak. Every great story has its roots in reality, and I love the characters and story they created to bring Rapunzel characters to life. Highly recommended clean romance for both teens and adults who need reminding that happy endings can exist.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Hyperion Avenue through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span><br /><p></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-42276778275442747032024-02-28T19:06:00.000-08:002024-02-28T19:06:54.420-08:00Happily Never After by Lynn Painter<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1dz_vdB-Xk-IehGVqW87sSLEYbIzmtfkbXJ8uUPOo73bFoOT-iOrcmJxYnCG-Yd5OTEK3UGbvT-46Ki0LabJ2fMl-18GL3iOlwtpkSthLnqB0_T2JheYeuMXXfVh9OQrnTeeByu2zaxEax3SiDQPFeTuGR3cFo8tl1zAo4Qo8nhW-A2iNbGPit6j0io6/s421/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%207.03.20%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1dz_vdB-Xk-IehGVqW87sSLEYbIzmtfkbXJ8uUPOo73bFoOT-iOrcmJxYnCG-Yd5OTEK3UGbvT-46Ki0LabJ2fMl-18GL3iOlwtpkSthLnqB0_T2JheYeuMXXfVh9OQrnTeeByu2zaxEax3SiDQPFeTuGR3cFo8tl1zAo4Qo8nhW-A2iNbGPit6j0io6/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%207.03.20%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="194" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /><br />I absolutely loved this book! Lynn Painter has such a talent for infusing her characters’ dialogue with humor. As a result, her books are all feel-good romances that we need with so much wrong going on in the world. In Happily Never After, she employs the fake relationship trope…that isn’t. <br /><br />Sophie meets Max, a architect/engineer, when he is hired by her best friend and maid of honor to object to her wedding to Stuart on the grounds that he’s cheating. (It’s a side gig he fell into by accident.) Since she didn’t actually love him, she’s able to work out her aggressions by lobbing Twinkies at his car from the balcony of the bridal suite. When Max comes to collect payment, they end up spending hours drinking and talking. A couple of weeks later, he calls out of the blue to remind her of her offer to be the Objectress to his Objector, thus starting a beautiful friendship fueled by “halting a lifetime of misery, one wedding at a time.” When her boss tells her she needs a better work-life balance if she’s going to recommend her for promotion and his father says he can’t retire until his mother is convinced he’s “taken care of” (i.e., in a committed relationship), they play up the “friendship” with cosy photos posted on social media and conveniently-timed FaceTime calls in front of witnesses that hint at a deeper relationship, while stressing they’re just friends. With Max believing in love but avoiding it after a painful break-up (figuring the risk is greater than the reward) and Sophie convinced it doesn’t exist at all (especially after being cheated on in every relationship she’s had), a friends with benefits scenario is awfully tempting. Will they be the exception to the rule and manage to not fall in love?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The chemistry between these two delightful characters is scorching, in large part because of the respect they have for each other, their honest communication, and the laughter and lightness they share. Max is the perfect book boyfriend, and Sophie is a smart, successful businesswoman who actually does manage to find time for a social life. To add even more levity to this delightful story, Painter introduces Larry and Rose, Sophie’s meddling, irreverent, geriatric roommates who move in to help with rent after she kicks Stuart out. They’re like cool, protective grandparents who live to embarrass her but who also dole out sage advice on her love life.<br /><br />If you’re looking for a convincing, witty, light-hearted romance that doesn’t rely on tired tropes, you’ll love this book. Highly recommended!<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-75246743622011900582024-02-26T17:07:00.000-08:002024-02-26T17:07:14.861-08:00Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYc973VKVBB7Dpw9tQCCyNAiI35RBkgBY9N8UeW6c4_Tans39IWnzqAds7kYu-02FKfErSoTEtr5jHxtQElrHcaJlsTlDP3nJuyWw0occt-7wqs_wdjZKhxVb-ac7WjtcKHx0I2UMKWfVcldzbxS2MiRpFyDH1yQoQfQjl5zpyMFR84jraSMKUb6q9iBR/s418/Screenshot%202024-02-26%20at%205.04.53%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="272" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYc973VKVBB7Dpw9tQCCyNAiI35RBkgBY9N8UeW6c4_Tans39IWnzqAds7kYu-02FKfErSoTEtr5jHxtQElrHcaJlsTlDP3nJuyWw0occt-7wqs_wdjZKhxVb-ac7WjtcKHx0I2UMKWfVcldzbxS2MiRpFyDH1yQoQfQjl5zpyMFR84jraSMKUb6q9iBR/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-26%20at%205.04.53%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">3*<br /><br />Abbey Bly is the daughter of an aging rock star who quit touring when she was 11 to become an overprotective, full-time dad. The last thing he wants is for Abbey to repeat his mistakes. So, when she announces she is going to Pembridge University in London for her sophomore year, he doesn’t take the news well. When she arrives, she discovers that what she thought were three female roommates are actually attractive men (with androgynous names). Lee is the fashionable gay one, Jamie the whorish aristocratic one, and Jack the Australian Chris Hemsworth lookalike who she’s instantly attracted to. However, the number one (and only) house rule is no fraternizing among housemates.<br /><br />Unlike their American counterparts, these three are not impressed with her dad’s fame which is a huge relief to her. As Jamie says, “Englishmen only make a big deal about pints and footy.” Being the daughter of a rockstar and a groupie, Abbey never understood musician worship until her first night out with the gang…when she’s dumbstruck by the edgy singer/guitarist on stage, Nate. Soon, she’s juggling her feelings for two guys and still keeping the truth of her living arrangement from her dad.<br /><br />In addition to the romance, there’s also a mystery element to Girl Abroad. Shortly after Abbey is given a year-long assignment to research and report on an interesting topic, she discovers a painting of a mysterious woman from the 1940s-50s at an estate sale at an ancestral home of the Tulley family, aristocrats who have fallen on hard times. She decides to investigate what this woman’s connection is to the Tulleys, one of whom paid to have her portrait painted. The only clue she has is a Dear John letter tucked into the back of the frame from Josephine to the man she’s rejecting. Josephine was in a love triangle, and it’s Abbey’s job to discover who she chose and what became of them all. As a librarian and lover of research, I found this subplot really compelling.<br /><br />One big frustration I had that almost spoiled the book completely for me is that nearly halfway through the book, Abbey is in a love triangle with two different guys, but she can’t have either of them. It’s a double slow burn, but when it catches fire, it feels almost like cheating although none of them is willing to commit. It’s all a little too messy for my taste, especially when the feelings are strong all around. I didn’t feel Abbey had enough of a personality for two guys to fall for her, and her behavior was really hypocritical. Unfortunately, aside from the mystery element, there isn’t much to recommend this story. It falls far short of Kennedy’s hockey romances.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Bloom Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span><br /> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-37700746420902805612024-02-26T13:59:00.000-08:002024-02-26T17:56:48.807-08:00The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hDYTZndZXA6x2k5Nt1DzoLJLYc9pYL83dE0Ta0IsKnv9M2TyblC85-ZWT6Xt7EtNvLPjywN-oaOeckVymiTeU2TEsR9USzX6X7c1h2j4VaeIRfIT8s6qyNcvtcQFkstG-aKiViU-RAiR3Edx9zZqDdL0x9467MHQn4c20DdnhD3GyAdzON3lv8aNjgbM/s555/Screenshot%202024-02-26%20at%2012.23.00%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="356" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hDYTZndZXA6x2k5Nt1DzoLJLYc9pYL83dE0Ta0IsKnv9M2TyblC85-ZWT6Xt7EtNvLPjywN-oaOeckVymiTeU2TEsR9USzX6X7c1h2j4VaeIRfIT8s6qyNcvtcQFkstG-aKiViU-RAiR3Edx9zZqDdL0x9467MHQn4c20DdnhD3GyAdzON3lv8aNjgbM/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-26%20at%2012.23.00%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />5*<br /><br />Clayborn has done it again, written a beautiful romance framed by a complex story that proves that true love can flourish, even under the most trying conditions.<br /><br />In The Other Side of Disappearing, Jess has parented her younger sister Tegan for ten years after their mother Charlotte left them to travel with a con man, Lynton Bainbridge. During that time, Jess has dedicated her entire life to ensuring that Tegan is safe and loved, sacrificing her own wants and needs, including pursuing any romantic relationships or friendships. When their life is suddenly upended by the arrival of podcaster Salem Durant and Adam Hawkins, who Tegan (pretending to be Jess) contacted about her mother’s involvement with Lynton (the subject of Salem’s groundbreaking show before he disappeared with their mother), Jess has no choice but to reluctantly accompany them on a road trip that follows the clues from five postcards her mother sent before she completely disappeared. <br /><br />From Tennessee to Florida to a stop at Adam’s family farm in Missouri and then onto Oklahoma, New Mexico and finally Washington, Jess and Adam grow close despite her trust issues, worry about Tegan, and anger at both Salem for digging into her painful past and her mother for prioritizing men over her daughters. On the other side of Charlotte’s disappearance is the complex trauma which Jess tried desperately to suppress. Confronted with the past and the choices Charlotte made, the feelings of betrayal, abandonment, and Jess’s fear that she failed to make the right choices in trying to protect Tegan force their way to the surface. When the mystery is solved, will the fallout be more than Jess can handle? <br /><br />Clayborn wisely chose a dual point of view to delve deeply into what both Jess and Adam are thinking and feeling. Although Adam is falling for Jess, his emotions and motivations are influenced by the death of his best friend and football teammate Cole and his need to set the record straight about the NFL’s and others’ handling of his mental illness and complicity in his death. How he balances his needs with his awareness of Jess’s issues is neither trite nor sensationalized. They’re just two traumatized human beings who are figuring themselves out and acknowledging their flaws and insecurities. This emotional and slightly steamy love story wrapped in a mystery is heartwarming and unforgettable. Highly recommended!<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Kensington through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Tags: </span>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-52821183977144488612024-02-21T15:35:00.000-08:002024-02-21T15:56:00.835-08:00Right on Cue by Falon Ballard<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyU4Ecx8sB9JbJx-n1Di2HVCFt8D348Lg7xjSSRdC6U5HdSYdgvQ4FbXOYEFzHGymHvBEmZLeor4RL5wbzxfMsb1mpmfoE8_PSCfH250W0rxaPAsZsaKKTeB0BrjFrKdVtl7zfT-yXJSj48kg4nirhC3jTS2N7phYyjBmS3ahBW54p00t3ARXb3LUdclH/s432/Screenshot%202024-02-21%20at%203.27.29%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyU4Ecx8sB9JbJx-n1Di2HVCFt8D348Lg7xjSSRdC6U5HdSYdgvQ4FbXOYEFzHGymHvBEmZLeor4RL5wbzxfMsb1mpmfoE8_PSCfH250W0rxaPAsZsaKKTeB0BrjFrKdVtl7zfT-yXJSj48kg4nirhC3jTS2N7phYyjBmS3ahBW54p00t3ARXb3LUdclH/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-21%20at%203.27.29%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">3*</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Spoilers ahead</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">*<br />Although this is a cute, spicy Hallmark-esque, enemies-to-lovers rom-com, it is just too much of a cliche to be more than 3* for me. I didn’t understand whether Emmy’s hesitancy towards falling for Grayson was due to her father’s untimely death and fear of losing someone else she loved or her lingering hurt feelings over something that happened between them when she was just 15 and he was 17. Either way, it just seemed to be a contrivance to drive the plot. On top of that, I’m also not a fan of a 3rd act break-up, especially when it’s due to eavesdropping and a failure to communicate. Overall, this lacked strong character development, and maybe it’s because I live in LA and am tired of “the industry”, but I just couldn’t get into the relationship between two successful stars and the public’s obsession with their romance.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p></div></div>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-62002431975601391202024-02-16T16:27:00.000-08:002024-02-16T16:27:25.592-08:00Ready or Not by Cara Bastone<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Yj4dQic5oLFBydokJybU0xc_446gz4X4RtOiq5Fy3oRzJMQdMDKlZ151QSAZH4OqYHJhTvq9_VtQVpnTaVlJ2WAq_rMeDIIBa-jpIhASKD0XKRkNk7PzA-1hpV3-7TVjEDx31cYX8d5P3fUlOIHH6URfb9ulyKhmBvntJ_ZhxpwJRYIakh7-4dBx01oH/s410/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%2011.31.57%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Yj4dQic5oLFBydokJybU0xc_446gz4X4RtOiq5Fy3oRzJMQdMDKlZ151QSAZH4OqYHJhTvq9_VtQVpnTaVlJ2WAq_rMeDIIBa-jpIhASKD0XKRkNk7PzA-1hpV3-7TVjEDx31cYX8d5P3fUlOIHH6URfb9ulyKhmBvntJ_ZhxpwJRYIakh7-4dBx01oH/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%2011.31.57%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="215" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />4*</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Shep’s the perfect book boyfriend in this friends-to-lovers, best friend’s older brother romance with an accidental pregnancy set in New York City.<br /><br />Eve floats through life, never really knowing what she wants. When she accidentally gets pregnant after a one-night-stand with Ethan, she struggles with acknowledging that her life is going to profoundly change once she has a child. When she tells her best friend Willa the news, her response is angry instead of congratulatory, since Willa and her husband has been trying to get pregnant while Eve never even talked about wanting children. Shep is the only one who’s happy for her and is there for her every step of the way. <br /><br />Eventually, Willa accuses Eve, in the gentlest of ways, of never knowing what she wants, whether it’s having a baby, starting a romantic relationship with Shep, or even getting promoted at work where her dream has always been to be a policy analyst in wildlife conservation (if she’s willing to get her Masters to earn the promotion). As her pregnancy advances and her crush on Shep grows, she has to do a lot of soul-searching and growing up.<br /><br />This is a charming, sexy romance with really likable characters. The chemistry between Eve and Shep is hot, as evidenced by how even a seemingly innocent hand massage is titillating. The lifelong friendship between Eve and Willa is tested, but their bond is so strong that it withstands Willa’s distancing herself and the natural displacement of being number one in each other’s lives when they each find their life partners. I really appreciated how Ethan wants to be involved in his baby’s life and that Eve helps him clear a path to make that happen. Shep is loving, kind, supportive and so tuned into her needs, instinctively knowing that he must play nice with Ethan because anything less will hurt Eve and the baby. If you’re looking for a feel-good, low angst, somewhat steamy, slow burn romance, here it is. Recommended.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from The Dial Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-72922750581277593382024-02-16T09:58:00.000-08:002024-02-16T09:58:43.975-08:00The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2Or2ZotuHbTjCl66wLZmCVz6rYXTC_v3sRq96T7Q5SV2IglR_w9Ph_u18QXCIlr6QRo-Aav7IntC2H8ee47CsAvo7RGtYdTgNcDpFFn6w0Hagn2qomMrY-hedF7Dtn-OtVx9zqaaMpxNKxh4A2HbEtbq9HBOcuMekxv5g5YwtsZ4meFZajd_DczFSw74/s547/Screenshot%202024-02-16%20at%2012.21.15%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="374" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2Or2ZotuHbTjCl66wLZmCVz6rYXTC_v3sRq96T7Q5SV2IglR_w9Ph_u18QXCIlr6QRo-Aav7IntC2H8ee47CsAvo7RGtYdTgNcDpFFn6w0Hagn2qomMrY-hedF7Dtn-OtVx9zqaaMpxNKxh4A2HbEtbq9HBOcuMekxv5g5YwtsZ4meFZajd_DczFSw74/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-16%20at%2012.21.15%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">4*<br /><br />I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan and am always so excited when a new book comes out. Unfortunately, this is not one of my favorites. It seems that the authors’ inspirations for The Paradise Problem were Succession and Pretty Woman (except for the prostitution). Although there’s a decent romance, the main plot is more of an exposé on corporate greed and corruption and the lengths a narcissistic man will go to protect himself and evade responsibility, even throwing his children under the bus.<br /><br />Even though Liam and Anna entered into a marriage of convenience in order for them to qualify for graduate family housing at UCLA, they lived together as strangers for only a year until he completed his PhD. So, it’s a surprise when Liam shows up on her doorstep, telling her they’re still married (she really should have read the documents she signed, thinking they were divorce papers) and that he needs her to accompany him to his sister’s wedding to play the devoted wife so that he doesn’t lose a substantial inheritance. She negotiates a generous payment (to help her with student loans and her father’s medical bills) since this is essentially a business arrangement. So, the feelings that grow between them during their brief time on the private Indonesian island seem unrealistically rushed. Yes, the sexual chemistry is there, but the emotional connection is slightly problematic. For Liam, it’s clear that Anna’s supportive and nurturing nature is humbling, if not a little scary, since he’s never had anyone who had his back and offered hugs and encouragement. It’s less clear what Liam offers Anna emotionally, especially after she becomes collateral damage in Liam’s efforts to protect his siblings. My guess is that she’s a natural empath and caretaker, and the damaged little boy inside Liam and his eventual willingness to share the pain his father’s evil machinations have inflicted on him are like catnip to her.<br /><br />I’ve still awarded this 4 stars for the Succession vibes that had me on edge the entire time, Anna’s funny banter and bonding with Liam’s niece, and the strength Anna’s emotional support gives Liam when his father’s manipulative tactics come to a head. Bottom line, the writing duo of Christina Lauren write compelling books that keep them at the top of the contemporary romance field, and this one is no exception. Recommended.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /></span><br />The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-84814983176831758432024-02-11T00:23:00.000-08:002024-02-11T00:23:26.588-08:00Clear by Carys Davies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFatJ5ElBECg-Xf2ApRL0Oy8YgLiELTGme4PIzS6X45BtyUvH6awSQEsiumMjoTKr6CgTU3RnVi9JdUtQ94xdahQT9HYtEePlHOQeAilppgh8DjOepFmk2N4rQmBQ-Mh20uSg2e-vjTBzWZzP1viXSNPJC25pJDInOfFku628fPnbFz0_XsNq53q79is2p/s558/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20at%2012.11.05%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFatJ5ElBECg-Xf2ApRL0Oy8YgLiELTGme4PIzS6X45BtyUvH6awSQEsiumMjoTKr6CgTU3RnVi9JdUtQ94xdahQT9HYtEePlHOQeAilppgh8DjOepFmk2N4rQmBQ-Mh20uSg2e-vjTBzWZzP1viXSNPJC25pJDInOfFku628fPnbFz0_XsNq53q79is2p/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-11%20at%2012.11.05%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /><br />This beautiful story was not at all what I expected. It’s about the Presbyterian ministers who broke from the established church in protest against the system of patronage (wealthy landowners could install their own ministers in parishes on their estates) and formed their own Free Church. However, they gave up their homes and their salaries (emoluments), so had to find alternate ways to earn income and funds for new church buildings until their congregations were self-sustainable. <br /><br />John Ferguson is one such minister who asks his brother-in-law if he knows of any work and ends up taking on the job of evicting the last inhabitant of a desolate Scottish island that the greedy British landlord wants to use for raising sheep. The story takes place towards the end of The Clearances, a punitive, inhumane practice begun after the Battle of Culloden in the mid-1700s that forced (often burned) Scottish people out of their homes and, if they survived, either onto land that was barren and ill-suited for farming or onto ships bound for the U.S., Canada and Australia.<br /><br />The day after John arrives on the island, he falls off a cliff and the following day, Ivar finds him, tends to his wounds, and nurses him back to health. In their weeks together, they use pantomime and other visual clues to learn each other’s language and form a strong bond. There’s a surprising twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.<br /><br />At just over 200 pages, this is a compact story that portrays the emotional toll The Clearances took on the Scottish people and what can happen when a good man takes on a task that is anathema to his moral compass and sees the human side of a tragedy up close rather than through the lens of greed. It’s a beautiful, atmospheric tale that, in little ways, is reminiscent of movies like The Banshees of Inisherin, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and The Piano. Highly recommended.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Scribner through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /></span>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-39710488523966978272024-02-08T15:22:00.000-08:002024-02-08T15:22:09.204-08:00Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-4l2XnBjaYxPYJtSquvtgWrWgxpRbloyr3i8F-EoXHBcvtM62fw-DULZ_tJNhKbfpDEQwSaXzfhVwx49WU8TFusbNiL3hyphenhyphenJekDMCzl1L7mcZV4a5CFrTKMePsdfjMxyyJcaycRh9I44Onrn6jLpP3L1qQayGy9PELAjS7OrDoDzzOVYN6_GC79n4wsxd/s567/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%202.42.55%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-4l2XnBjaYxPYJtSquvtgWrWgxpRbloyr3i8F-EoXHBcvtM62fw-DULZ_tJNhKbfpDEQwSaXzfhVwx49WU8TFusbNiL3hyphenhyphenJekDMCzl1L7mcZV4a5CFrTKMePsdfjMxyyJcaycRh9I44Onrn6jLpP3L1qQayGy9PELAjS7OrDoDzzOVYN6_GC79n4wsxd/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%202.42.55%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /><br />Another ambiguous ending? This is the second book of Serle’s that I’ve read (the first being <i>In Five Years</i>), and I feel like it’s a cop-out. Please, make a decision and don’t make your readers draw their own conclusions. Yes, I’m going to believe that Daphne is getting the happy ending I want for her, but it would have been better to read it on the page.<br /><br />The premise was interesting, but by Chapter Five, I was already thinking that, if Daphne knows the expiration date on a relationship, why doesn’t she end it sooner if she knows it won’t work out or if she knows her heart will be broken when she starts to catch feelings? I was also frustrated because, to me, it was obvious that she should be with Hugo who she’d had only a three month romantic relationship with but who she still remained close friends with five years later, not wanting to imagine her life without him. Isn’t that what love is all about, someone knowing all of your secrets and flaws, but still wanting to be in your life? Why does she let a little slip of paper decide for her?<br /><br />As for her relationship with Jake, it’s all so boring. Where’s the passion, the not being able to imagine a life without him in it? Jake’s a great guy, but he deserves better than someone who just wants a safety net because she doesn’t think she deserves anything more. Her parents love Hugo, her best friend thinks there’s still something there, and even Jake, after meeting Hugo for the first time, acknowledges that Hugo is in love with her. Yet, she lets a damn piece of paper determine her fate.<br /><br />I don’t actually think Serle is a romance writer based on the two books I’ve read, if your definition of romance is a clear happily-ever-after. I won’t be reading anymore because they leave me very dissatisfied. In <i>Expiration Dates</i>, there’s also way too much of Daphne’s introspective monologue obscuring the dialogue, and it annoys me that Daphne isn’t forthcoming with the men in her life (except Hugo).<br /><br />I chose this book to fulfill the prompt “Quick Read” in a book challenge I’m doing and, despite the fact that it’s only 272 pages and I’m generally a fast reader, it took me too many hours to slog through it. It’s not that she’s a terrible writer, by any means, but I just don’t like ambiguity in my romances. <br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span><br />The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-22027516077392383832024-02-07T12:52:00.000-08:002024-02-07T12:52:40.349-08:00The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtQZtPvqsr_HXql1INrMP3YJ-G6hdXS_p9UlCDu-5fTPV8xeLoxNizWCGZSAR49kxt3lEJh3b6GC5RtedFmhL4SDsoyfRkrMHs761ZCt3qw_PVeOP-Fo2V6PCxg5N_ZjX7yYbGyPRARshSFxPspVg-Dnk6SUqUyFBpTogLE9-e-_Ms3f_48KTbEiSEppd/s420/Screenshot%202024-02-07%20at%2012.48.06%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="278" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtQZtPvqsr_HXql1INrMP3YJ-G6hdXS_p9UlCDu-5fTPV8xeLoxNizWCGZSAR49kxt3lEJh3b6GC5RtedFmhL4SDsoyfRkrMHs761ZCt3qw_PVeOP-Fo2V6PCxg5N_ZjX7yYbGyPRARshSFxPspVg-Dnk6SUqUyFBpTogLE9-e-_Ms3f_48KTbEiSEppd/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-07%20at%2012.48.06%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /><br />After saving Good Witch Willow’s life, Lilah Goodluck (oh, the irony!) is given 5 predictions, whether she wants them or not. Her boyfriend will cheat on her, she’ll be passed over for a promotion at work, she’ll win the lottery (if she can remember the rapid-fire numbers the witch spouts), her soulmate’s name is Alistair George Arthur Lennox, the illegitimate and hot as hell son of the reigning King of England, and she’ll die in 9 days. After the first three come true in a matter of hours, she begins to worry that her days are truly numbered. When a distracted Lilah totals her car to avoid hitting Alistair’s, this serendipitous meet-cute with her own Prince Charming leads to 8 days of checking off items on her bucket list while trying to fight their growing attraction and feelings, lest they discover they’re soulmates and the final prediction of her death becomes inevitable. <br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed this first-person POV, light-hearted, instalove, grumpy/sunshine romance featuring a curvy librarian in Los Angeles and a prince with some serious trust issues and a need for control. It reads like a modern-day fairytale a la Pretty Woman, including a Rodeo Drive shopping spree, complete with a fake relationship, parental abandonment by the King, and some pretty steamy scenes given the intense chemistry between the two. I love the witty banter, not just between Lilah and Alistair, but also with Alistair’s free-spirited mother Lady Helena and her everyman Dougal. I really hope they make this into a movie with great actors because it would be a hoot and harken back to the golden age of romantic comedies. If you need a mood lifter and like romances with no third quarter break-up where the MCs have open, honest communication and bring out the best in each other, pick this one up. Highly recommended.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Graydon House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /></span><p></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-34679178398536170312024-02-06T18:12:00.000-08:002024-02-06T18:12:33.149-08:00The Lost Dresses of Italy by M.A. McLaughlin<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOcmwIHYQP7KOxgQIC3ObDDIExmbfUtUUBuc2ndDrU_FbqiHgmEy2aONSC68CYgS1kTOwBmuqdK3WlRqZI1sDtkbW9-isEu7zP6QyP-csdcNS_qT-ucFSkpK03qwokqZDFeFAvSy6E0wSNLPewgzic1shcjOValPuo8ntq5kxxjO_IUUfNEcIg8OXj07P/s558/Screenshot%202024-02-04%20at%204.29.12%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOcmwIHYQP7KOxgQIC3ObDDIExmbfUtUUBuc2ndDrU_FbqiHgmEy2aONSC68CYgS1kTOwBmuqdK3WlRqZI1sDtkbW9-isEu7zP6QyP-csdcNS_qT-ucFSkpK03qwokqZDFeFAvSy6E0wSNLPewgzic1shcjOValPuo8ntq5kxxjO_IUUfNEcIg8OXj07P/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-04%20at%204.29.12%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="216" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />5*<br /><br />All the best historical fiction seamlessly blends real events and people with fictional characters and, often, periods of historical figures’ lives from the author’s imagination. In this dual timeline story, McLaughlin introduces her readers to Marianne Baxter, a war widow and costume curator, who is invited to Verona, Italy in 1947 by a friend to research and restore three Victorian-era gowns for the reopening of a museum that was damaged during the war. When she finds a letter in a sleeve addressed to famed poet Christina Rossetti from her father, it begins a hunt for clues not only about the woman who wore the dresses, but also how they ended up in a walled-over room in the museum. In her postscript, McLaughlin mentions a cryptic quote from Christina Rossetti’s brother William, who accompanied her on her trip to Italy in 1865, which presumably was the inspiration for this fictionalized period of her life. “Had she [Christina] henceforth lived in Italy…she would, I believe, have been a much happier woman than she was.” <br /><br />The story opens with a murder outside the museum, when a young man in the Italian Resistance is double-crossed by a compatriot who kills him for the emerald he was about to sell to raise money for their cause. In the letter, Christina’s father writes of a pendant that she would have found after his death, a probable connection to the murder. As Marianne begins to follow the clues as to what transpired during Christina’s visit to Italy, it angers the museum director, Alessandro Forni, whose cousin was the murder victim. As he tells her, “Wading into the unfamiliar waters of a foreign country, which has so recently endured a bitter war, can stir up nothing but ugly things lurking in the depths.” This foreshadows what becomes a suspenseful mystery that combines the restoration of various art forms with jewelry theft, the physical and emotional toll war’s death and destruction had on the people and the morally dubious choices they had to make to survive, and an epic love story that has faint echoes to the most famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. So, it’s only fitting that most of the book is set in Verona. <br /><br />McLaughlin chose a dual POV, featuring two creative women eighty years apart who went to Italy and found love when they weren’t looking. Their trajectories were different, but their time there profoundly changed them. Don’t be surprised if you end up going down a rabbit hole Googling information about the Rossetti family, especially after reading the conversations between Christina and her more famous brother, Dante, both of whom their mother referred to as the “storms” (versus their other siblings, William and Maria, who were the “calms”). The Lost Dresses of Italy is a compelling story with vibrant characters driven by greed, obsession, passion, and grief, one that you won’t quickly forget. Highly recommended.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Alcove Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span><p></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-38927795702295504282024-02-04T15:57:00.000-08:002024-02-04T15:58:29.272-08:00The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrBOXX8tBUSgI2hp1JTv0SSdyFBMhgYfPn5lKOljSNbpeTVuId6YaneH6cDX2hUdf92EioW7T0iWkrWHvDITeFsyRgG1GFfJOiCMnfQR8itV_8dDmjFPYA0yUlZAzMOqpv1v5aqNBbqf-UF-VDV11kCOB8V1w1u2-IL8Qk2tILaD_Eory-vHPQkI3we_s/s417/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%2012.38.14%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrBOXX8tBUSgI2hp1JTv0SSdyFBMhgYfPn5lKOljSNbpeTVuId6YaneH6cDX2hUdf92EioW7T0iWkrWHvDITeFsyRgG1GFfJOiCMnfQR8itV_8dDmjFPYA0yUlZAzMOqpv1v5aqNBbqf-UF-VDV11kCOB8V1w1u2-IL8Qk2tILaD_Eory-vHPQkI3we_s/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%2012.38.14%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="206" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /><br /><i>The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard</i> exemplifies the best of historical fiction, seamlessly blending real events and people with fictional characters whose lives intersect. It combines a family saga, the mystery surrounding both Astrid’s disappearance and the identity of her father, and an exposé on the misogynistic toxicity of the fashion industry.<br /><br />In the author’s note, Lester mentions that Mizza Bricard, Astrid’s biological mother, was a real person, knowledge which led me down a Google rabbit hole. Fictional Mizza was the first generation of Bricard women who gave birth out of wedlock (what an archaic term), thus passing on the common surname, but that’s not where the commonalities end. Beautiful MIzza, who began her fashion career almost by accident, grew up fast in the salons of Paris on the eve of World War I, rubbing elbows with everyone from Coco Chanel to Pablo Picasso. Despite her incredible design talent, she was relegated to being a “muse” to Christian Dior with a sordid reputation thanks to the misogynists with fragile egos who rule the world of haute couture, both then and now. As Lester mentions, “I believe the truth is more likely to be found in the accounts of those who knew her, rather than men reporting on her thirty or forty years after her death who’ve decided that the racier the anecdote, the more chance they have of being published.” If you’d like to read more about Mizza, I’ve included a link at the bottom of this review to an article written by Lester for the <i>Sydney Morning Herald</i>.<br /><br />Mizza’s fictional daughter Astrid, who was raised by her adoptive parents, enrolled in Parsons School of Design in NYC in 1970 at age 24, and, despite not being raised by Mizza, she suffered a similar fate by virtue of association. Hawk Jones was a wunderkind who started his own design house right out of school. From the moment they met in the Parsons Archives, the pull between them was undeniable and unavoidable. Although Astrid’s designs inspired Hawk and he was adamant about giving her credit, the toxic and petty fashion patriarchy persisted in undermining her talent and painting her as a muse as well. Like her mother, whose famous, somewhat scandalous photograph sealed her fate, Astrid was captured wearing a silver lamé dress and nothing else while dancing at a disco. As months passed, she and Hawk pumped out hot-selling pieces while rubbing elbows with the likes of Mick Jagger, and ultimately fell in love. When it all came to a head at the Battle of Versailles in 1973 (an actual event that had the established and favored French designers competing against the upstart, risk-taking American designers), Astrid disappeared, and no one knew if she was dead or in hiding for the next 40 years.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT4fH9UplWPgaJ43RmT0nckwxNYR9NqtqSqtT3VVLaxQ2FshtVH1FUKPR3AiZzYkdUkJQmPMfmNsMp62aAK2uG_VSJ2firaDlgmA8PI0Si4P-Nr_i_tKKeMpxAsk8CPPfYxUYr5rUi0mPkG1sY9_JuT5VGK9_8DI40AlPcitf42k2GqFSyEiVRHG3HSAF/s1456/Missa%20Bricard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="1133" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT4fH9UplWPgaJ43RmT0nckwxNYR9NqtqSqtT3VVLaxQ2FshtVH1FUKPR3AiZzYkdUkJQmPMfmNsMp62aAK2uG_VSJ2firaDlgmA8PI0Si4P-Nr_i_tKKeMpxAsk8CPPfYxUYr5rUi0mPkG1sY9_JuT5VGK9_8DI40AlPcitf42k2GqFSyEiVRHG3HSAF/w156-h200/Missa%20Bricard.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mizza Bricard at age 55, photographed by Louise Dahl-Wolfe</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Blythe Bricard, daughter of Astrid and Hawk and divorced from fashion mogul Jake Black, is at the tipping point of her fashion career. Like her parents, she and Jake met in design school and vowed to support each other’s dreams. However, the pressure and fickle nature of the industry has led her to the point that she must decide if she will continue designing costumes for film (which would mean giving up her dream) or revive her mother’s fashion brand, Mizza, either with Jake’s competitor, with Jake’s company if they can first overcome their personal differences, or by taking the reins herself with investments from other women. In a world heavily populated by female customers, workers, and talent but still run mostly by men, it’s a point of pride and ownership she craves. And, of course, she wants to be the first in her family’s line to get credit for her work and shed the heavy mantle of “muse.”<br /><br />Although this isn’t a romance, the relationships each woman had are intrinsic to the plot and it’s impossible not to root for both Astrid and Blythe to find some happiness. However, the over-reaching theme is the damage caused by generational trauma and parental neglect and abandonment as well as the repeated messaging that talented women in fashion, especially ones who are trying to be innovative (like Astrid with her mix-and-match separates for ‘working women’, modeled after Anne Klein, the actual female designer at Versailles) will be suppressed, rejected and ridiculed by both petty journalists (like real-life Women’s Wear Daily’s John Fairchild) and most male designers.<br /><i><br />“Dior didn’t know Mizza would be reduced in later years. And she was his muse. But she was a designer too. History forgot the second half because it’s a man’s name on the awning. History kept the first half because that’s the way stories of male creators working with women are written.” </i>(Blythe's niece Coco in response to her question about why Dior allowed the press to slander Mizza)<br /><br />Lester has written characters so compelling and well-rounded and settings so alive with imagery that you can’t help but put yourself in their place. As the mother of a fashion model, I was also affected by the knowledge of how men treated female designers because they were threatened by their talent. I really appreciate Lester’s extended author note, showing readers the depth of her research and findings. <br /><br />The only slight criticism I have is that the multiple timelines got a bit confusing at times, and I personally would have preferred a first-person point of view from each of the Bricard women. It’s a minor quibble that doesn’t negate the power and appeal of this story. Highly recommended.<br /><br />For more information on Mizza Bricard, read<br /><br /><i>She was known as Christian Dior’s muse, but Mizza Bricard was so much more than that.<br /></i><br /><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/she-was-known-as-christian-dior-s-muse-but-mizza-bricard-was-so-much-more-than-that-20230914-p5e4ro.html" target="_blank">https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/she-was-known-as-christian-dior-s-muse-but-mizza-bricard-was-so-much-more-than-that-20230914-p5e4ro.html</a><br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /></span><p></p><p> </p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-63454541629621008672024-02-04T11:52:00.000-08:002024-02-04T11:52:32.070-08:00Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7XnhRCJ-BZtOAn4e8c-7SQIxmQbRCu8Xb2FiogTDA3vzJ1QjUjB3-zMyfETmZtxBFfgo3gTjEju-KOUrW-9sOk9wT7SPImy-j3879prowjkgEmx-BlYxVdOcKqFX7bEkTdBH5t3jlQ4GZWHuNZ-uPdpqxauq-F-uHymTz_gco_8s1bVLZpAFpw4AGzBS/s575/Screenshot%202024-02-04%20at%2011.47.26%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="373" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7XnhRCJ-BZtOAn4e8c-7SQIxmQbRCu8Xb2FiogTDA3vzJ1QjUjB3-zMyfETmZtxBFfgo3gTjEju-KOUrW-9sOk9wT7SPImy-j3879prowjkgEmx-BlYxVdOcKqFX7bEkTdBH5t3jlQ4GZWHuNZ-uPdpqxauq-F-uHymTz_gco_8s1bVLZpAFpw4AGzBS/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-04%20at%2011.47.26%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">4*</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />Another case of “Don’t let the cartoonish cover fool you.” This is not just another smutty hockey romance, but a beautiful love story between two kind, thoughtful, and flawed characters, dance teacher Aurora (Rory) Evans and NHL defenseman Mike Martin. They first laid eyes on each other when Rory was a 16-year-old barista at Mall of America and Mike was a charming customer who caught her eye. Since her entire life was consumed with ballet (thanks to a pushy dance mom), she had no time to make friends and was ostracized in school. So, why not invent a Canadian boyfriend as an excuse to get out of school activities and to not feel so alone? She spends the remainder of her teens writing letters to Mike that serve as a diary of sorts. Little did she ever expect that, nine years later, he’d be the recently widowed father of one of her students.<br /><br />Mike is struggling to adjust to new household routines and paternal commitments his late wife used to handle and to cope with his daughter Olivia’s grief and anger, so he turns to Rory as someone his daughter trusts to ask her to serve as a pseudo-nanny while he’s on the road. Since she’s in need of a new place to live (after a recent break-up), a car, and health insurance, she accepts his offer of the apartment in his basement. Over time and many honest and heartfelt conversations, their friendship evolves, especially since they support each other and see beyond the façades they present to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the emotional scars they both carry (her abusive Mom who has left her with an unhealthy obsession with food and a compulsive need to please others and him with the complicated grief over his wife and rocky relationship with his daughter) make their friends-with-benefits situation temporary and just for fun. When Rory finally confesses her teenage fantasy to Mike, will there be any hope of a future together? <br /><br />There are so many aspects to Holiday’s lovely romance that I appreciate, including chosen family with Rory’s best friend and boss Gretchen and Mike’s teammate and wife, Ivan and Lauren, the main couple’s support and encouragement of each other, an enlightened book boyfriend, the positive portrayal of therapy, the perfect balance of humor and heartfelt conversations, just enough steam to keep it interesting, a dual POV, an epistolary element with her letters to her fake boyfriend and their texts when they first get to know each other as adults, and yes, hot hockey players! What can I say? I used to work for the NHL! Highly recommended!<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><br /> </p><p><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-52705096719683809962024-02-02T19:05:00.000-08:002024-02-02T19:05:29.996-08:00The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbpbkEzxOFiEbYqIvE6CMTsPTVk7HPw18tWAtaSXwllwdzrW0Ta0nRKqVSuGi75GOQjnpFJcwdlRpEB83Z-UmOQkFkqThknSXVfZSEZK6LvfKTLW6V9yZ7TyOWUI7nv1EQX6eHGrSW50qgAMoqvObQrA-WEaAn_4eHu6KJTeIUrRcAnVXf0UEPHTMcTUL/s549/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.17.49%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="374" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbpbkEzxOFiEbYqIvE6CMTsPTVk7HPw18tWAtaSXwllwdzrW0Ta0nRKqVSuGi75GOQjnpFJcwdlRpEB83Z-UmOQkFkqThknSXVfZSEZK6LvfKTLW6V9yZ7TyOWUI7nv1EQX6eHGrSW50qgAMoqvObQrA-WEaAn_4eHu6KJTeIUrRcAnVXf0UEPHTMcTUL/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.17.49%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="218" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />4*<br /><br />The (Fake) Dating Game is a sweet, relatively quick read that reminds readers that good guys don’t always finish last. Holden and Leo, who meet when Holden checks into the Los Angeles hotel where Leo is a concierge, strike up a friendship and quickly bond over painful break-ups, karaoke, and maternal obligations. Holden, whose mom died several years before, wants to honor her memory by participating in their favorite game show, Madcap Market. Unfortunately, when he presents the idea to his longtime boyfriend, he ends up getting dumped and in need of a partner. Leo, who is still living with his mother, has been trying to save money so he can get a place of his own. So, they agree to pair up and fake a relationship in the hopes of being selected to compete. Will they be able to keep their secret and win the $100,000 prize despite an unexpected challenge? <br /><br />One of the most refreshing and appealing aspects of this story is that Holden and Leo genuinely care for each other and, even as new acquaintances, are very honest, willing to communicate, and comfortable with each other. They have loving and supportive parents who are proud of them, which isn’t the norm in most LGBTQ romances. Bottom line, they’re just so damn cute together, and you can’t help but root for them both to win the competition and have their happily-ever-after. This is the first book I’ve read by Janovsky, but it won’t be the last. Highly recommended!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Afterglow Books by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /></span></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-42717737147161384182024-01-27T17:28:00.000-08:002024-01-27T17:28:31.318-08:00Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DCuOuXSHmfQMQ0B3ukwSSdpz0XUBpF5686X7cUOzY4LDWj5ctHJullpf0IwLSssBchYYWJRyOqXEre7xg4xsXwKflBH4_yeHZrG-Ldssccb1ghfIx81jro9aHilJk022IAK3513JOKeNn7G8ojqqf8ayynuLxow8nzUWPgU9VEa5Rgo_v3hDnPKBf7QM/s602/Screenshot%202024-01-27%20at%205.08.09%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DCuOuXSHmfQMQ0B3ukwSSdpz0XUBpF5686X7cUOzY4LDWj5ctHJullpf0IwLSssBchYYWJRyOqXEre7xg4xsXwKflBH4_yeHZrG-Ldssccb1ghfIx81jro9aHilJk022IAK3513JOKeNn7G8ojqqf8ayynuLxow8nzUWPgU9VEa5Rgo_v3hDnPKBf7QM/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-27%20at%205.08.09%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="197" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">4*<br /><br />In Till There Was You, Lexi and Jake serendipitously meet at a New York City bar when they’re both on the cusp of fulfilling their dreams: Jake as a singer/songwriter and Lexi as a professional chef. After spending a steamy weekend together where they formed a strong emotional bond, he heads to LA to record a demo album and she returns to her culinary school classroom, both hoping to take up where they left off when he returns, but fate has other plans. What are the chances that an overnight sensation and a fledgling chef can carve a path to happily-ever-after, especially when everything from Jake’s self-serving agent to a promise Lexi made to her late mother are pushing them in the wrong direction?<br /><br />The relationship that Hameroff created for these two is honest, fun, supportive, trusting and heartwarming, so readers will root for them to fall in love, despite circumstances and choices that pull them apart. As Lexi’s insecurities over her mother’s death and her father’s abandonment (when he quickly remarries and moves away) have her convinced that Jake won’t stick around as his star ascends, he sees her as a grounding influence, a muse, and the only person who truly cares about him, not his celebrity. So, when the third act break-up inevitably happens, although it is not what either want, it’s not due to a frustrating lack of communication or wrong assumptions authors often use gratuitously. It’s because these two need time to figure out if they’re pursuing the right dream and if they can prioritize the love that’s been so evident from the beginning. For readers who like insta-love, second chance romances with a bit of spice and a lot of heartfelt emotion, this one hits all the marks.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /><br /></span>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-42333367512230597802024-01-22T21:22:00.000-08:002024-01-22T21:22:07.581-08:00Switched (Ghosted #2) by Sarah Ready<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKCAi6EQEKsLFwyfXrhlirQV7bHw3seLuuN6UlNGHKNnwP-aw9rJuDry3cWU4u1x5LV7WSdnGsQq7X7CLXLAifG9mk20kvcnINB8KGAPeWA4JKJN4fzp5WT_EWwfXuvJYywk_gm0uE50scbpCxyB5NC1r7RU1AI7HbwGCTGtNHLxnsuHI_dVvJIWaFasC/s559/Screenshot%202024-01-22%20at%205.53.54%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKCAi6EQEKsLFwyfXrhlirQV7bHw3seLuuN6UlNGHKNnwP-aw9rJuDry3cWU4u1x5LV7WSdnGsQq7X7CLXLAifG9mk20kvcnINB8KGAPeWA4JKJN4fzp5WT_EWwfXuvJYywk_gm0uE50scbpCxyB5NC1r7RU1AI7HbwGCTGtNHLxnsuHI_dVvJIWaFasC/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-22%20at%205.53.54%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /><br />Switched is a standalone sequel to Sarah Ready’s Ghosted, one of my favorite books of 2023, featuring Jillian’s best friend Serena “Ducky” Otaki, a brilliant American physicist working in Geneva. In a hysterical meet-cute at her favorite local pub, she accidentally sits on wet varnish and asks a handsome stranger, Henry Joules, to help her get unstuck. Although there’s an instant attraction and intense feelings, her one true passion is physics and she has no space in her life for a loving relationship, especially if it means merging their lives and giving up her individuality and career. Henry, also a physicist and her new project lead, comes from a big, loving family and thinks he’s found the woman of his dreams until she plays off their night of passion as just a bit of fun. <br /><br />Fast forward 427 days and during a heavy thunderstorm, particles collide and they wake up in each other’s bodies. As they go from Geneva to his brother’s wedding in England and then on to her childhood home in California, they tap into each other’s memories, hear about their upbringing from family members eager to share stories, and start to strengthen their connection based on a growing mutual respect. The question is, can a coffee-chugging vegetarian who surrounds herself with chaos and a neat freak who loves his full English breakfast and daily mug of tea, and who can barely tolerate each other, figure out how to switch back? And, if they do, will the stars align for a happily-ever-after for these two lonely souls? <br /><br />Sarah Ready has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Each book she writes has a unique premise, vivid characters, and a relatively low-angst romance. In Switched, she’s gives us the perfect book boyfriend, a free-spirited female in STEM, and a large helping of magical realism. It’s a joy to read. Highly recommended.<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swift & Lewis Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<br /><br /></span><p></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-45900374382294018242024-01-21T22:11:00.000-08:002024-01-21T22:11:37.444-08:00Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAoFINQobIXzlghAQbplqtMXoXd_D9zFMWthKeALGkpVzztPthLydI8oHvl4xGWdQBv1CRmW6KfdICaxh_FO012zwLCjeLoaRBHTV9ZUJfULFBO8qlbGhH1HTAjAVWOSX_LivrfDR1Z88G2pUWf57SnZk2Lt9xsRA13wwfMY2guvUQbpz-FT34Yv6pSk_/s543/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%209.34.29%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAoFINQobIXzlghAQbplqtMXoXd_D9zFMWthKeALGkpVzztPthLydI8oHvl4xGWdQBv1CRmW6KfdICaxh_FO012zwLCjeLoaRBHTV9ZUJfULFBO8qlbGhH1HTAjAVWOSX_LivrfDR1Z88G2pUWf57SnZk2Lt9xsRA13wwfMY2guvUQbpz-FT34Yv6pSk_/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%209.34.29%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="215" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<br /><br /><i>Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge</i> by Lizzie Pook is a murder mystery/thriller that takes place in 1851, alternating between the numbing chill of an Arctic expedition and the "Murder Mania" that's taken hold of England. Pook does a phenomenal job of describing the landscape and tenor of the times, making readers feel as if they're there: the frozen tundra that makes men go insane; the gruesome gallows with massive crowds of people from all walks of life, lured by the spectacle of a murderer being hanged, replete with the sounds and smells of unwashed masses; the docks with the rats, the criminals, and the smell of rot; and the eerie Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Pook has chosen both a narrative style that reads as if it was written at the time and a diary written by the protagonist's late sister who pretended to be a male cabin boy on a recovery voyage through the Northwest Passage. The identity of her sister's murderer is never in doubt, but the way Maude goes about avenging her death and exacting her revenge is chillingly ingenious. This isn't my normal go-to genre, but I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. Highly recommended!<br /><br />I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.</span><p></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-80343785037141662482024-01-21T08:40:00.000-08:002024-01-21T08:40:12.588-08:00Take Two, Birdie Maxwell by Allison Winn Scotch<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho50D4V4GH1TVXbB_WSsFE7izD0WqY8rY4_n9OrHCiHNV-gjJQfzvg2uoL32uJffiHPIzKb7q57e5qWihVf-pRFgXyG1rr7_8oW5bpVifuvekThSDfP-CvB-r7WEudBFWscREOY30ilQWagZY3KgsU88IBfkS9NbskFd9sENTsQPBDUttVH5sEtIKdu8mO/s572/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2012.24.23%E2%80%AFAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho50D4V4GH1TVXbB_WSsFE7izD0WqY8rY4_n9OrHCiHNV-gjJQfzvg2uoL32uJffiHPIzKb7q57e5qWihVf-pRFgXyG1rr7_8oW5bpVifuvekThSDfP-CvB-r7WEudBFWscREOY30ilQWagZY3KgsU88IBfkS9NbskFd9sENTsQPBDUttVH5sEtIKdu8mO/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-21%20at%2012.24.23%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="204" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">4*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Birdie Maxwell was the rom-com queen until a video of her berating the director of her next film for inappropriate behavior goes viral. Overnight, she goes from being America’s sweetheart to teetering on the edge of losing all she’s spent nearly 20 years of hard work building. With nowhere to hide, she runs away to the small California town she escaped at 18. The last thing she expects to find is a love letter in her childhood bedroom. When she shows it to her best friend, Mona, they realize that it might be the key to salvaging her career. What she doesn’t expect is for Elliot O’Brien, Mona’s twin, renowned journalist, and the man she’s loved unrequitedly since age 12, to walk into the bar and for Mona to suggest they work together to hunt down and interview all her past loves. The ensuing road trip in Mona’s rickety old RV is road trip rom-com heaven. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There’s a lot going on in this story: a journey of self-discovery and growth for Birdie, a second-chance romance for Birdie and Elliot if they can learn to be open and honest about their true feelings for each other, a nod to the #MeToo movement and how Hollywood so easily forgives and defends abusive men, the challenges in sibling relationships, the price of fame and putting one’s career above all else, and how two people in a relationship can have vastly different perspectives both during and after it ends. Scotch does a great job of balancing emotional plot points with humorous banter, garnering sympathy for characters who often make choices that hurt those they care about, and building up to a resolution that brings both surprises and satisfaction. Recommended read for rom-com lovers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Romance through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-9161009977236435772024-01-19T18:44:00.000-08:002024-01-19T18:44:59.367-08:00The Spectacular by Fiona Davis<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaw665-XxiKMI1WjVRu1aqFWkyHBIutqKIo2mTrba1b6guZfiiNW8U0iJJ0jyh1DFDlGsYE76x5Pppa9sUon6nz_mK8JIusogcFJReO7WtLZCE2vr_kWiEECfUX3XXYJXOeQB9hUs92jF685UFJMsRZPzN3m4DjHXWXCB7WKkYufyM1jZ_GKS0yvXmA3XJ/s671/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%206.42.35%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaw665-XxiKMI1WjVRu1aqFWkyHBIutqKIo2mTrba1b6guZfiiNW8U0iJJ0jyh1DFDlGsYE76x5Pppa9sUon6nz_mK8JIusogcFJReO7WtLZCE2vr_kWiEECfUX3XXYJXOeQB9hUs92jF685UFJMsRZPzN3m4DjHXWXCB7WKkYufyM1jZ_GKS0yvXmA3XJ/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%206.42.35%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="210" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the big reasons I enjoy historical fiction is the opportunity it presents to learn something new. In The Spectacular, author Fiona Davis introduced me to “The Big Apple Bomber” who terrorized New York City for 16 years in the 1940s – 50s, setting off bombs in many of its landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall (twice). I also got a backstage pass to the Rockettes in their heyday. In typical stellar fashion, she has managed to merge the two when her female protagonist, 19-year-old Marian Brooks, auditions for the precision dance troupe on a whim and is accepted. Against her overly-protective father’s and soon-to-be fiancé’s wishes, she moves from her comfortable home in Westchester County to New York where she rehearses and performs 4 daily shows for 21 days straight with just a week off before the cycle begins again. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On a surprise double date, she meets a young psychiatrist, Peter Griggs, who surprises her with his incredible insight into her upbringing and personality. At first glance, she isn’t impressed with either his looks or his personality and doesn’t expect to see him again. However, when a bomb goes off during a performance of the Christmas Spectacular (a show I’ve been privileged to see), her connection to the tragedy and the police’s failure to catch the bomber cause her to solicit Peter’s help in finding him before he strikes again. As they and a reluctant police force work together with the clock counting down, a mutual respect and attraction is formed. It will take Marion’s courage to stand out in a performance that demands uniformity to catch a killer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As in all her books, Davis uses a dual timeline to offer perspective. In this case, it’s Marion at age 55 as she prepares to sell her family home and reluctantly agrees to attend a Rockettes reunion. We learn what she’s done in the intervening yearsm and she also uses the opportunity to tell readers about how Peter’s work is the origin of criminal psychological profiling. I couldn’t help but think of the show “Criminal Minds” as I read it. Davis is undoubtedly one of the reigning queens of dual timeline historical fiction and fans of the genre will love this one. Highly recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Dutton in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tags: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-50455467117250649732024-01-19T17:05:00.000-08:002024-01-19T17:05:25.394-08:00At First Spite (Harlot's Bay #1) by Olivia Dade<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHzdPpcoI9asS6grPIRICXTaenxHnwsQ7Pq3XIhi3TsLHYyA4UrSzdZK5hZLFnQ1Xdvawvsrw-yJ5cuVNWuVUj0fz8OljS4yA5aBNr44FP433gk9OXQBmooid84DwdhuRpRPSjWvalUS0QJEt-pVhawmsJYUJxE3tOJwAEdcz7l_Ar5q1VGfznpAyxrzU/s555/Screenshot%202024-01-18%20at%2011.07.21%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHzdPpcoI9asS6grPIRICXTaenxHnwsQ7Pq3XIhi3TsLHYyA4UrSzdZK5hZLFnQ1Xdvawvsrw-yJ5cuVNWuVUj0fz8OljS4yA5aBNr44FP433gk9OXQBmooid84DwdhuRpRPSjWvalUS0QJEt-pVhawmsJYUJxE3tOJwAEdcz7l_Ar5q1VGfznpAyxrzU/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-18%20at%2011.07.21%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">4*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Spoiler alert</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At First Spite, the first book in Olivia Dade’s new Harlot’s Bay series, is set in a small, coastal Maryland town named for a lesbian couple who fled their oppressive homes and settled there in the 1690s. Over the centuries, it has become a haven for misfits. So, it’s no surprise that Dade features a lesbian couple who are friends and colleagues of the protagonists, a gruff baker with a soft center, an overwhelmed and out of his depth bookshop owner, and two people who, despite their respective traumas, find in each other a kindred spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the story opens, we find Athena Greydon at her engagement party to Johnny Vine who asked her to marry him just two months after their first meeting before they even got to know each other well. He’s promised her that, when she moves to Harlot’s Bay, she won’t have to find a new job because he’ll take care of her (promises that he’ll depend on his older brother Matthew’s generosity to keep). Feeling burned out after four years as a high school social studies teacher, her acceptance of his proposal may be due more to the promise of the comfort and shelter she seeks than any true love she may have for him. This is very evident to his older brother who makes it his mission to end the engagement, viewing Athena as too irresponsible and immature to be someone’s wife. After meeting her face-to-face for the first time at the party and forming an instant attraction before he even knows her name, it’s likely that his resistance to the engagement is no longer purely altruistic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When Johnny heeds Matthew’s advice and calls off the engagement, Athena has already quit her job and sold her condo. So, she has no choice but to move into The Spite House, a 10’ wide townhouse built between the two brothers’ larger homes which she bought as a wedding present for Johnny, using up most of her savings. Little does she know that Matthew will be her next-door neighbor. Despite a series of harmless, petty pranks she plays against him, they slowly get to know each other (while Johnny is away on an extended solo honeymoon) and learn that they both suffered from misconceptions about each other’s lives and intentions. That’s why it was relatively easy for both Matthew and Athena to forgive each other, share their innermost thoughts, and offer emotional (and, in his case, financial) support while navigating their separate traumas. Given what caring and decent people they both are and the fact that she didn’t really know Johnny well, the cringe factor of a guy going after his younger brother’s ex-fiancée is muted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Athena has two Masters’ degrees and dropped out of a PhD program before finishing, yet she finds herself at age 37 with no job, a spotty employment history, and a bad case of burnout and depression, unable to see herself and her career path as anything other than dismal failures. It takes Matthew, the uptight, grumpy pediatrician, to help her see that her depression is painting a false picture. He not only supports her in her darkest moments, but also shows her the way friends and loved ones view her. He offers a different perspective which carries more weight because she thought he hated her. Everyone deserves a Matthew in their life, someone who acknowledges your flaws, but loves you in spite of them. He’s definitely an A+ book boyfriend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Athena’s story will resonate with readers who have suffered from depression and struggled to find a vocation that they are passionate about and can excel in. My one criticism is that she seems neurodivergent-coded (as does Matthew), so although his well-meaning justifications for her spotty job history may be accurate, they’re incomplete without acknowledging how her neurodivergency impacts her relationships and employment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of course, Matthew is also dealing with the trauma of his baby brother’s death when he was only 8 years old. After the tragedy, his parents’ relationship fell apart, and he was thrust into the paternal role of taking care of Johnny. As a result, he’s always sacrificed his own wants and needs by being caretaker for his brother and others in his life. One of the most beautiful parts of the story is when Athena reciprocates by helping Matthew navigate his own grief and path forward.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The only other criticism I have is the bizarre, erotic bestiality books featured throughout that make little sense and prove more of a distraction than a humorous element which, combined with a messy (albeit revelatory) first sex scene between Matthew and Athena, stifle any sense of passion. I just found them both cringey. Book 2 is set to feature Karl, the afore-mentioned angry baker, and the author of these books. Not sure I’m going to want to revisit the trope at any length.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overall, though, this is one of Dade’s best books, so I highly recommend it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p></div><p><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-50977852836969559462024-01-11T09:17:00.000-08:002024-01-11T09:17:08.766-08:00The Bookstore at Rivers End by Phillipa Nefri Clark<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CjGNejt45hCurDZekoX50R0u0KCXWV25saq6rlxy5aw3gGhI7FOcUC6HccPr8T63AQ0SFjSdilNqQDECKfliMM9AJPfr5uz6KbLGOBNXCL-buMLkUdL28selOK3WrWLTy328exhPhnOngVTjWPAJGNG6ZCeq-GIFmmSuM0dR4UqQTYinBm3htKKaDZr2/s445/199892920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CjGNejt45hCurDZekoX50R0u0KCXWV25saq6rlxy5aw3gGhI7FOcUC6HccPr8T63AQ0SFjSdilNqQDECKfliMM9AJPfr5uz6KbLGOBNXCL-buMLkUdL28selOK3WrWLTy328exhPhnOngVTjWPAJGNG6ZCeq-GIFmmSuM0dR4UqQTYinBm3htKKaDZr2/s320/199892920.jpg" width="209" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This lovely book set in the beautiful town of Rivers End on the coast of Australia defies definition. It’s women’s fiction with a dual timeline that combines a clean, mature romance with a mystery involving three teenage girls from 1961. It’s the story of a newly-divorced librarian, Harriet, who is struggling with her ex-husband’s decision to “find himself” by traveling the world alone, and her 20-year-old daughter, Olive, who has dropped out of law school after ending an abusive relationship, who decide to start over by opening a bookstore in a building Harriet received as part of her settlement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While looking for old books to fill a small section of their store, they find the diary of a 14-year-old girl who writes about a birthday treasure hunt she and her friends are designing for one of the girl’s younger sister. Since the owner doesn’t want it back, they make it their mission to figure out who the narrator and her friends are since they’re only mentioned by their first initial. Olive and Harriet, reading just one entry at a time, decide to follow the clues as a way to discover their new home and to learn the identities of the friends from the past. The shifting between the two timelines works well, combining each written passage in the diary with the narrator’s internal monologue that uses full names (that only the reader is privy to). As a result, the reader figures out the mystery well before Harriet and Olive do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They also purchase a number of books from a handsome chef, Brock, which includes an antique Bible and inscribed book of poetry. These become part of the mystery surrounding the treasure hunt. The romance between Harriet and Brock is a slow burn although the attraction is evident from the beginning. However, Harriet is newly-divorced and not even ready to remove her wedding ring, so it takes months of her slowly building a new life with her daughter until she’s ready to let go and let a new love in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The character development of both the main and secondary characters is well done, the mother-daughter relationship is enviably loving, supportive, and respectful, and the townspeople, especially the elderly ladies trio, are humorous and welcoming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a former librarian and lifelong book lover, I was so envious that Harriet was able to fulfill her dream of opening a bookstore. Author Clark paints such a vivid picture of the town with friendly neighbors, gorgeous beaches, and a good collection of businesses that support the community. This heartwarming, redemptive story is definitely worth a read. Highly recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><p><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1556074512677011364.post-82622400134730414712024-01-07T13:15:00.000-08:002024-01-07T13:15:47.231-08:00The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan by Beth Merlin and Danielle Modafferi<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwWOJKGHlPQ2bW9fJpTdr_hTtKUucVK7nsT9xOT4VIiQclABq9b8duGCyf5xXL9KzIL3KEbk3qvC8rGff2qn2rDU5Bm04RYKuuIiYmKb_vGuCnZcnRbGVCV07sBIFI-09hS1FM8bEJq1srJJsqXI_A_Z7fSHoj5LmVQFKKHgsB9csEEBSQnu6m_io7Hua/s475/125360911._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwWOJKGHlPQ2bW9fJpTdr_hTtKUucVK7nsT9xOT4VIiQclABq9b8duGCyf5xXL9KzIL3KEbk3qvC8rGff2qn2rDU5Bm04RYKuuIiYmKb_vGuCnZcnRbGVCV07sBIFI-09hS1FM8bEJq1srJJsqXI_A_Z7fSHoj5LmVQFKKHgsB9csEEBSQnu6m_io7Hua/s320/125360911._SY475_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">5*</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan</i> is part love story, part magical realism, part platonic friendship and, at its heart, the story of a woman who lost her way but, with the help of a couple of ghosts, a rusty old phone booth, and the immortal words of Charles Dickens, gets a second chance at pursuing her dreams and putting herself first. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Avery Lawrence seemingly has it all: Adam, her gorgeous, generous boyfriend of 6 years who provides her with everything her heart desires including a star-studded wedding proposal under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree…until it all comes crashing down when he’s arrested for fraud. Finding herself outside the prison with no money, she accepts the help and advice of a security guard who directs her to a phone booth to call the number she’s been given. When the call goes through, she’s given an address that leads her to her former boyfriend Gabe’s front door. Thus begins her do-over, but is it really a restart if she falls right back where she was before becoming a ghost of her former self by sacrificing her own dreams of a life in the theater for a man to take care of her?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After what turns out to be a ghostly encounter that guides her from a past she’s eager to put behind her, she begins to audition again while rekindling her relationship with Gabe. However, it’ll take another spectral presence to give her a glimpse of the future she might have if she’s willing to let go of her fears and insecurities, focus on her passions, and not let anything or anyone get in her way. This includes having to decide which path she’ll take so that she has no regrets in the future. A quote from Dickens keeps popping up as a reminder: <i>No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This isn’t a Christmas story, although it begins and ends on the holiday. However, the themes from Dickens’<i> A Christmas Carol</i> are featured heavily throughout. It’s all about Avery listening to her heart and the voice inside her head so that she’s finally set on a redemptive path that brings her joy and causes as little emotional hurt as possible to herself and the people she loves. The authors have written a beautiful story that leaves you guessing until the very end about which path Avery will choose. Fans of Broadway musicals will thoroughly enjoy how infused the book is with performances at Mimi’s Shooting Star Diner where Avery and other Broadway hopefuls work between auditions and gigs. Highly recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></p>The Nomadic Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829083330439545250noreply@blogger.com0