A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

 

5*

Following a desperate and damaging attempt to run from what she calls a “trifecta” of heartbreak, Lila Reyes has been exiled by her Cuban-American parents from her beloved Miami to her aunt’s B&B in Winchester, England in the hopes that she will find peace and healing. In her opinion, this is just one more act of betrayal, removing control of how she handles her grieving process after the death of her beloved Abuela, the breakup with her long-time boyfriend, and the abandonment of her best friend. Her plan had been to take over the family bakery with her sister, with Pilar handling the business end and Lila honoring her grandmother’s legacy, using both her recipes and the lessons she taught her. How can she possibly do that if she has to spend the summer an ocean away?

On the surface, Winchester and Miami are polar opposites. One is ancient, gray, chilly, lacking in flavor, understated. The other is modern, full of color, sizzling, spicy, bold. Lila’s initial assumption is that the people reflect their cities…this will feel like a prison sentence. So, after 48 hours of solitude, her first surprise is finding that the loud rock music emanating from her cousin Gordon’s room is the creative inspiration for his beautiful architectural drawings. Then she meets Orion Maxwell, the son of the local tea purveyor, his sister Flora, the talented singer-songwriter Jules, and her boyfriend Remy. Orion, who makes it his mission to find Lila’s favorite flavor of tea, offers to be her Winchester tour guide. Through various adventures over the course of the book, the five friends collectively show her that there are so many flavors to food and drink, styles of music, dance, and architecture, landscape views, and even types of heartbreak, grief, and love beyond the small world she has inhabited her whole life, that she slowly comes to love her temporary home.

Although Orion and Lila are both dealing with weighty issues, their shared grief creates a special bond between them that will make it difficult to let go at the end of the summer. Will there be any way for them to keep the relationship alive when they’re worlds apart?

This aptly-titled book is a culinary guide to Cuban cuisine, a travel guide of Winchester, and an emotional journey both on foot and via many modes of transportation through grief, loss, and hope. The descriptions of the food are mouth-watering and central to the story, both as a tribute to Lila’s Abuela and as a plot point when Lila takes over the B&B kitchen in the absence of their regular pastry chef. The city of Winchester and the surrounding countryside, which Lila and Orion discover on their runs and the back of his motorcycle, are another character in the story and like the humans, are well-drawn and another reason that Lila comes to love her place of exile. Although there are heavy topics such as mental illness and death, they are handled delicately. In the talented hands of Laura Taylor Namey, this is another extraordinary young adult novel to share with teens who are looking for a deeply-emotional, thought-provoking story that will leave them wanting more. Highly recommended!

The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

5*

This has much more emotional depth than the preview blurb would have us believe. It’s not a simple enemies to lovers romance, but a story of friendships lost and friendships found. Willa, a successful lifestyle blogger, faces the worst heartbreak when she finds her best friend in bed with her fiancé just six weeks before her wedding. It throws her into a deep depression resulting in the loss of her job, her female friends, and her trust. However, when Maisie finds her in a  coffee shop and begs her to pretend to be her friend and bridesmaid, it begins a journey of healing and believing that her heart can be trusted. When she finally gives up the idea of running from her heartbreak and chooses to embrace her family and new friends, she realizes that this new Willa is one worth sharing with her loved ones and her large social media following. 

Love interest Liam is a wonderful book boyfriend. He’s gorgeous, compassionate, successful, and honest. Despite her hesitancy to trust her heart and her instant dislike of him after he laughs at her humiliation at a birthday party, he manages to crash through her defenses and have her start to believe that she can have a second chance at love.

The supporting cast of characters, including her sister Sophie, sister-in-law Glory, precocious nieces, feisty octogenarian neighbor Ruthie, and even Maisie’s monster-in-law, Mrs. Forsyth, add color, humor and balance to this heartfelt and endearing story of female friendship and romance. A worthy debut!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey

 

4.5*


After reading Namey’s first book, The Library of Lost Things, and loving the humor, the romance, and the bookstore setting, I wasn’t expecting or prepared for the emotional tsunami of this book. Set in Namey’s hometown of San Diego, it’s a beautiful portrayal of female friendship and the multiple ways love manifests. Although there’s a romantic element, it’s the story behind the relationships and the impact grief and guilt have on families and friendships that are the primary focus.

Willa, Luz, and Britton have been inseparable friends for a decade, but a single act of betrayal by Willa threatens to tear them apart. In order to gain the forgiveness she craves, Luz demands that Willa think about the real reasons for her actions in the week leading up to their high school graduation. As she begins to go through a box full of mementos that dredge up very painful memories, the narrative switches between graduation week and a past she needs to revisit in order to piece together the events that led up to her betrayal. Foremost is a near-tragic event at age 13 that affected them all and led to her mother mentally withdrawing and focusing all of her attention on her backyard garden, leaving Willa to find comfort and support from her friends’ families instead.

The heartbreaking journey Willa takes is difficult to read, as Namey does a masterful job of wringing all sorts of emotions from her readers. At times, especially at the beginning, it’s a bit difficult to understand where the set-up is leading, but it’s only a minor distraction which becomes clear as the story unfolds and ultimately reaches its conclusion. Have tissues handy for this one! Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Atheneum BYR through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Always, In December by Emily Stone

 

5*


What an effing gut punch! There have only been two other times when reading books that I’ve cried this much, and I won’t mention them for fear of spoiling this for other readers. I couldn’t help thinking of Josie Silver’s One Day in December, being set in London just before Christmas and featuring the coming together of two people who are inevitably driven apart for different reasons. Without going into any detail, this book is ultimately about how people come into your life when you least expect it, and profoundly change your trajectory. In this case, Max, over a few days’ time, recognized that Josie was settling rather than living a life of adventure. He taught her to forego her strict plans and take chances since life is unpredictable and precious. Despite their estrangement, he made it his mission to set things in motion so that she’d live life to the fullest, tapping into her creativity and not settling for a job that didn’t fulfill her. This is a story that will stick with you long after the last page. Don’t hesitate to read it, but have a box of tissues beside you.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Dell Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Moment I Met You by Debbie Johnson

 

5*

Debbie Johnson really weaves beautiful stories. The first one of hers I read, Maybe One Day, was packed with intense emotion: love, heartbreak, grief, PTSD, etc. It’s actually, in that respect, not too different from the core of this one. A traumatic event rips two people apart. Many years pass as they live separate lives, but the feelings never fade and the potential for a happy reunion sustains both the characters and the readers.

However, there’s a definite twist to this story in that it’s a love triangle. Harry and Elena have been together since college and have taken a trip to Mexico; in her mind, to figure out if their relationship has run its course or if this time together will help them reconnect. When disaster strikes as Elena has just met Alex, the course of their lives is thrown off-kilter. Circumstances occur and decisions are made, whether through guilt, pity or perhaps love, that force them all to give up on their dreams and expectations and forge new paths.

It isn’t until a decade has passed that a documentary on the anniversary of the moment Alex and Elena met stirs up painful memories and forces all three of them to face the past that they’ve buried. Sometimes people do “the wrong thing for all the right reasons” and the time comes to make painful, but inevitable decisions about what the future might look like if they have the courage to be honest with themselves and each other.

Johnson is a masterful storyteller. She deftly weaves a stunning love story from the ashes of disaster, drawing characters who are flawed but have the best of intentions. She’s delicate and respectful in her handling of grief and survivor guilt, and navigates the lives of her characters in a way that helps her readers find empathy for all of them and hope that they’ll each find their happy ending. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

And Now You're Back by Jill Mansell

 

5*

Another winning romance from Jill Mansell! It’s been awhile since I have read one of her books after discovering this British author a few years back and reading through her entire catalog. She hooked me with her complex romantic relationships, her quirky and colorful characters who are integral to the stories they inhabit, and her descriptions of England that make me yearn to be there. She infuses her books with a balance of humor, heartbreak, friendship, and, ultimately, hope that life will turn out like it’s supposed to, regardless of the mistakes we make or the tragedies we face.

In this, her latest offering, we meet Didi and Shay at age 17 when they’re both in Venice celebrating the birthday of a mutual friend. The magic begins on a snowy night in St. Mark’s Square when they build a snowman together and inevitably fall in love. Unfortunately, an event six months later fractures their relationship, and Shay disappears, only to show up in their quaint Cotswold Village thirteen years later to help his father who’s dying of cancer. Unfortunately, Didi is engaged, so any lingering feelings they may have for each other can’t be acted on. As Shay spends months renovating his childhood home so his father can spend his last days there, we come to learn and care for Red, the charming reprobate, Didi’s best friend Layla who has a blossoming romance herself, and Layla’s mother Rosa who is working through her grief over losing her husband. There are a couple of surprising secondary relationships as well that add further depth to this second-chance romance, ensuring that readers of the genre get their fill. Highly recommended for fans of Maeve Binchey, Sophie Kinsella, and Jenny Colgan.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur

4*


Brendon Lowell wins the prize for 2021 Book Boyfriend of the year. If only unicorns like him existed in real life. Every great romance novel includes main characters who reject love because of some trauma from their past or parents who modeled the worst in married partners. Yet Brendon does just the opposite. Blindsided by his parents’ divorce when he was twelve, he makes it his mission to help people find love. He has a hero complex so deeply-ingrained that he created a hugely-successful dating app (OTP = One True Partner) that focuses on real love connections rather than casual hook-ups. He watches rom-coms with the belief that the HEAs in them can be replicated in real life.

So when his sister Darcy’s best friend Annie comes to visit her in Seattle and he realizes his childhood crush pales in comparison to the attraction he feels for her now, he makes it his mission to woo her by re-enacting scenes from the movies. Annie, who has decided to give up on finding love since she’s always the one who puts in the effort only to be rejected, does everything in her power to deny the chemistry and affection she almost instantly shares with the very grown-up Brendon. She’s convinced that, as soon as she agrees to pursue the relationship, he’ll grow tired of it and move on. No way does she trust that the feelings she has for Brendon, after just the two weeks in Seattle (before starting her new job in London), will be worth walking away from a lucrative career...even if her heart isn’t in it and is, in fact, already left behind when she leaves. The question is whether she’ll be able to work through her fear to seize the life she craves with Brendon, her best friend Darcy, and the other true friends she’s made.

In Bellefleur’s previous book, Written in the Stars, she told the story of Darcy and Elle who were set up on a blind date by Brendon. So it’s such a treat that she has now shared the love story between Darcy’s brother and her best friend. It’s refreshing to have a gender-swapping best friend’s little brother romance in which the older sibling doesn’t go all alpha when her friend violates the “bro code.” She’s turned the trope on its head, and it’s so refreshing to have an older sibling who encourages and supports the budding relationship instead of throwing up roadblocks. There’s so much to love about this story. So, if you’re looking for a swoon-worthy romantic hero, pick this book up. You won’t be disappointed!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

5*


This debut novel is an excellent portrayal of the stages of grief and the incredible hole the death of loved ones leaves, whether it’s a parent, a child, a niece or nephew, or a friend. In this case, Jo has recently lost her nephew Samson to a tragic accident after suddenly losing her father when she was only 12. As a result, she’s closed herself off emotionally to avoid being hurt or abandoned again. Of course, it takes a hot guy (in all his iterations) and the vulnerability of her two grieving nieces (visiting for the summer) to make her realize that being alone is no way to live.

The romance, which starts with a steamy meet-cute kiss in a bar, builds slowly, especially since both Alex and Jo are resistant to opening themselves up. However, the friendship is enviable and the way they tease and laugh together is delightful. Jo is also blessed with a colorful, quirky best friend and boss, Nina, who pushes her out of her comfort zone by encouraging her to live her fullest life leading up to her 30th birthday. In fact, she suggested the 30 by 30 bucket list which starts with a blog and drives much of the action throughout the story. When Samson’s sudden death temporarily halts her progress and the unexpected arrival of her nieces derails her plans for a vacation to Europe to check off two items on the list (sleep in a castle and visit 10 countries), it takes some creative thinking to achieve her goal. However, with the help of her friends and family, completion might be attainable.

The emotions Ruiz draws from readers is a testament to her power as a storyteller. She doesn’t shy away from the hard truths, yet she’s respectful of the pain and guilt the death of a child evokes. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

4*

Gayle Mitchell is a successful consultant and bestselling author of self-help books who has inspired and changed the lives of countless readers. However, the confidence she displays hides a world of hurt that impacted the way she parented. As a result, she hasn’t spoken to her two daughters, Samantha and Ella, for 5 years following an emotional blow-up. It takes a serious accident for her to begin questioning the choices she made in raising her daughters as a single mom.

When Gayle suggests that they all spend Christmas together at Kinleven, a lodge in the Scottish Highlands which Samantha is evaluating as a possible destination for her luxury travel company, it sets in motion a confrontation that can either permanently sever their relationship or clear a path to reconciliation. For that to happen, all three women will need to acknowledge their feelings and Gayle will have to share the events that led to her rigid and emotionally bereft child-rearing.

Morgan has deftly woven the Mitchell family saga with that of the McIntyre clan, owners of Kinleven, along with a sizzling romance between Samantha and Brodie. The wintry beauty of the Highlands is the backdrop for an unforgettably magical Christmas that ushers in hope and happiness after a lifetime of secrets and suffering. A satisfying read for the coming holidays!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from HQN through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Impossible Promise (Providence Falls #2) by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets

4*

Spoilers

I don’t know how to feel about this because, just like in the first book, this one also ends with an unsatisfactory cliffhanger. The murder mystery aspect is compelling as is the ever evolving love triangle between Liam, Cora and Finn, but it’s so sad and frustrating that Liam has to suppress his feelings and go against his very nature in order to avoid the fiery pits of hell. While he is doing everything in his power, albeit begrudgingly, to get Cora and Finn together, Cora is starting to fall for him and won’t give up. It’s frustrating to know that readers will have to wait another year or so before they have a conclusion (assuming the authors conclude with the third book). 

As for the murder investigation, it’s anybody’s guess. Clearly, Magnus is guilty of theft, at the very least, but I think Boyd, the police captain and Liam’s friend from his earlier life, is corrupt as hell. Just as Cora and Liam have the same personalities as they had in their past life, Boyd must as well…and he was a scheming, deceitful criminal who wasn’t averse to using violence. My guess is that he needs money to keep up with his high-maintenance wife’s spending habits and has resorted to getting it illegally. That’s really the reason for his extreme anxiety and volatility and why he’s trying to misdirect Cora and Liam. 

So, although the writing is really good, it’s hard to judge the book when we don’t know how it’s going to wrap up. Will they discover that Boyd is a corrupt cop? Will Finn and Cora get together so that the mysterious future event will take place or will the angels somehow take pity on Liam, seeing that he’s a changed man, and let him return to earth and live out his love story with Cora? I’m Team Liam the whole way, but all signs are pointing to Finn and Cora. I recommend this story but warn readers that they’ll be frustrated when they face a long wait for the conclusion.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Mira through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.