Review of Meet Me in Italy by Brendan Novak

Brief Summary Courtesy of MIRA

In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn't as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who's been orphaned in Italy.

Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn't—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.

My Review

I am an avid read of Brenda Novak's books and have been for about 10 years now. When I heard that she was going to be releasing a new book based in Italy I was excited because was it something totally new that she hadn't done but it was taking place in one of my bucket list countrys that I want to go to. I think that her overall storyline was well written and that the characters were also very well developed because she gave you enough about them to understand their background but not go overboard. 

If there was any area of opportunity that I could have seen changed is to have less smaller storylines going on. I felt at times all the smaller storylines pulled away from the main one which was Charlotte's. 

I always really enjoy that Brenda is able to mix romance with the hard hitting storylines that pull at your heart strings but also throw in a little laughter as well. 

I recommend that if you love to travel and a book with. a mix of romance and dynamic storyline that will pull at your heart strings then I highly recommend this book. 

Review of "The Night We Met" By Abby Jimenez

Brief Summary Courtesy of Little, Brown Book Group

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

For Larissa, it came when choosing who to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great friends, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But she didn’t choose Chris to drive her home all those months ago—she went with his best friend, and he became her boyfriend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. How can something that feels so right be absolutely impossible?

My Review 

This is my third book by Abby Jimenez that I’ve read and the second one I’ve read in this series. Going into this book, I had high hopes because I really enjoyed the first book in the series that I read, so I was excited for this one. I did read the disclaimers beforehand and was okay with most of the content.

Without giving away too much, I personally felt like this book was a bit too predictable. Larrisa was hard for me to like because of her “poor me” attitude, and Chris was also difficult to connect with because he didn’t stand up for himself. I could have chosen to DNF the book, but I really enjoyed the audiobook version, with Teresa Palmer and Zach Webber narrating from Larrisa and Chris’s points of view.

I do appreciate that Abby provides disclaimers at the beginning about aspects that some readers may find difficult. I think everything she warned readers about was accurate.

I will still continue to read Abby’s books because I did enjoy her earlier ones. I would say that if you have a hard time reading about emotional cheating or characters dealing with substance abuse issues, I would recommend staying away from this one.

Review of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' "And the Crowd Went Wild"

Brief Summary of Book Courtesy of Avon 

After a mortifying—and very public—humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years?

But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he’s a gridiron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods…and out of his sight.

Except Dancy’s not good at staying invisible. Her efforts to rebuild her career clash with Clint’s desperation to regain his focus, all made more challenging by a rescue dog, a local woman in trouble, a meddling mother, an ex with an agenda…and the sizzle of rekindled emotions.

As Dancy attempts to get her life on track and Clint tries to get his groove back, can these two one-time lovers navigate their rocky pasts and complicated present to find themselves…and each other?

Tropes include:

second-chance romance
enemies to lovers
forced proximity
childhood sweethearts

My Review 

Having read the previous book in this series called, Simply the Best I was excited to see that Susan had another book come out in the series and that it was Clint's. I really enjoyed how she seamlessly made this book a continuation of the series with previous characters integrated but also made it so that if this was your first book that you read it was no issue. She did a great job of giving you the right amount of history through the story to help with the continuation but didn't go overboard. 

Regarding characters and their development I felt that she did a great job of that. I really was rooting for Dancy the whole book and enjoyed seeing her continue to gain more confidence as the book continues. In addition, I also enjoyed watching Clints heart open up. Not going to give much more than that without giving away spoilers. 

Overall I really enjoyed the plot, scenery and characters and I am excited to see what she has next in this series if she continues it or for her next book! I recommend this book for readers who love contemporary romance, comedy and sports fiction! 

Review of The Summer That Changed Everything by Brenda Novak

 

Brief Summary Courtesy of Mira

She returned to prove her father's innocence, but there's no telling what she'll find…

It's been fifteen years since Lucy Sinclair saw her father. Fifteen long years since she sat in a courtroom and watched him sentenced to life in prison. He murdered three victims—all people she knew—which ruined her life at just seventeen. But now she’s back in Virginia to talk to him, wondering if there’s more to the story of what happened that fateful night.

An old flame, Ford Wagner, makes his own return to North Hampton Beach, fleeing a marriage that seems destined for divorce. He’s wary of Lucy and her digging into the past, but the more time they spend together, the closer they get and the more he finds himself reconsidering the truth behind the death of their mutual friend that summer. Problem is, there are plenty of those in this small coastal town who would prefer things stay quiet…

My Review: 

I have been reading Brenda's books for years now so I was excited to read her latest release. This book was a mix of mystery, thriller and romance. Even though she included small sub stories to the main story everything intertwined very well. The pace of the book was good and kept you wanting to read more so you could find out what really happened all those years ago. The romance was added perfectly where you felt like it added to the story but didn't take a way from the mystery you were trying to solve. She really did a good job of keeping you hooked until the very end wondering what was going to happen. 

I think this is a great book for those that love mystery, thrillers and romance. I can't wait for her next release. 

Review of Viola Shipman's "The Page Turner"

Brief Summary Courtesy of Graydon House 

A young romance writer makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos.

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff” they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents’ business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide: As much as she’s dreamed of the day her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?

My Review 

This is my first time reading Viola Shipman. I have glanced at her books but took up reading this one as part of Brenda Novak's book group. I found that the book was a little hard to get into. I think the character development was good and that she tried to give enough of the back story to understand the main character.  However, it took about half way through the book to really grab my attention. I think once I got there I honestly couldn't put it down. It had you wanting to know how it was going to end. And who was the bad person going to be. 

 

I think over all this is a good book but it wasn't one of my favorite that I read this year so far. I will definitely try more by this author as I enjoyed the book in the end. I think overall my favorite part of this book was the relationship that she showed us the readers between the main character Emma and her grandma Gigi. 

 

Review of Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay

Book Description courtesy of Berkley    

When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading .

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm       clearly doesn’t want Em around.

When Siobhan’s health takes a bad turn, she’s more determined than ever to finish her novel, while Kieran tries every trick in the book to get his mother to rest. Thrown into the role of peacemaker, Emily begins to see that Kieran's heart is in the right place. Torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her own growing feelings for the mercurial Irishman, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.

My Review: 

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. I am fairly new to reading Jenn McKinlay so I am always excited when I get the opportunity to read a new one of hers. 

From the book title you would think this book is just about romance but it also talked about loss. I will be honest that is why it took me so long to read it. Having lost a parent in the last year in a similar way it hit home to me. That being said. This book was phenomenal. It had a mix of romance, humor and it was also emotional. I really enjoyed in particular two different relationships in the book. The relationship between Siobhan and Emily and then the relationship between Emily and Kieran. I loved to see the connection and bond build between Siobhan and Emily. I really enjoyed seeing their friendship and mother and daughter type bond build.  In addition, I liked the relationship between Kieran and Emily. Jenn had a great mix of romance, humor and seriousness in their relationship. It had me laughing out loud at times. 

The story was also very well written and also the scenery was great. She did a great job describing it and made me feel like I was truly there in Ireland. So if you love books, romance and a little bit of travel this book is for you. 

Review of The Night Island By Jane Krentz

Over 2 years in the making I am back and writing reviews again on books that I read. My first book for 2024 was, “The Night Island” by Jane Krentz. 

Summary of the Book courtesy of Berkley Publishing on Goodreads

Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, bonded by a night they all have no memory of, are dedicated to uncovering the mystery of what really happened to them months ago—an experience that brought out innate psychic abilities in each of them. The women suspect they were test subjects years earlier, and that there are more people like them—all they have to do is find the list. When Talia follows up on a lead from Phoebe, a fan of the trio’s podcast, she discovers that the informant has vanished.

 
Talia isn’t the only one looking for Phoebe, however. Luke Rand, a hunted and haunted man who is chasing the same list that Talia is after, also shows up at the meeting place. It’s clear he has his own agenda, and they are instantly suspicious of each other. But when a killer begins to stalk them, they realize they have to join forces to find Phoebe and the list. 
 
The rocky investigation leads Talia and Luke to a rustic, remote retreat on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest. The retreat promises to rejuvenate guests with the Unplugged Experience. Upon their arrival, Talia and Luke discover guests are quite literally cut off from the outside world because none of their high-tech devices work on the island. It soon becomes clear that Phoebe is not the first person to disappear into the strange gardens that surround the Unplugged Experience retreat. And then the first mysterious death occurs…

My Review:

Having read mostly contemporary romance books in the last couple of years I was very excited to try a suspenseful romance with a little bit of paranormal in it. I have not read Jane Ann Krentz before so I was note sure what to expect. I think that she did a great job of giving you the background of the characters in the story with out going overboard. I didn’t feel that I was lost at all being that I did not read the first book in the series. 

In addition to the characters I really enjoyed the storyline. I think that it was something different that I have never read before. I think she did a good job of building suspense through out the book and having you on the edge of your seat not knowing if the characters were going to get off the island and be safe. 

I have to be honest it was a little too creepy/scary for me so I don’t know that I would read the next book in the series but I do recommend that you read this book if you like suspense, romance, paranormal and thrillers. 

Looking forward to my next read…. The Head that Wears the Crown by Mariah Stewart