The Fiance Dilemma by Elena Armas
Goodreads blurb: A fake engagement, second chances, and newfound family members come together in this new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the “swoon-worthy” (Business Insider) The Spanish Love Deception. Josie Moore has given the opposite sex—and love—plenty of chances. Four exactly, if you count all her failed engagements, and five if you include the absentee father who kept her existence a secret until very recently. So when her father decides to announce his retirement with a splashy magazine piece about the family, Josie realizes her romantic history is a complicated PR issue. Matthew Flanagan is in the mud, literally. Not only has he been fired from his job, but also the tires of his car are stuck in the muck after taking a wrong turn as he enters Green Oak, North Carolina. So, he grabs a duffel with his essentials and goes in search of a place to crash until he gets his life back on track. But instead, he finds his best friend’s sister, Josie, greeting him as her fiancé. What starts as a big messy misunderstanding quickly turns into an arrangement with Matthew playing a new role as doting fiancé. A fifth engagement—and a stunt, at that—makes Josie’s stomach turn, but every dilemma requires a choice between equally undesirable alternatives, and Matthew doesn’t seem to mind becoming one more number in a colorful list of grooms-that-never-were. Despite the ring on her finger, Josie knows this is only temporary, even if the rest of the small town believes that the fifth time’s the charm.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. It Comes out July 30
my take: 3.5 out of 5. I love Elena Armas books, The American Roommate Experiment is spectacular so any new book by her will be an automated read for me. It was also great that it was a direct continuation of the Long Game and both Adelyn and Cam feature prominently in the book. The book was a bit slow to start, but it sped itself up and the cute ending was adorable so it went up in stars and my appreciation. I think my main issue with this book and why its not ranked higher even though I enjoyed it and its a super cute romance is that throughout it it just felt too much like a copy of runaway bride. Not just inspired by but very much a retelling of the story. Its a fabulous story to use, but then the originality factor is not there. I do love the added family dynamics and that gave it a little bit of a spin.
The Gathering by C.J. Tudor
goodreads blurb: A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caught up in the dark secrets and superstitions of a small town in this riveting novel from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man Deadhart, Alaska. 873. Living. In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods. Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn’t so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than almost anyone. As the pair delve into the town’s history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle each other for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous?
my take: 2.75 out of 5. A crime thriller that was at the same time too slow to start and too fast to end with too many open endings at the end. Seriously nothing happens for half the book, and then the last few chapters the whole thing gets turned around and we get a cliffhanger ending. Not my type of pacing. Now I want the new mystery solved – is there going to be a new book now? I have no interest in Reading it but I kind of do want to know how it all ends up.
A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke
goodreads blurb: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi in this dazzlingly epic debut that charts the incredible, adventurous life of one woman as she journeys the globe trying to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving. Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death. When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she’s already been. From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s… Fiercely independent and hopeful, yet full of longing, Aubry Tourvel is an unforgettable character fighting her way through a world of wonders to find a place she can call home. A spellbinding and inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwise impossible, A Short Walk Through a Wide World reminds us that it’s not the destination, but rather the journey—no matter how long it lasts—that makes us who we are.
my take: 2.5 out of 5. It is a lofty claim to say you are The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi, because expectations will be raised, by a lot because both books are fabulous. This book for me was nowhere close to either and it was just convoluted. They wanted to tell a deep meaning story but it really wasn’t that deep, the message was not very clear nor very insightful and the why of the whole Sci fi element was left very much up in the air. I did the audiobook, and maybe this was clearer in print, but for a big chunk of the book I Was confused as to the date and where in the story we were. The dates jump around and in some point I Was like wait is she a small girl in a very inappropriate affair, or is this a age appropriate love story. The premise was interesting, the location descriptions and all the travelling was fun, but in general too lofty an aim for where it landed.
Sylvia’s Second Act by Hillary Yablon
Goodreads blurb: Her husband’s cheating on her. She hates Boca. Sylvia is mad and she isn’t going to take it anymore. She’s moving back north, to the city of her dreams—with her best friend, Evie, in tow. Think a screwball comedy featuring a sophisticated Thelma and Louise with martinis in hand . . . When sixty-three-year-old Sylvia finds her husband in bed with the floozy of their Boca retirement community, she’s shocked and furious . . . at first. By the time her head stops spinning, Sylvia realizes that actually, this isn’t what she wants anymore anyway. So she enlists her best friend, the glamorous older widow Evie, to join her in setting up a new life in Manhattan. Sylvia’s ex-husband may have lost her life savings, but Sylvia and Evie are scrappy and determined, unopposed to pawning jewelry and roughing it in tiny apartments. And before long, Sylvia signs on to revive her decades-old wedding planning business with a former professional rival. Sylvia has a lot to prove, and beneath it all, she can’t help but Will she ever be able to get back into the dating game? Sylvia doesn’t want to be twenty-five or thirty again. Her age gives her wisdom, experience, and perspective. A career, sex, fun, and a new romance—her entire second act is stretched out in front of her, beckoning to her. It’s her time, and watch out, world, Sylvia is coming!
My take: 4 out of 5. A Funny and sweet take on reinvention post separation especially at a more mature age. Loved a senior heroine and although you want to cringe for her at some times, Sylvia is a fabulous character to root for! Her finding her voice and her footing is absolutely adorable. There is also a lot of mother – daughter relationship to unpack here, not just romantic relationships gone wrong. A great story for those who want to believe that it is never too late to start again!
Lovers and Liars Amanda Eyre Ward
Goodreads blurb: Three wildly different sisters reunite for a destination wedding at an English castle in this heartfelt and rollicking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters. Once upon a time, the Peacock sisters were little girls who combed each other’s tangled hair. But decades of secrets have led them to separate lives—and to telling lies, to themselves and to one another. Sylvie is getting married. Again. A librarian and widow who soothes her grief by escaping into books (and shelving them perfectly), Sylvie has caught the attention of an unlikely match: Simon Rampling, a mysterious, wealthy man from Northern England. Sylvie allows herself to imagine a life beside him—one filled with the written word, kindness, and companionship. She’s ready to love again . . . or is she? Cleo is the golden child. A successful criminal defense lawyer with the perfect boyfriend, she is immediately suspicious of Simon. Is he really who he says he is? Cleo heads to Mumberton Castle with a case of investigative files, telling herself she will expose Simon and save her sister from more heartbreak . . . but who is she really trying to save? Emma is living a lie. She can’t afford this fancy trip—and she definitely can’t tell her husband and sons why. She once dreamt of a line of her own perfumes. Fragrances allowed her to speak in silence. Now, that tendency for silence only worsens her situation. Will she emerge with her dignity and family intact? When their toxic mother shows up, the sisters assume the roles they fell into to survive their childhood . . . but they just might find the courage to make new choices. Set over a spectacularly dramatic weekend, in the grand halls of a sprawling castle estate—amidst floor-to-ceiling libraries, falconry lessons, and medieval meals—Lovers and Liars is the unforgettable story of a family’s ability to forgive and to find joy in one another once again.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher
My take: 2.75 out of 5. There weren’t that many lies or that many lovers. It just felt a bit blah. The whole book is looking back from a buildup crisis moment, but when we get there its more of a contained explosion that a true bomb. I liked the sister relationship and wished there would have been more flashback to them. Additionally the moving negative balance in Emma’s chapters confused me as she wasn’t spending whilst in the castle – it’s not like she was using her credit card – was it the rent or mortgage back home ? that was a little thing but it was annoying me, like if you are showing me i want to know why? Additionally Why was the mom invited to the wedding? in the end, I did not fully get the ending, I was confused and it was just weird, also and why was Penelope doing the epilogue?
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