My Thoughts: The Switch by Beth O'Leary (Audiobook)

The Switch
by Beth O'Leary
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Publication Date: August 18th 2020
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 330
Book ISBN: 9781250769862
Genre: Adult Fiction / Contemporary / Romance

Audiobook Pub: Macmillan Audio
Audio Length: 10hrs 12min
Narrated By: Alison Steadman & Daisy Edgar-Jones
Audio ISBN: 9781250751850
Source: Own

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Eileen, newly single and about to turn eighty, would like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen. Then in bustling London, Eileen's twentysomething, overachieving granddaughter Leena is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work.

Once Leena learns of Eileen's romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen will live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will rest and take care of things in rural Yorkshire.

But trading places isn't as easy as either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves…and maybe even find love? (Goodreads)

The Switch is the very first book that I have read by Beth O’Leary, and I am excited to have finally read something by her! Her previous book, The Flatshare has been on my TBR for a while now, and I am even more excited to get to that book having now read this one!

I enjoyed so much about The Switch. I was definitely intrigued by both of the characters. Eileen and Leena are grandmother and granddaughter, and while they share the same name, they are nothing at all alike. I enjoyed how the storyline switched between the two women, and how they basically switched lives for a while. It was fun how the chapters switched back and forth between the two. I have to say I think Eileen the grandmother had the most fun in the story, at least that’s how it felt to me.  There are also some great secondary characters in the story as well!

While I have a paperback version of this book, I opted to listen to the audio version instead, and I’m so glad that I did! This book is narrated by two authors, which goes great for the alternating viewpoints between the two main characters. Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones did a really great job narrating the story with all the different voices. It definitely made this read even more enjoyable.

Overall; If you can’t already tell, I very much enjoyed The Switch by Beth O’Leary! Now I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by her, and lucky me, I already have her first book, The Flatshare, queued up and ready to go. I’m so excited to read it!

Summer Reads: 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summers
by Elin Hilderbrand
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Publication Date: June 16th 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780316420044
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Library Borrow

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By the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of '69: Their secret love affair has lasted for decades -- but this could be the summer that changes everything.

When Mallory Blessing's son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he's not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer. It's the late spring of 2020 and Jake's wife, Ursula DeGournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election.

There must be a mistake, Link thinks. How do Mallory and Jake know each other?

Flash back to the sweet summer of 1993: Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother's bachelor party. Cooper's friend from college, Jake McCloud, attends, and Jake and Mallory form a bond that will persevere -- through marriage, children, and Ursula's stratospheric political rise -- until Mallory learns she's dying.

Based on the classic film Same Time Next Year (which Mallory and Jake watch every summer), 28 Summers explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches their lives, and the lives of the people they love. (Goodreads)

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand was one of the books on my Summer TBR that I was most excited to read this year. I just started reading Elin’s books a few years ago, and they always make for the best summer reads. 28 Summers was no exception!

Summer-themed books that are set at the beach are my absolute most favorite books to read around this time of year, and even more so this year since we didn’t get to make it to the beach at all. (Thanks Covid.) I love beach settings, and the one in 28 Summers sounded amazing. The book also had a fantastic storyline that had me completely hooked. There were a lot of interesting characters as well, and I enjoyed reading the story through the two main characters’ different viewpoints. I also enjoyed the format of the book, where each year in the story gets its own chapter. It all made for such a good read.

This book was a library borrow for me and I also opted to listen to the audiobook as well. The narrator, Erin Bennett, is a familiar voice that I know not only from a few of Elin’s previous books that I listened to, and she also narrates a few other books coming up on my TBR as well. I very much enjoy listening to Erin as she reads the story to me, and I think she did a fantastic job with 28 Summers.

Overall; 28 Summers was another great read by Elin Hilderbrand, and I’m so thrilled to have had it on my Summer TBR this year! I am definitely going to keep this yearly tradition going of reading Elin’s books in the summer, but I also plan to check out her winter themed books this coming winter as well!

Summer Reads: Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (Audiobook)

Big Summer
by Jennifer Weiner
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Publication Date: May 5th 2020
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781501133510
Genre: Womens Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

Audio Narrated By: Danielle Macdonald
Audiobook Length: 10hr 54min
Audio ISBN: 9781797108407
Source: Scribd

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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “nothing short of brilliant” (People) Mrs. Everything returns with an unforgettable novel about friendship and forgiveness set during a disastrous wedding on picturesque Cape Cod.

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most. (Goodreads)

Big Summer is the very first book I have ever read by Jennifer Weiner, (though I have had quite a few of her books on my tbr for the longest), and I’m so thrilled to have finally read something by her! This was just the quick read that I didn’t know I needed to get out of my own head for a while.

Let me get this started by saying that Big Summer was not at all what I expected. I went into this book expecting a fun, summer wedding read set at the beach. I totally did not expect the mystery part of the story, and that said mystery that would have me completely hooked. But it did, and I was!

There were a lot of things that I liked about the book. The characters were definitely interesting, even when I thought they all were a suspect. The main character, Daphne, is an Instagram Influencer, but she could definitely get a side gig as a private investigator because she was determined to figure out what happened. She also has really great parents. (I LOVE when there are great parents in a story!)

The setting for the story jumps around a lot, and while I was basically just here for the beach parts, I did enjoy reading about all the other places as well. The storyline for the book was definitely interesting. It was a little slow in a few places, mostly during the backstory parts, but the fast parts definitely made up for that.

Also, I opted to listen to the audio version of this book, and Danielle Macdonald did a fantastic job of narrating the story! I really enjoyed her voices for each of the characters, and she did a great job with the pacing of the story.

Overall; Big Summer may have been my very first read by Jennifer Weiner, but it definitely won’t be my last! I am very much looking forward to reading more books by her soon, and I do think Mrs. Everything will be my next pick. (I’m so excited!) If you’re looking for a fun summer read, do is a great book to add to your list.

My Thoughts: Beach Read by Emily Henry

Beach Read
by Emily Henry
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Publication Date: May 19th 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9781984806734
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Women's Fiction
Source: Netgalley Review Copy / Own

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A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really. (Goodreads)

Beach Read by Emily Henry was at the very top of my list of books I wanted to read this summer. I am all about summer books, (even though summer is probably my least favorite season), and I am always on the lookout for new summer-themed books. As soon as I saw the cover for Beach Read, I knew I would have to check it out!

Let me start this by saying that I went into this expecting a cute, romantic, beach read, and that’s… not exactly what this book is. While the book did have a lot of cutesy moments, it definitely had a lot of darker moments as well. (i.e., death, cults, etc.) And while the setting was at the beach, there was not the type of beach reading that I was expecting. This did not put me off of reading the book, but it definitely wasn’t what I had anticipated going into this book, so I just wanted to put that out there for someone else that I may go into the books with similar expectations.

That being said, I did really enjoy this book. January and Gus were adorable, and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow over the course of the book. (Enemies-to-lovers trope here, which happens to be my fave!) Also, there were a lot of fun secondary characters as well. The storyline was interesting, with lots of cutesy moments and steamy romance. (I probably could have done without the cult parts of the book, but I get while they were in there.) And I loved the setting for the book. I am a sucker for books set at the beach. So fun!

Overall; Beach Read was not at all what I expected, but was an interesting read none-the-less. It’s the second book I have read so far by Emily Henry, but I am definitely curious to check out some of her other books soon!

My Thoughts: Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner

Summer Longing
by Jamie Brenner
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Publication Date: May 5th 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780316476850
Genre: Women's Fiction | Contemporary
Source: Netgalley Review Copy

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When a baby is left on the doorstep of a Cape Cod beach house, an unlikely group of women risks all they hold dear to harbor and protect her in this "touching, nuanced summer yarn" (Publisher's Weekly).

Ruth Cooperman arrives in beautiful beachside Provincetown for her retirement, renting the perfect waterfront cottage while she searches for her forever home. After years of hard work and making peace with life's compromises, Ruth is looking forward to a carefree summer of solitude. But when she finds a baby girl abandoned on her doorstep, Ruth turns to her new neighbors for help and is drawn into the drama of the close-knit community.

The appearance of the mystery baby has an emotional ripple effect through the women in town, including Amelia Cabral, the matriarch who lost her own child decades earlier; Elise Douglas, owner of the tea shop who gave up her dream of becoming a mother; and teenage local Jaci Barros who feels trapped by her parents' expectations. Ruth, caring for a baby for the first time in thirty years, even reaches out to her own estranged daughter, Olivia, summoning her to Provincetown in hopes of a reconciliation.

As summer unfolds and friends and family care for the infant, alliances are made, relationships are tested, and secrets are uncovered. But the unconditional love for a child in need just might bring Ruth and the women of Provincetown exactly what they have been longing for themselves.

With heartfelt storytelling, Summer Longing is Jamie Brenner's eagerly anticipated return to Provincetown; another unforgettable tale about motherhood, friendship, and finding your way home.

"Welcome to the gold standard of summertime escapism."
---Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of '69 (Goodreads)

Is summer even summer without reading a Jamie Brenner novel? For me, it’s not, at least for the past few years! For the past four years I have kicked off summer, (and late spring), with a summer titled novel from Jamie, and it’s definitely one of the highlights of my summer. This year’s book was Summer Longing, which made me want to rent a house at the beach! And since I can’t make it to the beach this year, this book was a nice alternative.

Confession: The very first thing that drew me to the first book I read by Jamie was the cover. I LOVE the summer feels to these covers! And since I can’t resist a book with a pretty cover, I found all of these books to be irresistible.

One of the things that I loved about this book was getting to see some of the characters from a few of Jamie’s previous books. That’s always something that I enjoy, as it lets us get a little glimpse of what the characters have been up to since we last met them. I definitely enjoyed meeting them all again! AND we get to meet a lot of awesome new characters as well! I love that there was a various age range for all of the ladies in the book, yet I still managed to find them all relatable in some form or another. I love it when that happens!

I very much enjoyed the storyline for the book as well, especially the way it brought all of the women together. The baby that was left on the doorstep was definitely interesting, and I love how all of the women bonded over her. I was also super curious to discover who left her in the first place. Another favorite part of the book was the setting. Thanks to Covid19, we are not going to make it to the beach this year, so I wanted to read as many books as I can that are set at the beach. This book definitely had a great beach setting, and I could picture myself there perfectly!

Overall; Summer Longing was another great edition to Jamie’s summer-themed collection and I’m so thrilled that this was the first book to kick off my summer reading! The book had a great storyline and great characters, and definitely put me in the mood to read more summer books. If you’re looking for a great summer read, do check this out!

My Thoughts: Well Met by Jen Deluca (Audiobook)

Well Met
(Well Met #1)
by Jen Deluca
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Publication Date: September 3rd 2019
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 319
ISBN: 9781984805386
Genre: Adult Fiction | Romance | Contemporary
Source: Own / Library Audiobook Borrow

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All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek. (Goodreads)

Well Met by Jen Deluca was another book that has been sitting on my TBR for entirely too long, and I was SO excited to finally read the book. It definitely did not disappoint!

You’ve probably noticed that I have a bit of a rom-com theme going on my blog and with my reading lately. That’s because rom-coms are generally happy, and I need all the happy I can get right now. I’m very much enjoying how these books make me smile and give me all the feels. It’s a nice break from the reality in which we are living at the moment.

And Well Met was JUST the book that I needed at the moment. I love pretty much everything about this book. It has a great cast of characters, all of which I enjoyed. The main character, Emily, was awesome, and I loved watching the relationship between her and Simon, the love interest, grow as the story went along. This story also had some great secondary characters as well, including Emily’s sister and niece, and I’m excited to catch up with them all again in the next book, Well Played!

I also have to say that I LOVE the storyline for this book. I have never been to a renaissance fair before, but this book definitely makes me want to go to one. Jen did a great job with the descriptions for the setting, and I could picture the fair perfectly in my mind. And the storyline for the book was pretty adorable as well. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Overall; If you can’t tell by this review, I really, really enjoyed reading Well Met. It made me smile, and took my mind off reality for a while, which was just what I needed. I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, Well Played, which is currently set to release this September. I’m so excited for Stacey’s story!

Waiting on Wednesdsay: Ayesha at Last & The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Ayesha at Last
by Uzma Jalaluddin
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Publication Date: June 4th 2019 by
Publisher: Berkley Books
ISBN: 9781984802798

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A modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice for a new generation of love.

Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn't want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

Ayesha is torn between how she feels about the straightforward Khalid and the unsettling new gossip she hears about his family. Looking into the rumors, she finds she has to deal with not only what she discovers about Khalid, but also the truth she realizes about herself. (Goodreads)

You guys.... Does this book sound awesome, or what??
Pride and Prejudice is probably my most favorite book ever,

and I love reading retellings of the book.
This one sounds great, and I'm super excited to finally read it!

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
by Abbi Waxman
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Publication Date: July 9th 2019
Publisher: Berkley Books
ISBN: 9780451491879

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"Abbi Waxman is both irreverent and thoughtful."--#1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin

The author of Other People's Houses and The Garden of Small Beginnings delivers a quirky and charming novel chronicling the life of confirmed introvert Nina Hill as she does her best to fly under everyone's radar.

Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own...shell.

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all--or mostly all--excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page. (Goodreads)

Ummmm.... Nina Hill had me at introvert.
She is an introvert... I am an introvert...
:)
I imagine that I am SO going to relate to this story,

and I can't wait to check it out!!


Those are my picks for this week...

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

My Thoughts: Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

Sunset Beach
by Mary Kay Andrews
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Publication Date: May 7th 2019
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9781250126108
Genre: Adult Fiction | Women's Fiction
Source: Netgalley Review Copy

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Pull up a lounge chair and have a cocktail at Sunset Beach – it comes with a twist.

Drue Campbell’s life is adrift. Out of a job and down on her luck, life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a twenty-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried – to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job.

It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance – her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach, a charming but storm-damaged eyesore now surrounded by waterfront McMansions.

With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, spending her days screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she goes from unwilling cubicle rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may – or may not – involve her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case re-opened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there’s a storm on the horizon.

Sunset Beach is a compelling ride, full of Mary Kay Andrews' signature wit, heart, and charm. (Goodreads)

Over the past few years I have discovered that summer just isn’t summer without a Mary Kay Andrews book to read, and the book for this summer is Sunset Beach! I added this to my TBR the moment I discovered the book, and I was super excited when I was contacted to review it. I’ve only read a few of Mary’s books so far, but I’ve really enjoyed them all, and I was super curious to see how this one would read. I am so thrilled to say that I really enjoyed it!

A few things I really enjoyed about this book was the setting, which was set, of course, at the beach, (though I do wish there had been more beachy moments), and also the storyline as well! I love that there is a bit of mystery mixed in with Mary’s books, (at least for the ones that I have read so far), and it definitely kept me hooked as I turned the pages. There is an interesting twist at the end of the book that I probably should have seen coming, but didn’t!

I also really enjoyed the characters for the book as well, especially the main character, Drue, who I found myself relating to more than a few times throughout the book. She was great, and would definitely make a great detective with all her super sleuthing skills.

I also want to add that I absolutely love the cover for this book. It makes me want to be at the beach RIGHT NOW!

Overall; Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews was a fun, addictive, and super quick read that was great for kicking of my summer reading list! It would be a great book to read at the beach or by the pool, or even curled up in your favorite chair. I have a couple more of Mary’s books that I’m planning to read this summer, including Summer Rental, Beach Town, and Ladies Night, and I’m even more excited to get started on them now!

My Thoughts: Drawing Home by Jamie Brenner

Drawing Home
by Jamie Brenner
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Publication Date: May 7th 2019
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780316476799
Genre: Adult Fiction | Womens Fiction
Source: *Netgalley Review Copy

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An unexpected inheritance, a promise broken, and four lives changed forever: the newest page-turner from USA Today bestselling author Jamie Brenner.
"Welcome to the gold standard of summertime escapism."-Elin Hilderbrand
Summer has started in idyllic Sag Harbor, and for Emma Mapson that means greeting guests at the front desk of The American Hotel. But when one of the town's most famous residents, artist Henry Wyatt, dies suddenly, Emma learns he has mysteriously left his waterfront home - a self-designed masterpiece filled with his work - to her teenage daughter, Penny.

Back in Manhattan, legendary art patron Bea Winstead's grief at her lifelong friend and former business partner Henry's passing turns to outrage at the news of his shocking bequest. How did these unknown locals get their hands on the estate? Bea, with her devoted assistant Kyle in tow, descends on Sag Harbor determined to reclaim the house and preserve Henry's legacy.

While Emma fights to defend her daughter's inheritance, Bea discovers that Henry left a treasure trove of sketches scattered around town. With Penny's reluctant help, Bea pieces them together to find a story hidden in plain sight: an illustration of their shared history with an unexpected twist that will change all of their lives.

Drawn together in their battle for the house, Emma and Bea are forced to confront the past while facing a future that challenges everything they believe about love, fate, and family. (Goodreads)

Drawing Home is the third book that I've read so far by Jamie Brenner, (the first two being The Forever Summer and The Husband Hour), and I was so excited to read this book! I seem to be starting a yearly tradition of reading Jamie's books every spring or summer, as this is the third year, I've read a book of hers around this time, and I love this new tradition I have started! Also, the book did not disappoint!

One of the things that I love about Jamie's books (that I have read so far), is that they are set at the beach, (and, if I'm thinking correctly, during the summer as well.) I am all about beachy, summer books at the moment, and I want to read as many of them as I can right now as I wait to go on my beach vacation. This book definitely hit the spot with it summer storyline set at the beach, and it makes me want to be there even more! The storyline for this book was really great as well, and I was hooked as flew through the pages to see what would happen next.

This book also has a lot of interesting characters as well. I related so much to Emma as a mom, and also to her daughter, Penny, for her anxiety and OCD. They had such a great relationship, even though Emma was crazy busy most of the time, and Penny, being a teen, rebelled and acted out some times. I've been there, in both of their shoes, so that was definitely relatable. Bea is the character that I really had to warm up to, but she won me over by the end, and I'm so glad that she did. Kyle and Angus were great secondary characters as well!

Overall; I really, really enjoyed Drawing Home, and I am SO glad I had the opportunity to continue my yearly summer reading tradition by reading this book! It's great storyline and interesting characters had me hooked from the beginning, and I flew through the pages a lot quicker than I expected to. Jamie Brenner is definitely becoming an auto-buy author for me, and I absolutely can't wait to read more of her books in the future!

My Thoughts: Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand (Audiobook)

Winter in Paradise
(Paradise #1)
by Elin Hilderbrand
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Publication Date: October 9th 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780316435512
Genre: Adult Fiction | Contemporary | Mystery
Source: Netgalley Review Copy

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A husband's secret life, a wife's new beginning: escape to the Caribbean with New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand.

Irene Steele shares her idyllic life in a beautiful Iowa City Victorian house with a husband who loves her to sky-writing, sentimental extremes. But as she rings in the new year one cold and snowy night, everything she thought she knew falls to pieces with a shocking phone call: her beloved husband, away on business, has been killed in a plane crash. Before Irene can even process the news, she must first confront the perplexing details of her husband's death on the distant Caribbean island of St. John.

After Irene and her sons arrive at this faraway paradise, they make yet another shocking discovery: her husband had been living a secret life. As Irene untangles a web of intrigue and deceit, and as she and her sons find themselves drawn into the vibrant island culture, they have to face the truth about their family, and about their own futures.

Rich with the lush beauty of the tropics and the drama, romance, and intrigue only Elin Hilderbrand can deliver, Winter in Paradise is a truly transporting novel, and the exciting start to a new series. (Goodreads)

Winter in Paradise is only the second book that I’ve read so far by Elin Hilderbrand, (the first was The Perfect Couple, which I really enjoyed), and I am finding myself wanting to read her stories more and more! Though I have a few of Elin’s books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, this new book seemed to be calling to me, so I decided to read it asap. I’m so glad that I did!

Winter in Paradise is the first book in Elin’s new Paradise series, and I have to say this series is off to a great start! To be honest, I did not realize that this was the first book of the series until I was nearing the last few chapters and I realized that things were not wrapping up the way that I was expecting them to. I was so engrossed in the story that I didn’t realize how quickly the end came along. Once I realize that this was going to be a series, I was pretty happy, as I have SO many questions that were left unanswered! I am really looking forward to getting my hands on the next book in the series.

The book has an interesting group of characters, (a few that I found really relatable), and a great setting as well. Reading this book made me want to be at the beach, and visit St. John Island, which sounds like a really awesome place. The details were great, and I love it when a book makes me want to visit somewhere!

Though I had an e-ARC of this book, I discovered that there was an audiobook version of the story, and I opted to listen to that instead. I’m so glad I did! Erin Bennett did a great job of narrating the book, and often times had me so hooked to the story that I had to stop what I was doing to listen along.

Overall; Winter in Paradise is an excellent start to the new Paradise series by Elin Hilderbrand! The book has interesting characters and an engrossing storyline, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book so I can see what’s going to happen next. I have not found any information on the next book yet, but I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for it, but in the meantime I have a stack of Elin’s previous books sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read, and I can't wait to dive into them. If you’re looking for a great beach read to check out during the upcoming cold months that are ahead of us, do check out Winter in Paradise!!

My Thoughts: The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

The Perfect Couple
by Elin Hilderbrand
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Publication Date: June 19th 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 466
ISBN: 9780316375269
Genre: Women's Fiction | Mystery
Source: Netgalley

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From New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, comes a novel about the many ways family can fill our lives with love...if they don't kill us first.

It's wedding season on Nantucket. The beautiful island is overrun with summer people--an annual source of aggravation for year-round residents. And that's not the only tension brewing offshore. When one lavish wedding ends in disaster before it can even begin--with the bride-to-be discovered dead in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony--everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash digs into the best man, the maid of honor, the groom's famous mystery novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, the chief discovers that every wedding is a minefield--and no couple is perfect. Featuring beloved characters from THE CASTAWAYS and A SUMMER AFFAIR, THE PERFECT COUPLE proves once again that Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of the summer beach read. (Goodreads)

The Perfect Couple is the very first book I've read so far by Elin Hilderbrand, and it will definitely not be my last! I've had quite a few of her books on my TBR for a while now, and even bought one of her previous books to read last summer while we were on vacation. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to read that book, and opted to save it for this summer, and I'm so glad I did. Reading The Perfect Couple has definitely made me want to read more of Elin's books, and I'm happy to add them all to my TBR for this summer!

I was initially drawn to The Perfect Couple by it's beachy book cover. I was looking for summer themed books to read this summer, and this one definitely fit the bill. Not only is it set at the beach during the summer, but there's also a beach wedding, (perfect for wedding season), AND a murder mystery. Everything you're looking for in a great beach read!

The storyline for this book was definitely interesting and kept me guessing as I turned the pages. I'm usually pretty good at figuiring out the mystery early in a book, and while I thought I had it figured out at first, (I did), I love that the book made me question myself more than a few times! Not too many books do that lately, and I LOVED it! All of the characters in the story were suspicious and mysterious, and none of them where what they seemed, which made the story that much more interesting. So much drama! I'm usually not a fan of dramatic books, but this one had me hooked.

Overall; The Perfect Couple is the very first book I've read by Elin Hilderbrand, but it defintely will not be my last! I'm thrilled to have three of her older books, The Rumor, Here's to Us, and The Identicals on my TBR for this summer, and I can't wait to dive into those books as well. I hope they will be great summer reads also! If you're looking for a good beach read, do check out The Perfect Couple!

My Thoughts: Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis

Lost and Found Sisters
(Wildstone #1)
by Jill Shalvis
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Publication Date: June 20th 2017
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: 371
ISBN: 9780062448118
Genre: Women's Fiction | Contemporary
Source: Own

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From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes her first women's fiction novel—an unforgettable story of friendship, love, family, and sisterhood—perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Susan Mallery, and Kristan Higgins.

They say life can change in an instant…

After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.'s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she's looking for a missing piece she can't find?

The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.

On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small hometown of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn't quite fit in right away, she can't help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures…and the handsome, dark-haired stranger who offers friendship with no questions asked.

As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there's another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn't a house or money, but rather something earthshattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she's searched so long for. (Goodreads)

I have had a copy of Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis sitting on my shelf for too long, and with the second book in the series, Rainy Day Friends, set to release later this month, I figured it was the perfect time to finally read the book. I had originally picked up this book last year to read at the beach, but didn't get to it before we left, so I waited until this summer to finally devour the book. This is my first read by Jill Shalvis, but it definitely won't be my last!!

Lately I've been trying to step outside the box with the books I read so I could experience different types of new books, and this book was high on my list to read. I have heard a lot of good things about Jill Shalvis, and I was really looking forward to reading something by her. And since I've been trying to read more women's fiction, this book seemed like a good place to start.

There was really so much to like about this book, including the characters. There were so many of them to like, including the main character, Quinn. I found myself relating to Quinn in so many ways as the story went along, and I really love it when that happens.  There are also a lot of interesting secondary characters in the story, even a few that you won't want to like at first, and there are quite a few swoon-worthy characters as well. *cough, Mick, cough*.

I like that the story was told from a couple of different viewpoints, as that always makes me feel like we get so much more information in the story. The storyline for the book was really cute, and it made for a really relaxing read. A perfect book to read at the beach, which is where I wish I had gotten to read this! But, I'm just thrilled to have finally read it, so there's that. :)

Overall; Lost and Found Sisters was a cute, touching read, and, as I mentioned above, my very first read by Jill Shalvis. I love these types of books, the ones that make you feel good when you read them, and that definitely makes me want to pick up more books like this, especially those by Jill. I'm also now super excited to pick up Rainy Day Friends, which is set to release in just a few weeks, and I can't wait to check it out!

My Thoughts: By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank

By Invitation Only
by Dorothea Benton Frank
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Publication Date: May 15th 2018
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780062390820
Genre: Women's Fiction | Chick Lit
Source: Edelweiss

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The Lowcountry of South Carolina is where By Invitation Only begins at a barbecue engagement party thrown by Diane English Stiftel, her brother Floyd, and her parents to celebrate her son’s engagement. On this gorgeous, magical night, the bride’s father, Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy power broker whose unbelievably successful career in private equity made him one of Chicago’s celebrated elite, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range. While the mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, who dabbles in the world of public relations and believes herself deserving of every square inch of her multimillion-dollar penthouse and imaginary carrara marble pedestal, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons.

Soon By Invitation Only zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates. Nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane is the antithesis of the bright lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred’s second engagement party. Why a second party? Maybe it had been assumed that the first one wouldn’t be up to snuff? Fred is marrying Shelby Cambria, also an only child. The Cambrias’ dearest wish is for their daughter to be happy. If Shelby wants to marry Frederick, aka Fred, they will not stand in her way—although Susan does hope her friends won’t think her daughter is marrying more than a few degrees beneath her socially. At the same time, Diane worries that her son will be lost to her forever.

By Invitation Only is a tale of two families, one struggling to do well, one well to do, and one young couple—the privileged daughter of Chicago’s crème de la crème and the son of hard -working Southern peach farmers.

Dorothea Benton Frank offers a funny, sharp, and deeply empathetic novel of two very different worlds—of limousines and pickup trucks, caviars and pigs, skyscrapers and ocean spray—filled with a delightful cast of characters who all have something to hide and a lot to learn. A difference in legal opinions, a headlong dive from grace, and an abrupt twist will reveal the truth of who they are and demonstrate, when it truly counts, what kind of grit they have. Are they living the life they want, what regrets do they hold, and how would they remake their lives if they were given the invitation to do so?

By Invitation Only is classic Dorothea Benton Frank—a mesmerizing Lowcountry Tale that roars with spirit, humor, and truth, and forces us to reconsider our notions of what it means to be a Have or a Have Not. (Goodreads)

I have had almost ALL of Dorothea Benton Frank's books on my TBR for a while now, and somehow hadn't managed to pick up one until recently. I picked up Same Beach Next Year last summer, but for some reason I didn't finish the book, and I can't remember why. I was determined to finally read something by Frank this summer, and By Invitation Only sounded like the perfect place to start, especially with it officially being wedding season and I'm all about wedding books at the moment. This book was a pretty cute read!

The storyline for By Invitation Only was really cute. It was all about family and marriage, and how marriage can bring families together. (And even also how some can fall completely apart sometimes as well.) I really liked the setting of the book, as it definitely makes me want to visit South Carolina, and find a peach farm to visit as well. The book felt a little ramble-y in some parts, with lots of descriptions that I didn't really feel were necessary. I'm not sure if that's how the author usually writes, but something that I noticed. It didn't really bother me enough to stop reading the book though. It was very entertaining!

The story is told through dual narratives, one by Diane, mother of the groom, and Susan, mother of the bride. I was definitely able to relate to Diane in a lot of ways, but with Susan, not so much. Wow, her family was a mess! But watching them all merge into one big happy family was sweet, even if there was a few bumps in the road along the way. There were a lot of different characters to keep up with in the story, but I liked how they were all pretty unique, and most kept me laughing along the way as well.

Overall; I'm thrilled to have finally added a Dorothea Benton Frank book to my *READ* list, and By Invitation Only was the perfect book to start with. It definitely has put me in the mood for more wedding books, and I plan to start more as soon as possible. I'm definitely curious to check out more books by Frank in the future as well. If you're looking for a cute wedding themed book to read this wedding season, do check out By Invitation Only!