Review: Daughter of Black Lake

Daughter of Black Lake is Cathy Marie Buchanan's third novel and, if you can believe it, the first one that I've read. She's a Canadian historical fiction author who has been on my radar since her second book, The Painted Girls, published back in 2012. But I just hadn't gotten around to reading her - so many books, so little time, am I right? I'm glad I had a chance to read this latest one, thanks to HarperCollins Canada, as it was a beautifully written novel set in a time I had never read about before.

Here's the book's description:

It's the season of Fallow, in the era of iron. In a northern misty bog surrounded by woodlands and wheat fields, a settlement lies far beyond the reach of the Romans invading hundreds of miles to the southeast. Here, life is simple--or so it seems to the tightly knit community. Sow. Reap. Honor Mother Earth, who will provide at harvest time. A girl named Devout comes of age, sweetly flirting with the young man she's tilled alongside all her life, and envisions a future of love and abundance. Seventeen years later, though, the settlement is a changed place. Famine has brought struggle, and outsiders, with their foreign ways and military might, have arrived at the doorstep. For Devout's young daughter, life is more troubled than her mother ever anticipated. But this girl has an extraordinary gift. As worlds collide and peril threatens, it will be up to her to save her family and community.

The book is told from two viewpoints. The first is Hobble in her present day as a Druid comes to their village and stirs up unease, just as another Druid had in Hobble's mother's youth. Devout is her mother and her part of the story is in the past, which gives the reader a greater understanding of the distrust the villagers have of Druids, even if it's never outwardly spoken. That distrust culminates in a super intense scene at the end of the book and I definitely gasped and yelled YES (to myself) as villagers stood up for what was right.

The book was set in the Iron Age in what we now know as Great Britain. At least, I'm fairly certain that's the setting. Because it's so incredibly ancient (anywhere between 800 BC to 43 AD), it's hard to pin down. Normally I read a lot of WWII era historical fiction and that is really easy to piece together since I've read so much of it and it's recent-ish history. While the world Hobble and her parents live in is quite different than ours, there are still a lot of similarities. Humans haven't changed all that much in the last...well, freaking long time. There are still the base desires and needs which I think we've started paying attention to A LOT more during the last year and a half with the pandemic. 

I wouldn't necessarily say I really liked Daughter of Black Lake but Cathy Marie Buchanan's latest novel, which was published last fall, is really well done. It's exceptionally well written and allows the reader to get a glimpse into the lives of ancient humans, which was quite fascinating. This novel is for you if you like your historical fiction to be more literary.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by HarperCollins Canada in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Only for You

Barb Curtis published her debut novel, Forever with You, last year and I thought it was super cute so I was excited for the next book in the Sapphire Springs series. Only for You, just published today, featured a new couple in the small western New York town and I loved it.

Here's the book's description:

Will a fake relationship between two friends lead to true love?
After having his heart broken on national television, Tim Fraser knows only one way to stop the gossip about his love life-a new girlfriend. The problem is, he's done with romance forever. A fake relationship with his friend and Sapphire Spring's sweetest baker, Emily Holland, seems the perfect solution to getting rid of his newfound fame, but their fleeting fauxmance is stirring up the kinds of feelings Tim has sworn off for good.
Emily has secretly lusted after Tim for years, but pretending her feelings are all for show never factored into her fantasy. Still, her decades-long crush makes it impossible to say no to Tim's proposal. But with each date, the lines between pretend and reality blur, giving Tim and Emily a tantalizing taste of life outside the friend zone . . . if they can find the courage to give real love a chance. 

I liked Only for You so much more than the first book in the series. I think a lot of that had to do with the couple in this story. There was something about Emily and Tim that had me enjoying their love story more - even when it was driving me bananas! Both characters are big hearted and so kind. They have their differences, which makes things interesting, but their values are so similar. It was hard to see how Tim could be so blind to Emily's feelings for him.

Tim's obliviousness knocked off a few swoon points, to be honest, because he just couldn't see what was right in front of him. It was hard to understand some of his hangups and I'm glad Emily approached things the way she did near the end. I was Team Emily, as much as I adored Tim, and even though I knew he'd get his head on straight because, hello, this is a romance, I would have been right by Emily's side with her bestie Leyna (the heroine from the first novel), telling her she was better off without the knobhead and we'd find her someone else who was perfect for her. 

As I mentioned in my review of the first book, this story technically takes place in New York state but Curtis did her wine research with a winemaker in Niagara in Ontario, which is where I live. I can totally picture the town near that winery and it fits so well with the town of Sapphire Springs so I couldn't help but picture it again as I read this novel. I almost feel like pitching the Maple Magic Festival to the town because it sounded like SO much fun. 

I'm already looking forward to getting back to Sapphire Springs in whatever novel Curtis writes next. I think the story will feature Rob, Leyna's brother and friend to every character we've met so far. He's been through a nasty divorce but seems like such a wonderful guy so I hope we get to see his Happily Ever After too.

Only for You is such a sweet read that you'll have finished in no time. This story is perfect for those who like closed door romances and small towns that are a character all on their own. Barb Curtis' second novel thoroughly entertained me - so much so that I'm sad the story is over! Definitely consider picking this one up!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Rehearsals

I love rom coms (surprise, surprise) but I also love books with a bit of magic realism (even if I don't read a ton of them). The Rehearsals by Annette Christie is a rom com with a time loop twist where both main characters are living through the same day over...and over...and over. It was a fun read with a lot of heart.

Here's the book's description:

Two people. One wedding. No end in sight.
Megan Givens and Tom Prescott are heading into what is supposed to be their magical wedding weekend on beautiful San Juan Island. But with two difficult families, ten years of history, and all too many secrets, things quickly go wrong. After a disastrous rehearsal dinner they vow to call the whole thing off—only to wake up the next morning stuck together in a time loop. Are they really destined to relive the worst day of their lives, over and over? And what happens if their wedding day does arrive?
A funny, romantic, and big-hearted debut novel, The Rehearsals imagines what we might do if given a second chance at life and at love—and what it means to finally get both right.

I'll say up front: if you didn't like Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze because you didn't like the time loop, you won't like this one. It was a bit more prominent and I know a lot of people had issues with the loop (and the repetitive nature of it) in Lauren's. I'm a fan of Groundhog Day-esque reads myself (and the movie, of course) so I was immediately intrigued by the storyline in The Rehearsals. I like thinking, what if we got a do-over on a day and had that opportunity to make it "right"? But...what IS right? I was stressed and anxious right alongside Megan and Tom and I had no idea how things would work out once they broke out of the loop - if they ever did!

I probably would have given this one a higher rating if I had liked Tom more. He was kind of an idiot. I couldn't stand that he let his family make all the decisions and never stood up for Megan when they treated her and her family like they weren't worthy of their attention. Megan didn't have to put up with that, of course, but in the grand scheme of things...is that the worst thing ever? (It is bad, Megs. Recognize that.) Plus, she was punishing herself for something that happened years prior. (Though I think she should have gotten over that at some point or recognized before the time loop that there were unresolved issues there.) And the Big Thing he DIDN'T DISCUSS WITH HER? Ugh, I was SO ANGRY. (In case you couldn't tell from all the caps.)

Because of my issues with Tom, I liked Megan's chapters way more. I really loved her - even with her massive mistake. She was smart and full of love and she had put so much work into making the wedding the best for everyone. (And you might even say that she worried about others' feelings more than what she really wanted.) I so badly wanted what was best for her and, like Megs, thought that was one option but as the loop went on, realized that maybe that option wasn't the best one. I needed her to have a Happily Ever After and I like the way Christie ended things. It wasn't a perfect bow but it was the perfect ending. 

There are a few trigger warnings to take note of: infidelity, absent parents, and overbearing parents being three of the most prominent. 

The Rehearsals was a really enjoyable read that I had finished in just two days. Annette Christie's adult novel debut is one to read - if you like your rom coms more serious, can handle infidelity storylines, and enjoy time loops. I'm looking forward to what Christie writes next!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, HBG Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The View Was Exhausting

When I first heard about The View Was Exhausting I was immediately intrigued. Celebrity gossip, WOC heroine who's a famous actress, and exotic locales? Sign me up. Authors Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta have written a novel that is engaging, smart, and thought provoking that avoids veering into frothy, gossip rag territory. It was a win in my books.

Here's the book's description:

Faking a love story is a whole lot easier than being in love . . .
The world can see that international A-list actress Whitman ("Win") Tagore and jet-setting playboy Leo Milanowski are made for each other. Their kisses start Twitter trends and their fights break the internet. From red carpet appearances to Met Gala mishaps, their on-again, off-again romance has titillated the public and the press for almost a decade. But it's all a lie.
As a woman of color, Win knows the Hollywood deck is stacked against her, so she's perfected the art of controlling her public persona. Whenever she nears scandal, she calls in Leo, with his endearingly reckless attitude, for a staged date. Each public display of affection shifts the headlines back in Win's favor, and Leo uses the good press to draw attention away from his dysfunctional family.
Pretending to be in a passionate romance is one thing, but Win knows that a real relationship would lead to nothing but trouble. So instead they settle for friendship, with a side of sky-rocketing chemistry. Except this time, on the French Riviera, something is off. A shocking secret in Leo's past sets Win's personal and professional lives on a catastrophic collision course. Behind the scenes of their yacht-trips and PDA, the world's favorite couple is at each other's throats. Now they must finally confront the many truths and lies of their relationship, and Win is forced to consider what is more important: a rising career, or a risky shot at real love?

It sure sounds like it would be a novel that could be all flash and no substance. But it's not. Clements and Datta (a wife-and-wife team) shine a light on all that is toxic about celebrity culture. For better or worse, Win is being run by a publicity machine and, the way she sees it, she has no choice but to go along with it. She can't be too loud or too opinionated or too pure or too loose. Not as a woman in Hollywood and especially not as an British Asian actress. I don't know what it's like to be an actress or a woman of colour but I do know what it's like to be a woman and could imagine, at least a little, the struggles Win was facing.

I can't quite put my finger on why I couldn't bump up my rating to a 4 star. This is a solid 3.5 star read for me and I definitely recommend reading it. But something is preventing me from all out raving about it. Part of it could be that I wanted to like Win more. She's not unlikeable but she is so caught up in managing her appearance that she hasn't thought about actual relationships and how the few people in her orbit feel about having to deal with such a particular way of life. She's referred to as "cold" a couple of times and part of what makes her a great character to read is that she's not, really, cold. She's really layered and she's struggling with her image and who she really is. Life is hard and it's easier to give into what's, well, easy and that, for Win, is putting on a persona instead of dealing with anything. I guess I didn't really like that some people in her life were being used as pawns in her life and, while I came around in the end, I still wondered what was real and what was an act. 

The writing in this one is smooth and I never felt like I was reading something written by two authors. The only blip I had that kind of annoyed me was halfway-ish through when we went back in time to see what Leo was up to before The Secret happened. It made sense from a story perspective - we needed to know what actually happened - but it threw off the flow for me. Other than that, though, the story ticked along at a good pace even with all the location changes and time jumps (a couple of weeks or so) in between.

I hesitate calling The View Was Exhausting "fun" because there were so many important topics authors Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta weave into this Hollywood story that kept it from being a mindless read. It is entertaining and it's funny but it's also smart and observant. If you're intrigued, you should definitely pick it up this summer.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, HBG Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: How Sweet It Is

Sometimes a rom com comes into your life just at the right moment. I think that was the case with How Sweet It Is. I had so much fun reading Dylan Newton's novel - it hit all the right notes for a rom com and I really enjoyed my time spent with the characters. 

Here's the book's description:

Event planner Kate Sweet is famous for creating the perfect happily-ever-after moment for her clients’ dream weddings. So how is it that her best friend has roped her into planning a bestselling horror writer’s book launch extravaganza? But the second Kate meets—or rather, accidentally maims—the drop-dead-hot Drake Matthews, her well-ordered life quickly transforms into an absolute nightmare.
Drake Matthews is tired of the spotlight and tired of his reputation as the Knight of Nightmares. He's really a nice guy! But he’s not prepared for Kate, a fearless agent of chaos in steel-tipped stilettos, or for that sweet sting of attraction he feels for her. She’s inspiring him to take his writing in a whole new direction—one that no one expects. Because now Kate and Drake are changing up the rules, and this plot twist might just surprise everyone . . . including themselves.

It seems like this book could be an enemies to lovers or an opposites attract type story but, really, it was a case of miscommunication and assumptions on both sides. Kate isn't as uptight as Drake assumes, and Drake is not the creepy horror writer Kate expected. Once they get to know each other, they (and the reader) realize they have some things in common and, gasp, might actually like each other. I liked that Newton managed to avoid falling into the insta-love trap (even though the story takes place over a short period of time). Kate and Drake falling for each other just made so much sense and I loved reading as the sexual tension got higher and higher until they finally got together (and I loved how they did as well with a mini getaway). 

I'm really hoping Newton continues this novel into a series because I would love to get back into town and see what might happen romantically with both of Drake's brothers. The three siblings had such a great relationship and I'd be really interested to see who the other two end up with. My guess is one of them will end up with Kate's best friend (and Drake's publicist)!

Unlike a lot of small town set romances/rom coms I've read lately, How Sweet It Is didn't fall into any ridiculous territory. Yes, there was a super cute Harvest Festival but you could tell the whole town enjoyed it and it was a really special event for Drake's mom, which came through really well. The town is proud of Drake and welcoming of outsiders, which made the setting feel really good.

If I had to nitpick, I'd say the "crisis" the pair go through at the end of the novel (like in all romances and rom coms) was a bit ridiculous. Drake refused to actually speak to Kate about what happened and made assumptions instead (which, to be fair, made sense as something similar had happened in a past relationship). It wasn't such a bad thing that they couldn't come back from it, so I was happy about that, but it was just kind of like, "well, we have to have something happen so they fight/break up/etc. and then can have a wonderful get back together moment" and it was tossed in without a ton of thought.

I have an event background and I love books so the fact that Kate was an event planner and Drake was an author really made me excited to read this. Each career was explored well without being too technical and Newton was able to showcase each character's skills and how proud the other was of them.

Finally, I liked that there was a brief stop in Niagara Falls, albeit the "other" side of the falls. I live nearby on the Canadian side and it's always fun when books take place in and around the area. It was very much seen from the tourist side of things but it was cool to read as Kate took in Niagara Falls in a spectacular fashion.

How Sweet It Is totally thrilled me and it was a super fun and swoony rom com. If you're a fan of funny and smart romances, you're going to want to check out Dylan Newton's novel.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Evening

I'm not much of a literary fiction reader but sometimes a title catches my eye and I want to give it a try. Evening by Nessa Rapoport was one of those novels and I ended up enjoying it. Released in fall 2020, the story follows a plot but also focuses on reflecting on choices made in life and what it means to mourn.

Here's the book's description:

In her thirties, Eve is summoned home by her distraught family to mourn the premature death of her sister, Tam, a return that becomes an unexpected encounter with the past. Eve bears the burden of a secret: Two weeks before Tam died, Eve and Tam argued so vehemently that they did not speak again. Her sister was famous, acclaimed for her career as a TV journalist and her devoted marriage. But Tam, too, had a secret, revealed the day after the funeral, one that inverts the story Eve has told herself since their childhood. In the aftermath, Eve is forced to revise her version of her fractured family, her sister’s accomplishments and vaunted marriage, and her own impeded ambition in work and love.
Day by day as the family sits shiva, the stories unfold, illuminating the past​ to shape the present. Evening explores the dissonant love between sisters, the body in longing, the pride we take in sustaining our illusions, and the redemption that is possible only when they are dispelled.

The novel is set in Toronto, a city not so far from my own, but not in the present day. I now can't recall if the exact year was ever divulged but I'd guess it was the late 80s or early 90s.While that doesn't seem like it was that long ago, a lot has changed since that time. By setting the novel in a time other than the present, it added an extra something. I liked that there were no cell phones or laptops or social media during the time the family was sitting shiva together which seemed to allow for a more isolated feeling to the mourning period. 

Normally I love my genre fiction that has a clear beginning, middle, and end (preferably with an expected romantic Happily Ever After) and characters I like (and like reading about) so reading more literary novels is an undertaking for me. I like to expand my reading bubble, though, and I'm glad I did with Rapoport's novel. 

I liked the way the novel was formatted with the book sectioned into days as the family sits shiva. This also helped me feel like the story had a defined structure. At first, I wanted to say that the story was mostly told in "present" day but, upon reflection, there were a number of scenes set in the past that helped illuminate the relationships Eve had with those around her - most importantly, her sister. Even though Tam has died, I was still able to feel like I knew her, through Eve's memories.

I'm not Jewish and am only somewhat familiar with the tradition of sitting shiva. I enjoyed learning a little bit more about it, even though I know the point of the novel isn't to overtly teach the reader.

Grief and relationships between sisters are so well explored in this novel and, even while deeply sad, was beautiful to read. Being one of a pair of sisters means having a unique bond, but one that is common between almost every other pair of sisters. It's hard to explain unless you're in it and I found Rapoport was able to explore that really well, even though the majority of the novel was told from present day when one of the sisters had died. Reading this story made me miss my own younger sister, who's an ocean away, and all I wanted to do is wrap her in a giant hug. 

Evening wasn't a novel I would typically pick up but I'm thankful I chose to read Nessa Rapoport's novel. During a time when the entire world is dealing with various levels of grief, it was interesting and enlightening to read a story where a family is grieving the untimely death of a young woman. I think the way the novel made me feel is going to stick with me for awhile.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Summer Sisters

The Summer Sisters was the second in Sara Richardson's Juniper Springs series and picks up not too long after Home for the Holidays left off. Just like the first novel, it was full of family and sweet romances that provided a lovely story.

Here's the book's description:

The Buchanan sisters share everything—including their inherited Juniper Inn. But when their mother won’t let go of a decades-long feud with their Aunt Sassy to attend the inn’s grand re-opening, the sisters decide a family reunion is long overdue.
Youngest sister Rose is determined to put together an extravagant celebration. Only she needs to convince a certain surly hardware store owner to help finish the inn’s renovations.
After a heartbreaking end to her marriage, Dahlia and her kids are just starting to rebuild their lives. Dahlia’s even considering opening herself up to love again, but will that upset the stability she’s worked so hard to give her children?
Sassy McGrath has never stopped missing her sister, Lillian, and though they’ve both been too stubborn to reconcile, some shocking news might finally change everything. As family bonds are tested, will these two very different generations of women find the strength to believe in themselves and each other? 

As you can see, this book focused on two (instead of three) Buchanan sisters along with their Aunt Sassy. I wasn't expecting that but I wasn't too surprised either. The third sister, Magnolia, had a clear Happily Ever After in the first book plus she lives across the country from the Inn. She did pop in at the end so the reader is able to see just how great life has been for her since the first book. And I really did enjoy getting to know a bit more about Sassy.

And, bonus, I appreciated that a mainstream romance featured a love story for a woman who was just turning seventy. True, she was one of three characters in the story but there don't seem to be many romances that have heroines over the age of forty, let alone all the way up to seventy. It's not a personal need for me right now but I know by the time I get up there in years I'm going to want to see heroines my own age in the romances I read.

Like with most romances, there's a certain amount of non-communicating that happens amongst a lot of the characters. Sassy refuses to acknowledge worsening headaches which, from an outside perspective, was frustrating. Colt and Rose had such great chemistry but couldn't seem to talk about anything important, like their feelings for each other. And Dahlia was afraid to have any sort of conversation with Ike or her daughter about what a relationship could look like. Ah, but if everyone discussed what they needed to, we wouldn't have romance novels, would we? It was just a bit much to get through as I was anxious for all the Happily Ever Afters I knew had to be coming.

Like the first book in the Juniper Springs series, The Summer Sisters wasn't groundbreaking but Sara Richardson's novel provides a sweet, romantic escape for those who love their small town romances (and prefer them to be closed door). It was a lovely way to spend a summer Sunday and I was so happy with the way the storylines were wrapped up.

My review of Home for the Holidays is here.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*