Blog Tour: The Summer Seekers

During a year (plus) when travel is not a thing we Canadians can safely do, reading about a couple of characters taking a roadtrip across America was a delight. Sarah Morgan's The Summer Seekers is full of characters who will stick with you - all of whom are struggling with finding their place in life. The fun is reading as they find that place in the most unlikely of ways.

Here's the book's description:

Kathleen is eighty years old. After she has a run-in with an intruder, her daughter wants her to move into a residential home. But she’s not having any of it. What she craves—what she needs—is adventure.
Liza is drowning in the daily stress of family life. The last thing she needs is her mother jetting off on a wild holiday, making Liza long for a solo summer of her own.
Martha is having a quarter-life crisis. Unemployed, unloved and uninspired, she just can’t get her life together. But she knows something has to change.
When Martha sees Kathleen’s advertisement for a driver and companion to share an epic road trip across America with, she decides this job might be the answer to her prayers. She's not the world's best driver, but anything has to be better than living with her parents. And traveling with a stranger? No problem. Anyway, how much trouble can one eighty-year-old woman be?
As these women embark on the journey of a lifetime, they all discover it's never too late to start over…

Each woman in the story was struggling with their current life situation for various reasons. Kathleen is getting older and a recent break in to her house has her a bit rattled. Liza is worried about her mom (no matter that she fended off the intruder with a skillet. Frying pans, who knew?) and her family, her mom excluded, is taking her for granted. Martha is stuck living at home and is feeling unmoored and not sure what she should be doing with her life. The three come together, Martha being a total stranger but totally right for what Kathleen needed, and they help each other get to where they need to be. Literally, in the case of Martha driving Kathleen along Route 66!

I absolutely loved that Kathleen had been a presenter for a travel show in her youth. And not even her youth as you'd typically expect - she was still jetting off for the show when Liza was young and Kathleen was well into her 40s. She seemed to be so great and so magnetic and it would have been really cool to watch her show. It was also so unique and I definitely have not read about a former travel show presenter before!

I think this book was a wee bit too long. There were some repetitious scenes and phrases and I found myself just wishing they'd get on with it. I know I was reading an egalley but those types of things aren't normally changed in the final edition. It might be different if there was a ton of action but this was a very character driven (ha...no pun intended) story so reading the same type of scenes over and over again got kinda boring.

I always have such a fun time reading Morgan's novels but I've found that since she's moved from romance to contemporary fiction, a lot of her stories feel...the same. So many focus on mothers and daughters along with multiple viewpoints and I think I'm kind of over that. I don't want to be reading the same thing over and over again. There can only be so many family problems in this format and I feel like Morgan's written them all a couple of times over. It doesn't mean this story is bad. It's not. It's fun and the relationships are so lovely and you can't help but fall in love with everyone. But I expect more from Morgan and if her next Christmas read doesn't thrill me? I might need to take a break. 

The Summer Seekers was a lovely read featuring three engaging characters on emotional journeys, even while two of them are on physical journeys across America. Relationships of all manners are explored in Sarah Morgan's latest novel and you can't help but root for everyone throughout the story.

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About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy, contemporary romance and women’s fiction, and her trademark humor and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. Described as “a magician with words” by RT Book Reviews, she has sold more than eleven million copies of her books. She was nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America and won the award three times: once in 2012 for Doukakis’s Apprentice, in 2013 for A Night of No Return and in 2017 for Miracle on 5th Avenue. She also won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their Top Pick slot. As a child, Sarah dreamed of being a writer, and although she took a few interesting detours along the way, she is now living that dream. Sarah lives near London, England, with her husband and children, and when she isn’t reading or writing, she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for a review for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own*

Review: The Little French Bridal Shop

There's no good way to say it so I'm just going to come right out with it: I didn't like The Little French Bridal Shop. I wanted to enjoy Jennifer Dupee's debut novel. I really did. But it very quickly fell apart for me and it could not redeem itself.

Here's the book's description:

Is a lie of omission still a lie? Larisa Pearl didn't think so and it got her into a heap of trouble.
When Larisa Pearl returns to her small seaside hometown in Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt's estate, she's a bit of an emotional mess. She's just lost her job and her boyfriend and she's struggling to cope with her mother's failing health. When she passes by the window of The Little French Bridal Shop, a beautiful ivory satin wedding gown catches her eye...
Now, to the delight of everyone in town, Larisa is planning her wedding. She has her dress, made floral arrangements, and set the date. The only thing missing is the groom. How did this happen? All she did was try on a dress and let her fantasy take flight. But word about her upcoming nuptials has reached the ears of Jack Merrill. As teenagers, they spent time together on her great aunt's estate, building a friendship that could have become something more had they chosen different paths.
Lost in a web of her own lies, Larisa must first face some difficult truths, including her mother's fragile future, before she can embrace her family, straighten out her life, and open her heart to finding love.

From the description, I knew the story would be a bit ridiculous. I mean, who lies about getting married? I could understand it, I suppose, to a point. I expected cute and funny hijinks but the way it actually came about? A bit odd and...painful. You learn early on in the story, when Larisa is trying on the wedding dresses, that she's been having a lot of issues. She's been lying about all sorts of random things - her height on her driver's license, for example. Plus, she's been shoplifting, too. She loses her job in a fairly public and unbelievable way (it was definitely warranted - she was not kind). Basically, she's been behaving in an extremely childish manner and I couldn't get over it. I'm not one that has to like or understand all the main characters I encounter but when I expected this to be a contemporary drama with a sprinkling of romance (I mean, come on, look at the cover!) and all of a sudden I have a character who has some serious shit going on that she's not addressing and is acting like a kid instead? I didn't like her and nothing she did could convince me otherwise.

All of Larisa's issues seem to stem from the fact hat her mother has recently been diagnosed with dementia. She's struggling with that, understandably so, but, again, she's acting like a child and running away from the issues instead of having a discussion with her father, who's acting as caregiver, and learning more about the disease and how to make the relationship with her mother work with her diagnosis. This led to a heavier storyline than I expected. Normally it would be welcome in a book but there wasn't any indication and it didn't really feel...like it worked with the story, I suppose.

I'll fully admit that I skimmed this book. Heavily. I wanted to see if Larisa could redeem herself (she did, sort of, but I had stopped caring) so I didn't want to completely give up on it. So, because I wasn't reading closely and wasn't very committed, there could be some nuances I missed. But I wasn't looking for or expecting many nuances in this kind of story. I love when my contemporary books pull in something heavier but whatever Dupee was aiming for really didn't work for me. 

Here's a possible spoiler, but you see in the description how it mentions Jack and how they used to know each other as teens? That was part of what drew me to this book. I like second chances and small towns. (The sweet cover was the other part of the appeal.) Well, it turns out Jack is married. With triplet eleven year old sons. It is not a happy marriage. He's bored and is all "poor me, my wife doesn't excite me anymore so I'm going to drown my sorrows at the bar and flirt with the staff instead of talking to her like an adult." I was not here for that. At first you think that maybe things would work out ok, that Jack and his wife would separate, officially, and maybe he and Larissa could start dating (which, by the way, they never did as teenagers). But there's a lot of convoluted nonsense that occurs so you're left wondering what, exactly, he's feeling and wondering who was going to get hurt. (My money was on the kids.) It was just not at all a situation to inspire romance. I know this kind of stuff happens in real life and I know it's not all as black and white as I'm painting it (apparently from a high horse...) but it wasn't what I wanted from this story.

I think my emotions got the better of me when it came to The Little French Bridal Shop. I have no notes on the way it was written because the story and how I felt about it and the characters just didn't allow me to enjoy Jennifer Dupee's debut novel. Was I too harsh on someone who was clearly going through a tough time? Perhaps. That happens in real life but it doesn't mean it always makes for a good novel.

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

Review: One Summer in Paris

Over the last few years Sarah Morgan has become one of my favourite romance authors. Her books are always delightful and full of fun and lots of emotion, too. She's been writing books that aren't strictly romances lately, which has been a nice change of pace. One Summer in Paris is her latest and it was a joy to read.

Here's the synopsis:

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan returns with this heartwarming novel about the power of friendship, love and what happens when an ending is just the beginning…
To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Grace has planned the surprise of a lifetime for her husband—a romantic getaway to Paris. But she never expected he’d have a surprise of his own: he wants a divorce. Reeling from the shock but refusing to be broken, a devastated Grace makes the bold decision to go to Paris alone.
Audrey, a young woman from London, has left behind a heartache of her own when she arrives in Paris. A job in a bookshop is her ticket to freedom, but with no money and no knowledge of the French language, suddenly a summer spent wandering the cobbled streets alone seems much more likely…until she meets Grace, and everything changes.
Grace can’t believe how daring Audrey is. Audrey can’t believe how cautious newly single Grace is. Living in neighboring apartments above the bookshop, this unlikely pair offer each other just what they’ve both been missing. They came to Paris to find themselves, but finding this unbreakable friendship might be the best thing that’s ever happened to them…

Fun fact about me: I've been trying to learn French for the last year or so using a couple of different apps. Mostly I'm doing it for fun but I am Canadian and feel that I should have a better handle on our other national language. Reading this book reminded me of the other reason I started learning and that's to travel more confidently. I have no plans to go to Europe any time soon (though I'd love to get there within the next five years) but I would like to be able to speak French when I do. I really liked reading as Grace taught Audrey French and wished she could teach me too! (Side note: any French learning tips would be greatly appreciated. Merci!)

One thing I constantly wondered about is how Grace's daughter might feel that her mom has befriended someone who's basically the same age as her. Don't get me wrong, I love that Morgan had the women become friends because I think it's good to have friends, or acquaintances at the very least, who are different ages. I just feel that Grace's daughter, Sophie, might have some thoughts on the matter. Or maybe she's a lot more aware than I give her credit for. It's a weird, small thing to be focused on but there we have it.

But what about the actual story? It was a really good one. It had pretty much everything I want in a novel: laughs, broken and then mended hearts, some sad and tender moments, traveling, and amazing friendships between equally amazing women. In these kinds of books, the characters can make it or break it for me. If I can't find something to like about them, I'm not invested. But Grace and Audrey were both fantastic. They were both really broken when they found each other and I adored reading as they helped each other become stronger women.

I was so invested in Grace that I was feeling incredibly protective and would have loved to give David, her husband, a piece of my mind. And maybe thrown a few things at him too. I therefore appreciated that Audrey was fiercely protective of Grace as well. That all being said, I was really hopeful Grace and David would be able to actually talk and work out what went wrong (or not exactly right) with their marriage. They seemed so solid that I was sure they would be able to overcome the bullshit David was putting them through. I was also really invested in Audrey and felt very much like a big sister as I was reading what she was going through. I was rooting for her the entire way through the novel and hoped she'd be able to smooth some of the prickles she had due to her upbringing.

One Summer in Paris was a delight and Sarah Morgan will continue to be on my must-read list, especially when I'm in the mood for a great story with equal parts light-hearted and realistic moments. Life isn't perfect but by the end of her novels you remember how we can make it through all those bumps in the road - because there's usually a wonderful Happily Ever After at the end.

*An e-ARC of this novel was provided via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: How to Keep a Secret

I've been reading Sarah Morgan's romances for a long time now and they're always so enjoyable. Like many romance authors in recent years, Morgan has just published a women's fiction novel, How to Keep a Secret. Personally, I think there's a lot of cross-over between the genres and the different marketing sometimes really frustrates me because they (publishers) really only do it because some idiots people turn their noses up at romance novels. *breathes* But that's a rant for another day. Today I will gush about the loveliness that is Morgan's latest book!

Here's the synopsis:

When three generations of women are brought together by crisis, they learn over the course of one hot summer the power of family to support, nourish and surprise
Lauren has the perfect life...if she ignores the fact it's a fragile house of cards, and that her daughter Mack has just had a teenage personality transplant.
Jenna is desperate to start a family with her husband, but it's... Just. Not. Happening. Her heart is breaking, but she's determined to keep her trademark smile on her face.
Nancy knows she hasn't been the best mother, but how can she ever tell Lauren and Jenna the reason why?
Then life changes in an instant, and Lauren, Mack, Jenna and Nancy are thrown together for a summer on Martha's Vineyard. Somehow, these very different women must relearn how to be a family. And while unraveling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, the rewards could be infinite...
Heartwarming and fresh, Sarah Morgan's brilliant new novel is a witty and deeply uplifting look at the power of a family of women. 

I do have to talk about the difference between this book and Morgan's usual romances (not rant-y, I promise). How to Keep a Secret isn't so much about the love stories (there are three of them) but more about the four Stewart women and their relationships with each other. The familial relationships are way more complicated and problematic than the romantic ones and I appreciated the balance between the two. It was actually quite refreshing because I haven't read a book like this in a little while and it was so well done.

The only thing I didn't really like was, funnily enough, the secrets that were being kept. I had a feeling I knew what Lauren and Jenna were keeping from their mother, and vice versa, but the girls' reasoning just didn't sit well with me. It was a sound reason at 11 and 8 ish but once they grew older? Not so much. I guess I just didn't understand why they wouldn't try to work past it. Maybe they thought the relationships were too damaged to try and repair them. This secret also caused a blow-up between Jenna and her husband that didn't seem very realistic but I think it was more a "last straw" than the actual problem. (Yeah, that's vague but spoilers must be avoided!)

I was worried that the story might get a bit confusing with all the points of view but Morgan managed to keep everything together well. I do think I wanted more time with/background of/interactions between the characters but it's hard to do in a story like this sometimes. I liked all the different viewpoints and how you could see as the story went on how the women were starting to trust each other more and become closer.

Oh my gosh. And the setting? I could totally picture The Captain's House and the lovely scenery Morgan painted for the reader. Made me crave a beach vacation or perhaps a visit to my hometown on Georgian Bay.

Finally, I have to share how exciting it was to see a character with the same name as me! She was minor (so minor she's only mentioned in passing) but I've only encountered this in two other books and twice in real life (the actress doesn't count).

How to Keep a Secret may not be a traditional Sarah Morgan romance but it has all the things readers look for when picking up one of her books - and more. Someone looking for a really light-hearted story would be disappointed (my recommendation is change your viewpoint/expectation and read it anyway) but anyone who wants a great story about family and love will be so pleased with Morgan's latest book.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Plan Bea

One of my least favourite things is having to say I didn't love a book so when I say that Plan Bea was a book I expected to like (if not love) and didn't, know it's as hard for me to write as it is for the author to read. Hilary Grossman's second novel isn't bad, don't get me wrong. I did find enjoyment in some parts but I just didn't connect with it in the way I should have.

Here's the synopsis:

Could falling in love allow a cold, stubborn, and selfish women to open her heart back up to her family?
Beatrice Buchanan has spent more years than she can remember distancing herself from everyone close to her. She has no relationship with her grandchildren and the only time she speaks to her daughter is during her weekly fifteen-minute commute to the nail salon. When Bea meets Walter on a cruise she realizes there may be more to life than designer clothes and impressing the ladies at her country club.
We live our entire lives thinking we know those closest to us. But do we ever really?
On the outside, Annabel O’Conner has it all – the perfect husband, two adorable children, and an amazing job. The only thing missing is her mother’s love. When Bea begs her daughter to help plan her wedding, Annabel reluctantly agrees. Little does she know the impact of her decision or the surprise that is in store for her!
This emotional and honest women’s contemporary fiction novel will tug at your heartstrings and the twist ending will shock you.

The core of the story was an intriguing and gripping one. My heart hurt for both Anna and Bea. I couldn't imagine having such a strained relationship with my mom. I loved seeing them attempt to repair their relationship and Anna encourage a relationship between her mom and her children.

It takes awhile to learn exactly why Anna and Bea's relationship is so awful and almost non-existent. I can't say why, since that's part of the plot twist, but I will say that I had it figured out. And because of this, I found myself reorganizing the storyline to make it "better" (in my opinion, of course). The revelations could have been in a different order and still would have packed a punch. Plus, I wouldn't have been waiting and waiting for the big reveal to occur. It was so anticlimactic for me. That was a big flow issue for me but there were other ones as well. The way Anna and Bea revealed information to each other was so stilted, even allowing for their strained relationship. There was also a piece of info Bea gave Anna that I didn't see how she could know. There were some recalling of conversations that were so awkward. For example, after a dinner out with the whole family (which we don't get to read about), Anna and her husband are getting ready for bed and are talking about how funny their daughter was that evening. I assume most parents would laugh and move on but they quote, verbatim we're to assume, exactly what she said. It just didn't feel natural to me.

Never being in Anna's situation myself (though I have a non-existant relationship with my dad so I can kind of see where she'd be coming from), I can't say for certain what I would do in her place. But that shouldn't matter...I should be able to understand why a character is acting the way she is (this is women's fiction, not a thriller, you know?) and I just didn't get why Anna was so hellbent on catering to her mother's every request when Bea had been so so horrible to her. It just didn't quite make sense to me.

Like I said, I wanted Plan Bea to be a winner for me. I know so many other chick lit and women's fiction fans adore Hilary Grossman's books but it doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. Would I tell you not to read it? No, of course not. Read it if the story speaks to you! But maybe it doesn't need to be tops on your TBR list.

*A copy of this novel was provided in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Sister's Place

I've read (almost) all of Savannah Page's When Girlfriends series and loved them (you can find my reviews here). So when I learned Page had a new stand alone women's fiction novel, I knew I needed to read it. I could not put A Sister's Place down. It's a Must Read.

Here's the synopsis:

Sisters Gracie and Juliette Bennett used to be the best of friends. But over the years, time and distance have worn the ties of sisterhood that once bound them together. Each has been following her own life's path, growing further apart.
When their beloved grandmother Mimi passes the Bennett sisters are set to inherit her house--the charming Santa Barbara Craftsman, a family heirloom three generations old.
But there's a catch: In order to inherit their home away from home Gracie and Juliette must live at 1402 Laguna Lane for one year...together.
Now, in an unexpected and peculiar way, their paths intertwine. Gracie and Juliette have a chance to come together and reexamine their relationship, perhaps even become the kinds of friends only sisters can be. Because as they'll learn over the course of the trying year ahead, Mimi's clever plan is about more than preserving a piece of family history.
Differences will be embraced, pasts confronted, loyalties tested, and secrets revealed. And in their darkest hours Gracie and Juliette will have to decide if a sister's love is what they need to get through the year. If a unique friendship between sisters is what they've needed all along.

This book will really resonate with you if you have a sister (but you'll still love it even if you don't). My advice though? Make sure you read it when you know you're able to see or at least text your sis. My own little sister is off working on a cruise ship right now and thank goodness I'll see her soon otherwise it'd be hard to make it through the book. Page nails the sister relationship and I adored it. It's just so authentic and I don't think the book would have been as good had Gracie and Juliette's relationship not been so real.

I liked that each sister was very much her own person but you could still see the similarities between the two women. I think the fact that Gracie and Juliette had such distinct personalities made for a more interesting read. The chapters alternate between the sisters and their voices were fresh and different enough that I looked forward to the change in perspective. I liked getting to know each sister and finding out what made them tick, what their jobs were like, and who they were dating.

I really loved the actual story. It's so sad that the sisters' grandmother has died but her passing led to something amazing - the women finally reconnecting and remembering why they were once so close. Besides, Mimi actually has quite the presence in this novel. Between the letters she wrote to the girls for each season and the fact that they're living in her house, the reader really gets to know the grandmother Gracie and Juliette so adored. She actually reminded me a bit of my own amazing grandmother...though I don't think my grandma will leave her house to my sister and I and make us live together for a year. :) The story could seem a little far-fetched but Page manages to bring it all together in a way that makes perfect sense.

A Sister's Place will be one of my 2015 books I'll remember for awhile. Savannah Page's novel struck all the right chords for me and I think it will do the same for many others. It's sweet, sad, funny, and dramatic - just like real life. I highly recommend it!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author for a CLP Blog Tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Who Do You Love

I love Jennifer Weiner. I love her as an author, as a person, and as a hilarious go-to for Bachelor/Bachelorette snark. I do admit it's been a little while since I've read one of her books but when I heard about her latest, Who Do You Love , released earlier this month, I knew I had to read it right away.

Here's the synopsis:

Rachel Blum and Andy Landis are eight years old when they meet late one night in an ER waiting room. Born with a congenital heart defect, Rachel is a veteran of hospitals, and she's intrigued by the boy who shows up all alone with a broken arm. He tells her his name. She tells him a story. After Andy's taken back to the emergency room and Rachel's sent back to her bed, they think they'll never see each other again.
Rachel, the beloved, popular, and protected daughter of two doting parents, grows up wanting for nothing in a fancy Florida suburb. Andy grows up poor in Philadelphia with a single mom and a rare talent that will let him become one of the best runners of his generation.
Over the course of three decades, through high school and college, marriages and divorces, from the pinnacles of victory and the heartbreak of defeat, Andy and Rachel will find each other again and again, until they are finally given a chance to decide whether love can surmount difference and distance and if they've been running toward each other all along.
With honesty, wit, and clear-eyed observations about men and women, love and fate, and the truth about happy endings, Jennifer Weiner delivers two of her most memorable characters, and a love story you'll never forget.

Even if I wasn't in love with Weiner, I'd want to read this book. I love second chance love stories (something you'll hear me repeat a lot this month...apparently August had a theme!) and I was intrigued about Rachel and Andy and how their story would play out over the years. And, spoiler but no spoiler, it's kind of soul-crushing. They go through so much and I really wasn't sure how their story would end. Would it end completely or would it end with a new beginning? Oh, the feels!

I found it really interesting and refreshing (in the best possible ways) how Weiner wrote her main characters. Young Rachel (and even twenties Rachel) was not a very nice person. I mean, she was nice enough but she was part of the Mean Girls crowd in high school (there's one scene that made me cringe and I imagine would be even worse for anyone who was bullied or did the bullying. So well done but so sad too.) and was in a sorority in college. Young Andy had some struggles but it's adult Andy who becomes someone you can't see yourself looking up to or maybe even associating with. I found all of this interesting because, typically, Weiner writes likeable characters. And I have a feeling she wrote Rachel and Andy the way she did in a very deliberate way. Characters don't have to be likeable and, guess what literary world, chick lit and women's fiction can have characters who aren't particularly likeable. What matters is they are interesting, layered, complex human beings who you want to keep reading about. And they definitely were.

The way the story was told took some getting used to. Each chapter alternates perspectives and takes place in a different year. What this means is you get to see what's happening in each character's life yet you don't get overlapping points of view. I sometimes felt I had missed something (and, in a way, I did: a few years between characters/chapters) but somehow it all worked together. The best way I can describe it is it was almost like interconnected short stories. I actually can't imagine the story being told any other way.

Who Do You Love is a heartbreakingly romantic, well written, engaging novel. I really enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's latest and already can't wait for what she writes next. (So, it's a good thing I have some of her backlist to work through!)

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

Review: The Summer Without You

Guys, I am kicking myself for not reading Karen Swan's The Summer Without You last summer when it was sent to me. I could have been recommending this novel to people for a whole year! Especially those who have been looking for vacation or beach or honeymoon reads. The shame! I'm glad I finally did read it because I freaking loved it.

Here's the synopsis:

Rowena Tipton isn't looking for a new life, just a new adventure, something to while away the months as her long-term boyfriend presses pause on their relationship before they become engaged. But when a chance encounter at a New York wedding leads to an audition for a coveted houseshare in The Hamptons - Manhattan's elite beach scene - suddenly a new life is exactly what she's got. Stretching before her is a summer with three eclectic housemates, long days on white sand ocean beaches and parties on gilded tennis courts. But high rewards bring high stakes and Rowena soon finds herself caught in the crossfire of a vicious intimidation campaign. Alone for the first time in her adult life, she has no-one to turn to but a stranger who is everything she doesn't want - but possibly everything she needs...

I would say that The Summer Without You is the perfect summer read. At first glance it could seem like a total fluff book (which you all know I love) but there's so much more to it. I don't want to give much away because I think it's nice to be surprised but I will say there's an intense end to the novel that I didn't see coming. This book is perfect for your next vacation or beach day because it has a great setting (Hamptons, anyone?) and a completely engaging storyline. 

So here's a bit of a problem for me with this book. Swan, the author, is English, as is Ro, the main character. I've read a ton of English books so I know a few phrases and words that are unfamiliar to some Canadians and Americans. That's not the issue...the problem is when the American characters are using British phrases. It happened a few times throughout the book but the one instance that really stuck out for me was when one of the roommates used the term "torch" when they were out at night. An American would not use "torch", they'd say "flashlight". It's not a huge deal but it was still a wee bit of an annoyance. (Note: While the copy I read was an ARC, I did check a final copy of the novel and this error was not caught in the final editing process.)

I really liked reading about Ro and her roommates. The story wouldn't have been as fun or enriching had it not been for her roommates. They were all so smart, fun, and sweet (in their own ways) that I found myself wishing for Happily Ever Afters for all of them (as you do when you're reading a novel like this!). I liked that all of the characters who were introduced had an important part to play in the plot. There was a lot going on, and much that you don't even realize is important, so having unnecessary characters would have been annoying. Every character had a journey to go on and I loved that. I almost wish that Swan would take us back to the Hamptons to revisit some of the characters, especially Hump, because I don't feel like everyone's story is finished. 

Emotions run high in this novel and I appreciated how Swan wrote the story so I was feeling everything the characters were. Though I was feeling some annoyance at Ro because she hadn't clued in to what had really happened with someone and I hated how she was jumping to conclusions. Actually, Ro kind of annoyed me a lot throughout the book. Her behaviour was questionable at the beginning and I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel about her. Once she started to live her own life, things started to change for the better, thankfully!

I loved The Summer Without You for so many reasons. Karen Swan has written an emotionally engaging novel that is so much more than its cover suggests. It'll hook you like it did me - I couldn't stop thinking about it! You need to pick up a copy and add it to you beach bag! 

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

Review: Eight Hundred Grapes

I've read one of Laura Dave's novels before and loved it (my review of The First Husband was posted three years ago today!) so I was thrilled to read her latest, Eight Hundred Grapes. It was released back on June 2 and since then has been tearing up the best of summer lists - for good reason. I really enjoyed reading this one!

Here's the synopsis:

There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…
Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.
But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.
Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets…

I think my favourite thing about this book is that it's not just about Georgia. Don't get me wrong, I totally loved her, but I really liked that there were amazing secondary characters who you wanted to learn more about. This isn't just a novel about one woman's relationship, though that is what puts everything in motion. It also has a little to do with careers and a lot to do with family. It's a book about life, really. I loved that because it was realistic. It was sweet, it was funny, it was hard, and it was messy. Exactly like life.

This novel is so well written and unpredictable in the best possible way. I didn't know if Georgia would be able to forgive her fiancé and I didn't know what would happen with the family's winery. Dave kept me guessing which made me more invested in the story. I couldn't assume I knew what the end result so turning every page was a delight because I truly didn't know what would happen next.

I loved that the book was set at a vineyard. I live in one of Canada's wine regions so I've come to appreciate the land and weather that's needed to make wine. There are lots of interesting facts about wine to be found throughout the novel (I'm sure the research would have been so tough for this one!) but it's all seamlessly woven into the story. Other than making you want to have a glass or two yourself, the book should also spark more of an interest in how wine is made.

I do have one important recommendation for you for when you read this book: read it in one go if you can (or at least in a couple of large chunks). I read bits and pieces on my short lunch breaks and I never felt as invested in the story as I wanted to and I expect I would have been had I read it on a Saturday afternoon. Dave has written a story that you want to become totally immersed in and you should definitely dedicate your next free weekend to reading it.

Final sort of side note: I had the chance to meet Laura when I was at BEA last month. I had a blogger friend get me into the party for her book and I am SO glad I was able to go. It was a nice, laid back event with lots of food and wine. Plus, Laura is an absolute sweetheart. I'll post more about that event once I finally get around to writing my BEA recaps (so much happened!) so stay tuned!

Giant blogger + tiny author = massive height difference.

Eight Hundred Grapes is a novel that you are going to want to read this summer. Read it on a rainy day, read it on the beach, just read it. Preferably with a glass of wine beside you! I adored Laura Dave's latest and I cannot wait for her next novel!

*An advanced copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

A Very Bookish Cyber Monday Sale

Looking for great deals on some amazing books this Cyber Monday? You're in luck! Below you'll find links to titles that are priced at 99 cents or lower - get them quick before the sale ends! From chick lit to women's fiction to romance and more, we have something to keep everyone happy for this holiday! To keep this from being one mammoth post, I've tweaked things a little bit. The titles will link to the Amazon page and "synopsis" will link to the book's Goodreads page. You should also know that I've read (and enjoyed) half of the titles listed here (more if you include the bundled books!) and I plan on reading a few more! You'll find a special tweet at the end of each description - please help us spread the word about these amazing deals.

Chick Lit

Pie Girls – Lauren Clark
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: PIE GIRLS by @LaurenClark_Bks is just #99cents! #chicklit for your ereader! #CyberMondayReads http://amzn.to/1omATqP

Dancing Naked in Dixie- Lauren Clark
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: #CyberMondayReads - get DANCING NAKED IN DIXIE by @LaurenClark_Bks for only #99cents! #chicklit #booksale http://amzn.to/10dXICb

The Dr Pepper Prophecies – Jennifer Gilby Roberts
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: #ChickLit Sale! THE DR. PEPPER PROPHECIES by @GilbyRoberts is only #99cents! #CyberMondayReads http://amzn.to/ZLDdvT

French Twist – Glynis Astie
Synopsis
Original Price: $.99 Sale Price: FREE
Tweet: Who doesn't love FREE #chicklit? Grab your copy of FRENCH TWIST by @GlynisAstie now! #CyberMondayReads http://amzn.to/10dZnaM

French Toast – Glynis Astie
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: #CyberMondayReads: Get #chicklit for just #99cents! FRENCH TOAST by @GlynisAstie #booksale http://amzn.to/1yS3vLZ

In Need of Therapy – Tracie Banister
Synopsis
Original Price: $1.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: IN NEED OF THERAPY by @traciebanister is just #99cents for #CyberMondayReads! Get #chicklit for your eReader! http://amzn.to/1DsNPi0

Limoncello Yellow – Traci Andrighetti
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: LIMONCELLO YELLOW by @TAndrighetti is just #99cents for a limited time! #CyberMondayReads #chicklit http://amzn.to/1zhY8Xo

Prosecco Pink – Traci Andrighetti
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: Get #chicklit for just #99cents when you grab PROSECCO PINK by @TAndrighetti during #CyberMondayReads! http://amzn.to/14djjw6

Breaking the Rules – Cat Lavoie
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: BREAKING THE RULES by @Catenabi is just #99cents for #CyberMondayReads - fun #chicklit! #booksale http://amzn.to/1umGCxm

Zoey & The Moment of Zen – Cat Lavoie
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99 A
Tweet: Grab ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN by @Catenabi for only #99cents during #CyberMondayReads! #chicklit http://amzn.to/1EBDcKl

When Girlfriends Chase Dreams – Savannah Page
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: FREE
Tweet: FREE #chicklit from @Savannah_Page when you grab WHEN GIRLFRIENDS CHASE DREAMS! #CyberMondayReads http://amzn.to/1tAt3dC

When Girlfriends Collection, Books 1-3- Savannah Page
Synopsis
Original Price: $7.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: Get 3 titles from the WHEN GIRLFRIENDS series from @Savannah_Page for only #99cents! #CyberMondayReads http://amzn.to/1s92x6C

Women’s Fiction

Toronto Collection Volume 1 – Heather Wardell
Synopsis
Original Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: Get 4 titles from @HeatherWardell for only #99cents during #CyberMondayReads! http://amzn.to/1r1aY3g

Toronto Collection Volume 2 – Heather Wardell
Synopsis
Original Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: #CyberMondayReads: Four titles for one low price of #99cents from @HeatherWardell! #booksale http://amzn.to/1t2uVvs

Redesigning Rose – Lydia Laceby
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $0.99
Tweet: REDESIGNING ROSE by @lydialaceby is only #99cents for #CyberMondayReads! #womensfiction http://amzn.to/ZLDwXi

The Holdout- Laurel Osterkamp
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: Get your copy of THE HOLDOUT by @LaurelOsterkamp for only #99cents! #CyberMondayReads #womensfiction http://amzn.to/1sGHNWl

The Next Breath – Laurel Osterkamp
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: #CyberMondayReads: THE NEXT BREATH by @LaurelOsterkamp is only #99cents! #booksale http://amzn.to/1FrbFfP

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda – Tara Lee Reed
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: Interactive fiction for only #99cents! Get COULDA, WOULDA, SHOULDA by @DoorflowerCo! #CyberMondayReads http://amzn.to/1vCDaie

A Questionable Friendship – Samantha March
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: A QUESTIONABLE FRIENDSHIP by @SamanthaMarch23 - only #99cents during #CyberMondayReads! #booksale http://amzn.to/10W3WGk

Something Yellow – Laura Templeton
Synopsis
Original Price: $3.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: SOMETHING YELLOW by @Laura1264 is only #99cents for #CyberMondayReads! #womensfiction http://amzn.to/1pYp70V

Romance & New Adult

The Right Design – Isabella Louise Anderson
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: #CyberMondayReads: Get THE RIGHT DESIGN by @ILA121209 for only #99cents for your eReader! http://amzn.to/1wjP26U

Laurel Heights – Denise Moncrief
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: LAUREL HEIGHTS by @dmoncrief0131 is on #sale for #99cents during #CyberMondayReads! http://amzn.to/1CLjLMe

Chez Stinky – Susan C Daffron
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: Get your discounted copy of CHEZ STINKY by @susandaffron for #99cents! #CyberMondayReads http://amzn.to/1sQOh4P

Hard Hats and Doormats – Laura Chapman
Synopsis
Original Price: $2.99 Sale Price: $.99
Tweet: HARD HATS AND DOORMATS by @lmchap is only #99cents during #CyberMondayReads! #newadult http://amzn.to/1GPd5l9

Review: Since You've Been Gone

I'm a sucker for a pretty cover so Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight immediately captured my attention. I wish the story had been just as awesome as the sweet cover but it was still an enjoyable read.

Here's the synopsis:

How do you learn to love again?
In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson's life as she knows it changes for ever. Now to the external world, at least, she's finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll.
His rich and charmed life feels a million miles from her own. However, there's more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace an unknown and unexpected tomorrow?

I don't like to reread the synopsis before diving into a new book. I'll have read it before I request it/agree to review it but I like to go back in almost blind because I sometimes find that the synopsis gives too much away (but a heads up...I'm going to be more explicit about the tragedy that's mentioned). So, because it had been awhile between requesting Since You've Been Gone on Goodreads and actually reading it, I forgot how serious it actually is. The cover completely threw me off...as I imagine it would to others, too. This isn't a novel of a bakery owner looking for her Prince Charming and having fun as she goes on dates. This is the novel of a widow. A woman who doesn't think she can ever love again and doesn't plan on finding out if she can.

Holly is a pretty tragic character. She's young and already a widow, after just a few months of marriage. I can't imagine how hard that would be to deal with. Luckily, she does have friends and family who are determined to check in on her (I adored her sister but was just as frustrated as Holly when it came to her mother) and make sure she's doing ok. She has a flourishing bakery with an awesome co-worker. But she has a huge hole in her heart. I knew that, in the end, she and Ciaran would end up together. I looked forward to seeing how she would evolve over the course of the novel and learn to move on from her tragedy. Holly really grew as a person. She had a few stumbles but I really liked her (except when she was being extremely judgey about Ciaran's wealth) and reading about her journey.

I found the writing in this novel to be a bit awkward. I don't have any good, concrete examples but the flow seemed to be a bit off and some sentences were just plain odd. When there are enough examples of poor writing (or editing), it tends to turn me off the book. Plus, the beginning is really odd. It's hard to explain but Holly is talking about Charlie not being home and then she wanted to have dreams about him...? It was hard to know for sure that he was dead and I just couldn't figure out when certain things were happening. I understand what the author was trying to do but it just left me confused.

Since You've Been Gone isn't a bad read. I just didn't find it to be an awesome one. I wish I had enjoyed Anouska Knight's novel more. I'll keep an eye on what she publishes next. Maybe you'll like this one more than I did!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: In Accord

I have very mixed feelings on Kristin Chambers' novel, In Accord. I didn't dislike it but I didn't exactly like it either. The story didn't quite grip me enough and I couldn't quite connect with or understand the characters but there's something there. Something that I think many other readers could enjoy more than I did.

Here's the synopsis:

It's October in Buffalo as four long-time friends, The In Accord Book Club, gather around a fireplace while a fierce windstorm amasses strength outside. They are deeply disappointed with the unfaithful characters and lackluster resolution of the novel they've met to discuss. When they agree to each write a richer, more satisfying conclusion in lieu of their next month's selection, none has any idea of the tempests about to erupt in her own world. Their intertwined lives and personal journeys, by turns humorous, sad, touching, and inspiring, furnish the raw ingredients for the new epilogue each writes.

At times I found myself wondering what, exactly, the point of the novel was. There is so much more going on in this book than the synopsis even begins to hint at. And it sort of meanders. I suppose you could say that it was very much like real life, that all sorts of things happen just the way they happen in the book but I like when my novels have a purpose. There was also a weird timing shift at the beginning that threw me off. There's one chapter, a sort of prologue I suppose, and then the second chapter takes place a few years later. I also thought the events of chapter one would play into the rest of the story but it doesn't. It was so out of place. The synopsis also mentions humour...I don't remember laughing much, if at all, while reading this book. I don't need all books to be all fun, all the time but I can't handle it when there aren't many light moments to speak of.

Part of the meandering feeling came from the fact that every character had at least one chapter told from their point of view (but still third person). And I mean every character. It made sense for the women to each have their own chapters but hearing from their children, spouses, and others, was sort of odd. All that being said, Chambers does an amazing job of weaving it all together. As weird as it was to hear from these characters, it didn't feel out of place for the overall story. Does that make sense or am I just contradicting myself? Basically, I appreciate that Chambers could tell the story well from multiple perspectives but I wonder if it was necessary to have so many perspectives.

I sort of wondered, when the women were talking about how much they disliked the ending of the novel they had read for book club, if I would end up being disappointed in the ending of In Accord. I kind of was. It wasn't so much how everything turned out for the women; I'm happy with their choices and that they seemed to be getting the lives they needed. My issue was more with how the ending was written. Everything was wrapped up but the last thing that Chambers wrote was actually an ending rewrite from one of the women. It just felt weird to have a fake novel's fanfiction (because, really, that's what it is) be the last thing that's read of In Accord. I don't know how else to make this make sense, it's hard to not give the ending away, but I just didn't like it.

I liked that all the women were very different. Of course, that made me wonder, at times, why the hell they were all friends. Honestly, the things they held back from each other were so odd. And sometimes it really didn't seem like they even liked each other. I know that no friendship is perfect but even though these women had been best friends for eighteen or so years, I wondered what really kept them together and staying friends.

I know my review of In Accord seems quite negative. It was a hard one for me to write because, like I said, I didn't actually dislike Kristin Chambers' novel. It was quite possibly a personal thing that kept me from liking it too much and I do think others would like it. Good writing can go a long way and I found Chambers to be a good writer, which is probably what helped me not hate the book. If you're intrigued by this one, check it out.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publicist in exchange for an honest review.*