Olivia Brent has one summer to save the dairy farm she just inherited.
But there’s one problem, and it’s not her lactose intolerance.
Jake Milovic.
The
brooding farmhand has inherited exactly fifty percent of Brent Farm,
and he’s so convinced the city girl can’t work the land, he bets she
can’t save it in a summer.
Determined to prove him wrong, Olivia accepts what might be the dumbest wager of her life.
His
strategy to win seems simple: follow her around, shirtlessly
distracting her between bouts of relentless taunting. And it’s
effective—if his dark eyes and rare smiles aren’t enough to sidetrack
her, the sweaty, rolling topography of the manbeast’s body would do the
trick.
What they don’t know: they’ll have to weather more than each other.
Mysterious
circumstances throw the farm into disarray, and with the dairy farm in
danger, Olivia and Jake have to work together. But when they do, there’s
more to fear than either of them imagined.
Because now their hearts are on the line, and the farm won’t be the only casualty if they fail. - from Goodreads
Thank you to the author for providing me with a complimentary ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.
After her grandfather Frank's death, Olivia returns to the California dairy farm where he raised her. She wants to help turn it around, but she'll have to deal with farmhand Jake, who inherited half the farm. He wants her to leave, but she convinces him to give her one summer to prove herself. Can they overcome their differences to save the farm (and maybe admit their growing attraction to each other)?
I have to admit, this story was less rom-com than I was expecting - don't get me wrong, there was witty banter and plenty of cute moments, especially involving some adorable animals. But there was also a depth to the book that I appreciated. Olivia feels guilty for leaving the farm (and her grandfather) years before to start a career in New York. Jake owes so much to Frank, who was more than just a boss to him and helped him through some difficult periods in his life. A desire to make Frank proud motivates both Olivia and Jake, and there were so many emotional moments as they explore their feelings about his death.
I loved both Jake and Olivia. Olivia is the ideas girl - she has so many thoughts on how to help generate more income for the farm (I wish I could follow her Instagram!). She can be a bit impulsive, but she's so optimistic and sunny; she wants to see the best in everyone. Jake is quieter and more contemplative. He can be rigid, but it comes from a place of trust and loyalty. They balance each other out, even if they can't see it! I was rooting for them from the beginning; their romance is a slow-burn one, but so satisfying.
Hart's writing is stellar as always; her descriptions paint such a vivid picture. I loved the farm and small-town feeling surrounding it. There are some really great side characters that helped round out the story. Overall, if you love slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romances, cute farm animals, and small town settings, give Bet The Farm a try!
With one week to win
back the best friend she might just be in love with, a travel writer
plans the trip of a lifetime in this sparkling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read.
Poppy
and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She's a wild
child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to
stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home
from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most
of the year they live far apart--she's in New York City, and he's in
their small hometown--but every summer, for a decade, they have taken
one glorious week of vacation together.
Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven't spoken since.
Poppy
has everything she should want, but she's stuck in a rut. When someone
asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was
on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince
her best friend to take one more vacation together--lay everything on
the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.
Now she
has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big
truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly
perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong? - from Goodreads
I have to admit, I haven't read Henry's Beach Read yet, but this sounds like it's going to be amazing!
"Steal My Magnolia is more than a love story. It's a beautifully crafted journey of life full of obstacles but a journey worth the travel with the right person.” --Author Andrea Johnston
Steal My Magnolia, an all-new heartwarming small-town romance from Karla Sorensen, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!
Life lesson from Grady Buchanan: If you’re going to fall in love with the untouchable girl in town, don’t hire her as your only employee.
Even after he bungled the interview with Magnolia MacIntyre, he knew better than to hire her. The list of why it’s a bad idea is a long one.
Her father could ruin his fledgling business.
She is completely overqualified.
And he’s attracted to her.
What does Grady do? He offers her the job.
Magnolia knew better than to take it. Normally, she’d make the safe choice, and working for Grady is anything but.
He’s new in town–and entirely too charming.
Her dad will be furious.
She hates the outdoors and working for an outdoor adventure company is not exactly the right fit.
What does she do? She says yes on the spot.
Grady and Magnolia will have to prove to everyone in their life that they’re not crazy. And prove to each other that the list of why it’s a bad idea should be tossed out the window.
For these two opposites, sometimes doing the wrong thing is exactly right.
‘Steal My Magnolia’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Love At First Sight series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
There was silence on the other end. I pulled the phone away from my face to make sure I'd answered.
"Hello?" I said.
I heard a deep breath before she spoke. "Hi, I'm here, sorry."
My head tilted to the side when I heard her voice. It was soft and low with the curling accent that I'd gotten used to in the past month and a half. But it ... I shook my head ... something about it made the hairs lift slightly on my arms.
"Did you mean to call my number?" I asked carefully.
Inexplicably, I found myself holding my breath waiting for her to answer.
"I heard you're looking for help. Administrative help," she clarified.
My head went back. "Did you?"
She was quiet for a second. "Small town," she explained. "People talk."
I laughed under my breath. "So I'm learning."
It made me shake my head. The darknet had nothing on the Green Valley information pipeline. "So," I continued, "tell me a little bit about yourself."
"Of course." For the second time since I picked up, she let out an audible breath. "I have my BS in Business Administration, an MBA from Vanderbilt, and other than college, I've lived in Green Valley my whole life."
Scratching the side of my face, I glanced around at the horrific state of the office and tried to imagine someone with an MBA wanting anything to do with it. My face was bent in a grimace
"I've spent the past five years as an office administrator for my ..." She paused. "For a local business, and I'm looking to change things up. Fresh start."
I sat up slowly. "I can understand wanting a fresh start. That's why I'm here."
"I know. I, umm, I heard that. In town." She stumbled slightly over her words, and I smiled. "I'm not very outdoorsy, and I know that's what you'll be doing, but I'm the most organized person you'll ever meet. My label maker is my favorite accessory, and I have lists for my to-do lists. And I know every single business owner from here to Maryville."
I laughed. "You sound like you're already in your interview."
She laughed too, and I grimaced when my chest tightened. It caused a strong enough physical sensation that I glanced down at my body, like it was separate from me somehow.
"I can come in and fill out an application, if you'd like," she said.
I laughed under my breath. "If I had applications, I'd say yes." I glanced around the mess surrounding me. "But ... I'm not quite that prepared yet."
"That's also why you need someone who knows how to get an office up and running."
"That's true," I agreed. "Can you come in tomorrow so we can talk a little bit more? Since I don't have an application."
"That would be great," she said firmly. The stumbling was gone. I found myself wondering how old she was. What she looked like.
If I had a calendar, I would've glanced at it. But that was also buried in a stack of papers.
"How does nine sound? Do you need the address?"
"Sounds perfect," she answered. "And uh, no, thank you. I know where to find you."
I shook my head.
"Small town," we said in unison. She laughed, and my smile took up my whole damn face.
"Then I'll see you at nine tomorrow ..." My voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. I'm still working on my Southern manners."
She laughed. My chest did that thing again. It wasn't the heavy press of panic. It was a lightening. A lifting of whatever pressure I'd been feeling before she called.
She spoke slowly, like she was thinking carefully about her answer. "You can call me Lia."
About Karla Sorensen
Karla Sorensen has been an avid reader her entire life, preferring stories with a happily-ever-after over just about any other kind. And considering she has an entire line item in her budget for books, she realized it might just be cheaper to write her own stories. It doesn’t take much to keep her happy…a book, a really big glass of wine, and at least thirty minutes of complete silence every day. She still keeps her toes in the world of health care marketing, where she made her living pre-babies. Now she stays home, writing and mommy-ing full time (this translates to almost every day being a ‘pajama day’ at the Sorensen household…don’t judge). She lives in West Michigan with her husband, two exceptionally adorable sons and big, shaggy rescue dog.
Down the TBR Hole is a feature created by Lost in a Story (although the blog seems to be down).
I've seen it on a few other blogs and thought I would try it out
myself! It seems like a really good way to cull your TBR of those books
you're no longer interested in. So, how does it work?
Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
To break a family curse that leaves second-born daughters without lasting love, a trio takes a journey across Italy. A tour of Italy sounds perfect right now - keep!
WWII nonfiction book that looks at the efforts of Joseph Grew, US ambassador to Japan, to broker peace between the two countries, in the time leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fascinating and an angle I haven't explored before - keep!
Two American women in London try to overcome the prejudices of the McCarthy-era 1950s. Interesting time period and I have a feeling these two women will be strong forces - keep!
A woman who longs to fit in finds companionship with two sisters, but she may be in over her head. I know lots of people have loved this duo's thrillers, but they just don't really appeal to me. Pass!
When a scientist finds a collection of love letters hidden on a remote island, it sets off a journey of discovery involving a woman committed to an asylum decades earlier. I want to be interested in this, but for some reason I'm not - pass!
A good Samaritan tries to stop a fight between a man and a woman; the man tells her he will let her live if she lets the woman die. Ok, this sounds so batsh*t crazy, I have to know what happens - keep!
"Try it, you might like it" - it's what someone says when they present
you with some food you've never had before or your mom wants you to try
on some clothes she picked out for you. I'm using it here on the blog
as inspiration to choose books in genres I don't normally read; to
branch out from my reading comfort zones; and to maybe find some new
favorites! One of my goals this year is to bring this feature back, so here we go!
For this edition, I'm exploring Nordic Noir, sometimes also referred to as Scandi Noir or Scandinavian Noir. It's a subgenre of crime fiction that's set in Scandinavian countries. They are usually from the police's point of view and feature a troubled protagonist; the reader really gets to know the inner workings, memories, and feelings of the protagonist more they would in other mysteries or thrillers. Nordic Noir books are often very atmospheric - bleak and ominous - and feature disturbing or violent cases. I was inspired to try this genre when I came across this article on Book Riot - interestingly, I had one of the books on my TBR, so it worked out perfectly!
I read The Tenant by Katrine Engberg, originally published in 2016. It's the first book in the Korner and Werner series. Korner and Werner are two Danish police detectives whose most recent case involves a woman found murdered in her apartment, with a distinct pattern carved into her face. They then discover that the victim's landlady is writing a murder mystery with the same premise and they work to discover what the connection is. I've read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, but this definitely story definitely falls more into the crime fiction genre. We follow the case along with the detectives, as the evidence is dissected and witnesses and suspects are interviewed. Although there are twists and turns, there's not a ton of action or explosive scenes. Engberg's writing, however, flows nicely and keeps the reader involved in the story. We mainly follow detective Jeppe Worner; he's recently divorced and just returning to work after an injury. He seems to have a love/hate relationship with his partner, Werner.
While there were a lot of the elements I was expecting from a Nordic Noir (police POV, troubled protagonist, disturbing case), one thing I was missing was the bleak atmosphere. The story takes place over a few days in August, so it's bright, hot, and sunny in most scenes (although it does contrast nicely with some of the scenes in police headquarters). However, I thought there were some great descriptions of Denmark, and Copenhagen in particular, so it was fun to kind of get a little tour of the area. I think if the story had taken place in winter, it might have helped elevate the dark, creepy factor. But, I did really enjoy this book - Nordic Noir is definitely a genre I would read again, and I would seek out more books from this series.
For cynical
twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to
prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don't
exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can't
imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with
too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there's
certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a
daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
But then, there's this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane.
Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough
edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to
save August's day when she needed it most. August's subway crush becomes
the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there's one
big problem: Jane doesn't just look like an old school punk rocker.
She's literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to
have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her.
Maybe it's time to start believing in some things, after all.
Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop is
a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes
possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in
time. - from Goodreads
The "girl lost in time" aspect of this story really appeals to me! I want to know more about it!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is purple, yellow, and/or green book covers, in honor of Mardi Gras! I put together a little collage with all three colors - is it just me, or are these some of the hardest colors to find on covers?
I received this book for free from Goodreads giveaways.
Universe of Two is a fictionalized account of the life of mathematician Charlie Fisk, who built the detonator for the atomic bomb during WWII's Manhattan Project. The story follows Charlie and his wife Brenda as they meet in Chicago, move to
New Mexico, and then try to move on from Charlie's work in Los Alamos.
The book is told in alternating chapters between Charlie's 3rd-person POV and Brenda's 1st-person POV. The story moved a bit slowly for me, particularly Charlie's chapters, but there was so much history and emotion caught up in the words. When Charlie realizes what he's actually working on, you could really feel his reluctance to finish the project, how he wrestled with what he was doing, and later, his guilt. I enjoyed Brenda's chapters because they are written as if she is older and looking back on her earlier life. She is able to see mistakes she made and how she wishes she acted differently in certain situations. I wanted more of Brenda and Charlie's life together after the war. I felt like this part was rushed through, and more of the story should have been devoted to how Charlie, especially, worked through his feelings on his role in the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. 4 stars
I received this book for free from Goodreads giveaways.
A short visit to France to see her brother Charlie turns into something more when American widow Lily becomes embroiled in the feud between designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, on the eve of WWII.
I can never resist WWII historical fiction, and this was a unique take on the subject. It takes place mostly in Paris, in the late 1930s/early 1940s. German soldiers are already in the city, and war may be coming to France. With this background, Mackin focuses the story on Lily, widow and artist. Lily begins working for Schiaparelli, whose designs are whimsical and edgy, but she also has a lot of interaction with Chanel, whose designs are more classic and muted. I really feel like I got to know these real-life fashion icons. In addition to these figures, the story had a lot of wonderful elements and themes - politics, art, clothing design, forbidden love - all woven together in one cohesive story. Although the story had a lot of somber moments, the writing felt very vibrant, leaping off the page and compelling me to read on. 4 stars
* This post contains affiliate links; I receive a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.
A woman desperate to turn a new page heads to the Scottish coast
and finds herself locked in a battle of wills with an infuriatingly
handsome bookseller in this utterly heartwarming debut, perfect for
readers of Evvie Drake Starts Over.
Thea Mottram is having a bad month. Her husband of nearly
twenty years has just left her for one of her friends, and she is let go
from her office job--on Valentine's Day, of all days. Bewildered and
completely lost, Thea doesn't know what to do. But when she learns that a
distant great uncle in Scotland has passed away, leaving her his home
and a hefty antique book collection, she decides to leave Sussex for a
few weeks. Escaping to a small coastal town where no one knows her seems
to be exactly what she needs.
Almost instantly, Thea becomes
enamored with the quaint cottage, comforted by its cozy rooms and
shaggy, tulip-covered lawn. The locals in nearby Baldochrie are just as
warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person she can't seem to win over
is bookshop owner Edward Maltravers, to whom she hopes to sell her
uncle's antique novel collection. His gruff attitude--fueled by an
infamous, long-standing feud with his brother, a local lord--tests
Thea's patience. But bickering with Edward proves oddly refreshing and
exciting, leading Thea to develop feelings she hasn't felt in a long
time. As she follows a thrilling yet terrifying impulse to stay in
Scotland indefinitely, Thea realizes that her new life may quickly
become just as complicated as the one she was running from. - from Goodreads
I think my fellow bloggers can agree with this! Sometimes it feels like I'm yelling out into the void!
ALL OF THIS. I say this all the time - I work to live, not live to work. I like my job, but when I'm done with my hours, I shut down my computer and try not to think about it again until Monday morning. Work is the way I afford the things I actually want to do!
Arguments are rarely so black-and-white; usually there's some element of right and wrong on both sides of it, and that's why as an adult, you have to learn to compromise.
In order to secure an inheritance from their deceased grandfather, three siblings must recreate a road trip he took them on as children. As the trip goes on, secrets and lies emerge. This is now the second book where Downing has taken a seemingly innocent premise and completely turned it on its head. A siblings' road trip - seems normal, right? Don't get complacent - this family is truly dysfunctional. The story is told from the POV of middle child Beth. She's pretty matter-of-fact, almost bland; she has outrageous thoughts but doesn't seem surprised by them. It becomes apparent that this road trip and the earlier one aren't what they appear to be at first. So many twists and turns and revelations! Although it did feel repetitive at times, there were enough shocks to keep it interesting. I definitely didn't see the ending coming, and honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it! 4 stars
The Guest List is an atmospheric mystery/thriller set during a wedding weekend on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The wedding of a magazine publisher and a rising reality TV star should be a picture-perfect event, but as the guests and families come together, resentments and hurt feelings take over, and not everyone will make it off the island alive. We rotate through five POVs, which sounds like it could be overwhelming but isn't, because each one is so distinct. The book reads quickly, although the story is a bit of a slow burn. Foley does a really good job of spreading the potential guilt around, so I was kept guessing until the end; I could see a motive for practically everyone. The setting added to the creep factor, with bogs, a cemetery, and a wild sea - what a perfect setting for a murder mystery! 4 stars
Three misfit teens are brought together when a tornado strikes their small hometown, on the anniversary of a deadly tornado that struck decades earlier. This book is part small-town story, part coming-of-age story, and part ghost story, which I didn't realize when I picked it up! After the most recent tornado, Callie, Joshua, and Brenna all start experiencing similar things. Each are going through things in their personal lives, and throughout the story, they come to rely on each other. Callie's journey was by far the most interesting to me - her mother is dying of cancer and she, understandably, is not handling it well. There are overarching themes of life, death, love, self-discovery, and moving on. If you enjoy quiet, character-driven stories, you'll probably enjoy this. I felt like it was overly long and not enough happened, although I did think the writing was beautiful. 3.5 stars
* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.
Dawn Botstein is doing just fine after her divorce, thank you very much.
She’s
got her yarn store to run, her house to herself for the first time in
her life, and no use for men anymore. That is until the hottie silver
fox who walks into her store turns out to be her old high school
crush—the guy who rejected her 30 years ago.
No way is she going
to lose her head over him this time, no matter how well he wears that
salt-and-pepper lumberjack beard. Okay, so he’s the opposite of her ex
in every way, and his attention gives her a thrill she thought she’d
never feel again. She’s not risking her heart again.
Mike Pilota is having a mid-life crisis.
Only
instead of buying a red sports car he can’t afford and dressing like a
25-year-old who’s time-traveled from the 1990s, he quit his job after
his second divorce to move closer to his recently widowed mother.
He
didn’t expect to run into Dawn again, but as soon as he lays eyes on
her he’s utterly smitten. So he sets out to make up for past mistakes
and prove he can be the kind of man she deserves.
But is it too late for second chances? Or will these two lonely hearts find a way back to each other? - from Goodreads
I love that these characters are a little older and more experienced than the typical characters in a contemporary romance!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is books written before we were born. I decided to make a list of my favorite older books!
It's hard to believe we're already one month into 2021! January was a bit of a mixed bag - I enjoyed watching President Biden's inauguration and taking in the historic moment of Vice President Harris' oath, but of course, the violence from a couple weeks before was still in the back of my mind.
We had a belated Christmas celebration with my dad and stepmom, and it was nice seeing them for the first time since October! My niece's birthday was this month, and although my sister decided to postpone her party until the summertime, my mom had a tiny celebration for her, with balloons and cupcakes. For the last couple years, I've been taking her to the store to pick out her own gift. She chose the Disney store again this year, so we took a quick trip to the mall and she had fun looking at all her options.
The only other thing going on is work, and lots of it! Tom settled into his new job, which seems to consist of a lot of phone calls and virtual meetings. Busy season has started at my office, and although that doesn't really affect my position, I chipped in to help where I could. I ended up working a lot of extra hours, even a bit on the weekends!
Lastly, I just wanted to let everyone know about a virtual bookish event coming up in February. The Morristown Festival of Books is an event that takes place here in NJ in October; since it was cancelled last year, they set up this scaled-down virtual event, featuring Kristin Hannah, V.E. Schwab, David Michaelis, and debut memoirist Nadia Owusu. I think they're all free except for the Hannah event, and you can go here to register.
