Holiday Quick Reviews

 A Winter in New York by Josie Silver (2023)

Iris is looking for a fresh start in NYC, when she comes across a family-run gelateria and she realizes not only did her mom have a connection to the shop, but Iris has their secret family recipe.  She's reluctant to share that information, though, since she's not sure how the family will receive it.  However, she grows closer to the family, especially Gio, all the while knowing she's keeping big secrets from them.  I have loved Josie Silver's books, but unfortunately this one was a bit of a miss for me.  After her mother's death and the end of a toxic relationship, Iris has moved to NYC, and this part I enjoyed - seeing her learn about the city and forge a new start for herself.  Her blossoming relationship with Gio was romantic, but I couldn't see how Iris could keep such big secrets to herself.  It was so uncomfortable for me, especially watching Iris make one strange decision after another.  Silver's writing is beautiful, but the plot suffers, especially the ending.  So many things just glossed over, and because we only got small glimpses of her previous relationship, the return of her ex didn't have the impact it could have.  3.5 stars 

 

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey (2023)

 

Melody and Beat are the children of two former rockstars.  They only met once, as teens, but the encounter made an impact on both of them.  Now, as adults, they are teaming up to convince their mothers to reunite for one Christmas concert - and there's so much more on the line.  My gosh, these characters!  I fell in love with Beat and Melody.  Although they seem so different, they are perfect together.  Their love is fast, intense, and overwhelming.  It's so romantic the way Beat is so protective of Melody.  The story felt a bit heavier than I normally get from Tessa Bailey, and it was actually Melody who provided some moments of humor and levity, which was unexpected and nice.  The subplot of Beat being blackmailed just fell flat to me, however.  But overall, a fun, swoony, spicy holiday read!  4 stars

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Henry's Shelves #5

 

It's been awhile since I shared books from Henry's shelves, but today is the perfect day because it's Henry's second birthday!  I can hardly believe this sweet, funny boy is already two!  I can't say too much because I get so emotional thinking about it; suffice to say, parenting has been a hard, strange journey, but these past two years with Henry have brought us more joy than we could have thought possible.  I'm happy to report, he still loves his books, although he definitely has more opinions than he used to, and we often end up reading the same book many, MANY times.  Here are some of the books we've been enjoying!

 

Five Little Pumpkins // The Animal Orchestra Plays Mozart

Little Blue Truck's Halloween // Families Belong

Bizzy Bear Pirate Adventure // Peek-a-Who?

I'll Build You a Bookcase // Count to Sleep Trains

Who Goes Moo?

Do you have any recommendations for Henry?

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Michele's Monday Picks #34

 Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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Raiders of the Lost Heart

By Jo Segura

Expected Publication: December 5, 2023

From Goodreads:

Rival archaeologists must team up on a secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers—and hearts—in ruins.

Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally. 

It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true...and she’s right.

As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, by rights Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either—with his life in shambles, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.

But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing the pair to keep their discoveries—and lingering attraction—under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.

This sounds so fun and the cover is fantastic - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Guest Blogger: Bookish Podcasts #2

 Michele is back today to share more of her favorite podcasts!

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When I’m not listening to an audiobook, I catch the next best thing – bookish podcasts!  I’ve found a lot over the past few years.  Some are run by authors, others by book lovers.  Some focus on author interviews and others trend toward book reviews and other bookish topics.  Here are a few more that I follow:

 

Follow Romance authors Falon Ballard and Courtney Kae as they meet the writers behind their favorite words!

 

Rejection! Impostor Syndrome! Writer’s Block! Writing can be a tricky business. In this podcast, Marissa Meyer interviews authors on how we can overcome various obstacles and bring more joy to our writing process.

A podcast where we, Maggie Dickinson and Julia Steudle, delve into our favorite books, your favorite books, or a novel find!

 

Niece and aunt duo, Jessen Judice and (author) Juliette Cross, bond over their shared love of romance novels, and want to include fellow romance enthusiasts in on the conversation. We started this podcast as a big middle finger to the stigma associated with reading and loving romance novels. We love to fangirl about our favorite books, authors, and characters and are challenging people to think of romance novels as more than just "mommy porn" - though there's nothing wrong with a copious amount of sexy times. Bring that *ish on!

Honorable mentions for when you want something a little different:

 

 

Listen to real moms and long time friends Abby and Vanessa recap your favorite Bravo shows every week in 30ish minutes or less. They’ll dive into all their favorite shows including Housewives, Vanderpump Rules, Southern Charm and if you ask nicely they’ll add listeners requested shows too. These moms know that balancing kids, work, and Bravo can be tough so they’re here to help you out!

 

Betches Media presents Mention It All, a podcast dedicated to breaking down all things Bravo. Your host, certified Bravoholic Dylan Hafer, is covering everything Real Housewives and more, including weekly episode recaps and analysis, the latest social media drama, and interviews with your favorite Bravolebrities.

 

Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce from the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce from the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds.

Do you listen to podcasts?  Share your favorites!

Time Travel Quick Reviews

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (2023)

Alice is content with her life, except for the fact that her beloved father is ill and doesn't seem to be getting any better.  On her 40th birthday, after a night of drinking, Alice finds herself waking in her childhood bedroom, the day of her 16th birthday.  Here, her dad is young and vibrant - is there a way she can change their future?  I love time travel stories and this was a slightly different take on it - Alice spends one day in the past and then returns to the present, which can change depending on what happened back then.  The relationship between Alice and her dad is quite amazing - without a mother figure for her, Leonard has found a way to be both parent and friend to his daughter.  The lengths Alice will go to, to save her father in the future, was touching.  I did think the story was a bit overwritten and the pacing was off - very slow to start, then sped up way too fast - but this look at the love between a father and daughter was very special.  4 stars

Come Back To Me by Leslie Hachtel (2023)

When Skye spies a centuries-old painting of a Scottish laird at an estate sale, she feels an immediate connection with him, so much so that she decides to find a way to him, no matter how impossible that may be.  I love a good time travel romance, so even though the blurb for this book was rather vague, I was intrigued.  Unfortunately, it missed the mark a bit for me.  I thought the way Skye discovered a way to the past was way too convenient and trite, although I did like the way she researched her trip and tried to prepare as much as possible for living in the past.  The connection between Skye and Ian is palpable, but the writing is lackluster at times and there were some typos that I wish had been caught in editing.  The author does a good job of creating some tension in what might have been too predictable of a story, with the addition of a rival for Skye, but at the same time, I wanted more.  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  3 stars

 

 

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Blog Tour: Force of Nature by Joan M. Griffin

Today I'm partnering with WOW! Women on Writing to share some excerpts from Force of Nature, by Joan M. Griffin!

Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail

Joan M. Griffin

Published September 28, 2023

Force of Nature is equal parts gripping adventure tale, personal memoir, and vivid nature writing.

Three friends, women in their fifties, set out to hike “the most beautiful long-distance trail in the world,” the John Muir Trail. From the outset, their adventure is complicated by self-inflicted accidents and ferocious weather, then enriched when they “adopt” a young hiker abandoned by her partner along the trail.

The women experience the terror of lightning at eleven-thousand feet, the thrill of walking through a towering waterfall, and the joy of dancing among midnight moonshadows. For a month, they live immersed in vast natural beauty, tackle the trail’s physical demands, and find camaraderie among an ensemble cast of eccentric trail characters. Together, they are pulled forward toward the trail’s end atop the highest peak in the High Sierra, Mt. Whitney, and the culmination of their transformative journey. - from Goodreads

And now, for some excerpts!

We were hiking uphill as fast as our fifty-year-old legs would carry us. Behind us, the sky was a bright California summer blue. But ahead, above the granite mountain ridge we were climbing, it grew gray, then grayer. Still early, it was barely two in the afternoon. Our plan was to be over the pass and setting up camp down in the valley on the other side long before the Sierra’s typical evening rains began.

Cresting eleven-thousand-foot Donohue Pass, however, we were shocked to find ourselves face to face with a monster storm lurking behind the ridge. Angry black clouds now rose like towers, filling the sky.

Shoulder to shoulder, we froze. Not only did this army of lightning-laced thunderheads block our forward motion, but it was charging directly at us, riding on an icy wind. There was no time for the three of us to retreat to lower, safer ground.

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The late afternoon sky, periwinkle blue polka-dotted with white clouds, was reflected in the perfect mirror of the small pond—and in each of the cups and pools arranged across the granite bowl. Like holograms, each pool, cup, puddle, and pond held the entire sky and surrounding mountain peaks—the mirrored surfaces broken only by the little marble islets.

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I plunged forward, head and shoulders down. My feet found solid footing. The torrent flew over my head and past my right shoulder. The back spray of frigid water engulfed me—more airy foam than water. I gasped. I shrieked in shock—then in delight!

It was not difficult, after all—like wading through thick bubbles. It was exhilarating, thrilling, wonderful! I slowed down to savor the last steps of my stroll through a waterfall.

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Our little camping room was bathed in an alpenglow spotlight. We were immersed in pink and orange. The pond reflected it, and the room’s vertical walls and boulders glowed as though illuminated from within. It was like being inside a magical snow globe filled, not with white snow, but with glowing photons of fiery light that swirled all around us. We stopped our work to watch the colors and shadows shift and change around us like colorful fluids spreading and mixing and flowing away.

Alpenglow is always fleeting. After too short a time, we stood witness as the darkness chased the last of the vivid colors across the space to leave us behind in the dullness of night’s full shadow.

I blinked my eyes. “I didn’t even know that was a thing you could experience.”

 

Quick Reviews

 Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul (2020)

Jackie and Maria tells the story of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas, a famed opera singer, and how the two women's lives intersected because of one man, Aristotle Onassis.  When we first meet Jackie, she is married to JFK, who has not yet even become President.  Maria is in a somewhat loveless marriage, but when she meets Onassis, she comes to love him deeply.  Their long love affair, though, never results in marriage, and after JFK is assassinated, Jackie eventually marries the Greek businessman, much to most people's surprise and dismay.  The Kennedys, particularly Jackie, are a subject I enjoy reading about, both in fiction and nonfiction, and it was interesting to dive into more of her life after JFK, although there is a lot of book to get through before then.  Because it's been done so many times before, I kind of wish Paul had spent less time on the Jackie/JFK years.  Maria's chapters were very interesting, and it was riveting to see how this one man was able to attract so many women.  Although he had undeniable charm, he was also unfaithful and temperamental.  4 stars

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon (2023)

Chandler is a ghostwriter who is having complicated feelings about her most recent project when she meets a cute guy at a bar.  When their one-night stand turns out terribly for her, she's willing to write it off - until she learns that her lover is the subject of her newest ghostwriting project, forcing them to spend a lot of time together.  It eventually comes out that Chandler was supremely unsatisfied with their night together, leading her to jokingly suggest she give Finn some pointers - which he immediately takes her up on.  But will their personal relationship mess up their professional one?  I wanted to love this so badly - possible ethical issues aside, I thought the premise was really cute, that these two people working together also have a no-strings attached relationship where she's the one teaching him.  However, it all felt a bit off.  Chandler was not super likable to me, for some reason I can't put my finger on.  Also, it was a little weird that because she minored in human sexuality (?) in college, that makes her an expert in the bedroom?  Her "lessons" were too clinical and yet also too personal - things that work for her might not work for the next person.  Although, let's be real, there won't be a next person for Finn because he's obviously in love with her from the start.  I did, however, enjoy getting to know Finn and get an insider look at the life of a minor celebrity/actor.  3.5 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.