Accidentally Yours

Finished August 29

Accidentally Yours by Alexa Rivers

This contemporary romance is the first in the Little Sky Romance series. Here, New Zealand CEO and developer Eli Lockwood is starting a new project in the small south island town of Itirangi. There is some community pushback on the impact to local businesses and the tourism the town is starting to attract. 

Aria Simons is a local reporter up for a promotion and looking for interesting and newsworthy stories to help her win the senior position. When she writes about the project, Eli notices and fearing negative impact decides to go to Itirangi in person to represent his company. He is a bit gun shy of media attention after a previous girlfriend dumped him publicly through the media.

He finds himself surprised by Aria, and also attracted to her. She's not the type of woman he usually goes out with, but he finds himself pursuing her.

When his parents unexpectedly dump his teenage sister on him for the summer, hoping that his business mindset and hard work will have a positive influence on her, he finds himself asking Aria for help. He hasn't spent much time with his sister lately and doesn't know how to talk to her. He himself rebelled against his parents by starting his own company rather than joining theirs and he knows the pressure on his sister to join the family business. 

Aria is wary of mixing business with pleasure after an unfounded rumour about doing so negatively impacted her at a previous employer, so although she is attracted, and can see beyond his professional exterior, she doesn't want to be seen as using personal relationships for professional gain. 

As the two give in and pull back from each other, they find themselves dealing with classism, family, and unplanned outcomes. 

An engaging read, with interesting characters, and a great setting. 

Song of a Blackbird

Finished August 26

Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout

This graphic novel is based on real historical events, but has fictional people inspired by real ones. There are two timelines in the book. In the present day, Annick is researching her grandmother's past to try to find biological family members after her grandmother's health situation led to discovery that her grandmother was adopted by the family she grew up in. There are five prints on the wall of her home that are clues to the past. Each of the prints takes us to a building that played a role in the Nazi deportations of Jewish people in the Netherlands and the resistance that worked to save lives. We quickly learn that Annick's grandmother had an older brother that was also spirited away from his Nazi captors, but the two were separated, and never reunited. He thought she was dead, and she was young enough at the time not to realize that she had lost him. 

Using the prints as clues is an interesting plot device that also takes us to printers that created false documents for the resistance, and even to an historic bank robbery that I hadn't known about before reading this.

The limited palette works well here, and the blackbird in the title serves as both a narrator and a symbol of hope that helped people survive. 

Totally and Completely Fine

Finished August 25

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman

This contemporary romance novel follows Lauren Parker, who grew up and lives in the small town of Cooper, Montana. In the present, Lauren runs a craft and book store with her mother, a retired school teacher. Her younger brother Gabe is a famous actor and has helped all the family out financially. Three years ago, Lauren's husband Spencer died in a car accident, something she and her teen daughter Lena are still struggling with. She also has a difficult relationship with Lena as Lena is a moody teen. When the two go to visit Gabe on set, Lauren meets actor Ben Walsh, and there is instant chemistry. Ben is younger than Lauren and she struggles with her attraction, her worries about the age gap and their different trajectories. 

We see Lauren's younger years, after her own father died when she was eleven and she herself was a rebellious teen. Living in a small town, she earned a certain reputation that some locals still paint her as. She knows how reputation can affect her life and doesn't want to go through that again, or bring attention on her own daughter in a negative way.

This is a romance, but also a story of struggling with grief and moving forward after loss. It is about family and intimacy, and how we all long to be seen, even though it can be scary to be vulnerable.

I enjoyed this novel and found it a real page-turner. 

A Merry Little Lie

Finished August 7

A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan

I found this a delightful read. There's a lot going on and I found it hard to put down. Set mostly in Northumberland, UK, the novel finds Becky, an IT worker in London, stranded at the airport when a snowstorm downs flights. She is rescued by Will, her brother Jamie's best friend, a doctor in London, who is also going home for Christmas. He has a car and offers her a ride so they can share driving. With weather and road conditions, they have to stay overnight at an inn and must share a room. Becky finds herself thinking about Will in new ways, but isn't sure how to deal with that. 

Rosie, Becky's twin married Becky's former co-worker and friend Declan in the spring after a whirlwind romance. Becky's been less close with both as she gives them space, and they both miss her. Rosie is a costume designer for a ballet company, while Declan works in IT. The two have had a few bumps in their relationship recently and haven't worked it out yet. This will be Declan's first Christmas with Rosie's family and as a married couple and there are things that are new for him, who doesn't have a close family.

Jamie is also bringing someone home for Christmas, Hayley, who he met only a few months ago, and has told the family they have an announcement. The family is worried about how fast this relationship is moving, as Jamie had a previous long term relationship that broke up when the woman left. Jamie is a doctor in Edinburgh, and Hayley is an illustrator who has lived a nomadic life, growing up in care and not having a home base as an adult but travelling a lot. She longs for a real family Christmas, but worries about being accepted.

Add in a nosy grandmother who asks probing questions, a father who has retired recently and finds himself unmoored, and mothers who worry about their grown kids and also have some secret agendas of their own, and this book kept me wanting more. A feel good, cosy, Christmassy, romantic novel.

I loved the varying points of view, the snowy setting, the lovable dog, the thoughtful presents, and the family nature of the situation. 

The Crumbly Old Castle

Finished July 3

The Crumbly Old Castle by B.E. Baker

This women's fiction novel follows three women as they travel and consider their lives. The women met as children at riding school and horses are still in all their lives. Since they became adults they've taken a vacation together every year, often within the United States, but this year they have a Irish vacation planned. While they all grew up in Florida, only one of them still lives there. Vanessa married Jason, a guy she met when looking for a job when she was in college, got an accounting degree and supported Jason as he agreed to buy his brother out of the construction equipment business they would inherit from their father. When Jason died a few years ago and then Covid hit, she struggled to keep afloat, accepting help from his brother Jeremy who still works for the business. She has three children. 

Samantha married, but didn't have children. She still lives in Florida where she works as a nurse practitioner, trains horses, restores and resells properties with her husband, and is generally happy with her life. 

Natalie lives in Texas with her husband and five children. She is very involved in her children's lives, is highly organized, and works part-time managing social media for several small businesses. So it is a surprise to her when she arrives at the airport to find that she is a day early for her flight. She is embarrassed at this lapse from her usually planning, but decides to return home. She finds her husband in bed with another woman, although her presence wasn't noticed by them, and she leaves immediately. In shock, she stays at a hotel near the airport and goes on a rage-induced clothing shopping spree. 

Samantha's husband makes an unreasonable ultimatum just before she leaves and she finds herself questioning her life as it is. 

For Vanessa, the last few years have been rough, with her husband's unexpected death, keeping the company afloat, and her oldest son's injury derailing his sports goals and sending him to drug abuse. He's been in rehab three times, and she gets a call just as she's leaving that he's been caught again at school. Her husband's brother Jeremy was going to be watching the kids and the business while she's gone, and although she's worried, he assures her that he will deal with her son's drug abuse situation as well. 

Once in Ireland, it doesn't take long before they confess their situations to each other, and determine to make the most of their trip. From visiting historic sites, to engaging in new experiences from hawking to attending hurling games, and of course horseback riding, they find the support they need from each other and from new friends they make along the way. 

When Natalie and Vanessa find even more betrayal in their lives, the consider their futures and what they really want for themselves and their children. 

I really enjoyed the Irish experiences they had, and the friends they made as they travelled. I also found these characters interesting. My only criticism is that they end of the book seemed rushed, with lots of details either skimmed over or not even mentioned. I couldn't help but wonder if the book was originally intended to stop earlier in the story and the author was convinced to take the story forward within this first book in the series. I do plan to read the second book to see what happens next. 

There are hints at future romances for these women, but with their lives undergoing other unexpected disruptions, that's not a priority.

Some Like It Scot

Finished June 29

Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham

This romantic comedy was a real page-turner for me. Katie Campbell is an award-winning travel writer. Besides writing for the travel magazine World on a Page, she also has a blog and podcast Where in the World is Miss Adventure. She gained the moniker Miss Adventure from the many mishaps she's had on her travel adventures. Dave, her boss at the magazine wants her to travel a bit less and begin editing and mentoring other writers. Katie is also close to her brother Brett and his wife Jess and their kids and talks to them frequently. She has a home base, the farm in North Carolina that she inherited from her grandparents. She also has a secret writing project that she hasn't told anyone but Brett and Jess about. 

Katie has just arrived on the Scottish island of Mull for a three-week assignment on a media introduction to a new specialty resort, where participants are immersed into Edwardian life through activities and dress, in an ancient Scottish estate. This is longer than her typical assignment, but since her grandfather came from Scotland she is interested to see the country. Soon after her arrival at Craighill, she has a mishap spill while trying to avoid a loose bird in the house. 

Graeme MacKerrow is a woodworker and carver whose family has just bought their ancestral home back after more than a century of not owning it. He is working on the restoration, but the family have leased it to the Lennoxes to fund their restoration. It is the Lennoxes who are running the immersive holiday that Katie is experiencing and writing about.

On a solitary excursion into the nearby village, Katie finds herself welcomed into Mirren's Books and the older women who make up the Stories and Stitches Book Club there. As she learns more about the area, thanks to the locals, she also finds herself enjoying many aspects of the Edwardian Experience. 

Graeme has sworn off women after a recent breakup, and the grieving he's done after the recent loss of his sister. He is focused on the estate's renovation, his family, and his carving business. When he finds himself repeatedly being drawn into Katie's activities, he finds himself partly resentful and partly fascinated. 

I enjoyed this romance, getting to know the two characters as we see both points of view. I also liked the depth of character in them. The inclusion of Scots dialect and Scottish/Gaelic terminology was well done and felt natural. A great read. 

The Days I Loved You Most

Finished June 10

The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff

This novel follows Joseph and Evelyn Myers from the beginning of their courtship in 1941 to 2002. Tommy, Evelyn's older brother, was best friends with Joseph and always included Evelyn in their adventures. Tommy and Evelyn's parents were somewhat distant, having a more formal relationship with their children. Joseph's parents ran a small inn, the Oyster Shell Inn, that he grew up in. They were loving and demonstrative affectionately. After a major storm damaged the inn, Joseph's father has started working another job while still repairing the inn. For her junior year of high school, Evelyn is shipped off to Boston to stay with her aunt Maelynn and go to the private school she teaches at. She connects with her aunt and finds her world expanding, particularly finding a love for the piano. But the entry of the United States into World War II means changes and loss. 

There are two timelines here. One is the long-ranging one from 1941 on, and the other begins in the spring of 2001 when Joseph and Evelyn ask their three children: Jane, Thomas, and Violet to visit, letting them know that they plan to end their lives together in a year, with the decision triggered by Evelyn's recent diagnosis of a rare version of Parkinson's that advances quickly. There are a lot of emotions: anger, sadness, and confusion among them. We see into their children's relationships and some of their grandchildren. Thomas is married to Ann and they both lead busy lives in the city. Jane is a television news journalist and her daughter Rain is also newly married. Violet and her husband Connor have only one child still at home, and are adjusting to lives that have more time available for each other. 

The novel has a languid pace and an unusual premise. However I didn't feel that I got as much depth for the characters as I would have liked. 

Yours Truly

Finished May 27

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

This novel is the second book in the Part of Your World series, but the first that I've read. ER doctor Briana Ortiz loves her work, but her personal life has issues. Her divorce will be final soon, but her husband's cheating with one of her friends is hard to get over. Her younger brother is struggling with the reality of his health crisis and is on a waitlist for a kidney. She was hoping for a promotion but her boss has delayed his retirement and she learns it is partly because a new doctor has just been hired for the ER and he wants him to also have a fair shot at the position. 

Dr. Jacob Maddox left his old hospital to avoid working with an ex, but he's finding the new hospital less welcoming than he hoped. He's an introvert and isn't great at social situations. On the personal front, he is prepping for his brother's upcoming wedding, which is to Jacob's ex-girlfriend. He's honestly okay with it, but his mom and sisters are worried about his feelings around it. He's worried about people paying more attention to him than the happy couple. He impulsively tells a lie about his relationship status. 

Jacob's first encounter with Briana doesn't go well, and so he writes her a letter. Soon they are both writing, and leaving notes, and occasionally meeting for a quick and quiet lunch. When Briana finds out about the upcoming wedding, she offers to go as his girlfriend, and he confesses his own lie to his family. With them spending more time together, they learn more about each other, their pasts, and their vulnerabilities. 

I found these characters had real depth and the plot moved things along nicely. A very enjoyable read. 

Can't Help Faking in Love

Finished May 18

Can't Help Faking in Love by Swati Hegde

This contemporary romance novel takes us to India. Harsha Godbole is the child of wealthy parents and niece to a major Bollywood producer, but she never felt close emotionally with her parents. After getting her degree in the United States, Harsha decided to settle in Bangalore rather than her parents' city of Mumbai, and make a living as a photographer. She also decided to leave her trust account untouched and only live off what she made. She goes to Sunstag Café every day for a special drink and to do some work. Her apartment is small and not a place she wants to spend more time in than necessary. She did have a boyfriend from a similar wealthy background, but he has recently dumped her to marry someone his parents chose. There are a couple of family events coming up that she will attend: her aunt and uncle's 25th anniversary party and her cousin Nela's wedding. When she meets Nela and her fiancé by chance one night, she spontaneously introduces Veer Kannan as her boyfriend. Veer is actually a barista as Sunstag who she has a friendly relationship with.

Veer has helped support his family all his life after his father walked out when he was a child. He did go to acting school and worked in Mumbai for a while, even getting a job on a pilot show, but it wasn't picked up. Now he is working to help his mom and his younger brother Arjun. Arjun was accepted into a good business school, but they have cancelled his scholarship without warning and Veer is trying to figure out a way to come up with the tuition money in just a few days. 

So when Harsha asks him to pose as her boyfriend through the next few weeks, offering to pay him, the amount he asks for matches the tuition need. Harsha must use her trust money to pay him, but thinks it is worth it. They agree on a plan of payments and begins spending time together to get to know each other and feel comfortable interacting with each other.

As they grow closer and get to know each other, they also begin to learn more about each other's lives and feelings and the chemistry between them has time to work on them. They learn each other's vulnerabilities and find themselves becoming champions for each other in ways that feel real.

I liked the way the culture was shown without being focused on in a purposeful way. We learn about food, about social worlds, and about their family dynamics. 

The Nature of Fragile Things

Finished May 11

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

In 1905 Sophie Whalen is a young immigrant from Ireland sharing a tenement room in New York City with other young women. She answers an advertisement from a San Francisco man, Martin Hocking, who is looking for a wife and a mother to his young daughter Kat. He sends the money for her to take the train west and marries her the day she arrives, but he doesn't push her to have a physical relationship until she's comfortable. Martin works for an insurance company and travels a lot for his job, sometimes being away multiple days at a time.

There are things that cause Sophie to have questions, but she is also happy to be living in the circumstances she is in now. Martin is very handsome and well off enough to live in a nice neighbourhood and well-equipped home. Why would he have to advertise for a wife? Why is Kat so quiet? Is it just the loss of her mother or are there more reasons? Why doesn't Martin introduce her to any of his work colleagues since that was part of the reason he said he needed a wife? What is going on with the second business line that he is suddenly working with? 

More than a year after she arrived in the city, Belinda Bigelow, a young pregnant woman, appears on her doorstep looking for Martin, hoping he has some information on Belinda's husband, but the women soon learn that the connections are closer than expected. As the two women piece together their stories and Kat's history, and make plans to leave, a massive earthquake takes place. They flee the house together with Kat, first to a temporary hospital, then to a city park filled with other refugees from the quake and subsequent fires. Eventually they make their way to Belinda's home south of the city, but soon learn that Martin has been there since she left. Sophie must return to the city to see if Martin is there, and if not, to file a missing persons report. That and the ongoing police interest in the case cause Sophie to worry about her own secrets that she hoped to leave behind. 

A story of relationships, those that mistreat others in a variety of ways, and what women might do to ensure their own safety and the safety of those they care about.

The Summer of You and Me

Finished May 7

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter

This romance novel also has an element of mystery to it. It's been five years since Maggie's husband Ethan died in an IED explosion. She still mourns him, but is ready to move forward along with her young daughter Zoey. She and Ethan lived a couple hours away from the town they grew up in, and with Ethan's parents on a European vacation, she and Zoey plan to spend the summer at their home. Maggie was friends with Ethan's sister before she and Ethan became involved and his younger brother Josh, now captain and owner of a tour boat, has been extremely supportive. Josh has always had feelings for Maggie and he is hoping that this might be the time to reveal them and see if she also has feelings. But on her first evening in town she spots a man who looks like Ethan's double and soon she and Josh and trying all avenues of investigation to see who he might be. 

The situation might be awkward, but the feelings seem real, and Maggie has grown up in a dysfunctional home that she is still trying to overcome. She wants Zoey's life to be happier than her own childhood, and being with Ethan's family is a big part of the ongoing relationship. 

A romance novel with a few unexpected plotlines gives this novel more depth. The main characters had enough complexity to feel real, particularly Josh. 

The Book Witch

Finished May 2

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

This novel started slow with me, but then became hard to put down. The main character here is Rainy March, who is one of many book witches. Her mother and grandmother were/are as well. Rainy showed early aptitude and has been active since she was fifteen. She is now twenty-five. She lives with her grandfather and their housekeeper, Mrs. Turner, in an old house called Pilcrow House in Fort Meriwether, Oregon. Rainy's mother disappeared for around a year just before she was born, but died shortly after her birth without revealing anything about her father. The only memento she has is an old copy of the first Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock. 

This novel has an interesting structure. It is split into seven sections: romance, mystery, fantasy, nonfiction, young adult and horror, thriller, and science fiction. These names are suited to the actions in that section. I liked this sentence from the job description of a book witch "Ideal candidate should be willing to jump into and out of books, short stories, and the occasional epic poem." She travels into and out of books using an umbrella, using the phrase "Our revels are now ended" to exit the book, and is accompanied by her familiar, a Russian Blue cat named Koshka. The leader of her cover is Dr. Regina Fanshawe, who is described as a taller, angrier Judy Dench, and she is very critical of Rainy, often holding up Rainy's mother as an ideal to strive for. 

Like many readers of his books, Rainy has a crush on a book character known as the Duke of Chicago, whose noir mystery stories are set between the World Wars in Chicago. He is an actual English Duke, who came to his title after the death of all three of his brothers in World War One, and he fled his home to deal with his trauma and now works as a private detective. The fans call themselves Duckys. When a situation arises in one of Duke's books requiring a witch to enter the book and resolve it, Rainy insists on going. 

There are eight Black and Whites or rules that witches are expected to follow. These rules include include no eating, drinking, or sleeping within the books they enter as these activities can cause them to forget their own identity and purpose. 

As Rainy breaks one of the rules and becomes romantically attached to the Duke, she is discovered and becomes restricted until her grandfather becomes absent for an extended period and she is determined to find him. Her adventures take her into many other books from Through the Looking Glass, to The Great Gatsby, and to closed theme parks, book burnings, and many more interesting situations. 

There is so much fun and quirkiness in this book that it is definitely one of my favourite reads. Other things I love, such as: Plan C in a situation means crying. 

Other quotes I loved: "Pencils down" and "All stories are love stories if you love stories".

Miss Aldridge Regrets

Finished April 23

Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare

This is the first book in an historical mystery series called A Canary Club Mystery. The time is 1936 and Lena Aldridge is singing at a basement club in Soho, London. Lena's father, Alfie, brought her up in the world of music. Alfie was a black piano player from the U.S. who had migrated to England and made a life there. He has died recently and Lena is still grieving.  He never talked about her mother, but because Lena is white passing, she believes that her mother was white. Lena's best friend from childhood, Maggie, is married to Tommy, the owner of the club, but things haven't been going well in their relationship and Tommy has told Maggie he plans to leave her with nothing and marry his current young mistress. 

Recently someone came to blackmail Maggie and gave Tommy incriminating photographs that he can use against Maggie, something she has confessed to Lena about, while also telling her that the photos were a setup. So when Maggie turns up at the club that night, Lena is worried that something bad is going to happen. 

When the evening ends with Tommy dead, she knows she was right and she is placed right in the middle of it all. Earlier that day, a man named Charlie Bacon had appeared at Lena's rooming house, claiming to represent a man named Bennie Walker who had been a friend of her dad's back in the U.S. Lena has never heard her father mention the name, but Bennie apparently feels bad for the falling out between them and has done well, and wants to give Lena a leading role in his new Broadway musical to make amends. Lena isn't sure, but her new circumstances with Tommy's death convince her to take advantage of the opportunity to make a fresh start. 

Much of the book takes place on the Queen Mary, as Lena and Charlie make passage to New York. They are in first class courtesy of Charlie's employer and their seating places them at a table otherwise composed of a wealthy American family and the people that work for them, the Parkers. The patriarch, Francis, is in a wheelchair and obviously unwell. Other family members include his daughter Eliza, her husband Jack, their children Frankie, a young man, and Carrie, a teenager, Francis's nurse Daisy and his attending doctor, Dr. Wilding. 

Out on the deck taking air one evening, Lena encounters black bandleader Will Goodman, and is at first taken aback when he clearly identifies her as mixed race. But she feels a connection and wants someone she can be more herself with, and begins to make friends with him, and join him in below deck socializing. 

When Francis suddenly dies at dinner one night, Lena knows he has died the same way Tommy did, and she worries that someone will connect her to both deaths. As things escalate and she becomes more involved with the family, she begins to think that someone is framing her for the crimes. But why?

I enjoyed this novel, the plot and the main character. Lena hasn't lived an easy life, but she also hasn't taken her life firmly into her own hands even now. The social environment of the time and the place is brought alive, with the elements of class and race. I'd definitely be interested in reading more in the series. 

When the Mirror Cracks

Finished April 21

When the Mirror Cracks by Jan Coffey (penname of May McGoldrick)

This novel has a lot going on. One of the main characters, Christina Phillips, is grieving the loss of her newborn child, but has chosen to attend an important business meeting for the company her mother and stepfather started and for which she works for. Her stepfather has passed away recently, and the decision was already made to sell the company. There are three companies bidding for ownership, and the Istanbul has been chosen as the place they will present their offers and Christina's mother and the board will decide. The company is a gaming company and Christina and her estranged boyfriend are also very involved in the company's development.

The location was also chosen for another reason. Christina was born in Turkey, and moved to the US with her American mother when she was just a toddler. She doesn't remember her early life and her mother has never shared information about her father's identity with her. 

The other main character is Zari Rahman, a Kurdish woman who fled Kurdistan in Iraq when war and chemical weapons made living there untenable. Her husband had fled to Turkey before her, and she followed him to Ankara after giving birth to their daughter, but she found he was no longer there. We know a little about her life during this time, and learn more over the course of the novel. 

Zari had brought her daughter to a hospital in Istanbul years ago, hoping for treatment and has found a community of other Kurds that she is supported by. Her daughter is now grown and starting her own career while still struggling with her health. 

As Zari's and Christina's paths cross, they find they have much in common around the relationships in their lives, but we also see major differences.

Christina's life has the benefit of money and status, while Zari's life as a refugee has been uncertain and traumatic. 

I found this to be a really intriguing read with a fascinating plot and lots of social commentary underlying the story. 

Hired for the Billionaire's Secret Son

Finished April 17

Hired for the Billionaire's Secret Son by Joss Wood

This novel offered few surprises over how much in this genre has changed since I read Harlequin romance novels as a teenager. The main female character, Olivia Cooper grew up with parents who ran their own accounting business. She took an accounting degree and was expected to join the business, but found during her studies that this wasn't something that she would enjoy as a career. She took some time away and has worked as a nanny for several years, for a respected agency used by famous and wealthy families. She's grown close to the owner and is considering buying a share in the company and working to take it over some day. She had a difficult experience where she grew very close to a family she was working for during a very difficult time in their lives and then had to leave their employment. After that she decided to only do short term contracts to avoid getting emotionally involved in the lives of her clients. When she took a break from her family obligations, she knew she had a deadline and that deadline is fast approaching. Her parents expect her to join the family business at that time. She doesn't want to and doesn't know how to go about talking to them about this. 

The main male character, Bo Sorenson, is a respected architect. He saw his parents' marriage fall apart, and saw his father live a life that was less focused on responsibility. He determined not to follow in their footsteps and has had clearly communicated expectations from his relationships over the years, that they would never lead to children. 

When his recent ex-girlfriend, about to be married, dies with her partner in an accident, he finds he was a father despite his best plans. He doesn't want his child to go into the system, and he can afford to care for his son, but he has no idea how to be a parent, having less than stellar role models. He knows he wants to be a good parent and hires Olivia to be there for the first few months (although he would prefer a longer contract) to show him the ropes, while integrating his son into his life. 

Olivia is a strong woman in most areas of her life, and knows her value. It is only with her parents she is less confident. This was one area that struck me as she had a good childhood despite their busy careers, and she seems a good communicator in the other parts of her life. Bo is also a strong character, but he doesn't have traditional expectations. His mother is a good businesswoman, although not a loving mother, and he knows women are equally capable. I think setting this story in Europe feels believable and the situation never feels like a forced plot or outside the characters' personalities. 

A light, entertaining read. 

Alice Rue Evades the Truth

Finished April 16

Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zipps

This book was such a fun read. It has humour, real emotions, a crazy fake relationship, the reality of life struggles, and so much more. 

Alice has had a hard life, losing both her parents and spending middle and high school trying to care for her father through his health challenges. The hospital is still a difficult place for her to be. Alice works as a night receptionist in an office building in Portland, Oregon. As the book opens, Nolan Altman, a man who works in the building there and who Alice has had a crush on even though they've barely spoken, had a medical incident. Alice administer CPR and calls for help and saves his life. Nolan is in a coma, and it is unclear whether he will ever recover. 

Due to a crazy remark Alice made during the crisis and a comment by one of the EMTs attending, Nolan's family believes that Alice is his girlfriend and they embrace her into the family. His sisters Van and Marie, his parents, his aunt and uncle all take over her life. Mainly it is the women who take over, with the men quiet and supportive. Alice tries to deny the relationship right away, but is again misunderstood. As she gets deeper into the family and the way they care for her, she finds it harder to tell the truth. 

As a result of news coverage of the story, Alice is reconnected with her cousin who has recently moved back to town. They were very close as children, but her cousin's family moved away as her own family faced its crisis. The two women work through the realities of the situation they had no control of at the time, and begin to build new bonds as adults. Her cousin is married with two young children and she finds herself drawn into their family life as well. 

Also as a result of media coverage, Alice finds her work situation changing. She is moved to the day shift, and begins to make friends with one of her co-workers, as well as other people who don't sleep during daylight hours. Dare she hope for a different life for herself?

During all this Alice finds herself drawn to someone else, Nolan's sister Van, and is unsure what to do about her growing feelings. The more she learns about Nolan, the less interested she is in him, and she doesn't feel any connection there. 

This is a story of a young woman finding that there may be a happier life for her outside of how she exists now. Her life is changing on all fronts and she realizes that she can make friends and find connections. A hopeful and happy read. 

Snow Kissed

Finished April 15

Snow Kissed by RaeAnneThayne

Set in small town Idaho, Holly Goodwin More runs a flower shop. Holly is divorced and has a five-year-old daughter, Lydia, who has Down's syndrome. Holly loves Christmas but this year the season is more complicated. Holly's former sister-in-law, who is also a friend, is getting married, and Lydia will be her flower girl. Holly's ex, his wife, and their new baby son will be in town for the wedding. Lydia doesn't want to be pitied for her situation, and her twin sister Hannah comes up with an interesting idea. What if she brings a fake boyfriend to the wedding, so everyone can see that she too has moved on. Holly has moved on, although she doesn't feel she needs a man to prove it. 

One of Holly's employees is in rehab after a scary car accident woke her up to the reality of her life. Because her employee's stepmother was badly hurt in the accident, and the employee's father is busy looking after her, the employee has asked her brother Ryan to come to town to look after her tween daughter Audrey. Ryan is a Navy helicopter pilot who is going through his own physical recovery from a work accident. Until Ryan can arrive, Audrey is staying with Holly and helping look after Lydia. With an employee down during the busy Christmas season, Holly is very busy with floral orders. Audrey and Lydia genuinely like each other and get along well. Audrey also likes the opportunity to earn some money of her own for presents. 

When Ryan is approached about taking on the role of fake boyfriend, he agrees asking for Holly's help in making Christmas special for Audrey with her mother absent. 

As the two grow closer, they develop both respect and feelings towards each other, and the story develops nicely from there. 

A Long Petal of the Sea

Finished April 12

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, translated by Amanda Hopkinson and Nick Caistor

This novel is a fantastic read, with the main events part of real history. Beginning in 1936 in Spain, we are placed amidst the Spanish Civil War., The war is drawing to a close and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians are fleeing to France. One of them is Roser, a young pregnant woman who lover, a soldier, is missing. His brother, Victor Dalmau, a medical school student who is serving as a medic, has arranged for a friend to bring Roser and his mother out of Spain, choosing a Red Cross nurse as a contact point for them to connect through in France. With so many people fleeing it is chaotic and Victor's mother is worried about slowing them down, and Roser and the friend find their way over the mountains into France before becoming separated. 

France is overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of people fleeing Spain, and there are limited opportunities for the many refugees. Roser finds a place to work and live, but it is not a permanent situation. In order to take advantage of getting away from Europe, Victor and Roser marry. By doing so, they gain a spot on the Winnipeg, a ship chartered by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. In Chile the small family starts over. Roser begins her career as a pianist supplemented by giving lessons, and Victor re-enrols in medical school while running a Catalan-style pub with a fellow Spanish exile. They always hope to return to Spain one day when Franco is no longer the leader, but the hope grows fainter over time. 

They make good lives there, with Victor working as a respected cardiologist while still showing his penchant for helping those in need, and Roser working with a Venezuelan man to create an international orchestra respected for their use of traditional South American instruments. Roser's child is raised within their strong household love, and their growing love for each other. 

Then they end up living through another upheaval as Chile is taken over by the fascist Pinochet. They realize that Chile is now their home, a land they truly love and feel tied to, and that the love they have built is strong and their son has grown up with their shared values and feeling a true Chilean. 

The real history of the characters' difficult episodes is told well, even to the presence of the author's father in the story. But it is their strong character and how they live their values that is at the centre of the novel and so well told.

I loved the inclusion of Neruda's work at the beginning of every chapter as it really spoke to the time and place. 

A shining example of Allende's writing. 

Down with the Shipmans

Finished April 12

Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore

This contemporary novels is set around a family. It is early June, and the three Shipman sisters are returning to the family beach house in New Hampshire, which was first owned by their mother's parents. Calvin, their father, has asked them to come for a family reunion. But there are also other plans to sell the house that they learn of once they get there. The atmosphere is sometimes tense and there are resentments around certain things. Calvin's second wife, of less than a year, was also the women's mother's palliative nurse before she died and is older than them, but much younger than their father. She will be arriving shortly after the women, and some of them haven't come to terms with the marriage yet. 

Mae is the youngest daughter and she is driving from Denver, where she is near the edge of what she can handle, couch surfing at friends' places, with a job training dogs. She is currently training a recovering abused dog for its owner who is traveling for work. Natalie, the middle sister, is married to a dairy farmer. Her husband grew up on a dairy farm in Montana, but the couple own and run a farm in Vermont. They have three children, and have been talking about a fourth. 

Natalie began supplementing their income with a social media channel some years ago, and has been building that presence, with a featured article in a national paper just-released. A comment that her husband made during the interview for the article has been taken somewhat out of context and has begun creating backlash for her. 

Jordan, the oldest, is a well-regarded crisis communication expert in New York City. She has been put into a situation where she must choose between her employer and the truth. 

As they handle their individual problems, reluctant to share them with each other, they must also face their father's situation and come to terms with how he is moving forward with his life. 

With everyone at a point of decision in their lives, this book gives the reader a lot to think about. I really enjoyed the depth of the characters and watching them grow through their situations. They grow closer through this few weeks of summer, as they find themselves truly reflecting on their own wants and needs not others' expectations. Moore is great with family stories and this book is great around the many emotions these three central characters have. We get glimpses of the personality of the new wife, but she is definitely a minor character. I'd love to see a follow-up around her. 

The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Finished April 6

The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

This novel was a 2025 nominee on Goodreads in the Romantasy category. But it is a book with many themes. The main character Sera Swan is one of the most powerful witches in Britain, and she was being supervised by another powerful witch Albert Grey when she broke a rule. She was a teenager living with her great aunt Jasmine who not only looked after her, but also loved and cared for her. Her parents were too much set on their own lives to do so. When Jasmine suddenly died, Sera couldn't bear it, and she used her power impulsively to resurrect her great aunt. The spell was powerful enough it also resurrected the much loved pet rooster that was buried nearby, creating an interesting and absurd member of the household. It also took away much of Sera's powers. Those in charge decided that Sera should be punished beyond this, by getting kicked out of the witch's school. She even lost her best friend. 

Sera and her aunt determined to set up their home as an inn to make ends meet, and Sera's remaining power was put to use making the inn one that only those who needed it found. 

Years have passed and the inn has a couple of long-term tenants: Matilda, a middle-aged woman with her own secrets; and Nicholas, a young man who works as a knight at a local medieval fair, and lives as much as a knight as he can as well, despite his father's expectations. Also living there is Sera's young cousin Theo, who is also a witch, and who, though born in Iceland, has received permission to live in England and whose parents are happy to have Sera and Jasmine look after him. Theo attends the local school and hasn't yet realized that he's a witch, or that Sera is. 

As the story opens Sera is still missing her magic, which represented a star-filled sky for her, and considering ways in which she might be able to get it back to what it had been. 

This is where Luke Larson, historian and assistant to one of the professors at the witches' school comes into the story. Luke has a younger sister Posy, nine years old, who is both autistic and a witch and whose parents found her powers too difficult to explain to their non-magical neighbours. Luke had her at the school with him, but that had its own problems. So the solution has been to have him and Posy stay with Sera and Jasmine and see if they can manage things better there. 

This is a story of power and jealousy, of those who believe they should control the lives of others through their own wishes, and those who really care about the people and other creatures around them, and want them to live their best lives. It is a story of love and how it has its own power, and how love can be strong enough to compel people to make difficult choices. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, from the strong characters, the growth of those characters in the storyline, to the empathy at the heart of it all.