What Are Friends For?

Finished March 13

What Are Friends For? by Patricia McLinn

This is the first in a four-part series set in small town Illinois. It has a few plotlines that work together. The main characters are in their thirties, but they have memories of their high school days. Zeke was a bit of a loner, felt bullied, and only really talked to one girl in his chemistry class, Darcie. He did have his eyes on the prom queen, Jennifer, but felt she was out of his league. Darcie had big plans to go to college and apply to the FBI. There was also something that happened between Darcie and Zeke just before they both left town, but they have never talked about it, or even at all since.

Now Zeke has a successful technology company and hasn't been home in years, seeing his mother only when she comes to visit him. Darcie moved back home during college after the death of her father to help her mother manage things and work to keep the house. She works for the local police force. Jennifer married her prom king, and has a daughter, but is now divorced and struggling a bit. The town, Drago, also has some financial issues, and the planning committee, which both Jennifer and Darcie are on, has chosen Zeke as this year's honorary alumni host for the spring fair, hoping to convince him to help. He will also be one of the judge's of the town's beauty pageant, which is about choosing a young woman to represent the community, not just looks. Due to this, he finds himself the target of one young woman's affections, and must fend her off. 

Zeke was reluctant to come, but the other management in his company convinced him the PR would be good, and he has an ulterior motive we gradually learn. He also has a large chip on his shoulder about the town, and how he feels it views him and his immigrant parents. Zeke's company is working on some new projects and they are trying to be careful about security around his coding work. 

The small town flavour comes through here, from the issues the town and its surrounding rural community face, to how people know everyone in town. Darcie, as a police officer, is very tied in to the community and where help is truly needed, as well as who might have reasons for some of the strange activities that begin to happen. 

I really enjoyed the immersive nature of the book, with its individualistic characters and their backgrounds. 

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Finished June 8

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss

I always enjoy this author's books, she has a nice way of drawing you in and making you care about her characters. Here the main character is Elinor (Nory) Noel, who runs a secondhand bookshop in London. She comes from a working class family, with her parents running a greenhouse. She was accepted as a scholarship student at a prestigious boarding school and made friends with a group of kids there. She has kept loosely in touch with most of them. Two of them are now getting married and have proposed a reunion in the days leading up to the wedding, at the manor house (now inn) that backs onto the school property. They aren't far from Nory's parents' home and she plans to visit them while she's there.

A few years ago, one of the friend group died, and it brought the group together in grief at the time. Several of them questioned the way their life was going, and Nory was among them. She didn't enjoy her work, and that is when she determined to open the business she runs now. She is much happier and has one close friend from the school group, Ameerah, and is also friends with her one employee, Andrew. 

Nory is looking forward to the reunion in some ways, but not so much in others. She had a night with one of the former school friends, Guy, years ago, but he hadn't told her that he was married, and neither had the friends that were aware of it. She is determined to avoid him as much as possible. On the first night there she goes out into the gardens, which she knows fairly well from childhood, to avoid him and ends up getting startled by the head gardener Isaac, who father used to head the gardens. 

As the two get to know each other, they find a lot of things in common, but there is also pressure from someone close to her against her choice, and a secret Isaac has that complicates things. 

The friends are an interesting bunch, all from wealthy backgrounds except Nory, and some of them are definitely out of touch with the real world. It's not necessarily because they don't care, but their lifestyle just hasn't exposed them to the awareness of other lives. Nory is someone who is sure of herself, but less sure of how others feel about her. A fun read. 

The Last Time I Saw You

Finished July 10
The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg

This story follows several people as the prepare for their fourtieth high school reunion. Each has their own reasons for going, and their own expectations of what the night will bring.
Dorothy Shauman is recently divorced, and hopes to finally get her chance with Pete Decker, the high school quarterback. Dorothy was popular in school, but didn't have a ton of friends. The girlfriends from back then are still in touch with her, and will also be attending the reunion. There is much gossip among them about who is going to be there and what each person's marital status is.
Mary Alice Mayhew was bullied in school, but rose above it, trying not to let it affect her. She is recently retired from her job as a researcher, and living in the house that used to belong to her parents. She has made a friendship with the older neighbour next door, Einer, who watched her grow up, was aware of the bullying and insists on going as her escort, in case anyone "tries anything".
Pete Decker has recently separated from his long-suffering wife, and is beginning to realize just what he has lost. He plans to go to the reunion to try to reconnect with his wife, who was his high school sweetheart.
Candy Sullivan was one of the prettiest girls in school, but she didn't date much among the boys in her class. She's been married for years, and lives a life in luxury, but never feels that it fits her that well. When she has a health scare, she insists on going to the reunion alone, taking the time to think about her next steps.
Lester Hessenpfeffer was a smart but nerdy kid, and he goes to the reunion mostly because of the nagging of his office manager who wants to see him move on with his life. He was widowed years ago, and hasn't been interested in relationships since then, except with a mentoring grandfatherly relationship with the girl who lives next door. They share an interest in animals and science. He doesn't have a lot of expectations for the reunion, but has a thought for Candy, wondering what she is like now.
This is a book of memories, regrets, hope, and renewal. Most of them don't get the outcome they expected from the reunion, but they all get something, something that brings a change to their lives.

I Think I Love You

Finished February 12
I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson
This is totally a feel-good novel and I could hardly put it down. In 1973-74 two young girls in Wales, Petra and Sharon, are part of a group of girls completely obsessed with David Cassidy. They collect posters, pictures, facts, and share them obsessively. Petra does most of this at Sharon's house as Petra's mother definitely thinks this music and behaviour are common and not to be exhibited by Petra. She has Petra practicing the cello, aiming for a classical career. So Petra lives two lives, the ladylike one her mother expects and the secret life of teenage passion with Sharon. This goes on until the two girls attend a David Cassidy concert, one of his last, and Petra is outed to her mother.
Flash forward 24 years, and Petra discovers something that triggers a memory of that younger self. With a marriage on the rocks, and uncertainty of her own desirability, she jumps at the chance to finally meet David Cassidy. But will he be a disappointment to her fantasy?
We also follow Bill, who in the 70s was a young journalist working for the Essential David Cassidy Magazine, where he makes a living writing letters to fans from David and making up articles and other bits and pieces to fill the pages. 24 years later, he is still working in the magazine world and he too finds himself drawn to meeting David with Petra and Sharon.
This book took me back to my own childhood crushes. I watched the Partridge Family on TV, and had (have!) some of their record albums. I even had a Partridge Family board game, although I'm not sure where that ended up. Mom, if you are reading this, is it still there? I was smitten more with Shaun Cassidy myself, but definitely understand the whole scenario quite well. I loved the book and the places it took me.
I have to wonder if the young girls of today miss some of this with the easy deluge of information on the Internet.