Shiloh and Cary have been best friends forever but after high school went in opposite directions . Now 14 years later and Cary returns to Omaha for a friend's wedding and a reunion with Shiloh. Both are nervous and have led different lives with Cary a career naval officer and Shiloh recently divorced with two kids. They dance around each other's fears and attraction and soon fall into that easy sway leaving the reader (and the two of them) waiting for the potential big dip or drop onto the dance floor. Jumping from past to present we witness what makes their friendship so strong- both unique yet so familiar. My favorite is Shiloh's refreshingly candid daughter Junie. A slow dance instead of a frantic hip hop routine this is one romance to savor but you will race through. Readers of the author's fabulous young adult books and the great character studies of Ann Patchett will love this. 4 sweet summer romance stars.
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1960 in a very remote mountain village in Calabria Italy a young American woman tries to do some good by opening a nursery school. As an outsider she is met with distrust and struggles with outdated ideas of early education, poor health standards and the difficulty of obtaining supplies. When a body is unearthed she is eager to help and befriends a couple of the local women who need answers. Red tape, stepping on local male toes and clearly getting involved in something she shouldn't may get her and her hopes for the nursery in deep trouble. Historical fiction with a side of mystery and muddy politics that will have fans of Lisa Scottoline's ETERNAL and LOYALTY and the author's first book completely immersed. 4 stars
A slight novel that shows us another side of the infamous Anne Boleyn who had a turn at Queen of England and wife to Henry VIII. Anne's ladies in waiting are sisters in more than their devotion to their queen. They are also powerful witches in a coven with Anne as their leader. When Anne becomes inconvenient and is beheaded the hunt is on to find out who in their inner circle betrayed her. A more truthful look at fierce women at the mercy of powerful men who use fear of witchcraft as a tool to remove them. A wonderful bridge between historical fiction and female driven fantasy that will appeal to readers of UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED by Sarah Galley. 4 stars Off the Northern California coast a small community is decimated by something sinister that leaves the town quarantined and fighting for survival from something called "the deading". People begin to drift into a fugue state convulsing every few hours and the natural world is affected as well. The community is split between those that are accepting and those who are fighting it. Much of the book is spent on birdwatching with one young man sketching the birds he logs seemingly lost while his brother and mother are afflicted. While interesting I wasn't sure how it connected to the eco-horror going on around him and his family. The writing style is intense and reminds me of Stephen Graham Jones with a dose of Stephen King and scary science of Michael Crichton. 3 stars
Two boys go missing in the West Virginia forest only to reappear unharmed months later. Years go by and the boys are men. One is a struggling artist and the other finds missing girls and together they will help a woman find the sister who went missing in the same area as a child. A dark thriller with a monster hiding in the woods? NO! Instead this is a magical ode to all the cherished childhood classics a secret land where a gentle knight saves the princess while secretly being in love with the prince and where a benevolent queen happily rules a land where adults don't belong. Once again, Meg Shaffer brings us back to our favorite childhood hideaways - Narnia, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, Dorothy and her little dog finding their way in OZ. She cleverly uses whimsey and a bit of fairy dust to shake off the adult and bring out the hopeful child. This is the perfect book to find a hammock or treehouse and get lost in.
4 1/2 stars A socially awkward botany ex professor lets the wrong person see her secret rooftop poison garden and ends up becoming a suspect in a murder investigation. Dr. Rose prefers her own company to that of most people especially after the death of her beloved father but when she spies on her new neighbor in trouble she takes an interest and opens up. When the woman is last seen being thrown into a car Eustascia gets tangled up in a much more poisonous situation. THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW Hitchcock overtones and a unique type of amateur detective like THE MAID come together in this clever mystery series that I hope we will see more of. The author shares her vast knowledge of poisonous plants in case you feel the need to eliminate someone or like me share an interest in the secrets of plants that have the ability to help and harm. 4 stars A dinner party filled with old friends and their loved ones where everyone is expected to have a good time. They never expected this. The closest friends, Robyn and Willa, have been together since childhood when Willa's older sister disappeared without a trace. Willa has never given up hope of finding her even after 25 years with no leads. In one night secrets will be revealed and lives will be changed. This debut covers a variety of relationships - partners, parents, siblings and friends showing us just how different we are. One thing remains the same, lifelong friends and siblings will always have each other's backs and keep your secrets. The present and past events are seen through alternating chapters until the slam-dunk ending. 4 stars
In Victorian London a young doctor is hired to care for a dying man - unusual because the doctor is female and Black. Hester has her own reasons for taking the job mainly one of protecting her sister and stays even when she discovers why her patient chose her. Suffering from night terrors he needs to ease his conscience by finding his former slaves and making restitution. Hester does help locate these women but finds herself in a precarious position and one that will bring more trouble to herself. Guilt, misguided reparation and family drama weigh heavily in this gothic tale of good and evil where money adds fuel to the fire instead of dousing it. 3 1/2 stars in 1950 Washington D.C. live an oddball group of women in a boardinghouse. Ranging from an ex-female baseball player, young British mom, gungho McCarthy patriot, older cantankerous artist, young modern woman with a questionable boyfriend and the mysterious newcomer who shakes everything up and forms a weekly supper club called The Briar Club. We open with a mystery and then spend the rest of the book learning about each Briar Club member's past and secrets. It is a tumultuous country that is in flux with post war euphoria fighting with a fear of communism and another war looming as well as changing roles for women. This is a historical mystery filled with remarkable characters infused with a hint of danger, friendship and more than a few laughs in true Kate Quinn fashion. Just like the house itself you want to be a part of this group admiring their spunk, cheering them on and keeping their secrets. One of her very best! 5 stars
Happy book birthday to THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin
An easy choice for poolside, hammock or beach this is a look at four college friends who lose one anchor and feel unmoored. After Summer's death they all scatter but come back to take the trip they promised to take all those years before. Much water under the bridge, many things left unsaid but they will once again support each other, rediscover their friendship and more and decide on the next step in their lives. Emily Giffin's many fans will love this book and want to schedule a trip to Capri. 4 stars |
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