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Jane is biracial and has long known the frustrations and racial tension of having one leg on the Black side and the other leg on the White side of the fence. She and her husband and two kids have been bouncing from apartment to apartment for awhile and now have an opportunity to housesit for a year in a posh L.A. neighborhood. They are living the good life with a studio for her husband to get ready for his big art show and for Jane to finish her second huge novel. She is unprepared for the less than optimistic response from her agent on her opus and takes a chance meeting with a Hollywood bigwig producer looking to create a hit romcom about "being mulatto". Jane feels she is halfway accepted by this group, halfway committed to her marriage and halfway committed to her dream of becoming a respected novelist. This is a heartfelt look at hanging on to your dented reality while faced with all the shiny possibilities and false hope of Hollywood. Readers of THE VANISHING HALF and LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND will find much to like here. 4 stars 
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On a large farm in Nebraska a domineering father lords over his two sons who he has raised alone. Abusive both physically and verbally, he tries to make men out of them through hard work, hunting and absolute obedience. The favored older brother goes off to school and comes back with an Asian wife thereby being disowned. The younger son Nick is left on the farm (now the only son) trying to win his father's approval and keep his desires well hidden. Suddenly, their dad announces he is dying and calls all of them home ( Emilia included). A truce of sorts begins but there is an unbalance and Emilia is at the center of it. This is an eerie blend of abusive family drama mixed with ancient Asian mythology and a smidge of horror. There is an undercurrent of unease and violence that makes you want to turn the page and wince at the same time. THE LIFE WE BURY by Allan Eskins and THE FOX WIFE by Yangtze Choo fans would like this for very different reasons. 3 1/2 stars  Star crossed ex lovers Kit and Theo find themselves on the same food tour through Europe four years after their disastrous breakup. Each blames the other and each is still secretly not over it. We view the relationship and their epic trip from both sides going from childhood friend to lover to enemy to friend to? I listened to the audiobook and can't stress enough how badly I wanted to visit, eat and drink every morsel on their journey. This is adults only as more than half of the book is devoted to the sex they had with each other, the sex they wish they still had with each other and the sex they are having during their insane competition to see who can sleep with the most people. I loved the variety of characters- the people on the bus, the guides and the people they meet along the way. A platter of bisexual tension and spicy longing with a side of the uncertainty of love paired with a full bodied taste of all the culinary wonders of France, Spain and Italy. Another fun romantic stunner from Casey McQuiston. 4 stars  Happy book birthday to THE SINGER SISTERS by Sarah Seltzer Do the sins of the parents follow the children? Two generations of great musicians try for that unreachable star and realize the cost of that fame. A complicated mother/daughter family relationship with the jealousy of the life not lived, the path not taken and a devastating secret. This is a moving story that digs down deep into the stories behind song lyrics that hold the power to finally unite or drive a wedge that can never be closed. Fans of the tv show "This is Us" specifically the mom/daughter musical link will appreciate this as will readers of books centered around the children of famous parents. 4 stars  A down and out songwriter waits out winter in an old miner's shack. His days of glory are far behind leaving him with nothing but a half empty bottle and too many memories. A blind injured horse shows up suddenly during a storm giving Al an impossible choice - put the horse out of his misery or walk 30 miles in the storm to save him. We follow Al looking back on his life- all of the people he met, the people he loved and lost and the thousands of encounters turned into song lyrics for others. A truly broken soul with a golden heart as only Willy Vlautin can write. He breaks your heart and puts it back together with bubble gum and a bandaid. Willy Vlautin writes of the common man caught in uncommon situations and his many fans know what they are in for. They will not be disappointed. Wish we had the soundtrack of some of Al's songs to go with the story. 5 stars  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.  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  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  To fully understand this slim bit of virtual /oddball reality you must have spent some time in Florida. A summer of intense weather, a pandemic and the gift of a strange virtual reality headset begins to influence a ghostwriter and her family. She and her sister travel to face their estranged father who is in a coma where memories of their childhood and the judgement of her sister upends her world while Florida unravels from a massive storm. The writing swells and recedes much like the floodwater through reality and the absurd. 4 stars  Presley is in denial - she isn't falling for her co-worker best friend, she is happy for her roommate/soul sister finding love and she isn't still grieving over the loss of her mom by hanging out with her mom's childhood friend. While still working hard to find the perfect comedian to book and get promoted at her job she starts spending much more time with Susan her mom's old friend and Susan's son. Things are shifting for Presley and the earthquake is unsettling. This is a joyful look at love in all forms, female friendship of all ages and how sometimes letting your guard down is good. A love letter to making it in New York this will appeal to fans of Emily Henry's madcap romcoms and NYC stories like ROMANTIC COMEDY. 4 stars  |
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