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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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 As Monica's mom is wheeled into emergency surgery she delivers some staggering news - Monica's dad is not really her dad but is instead the love of her mom's life when she lived in Cuba. The news feels even more unnerving because Monica is very pregnant and not sure about her relationship with the baby's daddy and is dealing with her emotional past with her ex-husband. When Monica and the ex track down her birth father their lives get more like the Spanish soap operas she and her mom watch and much more dangerous. A touching story of the many ripples of love and family that resonate across time and cultures. Readalikes would include FAMILIA by Lauren Rico and THE BOOK OF LOST SAINTS by Daniel Jose Older. 4 stars
Cute romance about second chances at first love. Delphie is lucky that she is given a chance to find Mr. Right even if she doesn't know where in London he is and only has ten days to not only find him but also get him to kiss her. If she can't get the job done she really might stay dead. A fun quick read that will make you look over your shoulder for any potential soulmates but look both ways before you cross the street. Full of interesting characters worth a second look. 4 stars Patch and Saint met as kids both outsiders toughened by a lack of understanding. When Patch goes missing after saving another girl from being taken Saint goes crazy trying to find him. There is evil out there and Saint won't rest until Patch is back with or without the Sheriff's help. The shell of the boy comes back haunted by a ghost girl leaving Saint haunted by the memory of the boy she loves. This is an intense story about true evil, longing , broken hearts and the crushing belief that you can fix people by vanquishing the monster. The language is precise, no emotion spared and no loose thread left undone. It is best read in short spurts so that you remember to slow your heart rate and breathe. Chris Whitaker gives us characters who wreak us emotionally but also prove that there is balance in the world. For every monster there is an unsung hero. Fans of tragic hero stories like Don Quixote, David and Goliath or WE BEGIN AT THE END will fall hard for this book. One of the best I have read this year. 5 stars
This is the story of Julia who feels unfulfilled- she has a lovely husband and two grown children but is constantly wondering where her life would have taken her and her past history. When she sees a woman who befriended her when she was a struggling young mom before dropping her, the discontent begins all over again. The first half of this book I just wanted to slap Julia and tell her to get her act together or get some help. The other characters were not much better. I really didn't like how mean her youngest was to her, how her oldest tried to shield her and how horrible her mom was to her as well as her lack of connection. Only her overly patient husband gave me a glimmer of hope. The second half of the book turned the corner as we see Julia try to navigate rough waters of her life and dog paddle to the other shore. It is deeply character driven and a look at how we cope with our own frailty and midlife disappointments or mask it in regret. I didn't feel like it was a glass half full kind of family but there was a glimmer of hope that it could become one. 3 1/2 stars
A small southern town gets an important wake up call when uber conservatives clash with liberals over book banning, tearing down a statue and the mayor's race. Lula Dean has named herself the savior of Troy Georgia by installing a little free library stocked with what she considers "clean" books for the community. When a book jacket switch is made and the town starts reading and learning all the things Lula has worked so hard to ban - chaos and awakening occur. Sadly, it gets ugly as the truth of the past is exposed and people get hurt in the process. The author takes serious issues and adds much comic relief making this book both lighthearted and meaningful. In this age of idiotic culture wars maybe we should make this book required reading. The bottom line is that awareness, compassion and understanding go a long way. 4 stars |
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