Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Short Summary: An unexpected meet takes two people on a twenty-four-hour adventure, after which they make a promise to meet up one year later—with life-changing effects when one person keeps the date and the other does not. 

Fern Brookbanks has spent the last ten years thinking about what could have been if Will Baxter, the young man she spent a day and night with in her early twenties, sharing her dreams and her secrets, had kept his promise to meet her at her mother’s resort a year later. 

Now thirty-two, grieving her mother’s death, inheriting the resort she is not sure she wants to run with her ex-boyfriend, now friend, Fern’s life did not turn out anywhere close to how she imagined or dreamt it would. The resort is losing money, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin to set it right, or even if she wants to.  

When the offer of help comes in the person of Will Baxter, whom to her shock and surprise made an arrangement with her mother to help, Fen is torn between the realization this new wealthy man may be the one person who understands what she is going through, but can she trust him? Will is still secretive, and she knows he is hiding something—something big. Ten years ago, Will rescued Fern from her apathy and inductiveness. Can she do the same for him now?  

If you are looking for outstanding beach read, Meet Me at the Lake is for you. Author Carley Fortune weaves this tale using two timelines with a seamless ease. I was totally engaged with the characters and the story by the end of the first chapter. Fast paced, heart-tugging, romantic, funny, and a little bit steamy, I did not want to put this down until I reached the end of this fun read.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

William Waters is born into a family in which silence is the norm and love is absent to the degree that William’s parents can hardly bear to look at him. When in his freshman year of college he meets Julia Padavano, his world lights up with the appearance of not just Julia but her three sisters, who become inseparable in his life.

The house so different than his own is filled with loving chaos and he experiences a contentment his never expected—at least, until William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing Julia’s well-laid plans for their future. The relationship between the sisters suffers a catastrophic rift that will change their lives for generations. The question is: will the loyalty and love that once made them an unbreakable, cohesive whole be strong enough to bring them back together when it matters most? 

A friend gave me this book. She said it reminded her of Little Women. I agree and disagree. The first words to pop into my mind to describe my reading experience are powerful, riveting, heart-stopping. Author Ann Napolitano is a masterful storyteller and with Hello Beautiful, she has gifted her readers with a moving story not of love overcoming all, but what can be possible when one loves flaws, problems, and all. From the opening paragraph, I was captivated by the strong, well-written plot, and the characters who are flawed, which only makes them more relatable; I could not help but become emotionally invested in them.  As I turned the pages, this tale of the Padavano family and their lives drew me in more and more. This read is a keeper on the shelf to reread. To give it a five-star rating does not do this story justice. This is one of my top three reads so far this year. I highly recommend it. 

The Thursday Murder Club (Book 1) by Richard Osman

Short Summary: Take four septuagenarians with more than a few tricks and secrets up their sleeves, who all live in a retirement home in a quaint English village and all love a good mystery. Add a female detective on her first big case, a brutal murder, and you have The Thursday Murder Club, in which four of the unlikeliest of friends begin to meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes and decide they should solve them when the police seem unable to.

This book was recommended by a friend. I loved it from start to finish. I felt like I was participating in a live, real-time game of Clue. I enjoyed that the story was set in the English countryside, one of my favorite locations, and centered around older residents who lived in a retirement home there. The characters were well developed, with quirky backstories making their friendships and interactions throughout this fun, fast-paced tale equally as interesting as the mystery they are determined to solve. Click HERE to purchase the book on Amazon.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

I love a good murder mystery and especially ones that involve cold cases, years old, sometimes decades old that seem impossible to solve. With The Book of Cold Cases, set in Claire Lake, Oregon, author Simone St. James delivers a fascinating read that involves two women with deep emotional scars, one an acquitted but possible serial killer, the other a true crime blogger obsessed with the Lady Killer Murders; two timelines; a haunted house; a kidnapping; and a romance between said blogger and a former policeman formerly involved in the case but never able to let go of it.  

The plot was fast paced, and the characters were complex, quirky, and sometimes strange but always fascinating, which added to the paranormal touch of the story thread. I loved the twists and turns that kept me guessing to the most unpredictable end. I kept turning the page, just wanting to read a few more pages and then a few more after that. I was unable to put this book down and read into the early-morning hours. This is the first book I have read by Simone St. James and I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the opening paragraph to the last. I give this book five stars and would highly recommend it! Can’t wait to read more of this author’s work.

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Forty Steps to Old Sparky, by Jim DeFilippi

I’ve been an admirer of Author Jim DeFilippi’s writing style and his ability to weave a riveting tale whether it be fiction or nonfiction.  His latest release, Forty Steps to Old Sparky did not disappoint. I was drawn in from the opening page until I reached the satisfying end. This tale was an excellent and seamless weave of strong narrative, the twists and turns of a page turning suspense, well done research, and thought-provoking social commentary about our society that so easily creates cold-blooded killers as the likes of Trigger Burke and then finds their only solution is to execute him. This is a read that will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend,

Short Summary:  A true crime biography of Elmer “Trigger” Burke, into the poverty of Hell’s Kitchen and his progression to gangland assassin in the 1940’s and 1950’s until he was executed at Sing Sing’s electric chair on January 9, 1958. a gangland assassin born into Hell’s Kitchen

I recommend you add this book to your reading list. Clicl HERE to purchase it on amazon.

Murder for Beginners by Liz Hedgecock and Paula Harmon

I have been a huge fan of author, Liz Hedgecock’s novels for a long time. With Murder for Beginners, Book 1 in this in this cozy mystery series co-written with Paula Harmon, I was transported to a quaint English village and fast immersed in a murder as I tried to figure out which of the multiple suspects were guilty. Fast-paced and fun with two engaging protagonists—both whom I would be happy to have as friends in real life—and a cast of quirky characters that kept me turning the pages to the most satisfying end. I read this in one sitting. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I highly recommend. 

Short summary: In a quaint English market town called Hazeby-on-Wyvern, newcomer Jade Fitch opens a new-age shop, hoping for a fresh start, and her soon-to-be friend, Fi Booker, single mom of a teenage son is happy to be out of the corporate world and trying to make a go of it with her floating bookshop. When full-of-himself and usually unpleasant local antiques dealer Freddy Stott and Jade Fitch are Fi’s only customers one slow afternoon, poor old Freddy drops to the ground, shaking and convulsing after turning the pages of a book on magic that Fi can’t remember acquiring. Did Freddy have a heart attack—or was it something more nefarious? After the unfriendly but rather hot neighborhood policeman starts grilling them both, Jade and Fi decide to team up to prove neither of them is the murderer. But was Freddy even the intended victim? Can Jade and Fi trust each other, and how much will their amateur snooping make things better or worse for them?

I highly recommend this book. Click HERE to purchase it on amazon.

A Lovely Day Tomorrow by Lynn Kurland

I’m an absolute sucker for a well-written time travel, especially one that includes a hottie man with a well-honed sword (yes, I’m aware of the double entendre); a strong, fast-paced plot; humor; steamy romance; wonderfully developed characters, including some old favorites (if you have read some of her other tales featuring the McLeods and de Paigets) that make you hang out with them; and, of course, a most satisfying happily ever after. I am a huge fan of Lynn Kurland. I love all her work and have no idea how I missed this particular story. This author has a unique talent of making her readers feel like she has somehow not only transported them back to the thirteenth century but make them happy they are there. Masterful storytelling and definitely a keeper. A romance read, highly recommend. 

Short Summary: Olivia Drummond is in England to make a fresh start for herself, leaving behind any thought of treasure hunts, collecting anything made before the year 2000. She is done with the family business; that is, until at the castle, where the gathering is being held, she meets Jackson Kilchurn, heir to a powerful medieval family, who finds himself pushed through a portal into a different century, carrying his medieval sword and unable to return to his own time as he has dropped the key he needs to return. With few answers for her many questions, Jackson turns any possibility for the well-ordered world Olivia seeks upside down as she fights the powerful mutual attraction between them while trying to solve a few dangerous mysteries that might put both their lives in peril. 

I recommend this book. Click HERE to purchase it on amazon,

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

I love a good murder mystery and this was an excellent one. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a book I enjoyed immensely. Holly Jackson’s story drew me in from the opening with its strong plot, fast pacing, and the perfectly woven-in tension, suspense that kept me turning the pages as I tried to solve the murder. (I guessed some answers, but not the whodunnit.) I like being stumped by many suspects and not being able to figure it out by midway through the tale. I could not help but become invested in the characters of Pip and Ravi, and they soon began to feel like real people to me—more than that, people I would want as friends. The use of diary entries and entries in Pip’s project logbook enhanced the telling of this intriguing tale for me as it made me feel like I was there with Pip, studying all the facts and evidence as she progressed, in what often seemed like real time. I read this book in two days. Though classified as a young adult book, it is an excellent read for an adult who enjoys a good, solid mystery. I’m looking forward to reading the second and third book in the trilogy. I highly recommend!

 Story Summary: Everyone in Fairview knows the story: A murder, a suicide, that haunts the people of Fairview five years after it happened. Pip, who knew Sal who when she was much younger, can’t wrap her head around him as the murderer of his girlfriend, Andie. Pip can’t shake the feeling that there is more to what happened than what everyone prefers to believe. Now in her senior year and searching for a final project, she decides to re-investigate now-closed case on her own, to see if any doubt could be shed on the findings. When she begins to discovers a trail of dark secrets that may well prove Sal innocent, she realizes her digging in the past may well put not only her life in danger, but her family’s as well.

I highly recommend you add this book to your reading list. Click HERE to purchase it on amazon.

The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad Book 2) by Tana French

A friend gave me a copy of this book. It is most definitely a keeper. From the first page, I was fascinated with this story. It’s a story with so many twists and turns, and I was kept on the edge of my seat until the end, trying to figure out who did it. (I can usually guess who the killer is by midway through.) Author Tana French weaves a complex puzzle of a tale with her masterful storytelling and sympathetic and believable characters, from the protagonist herself to the quirky cast of multiple characters that fills these pages.

The story is told in the first-person point of view of the protagonist, Cassie Maddox, and the author takes readers deep into the psychological effects of working undercover and the toll it takes, physically and emotionally. I very much enjoyed the style of writing, the pace, and the Irish history woven into this story, but most of all, the labyrinthine-like plot that kept me engaged until I reached the end. In my humble opinion, this would make a terrific television drama. This can be read as a standalone. I have not yet read Book 1, but I intend to. I highly recommend.
Short Story Summary:  Burnt-out detective Cassie Maddox has transferred out of the Dublin Murder Squad and though she is not happy in the domestic violence unit, she at least feels safer and less stressed. An urgent phone call from her fellow detective and boyfriend brings her to a crime scene that can only be described as eerie when she discovers the victim is a twin to herself in looks. But more unsettling is the ID found on her, identifying the victim as Alexandra Madison, an alias Cassie once used as an undercover cop and had been assured was put to rest long ago. With little other clues to go on, and despite the objections of her boyfriend and the current head of the murder squad, her former boss convinces her the once and only chance they have of solving this case is for Cassie to go back undercover and assume the persona of Alexandra Madison once more to discover who the murderer is, but equally of importance who Alexandra really was.

In order to do this, Cassie must move into a house the victim has been living in with four other college students whose main objective seems to be the house itself and keeping to themselves. She must walk a fine line, pretending her memory is damaged from the attack and that she does not really remember how the stabbing happened, let alone who did it. 

I recommend this book! Click HERE to purchase it on Amazon.

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

I will admit freely, I love stories about witches and the supernatural. With The Witches of New York, I was enthralled from the moment I opened the book and began reading. Author Ami McKay delivers a page-turning story filled with gorgeous detail about the city these people inhabit so well, I felt like I was walking the streets along with them. This tale’s theme (at least, from my perspective) is about the strength and resilience of women and the fear of men who feel threatened or overshadowed by women who do not fit into the precise box they have been forced into. 

The characters, even the secondary cast, have been given wonderfully comprehensive backstories that give each their own clear and unique voice, and the reader will feel like they have met them in real time. The use of herbs, spells, and magic combined with some authentic history of the suffragette movement and those who vehemently opposed it felt more than believable and served to draw me further into this story. When I reached the last page, I was sad for it to end. I hope there is a sequel.  

Short summary: It is 1880 and high society is enthralled with spiritual pursuits, with seances often the entertainment of choice. Adelaide Thom and Eleanor St. Clair are two women possessed of true intuitive powers who work as mediums, rendering their services from their teashop, Tea and Sympathy. Here, they gift women with a safe place for confessions they are afraid to utter anywhere else, and they offer special cures and spiritual guidance for this select group of ladies, who know the correct questions to ask and words to say. When seventeen-year-old Beatrice Dunn arrives from her small village to answer to an ad seeking a respectable and dependable shop girl and enters the lives of Adelaide and Eleanor, all things change. Beatrice, as it turns out, possesses great spiritual gifts that place not only herself but her two new mentors in grave danger as they tutor Beatrice to take control of her powers. What they don’t know about is the evil hiding and waiting around and about the corners of the city that will take all of their courage to face and defeat.  I highly recommend this book. Click HERE to purchase this book on Amazon.

Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas

There’s nothing like a good romance to put me in my happy place—not to mention whenever I come across a new Lisa Kleypas novel or one I have somehow missed reading, I know I’m in for some masterful storytelling. Fun and fast-paced with a strong plot; characters who are not cookie-cutter one-dimensional but complex three-dimensional with believable flaws and quirks that make them not only endearing but that draw you into their story from the first; and a romance that will make your heart beat faster. 

Story Summary: 

Heroine Lady Holly Taylor has been in mourning for three years and cannot imagine it ever coming to an end. Her marriage was an unusual one. She was in love with her husband, and he with her, and she does not believe she will ever be capable of harboring such deep feeling—or wanting to—for anyone else. Hero Zachary Bronson, a former boxer and now-powerful businessman with ostentatious wealth is most definitely from the wrong side of the tracks no matter what the era, but he is also intelligent and determined to break into the ton’s upper ranks to see his sister launched into society and made a good match on the marriage mart. 

A chance meeting, and a stolen toe-curling kiss in the dark sends Zachary searching for Lady Holly to convince her to temporarily join his household under the pretense of instructing his sister in how to behave like a lady before her debut—as well as throw in a few lessons for him to soften his manner to a more gentlemanly behavior—when what he is really after is to make Holly his wife. Wanting independence from her late husband’s family and unable to resist the outrageous amount of money offered, Holly accepts despite the strong objections of her in-laws, never expecting for her heart to awaken toward another. There is a lot of fun, funny, delicious drama that builds up to the sensuous, fiery romance.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

An amazing read!

“Be careful of what you wish for—you might get it.” This quote is attributed to Aesop’s Fables and it is a perfect one-liner to describe the theme of this book, or one of them. 

I loved this book from the opening line to the closing line. The story stayed with me for days and longer. Author, V.E. Schwab does a masterful job of spinning a tale that takes place over the course of three hundred years about a young woman of twenty-three granted the wish of absolute freedom for eternity—with the caveat that she will be forgotten by anyone and everyone who meets her, leaving her unable to leave a mark on the world. This strong and well-crafted plot transported me. Every character, from the protagonist—adventure-seeking Addie LaRue—to the antagonist—Luc, who may or may not be the devil—to every other character  is so fully developed, I was able to picture them all with a vivid clarity as the story swung between the past and present of Addie’s long life. 

Story summary:

An adventurous child, Adeline LaRue wanted far more than what everyone expected of a woman. She is not ready to marry. She is not ready to have child after child until she is worn out in body and soul. The night before her wedding to a man she does not love or even much like, Addie makes a deal with one of the gods after dark, a rule she knew she was never supposed to break. God or devil, she was not certain, but she struck the deal: her soul for her freedom. A deal where she would not age, but she would feel pain, sickness, and the inability to ever leave her mark on the world. From that moment on, she will be forgotten by everyone. Three hundred years later, she crosses paths with Henry, who utters the words, “I remember you” when she goes to return the book she stole for another (stories are what keep her able to move forward without giving in and giving up her soul). 

I could literally not put this sad and inspiring book down, despite how many times the words caused tears to stream down my face. The ending was not what I was expecting or hoping for, though it was satisfying for me as a reader. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read more by this author. 

Sugar and Spice by Kimberly Kincaid

First, I want to say that author Kimberly Kincaid is one of my favorite romance writers. She never fails to deliver a wonderful story, combined with characters so real, you want to somehow go out and meet them, not to mention move to the town they are all living in. (Yes, I know they are fictional). With Sugar and Spice, the author has once again woven a perfect holiday tale that will draw you in from the first page and make you laugh out loud, sometimes make you tear up, and ultimately lift your spirits with this most satisfying and, yes, deliciously steamy love story. 

Short summary: Lily Callahan is a plan-everything-ahead, follow-the-rules baker whose business is run out of her own small kitchen. She is trying to save enough money to open her own shop. Pete Mancuso is a cocky, risk-taking pastry chef who wants to snag the coveted and rumored-to soon-be-open position of head pastry chef at the top restaurant in the city, and attain the fame and recognition he believes he needs to send his career into the next stratosphere. 

Lily and Pete run into each other when registering for the Pine Mountain Resort’s Christmas Cooking Competition, and each has their own immediate preconceptions about the other. Each determined to win and attain their dreams, neither expect the intense chemistry between them to deepen into a trust that allows them to not simply share their dreams, but their vulnerabilities when they are forced to work together. 

I read this in one sitting. Be prepared to be overtaken with an overwhelming urge to eat plates of holiday cookies no matter what time of the year you happen to read this. They should make Sugar and Spice into a Hallmark movie. I highly recommend this delightful holiday romance in any season. I can’t wait for this author’s next story. 

The Awakening: The Dragon Heart Legacy. Book 1 by Nora Roberts

First, I admit I am a huge Nora Roberts fan and I especially love it when she writes a trilogy. I have no idea how I missed this particular series, but I’m delighted to have stumbled across it when browsing for something new to read. I was immediately drawn into this tale of the magical world of Talamh, which exists parallel to our own. A masterful storyteller, Roberts weaves a story that combines a strong plot with characters that engage from the start but also do not always do the predictable. This author’s descriptions made me feel I was in Ireland and in the enchanting realm of the Fey, walking the lanes and the meadows, and seeing the emerald green of the landscape as if it were my eyes taking it all in. A small spoiler: This story ends with a cliffhanger, which worked for me because I’d ordered the second book in the series by the time I was halfway through, and pre-ordered the third. I could not put the first book down and read it in less than three days. A trip to Ireland is definitely in my future. Can’t wait to get lost in book two. I highly recommend it!

Short summary: 

Breen Kelly’s father loved to tell her stories of magic places and creatures. When he disappeared, her mother spent all her time making her feel like she was less than ordinary and pushing her into a job she hated. Breen discovers her mother has been hiding an investment account created and funded by her father that is worth close to four million dollars. 

With the means to step away from life she hates, Breen journeys to Ireland with her best friend, Marcos, to find her father and reconnect with any family there. Little does Breen expect to discover that her grandmother is a witch and lives in the magical world of the Talamh and has been waiting for her to find the portal that separates their worlds and to come home and embrace the people, her, destiny and the prophecy that has been calling out to Breen in her dreams. 

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva

I love a good spy novel. Author Daniel Silva, in my humble opinion, is one of if not the best when it comes to this genre. Portrait of an Unknown Woman is the 22nd in this wonderful series that features Gabriel Allon, the legendary spy. The author once again delivers a fast-paced, complex, fascinating tale of espionage and art forgery with enough twists and turns to more than satisfy. 

Plot summary: Gabriel Allon has retired as the director general of Mossad. H has returned to Venice, the birth city of his much-loved wife, Chiara, and the place where he spent so many years undercover working as the renowned art restorer, Mario Delvcecchio. He spends his days with his wife and his two children, simply enjoying the peace of everyday life and looking forward to once again restoring the Old Master painting he loves. An old friend receives a letter from a mysterious woman who wants to meet and discuss her concerns about his recent sale of a painting, but she then is killed in a suspicious car accident, and he goes to Gabriel for help. Investigating the accident, Gabriel is drawn into the treacherous world of art forgery.
Daniel Silva is a masterful storyteller whose writing style never fails to keep me turning the pages. Portrait of an Unknown Woman delivers on all counts. I was unable to put it down. I read it in two sittings. I can’t wait for his next book. I highly recommend it!

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

First, I love the writing style of this author. Anne Rice is a masterful storyteller who brings her readers so deep into the worlds she creates within her novels, one cannot help but feel they have been transported. With her novel The Witching Hour, she has delivered full stop once more. As I turned the pages, I felt like had somehow been magically carried away, along with her characters, from the Garden District in New Orleans to San Francisco and back to New Orleans once more. 

Brief summary: Dr. Rowen Mayfair is a neurosurgeon in San Francisco who discovers after the death of her adoptive parents that she is not only an heiress to a massive fortune, an old Victorian mansion in the Garden District of New Orleans, but that she is the last in the family line of thirteen generations of witches stretching back to the 1600s in Scotland, and a spirit named Lasher haunts each generation of the Mayfair family, sending a good many of them spiraling down into madness. Can Rowan Mayfair, the current designated heiress and the family’s most powerful witch yet, triumph over this spirit who is convinced she is the one Mayfair he has been waiting for to help him finally become flesh and blood? Or will she succumb to his will and the madness that has taken all those who came before her? 

This is my second time reading The Witching Hour. I loved it this time around as much as the first, maybe more. The story of the Mayfair witches enthralled me from the opening paragraph until the last line. What I loved was that  is not a horror story or a tale about how witches are evil beings always in league with the devil. Instead, Rice weaves a story about a family of women and the legacy of powers they each inherit, how they get it, how they use it, and often how it overwhelms and destroys them with the help of a ghostly figure who may or may not be the devil and who has attached himself to this family—specifically the child born and anointed as the heiress of the family legacy in each generation.

The author has created a strong, complex plot that contains several storylines that will not only captivate, but will take you with ease through centuries and come together seamlessly. Rice’s characters are so fully developed, they come alive on the page to the point where, as a reader, I felt if I traveled to New Orleans, I would be able to find them. This is a masterpiece of a tale that combines historical fiction, romance, steamy sex, and suspense, along with an abundance of strange things that go bump in the night. This book has a prominent place on my keeper shelf. I highly recommend. 

Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

Short Summary: The year is 1959. Sally O’Malley’s death bed promise to always take care of her sister Troo is the start of the summer her mother is hospitalized; her drunken stepfather abandons them and her older sister is more interested in her low life new boyfriend than worrying about her two sisters who are running wild, if they are eating or that there is a murdering molester about. Sally is absolutely certain of two things; she must protect her sister Troo and the yet to be identified unknown murderer is now after her. 

 A good friend gave me this book. I loved this story. It brought me back in so many ways to the summers when I was ten/eleven years old and allowed to roam the neighborhood at will and of a time when parents thought nothing of letting their children out no knowing exactly where they were, not expecting them back except for lunch or when the street lights came on. Writer Lesley Kagen has delivered a wonderful story about coming of age both for young Sally, her friends and the world around them as they all moved headlong into the sixties and the changes fast coming. 

The storyline was fast paced, imaginative, drawing me in from the first. The cast of characters were unique, each fully developed, each with their own often quirky, distinctive voice, with their seamlessly woven in backstories giving a glimpse into why people become who they are and why they act out the way they sometimes do. I would be surprised if anyone reading this story was unable to find a character they could relate to. Add in the mystery/crime element and this has become one of my favorite reads this summer. Once I began, I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this writer.  

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

I love reading a story that is so engrossing, I would rather let the dinner burn than put it down, or tell myself I am just going to read one more chapter before I call it a night and then look up as I reach the last page and realize it’s two in the morning. Author Lisa Genova has delivered a tale of this caliber and more with her novel Left Neglected. When asked to describe this story in one word, the first one that pops into my brain is riveting. 

Genova’s writing is an example of masterful storytelling as she takes on the subject matter of a serious, debilitating, and real medical condition (one I had never heard of until this book), combining it with a strong, well-structured plot that kept me turning the pages as I became more and more intrigued with what was going to happen. She seamlessly weaves in an engaging, well-developed protagonist named Sarah whose high-powered, organized-to-the-umpteenth-minute-and-detail, I-can-do-it-all-and-have-it-all-life is derailed by a horrible car accident that leaves her with brain damage that takes away her ability to recognize not only the left side of her body but anything to the left of her. The journey that ensues for Sarah, her husband, and her children will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride, and inspire you to hope that you could meet such a challenge. It’s a tale of resilience, forgiveness, and, ultimately, the staying power of love. This is not a story about happily ever after. This is a story about how life turns on a dime and what is—or what should be—important in life. It is about the unexpected journey that is sometimes required to reach the place you are meant to be. 

I highly recommend this author and can’t wait to read the rest of her work. This is a don’t-miss read!

Once a Laird by Mary Jo Putney

Brief summary: Recently retired spy Kai Ramsay is summoned home—after twelve years wandering the world and working on special projects for the British Embassy—by Signey, the younger sister of his late fiancée. Signey, whom he remembers as a knobby-kneed, pleasant child has turned into an independent, fiery goddess who knows far more than he about his remote island home of Thorsay and the struggles of the people who live there. Not sure he is the right person to take the place of his dying grandfather, who had been the island’s beloved and trusted laird for the past forty years, Kai entreats Signey to give him three months to help him forge this new path and at least begin to sort out the myriad of problems threatening to overwhelm him and destroy the Thorsay way of life before she leaves to find her own way as an artist. Unbeknownst to both Kai and Signey, fate has her own plans for them. 

With Once a Laird, the last of the Rogues Redeemed series, author Mary Jo Putney enchants with a delightful, fun, sweet romantic read. (No steamy love scenes here; more of the fade-out version.) Strong characters, a couple of irresistible animals—including a one-eyed cat called Odin—all have their own significant role and the well-structured plot has an ending that left me satisfied. Not to mention the captivating setting of the island, which made me want to travel to the islands off the northern coast of Scotland. Although there are recurring characters who appear in this tale, this book can be read as a standalone. If you enjoy historical romance set in Scotland, I highly recommend this book.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Author Lucy Foley begins The Paris Apartment with a slow build, allowing the reader—along with the protagonist—to settle in for the night before the mystery ramps quickly up with a trail of clues and strange neighbors who all are suspect. This story left me turning the pages quickly, trying to figure out how it would all end up. The story has a strong plot and interesting, well-developed characters so well described I could see them. The writing style of spinning this mystery from not just the protagonist’s point of view, but the POV from all the key suspects, was one I found irresistibly engaging as their hidden back stories and secrets were revealed with a tantalizing lure that kept me guessing until the end. I was thoroughly entertained.  

Short summary: The protagonist, Jess, is down on her luck again, broke and looking for her half-brother, Ben, who is living in Paris, to bail her out. Ben agrees with a reluctance Jess chooses to ignore, as she desperately needs to get out from under her far-less-than-good circumstances and get a fresh start, only to find Ben missing. The apartment building is old with a sinister feel, far posher than she expected, filled with an eclectic bunch of residents who, except for one, welcome her with suspicion and hostility and all seemingly intent in hiding what happened to her missing brother, who, she fast realizes, did not leave of his own free will.  

If you are a lover of mystery stories, then I highly recommend this fun, fast-paced read.