Review: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this at first. The format is a little weird - it's like one big interview, so it's all just quotes for example:

Daisy: I liked doing drugs and hated people telling me what to wear.
Jon: Daisy had big eyes and little skirts, and very long legs. Everyone looked at her when she entered the room. They couldn't help it.
Daisy: I didn't care it people looked at me.
Karen: I wished Daisy didn't put so much focus on her body.

(None of those are actual quotes, just an example of the format. Other than a few italicized paragraphs at the beginning of some chapters, the entire book is like this.)

I nearly gave up on this book early into it. Not only did the format bother me, but I got so tired of reading about how beautiful, and wonderful, and gifted Daisy was. She tells you how great she is and then everyone being interviewed talked about how great she was. And all she did was lots and lots of drugs.

But I got used to the format and eventually the story included people other than Daisy. Daisy was by far my least favorite character in this story. At no point in this story did I like her. But I liked the other people in the band. Karen was my favorite. I really liked the relationship between Billy and his wife Camilla. That felt real. The story won me over, by about the 30 or 40% mark, I couldn't put the book down.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in stories about rock bands, especially those during the 70s and 80s. It's fiction, but I felt it could describe what a lot of bands went through.



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Review: Big City Christmas Wish by Wynter S. K.

Big City Christmas Wish: A Sweet Holiday Romance by Wynter S.K.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The perfect Christmas book. Very sweet - at times, maybe a little too sweet for my tastes, but I'm a bit of a Grinch, so don't let that deter you. If you want something sweet, and completely saturated in the holiday spirit - family, snow, New York City, decorations, the spirit of giving, reconciliation, romance and a touch of Santa's magic - this is really the ideal holiday romance novel.

I enjoyed this, it's written in such a way that I didn't ever want to put it down once I started reading it. And while a few of the situations are a bit unbelievable and a little over the top, for a Christmas novel, it works fine. I'm willing to suspend my belief a bit to indulge the magic of the season. Great characters, nice, hopeful story line.

Would definitely recommend this to anyone searching for a sweet, holiday romance. Really good book.


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Review: Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this. When I was in high school, I watched the TV series on PBS and loved it. I wanted so very much to someday find my own place at 28 Barbary Lane.

That was twenty-five years ago. I'd not thought much about the story until last weekend, when I decided I wanted to visit San Francisco for my birthday. That's when I remembered why I had once yearned to go to San Francisco. Turns out, I already had the book on my kindle.

To prepare for my trip next weekend, I decided to read Tales of the City. And it was wonderful.

Really a fun book about a group of friends living in San Francisco during the late 70s. Deals with so many issues that remain relevant today. The story didn't feel dated at all. I now want to read the rest of the series - I think I've got several of the books at my parents' house, so will wait until after the holidays before purchasing what I don't already have.




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Review: Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith

Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, it kept me up reading well into the early morning hours. Really a heartbreaking about a woman who has lost her husband, and how she and his brother come to terms with the loss. I liked that we are able to see how the relationship began, because then you see why their grief is so intense. This was a happy marriage, they were expecting their first child, and then it ended.

The brother steps in to take care of his brother's wife. His brother, who was a police officer and often worried that he might not survive the job, had often asked that his brother take care of his wife should something ever happen to him.

I would have liked this book a whole lot more if the ending had been different though. The ending this had made me a little uncomfortable, wrapped things up a bit too conveniently. I think it would have made more sense if they had realized what was happening to them was the result of grief and a shared love for the man they lost. But that's just me. Still a really good book.


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Review: Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Such an important and timely story, and I'm so glad an author with Picoult's clout chose to tell it.

This tells the story of the people working at a women's health clinic when they're attacked by a "pro-lifer" wanting to avenge his daughter who had an abortion. (As the story progresses, you realize his daughter didn't even have an abortion there, but that's what he thinks when he shows up and starts shooting.)

I thought Picoult did a good job of showing what everyone was going through - the doctors, nurses, office staff, as well as the patients, and the police officers outside. I also realize that she was making an effort to show all side of the story and claim that the pro-lifers aren't really evil. That's nice and all, but it's a little difficult to convince me there's any good in anyone who feels women shouldn't be allowed to control what happens to their own body. But respect to the author for making that extra effort to try and claim they don't really want to control women.

Anyway, I was glad to see that the author was showing the necessity of abortion clinics and how they work to help women. These people are putting their lives at risk every day so that someone else can live the life they want. She went into the different reasons why people - the doctors and patients - found themselves in these situations. These women aren't there because they're selfish, they're doing what they think is best at this point in their lives.

I didn't love the way in which the story was written, going back an hour with each chapter. It made the story feel a bit repetitive because we already know what's happened to a lot of the people. I know the purpose is to reveal more about each character, but it made it too easy to set the book down. Also, there's a bit of a twist in the story involving the nurse, and it's there for shock effect, and I know Picoult's books tend to have something like that in them. But I didn't like it, it felt very unnecessary and a little confusing. There's an even bigger twist involving some of the other characters. That part, I thought was interesting. In the end though, what you realize is there are so many people living lives they didn't want because of accidental or unplanned pregnancies. They did what they felt they should and brought the unplanned child into the world, and in doing so, had to give up their own dreams and plans. Even if their lives turned out okay, it wasn't the life they'd wanted, and years later, they find themselves in a constant state of disappointment, missing the life they gave up in order to bring a child into the world.

Overall though, a very good book providing a lot to think about.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Review: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I'd wanted to read this book for so long. I noticed the audiobook available from my library, and decided to check it out for a long road trip. Big mistake. Being on a road trip meant that when I realized I didn't like this book, I was kind of stuck with it.

So many issues with this book. I was bothered by the way the author described the French. For example, she keeps saying her in-laws dislike her because they regard her as "that American feminist" as if to imply that feminism is an American thing. Really? Because I can think of several French women who are internationally known for their contributions to feminism. In general the French are much more open to feminism and Americans still have quite a ways to go. When people think American women, I doubt their first thought is how feminist we are. But anyway. Also, I didn't notice anything particularly feminist about the character - she works, but I imagine most French women do. She's kind of pathetic in her marriage to a man who openly cheats on her and doesn't seem to like her all that much - that's not what I consider feminist.

The main character is a journalist, and she uncovers the tragic story of Sarah. While that's the basis for so much of this book, there's not a lot of info with regard to Sarah. The historical aspect is important, that's why I gravitate to books like this, but the contemporary story line was dreadful. The woman is obsessed with this story as a way to avoid the miserable state of her own life. She also goes on and on about how the French ignore their history and the role they played in collaborating with the Germans. This may have been the case at the time the story was written, but the times I've been to Paris and seeking out WWII sites, it was very clear to me that the French acknowledge the role they played - I remember being taken aback by how clearly it is stated that the French police rounded up French citizens. But maybe this is a more recent thing. I believe the book is set in 2002, and my own experience in France only dates back about ten years.

The part of the book that turned off completely is the character learning she's pregnant - says they've tried for years and had given up - only to have her husband insist that she have an abortion. If she was really the feminist she claims to be, she wouldn't even entertain his suggestion if that wasn't at all what she wanted, and clearly it wasn't. But she ends up in the abortion clinic, wondering how many other women will be "having their babies scraped out of them" - another very un-feminist view of what should be regarded as a normal medical procedure. Then she claims the people at the clinic are chasing her down, trying to force her to have this abortion that she doesn't want. Ah, yes, because people who work in abortion clinics are evil? Whatever. That's when I would have quit the book - but was still an hour and half away from my destination, driving on the highway, so couldn't exactly pull over and download a new book.

And then to end the story, she's chasing down the people who were related to Sarah, forcing them to confront her history, even though the man has no desire to learn all of this. The whole thing was very uncomfortable and stalker-ish. But then I guess they fall in love in the end which didn't make much sense at all.

Overall, didn't like this book at all.

Review: Strangers in Budapest by Jessica Keener

I'm trying to catch up on reviews, especially on books I received from NetGalley. This is one of them, and I read this months ago, so am not clear on details.

I gave it three stars on goodreads though, so I must have liked it.

I wanted to read the book because I visited Budapest a few years ago, and I only spent a couple of days there, just enough to want to see more. Also, I like reading books set in cities I've visited before.

Definitely held my interest, once I started it, I didn't want to put it down. I remember that some of the characters were a bit annoying. The story is all told from the viewpoint of someone not directly involved in the action - except that she sort of puts herself in the middle of the action. There's quite a bit of family drama involved, and revenge, but you're never quite sure who is telling the truth. Interesting book with some frustrating characters.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Review: The Billionaire Werewolf's Princess by Michele Hauf

This book is so fun. I read it on a long school trip, many hours on a bus with a bunch of teenagers, and it helped immensely to pass the time. While others complained about the long ride, I was like, I'm doing just fine. When else do I get to spend all day reading? And such a great, interesting story to dive into.

That evening, after we took the students out to eat, we were sitting at a park, and I was reading again. The students wanted to know what I was reading - so I tried to summarize it. Wealthy, handsome, billionaire werewolf/fairy meets a woman with a mysterious past - one she isn't even aware of until she meets him and something in her stirs. Anyway, it's been a few months since I read it - I am so behind on writing book reviews - so a little fuzzy on details, but I had the students hanging on my every word. The next day, they were all, "What happened next?" And it got me wondering, has Hauf ever considered writing YA fantasy? Some Beautiful Creatures stories geared toward younger readers, with less steam? Of course, in my descriptions to the students, I left out the sexy times - which Hauf always does very, very well.

I loved these characters, all the wonderful magic and the descriptive Paris setting  (when I was in Paris this summer, I walked by a signs and was all, there's the hospital mentioned in Billionaire Werewolf's Princess). The story is fast paced, and seeing the characters learn about their past made for a thoughtful read. Each of them had to deal with coming to terms with their true identities, both growing up thinking they are something they weren't.

Very much enjoyed this book. Would recommend to anyone who wants a fun, sexy read involving werewolves and fairies and saving the world (or at least the children of Paris.)

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.

Review: Charlotte Bronte - A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman

Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've been a fan of the novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights since I was a teenager. This summer, I finally visited the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth and doing so made me want to learn more about the Brontes. This book reveals much about the family, Charlotte in particular and explains some of the inspiration for her writing.

This book shows that Charlotte's life really was as interesting as the characters she created. But after listening to this, I'm quite heartbroken at learning of the circumstances of her death. She seemed so very happy in her new marriage, after spending so much of her life yearning for the kind of love she now finally had. And her husband adored her, which makes me glad, because she deserved that after having lost so much during her life. There time together was much too short. Think of all the beautiful love stories she may have been able to write had she been able to live a bit longer.

I now plan to re-read Jane Eyre and her other novels.

I checked out the audio book through my library's Hoopla account, but I liked this book so much, I'm probably going to buy a hard copy so I can re-read parts of it and make notes.

Highly recommend this to Bronte fans.



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Review: Still Me by Jojo Moyes

This book is so good. As expected, parts of it made me laugh, made me furious, and made me cry.

I love Lou, so glad to return to her world and find out how she's doing, but part of this story infuriated me. I found myself thinking, all this time and she's learned nothing, she still lets people walk all over her, won't fight for what matters to her. This wasn't the life Will wanted for her, always putting other people's lives before her own. She's too nice, like pathetically self-destructively nice at one point. There were several times when bad things happened to her with regard to her relationship and her job and she just let them, did nothing to protect herself. I can't relate to that level of niceness, but, in the end, maybe her being nice is why things work out for her. Takes a very well written story and characters to make me feel so strongly about a book.

Things do eventually work out for her with regard to her relationship and her job.

In this story, Lou has taken a job in New York City, working as a personal assistant for a very wealthy man's new wife. (The wife reminded me of a rather well-known rich wife, and that bothered me because this was the last place where I wanted to be thinking about those people, but anyway. I imagine the description would apply to a lot of wealthy New York wives.) The couple is pretty awful and it upset me to see Lou in this position.

Also, Lou is still trying to maintain her relationship with "Ambulance Sam" and as you can imagine, that proves somewhat difficult. But this is Lou, and she makes things fun and interesting and sweet.

Overall, I loved the book. I imagine this is the last we'll hear of Lou, but I would gladly read more about it, because she really is a wonderful character.

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.

Review: A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan

A Secret History of Witches by Louisa  Morgan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a bit infuriating. Took me almost a month to read - I am not usually a slow reader. But this story was not interesting in the beginning.

This is the story of several generations of witches. Each witch has a book. The first few books were boring and repetitive. Each woman has a very similar experience regarding her awareness of her powers as a witch, followed by her attempts to either win the affections of a man and/or have a child - specifically a daughter to carry on the family line of witches. But I don't know why they felt so compelled to continue the line when they never really used their powers to their benefit. They spent most of their time trying to keep it hidden away, and when it was discovered, it usually resulted in their ruin or death. I found that so frustrating. At one point, near the end of the book, a witch from another family says people have always feared their kind because they didn't need a man. If that's the case, why did they waste all their powers on seducing men who didn't want them? Why didn't they try to use their powers to protect themselves from people who wanted to hurt them or to improve their lives without the need of a man?

The first few parts of the book felt like an intro, a setup for some sort of action, so I kept reading, but then I was noticing I was almost halfway through the book, and still waiting for something to happen. I had to start skimming then because I was spending so much time on this book, and there are so many other books I want to read, but I felt like I'd spent too much time on it to just give up.

I'm glad i stuck with it, I ended up really liking, almost loving the last part of the story. That's Veronica's book. She's the last of her line, her mother died in childbirth and she knows nothing about the family history. I enjoyed reading about how she discovered her powers, and the way she was later about to use them. Hers was the only story that felt developed and had emotion. Her story had heart, romance and family. I thoroughly enjoyed the role she played in helping her country during WWII.

I think this would have been a wonderful book if it had focused on Veronica, and the lives of the women before her had been explained in more of a summary. Maybe have Veronica learn about them as she's learning about her own powers, through research of some sort or from viewing the crystal or the stories of other witches who may have been familiar with her family. The details of their lives were not essential, and almost caused me to give up on this book completely. This is why I felt this book was infuriating. The story, if told differently, could have been great and entertaining. But the format in which it's presented is not enjoyable at all. Those first few books read like a dry textbook, providing information about the women's lives, but not in a way that you care about them. There were touches of what could have been, but weren't.

I don't know that I can recommend this book, except to say, rush through the first parts as quickly as possible to get to the story at the end. The last part of the book is really good. That's why I'm giving this three stars - I think the last part would have been four or five stars, but the first, more like one or two - so I'm compromising with three.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.



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Review: Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For me, this was easily the most anticipated book in a long while. Was so excited to get invited to read an advance copy. And even more happy to say it completely lives up the hype.

This book is wonderful. I read Practical Magic years ago, before the movie came out. I might have read it in anticipation of the movie. (As readers know, the movie is a bit different from the book, but the spirit is the same and I love them both.) That book turned me into a huge Alice Hoffman fan. I love the books in which she so skillfully weaves magic into every day life. Rules of Magic is one of her best at doing this.

The story begins with Franny, Jet and their brother, Vincent. (Not really a spoiler, but Franny and Jet will eventually be the aunts in Practical Magic.) Their mother, an Owens, tries to keep her children away from magic, hence the rules. But her efforts are in vain.

This is the story of how the Owens children discover magic, and the effect it has on their lives, for better or worse. This story is about family and secrets and uncomfortable truths. It's filled with romance and heartbreak - as is the lot of an Owens witch.

Reviews of books I love are the most difficult to write. It's tough to say much more than, I really loved this book. I can't think of anything wrong with it or anything that bothered me or I felt should be changed. The story is beautiful and of course, magical. I also really enjoyed the New York setting during the 60s.

I found it so interesting to learn about the lives of the aunts, before they became the aunts. They had dreams and plans and lovers and they wanted more out of life than to simply be, the aunts. But the Owens curse is a powerful one.

After I read this, I listened to the audio book of Practical Magic, and as much as I love that book, I believe I like Rules of Magic more.

I am so glad that Hoffman chose to return to this world. I hope she continues to do so.

I read this book in July and have every intention of reading it again, closer to Halloween because what better time to read about magic and witches?

If you like Practical Magic, if you like stories about magic or witches, if you like stories about women and families and struggling to be yourself while in opposition with a past over which you have no control, I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.


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Review: Billionaire without a Past by Carol Marinelli

I loved this book so much. Billionaire without a Past is the third book I've read by Carol Marinelli and she's becoming one of my favorite Presents authors. She writes the best heroes. This is part of her Irresistible Russian Tycoons series - and all the men in these books were in a foster home together in Russia. They had terrible lives but have managed to become extremely wealthy and successful as adults. What I really like about these men is that they're so good to the women in their lives. Yes, they're powerful and rich and may have some playboy tendencies, but they aren't jerks. I hate that trend in a lot of romances - the guy is a jerk and then he changes over night because he's in love. These guys aren't jerks, at all.

In this book, Nikolai is attending his friend's wedding when he meets Rachel - friend of the bride. For years everyone thought he was dead, and he was okay with that because he was having trouble coming to terms with some events that happened in his past. He and Rachel hook up for the night, and it's just supposed to be for a night but it leads to more.

What Nikolai quickly realizes is that he isn't the only one with secrets in his past. While both he and Rachel have tried to move on with their lives, working hard to make sure they are not defined by their abuse, they have also allowed that to prevent them from finding love in their lives. Nikolai seeing how this has affected someone else enables him to confront his own trauma, as he tries to help Rachel work through hers. I felt the author did an excellent and respectful job handling a very sensitive subject. I felt this book delved into issues much deeper than the typical Harlequin Presents novel and did a great job at doing so.

This book was sexy and passionate and the love story was beautiful. I liked this book so much.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley. 

Review: Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis

I loved this book. This is the third in the Cedar Ridge Series, and I loved all three of the books, but this was one was my favorite.

The characters in this book are wonderful. Jacob is so sexy and Sophie is so messed up and goofy - trying to live on her boat - but such a fun character.

Along with the romance, there's the story of Jacob reconnecting with his family, after years of being away. The family situations bring a lot of realism and heart to these stories. They're more than just romances, they're also stories about family.

But the romance part is really great. I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance, or anyone just thinking they may want to try contemporary romance. These are the perfect blend of sexy and sweet stories.

Highly recommend. Looking forward to reading much more by this author.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Review: My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis

I liked this book a lot. I've only read three of her books so far (this being the second) but I feel like Jill Shalvis is going to be added to my favorite authors list because I loved these Cedar Ridge books.

Of the three, this was my least favorite, simply because I thought the heroine, Bailey, was a little bit too perfect. She'd been ill and was now trying to check off all the things she wanted to do, or something like that. Trying to live her life to the fullest. She's a great person, but she didn't seem like someone I'd want to hang out with.

Still, I really liked this book. Hud is such a nice guy, always trying to help out everyone else, he needed a nice girl, so someone like Bailey is perfect for him.

Very sexy book. Also, I really like all the other characters. The family, small town atmosphere is well done in this series.

Since reading these books I've been recommending them to all my friends.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis

I liked this book so much. I read a little bit of it yesterday, and today, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

When a scandal causes her to lose her job at a prestigious salon in California, Lily returns to her hometown of Cedar Ridge after being away for ten years, feeling as if she has no where else to go.  She had good reason to leave and stay away, following a family tragedy for which she felt responsible. She didn't realize that when she ran away, she left behind a hole in Aiden Kincaid's heart. Upon returning, Aiden is one of the first people she sees - after a long drive, when she's got Cheeto stains on her clothes and a pile of junk food in her arms. What she and Aiden quickly realize is that despite their ten years apart, all the feelings they once had for each other are still very much there.

Lily considers her stay in Cedar Ridge temporary. The place holds too many memories and too much pain to ever consider staying there, and the last thing she wants is to get involved with someone who only reminds her of what she lost and the guilt that consumes her.

Aiden's got issues and guilt of his own as he tries to help out with the family resort, while also working for the fire department and be part of the volunteer search and rescue team. He never completely got over Lily, and he's not eager to get left behind by her again, and she's made it clear she has no plans to stick around. But he can't stop thinking about her. Sparks fly anytime they're near each other.

Eventually, they both begin to realize that running from their fears, and burying all their pain may not be the best way to live. Their paths keep crossing, and much to Lily's displeasure, she keeps finding herself in need of rescue - from spiders, flat tires and in one case, a baby bunny. And Aiden's job is to rescue people, so of course, he's always there for her.

I really enjoyed seeing how these two people worked through their issues and finally admitted they needed each other.

This book provided the perfect escape - likable, interesting main characters with plenty of flaws and plenty of reasons to look beyond their flaws; great, realistic supporting characters, as well; gorgeous setting in a Colorado resort town (I am very much a city person, but books like this make me want to pack up and relocate to the mountains); entertaining, believable backstory; very sexy, steamy, mature romance. I cannot think of a single thing that I didn't like about this book.

This is the first book I've read by this author, but I've already got the second book of this series on my kindle ready to start.

Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Meternity by Meghann Foye

I thought this was going to be some silly, funny book, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it - this being some prime vacation reading time at the moment - but I really liked the description and thought a light humorous read might be beneficial. This book turned out to be much deeper and meaningful than I expected. This book has be doing a lot of thinking about life and choices and things women have to go through in the workplace.

The main character was so real. As someone who has chosen to not have children, I could relate to her very well. Granted, I've never even considered faking a pregnancy, but I admit to feeling some jealousy - or rather a lot of jealousy - over people taking maternity leave. Yes, I know, I'm so selfish and horrible, I'll say it before anyone else does, no need to point it out. Babies are so important. I kind of think a few months to work on my writing or painting or traveling through Europe is also important, but I can't exactly ask for a few months off to do that, knowing that when I'm done I'll have a job waiting for me. And as a person with no children, I'm so very tired and smiling and saying, "sure, no problem", every time I have to take over someone else's responsibilities because they can't do it due to child related reasons. So, you see, this book resonated with me because the character in this story is having to deal with all of that. This book examines the idea that women are considered insignificant, unless they have a husband and/or a child.

In the beginning of the story, Liz Buckley, who works at a parenting magazine in New York City, is attending yet another work-related baby shower. She's stressed at work, overwhelmed with responsibilities and upset because she realizes she's going to miss her trip to Paris. Her emotional stress manifests physically, and around this time, a co-worker notices a pregnancy app on her phone. They assume her illness is related to pregnancy, "Not you, too?" they ask, and she doesn't deny it. In that moment, she thinks, maybe it is her turn.

 Her not so very well thought out plan is to use maternity leave to find some travel related free lance writing work and then quit her job. But her plan doesn't work out quite as neatly as she hopes. For the next six months, she's wearing fake bumps to work, while also finding that her new "condition" has people treating her different. People are being nicer, there's talk of a potential raise and title change - what she's been wanting for years, and being constantly overlooked. She can take off mornings for doctors appointments and spend the day working from home. And she begins re-evaluating decisions made in her social life. She's surrounded by people in search of "potential husbands" and she knows a lot of people who are settling for anyone who fits the description - not holding out for the perfect man. At age 31, she's trying to figure out what she really wants in life. She feels guilty for wanting something more than just a husband and a baby, because that seems to be enough for other people. Wouldn't life be easier if that was all she wanted, instead of wanting to travel the world and write important stories?

This is a story about self discovery. While faking her pregnancy, Liz does begin to create a new life - not in the form of a baby, but rather for herself. She's forced to examine her life and her choices and desires. What I really liked about the book is that there aren't any clear solutions. The perfect man doesn't show up. The perfect job doesn't magically materialize. She doesn't suddenly have an epiphany and decide that the answer to her problems is to actually get pregnant and settle down with a nice guy. Instead, Liz finally accepts that she needs to be honest and she needs to follow her dreams and she has to start taking chances.

Maybe I'm taking the story a little too seriously, but for me, this story really struck a chord. I'm about nine years old than Liz, but recently have been dealing with so many of these same thoughts with regard to career and life decisions.

I enjoyed this book, and will readily recommend it to any of my child-free friends. I think it might offend some moms though, especially those who are so caught up in the "mom culture" that this book describes at length. But then again, I don't know how moms think. Might be nice and a little enlightening for them to see things from a different perspective.

Also, very much enjoyed the New York City setting. Right out of college, I went to New York City, hoping to work in magazines. After a bit of temp work, I left, returned to Texas to work for newspapers, thinking I'd save up some money and then return to New York City. Almost twenty years later, still in Texas, completely out of the journalism business, but I visit New York City often. One of my favorite cities, and I thought this book captured the New York City lifestyle very well. 

Great book. Enjoyable read. But now I'm googling things like "travel writing workshops."

Expected publication date: April 26, 2016

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Review: Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson

I really liked the way this book started. Leah is on the run on what was supposed to be her wedding day after she finds her soon-to-be husband shagging a bridesmaid. The wedding was supposed to be the perfect fairy tale, set at a Scottish castle. She takes off in the snow and her car breaks down. So, at risk of freezing to death, she begins to walk to the nearest building - all while still in her wedding dress.

The door is answered by a handsome American who Leah is certain must be a god. Rob is hiding out in Scotland to avoid his family during the Christmas holidays. He takes Leah in, where she promptly passes out from her walk through the cold. He warms her up and she recovers, and because of the weather, the two are trapped together for a while.

During this time, they give into their attraction to each other, both assuming it's just a holiday thing from which they will both soon walk away. But after Rob learns why Leah ran, he offers her a new beginning in Chicago. He's wealthy and can afford to help her out, but he's very clear about not wanting to continue having any sort of physical relationship with her, that part of their relationship is over.

Leah takes him up on the offer, but later has regrets. The fun Rob she spent Christmas with in Scotland is gone, replaced by a workaholic serious, angry man.

This is when I began to like the book a bit less. What started out as fun and cute, took on a much darker shade as the characters begin to deal with some nightmares from their past. And yet, the writing continued to provide this information in the same, light-hearted style which felt odd to me.  Though, at one point, Leah is described as always handing serious issues by making light of them and trying to remain humorous - and that's how this story was written.

Leah and Rob are still drawn to each other, but Rob is avoiding relationships - he has his reasons. Leah is heartbroken. They go back and forth for a while and then Leah moves out.

I'm not going to spoil what happens next. But it's the sort of thing that tends to put me off a book. One of my least favorite twists to a story. For a moment, I began to really regret the time I'd spent with this story. It's not necessarily something most people dislike, in fact, a lot of romance readers probably love this sort of storyline. I hated it for a while, but in the end, I hated it less and even sort of liked it. To be clear, the author handled a story line I usually hate in such a way that I still enjoyed the book.

Overall, it's a fun, light-hearted story, despite some serious issues with which the characters are dealing. A nice, happy ending most people will enjoy.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Our First Christmas by Lisa Jackson

This book contains four stories set around Christmas. Very different stories. Overall, they were decent reads, but I wouldn't say I loved any of them.

I really liked one story - A Ranger for Christmas by Mary Burton and will probably look for more by this author. The characters were interesting and there was a bit of suspense as well as romance in the story. Of the four, this was easily my favorite.

I liked A Southern Christmas by Mary Carter quite a bit also. The characters were cute and funny. Dani returns home, on assignment for the magazine she writes for in New York, hoping to do a story about a Southern Christmas, as well as win back the man she left years ago (she rejected his marriage proposal on Christmas Eve). The story had a nice twist to it, making Dani realize that maybe she wasn't so certain as to what she wanted.

Christmas in Montana by Cathy Lamb was okay. I didn't really like how it was written, the story jumped around too much, and there were too many strange characters for a such a short story. The romance seemed fairly weak also. I didn't find the couple's story line very convincing.

I didn't like Lisa Jackson's Our First Christmas at all. I didn't find the story to be at all romantic. Megan's getting ready to hand her husband divorce papers and he's in a life threatening car accident. While in the waiting room, she remembers how they met and decides she no longer wants a divorce. That was pretty much the story. That wasn't romantic, that was guilt and nostalgia. Just because they were happy when they were teenagers doesn't mean everything is okay twenty years later. Her deciding to set aside the divorce was more out of obligation than love.

The collection of stories is okay, but I tend to want more romance and something a bit steamier in my holiday reads.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Make a Christmas Wish by Julia Williams

This book is sort of twist on Christmas Carol or a reverse It's a Wonderful Life.

The main character, Livvy, is dead. She died one Christmas in a parking lot after sending her husband an angry text letting him know she hated him after she learned he was having an affair.

At first you may be tempted to feel sorry for Livvy, neglected wife who works so hard to care for her autistic son. But as she goes about haunting her husband and attempting to make life miserable for him and his new girlfriend (same woman he was cheating with while married to Livvy) it becomes clear that Livvy was kind of a nightmare to live with. A mean alcoholic. She wasn't nearly as great of a mother as she seemed to think she was she was an even worse wife.

Livvy is informed by her guide in the after life - a black cat - that she has to make things right before she can move on. In her mind, making things right means continuing to make her husband miserable. But as she begins to see her past actions she gradually realizes it's time she shoulders some of the blame for her failed marriage.

I'm not sure how I felt about this story. It held my interest, but I don't feel like I enjoyed it very much. I didn't like any of the characters. I felt bad for a few of them, I completed disliked Livvy. And I felt like a lot of the story involving the after life was confusing. The parts involving the medium and the underground club got a little too weird.

When I picked this up, I was hoping for a good ghost story, but this wasn't it. The book didn't leave me feeling enlightened or entertained. There was very little joy in this story. I think holiday stories should be a little more heartwarming or even heartbreaking. This was neither. This may appeal more to people with families and children, as a big part of the story was Livvy's connection with her son - and I'm not one of those people.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.