Jen's Blog

Jennifer Beckstrand does it again...I fell in love with her and her Huckleberry Hill series and have been looking forward to this series. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy! The story of Lily, her sisters and their aunt is delightful and sweet. Lily feels obligated and devoted to her boyfriend of many years, but starts to doubt their relationship with him when Daniel returns to town. Daniel is kind and funny, but Lily remembers him as the boy who was unkind to her growing up.  Ultimately Lily needs to learn how to trust and love herself, and only then can she know who she can trust her heart with. I loved the story, it was a good easy read. My only frustration was how how it took Lily to see how badly she was being treated and to learn how to trust herself, Rated 5/5 stars on Goodreads.

Vinegar Girl is loosely based oh Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew .  I enjoyed the book. It was a quick, solid read overall but the writing fell a little flat for me.  I think that might be the author more than the story.  The story focuses on Dr. Battista and his two daughters Kate and Bunny. Dr. Battista is about to lose his research assistant to importation and hatches a plan for him to marry his daughter Kate.  Kate has been feeling stuck in her job teaching preschool and her line living at home and wonders if going along with the plan will move her life forward or keep her firmly in the same old life. Will she agree to the plan or will she discover how to move forward with her own plans. The whole book I kept wondering if the characters were going to become more alive or interesting. The ending also seemed very impractical. Anyone who loves Anne Tyler's books will enjoy this one...it just fell a little short for me.  Rated 3/5 starts on Goodreads

Enjoying some quality time with family...so nice to get away from our usual hectic life!  

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy! I loved this book, it had all of the elements I look for in a good read. It was funny, the characters seemed real, there was some drama and there was real sexual chemistry between the two main characters. When and Cade are both Haven Point police officers and they both love their town and will do anything to protect it. When Wyn does just that and puts hers life on the line Cade suddenly realizes the girl he has known his whole life is a whole lot more than a friend.  Sparks really do fly. Back that up with a whole cast of family members and friends, this book will make you want to move to a new town called Haven Point. This is the latest in the Haven Point series, I suggest you read them all!  

July 5 th The Perfect Neighbor s by Sarah Pekkanen July 7 th This is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden July 12 th The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger Luck, Love & Lemon Pie by Amy Reichert (see my review here) Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery Unforgiven by Mary Balogh July 19 th Falling by Jane Green July 26 th One Less Problem Without You by Beth Harbison Just Kiss Me by Rachel Gibson Swept Away by Robyn Carr Don’t Tempt Me by Lori Foster Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne

Perfection. Mary Kay Andrews never disappoints me!  I look forward to her new book every summer and love reading it from start to finish.  The Weekenders is full of elements that make up a great summer read, the beach, a quaint island and a family that is as dysfunctional as it is loving.  Riley Griggs finds herself in the middle of a summer that is like no other, and she must learn to find her own way.  Luckily she has her daughter, friends and family to help her sort out the mystery that her life has become.  It's a real testament to what is really important in life and how important your relationships can be in times of need. This is a wonderful book that will make you laugh and cry!  Highly recommended! Rated 5/5 stars on Goodreads.

First, thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC!  I enjoyed getting to know a new author. The Becker's are quite the family!  Meryl and Hugh Becker have been married for 30 years and now are about to see all three of their daughters get married, at the same time.  Amy, Meg and Jo are all engaged to wealthy men and all of the marriages demand a big society wedding.  Meryl decides that the solution is a triple wedding, with People magazine paying for exclusive photos.  However chaos runs rampant and starts to threaten all of the carefully thought out plans. This is an honest book about love, and although all of the extravagant wedding preparations are very over the top each of the sisters, as well as Meryl, learn what true love looks like in their own eyes.  Although the ending isn't a traditional happy ending, it's exactly the happy ending each of these wonderful characters need and want. I struggled a bit with the rating on this book, I almost went with the 3 because of how

Olivia Drake is a new author to me and I can't wait to read the first four books of the series! His Wicked Wish is the fifth book of the series, but could stand alone. I didn't feel lost at all even though I didn't read the first four. I loved this book! It has all the elements of a truly good romance novel including a wonderful happy ending. It has drama and intrigue and the characters are lovable and real. Nathan and Maddy are great together and when they overcome their obstacles and realize what they have together it's a very satisfying feeling. Highly recommended. Thanks to Edelweiss and the editors for making this book available to me. Rated 4/5 stars on Goodreads.  

This was the first time I have read a book by Laura Trentham...and it won't be the last! The hero in this story Cade is everything you want in a hero, sexy, handsome, lovable and a little bad. He has moved away from his dark past in Cottonbloom and made a good life for himself. He swore he would never return. However, when he finds himself back in Cottonwood he wonders if he can live without his roots.  Monroe loves Cottonbloom and not even Cade will take her away from her beloved town. She is feisty, caring and devoted to those she loves. The fireworks between the two are strong and the reader can feel them! This was a great coming home story with a very satisfying ending. I can't wait to read the next one! Thanks to Edelweiss for the advanced readers copy and for introducing me to a new author! Rated 4/5 stars on Goodreads

I had trouble with this one, it was hard to stay involved with the story.  Frank does a wonderful job with the settings in the book, the way she describes the ocean and the scenery and the background locations of the book are wonderful, and make you wish that you were there. The overall premise of the book was good too and the main characters on the book, Olivia and Nick are wonderful together. I loved the message of the story, the importance of love, but overall the story fell a little flat.  This book should have been right up my alley and it fell a little flat.  I think for me the biggest problem was the dialogue between the characters.  For me it just didn't flow nicely, it seemed forced or choppy maybe.  It got in the way of me enjoying what was otherwise a very good story.   Thanks to Edelweiss and the editors for the Advanced Readers Copy.  Rated 3/5 stars on Goodreads.