Jen's Blog

The Promise Kitchen by Peggy Lampman wasn't my favorite book this month.  It was a solid story, and I enjoyed the colorful characters Shelby and Mallory.  I always enjoy books that feature food and chefs, so I was excited for this one.  To me the book got off to such a slow start it was hard to stick in there and get to the meat of the story. Ultimately this is a story about friendship, the friendship that Shelby and Mallory develop during the story.  The two are very different but they quickly find common group and a friendship forms. I have never read a story by Peggy Lampman before, but even though this wasn't my favorite I will give her another try.  I think fans of Dorthea Benton Frank will enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy. 2/5 on Goodreads for me.

RaeAnne is still a pretty new author for me, but I have read all of the books in this series now.  I love the town of Haven Point, and I love the characters who live in that town.  Who wouldn't want to live in a town where everyone is friendly, supportive and helpful. This story features Andrea Montgomery who moved to Haven Point after losing her husband and being abused by his former partner.  Haven Point becomes a place of healing for her and her two children.  The children are adorable and you want to hug them everytime you read about them! Also in this story is Sheriff Marshall Bailey, who is overcoming some hardships himself after losing both his brother and his father on the job.  Andi and Marshall start to heal together and ultimately let their hearts lead the way instead of their fears. Thanks to Edelweiss for the Advanced Readers Copy!  4/5 stars on Goodreads.

I have not been posting a lot!  The back to school season has been rough with updating schedules, sporting and school events, working full time and adding a dog to our family!  I have been reading and listening to books though!  Here are a few I loved the last few weeks! Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis: I finally got around to reading the first in the new Heartbreaker Bay series!  I read and reviewed the second one recently.  Click  HERE  for that post!  This one was just as fun as the first one.  I loved Pru and Finn's story.  I am really looking forward to the next ones in this series. Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbinson: I liked this one a lot more than the last one I read by her.  This story featured former best friends who have known each other since high school, Allie and Oliva.  Also, in the mix was their friend Noah who found himself in the middle of the two when they had a falling out.  Relationships needed to be renewed and the girls find out that friendships m

I discovered Robyn Carr just about four or five years ago and was delighted because she had a long series for me to catch up on!  The Virgin River series was wonderful as was her Thunder Bay series.  I was delighted when I learned that a new book was coming out and The Life She Wants didn't disappoint.  Although this one was a little closer to women's fiction than some of the others it had all the elements I love in a good story including friendships, a romance and a happy ending. The main character Emma has some major rebounding to do in life after her husband's devious past comes to life.  She moves home to pick up the pieces.  Along the way she makes her peace with not only her disastrous marriage but her high school best friend Riley and ex-boyfriend Jock.  She learns to live the life that makes her happy and to overcome the past while finding a new future as well. Thanks to the editors and Edelweiss for the Advanced Readers copy.  5/5 on Goodreads

I have been looking forward to Winter Storm s by Elin Hilderbrand since last winter when I read the Winter Strolls .  Winter Strolls had disappointed me a bit, but since it was the second in the trilogy I wasn’t surprised, there were just too many unsolved mysteries.  This third book satisfied my discontent and wrapped up the series nicely.  One thing I love the most was that Winter Strolls took place over the course of a year, instead of just one season.  This allowed the characters to find peace in their lives in a natural way, one that felt less rushed than the previous two books.  I also enjoyed hearing each story in the character’s voice.   Of course the other thing I loved, which I love in all Hilderbrand books, is the setting.  I love how she describes the island, the people and the way of life.  I loved that the other books in the series focused on what happens on the island in the winter, it gives the reader a new aspect on the island.  The Quinn family, while cert

Jill Shalvis is spot on with her new Heartbreaker Bay series...I haven't been disappointed yet! The Trouble with Mistletoe is the second in the series after Sweet Little Lie s.  This story features pet shop owner Willa Davis and the very sexy contractor/developer Keane Winters.  Willa knew Keane in high school, but it turns out he doesn't remember her.  Luckily for everyone Keane is now a very nice man, and the sparks between the two fly almost from the first page.  When you throw in an adorable kitchen, a cast of colorful characters and the magic Jill Shalvis creates with her writing and this one is a winner! Highly recommended! Rated 4/5 on Goodreads and recommended to Libraryreads. Thanks to Edelweiss for the advanced reader's copy...I enjoyed this one!

The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay  by Kelly Harms was a delightful and fun book!  I really enjoyed the story and the characters.  I also loved that the book was set in Wisconsin, somewhere up north.  Being a Wisconsin girl born and raised it's so much fun to read about your home state.  I also enjoyed Lily and her portrayal of a cold Wisconsin winter. Lily, a struggling artist, comes to Minnow Bay to confront a husband she didn't know she had during a time of personal upheaval in her life.  Ben, the husband in question, didn't know about her and was not really receptive to her arrival.  Although I liked Ben at the end of the book I wasn't sure that I did in the beginning.  He was warm and then cold and a little bit wishy washy. This story was really about Lily and her quest to find her true path in life, and I highly recommend it! 4/5 stars on Goodread

After reading Susan Elizabeth Phillips new Chicago Stars book, First Star I See Tonight , and getting my review chosen for the LibraryReads list I wanted to go back and read the two books in the series that I had missed. Reading these two books, Heaven, Texas (1995) and Dream a Little Dream (1998) reminded me my I loved this series to start with and why I was so excited there was a new book in the series.  These books were great and included everything I want in a romance novel! They had a sexy hero and smart and sassy heroine and big time sparks between the two!  Both brought a little tear to my eye, especially Dream a Little Dream and both included a satisfying happily ever after ending. If you haven't read this series or missed a couple along the way I suggest going back and catching up. Here is a list of the whole series.  Start reading today if you missed them! 1 - It Had to Be You 2 - Heaven, Texas 3 - Nobody's Baby But Mine 4 - Dream a Little Dream 5 -

First, thanks to Edelweiss for the Advanced Readers Copy.  I always like to try new authors.  Susan Bishop Crispell qualifies as a new author. This one was just OK for me...it had a lot of good things going for it, and I didn't hate it.  But it wasn't my favorite and I had a hard time staying engaged with the story.  I usually don't mind a book with magic in the story line, but this one I had a hard time with.  Rachel was a good character, but I didn't always find her and the others around her believable.  It lacked a bit of it's magic for me. An OK read, I loved the baking sections. 3/5 stars on Goodreads

Reading Before the Fall was a little bit of a departure for me, as you may have noticed by now I gravitate heavily towards popular fiction, mysteries and romance novels of all kind.  However, as a librarian, I try to read books that have taken readers notice and have a large holds list.  Sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't. I waited patiently on the libraries hold list (currently at 98 holds) for this book. This time I am glad that I waited.   Before the Fall grabbed my attention right away, and I even enjoyed the format of the book, which switched from present times to flashbacks.  I usually do not like that at all, but it worked in this book.  The two main characters are the only survivors of a plane crash, a painter Scott Burroughs and a little boy named J.J., were likable from the first chapter. The premise of the book is explained in the title, what happened before the plane crashed that lead to the crash and the death of all but two passengers.  The people on t

So excited to share that I have now reviewed 10 books for NetGalley!   I have been loving reading books before anyone else, and being able to recommend new books and authors to readers at my library, and for my friends on Goodreads.   Thanks editors and NetGalley for the Advanced Reading Copies!  

Sarah Morgan is still a relatively new author for me, but I loved the first book in this series (Sleepless in Manhattan) so much I had to give book two a try. Sunset in Central Park didn’t disappoint. It was fun to catch up with the trio and really get to know two characters more personally. Frankie is such a fun character, while being real and honest at the same time. Frankie doesn’t trust relationships or men, and that is totally understandable given her background. She is comfortable with her friend Matt, at least until he starts to look at her in a different way. Suddenly she starts to see him in a new way and quite frankly that terrifies her. Matt has been patient with Frankie for a long time, but he is tired of waiting for her and decides to do something more proactive. Matt and Frankie need to learn how to navigate new territory and to learn to listen to their hearts.  Morgan also has a way with her writing that makes you feel part of the story right and like you are right