Jen's Blog

First Comes Love  by Emily Giffin is a story about sisters.  Josie and Meredith lost their brother years ago and both of them are still trying to move on from their loss.  Josie never lets herself love or be loved again but is desperate to have a child.  Meredith has what seems on the surface to be a perfect family, a husband who adores her and a beautiful little girl.  But she can't help but think something is missing.  Although there are many aspects of this book, it's ultimately a book about sisters and family. I enjoyed the book, although I struggled a bit with how the story lines.  It wasn't a satisfying ending for me because there were still a lot of loose ends.  I prefer my books to be wrapped up with a bow at the end with a happy ending.  However, the writing was strong, I fell in love with the characters and a saw them grow and change throughout the book.  I saw glimpses of happy endings and I suppose that will be good enough...

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 Goodrea...

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!  

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 ...

Is there anything more exciting than a new book by your favorite author?  Not for me!  To make it even better I love a good summer read, they are light and perfect for the season. Here is a list of June books I am anxiously awaiting.  The genres cover women's fiction, romance, chick lit, literary fiction and mystery.  It's not a complete list of all books set to be out in June, it's my June to read list! Check my blog often for reviews as I read them! June 7th  Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood Forever Beach by Shelley Noble The Wedding Sisters by Jamie Brenner June 14th Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand Bay of Sighs by Nora Robers June 21st  Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich Riverbend Road by RaeAnne Thayne June 28th First Comes Love by Emily Giffin Sweet as Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shal...