Jen's Blog

Although I liked certain parts of this book, there were other parts I didn't like at all.  I loved the setting and the setting description a lot.  I also liked the premise of the book.  It was a fairly quick read, but I did have trouble with the flow of the story.  The writing seemed jilted at times, and it didn't flow as smoothly as I would have liked. The main part of the book dealt with young Olivia and her relationship with her recently returned father.  He had been largely absent during her youth.  I found him to be very unlikable.  I also wasn't super fond of Olivia's finance, he just didn't seem all that supportive.  I really liked Olivia and her mother and step-father though.  So an average book for me. 3/5 stars on GoodReads.

Anyone who knows what books I enjoy, knows by now that I love any book that features summer, the beach, an island or any combination of those things.   The Island House didn't disappoint.  I love Thayer's books that are set on the island of Nantucket, I love reading about the families who summer there and the families that stay there all year long. This book was exciting because it not only featured a family who lives on Nantucket year round, the Vickerey's, but also their "summer children".  The main focus of this novel is Courtney who was college roommates with Robin Vickerey.  Courtney has fallen in love with Robin's brother James, but has many unanswered questions about their relationship.  Also, someone from Courtney's past appears and makes her wonder if she knows her own heart. Although I enjoyed this book a lot, it wasn't quite as well written as some of Nancy Thayer's other books.  Rated 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

  Janet Evanovich is known for her quirky and eccentric characters who find themselves is sticky situations.  This new series lives up to that reputation.  Curious Minds is the first in the Knight and Moon series by Evanovich (cowritten by Phoef Sutton) and it promises to take readers on new adventures and zany situations.   Riley Moon is a Harvard trained lawyer and business executive. She is funny and brave and can think on her feet. She never dreams that her ideal job will lead to danger.  Her first client turns out to be Emerson Knight who takes eccentric billionaire to a whole new level.  Emerson uncovers a plot that could ruin the US economy and he talks Riley into helping him. There adventure makes for a fun quick read.  It's a perfect beach read (which is where I read it!) that will keep you entertained.  I enjoyed the story very much and will look forward to the next book but I did find the plot a little hard to believe at times. ...

As many of you know I am a reference librarian at my local library.  One of my duties, shared with the reference department, is writing blog posts for our reference blog.  I am pleased to share some of my blog posts here.  Topics range from  the personal, my life with diabetes, dieting and taking better care of myself to new authors I am falling in love with and genres that I want to share with others. Please visit my libraries webpage and take a look! Planning you Perfect Summer Vacation Beach Reads Women's Fiction Eat, Run, Live Keep Moving, Body and Soul Running Playlist Chick Lit Amish Romance

I usually love Elin Hilderbrand's books.  However I cannot say I loved Here's to Us .  I liked it a lot and it was very well written, but to me it didn't have the same magic that her other books usually have. Elin as usual does a wonderful job depicting life in the summer on Nantucket for the family of celebrity chef Deacon Rowe when they gather together at his summer house to say goodbye to him. Each of his children and his three wives are present, which as you can guess creates plenty of conflict and sparks.  There are truly brilliant pieces of the story in the interactions between the three wives. My biggest problem with the book was with the amount of adultery in the story.  I get that some stories can support a story line that supports this but it seemed excessive in this story.  I personally like an ending in a book that wraps up the stories and makes the reader feel hopeful.  I mostly got that in this story, but it felt rushed.  I felt li...

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.