Beach Read by Emily Henry

Title: Beach Read

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 19, 2020

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

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"Oh, damn. I was a bunny."

Beach Read is a must-read!

What do a disillusion romance novel and a literary fiction author have in common? Not much at first glance but as the story progresses, it's clear why they are meant for each other.

January Andrews is licking her wounds. At twenty-eight, she had everything she wanted. She believed in romance. She believed in love. Her parent's marriage was an example to her. She had a wonderful boyfriend of many years and she was accomplishing everything she wanted in her professional life too. As a romance writer, she had successfully published several novels.

Then twenty-nine hit her in the worst possible way. She losses everything she has cared for including her writing. She is on a deadline but unable to write a single word. Without anywhere else to go, she decides to go to the lakehouse to start over.

On the first night, she is there, her new neighbor has a party with loud music playing and January wants to be able to sleep. When the music persists, she makes the decision to confront the neighbor. She makes an impression despite meeting in the dark but the next morning, they meet again. This time in full daylight and January realizes that she knows who he is. She has known him since college!! They had a rivalry but also one memory of a time where there could have been something more.

"Because you're the bright light."

August "Gus" Everett didn't have a happy childhood or adolescence. The only thing that gave him any type of satisfaction was his writing. His books are well-known and successful. He, however, is reserved and distant. While January was a happy person who wrote about happy endings, he was all about the dark truth about the ugly world out there. Yet, this new January who's living next to him, it's not the same woman he remembers. When January offers a change in their genres, he accepts the challenge. The rest is history.

I loved this one so much. The banter with intelligent dialogue and the slow-building romance was very creative. Their chemistry was through the roof and the attraction to each other smoking!

"When I watch you sleep," ...
I feel overwhelmed that you exist."

Kudos to Emily Henry for writing Beach Read. Definitely a much deeper story than what the title offers.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cruel and Beautiful by A.M. Hargrove & Terri E. Laine

Title: Cruel and Beautiful 

Series: Cruel & Beautiful #1 

Author: A.M. Hargrove & Terri E. Laine 

A USA Today Bestseller, this book is based on a true story.

This is a New Adult Contemporary Romance standalone, full-length novel that includes mature content, not suitable for younger readers. (Rated R)

Cate Forbes , a dedicated college student with a carefully plotted future, doesn’t know the first thing about love. When she accepts a blind date with a rumored tasty piece of eye candy, she thinks she can get by with a night of fun. Cate’s plans quickly unravel when she gets one look at the sexy…

Drew McKnight.

The relentless hockey-playing medical resident knows what he wants— a career in Oncology and Cate. Although he’s heard the gorgeous brunette is a little relationship skittish, a single night out isn’t what he has in mind. Determined to have her — in every way possible— he shows her just what a future with him would hold.

Only life has other plans. The unthinkable happens and everything begins to shatter. Both in too deep, they will have to fight the cruel and hang onto the beautiful.

Amazon

“Everything I have is yours. My love, my heart, my soul, and my life, for however short or long it may be.”

Cruel and Beautiful's prologue makes it clear that this particular story is not your usual romance.

When Drew McKnight meets Cate Forbes, he's pursuing a residency in oncology while Cate is still in college trying to make ends meet. Cate doesn't date. She knows she needs to keep good scores to graduate and find a decent job. She doesn't need a distraction. Drew makes it impossible for Cate to continue her life as before. Drew knows that she is the one he wants to spend his life with. He begins a courtship and then a friendship which is swoon-worthy. I absolutely loved Drew. He was charming and romantic. He was also sweet and funny. I heart him so much.

I really don't want to tell you anything else. I want you to be surprised. Just remember this is not a typical story. There is a twist in the last part of the book which took me by surprise but made complete sense looking back. 

I believe when you start this book, it's better if you go in blind. Don't read the blurb, just start reading. Like I mentioned earlier, after the prologue, you know more about what you're getting yourself into. 

The narrative alternates between the present and the past. This usually is not my favorite but it works for this novel.

The story is heartbreaking. There's sadness but there also humor intertwined with hope, healing, and love. 

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Summer of '79: A Summer of '69 Story by Elin Hilderbrand

Title: Summer of '79: A Summer of '69 Story

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Catch up with Blair, Jessie, and Kirby ten years after the summer everything changed. This "Summer of '69 story" by Elin Hilderbrand will be published in print in spring 2021 as part of a Dorothea Benton Frank tribute anthology. Get it now in digital form, for a limited time!

Amazon

This is a short story featuring the Foley-Levans.

The family is united in saying their goodbyes to Exalta who has passed away after battling pneumonia and a stroke.

Blair is now divorced from Angus. Her twins are ten now.

Kirby is writing for Cosmo and smoking pot and snorting cocaine.

Tiger is a war hero and a successful businessman. He’s happily married to Magee but dealing with infertility issues.

Lastly, Jessie is in her second year of law school but alone after she found out her boyfriend, Theo cheated.

For all of them and Kate and David going back to Nantucket, it’s in a way a new beginning.

Enjoyable and delightful is to have one more glance at this family and their memorable characters. Summer of ‘79 left this reader with a smile on her face and a true desire to have another book with them in it.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Title: Summer of '69

Author: Elin Hilderbrand 

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Release Date: June 18, 2019

Follow New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand back in time and join a Nantucket family as they experience the drama, intrigue, and upheaval of a 1960s summer.

Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the twentieth century! It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket: but this year Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, a nursing student, is caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests, a passion which takes her to Martha's Vineyard with her best friend, Mary Jo Kopechne. Only son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. Thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother who is hiding some secrets of her own. As the summer heats up, Teddy Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, a man flies to the moon, and Jessie experiences some sinking and flying herself, as she grows into her own body and mind.

In her first "historical novel," rich with the details of an era that shaped both a country and an island thirty miles out to sea, Elin Hilderbrand once again proves her title as queen of the summer novel.

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Summer of '69 was a good way to forget what is going on around the world.

The story centers in one family: The Levins/Nichols (Although, Kate was a Foley at some point. She was married to Wilder Foley).

Kate Levin is the mother. Kate is devastated that her only son, Tiger has been drafted to Vietnam. She's terrified he is going to die during this terrible war. She believes this is life paying her back for a secret she has been carrying for a long time. Kate knows she's drinking too much while her marriage and her relationship with her daughters are deteriorating.

The oldest daughter, Blair is married and pregnant. She is unhappy with her husband, Angus who's a physicist who doesn't want her to pursue her career. Instead, he wants her to stay at home barefoot and pregnant which is terribly lonely since he doesn't get home until very late every day. Furthermore, her husband also has some spells were he doesn't want to go out of the house at all and wants to seclude himself instead.

Kirby is the middle sister. She is all about fighting for civil rights, love not war, getting high and living free. Although, recently after she got in trouble with a man, she wants to heal and spend the summer at Martha's Vineyard. She's offered a job working the graveyard shift which she takes. She wants to prove she can be self-sufficient. In regards to her heart, She's not ready to date again until she meets Darren.

Lastly, there is Jessie, the half-sister. She just turned thirteen and the last thing she wants to do is to stay with her mother Kate and her grandmother, Exalta in Nantucket for the summer. It's implicit that she would need to start taking tennis lessons even though it is not a sport she wants to learn. It doesn't help that her first class in nothing but a nightmare.


***

Going back to Nantucket through Elin Hilderbrand's vision is always fun.  But this time, it was not only Nantucket that was relevant but instead she decided to transport us to 1969. A year which was important for America and the world for so many reasons. Some awe-inspiring moments but also some terrible tragedies occurred during this time.

Summer of '69 had relatable characters. I liked them all except maybe I never really warm up to the Exalta.

I can't wait for Mrs. Hilderbrand's next Nantucket beach read.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Whiskey Neat by Lani Lynn Vale

Title: Whiskey Neat

Series: Uncertain Saints MC #1 

Author: Lani Lynn Vale 

Griffin Storm wasn’t prone to violence, but when someone takes what Griffin holds dear, the world as he knows it is gone.

Retaliation, revenge and rage fuels him. His club, the Uncertain Saint’s MC, do their best to offer support, but Griffin is beyond redemption. He’ll do what he has to do. Kill who he has to kill.

He doesn’t care if that means he dies. If it gets him what he wants, then it’s worth it.

He fakes it all until the night he walks into a sex shop for batteries and lays eyes on a woman that will change his life.

Lenore makes him think past tomorrow. Makes him want to see just what the future might bring.

But his life’s a dangerous one built around pain and deception, and not for the faint of heart.

He won’t give up the past, not until he’s done what he promised to do.

And if that means she’s not there when the dust settles, he’ll risk it.

Lenore, though, won’t give up on him. She’ll fix him, whether he wants her to or not.

Amazon 

There is one line in this book that I didn't care for one bit. The hero says something nasty to the heroine. It made me quite unhappy with the story and its development. Other things I disliked were the pull/push coming from Griffin and the insta-love relationship between them. Saying that there were some scenes that were funny or/and interesting. The way the hero meets the heroine was entertaining. The epilogue was a good one. 

Griffin Storm is a Texas Ranger. He's also part of the Uncertain Saints MC. Griffin was married and had a child, Tanner. Then one day someone kills his son and Griffin is out for revenge. He wants to find out who did it and why. He has no plans for developing a relationship.

Lenore Drew is content with her life. She is the proprietor of a sex toy shop. When she meets Griffin, her world is never normal again. It seems Griffin's son's murder was part of a bigger operation and now that Griffin is getting closer to the truth, the more dangerous her relationship with Griffin becomes.

Despite Whiskey Neat having great reviews, I can honestly say that I didn't like it. I know I'm in the minority so maybe you will enjoy it. 

Cliffhanger: No

2/5 Fangs

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Title: What You Wish For

Author: Katherine Center

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: July 14, 2020

From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

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"choose joy on purpose"

Just what I needed during this time. A heartwarming and hopeful story! What You Wish For, It’s about conquering our fears and being accepted for we are.

Samantha Casey is the librarian of an elementary school in Galveston, TX. A few years ago, she moved to Galveston to escape an unrequited love. The man she fell for was funny, engaging, lovable but he had chosen another woman. Not that he knew how Samantha felt, so it wasn't really his fault. 

Samantha is renting a garage apartment owned by Max and Babette Kempner. Max is the principal of the school she works for. During an anniversary celebration, Max unfortunately dies. The whole school and the community are distraught with grief. Then, they learn a new replacement has been hired. 

The new principal is none other than Duncan Carpenter. The man Samantha left California for. Samantha is thinking of leaving because there is no way she can see him and not show her feelings but when they finally meet, Duncan is nothing like the man she remembers. Long gone is the happy personality, the vibrant ties, the carefree attitude. He is darkness when he used to be light.

--

I liked Samantha. She was hiding a painful personal problem but she was trying to make her life as positive as she could. She went from wearing grey to wearing all colors but grey. It was a way to remind herself of joy. Feeling joy. Experiencing joy. Sharing joy. 

Then there was Duncan, I wished I had met the Duncan of years ago. The current Duncan was solemn and unemotional. Of course, as the story progresses and I learned more about Duncan, the more I started loving him. My favorite Duncan scene was when he had to be medicated. He was awesome!

I enjoyed the secondary characters, From Max who gave her so much insight to Chuck Norris who gave the book so many funny scenes. Also, Babette, Clay and Alice were all great characters. 

After finishing reading What You Wish For, I want to try to find joy especially during our current situation. 

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Title: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Author: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: April 21, 2020

From the author of Jar of Hearts, a mother driven to the edge by the disappearance of her son learns her husband is having an affair with the woman who might have kidnapped him.

Four hundred and eighty seconds. That’s how long it took for someone to steal Marin Machado's four-year-old son.

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family. Up until the day Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. The only thing keeping her going is the unlikely chance that one day Sebastian reappears. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding him, she discovers that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman.

Kenzie Li is an artist and grad student—Instagram famous—and up to her eyeballs in debt. She knows Derek is married. She also knows he's rich, and dating him comes with perks: help with bills, trips away, expensive gifts. He isn't her first rich boyfriend, but she finds herself hoping he'll be the last. She's falling for him—and that was never part of the plan.

Discovery of the affair sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix. But as she sets a plan in motion, another revelation surfaces. Derek's lover might know what happened to their son. And so might Derek.

 

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"all it took was a lollipop, a santa suit and 4 minutes,"

Holy smokes. Great twist at 80%!

Little Secrets was interesting and it got quite superb at the 80% mark with a fabulous twist.

The book begins with a mom, Marin Machado and her son Sebastian shopping at Christmastime. Then, she gets distracted with a cellphone call and the next thing she knows, Sebastian is gone. Marin realizes that for just a few minutes, she let go of his small hand while she was talking to her husband, Derek. She becomes frantic when she realizes she can’t see him anymore. She starts screaming and asking for help. Soon, someone calls 911 and the police arrive to help. Later on, both parents can see the video surveillance camera and they can see their young son, Bash leaving with Santa Claus and both disappearing into the parking lot.

After a few months, mom hires a private detective to look into his disappearance. A year later,  she gets a call to meet with the PI and to her surprise,  it's to tell her that her husband is having an affair. with a young woman by the name of Kenzie. An affair that has been ongoing for the last six months. After the meeting, she's ready to do the unthinkable. She asks her best friend (and ex-lover) Sal to help her. She wants to get rid of the other woman. A woman who's trying to take something else from her. Then, just when things start happening, she realizes this other woman might know what happened to her son.

The story is told from a dual POV. Marin and Kenzie both have a voice. 

Little Secrets was a really interesting novel which deals with the grief a mother feels after the loss of her child. It demonstrates how a support group might help and how wrong decisions can be made after such a terrible loss. I understood why she thought about hurting the other woman but I think she should’ve been mad with the right person which was her husband instead.

The conclusion left me satisfied with most of the actions.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.