Review: Competitive Grieving: A Novel

Competitive Grieving: A Novel by Nora Zelevansky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Was my book missing pages? This is a book that I have no clue how to review. Is it a thriller? Is it a mystery? Is it satire? Is it another #metoo book? I'm not even sure of the ending. Did Julia actually commit treason against America? If she switched sides-how is she and her family still alive. Did I miss a whole plotline--chapter---what did I miss? I guess I'm going to have to re-read this before I give a 'real' review. *sigh*

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SYNOPSIS: "In 2006 Julia Lerner is living in Moscow, a recent university graduate in computer science, when she’s recruited by Russia’s largest intelligence agency. By 2018 she’s in Silicon Valley as COO of Tangerine, one of America’s most famous technology companies. In between her executive management (make offers to promising startups, crush them and copy their features if they refuse); self promotion (check out her latest op-ed in the WSJ, on Work/Life Balance 2.0); and work in gender equality (transfer the most annoying females from her team), she funnels intelligence back to the motherland. But now Russia's asking for more, and Julia’s getting nervous.


Alice is a first generation Chinese American whose parents are delighted she’s working at Tangerine (such a successful company!). Too bad she’s slogging away in the lower echelons, recently dumped, and now sharing her expensive two-bedroom apartment with her cousin Cheri, a perennial “founder’s girlfriend”. One afternoon, while performing a server check, Alice discovers some unusual activity, and now she’s burdened with two powerful but distressing suspicions: Tangerine’s privacy settings aren’t as rigorous as the company claims they are, and the person abusing this loophole might be Julia Lerner herself. 

The closer Alice gets to Julia, the more Julia questions her own loyalties. Russia may have placed her in the Valley, but she's the one who built her career; isn’t she entitled to protect the lifestyle she’s earned? Part page-turning cat-and-mouse chase, part sharp and hilarious satire, Impostor Syndrome is a shrewdly-observed examination of women in tech, Silicon Valley hubris, and the rarely fulfilled but ever-attractive promise of the American Dream."

Review: A Second-Hand Husband

A Second-Hand Husband by Claire Calman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Whether reviews give the stamp of approval or not, you can't beat this frustrating but light summer read for the price of:

On Kindle
$1.37
This title will be released on June 16, 2021.

This was a character growth novel that took forever for the characters to grow. Most of the characters were detestable until the very last few chapters, but of course, everything was just a big misunderstanding right? Nope-hubby keeps things from wife, like buying a house without her ever seeing it. The wife won't grow a spine - doesn't speak up about how he went behind her back but she learns to love the house, naturally. A bitchy ex-wife just down the road, a bitchy stepdaughter, brother not speaking to brother. The list of annoying people and situations goes on.

I did finish this book so that says something. but like I said, for a $1.37 you can't beat that with a stick!

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

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SYNOPSIS: "Natalie and Carl are newlyweds, but the honeymoon period is over already.
Carl has just announced he has bought their first home at auction without telling Natalie where it is, never mind showing her a picture of it.

Natalie is horrified to discover that the dream home is in Little Wyford, mere minutes away from Carl’s ex-wife Antonia. And to make matters worse, Antonia’s palatial country mansion has a fully-functioning roof (and a heated swimming pool!), unlike the ramshackle cottage Carl has bought for them…

Antonia is Little Wyford’s Queen Bee, mistress of the book club, organiser of the Christmas Fair and leader of the ladies-who-lunch. No matter how hard she tries, Natalie just doesn’t fit in, and when Antonia insists on referring to Carl as ‘Our Husband’, Natalie’s dreams of happily-ever-after take another nose dive.

Second-hand furniture has much to recommend it, especially when doing up a country cottage, second-hand clothes can be ever-so chic, but second-hand husbands are proving to be a very bad idea indeed… Can Natalie ever escape the label of Wife Number Two or is she destined to share her husband forever?

Hilariously funny, wickedly witty, but with a heart of gold and a warmth and wisdom that are all its own, A Second-Hand Husband is Claire Calman’s tour de force."

Review: How Lucky

How Lucky by Will Leitch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a fast, interesting read that pulled me in from the start but lost me in the middle. I learned a lot about Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). It almost became the whole reason for this book. But I kept reading, and the mystery finally started taking precedence and added some excitement to this book.

An engaging read that goes a little too far (In my opinion) in beating us over the head about this little know disease. I like learning new things, but I don't particularly appreciate being preached to.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

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SYNOPSIS: "For readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Nothing to See Here, a first novel as suspenseful and funny as it is moving, the unforgettable story of a fiercely resilient young man grappling with a physical disability, and his efforts to solve a mystery unfolding right outside his door. 

Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia.  He’s got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy—despite the fact that he’s suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair. 

Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he’s not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he’s almost sure he sees her being kidnapped. 

How Lucky is the unforgettable story of a fiercely resilient young man grappling with a physical disability, and his efforts to solve a mystery unfolding right outside his door. "

Review: The Audacity of Sara Grayson

The Audacity of Sara Grayson by Joani Elliott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! And I say WOW again!

What a book. This book is perfect for a vacation read, but it is a little 'heavier' than normal for a beach read. It has everything you need -mystery and a lot of that, romance but not the main focus, learning about what writers go through to get a book out there, a bit of villainy, a lot of sisterly love, and frustration.

One of the oddest things for me is that this happened to one of my favorite authors -she passed away before finishing the last book she was writing. I never thought about what it took for the 'replacement author' to finish what the original author started. So this book really made me think.

The only complaint I can say that I have is that the author talks about something in a safety deposit box, but we, the readers, never get to find out just what was in there! I thought that there might have been an epilogue explaining that, but alas, no!

*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "What happens when your mother’s dying wish becomes your worst nightmare?

What happens when the world’s greatest literary icon dies before she finishes the final book in her best-selling series?
 
And what happens when she leaves that book in the hands of her unstable, neurotic daughter, who swears she’s not a real writer?

Sara Grayson is a thirty-two-year-old greeting card ...more"

Review: The Bookshop of Second Chances

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"(first published November 17th, 2020)"


I totally agree with another reviewer who yelled, " I NEED MORE BOOKS WITH MATURE WOMEN!" Thank you, Randy, for you yelling this out, so I didn't have to LOL!
But, it is true, the Millenials are now starting to reach early middle age, and they are soon going to want books that they can relate to, and this is one of them. The main characters are in their early forties.

You can plainly see by the synopsis that this book starts with a near cliche. A younger middle-aged woman loses her job and her husband of 20 years on about the same day. But she finds out quite soon that she has inherited property in the 'wilds' of Scotland by a Great Uncle she has no remembrance of.
Thea travels there, meets people, including someone who gives her a job, and the book takes off. The directions it takes off in are astounding; this book's writing has a calming effect on me. And right now, that is exactly what I need. There is angst, but not a huge amount, and none of it is overdramatized.

My last two book choices have been flops for me -this one was not, and I recommend this book to anyone who likes quirky characters, books, hunky men, and Scotland.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. Thank-you.



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SYNOPSIS: " A woman desperate to turn a new page heads to the Scottish coast and finds herself locked in a battle of wills with an infuriatingly handsome bookseller in this utterly heartwarming debut, perfect for readers of Evvie Drake Starts Over. Thea Mottram is having a bad month. Her husband of nearly twenty years has just left her for one of her friends, and she is let go from her office job--on Valentine's Day, of all days. Bewildered and completely lost, Thea doesn't know what to do. But when she learns that a distant great uncle in Scotland has passed away, leaving her his home and a hefty antique book collection, she decides to leave Sussex for a few weeks. Escaping to a small coastal town where no one knows her seems to be exactly what she needs. Almost instantly, Thea becomes enamored with the quaint cottage, comforted by its cozy rooms and shaggy, tulip-covered lawn. The locals in nearby Baldochrie are just as warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person she can't seem to win over is bookshop owner Edward Maltravers, to whom she hopes to sell her uncle's antique novel collection. His gruff attitude--fueled by an infamous, long-standing feud with his brother, a local lord--tests Thea's patience. But bickering with Edward proves oddly refreshing and exciting, leading Thea to develop feelings she hasn't felt in a long time. As she follows a thrilling yet terrifying impulse to stay in Scotland indefinitely, Thea realizes that her new life may quickly become just as complicated as the one she was running from."

Review: Heartbreak For Hire

Heartbreak For Hire by Sonia Hartl
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

1.5 stars rounded up. I truly don't know what t say-just, because it was not to my taste doesn't make it a bad book. I must agree with some of the other reviewers that said that this book was no ordinary rom-com. On its face, this book appears to be a light, funny read, but when we actually start reading, we find that this is a book that makes annihilation as revenge, a business. It sounded good at first, but the longer I read, the more my stomach was churning. How can anyone think it is funny to ruin a person totally, financially, and at times ruin a family for some of the things they had done. Men really no longer have the upper hand and for someone to use entrapment to ruin these men is just wrong. Another thing that I couldn't get into was the sex; I thought that women had gotten over the whole- I must get into his pants now even though I've only known him for a couple of hours-thing. The rest of the sex scenes were just too descriptive for my taste. I'm finished with hearing about juices, and lapping, and fingering. I've not read erotica for years, and nothing about this book's description led me to believe that this book was going to have overly descriptive sex. *ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and Edelweiss/ATTL.

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Review: The Cave Dwellers

The Cave Dwellers by Christina McDowell
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

DNF at 60%----Nothing new here.

If you want a cliched look into the lives of White people in D.C. (political and rich *snort*) -this is the book for you. I can see and have always known that a certain segment of America has privileges that the rest of us don't, and this book certainly points that out.

If you are totally 'woke,' then this is the book for you.

If you like more characters and plot lines than Carter has pills, then this is the book for you.

I did a quick bit of research into this author, and I can certainly see why it was written the way it was.

I may go back and finish this book, but I doubt it.



*ARC supplied by ATTL/Edelweiss and the publisher.

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Review: The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book sucked me in right from the very first page and kept me rapt until the final very twisted twist! I love books where you don't see something huge coming. Where you don't figure who-dun-it or why they did it. Well, that's what I got with this book.

When you read this line in the book's description, "Meet the trophy wives of Presidio Terrace, San Francisco’s most exclusive—and most deadly—neighborhood in this shrewd, darkly compelling novel..." just know that it is totally true!

This was the most twisted, spellbinding novel I have read in ages and will be the perfect read for the beach or beside the county club pool.

A quick note -the book's description doesn't tell you all of what you need to know about it, and that is an excellent thing. Just trust me when I say you just have to read this book.

I will be recommending it to everyone I know who loves mysteries, glamour, and evil @itches!

@ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. Thank you.

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SYNOPSIS: "Meet the trophy wives of Presidio Terrace, San Francisco's most exclusive--and most deadly--neighborhood in this shrewd, darkly compelling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of In Her Shadow.

Mystery writer Brooke Davies is the new wife on the block. Her tech-billionaire husband, Jack, twenty-two years her senior, whisked her to the Bay Area via private jet and purchased a modest mansion on the same day. He demands perfection, and before now, Brooke has had no problem playing the role of a doting housewife. But as she befriends other wives on the street and spends considerable time away from Jack, he worries if he doesn't control Brooke's every move, she will reveal the truth behind their "perfect" marriage.

Erin King, famed news anchor and chair of the community board, is no stranger to maintaining an image--though being married to a plastic surgeon helps. But the skyrocketing success of her career has worn her love life thin, and her professional ambitions have pushed Mason away. Quitting her job is a Hail Mary attempt at keeping him interested, to steer him away from finding a young trophy wife. But is it enough, and is Mason truly the man she thought he was?

Georgia St. Claire allegedly cashed in on the deaths of her first two husbands, earning her the nickname "Black Widow"--and the stares and whispers of her curious neighbors. Rumored to have murdered both men for their fortunes, she claims to have found true love in her third marriage, yet her mysterious, captivating allure keeps everyone guessing. Then a tragic accident forces the residents of Presidio Terrace to ask: Has Georgia struck again? And what is she really capable of doing to protect her secrets?"

Review: A Lowcountry Bride

A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was:

Sweet.

Clean.

Informative -I learned a lot about sickle cell disease, among other things.

Had a happily ever after.

Religious.

Some character growth.


These were the pros.


The cons:

Overly sweet, almost to the point of saccharine.

Repetitive -A lot of the book felt like filler.

The angst had me clenching my teeth.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "Maya Jackson has worked for Laura Whitcomb, Inc, a renowned New York City bridal gown brand, for years and dreams of becoming Head Designer. She has the talent; she just needs a chance to showcase her unique style. Due to an illness, she’s always prioritized her career over her personal life until her father fractures his hip and Maya returns to Charleston, South Carolina. While home for only a few months, she’s thrilled to find an opportunity at the local bridal gown boutique, never expecting sparks to fly with its owner...

A military veteran and widowed father, Derek Sullivan hopes to save Always a Bride from bankruptcy in order to preserve the legacy of his mother. He also wants to reconnect with his estranged, twelve-year-old daughter, who is still recovering from the loss of her mother. The last thing he needs is a relationship with a beautiful, smart, complicated woman who will be leaving soon.

When Derek begins to fall for the lovely Maya, he knows there’s no future. But destiny has its own plans, and these two lonely people with big hearts discover that coming home to love is the best gift life can give."

Review: The Guncle

The Guncle by Steven Rowley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just finished this book, and I'm not even going to let myself stew about it. Please read the synopsis to understand what this book was about. Although I felt that the book was really not as funny as it was made to sound in the synopsis, it had its moments of fun and humor.

Most importantly, this was a book of growth, emotions, and having faith in oneself. This was a deeper book than I expected, and it took me a little while to become totally engrossed in it. 

But engrossed I became, and I found that I couldn't put it down.

I'm wondering if anyone else will see that a lot of this book, especially in the first half, seemed to be a parody (not sure if that is the correct word to use) of the book and movie [book:Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade|187060]. I sincerely hope that I am not dreaming of the similarities!

One thing made me a bit confused, though - it was Patrick's age and the fact that he was so stuck on all things 8os. In his 40's wouldn't he had been too young to remember much of the 80['s even if it was looked upon as nostalgia?  I was wondering why so many references to that time period.

Well, I, for one, enjoyed those references as they took me back to a better time in my life.

I recommend this book highly to those looking for more than a 'potato chip read' for the summer. Something deep and with the wrong author a bit depressing.  Thank goodness this was the correct author for this type of book.  I am definitely going to be looking into more books by  Steven Rowley.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and ATTL/EDELWEISS. Thank-you.

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SYNOPSIS: "From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer.

Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league.

So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human.

With the humor and heart we’ve come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times."

Review: Yoga Pant Nation

Yoga Pant Nation by Laurie Gelman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was as good as, if not better than the previous books.  This book showed a lot of character growth and a tad less snark. I found the story-line/s to be a bit more serious than the first books. I still got a lot of laughs. In this book, a lot was going on -son Max, Jens parents, Jens grand-daughter and daughter, and Jens own life. Whew!

This was a fast read that I just couldn't put down, and if this is the last book about Jen Dixon and her family, I ish the author would have said so.  I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that there will be more books about  Jen and company.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and NetGalley. Thank-you.

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SYNOPSIS: "Jen Dixon is class mom—again—for her son’s fifth grade year, and a class bully, spin-teacher training, and her irresistible granddaughter keep her on her toes and perpetually in yoga pants.

Jen has a lot on her plate this year in Yoga Pant Nation—from childcare duties for her daughter’s two-year-old to her determined mission to become a spin instructor. When her husband’s ex-wife shows up to her first ever class as a full-fledged teacher—and compliments her performance!—she can’t help but wonder what the catch is.

Throw in a mandate from the PTA president to raise $10,000 for the fifth graders’ new tablets and her granddaughter’s other grandmother (whom no one has ever met) visiting for Christmas, and Jen is going to need more than her regular spin class to get her through the year. But as ever, humor is her best stress relief. Her acerbic emails to the class parents and friendly spars with her daughter over how organic is organic-enough for baby food will have you laughing out loud and texting Jen’s best lines to your friends."

Review: An Amish Surprise

An Amish Surprise by Shelley Shepard Gray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I hadn't had the chance to read the first book in a series. However, I found that to be no problem at all. If I go by what I read, then this series will revolve around a bookmobile and the driver, Sarah Anne. The next book in the series "A Christmas Courtship" (Berlin Bookmobile Series, The Book 3) will be out on October 19, 2021, and I can't wait to read it. As a matter of fact, I am going to buy the first book in this series and pre-order the next!

"An Amish Surprise" gave me everything I expect from my Amish/Mennonite books. A wonderful, life-affirming story with some tears and a lot of joy. I am not a religious person - I read these books more to calm my mind and revel in an alternate lifestyle, and with this book, I got everything I needed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves happy endings, a relationship conflict, a side story of romance among those over 60, and just pure happiness.

*ARC provided by the publisher, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

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SYNOPSIS: "Miriam and Calvin Gingerich have been trying for a baby for several years, but the Lord hasn’t seen fit to bless them. Though Calvin claims he’s content with their childless state, Miriam knows he’s not, and when he starts spending more time off their farm, she worries he’s found someone else. But just as she finds herself at her lowest point, she discovers the ultimate surprise. Unable to confide in anyone who might tell Calvin—out of fear she’ll disappoint him with another miscarriage—Miriam turns to bookmobile librarian Sarah Anne Miller—and any books she may have on pregnancy and childbirth.

Calvin has been keeping a secret from his wife, but it’s not another woman. It’s a little boy. One afternoon when visiting Sarah Anne’s bookmobile, he meets Miles, a ten-year-old living with a foster family down the road. But after spending more time with the boy, Calvin learns that his foster family has no plans to adopt him. Calvin feels a connection with Miles and yearns to give the boy a home, but he’s afraid to tell Miriam, knowing she’s devastated they can’t have children of their own.

As weeks pass and Sarah Anne learns that Miles has nearly given up hope of ever finding a real home, she knows it’s time to intervene. It’s going to take some fancy footwork and a whole lot of prayer, but she knows she can help make this struggling couple into a happy family of four."