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The Sisters at the Last House Before the Sea–recreating yourself
The Sisters at the Last House Before the Sea
by Liz Eeles
Heaven’s Cove is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of cities like London. It is a place of peace, calm, and community. The downside is everybody knows everybody’s business. The upside is having people who genuinely care and will help when a neighbor is in need. Isla and Caitlyn are sisters who due to family problems have been shuffled around. Their grandmother Jessie, a resident of Heaven’s Cove, is their last carer. Caitlyn had to fill in the “mother” gap for her ill mom and then her younger sister. She was anxious to escape from Heaven’s Cove and those extra responsibilities and she did, leaving Isla to care for their grandmother.
In The Sisters at the Last House Before the Sea life does not turn out well for either sister, and they do not maintain the close relationship of their youth. When their grandmother, always a riddle and puzzle lover, passes away she gives her granddaughters a final riddle to solve as part of their inheritance. The book includes romances, broken relationships, a dip into history, and teenage angst. Isla, Caitlyn, and Maisie (Caitlyn’s stepdaughter) all have issues to work through from their pasts. Most of the characters are likable. The unlikable ones are intentionally written as mean, narcissistic, and overbearing. Liz Eeles is a good writer, and I hope she will create more books for this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction,Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Heaven’s Cove Book #6 can be a standalone. I have read all of the published books in this series and have enjoyed each one of them. There are a few characters who make cameo appearances in subsequent books, but the town itself is the backdrop that holds the series together. You really can jump into the series at any point.
2. Clean with a little mild swearing.
Publication: October 19, 2023—Bookouture
Memorable Lines:
Once upon a time, they were so close you could hardly have passed a piece of paper between them. Whereas now they were separated by a chasm of difference and resentment.
Paul definitely would not be happy. She usually did what he wanted. To be honest, she usually didn’t mind, and it avoided him sinking into a sulk. He was a champion sulker.
It must be nice being a robin, Maisie thought, watching its bright yellow beak bob up and down: no family dramas to deal with, no scary school, nothing on your mind except finding the next juicy worm.
The Burnout–surfing/life metaphors
The Burnout
by Sophie Kinsella
Sasha is the Director of Special Promotions for Zoose, an app for a travel company. It was her dream job for several years—until it wasn’t. It happened gradually as the creative founder stopped being hands on, delegated a lot of authority to his brother, and the management became top-heavy. Several people quit her department in disgust and were not replaced increasing Sasha’s work load. Sasha’s complaints went unanswered. Her burnout was not pretty, and she ended up with her doctor signing off on a a three week leave. Sophia departs London for the Rilston Hotel on the beach in February. It’s cold and out of season there, and the hotel has gone downhill from the posh remembrances of her childhood, but at least she is separated from an endless parade of emails from all over the world and nonsense from the company’s “empowerment and well-being officer.”
There is a lot of humor as her mother pretends to be her very demanding PA and insists via morning telephone calls to the hotel that the staff provide Sasha with certain items that will help her on her “wellness journey” including kale smoothies and noni juice both of which are disgusting when they finally locate them for her. Her seaside room has boarded up windows, but she can spend her days in a decrepit beachside cottage that is destined to be torn down. The characters working at the lodge are just that—characters. They try so hard to please, but are very quirky. Sasha is too nice to complain or explain that she really would prefer to have crisps and a choc bar.
Sasha is not looking for romance which is good because one of the few guests is Finn, a man who also has burnout. They start not wanting to be anywhere near each other, but then discover that they both were surfing students of Terry back in the day. Everyone loved Terry who was part excellent surfing instructor and part philosopher.
The plot in The Burnout develops nicely with a growing friendship and false starts at a relationship. The pair collaborate to determine who is leaving mysterious messages in the sand. They meet up with their hero Terry again, and they find themselves a part of the small community of the town where everyone knows their business. I enjoyed the eccentric characters and felt like I was joining in on their celebration of Terry. Everyone had “Terry quotes” memorized which related to both surfing and life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Notes: Some inappropriate language and sexual references in regard to sexual organs and libido, but no open door scenes.
Publication: October 10, 2023—Random House (Dial Press)
Memorable Lines:
Finn feels safe and trustworthy. And most important, he gets it. He knows how I feel. Just to meet someone who’s been through something similar is such a relief.
Infinite waves. Infinite chances. You can’t dwell or think about what might have been. There’s always another wave. Although you have to be looking the right way to see it.
It seems most art experts are happy to spout on endlessly about their own opinion, So my method is: Let them do that while I get on with drinking the free champagne. And when they pause, say, Stunning, isn’t it?
The Book Club Hotel–reconnecting
The Book Club Hotel
by Sarah Morgan
The title The Book Club Hotel certainly prepares the reader for a bookish read. Indeed, Sarah Morgan’s clean romance does have a book theme as a trio of college friends reunite yearly to relax, catch up, have fun, and discuss a chosen book. They are turning forty this year, and each is at a personal crossroad. Erica, who teaches crisis management to businesses all over the world has never managed to commit in a relationship. Her father had walked out of her life the day she was born. Her bitter mother raised her on the necessity of being independent. Claudia has just been abandoned by her boyfriend of ten years and has lost her job. Anna, known for her homemaking skills and perfect relationship with her husband Pete, is dealing with the impending departure of her twins as they prepare to leave the “nest” to fly off to college.
The story is set at the Maple Sugar Inn in Vermont, an idyllic setting at Christmas time. Claudia and Anna are puzzled by Erica’s choice of a rural Christmasy locale for this year’s getaway. It is very out-of-character for the unromantic Erica. There must be some secret agenda behind her selection.
The lives of these three women intersect with that of the owner of the Maple Sugar Inn. Hattie, a young widow, is the mother of a sweet and precocious little five year old girl Delphi. Their dog Rufus adds fun to the tale which revolves around the trio’s friendship, Erica’s draw to the inn, drama over two bad tempered employees who try to control the inn and its owner, and a handsome, kind Christmas tree and organic food farmer who lives next door. It’s a good read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: An unexpected bonus for me is that the book has a strong
Christmas theme with decorations, snow, hot chocolate, and traditions.
Publication: September 19, 2023—Harlequin
Memorable Lines:
“It’s hardly a gift at all. It’s a book, and my sister and I think of a book as a necessity rather than a luxury.” “A necessity is something you need,” Gwen said, “like food or water.” …”Books can take you to a different world.”
Books were her hobby. Reading kept her going. …all Anna had to do to relax was pick up a book and she was immediately transported to another world.
“What do you think of this dress?” “It’s too black. It needs more glitter. Or maybe feathers. I have some in my art box. We could stick them on.” Glitter? Feathers? That was what happened when you asked a five-year-old for fashion advice.
The Season of Second Chances—two novellas
The Season of Second Chances
by Kristina McMorris and T. Greenwood
I do not usually choose novellas and in the case of The Season of Second Chances, my thought was that this is a novel written by Kristina McMorris and T. Greenwood as a joint effort. I had read two works of historical by McMorris and consider her a very good author. It was on the basis of my appreciation for her work that I selected this book. I was unfamiliar with the work of T. Greenwood.
The Christmas Collector is McMorris’ contribution. It is the story of Jenna, a woman who inventories and prices goods in preparation for estate sales. In performing her job she has to confront her widowed mother’s addiction as a recovering hoarder and her fears that she too will become a hoarder. One of Jenna’s clients needs to move in with her adult children as she is loosing her ability physically to live alone. Her grandson Reece is initially resistant to that idea. Reece and Jenna are drawn together over a mystery box that holds secrets of his grandmother’s past. Sadly, this book is the perfect example of an excellent plot idea with multiple threads but not enough time or room in a novella to flesh out the characters.
Greenwood’s contribution, Gifted, is that rare novella that has an appropriately limited number of characters. The author jumps in with chapters that alternate between two storylines, and each time the reader finishes one chapter, the next chapter will demand attention. Each storyline equally clamors to be continued. Alex, a talented ballet dancer, is 19 years old and has given up her life to advance in ballet, pleasing her mother who because of an early pregnancy had to abandon her own career goals. Sofia is a 54 year old birth doula. She loves her mother, but she never had a close relationship with Simone who as an itinerant classical violinist spent much time traveling. When Sofia’s father dies, she finds that Simone has Alzheimer’s and needs Sofia to care for her. In her panic to locate her mother who goes missing on Christmas Eve, Sofia learns that they had a closer relationship than Sofia ever imagined. The author does a beautiful job of tying these two stories together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Christmas Collector
Rating: 3/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Novella
Publication: August 22, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
Business and pleasure don’t mix, she reminded herself, citing her boss’s basic rule. A clichéd concept but valid nonetheless. In fact, it was one her father had bulldozed right through, leaving Jenna and her mother in his trampled wake.
Disposing of others’ items had always brought relief—at least until the craving returned. Which it always did. Like an addiction, some might say. Like cigarettes or alcohol, or…hoarding.
Reporting the winter weather in Portland—rain, drizzle, downpour—had to be as thrilling as reporting sunshine in Arizona.
Gifted
Rating: 5/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Novella
Publication: August 22, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
Her mother must have suspected something was wrong lately, because despite being a three-hour train ride away in Connecticut, she was hovering, the blades of her helicopter propeller sharp and steady and humming.
She envied that for Zu-Zu, ballet was joy, while for her, it felt like an obligation.
As she looked at the woman in the photo, her clear blue eyes and confident smile, she thought about how easy it was to lose your way, to forget why you were here. How easy it was to find yourself lost.
Must Love Flowers–revival for a widow
Must Love Flowers
by Debbie Macomber
As may know, Debbie Macomber, after forty years of writing, put aside her pen for a well deserved retirement. That lasted for four months before she picked up her pen to compose Must Love Flowers, a sweet romance about a widow who is in her fifties and needs to move on with the grieving process and can’t seem to do so. I’m glad Macomber decided to tell this tale.
I don’t normally read anything about the Covid fiasco, but I could tolerate it in this book because it is not set during the restrictions, but shows the negative effects on someone who maintains feelings of being “safe” and “protected” by continuing to cut herself off from people and activities—life, in short. Family members want to help her, but are at a loss as she is in denial that she has a problem.
This novel tells Joan’s story as she takes a few steps at a time to rejoin the world and find her new place in it. Joan was pushed into these changes by threats from her HOA because in four years she has let the yard she was once proud of become an overgrown mess. Enter Phil Harrison, a former lawyer, who is currently a landscaper and a really nice person. She even decides to take in a boarder, Maggie, who needs to get out from under her alcoholic father. Along the way she joins a grief therapy group, which she had said she would never do. The ramifications of Joan’s decisions reach out to affect the lives of her two grown sons and their relationships with others.
I enjoyed this novel which contains several romantic threads. When one of the twists occurred, I was sad because it potentially meant good things for some characters and bad for others, but Macomber works the situations out for her characters in a way that is both realistic and satisfying for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Publication: July 11, 2023—Random House (Ballentine)
Memorable Lines:
It used to be… That was what her life had become: a series of all the things that once were but were no longer.
As silly as it sounded, she recognized deep down with a certainty that she didn’t question that she was meant to help Maggie Herbert. For whatever reason, God had put Maggie in her path.
“It didn’t take me long to realize it didn’t matter how much money I had in the bank, or what my career goals were; if I didn’t have someone to share life with, they meant nothing.
Ladies of the Lake–bonds of friendship
Ladies of the Lake
by Cathy Gohlke
Viewing the same characters in a split timeline is a good way to tell the story of four girls who formed life long friendships at Lakeside Ladies Academy in Connecticut. They dubbed themselves “Ladies of the Lake.” They were not similar in background, but over their years at the school, they developed a close bond which they sealed with blood signatures at a gazebo on the school grounds, promising to keep in touch and support each other. The split timeline varies between showing the ladies as young people and as adults with a mystery gradually unraveling as the backgrounds and events that shaped them as adults are revealed.
Unfortunately, mistakes were made and things were said that broke some of the bonds. Dot and Addie are the most prominent characters, but they harbor secrets that keep them apart. Loving the same man, the Great War, and the Halifax Explosion all play a tumultuous role in their futures. Can a teenager bring them together?
Ladies of the Lake has a strong Christian theme as the women struggle through seemingly impossible situations. Portia, Addie’s housekeeper, is a woman of faith who gently guides Addie through some difficulties. The author holds up for examination the perspectives of the times on German Americans and Blacks. She invites the reader to see more than one side of an issue For example, people of German descent, former friends and neighbors, might be viewed as the enemy. Blacks were often held in contempt by some as “less than” even though they were put in a position of nurturing white children.
Forgiveness is a strong theme in this book as there are several characters who need to ask and receive forgiveness. Family is another important theme as the girls form a family for each other regardless of their home situations.
Reading this book is an escape into another world, but not one without pain. The characters are described well, and readers can immerse themselves in their lives as the story is full of twists and turns. The author cleverly hides the identity of Dorothy’s husband, but as the book progresses the reader will take pleasure in deciphering who he probably is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Christian, Women’s Fiction
Notes: There are lots of Scripture references and some particularly lovely and meaningful prayers at appropriate places in the story.
Publication: July 11, 2023—Tyndale House Publishers
Memorable Lines:
If I’d had a grandmother or a guardian angel, I would’ve wanted her to be just like Mrs. Simmons…I would have wanted her to be Mrs. Simmons.
She watched as he rejoined his brother, two halves of a whole, one with a slight limp and the other with a sleeve empty since the Great War, neither of which stole appeal from either man. That war had stolen much from the Meyer family, far more than the damage or loss of limbs.
Tears know no quota; mine couldn’t seem to stop.
Two to Tango–clean romance
Two to Tango
by Kathleen Fuller
Join the residents of Maple Falls, Arkansas, for a romance between highly organized librarian Olivia Farnsworth and over scheduled pediatrician Kingston Bedford. It takes quite a while for them to get together because Kingston promises to contact Olivia and then can’t find the time to do it between his busy practice and his volunteer activities. He is filled with guilt, and she has a hard time trusting him.
A group of older women, including Kingston’s domineering mother, decide to play matchmaker. Comedy shows up in the situation when the pair decides to have a pretend relationship to get the ladies to back off. Of course, things don’t go exactly by plan. Others become involved as the matchmaking extends to some older residents. The couple’s contemporaries are excited for them, and the new dance teacher could be a potential match.
This is the fourth book in the Maple Falls Romance Series. Each one focuses on a different couple, but in Two to Tango all of the couples from the various books play a role.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Notes: 1. #4 in the Maple Falls Romance Series. I don’t recommend this as a standalone. There are a lot of characters assembled from previous books. If you are interested in this clean, character-driven series, I suggest you start with the first one.
Publication: July 11, 2023—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
Aunt Bea was right. It was easier to hide behind the familiar and benign than to face the elephant in the room—life was changing, and she didn’t like it. While her life was staying routinely the same, the relationships she’d depended on had altered.
His mother was putting on her best social smile, but he could see she was simmering underneath the ruse. The woman considered punctuality the eleventh commandment.
But his mother’s expectation was clear. Being good wasn’t enough. He had to be the best.
As Waters Gone By–rescued lives
As Waters Gone By
by Cynthia Ruchti
Emmalyn has in many ways a tortured life. Her husband was sentenced to five years in prison, but she has built a prison for herself—captive to her desires to have a baby. Even before the car accident that resulted in his imprisonment, Emmalyn and her husband Max had exhausted their financial and emotional resources. Emmalyn had been a top chef, but having lost her job when the restaurant closed, she finds herself starting life again at a rustic hunting cabin that needs a lot of work to transform it into a livable cottage on Madeline, one of the Apostle Islands near Bayfield, Wisconsin. Max had cut off communication with Emmalyn so she doesn’t know if he will want to remain married when he is released from prison. With five months to go, Emmalyn and Max need to learn to communicate all over again.
When Emmalyn (M) arrives by ferry, she is quickly befriended by locals. She initially stays at The Wild Iris, a guest house and restaurant owned by the generous Boozie Unfortunate, a great cook and manager, who dispenses common sense and Christian wisdom and love, blessing all who encounter her. Another new friend, Cora, wears many hats, including roofer. Emmalyn desperately needs her help in closing a gaping hole in the roof. Cora has a team of workers, contacts to get building supplies at a discount, and a son with a tracking ankle bracelet who needs someone to take a chance on him. Reflecting on her husband’s future needs when he is released from prison, Emmalyn hires Nick to paint her house.
Just when renovations in the cottage are coming to a close, there is a major plot twist that turns Emmalyn’s world upside down, but also leads her on a journey of self-discovery as she realizes mistakes she made in her marriage and is drawn again into a relationship with God. This dramatic twist will remain a secret as this is a spoiler-free review, but it adds depth, despair, and delight to the plot.
Reading As Waters Gone By was a pleasure. It has quirky, lovable characters and a strong moral base. This book was a page turner for me. As I review M’s situation, I realize this character’s issues beckon the reader to exchange places with M and ponder her choices from a personal perspective, because all of us can suddenly find our world upended. Will we be able to stand the course as God reveals the plan behind the circumstances so that one day we can say too (Job 11:16 NIV) that “You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.” ?
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: As one of the members of my book club said, “Although this is a Christian book, there is nothing “preachy” about it.” Several members commented on the rich descriptions. I agree with both assessments. It also had many instances of gentle humor that were very enjoyable.
Publication: 2015—Abingdon Press
Memorable Lines:
Introvert? Extrovert? Boozie fit under the Tidal Wave category. But with a gentle touch that made people forget they were being carried someplace other than where they were headed.
“We brought bacon, too, if that helps your mood.”…The moment christened the cottage with tears and a laughter chaser. “Smoked meat,” Emmalyn said between gasps, “fixes everything.” “The food world’s duct tape,” Cora added.
Hope’s laughter floated through the cottage, lighting the shadowed corners. No matter what age, a child’s laughter changes things.
“That’s the thing about messes,”…”It doesn’t matter what caused the trouble. The answer’s always the same. Call out to God. Watch His rescue. Then thank Him.” Emmalyn doubted it was that simple. But she’d seen it at work on the island. Her exile. Her refuge.
The Guest House by the Sea–difficult situations
The Guest House by the Sea
by Faith Hogan
Esme, with the help of Marta, an energetic Basque woman, operates the Willows, a 200 year old guest house, following the tradition of the women in her family. The Guest House by the Sea focuses on several weeks during “the season” and the guests who abide there.
Esme is in a high state of frustration because she broke her leg and is mostly blind. So she spends her days in a dome chair welcoming guests and sharing wisdom with those who stop to chat with her. Some of the wisdom comes from the guest register that starts each page with a handwritten quote. When Esme has a guest read a quote, it always seems to apply to that person even though they were written in the book prior to the season’s start.
The cast of characters is diverse and each will tug at your heartstrings as they arrive at Ballycove hoping for space and peace in which to get a grip on their problems. Joel is a lonely engineer staying for weeks to help on expensive repairs to the church’s roof. Cora is a homemaker and teaching assistant with a husband set in routines. After thirty years together, she wonders if she has only staleness left in her future. Phyllis is watching her husband slip away in the same dementia that stole his father. Their son Rob, a widower, and his son Josh join them. As the result of a pregnancy test, Niamh comes to the Willows by herself with a pill to “take care of it” in the words of Jeremy. She is his long-time mistress and co-worker, but she learns a lot about Jeremy, herself, and their relationship through this process.
All of these guests are people you would want to know; they will pull you into their stories. Not all of them will have happily ever afters, but they are all seeking fulfilling lives and you will want that for them. Nothing in this book says that life is easy, but it doesn’t moan and whine while the characters deal with their problems either. Ballycove and the Willows are a great backdrop for their stories and their growth.
Faith Hogan is an Irish writer with lots of books to her credit. I plan on reading more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Publication: June 8, 2023—Aria
Memorable Lines:
Her heart had missed a beat, in the way it does when you’re young and it feels as if the simple things are absolutely momentous.
She was blessed to have a husband like him. Michael was a true blue. He’d be sleeping in that same bed until the day he died, if he had a choice. So why did she feel this heavy weight of emptiness instead, as if her marriage was some black hole and she was in danger of falling in and suffocating while life went on without her? Perhaps being out here in Ballycove would do her good, give her some perspective on things.
“Maybe, but I think you’ve attracted good people to you because you’re kind and you have a generous spirit. You have probably helped more people than you know over the years, with your wise words.”
The Silver Ladies Do Lunch–a story of friendship
The Silver Ladies Do Lunch
by Judy Leigh
Join me in Middleton Ferris in Oxfordshire to enjoy a story of friends.
Meet the Silver Ladies—four ladies of a certain age: Josie, a widow of only one year; Lin, married to Neil who is devoted to her regardless of her lack of culinary skills; Minnie, the Doc Martin wearing, single, retired professor; and Cecily, their former teacher who taught them the importance of friendship.
Look in on all their childhood friends who still, along with many of their children, populate the little town.
Listen in on their opinions.
Cheating men: “all men who cheat are pigs.”
Charred food: “It’s burned to a cinder.” “I like my food well done. It’ll be all right—with ketchup.”
Unwed mother: “When will people learn that a pregnant woman is not a target for gossip? It’s a baby we’re talking about here.”
Passage of time: …everyone was so much older now, yet time had passed so quickly and she felt no different. It didn’t make sense.
Aging: “I hate getting older…there’s so much prejudice about aging—and so many problems.”
Friendship: “A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.”
Relish the way their attitudes about friendship overflow the little group to affect so many other likable characters in the small town from Odile who runs the café to Dangerous Dave, the accident prone mechanic and his daughter Florence who was deceived by a charmer.
The Silver Ladies Do Lunch has a lot of characters, but the important ones rise to the top. Relationships and circumstances tie them to the more minor characters as various threads emerge. When the author switches to a different thread, the reader becomes anxious to find out what happened to the characters in the previous thread. Never fear! Author Judy Leigh will not leave you hanging for long. I love the way she skillfully provides tension by alternating storylines.
This is my first read of this author who has written many books about women of a certain age. I will return for more of her stories that provide both depth and humor.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Women’s Fiction
Notes: Standalone
Publication: 6/2/2023—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
Miss Hamilton read clearly, her voice comforting, and all around the classroom eyelids grew heavy, faces puckered with smiles as everyone drifted into a wonderful world of imagination and hope, where friendship was everything.
The first scent of dusty pages and old tomes or the inhalation of a crisp new book made her heart race, and she was ready to delve inside and fill her head with the knowledge stuffed between the pages.
The sight of the Thames twisting into the distance always thrilled her. Minnie liked unfathomable depths; it was like knowledge, it intrigued her, there was always more waiting to be plumbed, to be discovered beneath the smooth surface.
education pathways 