So Many Books, So Little Time

I, Eliza Hamilton by Susan Holloway Scott I so badly wanted to love this book but it just didn't do it for me.  I was expecting to get to know Eliza Hamilton in this story: her life before, during and after her marriage to Alexander Hamilton but that's not what this story was really about.  This was a more a story Alexander through Eliza's eyes and it got boring after a while to see her gush over Alexander non-stop for the whole book.  I did learn a lot about Alexander from the story but I don't think I really knew Eliza.  It was all completely focused on Alexander and I think the story made Eliza into a lovesick puppy.  Also, Eliza lived for 50 years after his death and there was nothing about that part of her life.   I feel bad for not loving the story but it really didn't work for me. 2 stars.   Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne   Sugar Pine Trail is the 7th book in RaeAnne Thayne's Haven Point series and I'm pretty...

Synopsis: When Liam reluctantly returns to Northern Ireland he learns that not only was his uncle shot to death, but he’d anticipated his own murder. In an astonishing last will and testament, Uncle Fergus has left his entire estate to a secret trust, directing that no distributions be made to any person until the killer is found. Did Fergus know, but refuse to name his killer? Was this a crime of revenge, a vendetta left over from Northern Ireland’s bloody sectarian war? Or is it possible that the killer is a family member seeking Fergus’s estate? Otherwise, why postpone distribution to the heirs? Most menacingly, does the killer now have his sights on other family members? As his investigation draws Liam further and further into the past he had abandoned, he is forced to reopen doors long ago shut. Now accepting the appointment as sole trustee of the Fergus Taggart Trust, Liam realizes he has stepped into the center of a firestorm. My Thoughts:  I LOVE Ronald...

  The Obsession by Nora Roberts I really like Nora Roberts; her books are a little cheesy but they're nice, light, fun reads.  However, this one didn't really do it for me.  It had a creepy mystery at the beginning but the story kind of fell flat from there.  The middle was slow and full of non-stop home renovation descriptions and the big mystery was SO obvious.  I figured it out at the very beginning and I never figure that kind of stuff out.  And it felt like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds complete with the BAU agents (I love that show but it just made the big seem unoriginal).  I did love the characters and the setting; I really want to live in that town and have everyone be my friend.   3 stars. The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner I have been wanting to read this book for a long time and I'm so glad I finally got around it to it.  It was riveting and heart-breaking and made me so mad all at the sa...

Synopsis:  Newport Cove is one of the safest neighborhoods in the US, where spontaneous block parties occur on balmy nights and all of the streets are named for flowers. Here everyone lives out the American Dream – cute kids, strong marriages, burgeoning careers – but what really goes on behind closed doors? Kellie Scott has just returned to work after a decade of being a stay-at-home mom. She’s adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office—and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie’s neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won’t eat any carbs, she’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour, and she’ll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together—except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of ...

Hey y'all!  I'm excited to announce that 'Who Do You Love?' by Jennifer Weiner will be out in paperback beginning April 5!  I really love her books and this one was no exception.  You can read my review here . When Jennifer Weiner’s WHO DO YOU LOVE went on sale last year, it quickly became one of the bestselling and best-loved love stories of the year, featured in appearances on Good Morning America and CBS This Morning, and in the pages of People, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, and US Weekly. Not since this #1 New York Times bestselling author’s debut, Good in Bed , was published fifteen years ago has one of her novels had such an impact on fans and critics alike. A sweeping tale about the passage of time and the differences between people, WHO DO YOU LOVE ( April 5, 2016 ; $16.00; Washington Square Press/Atria Books) explores the indelible influences of class, race, religion, celebrity, and charity; it is about what makes u...

  Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf I have to say that I really enjoy Heather Gudenkauf's books and have read them all.  I was pleased to find that this one was just as good as the rest of her books.  It was super creepy and I spent most of the book unsure of who to trust because everyone was suspicious.  I felt bad for the main character, Sarah, because she had to deal with so much new information about her husband while also trying to figure out who the killer was.  I, for one, had no clue until it was revealed at the end and I loved that it was such a surprise.  Definitely a page turner!  3 stars. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier   I have really loved Tracy Chevalier's books and was really excited to read this one.  It was totally different that what I expected but still so good.  I will say that the beginning of the bo...

From Goodreads: Rachel Blum and Andy Landis are eight years old when they meet late one night in an ER waiting room. Born with a congenital heart defect, Rachel is a veteran of hospitals, and she's intrigued by the boy who shows up all alone with a broken arm. He tells her his name. She tells him a story. After Andy's taken back to the emergency room and Rachel's sent back to her bed, they think they'll never see each other again. Rachel, the beloved, popular, and protected daughter of two doting parents, grows up wanting for nothing in a fancy Florida suburb. Andy grows up poor in Philadelphia with a single mom and a rare talent that will let him become one of the best runners of his generation. Over the course of three decades, through high school and college, marriages and divorces, from the pinnacles of victory and the heartbreak of defeat, Andy and Rachel will find each other again and again, until they are finally given a chance to decide whe...

Synopsis:  On a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea in Turkey, an international team of archeologists discovers a stone box that first-century Jews used to rebury their dead. The box’s Aramaic inscription: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Sophia Altay, the beautiful French-Turkish archeologist who heads the team, tries to keep the discovery secret until she can authenticate the ossuary. She knows that people will kill to obtain the relics—and to suppress the box’s other contents, documents that could alter Western history. Joseph Travers, an American sent to Turkey to evaluate the archeological dig, soon finds himself pulled into the web of betrayal, reprisal, and violence. In his journey through Istanbul’s mosques and palaces, the archeological sites around ancient Ephesus, and, ultimately, the strange and mystical terrain of Cappadocia, he comes to understand the epochal meaning of the bone box. My Thoughts:  Bone Box is a great thriller with a uniqu...

Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley This is an older Susanna Kearsley book that was recently re-released.  It has both historical and mystery aspects to the story and was a pretty fun read.  Some of the twists were obvious but I still found it to be an enjoyable and engaging story.  I loved the author's description of the workings of a play as well as her descriptions of Venice.  She truly brought the city to life.  Celia, the main character, was young but well-developed and I enjoyed watching her grow as a character throughout the story.  3 1/2 stars. The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian This book was so odd.  I really loved it in the beginning, the story was super creepy and I could not wait to see what would happen next.  However, it eventually seemed to take a strange turn and the completely diverged from the original story.  This new 'turn' was still interesting and kind of creepy so I kept reading....but the end...

From Goodreads:  Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease. Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young ...

Hello friends!  I just wanted to let you know that All Fall Down  by Jennifer Weiner is being released in paperback on April 7!  I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it to anyone.  You can read my review here . You can pre-order it here ! Praise for All Fall Down    "Compulsively readable. Weiner's skill is in the specifics. There's no doubt she knows how to deliver a certain kind of story, and well." –  New York Times Book Review “All Fall  Down is Weiner’s best book yet.” –  Philadelphia Inquirer “A witty, realistic criticism on the modern age… One of Weiner’s best works.” – Boston Herald “Jennifer Weiner's books should be labeled a controlled substance… You will read one more chapter, and oh, come on, what would one more hurt? I deserve this pill, er, page. And you are gone.” –  USAToday "Weiner is an acute and witty observer of social norms… Reading one of her contemporary nov...

Synopsis:  Julia is a book-loving publisher’s assistant. Jack is a famous British rock star. “Opposites attract” is an understatement. It’s 1981. Twenty-four-year-old Julia Nash has recently arrived in Manhattan, where she works as a publisher’s assistant. She dreams of becoming an editor with her own stable of bestselling authors—but it is hard to get promoted in the recession-clobbered book biz. Julia blows off steam by going dancing downtown with her best friend, Vicky. One night, a hot British guitarist invites them into his VIP section. Despite an entourage of models and groupies, Jack chooses Julia as his girl for the evening—and when Jack Kipling picks you, you go with it. The trouble is … he’s never met a girl like her before. And she resists being just one in a long line. Jack exposes her to new experiences, from exclusive nightclubs in SoHo to the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood; from mind-bending recording sessions to wild backstage parties. Yet Ju...

From Goodreads:  Allison Weiss has a great job...a handsome husband...an adorable daughter...and a secret. Allison Weiss is a typical working mother, trying to balance a business, aging parents, a demanding daughter, and a marriage. But when the website she develops takes off, she finds herself challenged to the point of being completely overwhelmed. Her husband’s becoming distant, her daughter’s acting spoiled, her father is dealing with early Alzheimer’s, and her mother’s barely dealing at all. As she struggles to hold her home and work life together, and meet all of the needs of the people around her, Allison finds that the painkillers she was prescribed for a back injury help her deal with more than just physical discomfort—they help her feel calm and get her through her increasingly hectic days. Sure, she worries a bit that the bottles seem to empty a bit faster each week, but it’s not like she’s some Hollywood starlet partying all night, or a homeless person w...

From Goodreads:  A chance to run a B&B in snowy, remote Vermont—it’s an offer Kira Danner can’t resist after six soul-crushing years of working as a lawyer in Florida. As Kira and her husband, Peter, step into a brand new life, she quells her fears about living with the B&B’s co-owners: Peter’s sexy, irresponsible brother Rand, and Rand’s wife, Alyssa…who is essentially a stranger. For her part, Alyssa sees taking over the B&B as the latest in a string of adventures. Plus, a quiet place might help her recover from the news that she can’t bear children. But the idyllic town proves to be anything but serene: Within weeks, the sisters-in-law are scrambling to prepare for their first big booking—a winter wedding—and soon a shy, mysterious woman comes to work for them. Dawn Zukoski is hiding something; that much is clear. But what the sisters-in-law don't realize is that Dawn is also hiding from someone… My Thoughts:   This isn't a book I probably wo...

    From Goodreads:  Dear Anna, What I have to tell you is difficult to write, but I know it will be far more difficult for you to hear, and I'm so sorry- The unfinished letter is the only clue Tara and Emerson have to the reason behind their close friend Noelle's suicide. Everything they knew about Noelle - her calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family - described a woman who embraced life. Yet there was so much they didn't know. With the discovery of the letter and its heartbreaking secret, Noelle's friends begin to uncover the truth about this complex woman who touched each of their lives - and the life of a desperate stranger - with love and betrayal, compassion and deceit. My Thoughts: Likes :  The synopsis of The Midwife's Confession sucked me in immediately and the story did the same.  The story itself was engaging and kept me wanting to know more and even when I thought I had figured ever...

From Goodreads:  Leah McMahon is back in Sultry Springs, Texas to help her dad recover from surgery. But there’s a new sheriff in town and he’s none other than Colton Bea, the wild-as-weeds boy who stole her heart a decade earlier. Colt’s a changed man, and the feelings between these high school sweethearts are stronger than ever. But Leah’s got a secret so devastating that he may never forgive her. Can she find a way to earn absolution and build a future with the sultry man she’s loved half her life? My Thoughts:  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I absolutely love this trilogy and the final book is no exception.  Though I enjoyed all three books, this Surrender to Sultry may be my favorite of the three.   Surrender to Sultry is Colt's story and I have to say that even though Colt was kind of a punk in the last book, I still thought he was an awesome character.  He's turned over a new leaf in this book ...

From Goodreads:  In her most emotionally charged novel to date, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered.In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits. Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has brought her to Broken Branch, wi...

From Goodreads:  Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child.  My Thoughts:  I have no idea why I bought this book but at some point in time, I did.  I have read one other Lauren Weisberger book and I think this one will be my last.   The story was very predictable and not super exciting.  Once I got started reading it, I knew exactly what was going to happen for the rest of the story...