March Read: What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

 

I've read a few Shari Lapena novels and they always keep me dangling until the last few pages.   This novel, her latest (on sale July 30), kept me completely engaged and unable to put it down. 

The small town of Fairhill, Vermont is a place where you leave your house unlocked and there's never any crime. Until one early morning when a farmer, driving his tractor into one of his fields, discovers a horrible scene: a naked young woman-dead, lying in the field. 

That dead young woman is Diana Brewer, a senior at the local high school. Her single mother works the night shift as a nurse in the next town over, and Diana spends nights alone at their home. Word quickly spreads, and the first suspect is Diana's boyfriend, Cameron. What were they doing together the night before, and why does Cameron lie? Diana's best friends Riley and Evan are devastated Diana's dead--and murdered. The town quickly become filled with a whole lot of people who have secrets to keep; secrets which point at many of them as potential suspects. Will they lie to protect themselves, or fess up and help uncover Diana's killer?

Shari Lapena usually writes thrillers that involve couples, and this was a bit different from her usual in that it centers around a murdered high school student. As police investigate, there's plenty of people who have things to hide that may tie directly to Diana's death, or may have contributed to her murder. It was hard to tell who would be revealed, and the reveal at the end is a bit of a twist that you may or may not see coming. Another twist is that Diana's spirit is "hanging around", and she's confused as to what happened. She has big gaps in her memory, and is slowly understanding she's dead and that someone killed her. Her flashbacks also give a bit of a red herring aspect to the plot because what she remembers may not necessarily be accurate. Plus, she's dead! 

Definitely one theme in this thriller is the endless harassment and sexualization young girls have to endure, even in a small town. Being called a liar, or not being believed at all, are things Diana has to endure. People always going out of their way to protect themselves instead of standing up for truth. 

If you're a Shari Lapena fan, this won't disappoint. If you're new to her novels, and you like thrillers--Heather Gudenkauf fans I'm talking to you--grab this novel for you summer read when it arrives in stores and libraries July 30th. 

A HUGE thank you to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for a chance to read this thriller a few months before publication. 

Rating: 5/6 for a thriller that keeps you on your toes guessing who the guilty party is--and also, the effect of murder on a small town and how it completely changes the lives of those left behind. 

Available July 30th in the U.S. in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

March Read: What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

I finally got off my duff and concentrated on a book long enough to finish it. I've been bouncing between 3-4 books since August 1st and not making headway in any of them. However, Home Before Dark took over and the more I read, the more invested I got in the story and couldn't put it down. And since today is National Book Lover's Day, I thought it was appropriate to have a relaxing Sunday and read all morning. 

Home Before Dark is the first book I've read by author Riley Sager, and I'm happy to say I'll definitely be reading more. This was a blend of thriller, ghost story, and mystery all rolled into one. I honestly didn't know where the story was taking me until the very end. 

Maggie Holt's life has been ruled by her father's infamous haunted house memoir, published when Maggie was around six years old. In it, her father tells the story of their experience living for just a few short weeks in Baneberry Hall, an old estate in the Vermont woods. His book House of Horrors describes the increasingly uneasy happenings in the house, which culminate in Maggie and her parents fleeing one July night, never to return to the house again. The memoir made her parents rich, but tore the family apart. It also caused Maggie to have a somewhat miserable childhood. Her parents wouldn't discuss the book and whether or not it was true, and Maggie was always known as "that girl". Now her father has died, and to Maggie's surprise, he has left her his whole estate-which includes Baneberry Hall. He never sold it, and Maggie doesn't know why. Now she's returning to get the house ready to sell, and also to dig deep and find out if her parents made everything up or if the home is actually haunted. 

As Maggie returns, she's not very welcome in town. Her father's memoir made the small town and some of its inhabitants infamous, and even though it's been 25 years, the resentment is still strong. Maggie just wants to quickly renovate the place, put it up for sale, and never see it again. However, things begin to happen that make Maggie question everything about her father, his memoir, and her own memories of that long ago July. If she can't remember specific things that happened in the book, does that mean they never happened? Or was she so traumatized by it all that she simply can't remember? 

I was completely ready for a spooky horror novel. What I got was a puzzle that slowly unfolded, and kept me trying to figure out what exactly happened at Baneberry Hall 25 years before. Why is Maggie's mother so reluctant to talk about it? Why is Maggie having horrible night terrors of Mister Shadow coming out of the armoire in her room, just as she did as a child? Is the place really haunted? And if so, by whom? The history of the house is steeped in sadness and a whole lot of death. 

This was a great read. Every other chapter is a chapter from the House of Horrors memoir, and that definitely kept me glued to the pages! 

Rating: 5/6 for a thriller with a supernatural element that leaves you guessing: is it true? Twists and turns that make it hard to figure out until the very end. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

The Christmas tree is up at my house, and I was either too lazy or just not feeling the vibes to put out all my Christmas decorations. I went minimal and I'm happy with it. Just a few wreaths (battery operated timed lights rock!), stockings for Bud and I (I told him that meant he had to fill mine this year), a few candles to make it smell like a pine forest. I have a few items my Dad made that I absolutely have to put out each year; I'll confess I had a few tears putting them out and thinking about my Dad. Christmas sure does make you think about holidays past, and all those people who aren't here to celebrate with us. 

I've managed to avoid holiday cookies and treats so far, but I'm sure I'll cave and devour something a bit closer to December 24th! Reading this novel--some of the food made me have a few pangs, but I stayed strong. 

So, if you've followed my blog for a while, you know I have a love/hate relationship with Anita Hughes novels. I've read a few, and they are a bit too far out for me to really enjoy them. The characters live lifestyles that don't evoke any empathy for them, and they seem a bit shallow. But I keep coming back to try another one of her novels. I haven't given up just yet. 

Christmas in Vermont wasn't bad, but I did have a few issues. I did like the setting: the town of Snowberry, Vermont, and the homey Smuggler's Inn, run by Betty. Betty is a recently widowed woman who is struggling to keep the Inn open due to big medical bills from her husband's illness. Snowberry is reminiscent of a Hallmark holiday movie town--perfect shops, decorations, and people. Emma has arrived for a week's stay at the inn between Christmas and New Year's Day. Her friend Bronwyn gifted her the trip because Emma just broke up with her latest boyfriend, and a series of happenings in New York led  Bronwyn to believe that fate was at work for Emma, and she just had to go to Snowberry. Staying at the inn was Emma's true love, Fletcher, and his daughter Lola. It's been eleven years since they broke up and graduated from college, and maybe, just maybe, it's time for them to reconnect and try again. 

Synchronicity is a major theme in this tale of two people who connected once long ago, and through misunderstandings and miscommunication, lost their chance to remain together. Of course Fletcher has no idea Emma is purposely staying at the inn, and he's astonished to find his college girlfriend back in his life, all these years later. 

Oh, and guess what? Fletcher's engaged, and his fiancé is staying at the inn, too. Whoops. 

I didn't really feel a big connection between Fletcher and Emma, and the flashbacks to their time together in college weren't super interesting. It just felt like a college romance that ended as they do, when people graduate and go their separate ways in life. Emma's inability to remain committed to a relationship has convinced her she's never going to settle down and have the family she wants. Fletcher is engaged to a woman who doesn't seem well suited to him, and isn't fond of his very precocious daughter Lola. The plot was fairly thin, and easy to see how it would end. Yes, it did remind me of a Hallmark Christmas movie; it was pretty tame all around. I am happy the ending wasn't tied up in a tight little bow; it made sense that happily ever after doesn't happen automatically. Growing a relationship is part of the path to that happily ever after we all hope for. 

So-a bland kind of story, but it should put you in the holiday spirit. No surprises here, just an easy read holiday romance about second chances and synchronicity. 

Rating: 2/6 for a tale of two people rediscovering each other again, and the chance to get it right the second time around. I didn't feel much chemistry between the two main characters, and the supporting characters all seemed fairly standard and unremarkable. Enjoyable but not a Wow! story. 

Available in paperback and ebook. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

An Ale of Two Cities: A Literary Pub Mystery by Sarah Fox

I had to start out my December reads by finishing this cozy mystery, the second in the Literary Pub Mystery series by Sarah Fox. I reviewed the first in the series back in March: Wine and Punishment, and enjoyed it enough that I had to snatch the second mystery up as soon as it came into the library. I can't wait to see what happens with the third in the series. 

This cozy mystery is set in the little town of Shady Creek, Vermont. It's winter, and time for the annual Winter Carnival, a week-long event that includes an ice sculpting contest, a hockey tournament, a parade, and lots of activities for tourists and townspeople. 

Sadie, our intrepid mystery sleuth, continues to run her literary pub The Inkwell, and is a bit melancholy about the upcoming Christmas season--it's her first in her new hometown, and she'll be spending it alone-all her family will be traveling around and no one will be home. But before she can think too much about it, one of the competitors in the ice sculpting contest turns up dead, with an ice pick in his chest. Freddy Mancini, renowned chef and local celebrity, has returned to compete in the ice sculpting contest. But Freddy is a real jerk-so full of himself he alienates those who helped him along the way. He's only in town for one day and he's already angered a lot of people. But who would want to kill him?

Sadie starts to ask questions, and sleuth on the side. Mostly because one of her employees is under suspicion, and Sadie just has to prove Mel's innocence before she's arrested for murder. Add in Sadie's developing crush on Grayson, the local brewery owner, and she's got her hands full. But can she solve the mystery before she finds herself in danger? 

There are a lot of suspects, and every one of them has a reason to see Freddy dead. A second murder creates even more urgency for Sadie, and muddies the waters a bit as she works to solve the murders. I guess it's hard to look at the folks in your small town and realize one or more are killers! But, as cozy mysteries go, you get to know the supporting cast of characters, the town, and some of Sadie's background. All in all, a satisfying second in the series. The story just happens to end on Christmas Day, so somehow I managed to read a Christmas cozy mystery without even trying! 

Rating: 4/6 for a winter cozy mystery that was a quick read. Any mystery that includes a literary pub has me sucked in, and I enjoyed reading this second in a series. You'll be wanting a hot chocolate or coffee with this one, as there is snow, snow, snow featured prominently throughout the story. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

An Ale of Two Cities: A Literary Pub Mystery by Sarah Fox

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

If the beautiful cover art of this novel doesn't grab you, the story inside will certainly do the trick. I've had my ins and outs with this novel, but I've finally finished it, and it was worth the struggle. 

I know, and yet I do it probably every month: spend weeks reading a book that I really should read in a matter of days. Taking too long to read a novel ensures my interest will wane, even if it's a wonderful story. That's what happened with Ten Thousand Doors. Yet somehow, a Thanksgiving miracle happened at the last moment and turned it all around. 

I've been pecking at this novel since early November. I'd read glowing reviews, blurbs, and of course saw the cover, so I was prepared to be wowed from the get go and not be able to put it down. 

I was wrong-partly. I got about 100 pages in, and was stuck. Knowing it was my last book to read and review this month was weighing on me, and I knew I had to dive in and finish it. I dove back in the other night, and got a little farther. Okay, it was growing on me. Then last night, I had the chance to just lay on my couch and read for a few hours. So I did, but those few hours had me reading until after 11 PM, when I reluctantly put it down because my eyes were bugging out! I had a chance to read again today, on a gloomy Tuesday when I wasn't feeling so hot and was needing some distraction from a nagging headache. 

I'm happy to say I finished it today, and it was superbly written. Wow, Alix Harrow is a master storyteller, and this is one imaginative story. January Scaller is a young teenager, living with her guardian, Mr. Locke, in a mansion in Vermont filled with museum quality pieces from around the world. The man responsible for collecting those pieces is January's father, Julian. He travels the world, and January doesn't see him very much. She's awful alone, and her skin-tone--a dusky red/brown, ensures she's only treated kindly because she's under the care of Mr. Locke. She's pretty secluded, and all she wants to do is be with her father on her travels. 

One day, January finds a strange little book tucked away in a special spot. That book is the gateway to January's grandest adventures, full of dangers, death, far away worlds, and men who will stop at nothing to grab January and keep her under lock and key. January, you see, is unlike most other teenage girls. She's got some serious gifts, and as she reads the journal, she slowly begins to understand her yearning for other places and adventures. She begins to find her way home. 

I'm woefully inadequate telling you the plot of this book, but I don't want to give anything away. I did have a bit of trouble understanding what was going on and why this journal was plopped down in the middle of the story, but oh, after spending some time diving into the story, it all became clear. It's a story within a story for sure, just like there are doors within doors, and worlds within worlds. 

I thought of my sad attempt at NaNoWriMo this month (I happily stopped writing after 10 days and no inspiration), and was blown away by the talent Alix Harrow has for crafting such an imaginative and outstanding novel. Pure magic. I was reading in bed last night, and I actually stopped and said out loud "A ha! This is where it kicks into high gear!"

I'd gift this book to any YA readers; folks who like fantasy, or adventure novels; people who enjoy a well crafted story. It would make, in the best hands, an amazing movie. I don't want a sequel--this novel finishes as it should, and I'm content. 

Rating: 6/6 for an inventive, magical, outstanding novel about stories, worlds, families, love, and healing. Finding your place. Embracing your gifts. I highly recommend this novel!

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

A friend loaned me her copy of this novel (months ago, I shamefully admit) and I decided now was the time to read it. Jennifer McMahon has had me curious for quite some time. I know her novel The Winter People received great reviews, but of course I didn't get a chance to read it. 

I've been tussling over what to read for my book group this next week. I'm supposed to read something that scares me, and I've got to tell you, not much scares me in the reading world. It's a rare book that unnerves me. I was hoping The Invited would at least make me slightly uneasy at night, but it didn't. However, it was an excellent tale and I couldn't put it down. 

Helen and Nate are two school teachers that decide to leave their jobs and move to Vermont to pursue their wish to start over. Using Helen's inheritance money, they purchase some land outside the small Vermont town of Hartsboro. Forty acres of mostly woods and bog, and one perfect spot to build their dream house. The realtor laughingly says the land is haunted, and Helen's ears perk up. She's a historian, and she longs to create a place that has some history attached to it. A haunted piece of land will certainly help. 

Helen and Nate begin building their home-yes, by themselves. Helens' father built houses, and Helen often helped him. Saving their money, doing most of the labor themselves, Helen and Nate should stretch their money to build the house and live off the land. Living in a crappy trailer on the land while they build their home, things start to get tense pretty quickly. It's a lousy trailer, and neither sleeps well at night. Tools begin to go missing, and money, too. The bog is very tempting, but dangerous. Nate begins getting into watching the wildlife (he's a science teacher), and Helen becomes intrigued in the story of Hattie Breckenridge, who lived on the land they now own, and was hung by the townspeople for witchcraft in 1924. Yes, I said 1924. Hung by a mob, next to the bog. They then burned her home down. Hattie was known by all to have a gift--she could see the future, and while everyone was afraid of her, they also came to her for help, too. But a tragic fire at the schoolhouse kills three children, and Hattie had warned the town that something tragic would happen. They blamed it on her, and killed her for it. Now everyone believes Hattie haunts the bog. And they believe Helen and Nate have invited her back with their purchase of the land and building their home. 

Olive lives not far from Helen and Nate's land, and she's also really mad they are there. Olive, a young girl, and her mother Lori heard the tales of buried treasure on Hattie's land, and were convinced they were meant to find it. However, Lori disappears (everyone says she ran away) and Olive is not only traumatized by her mother disappearing, but the gossip in town, and her father's constant renovating their home. He thinks if he keeps fixing it up, Lori will come home. Olive keeps searching for the treasure, and making mischief for Helen and Nate. 

However, Olive isn't all to blame. There is some weird stuff happening, and the more Helen uncovers the dark past of Hattie's murder, the more she's convinced Hattie is there, leading Helen to solve a mystery. 

This was a really good blend of mystery, history, and paranormal. The story of the Breckenridge women was the best part of the novel-and the most tragic, too. Olive is a spitfire, and one smart young lady. Helen is teetering on the edge-the deeper she digs, the more fascinated she gets, and it's putting a strain on her relationship with Nate. It seems that Hattie wants her help, but someone else doesn't want her around at all. She feels an increasing sense of urgency to put all the pieces together, before someone else ends up hurt. 

This had just the right amount of spooky moments without going overboard. The land itself played a big part in creating the atmosphere. The brief chapters that go back to Hattie and her descendants, and show what happened to each of them from their viewpoint are key to putting things together, and provide a good break from the present day plot. 

I'd recommend this novel to anyone who wants a slightly haunting tale of righting wrongs, familial love, and tenacious women. The past always remains with us, and restless souls need closure. 

Rating: 4/6 for a solid novel about ghosts, a dark town secret, the thin line between science and the unknown, and the restless dead. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox

I was getting deep into my historical fiction when this hold came up at the library...and down the cozy mystery rabbit hole I went, dropping everything else to read this book. 

It's the first in a series--"A literary pub mystery". Wine, a pub, and books. Not hard to see why I wanted to read it. Quick synopsis: Sadie Coleman is a new resident of the small town of Shady Creek, Vermont. She's purchased a historic old mill, and turned it into a pub that has a literary theme to it: cocktails crafted after authors and books, along with a cozy atmosphere filled with book shelves and a few new book clubs. She's only been open a few months, and things are going well. 

However, one night her ex-boyfriend shows up at the pub. She'd broken up with him months earlier over his gambling habit. She moved away and started fresh. Now he's back and wants to see her. Slipping out the back door, she avoids him. The next morning, he's found dead, and of course Sadie is one of the suspects. With the annual harvest festival starting in a few days, with lots of tourists coming into town, it's the worst time for a murder! And to further the mystery, the same night Eric is murdered, a fire breaks out in a local antique shop. Are the two connected? What did Eric want with Sadie? 

Of course Sadie is curious, and needs to nose around. But that could put her in some dangerous situations, and somebody in town doesn't like Sadie very much.  

I enjoyed this cozy very much. I will definitely read more of the series. Characters are likable, the town is appealing, and there's plenty of build up for a romance with the ocal brewmaster, Grayson. This was a welcome diversion from a busy week. I'm really enjoying dipping into the cozy mystery genre. Only problem is there's so many I want to read, I'm having a hard time choosing my next one. Big surprise, but I do like cozy mysteries that have a literary theme to them. 

Rating: 4/6 for an enjoyable start to a new mystery series. If you enjoy books and cocktails, and someday dream of having your own literary pub, you'll enjoy this cozy mystery. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox

The Late Bloomers' Club by Louise Miller

I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of The Late Bloomers' Club in the mail last week. I absolutely loved Louise Miller's first novel, The City Baker's Guide to Country Living.  Set in the little town of Guthrie, Vermont, this novel has the same warmth and delicious baking that made CBGTCL one of my favorite reads of 2016. 

Nora Huckleberry owns and runs the town's beloved Miss Guthrie Diner; first started by her parents, and inherited by Nora after her mother dies of cancer and her father falls apart. Taking care of her younger sister Kit as a teenager, Nora has always done what she should do, rather than what she wants. The diner is popular, but always has something that needs fixing, and takes up so much of Nora's time she has little for her real passion: creating art. When a local cake baker, Peggy Johnson suddenly dies and leaves her house and land to Nora and Kit, it starts a whole new chance for the town, and Nora, to begin a new life. 

Elliot, a representative from HG Corporation, had been in talks with Peggy before her death on purchasing her land for a new big box store. Nora and Kit could sell the land, pay all their bills, and have some extra cash. It would help Kit with her struggling film career, and help Nora get ahead of diner bills. But Peggy's home includes an old growth orchard and some surprises in the woods. As Nora discovers what Peggy kept hidden from the town, she falls in love with the comfort, quiet, and sense of home Peggy's place provides. And darn it all, Elliot is a cutie, too. Nora has to not only think about what would benefit her, but what a big box store would mean to the town of Guthrie and all the small shop owners who make their living from tourists. It would change the makeup of Guthrie permanently, and while there are benefits, are they worth it?

There's so much more to this novel; I don't want to give any of it away. Cakes are a big part of it all, and like a great cake, you should savor every bite. Peggy's life may have seemed quiet, but she had a lot going on behind the scenes, and those secrets effect Nora and Kit's choices. 

This was such a lovely book to read, especially after The Hunger. The town of Guthrie must surely exist somewhere, and all the wonderful folks who make Guthrie a special place are out there, too. Characters from The City Baker's Guide to Country Living populate this novel, and it felt like a continuing story, with hardly any time gone by. 

A big thank you to Pamela Dorman/Viking for an advanced review copy. Just what this gal needed in the dog days of summer. 

Rating:  5/6 for a delightful return to the small Vermont town of Guthrie. It's never too late to realize your dreams.  And the cakes! Oh, the cakes. Yum. 

Available in hardcover and ebook. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Late Bloomers' Club by Louise Miller

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

I've been waiting for the latest Simone St. James to be released for MONTHS.  I've read all of her books, and in my opinion, this is her best book.  One of the main reasons I love Simone's novels so much is because they're ghost stories. I have been a fan of ghosty stories since I was a little kid.  These are like Mary Downing Hahn books for adults.  

What makes Broken Girls different than her previous novels is the modern setting. Set in the small town of Barrons, Vermont, the narrative moves between 1950 and 2014. In 2014, 37 year old Fiona Sheridan still struggles to move past her older sister's brutal murder in 1994.  Found on the playing fields near Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for girls, her sister Deb's boyfriend was convicted and has spent the last 20 years in jail. Fiona saw the destruction of her parent's marriage, and the unraveling of her famous journalist father's career as a result of that dark November night.  She herself, a journalist writing "fluff" pieces for a local magazine, is dating a police officer, and is wary of pretty much everyone and everything. Something about her sister's death has never settled with Fiona.  

In 1950, we learn the story of Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for troublesome girls.  These days, these girls would be perfectly normal teens, but in the conservative 1950's they were seen as embarrassments and shipped off and out of sight.  Katie, CeCe, Roberta, and Sonia all room together and form a deep friendship in a place that is so creepy even the teachers hate being there.  Yes, there is something very unsettling about Idlewild Hall, and generations of girls have written notes to each other in textbooks about Mary Hand, the ghostly presence that scares the hell out of everyone.  She is a substantial part of the plot, and so eerie that even I, sitting on my couch, was a little bit creeped out. 
 No one knows who she is, but she roams the school buildings and land.  Students even have a little rhyme about Mary:

"Mary Hand, Mary Hand, dead and buried under the land...

Faster, faster. Don't let her catch you. 

She'll say she wants to be your friend...

Do not let her in again!"

The ghost of Mary Hand makes you look at the worst part of your life.  She writes on windows, stands next to you and sends chills down your spine.  One of the best ghostly characters I've come across in a long time.

The plot revolves around something terrible that happens to the four girls in the 1950's, and Fiona's journalistic curiosity in 2014 as Idlewild is purchased and is being prepared for renovation, to become a boarding school for girls again. Will this renovation stir up old spirits? Does Mary Hand still roam Idlewild?

I have to say, the plot was on point. The stories of the four friends: Katie, CeCe, Roberta, and Sonia continue into 2014, and wow, the twist is pretty clever.  This plot went where I never would have expected it to go. Fiona's story is also interesting, as her digging into the history of Idlewild raises more questions that must be answered, and help her find out just what really happened to her sister in 1994. I'm not going to tell you anymore, because I don't want to give anything away. I say, just read the book!  It really is a page turner. I couldn't wait to read at night, read at lunch, and read early in the morning. I was frustrated I couldn't devote hours at a time to read it. Yes, for me, it was that good. 

Rating:  6/6.  Yes, perhaps I am biased because I love Simone St. James' novels so much, and a good chilling ghost story is hard to find.  But darn it all, this was a really great read.  One of my favorites for 2018.

Available in hardcover and ebook.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

I've been itching to read this novel for a few months.  I'm a sucker for my foodie novels, and this one didn't disappoint.  I was certainly in the mood for a novel that was gentle, full of warm characters, and set in a lovely little town.  Toss in some incredible desserts that made my mouth water, and I was a happy camper this weekend reading Louise Miller's debut novel.  

Olivia is a very talented pastry chef working at an exclusive club in Boston.  She's also having an affair with Jamie, a much older married man who is a big wig at the club.  One night at a huge party, she accidentally drops a flaming Baked Alaska and starts a fire at the club.  Oops.  Seeing this as an excuse to leave a messy situation, she flees to Guthrie, Vermont to visit her best friend Hannah.  At loose ends, Olivia applies for the pastry chef job at the Sugar Maple Inn, owned by the cranky Margaret.  Olivia soon settles into her job, acting non-committal but knowing deep down in her bones that she wants to stay in Guthrie.  Olivia and her dog Salty become involved with the McCracken family, who represent everything Olivia has always yearned for in her life.  Martin McCracken is not the usual type Olivia goes for; he is kind,  kinda cute, and an excellent fiddle player.  But his home is in Seattle, and he doesn't plan on remaining in Guthrie forever. 

Olivia is a bit of a square peg in Guthrie.  She dyes her hair fantastical colors, drinks, and has no problem standing up for herself. You get a sense that Guthrie used to be a very conservative town, but seems to have loosened up.  But the same families have lived there for decades, and past loves, slights, and hurts still simmer under the surface.  Small town life will always be one where everyone knows your business all the time.  Olivia is used to living anonymously in a large city.  It's a bit of an adjustment. 

There is romance, heartbreak, friendship, sadness, and oodles of baking in this novel.  I'm pretty sure I'll have to have some apple pie very soon.  As you'll see, it plays a big part in the life of this town.   There aren't any surprises in this novel, and that's alright with me.  Sometimes a gal just needs a good read that, at the turn of the last page, puts a smile on her face and a bit of sadness in saying goodbye to Olivia and Guthrie, Vermont.  

A huge thank you to Pamela Dorman books/Viking for providing a review copy of this book.  It made my day to receive this book in the mail. 

This novel will be on sale nationwide on August 9th in hardcover, e-book, and audio.  

Rating:  7/10 for a novel about finding home, the small pleasures in life, and families that come in all shapes and sizes.  

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller