Two Reviews in One: Aria's Traveling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisin and The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber

I decided to review two books in one post this week. I was cruising along, reading at a good clip and somehow over the weekend hit a snag. However, some time at home (and I'll confess, a few late nights) had me finishing two books on my September list. 

First is Aria's Traveling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisin. This is a sequel to Rosie's Traveling Tea Shop (read my review here), but definitely isn't really necessary to read it before this one. 

We find Aria and Rosie getting ready to take their campers to France so travel the fete and festival circuit. Aria's camper is chock full of books to sell, while Rosie (a former chef), creates delicious British treats to sell, along with specialty teas that often compliment Aria's books. 

Aria is a young widower, and has firmly shut her heart to any possibility of ever falling in love again. She had her true love, and no one can match it. However, there is Jonathan; a quiet, handsome, and bookish man Aria has one magical encounter with at a music festival. Now it's months later, and Aria runs into Jonathan again, just as she's about to leave for France. Can she open her heart to let Jonathan in, or will she lose him to someone else? 

This novel is all about grief, putting closure on painful memories, and opening up your heart to live and love again. It's also fun to see Rosie and Max and what's in store for them. I hope there is at least one more in this series so I can see where Aria and Jonathan are in the near future. Entertaining, clean (no sex scenes), likable characters. An uplifting novel about the best of friends and, of course, adventure. 

This novel was on my highly-anticipated list! 

And, as per usual, once I got it, I dithered about reading it. It's not a long book, but it took me a few weeks to finish it. I kept finding myself waiting for the big grab, and it just wasn't happening, which annoyed me to no end. However, the big grab did happen at nearly the end of the novel--and that was a really big grab! I love Heather Webber, and while I enjoyed this novel, it wasn't my favorite of the three I've read. 

Sadie Way Scott has to return to her hometown of Sugarberry Cove, Alabama, after her mother has a cardiac incident. Sadie's sister Leala Claire lives in Sugarberry and decides to stay at the B&B their mother runs in order to keep it open and help out. Sadie and Leala haven't gotten along very well for the past eight years, after Sadie's near fatal dive into the magical lake just outside her mother's B&B. Sadie, under water for fifteen minutes, miraculously survives and comes out of the lake with silver, sparkling hair. 

It's not the only change to Sadie, however. She leaves Sugarberry Cove and begins a successful career as a digital storyteller. Now reluctantly, she's back at the one place she never wanted to return to. Family dynamics are really at play in this novel about two sisters, their mother, and the grief and tragedy that changed their lives. Mom Susannah is behind in her bills, and the B&B is looking shaggy. Sadie and Leala decide to help spruce it up in hopes of bringing back business. Will Susannah object? 

While Sadie and Leala are staying at the B&B, so many other players arrive: Teddy and her niece Bree, Uncle Camp, Iona (a potential subject for Sadie's storytelling series), Leala's husband Connor and son Tucker, and neighbor Buzzy. There's a lot of back story to go through with all of these characters, and that's part of the unfolding of the story. The Lady of the Lake saved Sadie that long ago night; will her magic save the family again as they navigate big changes? 

I'd love to stay at this B&B; it sounds heavenly. The myth of the Lady of the Lake is a big driver in this tale, and doesn't disappoint. I think I just got stuck a bit on the drama between the sisters and their mom. But the characters are all fully developed and charming, and misunderstandings are resolved once people are brave enough to speak up and make their wishes known. This novel is about family dynamics, not giving up on dreams, and of course, love. 

I enjoyed both novels and they hit the spot for my September comfort reads. Both novels are a 4/6 on my scale. 

Available in paperback and hardcover, audio and ebook. 

If you're looking for gentle reads, or comfort reads with likable characters, issues that are resolved in a believable way, and of course some beautiful scenery and delish food, either of these books would fit the bill. Love both of these authors. 

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Two Reviews in One: Aria's Traveling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisin and The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

 

I've been reading a lot of historical fiction this month. Maybe I'm trying to make up for the lack of it in my 2020 reading list? I have been ping-ponging between quite a few books, and not making a big dent in any of them. So, what I do when that happens is start another book. Ha! This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it very much. It was just what I needed to read.

The Kitchen Front is based on an actual World War 2 contest that was sponsored by the BBC. In this novel, four women in the small town of Finley Village enter the contest hoping to be the winner. For each of them, it means a chance to change their lives for the better. Audrey is a widow with three children, barely hanging onto her home by baking pies and scones for the locals. Lady Gwendoline is Audrey's estranged sister. She is all about appearance and making her stuffy, nasty husband proud. Nell is a servant for Lady Gwendoline, and a very talented young cook. She dreams of leaving her position for something better. And Zelda Dupont is a talented chef from London, forced to relocate to Finley Village to work at a factory. She's determined to win the contest so she may return to London and become head chef at a posh restaurant. 

Part of the charm of this novel is the progression from four women who are against each other to firm friends who help each other through difficult issues. Realizing friendship is most important. The ingenuity and talent each woman shows in creating recipes for each of the three courses shows just how gifted they all are--you'll find yourself cheering them all on--but of course, there can be only one winner. 

If you want a feel good historical novel, this is it. I find myself a little burned out of World War 2 fiction, and tend to avoid reading a lot of it. Years of bookselling and talking about World War 2 fiction--usually trends come and go in genres, yet this trend is still going strong. I made an exception for this novel, and I am glad I did. I loved the combination of history, women's struggles and friendships, and the cooking. It was a quick read and thoroughly enjoyable. 

The Kitchen Front will be released in the U.S. on February 23rd, 2021. A big thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced e-arc. 

Rating: 4/6 for a World War 2 novel that explores female friendship during difficult times. A fascinating look at how women coped with restrictive food rations, air raids, and keeping family and friendships together. 

Available in hardcover, large print, ebook, and audio. 

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The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past by Traci Wilton

 

Christmas cozy mysteries are a fairly new addition to my December reading, but they have quickly become favorites. This mystery, the third in the Salem B&B Mystery series, can be read on its own. I haven't read the first two, but I will probably go back and read them; mostly because I enjoyed this mystery and the characters. If you're interested in the first two in the series, they are Mrs. Morris and the Ghost, and Mrs. Morris and the Witch.

What drew me to this mystery: it takes place in Salem, MA, and there's a ghost involved. Mrs. Morris is Charlene, a recent transplant from Chicago. She's bought an old mansion and turned it into a B&B. That mansion has a ghost named Jack: a handsome ghost who only Charlene can see and talk to. There's a bit of flirty behavior going on between Charlene and Jack, but, well...kind of hard to see a future with a ghostly guy. Charlene moved to Salem to start fresh after her husband's untimely death. Now it's two years later, and while still not ready to invest in a new relationship, she does enjoy a slow simmering attraction to Sam, a Salem detective. 

It's a week before Christmas, and Charlene's parents are visiting. Her Mom is a bit of a pill, and her Dad is charming. A supper out at the local popular Italian restaurant Bella's begins this cozy mystery. A fundraiser for the local children's foster home has plenty of people at the restaurant, and when co-owner David gets up to speak, the excitement builds. He just won ten million in the lottery, and he's about to hand out a few checks. One check will help Felicity House expand and provide shelter for even more children in need. However, David's checks aren't quite what everyone expected, and in the midst of outrage, David heads outside, only to be hit by a car and left for dead in the street. 

There are lots of people who are suspects, and I honestly didn't know until close to the end who actually killed David. Was it the money hungry younger wife? His business partner? His son, angry over his Dad's lack of attention? Charlene just can't help herself, and starts asking questions. She may just put herself in danger if she isn't careful. 

This was a fun mystery. The focus is mostly on local restaurants and shops; some Salem tourist attractions are mentioned, too. A lot of the tension in the book comes from Charlene and her mother, who isn't happy her only daughter has moved away from Chicago. She also wants Charlene to find another partner, and is a bit pushy when she finds out about Sam. There's Jack, who has feelings for Charlene, and doesn't like to see Sam around. Yes, he's a ghost. Suspending belief is required! 

This helped me stay in the holiday mood over the weekend while I was baking cookies and hanging out at my boyfriend's non-holidayish home. We did finally get out a few things to make it look more festive-however my house is decorated and I missed being with my tree this weekend! I'm home tonight, tree lit and holiday scented candles burning. 

Off to my next holiday read-take care and spend some time soaking up the season! 

Rating: 3/6 for an entertaining cozy mystery. Easy to follow, even though it is the third in the series. For those who love quick reads, likeable characters, and the charm of Salem, Massachusetts, I'd recommend this series. 

Available in paperback and e-book.

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Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past by Traci Wilton

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

I had the chance to read this for a short time on my e-reader, so I had to hop to it! At first I was a little worried I wouldn't like it, but the story got under my skin and I absolutely loved it and was sorry to finish and say goodbye to the story. 

The Jane Austen Society takes place shortly after World War 2 in the small village of Chawton, England; an unlikely mix of people come together over their love of Jane Austen's novels. Dr. Grey, a widower who is beloved by the village, but secretly still held back by his grief seven years after his wife's accidental death; Adeline, the charismatic school teacher who lost her husband during the war and is expecting a child; Frances, the heir to the great Knightly estate after the death of her emotionally cold and distant father. There's also Andrew, a lawyer to Frances' father and, once long ago, in love with Frances. There are more characters, and they all play a part in a plot that slowly reveals the dynamics between all the characters. 

There is not much action, and that is just fine. I was thoroughly engaged in the play between all of the characters, as they draw together to start the Jane Austen Society. Jane had lived in Chawton for ten years, and wrote her last three novels at her brother's estate, where Frances is the last Knightly and direct descendant of Jane's brother. Each of the characters absolutely love Jane's works--some find Emma their favorite, while others are firmly in the Pride and Prejudice camp. But all of them adore Jane Austen, and want to create a place for other fans who travel to Chawton in search of Jane's last home. 

So a novel about Jane Austen that definitely has the feel of a Jane Austen novel, with unrequited love, misunderstandings, the local gossip, the charming cad, and everyone just looking for happiness in the aftermath of a war that devastated a country and left a lot of wounded souls. What a charming novel. I am so very glad I had the chance to read it, and didn't give up early on. It is definitely worth taking the time to linger, and I'm sure you will be tempted to reread some of Jane's works. The cast of characters are delightful, and I couldn't help but cheer them all on towards their particular happy endings. 

Rating: 5/6 for a sweet and gentle read that really nails the hard work of developing not just one character, but multiple characters. Once I moved past the first 50 pages, I was hooked, and you will be, too. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

This book has been so patient with me. I bought it in 2017, and it has had a place of prominence on my bookcase. The bookcase that I walk past multiple times a day; the one just outside my kitchen. The bright cover always catches my eye, and I think "I've got to read that someday".  It took a pandemic, but here we are--it's read, and I'm so glad I waited until now to dive into it. 

I read Abbi's novel The Bookish Life of Nina Hill  last August (click on the title for my review) and loved Abbi's style of writing: a bit of snark, a bit of humor, and a whole lot of heart. Contemporary women's fiction that I really enjoy, and sometimes have a hard time finding just the right fit. Abbi's writing fits me perfectly. So when I realized this was the same author, I really wanted to read it--and I needed something a bit lighter, and something that had to do with gardening. 

Lilian Girvan is a single mother of two young girls: Annabel and Clare. Her husband died in a terrible car accident right in front of their house three years before. Lillian had a breakdown and was pretty out of it for a year. Her sister Rachel took care of the girls and kept things together until Lilian was home again. Now life is as normal as it can be; Lilian is a book illustrator, the girls are thriving, and Lilian is taking one day at a time. 

Lilian's latest illustrating assignment is a book about vegetables. Part of the job requires her to attend a local gardening class for six weeks. She talks Rachel into going along with her and the girls. This class will change their lives in ways they can't begin to imagine. 

Lilian has no intention of ever dating again. She's planning on being single for the rest of her life. She misses Dan, her husband, so much, and can't begin to imagine ever wanting anyone else. Besides, she's got her girls to raise.  Enter Edward, the man who is leading the gardening class.He's pretty cute. And smart. And charming. And gets along with Annabel and Clare. And likes Lilian a lot. 

All of the class participants are pretty wonderful characters, and Lilian forms friendships with all of them pretty quickly. It's a group of people brought together for a reason, and as the weeks go by, they lean on each other, support each other, and eat a lot of pizza. Life throws lots of changes at all of them as the garden grows and flourishes under their care and attention. 

Yes, this book was just what I needed. Absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. Abbi has a new book coming out: I Was Told It Would Get Easier in June and you betcha I'll be reading it--and not take three years to do it. 

Rating: 4/6 for a delightful read about moving on after losing someone you love; all the gifts of gardening, finding love, and opening up your heart. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

This novel was like a little mental break for me in the midst of a busy month. I feel like I've been slogging through some of my reading choices, and not making much progress. However, I picked this up off my TBR pile Sunday morning and quickly became engrossed in it-and settled down to power read. I just finished it this morning before work. I was a bit annoyed at myself for being too sleepy last night to finish the last 30 pages before bed. So annoyed! 

I have to say, I was expecting a bit more of a ghost story similar to  Simone St. James (a favorite author of mine). While I had a very mild disappointment, it was more than made up by the romance between Alva Webster and Sam Moore, the two central characters. I wasn't expecting so much of the plot to be about their unfolding relationship, but it was, and the sparks between the two were the best part of the whole book. The ghost story had an interesting twist, for sure. Something I hadn't ever read about in any other ghost story I've come across. 

The basic plot: Alva Webster, widow and infamously known as a woman of *ahem* salacious appetites and oodles of gossip, returns to New York after living for years in Europe. Her husband was murdered, and she's come back to start over where she grew up, the only daughter of privileged parents who now have nothing to do with her. She's purchased Liefdehuis, an abandoned Hyde Park mansion that is rumored to be haunted. Her goal is to renovate the home and write a book about home decorating in the process. It's 1875; she's a widow with some money but not a lot, and has to find a way to make a living. Malicious gossip has followed her home, and even though none of it is true, she can't seem to escape it. 

Professor Sam Moore is in town, eager to test his paranormal equipment on the rumored ghostly hauntings in Liefdehuis. He's quite the genius--and hot, too. He's famous for his many inventions and his family is widely known as the "royalty" of the science world. Alva, however, is not impressed by Sam, and refuses to let him test out his scientific theories on her home. 

Unfortunately, Alva's past returns to create chaos, and she reluctantly agrees to let Sam study Liefdehuis in order to get her project moving along. Local contractors refuse to work in a haunted house, and it's costing her money she can't afford to lose. 

This is where the plot really turns to the relationship between Sam and Alva. Sam is quite appealing and he's impossible to resist. Alva finds herself falling for him hard and fast, even while fighting her despair that she's just not good enough for him, and permanently damaged from her horrible marriage. But those qualities in both Sam and Alva are what make the haunting take an interesting turn, and help them solve the puzzle of what drives people from Liefdehuis in complete fear and terror. 

This really is more of a romance than anything else, but I loved it. Sam is quite possibly the most fun character I've read in quite a while. I can see why Alva falls for him. Alva's journey from frightened, abused woman to one that is trusting and finds love again is a big part of the novel, and very satisfying. All in all, a fun novel that helped lift me out of the November doldrums. It reminded me of Amanda Quick novels, so if you like her, you will enjoy this first novel by Diana Biller. I'll be reading more, without a doubt. 

Rating: 4/6 for a delightful romance with a dash of science, a dash of mystery, and a happy ending. I wish there had been more about the haunted mansion, but I was satisfied and give a kudos to the author for the unique haunting. 

Available in paperback and ebook. 

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The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

How do you navigate life after your husband dies on the same day you were packing up to finally leave him? And the emotional turmoil you're in isn't grief, but guilt because you didn't love him, and everyone thinks  you're in deep mourning. 

That is Eveleth "Evvie" Drake's world, a year after her husband, a beloved local doctor, dies in a car accident. She's rattling around in a big house, hasn't worked much, and is stuck. Saturday morning breakfasts with her best friend Andy keep folks in the small seaside town of Calcasset, Maine gossiping about their  relationship (it really is platonic). 

Evvie's world gets a change when Andy's childhood friend, ex-baseball pitching star Dean arrives, looking for a place to get away for a year or so after a humiliating season of losing his pitching arm. He's left baseball and needs a place to just get his life together, away from the journalists, away from fans who think he lost it completely and didn't try hard enough to get his pitching mojo back. Evvie's house has an apartment, and Dean moves in, and their friendship begins, little by little, inch by inch. 

This is a quiet novel, full of good people, all just trying to find what makes them happy and content. It's a novel about pausing and realizing you have to work through some junk and come out the other side, or you'll never get to that place of peace and contentment. For Evvie, it's all about coming to grips with her unhappy marriage, and the emotional abuse she endured for years from a man that could do no wrong and was beloved by his hometown. For Dean, it's about accepting that his pitching arm just doesn't work anymore, and the one thing he lived for, and excelled at, is gone-so what does he do now? For Andy, it's about finding someone to love after a tough divorce-someone willing to love his two little girls as much as he does. Mostly, it's about friendship through easy times, and through those rough patches, and not being afraid to be happy. We've all had those moments of thinking "I'm so happy, something is going to ruin it". So you're afraid to be happy. But as Dean wisely says, bad things are going to happen, and being happy does not make bad things happen. But you live a happy life, and deal with the bad stuff knowing you're strong enough to do it. 

I started this novel a few weeks ago, and put it down as I continued my usual ritual of starting one book, picking up another, then another, then another. I finally circled back around and was able to hunker down and finish it. And I loved it. It's not a novel that has oodles of action, or big moments of drama. It's funny, sweet, and a little bit sad in parts, but it sneaks up on you. Evvie and Dean have a pretty wonderful friendship that turns into something even better, but as always, they have to work to find that happy ending. 

Rating: 5/6 for a novel that doesn't shout, but quietly reminds us that life is a journey, and it's a bit messy, and we don't have to have all the answers or be absolutely perfect. Dean, oh boy-you may find yourself with a bit of a crush on this guy. Evvie is a refreshing, honest, and funny character-you'll keep cheering her on her journey. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

It can be a good thing when you check out a library book that has other people waiting for it: it makes you read really fast because you can't renew it and extend your time. I fear if I'd had more time to read The Essex Serpent I may have called it quits and never finished it. As it was, I stayed up late last night and am happy to say I turned the last page and now know the story of the Essex Serpent. 

I have to say this wasn't the novel I expected; I blame myself for not paying too much attention to other people's reviews.  My curiosity was taken by the story of a woman in search of a mythical creature that may or may not exist. There is so much more to Sarah Perry's novel; it took me in a very different direction. Why do we believe in mythical creatures? What does it do to test our belief systems, and our faith in God?  Why would such creatures exist, except to punish us for our transgressions? People are quick to blame every bad accident, death, or crop failure on that unknown thing. We are being punished because we're bad, somehow.  

In Victorian England, Cora Seaborne is newly widowed, and leaves London to travel to Essex with her companion Martha and her young son Francis.  Fascinated by fossils, nature, and geology, Cora is finally free to pursue her interests with wild abandon. Rumors of a sea serpent in Blackwater have begun to make the people of Aldwinter, the village near Blackwater, very uncomfortable.  They turn to William Ransome, the village rector, to provide comfort and explanations.  Through friends, William and Cora connect, and she's invited down to Aldwinter to visit William and his wife and children.  Here begins the real story:  William and Cora.  Fast friends, they find a shared interest in nature, and enjoy arguing with each other.  It's pretty obvious they fall in love, but neither is fully aware.  Williams' wife, Stella, is a lovely woman suffering from tuberculosis.  Cora loves Stella, and does her utmost to ignore her growing feelings for William.  It's an interesting love triangle; Stella sees the closeness of her husband and friend, and is happy he has someone to share his interests with; Cora dresses as mannish as possible to keep any femininity at bay.  William loves his wife and only understands he loves Cora in one lightning moment, months into their friendship.  

Meanwhile, Martha is involved in solving housing issues for the poor in London, and has convinced a wealthy doctor to become part of the solution.  There's also Luke Garrett, another London surgeon madly in love with Cora, but those feelings aren't returned.  His story starts out slow, but towards the end of the novel, he becomes more of a focus.  

I spent a lot of time trying to pull all of the pieces of this plot together.  I'm sure I'm missing something because I don't have anyone to help me pick apart the storyline.  What I did see was the evolution of England and its people from a place of old beliefs and superstitions to an industrialized nation focused on money and the "machine".  It is the background to this story; and I felt a bit melancholy reading this--it felt like an ode to a way of life that will never be again.  William is the anchor to the old way of life for the people of Aldwinter, and he can't explain why the creature exists, and what it wants.  He grapples with spirit versus nature.  

So is there actually an Essex serpent?  You do get this answer, and it's pretty fantastic.  I won't spoil it, but I loved it.  And I won't tell you what happens to the multiple love triangles, because that's for you to discover.  Yes, there is more than one love triangle!  Sarah Perry's writing is so so good.  I could smell the salt air, the mud and clay; I could see the forests and feel the damp breeze. You feel a bit of a naturalist yourself reading Cora's adventure.  

Rating:  4/6 for a very different Victorian tale about faith, belief, the unknown, love, freedom, the astonishing natural world around us, and our struggle to balance what we know with the unknown. 



Available in hardcover, e-book, audio book, and large print.  

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The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugand

I'm a sucker for a book title that marries coffee and reading.  This novel, translated from French, was completely not what I was expecting; it was an excellent read that packed an emotional wallop.

Diane lives in Paris.  She smokes cigarettes, drinks wine, and doesn't leave her apartment.  Her husband and young daughter were killed in a car accident the year before, and since then she has been incapable of doing anything.  Her literary cafe, Happy People Read and Drink Coffee is suffering in her absence and under the terrible management of her best friend, Felix.  She is simply not functioning at all and pretty much lives in her pajamas.  Life has no meaning to her and she simply doesn't care.  

Felix's announcement that they are going to take a trip somewhere, anywhere to help reset her life spurs Diane into deciding that she will take a trip, but not with Felix.  His idea of a trip involves lots of parties, drinking, and people.  Diane settles on Ireland, and a small town where nothing happens.  Her husband had wanted to go to Ireland, and so that's where she will move for the next few months.  To be alone, to mourn, and to try and move out of her grief.  She packs her possessions, says goodbye to her apartment and life in Paris, and flies to Ireland.  

In Ireland, Diane settles into a small cottage near the beach.  There's another cottage right next door, and an incredibly grumpy and unfriendly photographer lives there.  Edward is pretty pissed there's a neighbor.  Like Diane, he wants nothing to do with anyone else.  The two of them dislike each other the first time they meet.  Edward has no idea why Diane is there, and she's not willing to share her story with anyone.  She truly is in the depths of the worst grief that I've ever read about or experienced.  This is a woman who will sit in a chair and stare out the window for hours.  She smokes like a chimney and barely eats.  

Slowly, Diane and Edward work towards a friendship.  That is the bulk of this novel.  It may not seem like much happens, but so much does!  It's not an action-packed story, but emotionally it is so full.  Your heart just aches for Diane, but at the same time you just want to shake her.  And in the end, she makes a decision that just kills you, but you know it's the best one she can make.  

Good news, though.  There is a sequel coming out next year.  It's already out in French, but the U.S. version Don't Worry, Life is Easy isn't slated to be published until 2017.  I will be first in line to read it.  This was a short novel, but really touched me and is one of my top reads so far for 2016.  I guess because grief has been a constant companion in my life for the past 4 years that it hit home:  we all grieve in different ways, and there is no time limit on it.  But there comes a time where you have to start living and stop feeling guilty and regretful.  The best thing you can do is live a happy, full life in memory of those you've lost.  

Available in hardcover and e-book.  

Rating:  8/10 for a book that has just a few characters and is simply told, but is unforgettable.  You will not soon forget Diane and Edward. 



 

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Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugand

A Quilt for Christmas by Sandra Dallas

Sandra Dallas is a favorite writer of mine.  I know when I pick up her latest book she'll give me a great story featuring strong women who keep marching forward no matter what the situation.  Sandra has a love for quilts and quilting; they show up in every book she writes, and this book is no exception.

A Quilt for Christmas takes place in Kansas during the last year of the Civil War, 1864.  Eliza Spooner is left at her family farm with her two children, Luzena and Davy while her husband Will goes off to fight the Confederates.  All she has of Will are his infrequent letters home.  Eliza decides to make a  quilt for Will, to keep him warm in the coming winter months.  It's a special quilt, made with stars and stripes, and stitched with Will and Eliza's names.  With that quilt, Eliza sends all her love and prayers to keep Will safe in battle.  

Meanwhile, Missouri Ann, a woman Eliza only knows through infrequent town visits, has found out her husband has been killed in the war.  She has nowhere to go, since her husband's family, the Starks, are a cruel, vicious household of men who will force Missouri Ann to marry one of them in order to keep her taking care of the house.  Eliza takes Missouri Ann and her little daughter, Nance, into her home.  A rich friendship develops between the two women over the cold winter.  

And when tragedy strikes, Eliza must find a way to move forward and take care of her farm.  The war is drawing to a close, but the loss of the husbands of her close friends, and the uncertainty of those left waiting for their husbands to return from war weighs heavily on every woman left behind.  Only their quilting circle keeps them together, sharing secrets, concerns, and their meager food supplies. 

This is a gentle story, full of sadness and grief, and perserverence in the face of  grief and uncertainty.  Eliza is a strong woman who takes out Will's letters and reads them when she needs strength.  And her quilt comes full circle, but you have to read the story to find out how and why.

And for those of you who have read The Persian Pickle Club, you'll be happy to know it's the 20th anniversary of the first publication, and it has a lovely tie to this novel.  Both together would make a wonderful gift for Christmas.  Anyone who likes historical fiction, civil war novels, and novels of the West will enjoy this tale.  Sandra just simply writes a great story, and may give you that push to start quilting.  

Rating:  8/10 for a gentle story about the price of war, and the powerful value of friendship.  

Available in hardcover and ebook.    

Here are a few of my other reviews of Sandra's previous books:
Fallen Women 
 True Sisters

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A Quilt for Christmas by Sandra Dallas

Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich

I received this ARC from work and was excited to read it--just the perfect escape novel for a stressful May.

I hate to say it, but I was disappointed.  I have been thinking about what left it flat for me, and I can't pinpoint exactly what it is about Holly and Logan that disappointed me.

The basic storyline is this:  Holly is overweight, and meets Logan on a flight back to New Jersey after she's been in Canada settling her late husband's estate.  Logan is a hot, popular personal trainer who is well known in the sports world and owns his own training center in New Jersey.  He can pick and choose who he works with, and makes a lot of money doing it.  He's also in incredible shape and doesn't have much sympathy for Holly, who barely fits into the seat next to him on the plane.

Holly quickly decides to crack jokes about the obvious, hoping to make the situation a little better for herself.  Soon Logan realizes she's overweight because of taking care of her ailing husband, and feels terrible for judging her appearance.  He offers to train her, and get her in shape.  Holly accepts, and the state is set for a possible romance.

But the romance doesn't move along for awhile--after all, Logan is an extremely fit stud who has one kind of woman--tall, blonde, and skinny.  Holly is short, overweight, and a red-head.  But she has a smart ass mouth and a laugh that soon has Logan looking forward to their sessions at the gym as their friendship grows.

Enter Logan's friends, Chase and Amanda.  Chase is a college buddy who's a famous baseball player, and Amanda is his adoring wife.  Their relationship takes up a huge amount of the book, which I thought took away from Logan and Holly.  And yes, Logan finds himself growing attracted to Holly, but only as she slims down.  He realizes she will never be a "skinny" type no matter how hard she exercises, but she has become much fitter and in great shape.  He begins to lust after her pretty much all the time, and can't wrap his head around it.  He's always picked a certain kind of woman, and Holly is the complete opposite.  He doesn't want to fall in love, and fights it every step of the way.  Of course Holly is head over heels for Logan, but afraid to show it.

As in all romances, misunderstandings abound, feelings remain hidden, and there's lots of hot sex.  The whole spanking thing was kinda dumb to me--not necessary at all.   I think it was the writing  that bothered me.  It felt stilted and had too much conversation between characters that was unnecessary.  Boo hoo!  I really wanted to like this one.

Rating:  4/10.  The intent was good, but the writing and the perfection of Logan was a bit off.  And too much attention was paid to his friends Chase and Amanda.

Available July 9th in hardcover, audio, and e-book format.

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Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich