June Read: The Enchanted Hacienda by J. C. Cervantes

 

I'm a sucker for a novel that involves gardens, flowers, and magic. 

Harlow Estrada is fresh off a break up with her loser boyfriend on the same day she loses her job.  She leaves New York City for the family farm and business in Mexico. Run by her mother and aunt, the Hacienda Estrada is a magical place. And I mean magical in every sense of the word. Acres of flowers, a fantastic hacienda, and yes, a bond with the land courtesy of a goddess. 

Harlow is the only woman in her family that has no apparent magic. Everyone else has a way with flowers that amplifies their gift. Now Harlow is back to stay for a few weeks while her mother and aunt take a vacation to Italy. It's just the break Harlow needs to find her creative spark and maybe, just maybe, her magical gift. 

There's also a gorgeous man she meets in the local village--Ben. He's drop dead hot, and seems to be interested in Harlow. But wow, their relationship is a bit of a hot mess, and it's the main romance of the novel. Harlow's emotions get in the way of her heart and cause a lot of trust issues with Ben.

This was a cute read; I was mostly interested in the farm and the magic used with the flowers. I found that all fascinating and dang if I wouldn't like to live on a magical flower farm. I thought the story dragged a bit and Harlow's questioning herself and Ben over and over was a bit annoying. 

I hope there are more stories involving Harlow's sisters and cousins--they each have magical gifts and none of them are in relationships--so many possible sequels to this novel. 

I don't have a deep introspective review of this novel. It was enjoyable; I'll be honest I went outside to my lavender pot and swept my hand over the buds to inhale the scent. Too bad I don't have a magical bone in my body! But this was a great reminder for me to see the magic in the flowers I have in my backyard. 

Themes about starting over; ending something can mean the beginning of a great new life; embracing being creative, trust yourself and your feelings. 

Fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Heather Webber will enjoy this magical novel.

Rating: 3/6 for a novel that will take you away from everyday life for just a bit, to a place where the flowers bloom and magic is all around. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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June Read: The Enchanted Hacienda by J. C. Cervantes

The PIlot's Daughter by Meredith Jaeger

 

This book came out of nowhere thanks to an invite to read and review it (thank you Dutton/Penguin/Random House).  I just got back from vacation and found it in a pile of books while I was unpacking and immediately started reading it. I'm not exaggerating when I say I couldn't put it down. I spent quite a bit of Sunday on the couch reading this historical novel that bounced between 1920's New York ad 1945 San Francisco. 

Ellie Morgan is a secretary at the San Francisco Chronicle and has recently become engaged to a handsome officer stationed in San Francisco as World War 2 rages on. She chafes against societal rules that keep her career limited to housewife or secretary--when all she wants to do is write for the newspaper and wear trousers like Katherine Hepburn. 

However this all falls to the wayside with a telegram stating that her father, a pilot, is missing and presumed dead over the Adriatic Sea near Italy in December, 1944. Devastated, she refuses to believe he's dead--after all, her father was a resourceful man, and surely he survived. The arrival of her father's personal effects is a blow, and comes with an unwelcome surprise: a package of letters from a woman named Lillian in New York, which clearly illustrate a decades long love affair. What??!!

This sends Ellie on a trip to New York City with her Aunt Iris, determined to find Lillian and see if she has any information on her father. What Ellie finds out from her Aunt Iris, as well as the discoveries she makes in New York City change her life forever. 

This did remind me of Fiona Davis novels, in that it took place in NYC and set in the early to mid-20th century. The 1920's portion of the novel involves the Zigfeld Follies, rich men, and an unsolved murder. Yes, it ties into Ellie's quest in 1944 very neatly-you'll see as you read. I just found it fascinating. 

Many parts were predictable, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment at all. I blazed through this story and am eager to read more of Meredith Jaeger's novels. 

Definitely fans of World War 2, early-mid 20th century history, Broadway history, San Francisco, journalism-you name it, this has a little bit of everything in it. It's also about societal and familial expectations, and how going against them can ruin a woman, or set her free. 

A big thanks to Dutton (part of Penguin/Random House) for the chance to read and review this novel. I found an author I enjoy, and that's always a gift. 

This novel is available in trade paperback, ebook, and audio.

Rating: 5/6 for a fast paced historical novel that didn't disappoint-it definitely transported me to the glam of 1920's NYC, and the foggy streets of San Francisco. Likeable characters and definitely a few bad apples, too. 

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The PIlot's Daughter by Meredith Jaeger

The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

 

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This was another book I saw at B&N and the cover grabbed me right away. It didn't look like a romantic comedy (it isn't), and when I read the blurb on the back cover, well, seeing it was set in Charleston had me adding it to my stack of books. I left B&N that day with a hefty bag of books and zero regret. Which, to be honest, is how I always leave B&N. 

I'll be honest again and say I started reading it and thought, uh oh, I don't think I'm prepared to read a novel about a woman who is seeking to adopt a baby. It just wasn't what I was looking to read about. However, I kept reading (it was a welcome break from The Sanatorium!) and sure enough I got past the first 50 pages and settled into a charming novel about creating a family and finding a new beginning when it seems that all is lost. 

Celia Fairchild is newly divorced and working in New York City as the popular newspaper advice columnist Dear Calpurnia. She's decided the only way to have the family she desires is to adopt a baby on her own. Marching into her boss' office, she's prepared to ask for a raise in order to help finance a new place to live-a place to raise a baby. 

However, Celia finds herself unemployed and devastated by the sudden turn of events. Soon after, she receives a phone call from a lawyer in Charleston, telling her she is the sole heir to her Aunt Calpurnia's home and she must come down to take care of it. Celia hadn't spoken to her Aunt in years, and feels horrible Calpurnia died without Celia making her peace. With no job on the horizon, she heads to Charleston.

What Celia finds is a big surprise, and the beginning of a brand new life-one that Celia isn't sure she wants. However, she's a potential match for a baby, and has twelve weeks to get the house in shape for a visit by the birth mother. And the house is a DISASTER. A host of characters enter the picture-neighbors, an ex-con contractor, a delightfully sunny young man who works at a local coffee shop; even an old high school friend. And yes, the lawyer who wears ill-fitting suits even shows up to help Celia. Little does Celia know it, but her family is taking shape and changing her life. 

As I said before, this was a charming novel. I am always up for a novel where people are starting over, changing their life in big and small ways, and discovering what makes them truly happy. Time and time again, what we think we want and what we actually need are usually two different things-and it can take big changes to recognize the difference. For Celia, it's a big change in both her attitude and her idea of a picture perfect life that generate her happily ever after. 

There are some interesting issues throughout this book: most importantly, the issues of loneliness and isolation. Family, forgiveness, doing what's right versus doing what society thinks is proper. Understanding we have a family we are born into, and a family we create from those around us who support, nurture, and love us through all the crap. 

If you're looking for a gentle read, this is it. Marie Bostwick has written many other novels, and I suspect they are also gentle reads, too. There is a letter from the author in the back, as well as reading group questions. This is the kind of novel you finish at night before you go to bed, smile, then get a good night's sleep. 

Available in paperback and ebook. 

Rating: 4/6 for a novel that surprised me with the many lively characters and their back stories, the evolution of Celia's life plans, and the happily ever after that was not a big blow out, but a soft, gentle, satisfying conclusion. Oh-there is knitting, too! 

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The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Wow! This was such a good story. I'm a bit biased, because I have read every one of Simone St. James' novels. She just keeps getting better with each novel. 

This latest haunting thriller takes place in Fell, New York. A sleepy little town where the Sun Down Motel sits out on the edge, and a highway runs through to other towns along the way towards New York City. It's the kind of motel that is run down but still offers a place to stay when options are few. It's 1982, and young Vivian Delaney has left her mom's home to seek a new life in New York City. She ends up in Fell, and decides to stay for awhile. She answers an ad for a night clerk at the Sun Down Motel. It's a boring job, but easy work while she figures out what to do with her life. 

Except one night, Vivian discovers the motel is haunted. And not in a casual way--in a really big, scare the crap out of you way. Not only do the doors to the rooms open on their own, but lights go out (even the big motel sign out front), the smell of cigarette smoke is strong, footsteps are heard, and she sees not one, but two ghosts: that of a little boy who drowned in the now closed pool, and a pretty woman in a flowered dress who tells Vivian to RUN.

Vivian is freaked out, but keeps coming back. She's just got to get to the bottom of this mysterious woman's appearance, and her obvious anger. Vivian has started down the path of extreme danger, but her desire to uncover past wrongs can't be stopped. 

It's 2017. Carley Kirk arrives in Fell, New York. Her Aunt Vivian disappeared from Fell in November of 1982, and Carley has always been obsessed with this family tragedy. Carley's mother, Vivian's sister, has recently died, and she took any clues to Vivian's life with her to the grave. Carley decides to come to Fell and look for any trace of what happened to her Aunt. She even gets a job as the night office clerk at--you guessed it--the Sun Down Motel. 

Carley's not there long before she also discovers the horrific secrets of the Sun Down Motel. And as she starts to dig into the past, she realizes her Aunt was onto something terrible, something that put her in terrible danger. How does this have anything to do with the motel?

Wowza. This was soooo good. A truly creepy ghost tale, mystery, and thriller all wrapped into one amazing story. I don't want to give any more details, because it's definitely a story you have to read and uncover on your own. Vivian and Carley are certainly cut from the same cloth-young, smart, determined women who pursue the truth, even if it means they are put in danger. This wasn't a mystery that you are required to figure out-rather a mystery that you get to watch unfold as the pieces are put together by the characters, thirty-five years apart. All of the main players in this novel are compelling--yes, even the ghosts. 

I know I'll never look at a motel quite the same way again. 

This novel will be out in February, 2020 in the United States in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Rating: 5/6 for an excellent ghost story wrapped up in a thriller. Themes include revenge, justice, family secrets, and the damage done to people when they never have closure. Highly recommend this one. 

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The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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.

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Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

This is a book that I've picked up numerous times over the past ten years, but I never could read it  for one reason or another.  I was finally compelled to read it because the sequel The Fifth Petal, is coming out in January, and I wanted to read the sequel.  Reading reviews online had me all set for a novel that I was sure to enjoy.  I was wrong. 

I'm really bummed I didn't much like The Lace Reader.  I so wanted to enjoy it, and rave about it.  But I can't.  It took me weeks to finish it, which is usually not a good sign for me.  I wasn't pushed to really sit down and dive into the story of Towner and her mother May and Aunt Eva no matter how hard I tried.  And this book takes place in Salem for pete's sake!  A book set in Salem, MA is always a winner for me.  But not this one.  

So why didn't I like The Lace Reader?  I felt like I was doggie paddling in a circle most of the time.  I couldn't tell what the story was trying to focus on:  was it a potential mystery with the puzzling drowning of Eva, or was it a family drama?  Was it a weird contemporary/historical novel?  Who is this creepy Cal guy, who is basically a cult leader who terrorizes Towner and her family?  Oh, that's right.  He's Towner's relative.  Towner herself is a mixed bag of confusion.  Returning to Salem to investigate the disapperance of her Aunt Eva is actually an opportunity for Towner to come back and confront her past.  Sounds pretty straightforward, right?  But it's not, and I found myself paging back through to try and understand just what the heck was going on--and nothing was clear until at least 3/4 of the way through the novel.  And no surprise here, but that's where you find out just how unreliable a narrator Towner actually is--she's one confused woman.  

You may put the pieces of the puzzle together much quicker than I did; I found myself bored with it all, and that's not what I was expecting from a novel that took me 10 years to finally get to, only to be disappointed.  I will, however, read the sequel The Fifth Petal just to see where Towner's life has changed.  I hope to understand her better.  There are themes of abuse, both physical and sexual in this novel, and lots of drinking and smoking pot, so keep that in mind if you're trying to decide to read it.  Don't let me review stop you.  I am certainly in the minority of people who weren't thrilled with this novel.  There is a lot of subplot/plot whirling through this novel, so you need to pay attention.  I'm deliberately leaving much of the plot out of this review to not give anything away.  Plus, it's just exhausting to think of everything moving through the pages. 

Rating:  5/10 for a confusing plot and a main character that didn't capture my emotions or attention for very long.  The sequel to The Lace Reader, The Fifth Petal, will be out in stores in late January, 2017.  

Available in paperback, e-book, and audio. 

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The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective by Nancy Atherton

This is what I love about books:  you can circle around, look at, and think about reading a book, and it patiently waits until that magical day when you decide to pick it up and read it.  When I worked at my bookstore, I shelved so many copies of Aunt Dimity novels in the mystery section that I've lost count.  I was always curious why there was a rabbit on the front of something about an Aunt being a paranormal detective.  But I never went any farther in my curiosity, and kept shelving those novels.  

I finally decided to give Aunt Dimity a try, and checked this out of the library.  It is the first two Aunt Dimity novels together:  Aunt Dimity's Death, and Aunt Dimity and the Duke.  We are introduced to major characters in the world of Aunt Dimity, and introduced to Aunt Dimity herself--but only through letters, stories, and photographs.  Aunt Dimity remains a bit of a mystery herself, and I believe all 20 or so novels keep her that way.  It's an interesting concept, but it works.  Aunt Dimity is a bit of a magical characters, always putting the right people together, working in mysterious ways, and lends a bit of the paranormal to her stories.  The mysteries are barely there; I read somewhere that the Aunt Dimity mysteries are "the coziest of the cozies" and I have to agree.  These stories beg to be read with a cup of tea, a roaring fire, and a hand knitted blanket.  

Aunt Dimity's Death does begin with Lori, a down on her luck woman living in Boston.  Her mother recently died, and Lori is alone in the world.  She's broke, and at the end of her rope.  A letter from a legal firm in Boston requests her presence pronto, and she discovers that all the stories her mom told her when she was a child about Aunt Dimity were actually based on a real Aunt Dimity.  She was the best and closest friend of Lori's mom, and Aunt Dimity has died.  She's left a request for Lori: travel to England, stay at a cottage in the tiny village of Finch, and write an introduction for a soon to be published compilation of Aunt Dimity stories.  

But, there is a bit of a mystery:  Aunt Dimity and Lori's mom wrote heaps of letters over the years, and they are all together, waiting for Lori to read through them.  Her mom leaves her a personal letter, asking her to solve a mystery concerning Aunt Dimity and a photo taken in the 1940's from an unknown place that was dear to Aunt Dimity.  With the help of Bill, a partner in the law firm, she travels to England and begins her tasks.  And there she finds some odd things...could Aunt Dimity's spirit haunt the cottage?  

Aunt Dimity and the Duke is the second in the series, but is told before we meet Lori and Bill.  It is the story of Emma and Derek, who become good friends with Lori and Bill in the first story.  This story involves a castle, a local legend, gardening, and the death of a rock star.  I enjoyed it just as much as the first story.

What can I say?  I'm hooked on this series.  I'm happy to say there are around 20 novels, and Nancy Atherton keeps writing more.  These are enjoyable, cozy, British, and undeniably gentle mysteries.  There is no horrible violence, swearing, or grizzly murders.  Perfect for those who just want something fun to read, and full of characters that become friends.  I'm going to read every one of these books and that makes me very happy.  

Rating:  7/10 for a mystery series that doesn't have much mystery, but enchanted me nonetheless.  Lovely cozy British mysteries to take on vacation or read in front of the fire.  You'll get the rabbit symbol when you read the first in the series.  

This version is available in trade paperback and e book.  All of the mysteries are available in mass market paperback, and e book.  They are available at your local bookstore and library.  

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Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective by Nancy Atherton

Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt

I'm starting off 2016 with a novel that combines so many elements: ghosts, mothers, cults, foster kids, family, the starry sky.  You can't imagine that all of those elements can possibly come together into a story, but they do.  Wonderfully.  

Mr. Splitfoot  was a bit of a jolt for me in my reading habits, but it was a good jolt.  It begins in upstate New York, with Ruth and Nat, two teens who live together in a foster home.  This foster home, called The Love of Christ! Foster Home, Farm, and Mission is really a terrible place full of kids who aren't wanted by anyone. It's run by Father Arthur, a man who collects checks from the government and treats the foster kids horribly.  Full of fire and brimstone, he's completely dysfunctional and takes all the kids who are "damaged" into his care.  The unwanteds.  Ruth's mother threw bleach on her face when she was little, leaving scars that resemble the night sky.  Nat talks to the dead.  Or is it all an act?

Ruth and Nat fall into a relationship with a traveling con artist, Mr. Bell.  He takes them around to give readings to people who want contact with their dead relatives.  It's a way for Ruth and Nat to make money and get away from the foster home, where they will be kicked out as soon as they turn 18.  

An alternating story involves Ruth's niece, Cora.  Set in current day, Cora is a young woman who finds herself pregnant and living with Ruth's sister (and Cora's mother), El.  El and Ruth had both lived at Love of Christ! until El was taken away and left on the side of the road by Father Arthur on her 18th birthday.  Ruth waited for her sister to come back to get her, but she never did.  Cora wakes one night to find her Aunt Ruth standing in her bedroom.  Ruth takes Cora on a walking tour of New York state.  Where are they going?  Why doesn't Ruth talk? How does it connect to Ruth and Nat's past?  

There are so many elements to this novel.  It is quirky, sad, funny, mystical, magical, and sometimes just bizarre.  But at the core, it reflects on motherhood in all of its varied ways, family, love, and how we all affect one another through our actions, words, and emotions.  Mr. Splitfoot is certainly a book club worthy read, and was a great way to kick off my 2016 reading list.  

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a  review copy, and for being so enthusiastic about this novel.  

Rating:  8/10 for a very different, yet moving novel that combines what we want with what we've got (and how to work with it), and the absolute powerful pull of love in all its mysterious ways. 

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Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt