Review :

 The Getaway by Emily March

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Literature, Family, Drama, Chick Lit,

Goodreads: Click

Pages: 384

Published: September 6, 2022

After years of putting her family first, Genevieve Prentice is making a fresh start—but it’s never easy to leave the past behind.

Widowed young, Genevieve Prentice dedicated her life to raising her four children. Now, though, they’re all grown and scattered to the wind, and Genevieve is ready for a change. In a flash of inspiration, she puts her home on the market and heads to Lake in the Clouds, Colorado, to renovate a rustic waterfront lodge with her sister. But just as they begin, Genevieve gets the shock of a lifetime: the arrival of her son.

Jake Prentice built a career out of being dependable, one that left him perennially stressed and overworked. Finally heeding his mother’s words of wisdom, he’s quit his job and is ready to find out what truly makes him happy. And now, as he stands surrounded by open sky and fresh, pine-scented air, he’s got no regrets . . . until former colleague Tess Crenshaw appears at the lake, forcing him to reassess what—and who—he really wants.

As they work together to renovate the lodge, Genevieve and Jake embark on a heartfelt and inspiring journey to learn about themselves, each other, and the true meaning of family.

This book has been on my TBR list for a while now and I'm finally getting a chance to read it. This is actually the perfect time to read it it goes through the holidays things starting with Thanksgiving so if your a seasonal type of reader this is a good time to start it.

Anyways this is was a slow but good read for me. This at the heart of it was all about family.

Genevieve is a widow who put everything aside to give her children the best life she could and now as adults she just wants them to get along. Admittedly she may have held onto the family tighter using the holidays to spend more time with them since her husband passed but now she just needs to step back and do for herself. That's where dropping everything to live with her sister renovating a house and self care comes into place and I absolutely love that for her. You can kind of see the bits and pieces where she has conflict wanting to help her children and seeing the hatred that seems to be going around and she's had enough and I love that she's took that step away to do more for herself because she's more than just their mother she is a woman who has her own needs.

Jake is the oldest son who pretty much tried to take over what his dad roll was. At the adult now he is stressed over work and with the holiday season and the family feuds he's had enough and dropped everything to visit his mother and now he's got a lot to think about. He even has the possibility of finding love and trying to figure out what to do with himself now that he's stepped away from all the roles with he was playings and to figure out who he is.

This was a heartwarming book and I enjoyed getting to know each and every character. I will say having the mother's point of views was kind of confusing at first but I got used to it. Getting to know tough and Jake you just can't help but look for the two. Tess is looking for family after what she dealt with her history and Jake is just looking for freedom so it's interesting how these two figure out a way to make it work. Then there's a family feuding going on and seeing what it took to try to make things workings to stop fighting.  Overall I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend you readers to check it out. 

Review : The Beach House

The Beach House by Jenny Hale

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Adult, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Womens Fiction,

Goodreads: Click

Purchase Link: Amazon | BN | Bookshop.org

Pages: 300

Published: June 9, 2021

“Oh, my goodness,” she whispered. At the bottom of the box was a stack of letters. Tied with a ribbon, the pages were faded with age. “These are all addressed from here,” she said, “but they’ve never been sent.”

When her gram passes away, Melanie Simpson feels utterly lost. She has no idea what to do with her life after she has devoted years to looking after her beloved grandmother.

But Gram’s will may hold the answer, instructing Melanie to use her inheritance to buy a crumbling house in Rosemary Bay. They used to visit the village every summer, sit by the sparkling gulf on a beach the color of a fresh pearl, and daydream about turning the place on the corner into a bed and breakfast.

Fulfilling her grandmother’s legacy, Melanie decides to restore the beach house to its original glory. She sets out on renovations of the wrap-around porch weathered by the coastal breeze, and the peeling white paint faded by the sun.

When Melanie runs into local carpenter, Josh Claiborne, whose eyes match the dazzling sea, she jumps at the chance to ask him for help. But that’s the last thing he wants. He’s off to New York soon, leaving his troubled past behind. Over a game of darts Melanie gets her wish, even if Josh isn’t happy about it.

As they work together, Melanie tries to ignore their undeniable chemistry and how Josh’s rare smiles take her breath away––because soon they’ll be thousands of miles apart. But hiding in a closet is a yellowing stack of letters that could change everything. The looping handwriting reveals the mystery of the rickety house––a buried history that touches everyone in Rosemary Bay. Will its secrets bring Melanie and Josh together or tear them apart?

An absolutely gorgeous and heartwarming read about never-ending love, new beginnings, and how family is always with you, no matter where you are. Fans of Pamela Kelley, Mary Alice Monroe and Susan Mallery will adore this romantic page-turner.

Melanie is his feeling lost after taking care of her grandmother for a few years making it her priority. Melanie is asked to restore a worn beach house that she and her grandmother had loved. With so much to have to work on she asked local Carpenter Josh for help. Josh loses a bet and now is going to help her during his short stay there. The longer they are around each other sparks fly but it's only matter of time before he has to leave. Melanie's also getting to know more about her grandmother and the man who built the house and history of a long  buried love. 

I mean this was a really cute book I really enjoy that see what was in some of the letters. Melanie is a romantic at heart and she would really loved the letters that were left to her. It was interesting seeing as she diving more into the history. Then there was the whole Josh situation where he was trying to run from his current life and somehow Melanie pulled him in or something would happen that would get him staying longer and I really loved seeing how everything played out in this book I really enjoyed it.

Review : The Cafe at Beach End

The Cafe at Beach End by RaeAnne Thayne

Cape Sanctuary #5

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Womens Fiction, Contemporary, Family,

Goodreads: Click

Purchase Link: Amazon | BN | bookshop.org 

Pages: 333

Published: June 13, 2023

An emotional story of starting over and reclaiming happiness.

When Meredith Collins was a child, the little beach town of Cape Sanctuary lived up to its name. Spending summers there with her grandmother, Meredith finally felt safe and loved.

Now she’s returning in disgrace. Her late ex-husband swindled investors out of millions of dollars and made Meredith a figure of scorn—though she knew nothing about his scheme. But she still has the beach cottage she inherited from her grandmother and half ownership of the local café. It’s a place to work and earn a little money. That’s if her cousin, Tori, will let her through the door. Once, Tori and Meredith were as close as sisters—until Meredith chose her neglectful parents’ expectations over their bond. Now widowed with a teenage daughter, Tori isn’t setting out a welcome mat for the woman who let her down so badly.

While Meredith tries to make a fresh start, she is drawn to a mysterious writer renting the cottage next door. Liam Byrne’s kindness is a balm, though she worries he might not be so friendly if he knew who she was. But Liam has his own secret and a mission that will help Meredith confront her past—and maybe, claim a surprising future…

Meredith is dealing with a Fallout of her late husband embezzled charges and people think she has something to do with it. So she goes back to the beach town she spent her Summers with her grandmother and cousin at for a new start working at the families cafe. Thing is that her cousin Tori isn't happy that she's back in town helping at the cafe considering how Meredith ultimately left her. Meanwhile Tori is a widow with a teen daughter who keeps finding herself trouble so dealing with her cousin as well isn't something she's looking forward to. 

So I really enjoyed this book. Tori is just doing what she had for her daughter and isn't looking for love but he managed to find one but in a complicated way being that he is her late husband's brother. Meredith after dealing with her ex-husband isn't looking for love she's just trying to pick up the pieces of the life that fell apart and just trying to start over when she runs into her new neighbor. There was just so much going on to keep a reader hooked. I really enjoyed getting to see Meredith and Tori side of things and seeing how they were starting somewhat of a new chapter of their lives. They look over all the pretty good book I really enjoyed it,

Review : Summer at Hope Haven

Summer at Hope Haven by Kristin Harper

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Womens Fiction

Goodreads: Click

Purchase Link: Amazon | BN

Pages: 306

Published: August 25, 2020

Making her way up the cedar-lined driveway, tears fill her eyes at the sight of the cottage’s faded trim and peeling turquoise shutters. Taking a deep breath, she grasps the heart-shaped iron door handle and steps inside the once-happy childhood home she’s been avoiding. It is time to face up to the past…

When Emily’s fiancé walks out on her while she’s still grieving the loss of her family in a terrible accident, she escapes back to Hope Haven on the remote Dune Island, where her family vacationed every summer. Emily hopes that fixing up the house will also mend her broken heart, but the cottage holds more than just bittersweet childhood memories. Emptying her father’s antique writing desk, Emily finds a letter that reveals a devastating secret about her parents.

With a head full of questions that can never be answered, it seems like returning to the island was the worst decision Emily ever made… until she meets Lucas Socorro, saltwater dripping from his dark curls after a surf session. As they take long walks on the soft sand, and talk late into the firefly-lit night, Emily wonders if Dr Luke—as the kids in the hospital call him—could be the one to help her heal. With Luke holding her hand, delving into her family’s painful past is a little easier.

Painting the gloomy cottage walls the colour of seashells, and revamping her grandmother’s flea-market furniture, Emily starts to feel she might call Dune Island home for good—and that she could build that home right here with Luke. But when Emily’s family secret spreads through a network of local gossips, her fragile heart breaks all over again. Luke is the only one who could have started the rumours. Was she wrong to trust him so easily?

As the sun sets behind the dunes, Emily has a difficult decision to make. Does she pack her bags and leave the island for good? Or take a risk that Hope Haven has everything she’s been looking for?

A beautiful and emotional read that will make you long to feel the sand beneath your feet. Perfect for fans of Nancy Thayer, Tracy Brogan and Mary Alice Monroe.

Emily is dealing with a lot of loss right now since her parents passed away she's been having a hard time with the grieving process that it ended up impacting her relationship with her fiance then now they separated and she has run to the family's vacation home Hope Haven. She's got the summer to figure out things while she repairs the house and things seems to get a little bit more interesting when Dr Luke shows up. 

I really enjoyed this book. There was just so much going on not in a way where it's very dramatic but in a way you could see that Emily is going through a lot right now and it was interesting seeing how she was getting through it. Then there was a letter that was found that made Emily first happy until she looked deeper into the meaning of what what that letter was entailing with family secrets. I enjoyed seeing the romance between Luke and Emily. But of course all things have to end and Emily might have to go back to her old life and it was just interesting seeing what the summer had to offer for her I really enjoyed it. Can you tell I'm having a hard time talking about this book without spoiling it? If you'd like a good book to read the summer I suggest putting this one on your summer reading list.

Review : The Wish List

The Wish List by Michelle Major

(The Carolina Girls #4)

Genre: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Contemporary, Romance, Womens Fiction

Goodreads: Click

Purchase Link: Amazon | BN | iBooks | Walmart eBooks 

Pages: 384

Published:  October 25th 2022 by HQN Books

"Major’s charming small town is packed with salt-of-the-earth people readers will embrace, and each sister’s journey is beautifully imagined. Readers will eagerly await their next visit to this idyllic community."—Publishers Weekly

This Christmas the Carlyle sisters will rediscover the gift of family

For some families, a Christmas reunion is like a feel-good movie. For Beth Carlyle, it might be more of a disaster epic. Her ex-husband’s new girlfriend is already pregnant. Her self-absorbed, bestselling author mother recently suffered a stroke and has summoned Beth’s sisters, Freya and Trinity—neither of whom even seem to like Beth very much—back to Magnolia. Beth’s so lonely and stressed that she spills her guts to a stranger, wondering why the handsome newcomer affects her so deeply. Reality TV star Freya deliberately forged a career that would upset her mother, who’s always been as brilliant as the sun…and just as distant. Now a handsome literary agent is making Freya dream of a different life. As for Trinity, she just wants to start over after leaving an abusive relationship and make a future for her and her baby.

It’ll be a Christmas like no other in Magnolia. But the Carlyle sisters might find they have more in common than their shared past—and that the holidays are made for second chances.

Includes a bonus holiday novella set in Magnolia!

So I will admit I struggled a bit at first to get the hang of who was who. Eventually when I got over that it made my reading experience a more enjoyable one. It was interesting seeing how different each sister was they were at different points of their lives and things are kinda at a pause since the mother had a stoke now all the sisters are sticking around to help care for her in their own way. There was a lot of reflection going on with not only the sisters but the mother as well she wasn't a great parent and was trying to make amends in her weakened state and the girls just wasn't sure if this nicer mother would last. Then there was the whole carving a new path in each of their lives like looking past caring for the mother and taking up nursing school finally, and writing a book, and having a brand new start with a child on the way. There was so much to unpack with this book and I really enjoyed following along.