Random Book Muses

Review: The Sea Keeper’s Daughters by Lisa Wingate

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Whitney owns a restaurant up north and has an inheritance to deal with down south. She has enough on her hands without the addition of old letters from her grandmother’s family, a sleazy real estate developer trying to cash in on her building, a possible romance with a conflict of interest, and an Outer Banks legend being brought to light. 

I liked the mystery, the history, and the family dynamics. Adding a love interest and townie in trouble added authenticity to Whitney’s life. The constant reference to her restaurant struggles took me out of the main story and kind of ruined it for me. I was happy just being in North Carolina, with the shop downstairs and the old coot upstairs, the developer coming around each week, and the visits to the museum. 

Too many points of conflict blurred the focus of The Sea Keeper’s Daughter. But when I concentrated on the events in OBX, I was rewarded with a beautiful tale that illustrated lots of love coming full circle. 

-calliope

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Review: The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs

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Caroline Jacobs is a doormat. Her teenage daughter Polly is a rebel. When the two make a spontaneous trip to Caroline’s hometown to confront a childhood (ex-)friend, mother and daughter learn a lot about each other. 

I loved the mother-daughter storyline more than any other thread in the plot. The author wrote Caroline’s weariness and Polly’s incredulity with authenticity. I saw myself in Polly – not wanting to let go of an issue until Justice is served – and in Caroline, who was more comfortable just trying to smooth things over. 

I don’t know that I really believed that someone would up and drive several hours to confront a childhood bully, but it was a fun story. I think I would’ve enjoyed it even more if the focus was more on the family dynamics instead of the PTA and former schoolmate dynamics!  

-calliope

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Review: The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson 

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Suspend your disbelief as you watch Miranda accompany her neighbor Joy on an RV ride to spread gladness and, well, joy this Christmas season. 

No matter that Miranda needs cheer more than the average 37-year old. She hops on the RV and gives Christmas joy a whirl. 

The characters aren’t quite realistic, though they reflect the empty and downtrodden hearts we’ve all come across or read about. As we ride along with Miranda we learn that Christmas giving can revive even the saddest of hearts. 

I love a nice Christmas story, and although this one had slightly unbelievable characters, I overlooked that and enjoyed the ride. 

-calliope

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Review: Season of Salt and Honey by Hannah Tunnicliffe

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Frankie’s fiancé died just weeks before their wedding. Overcome with grief, she escapes to Alex’s primitive family cabin in the woods, where she can be alone. 

But she isn’t alone. Her estranged sister, the cabin’s caretaker, and Alex’s brother all try to rescue Frankie from herself. Italian aunties, Vinnie the party machine, and an earthy, motherly neighbor round out her nurturers. 

The author did a nice job making me feel Frankie’s heavy sadness and nature’s solace. Relatives provided comic relief, and fellow cabin dwellers were a blanket of comfort for Frankie. 

You never know what will help heal you when you’re devastated by the death of a loved one. Tunnicliffe’s take rang authentic, and I recognized Frankie’s emotional journey as one many of us have taken in real life. 

This was a nice, relaxing read, not melodramatic but with plenty of opportunities for laughter and tears. Now I’m just waiting for GoodReads to tell me when there’s another book available by Hannah Tunnicliffe! 

-calliope

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Review: Keeper’s Reach (Sharpe & Donovan) by Carla Neggers

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Emma and Colin are at it again – solving crimes and saving lives – but this time they’re not really doing it together. Emma is supposed to be visiting the sisters at her old convent to get some closure before her wedding. But she gets drawn in to a dangerous situation when Colin’s brother Mike has some ex military contacts visiting. Colin vacillates between rushing in to save the day and keeping his emotions in check and doing a deliberate investigation first. 

I miss the banter Emma and Colin had in book 4 of this series (Read the review here), but I did like their display of trust and protectiveness for each other. Just like in book 4, I was a little confused with the numerous characters. They didn’t all come clear to me until the end, and by that time I think I missed something. 

I always enjoy a good FBI story, and Keeper’s Reach gets extra points for being set in New England and the Cotswalds. I also loved that Neggers continued the stories of art thief Oliver York and secondary character Father Finian. A possible rekindled romance for Mike and Naomi held my interest, too.  

I wish Neggers focused more on action — while maintaining the awesome descriptions of locale that she does so well — instead of describing characters. I get that the ex military pals were supposed to be central, but it’s hard to develop a bunch of new characters for one mystery in one book. 

I hope to see more Sharpe & Donovan capers in the future!

-calliope

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Review: Wildest Dreams by Robyn Carr

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Carr’s previous Thunder Point novel impressed me. This one, I’m not so sure. 

As a romance, Wildest Dreams might be a miss. Blake was a great guy and I loved his friendships with Charlie and the other neighbors. But I just didn’t see him falling in love with reserved and cool Lin Su. 

Mainly I don’t think I felt any connection to Lin Su, so it was hard to see her in a romantic light. I believed her as a hard-working mom, fiercely loving her son, but not really as a love interest to an energetic, effusive athlete who pushes boundaries. 

The beginning was more telling than showing, but the dialog and character interaction improved as the book went on. 

As a family drama, Wildest Dreams succeeded. Carr made me cry for Lin Su as a child, not having her real mother, not ever feeling like she belonged. I appreciated the sense of community that Carr built, and addressing the social issues of race and having a baby out of wedlock and adoption and status. 

Robyn Carr is one of my favorite writers, and though it seems she’s moving slightly away from romance in Thunder Point, I will adjust my expectations and look forward to the next novel in the series. 

-calliope

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Review: If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

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I read so much Kristan Higgins that I thought this novel would be just like her Blue Heron romances. I was wrong. Though Kristan’s signature wit is ever-present, If You Only Knew is a more serious take on relationships, both romantic and familial.  

Jenny Tate’s fickle husband divorced her and remarries… yet wants Jenny to remain his best friend. Jenny’s sister Rachel gives marriage and motherhood her all, only to find out her husband thinks she’s boring. Jenny and Rachel’s mom is no help at all, using passive aggressiveness to ensure she’s always the center of sympathy. 

I love how Jenny and Rachel navigate their romantic relationships with each other’s love and support. Higgins shows that sometimes our love induces good intentions… that the receiver doesn’t really want. For example, when Rachel needs a shoulder to cry on, she doesn’t want Jenny to judge her husband, but Jenny doesn’t know any other way to defend her sister! Higgins wrote it so real that I could believe I was with my own sister, navigating our own real life issues. 🙂

Higgins’s characters develop realistically, also. They come to emotional crossroads that push them to change gradually. Jenny’s downstairs neighbor wasn’t ready for a relationship at first because he was, frankly, depressed. Higgins gives Leo plenty of turning points and opportunities for change before illustrating his healing. 

Lest you think this is a melodrama, let me tell you there are plenty of laughs. Jenny’s dress-shop right-hand man is sarcastic and cynical and hilarious. One bride’s Momzilla gives everyone a run for their money, and Higgin’s description of her expressions is AWESOME. 

If You Only Knew has lust, laughter, and lunacy, but it also takes a peek at the serious side of love. It isn’t the Kristan Higgins that I expected; it’s even more. 

-calliope

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Review: Be My Valentino by Sandra D. Bricker 

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This second book in the Jessie Stanton series finds Jessie and Danny developing their relationship, the Feebs taking liberties with Jessie’s new life, and Jack Stanton getting a little bit of what he deserves. You’ll also find yummy shopping, fancy clothes wearing,  and charming dates. 

I enjoyed this book – love the characters, the detective work and the faith aspect. I’m ambivalent about Danny. He seems too good to be true. I guess I expect that in a straight up romance, but not in a mystery series, as light as it might be. I do appreciate Danny’s love for Jessie, the entrepreneurial spirit of Ms. Stanton (Hart!) — and the wonderful support of her friends. 

The writing seemed to be a little looser than usual for a Bricker read. Overuse of the word “snickered” bothered me for some reason, and some of the chapters could have been tightened up. 

I like Bricker’s talent for continuity, and for integrating faith issues in a realistic and subtle way. 

I’m awaiting book number 3! 

-calliope

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Review: Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt

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Ohmygoodnessilovedthisbook. 

Lucy has been living in Boston – the same city as her überfeminist mother for the past two decades. With her egomania and focus on art, Fiona has managed to simultaneously  humiliate, neglect and drive away Lucy. So Lucy reaches out to her sister Juliet in the western Lake District of Cumbria, England. Juliet takes Lucy in, and there begins the roller coaster of estranged sisters, emotional numbness, putting on a happy front, and trying to find love in all the right places. 

Though it reads like chick lit, Rainy Day Sisters illustrates some heavy inner conflicts. Hewitt masterfully describes the mental anguish of the sisters and their love interests. Totally believable. Alex’s daughters were written well, also, from the sullen and reserved teenager to the perky and innocent primary-grader. Best of all were the townspeople of Hartley-by-the-Sea. They were quirky but not over the top. They developed authentically and I was just as interested in their stories as I was in Lucy, Juliet, Alex and Peter. 

I laughed and cried and sighed at the happily ever after… And then I ran to Amazon.com looking for the next one in the series. Which isn’t out yet. Because this one was just released. 🙂 But I was just so excited to hear more about the realistic, endearing, and lovely people in the HARTLEY-BY-THE-SEA. 

-calliope

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Review: Newton’s Football by Allen St. John and Ainissa G. Ramirez, Ph.D.  

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I was supposed to read this two years ago when I first joined NetGalley. I just never got in the mood to read about football… until a couple of weeks ago when a near-and-dear-one started playing youth football. I figured this book might help me understand a few things, plus it appealed to the “I need to know how things work” geek in me. 

Well, it’s certainly a scientific book. I mean, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist, but it would help if you can remember some basic high school physics and math. It’s also definitely a football book. The authors interviewed athletes and coaches, they use football lingo, and they refer to historical football games and their importance in the evolution of football. 

I understood it on a basic level, but I certainly had LOTS of questions.  I interrogated my go-to football expert about the no-huddle, a nickel, declaring eligibility for receiving passes, and his personal thoughts about football plays that bent the rules.  Seriously. This book showed me how much I really don’t know about the game. 

Even though I’m not well-versed in the grid-iron world, Newton’s Football was FASCINATING. I especially loved the examples of how changing one little thing in one particilar game had ripple effects in subsequent football games. And I appreciated the discussion on proper tackling and helmet safety. (There’s some progressive thinking in those chapters!)

Reading Newton’s Football was work for me, mostly because I went in pretty clueless about plays and positions. But if you’re a football fan and you want a fresh perspective on the sport — or if you’re not but you’re bold and curious like me — go for it.

-calliope
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