Review: The Deep Dark Descending by Allen Eskens @aeskens @SeventhStBooks

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 3, 2017

Publisher: Seventh Street Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Homicide Detective Max Rupert never fully accepted his wife’s death, even when he believed that a reckless hit and run driver was the cause. But when he learns that in fact she was murdered, he devotes himself to hunting down her killers. Most of his life he had thought of himself as a decent man. But now he’s so consumed with thoughts of retribution that he questions whether he will take that last step and enact the vengeance he longs for. 


On a frozen lake near the US-Canadian border, he wrestles with a decision that could change his life forever, as his hatred threatens to turn him into the kind of person he has spent a career bringing to justice. 

Review:

Last year I read my first Eskens book, The Heavens May Fall and was completely blown away. He is an insanely talented writer and his heroes are deeply flawed and vastly interesting and unique. While the characters in each book are the same, it’s not completely necessary to start at the beginning, they each work perfectly fine as a standalone. BUT, they’re so good that I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend reading them all. 

For five years Max has been haunted by his wife’s death and he’s finally tracked down her killer. This opens with Max and an unknown man locked in an intense situation in the middle of nowhere near the Canadian border and Max finally has the chance to get justice for his Jenni. It’s tense and thrilling, the frozen atmosphere lends to the chilly scene becoming a character all of it’s own and adding a layer of danger to an already deadly story. It flips back to three days prior as you follow Max as he tracks down the killer, then flips back and forth throughout all the way up to an explosive conclusion. 

I loved the moral struggle Max was facing throughout as he tried to bring revenge to a man who shattered his entire life. There was something poetic about him having a moral battle with himself while in the frozen wilderness that was both hauntingly beautiful and chilling. Vengeance and retribution is the name of the game here, this one kept me on the edge of my seat and flipping pages at a steady rate. If you haven’t read Eskens work you’re missing out, he’s a superbly talented author not to be missed.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #imwayr

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly post to share what you recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this week. It’s hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate. 

What I Read Last Week: 


I loved Maria in the Moon, a truly special book. 


Don’t Let Go was a solid reminder for me as to why Coben is one of my favorite authors. 

I love this series, The Beachside Christmas was a fantastic addition!


Reach for the Stars was a fun, uplifting read. 

Sugar Pine Trail is part of a series that I’m enjoying.

In Twenty Years was a decent read.

Tilly Tennant is becoming one of my go to women’s fiction authors, A Very Vintage Christmas was a lovely read.


Sands is so fabulous at bringing a setting to life, Drawing Lessons was no exception. 


I love Jenny Hale, We’ll Always Have Christmas is my favorite book of hers to date. 

I also posted my September Wrap Up ICYMI!

Currently Reading: 


Up Next:


How was your week?! 

Blog Tour: If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

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Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: September 5, 2017

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA

Blurb: 

Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She’s ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances. 


Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything. 


Now Lena isn’t looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her for what happened. 


For what she let happen. 


With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when her and her friends’ entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn’t even guaranteed?


Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Lie to Me! If you want to follow along with the tour check out TLC Book Tours for the full schedule.

Review: 

This was my first experience reading an Arementrout book and everything I’ve heard about her books is true, she will crush your heart in the best possible way, similar to Colleen Hoover. Her writing is raw, highly emotional and so relevant and important. This will be put in my small stack of books to have my kids read when they get older, it’s a must. 

Books about vulnerable teens always get me right in the feels and this was no exception. It’s told solely from Lena’s perspective and broken into yesterday, today and tomorrow. It’s not told over the course of just three days in her life but rather the time before a major event, during and the time afterwards. I just loved Lena, she’s a bookworm who would rather spend a Saturday night tucked in with a Sarah J. Maas book than out at a party with friends, but she’s not a total loner. She has a tight knit group of friends and a best friend, Sebastian who was quite possibly the sweetest, most endearing kid I’ve read about in a long time. After a devastating tragedy, her and her friends are shaken to their very core and she must find a way to look forward to tomorrow. 

There was such an authenticity to this book, both in the scarily believable plot and the behavior of these teens. The dialogue was dead on, these kids were genuine and wholly realistic, I feel like if I had been eavesdropping on a group of teenaged friends their mannerisms and conversations would’ve been exactly like the ones portrayed in this book. 

I do want to mention that it gets off to a pretty slow start, but if you hang in there after the first third it gets better. Once it picks up the pace it’s full steam ahead and turns into something beautiful and powerful that took me on quite the journey. Much of it was absolutely gut wrenching but extremely poignant and touching, again every teen should read this the lessons inside are unforgettable and vitally important. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 


# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in West Virginia.


When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write. She shares her home with her husband, his K-9 partner named Diesel and her hyper Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent her time writing short stories, therefore explaining her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes Young Adult Contemporary, Urban Fantasy/Paranormal and Romance. She writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J.Lynn.


She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press) the Lux Series (Entangled Teen) and the upcoming YA Don’t Look Back (2014) and untitled YA (Fall 2014) from Disney/Hyperion. She is also published with Harlequin Teen and HarperCollins.

Website|Facebook|Twitter

September Wrap Up

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The Accident was a twisty read, a great start to the month!


The Leftover was a really fun read!


The Summer That Made Us was the perfect late summer read.


The Scarred Woman was a really good read, I loved the authors style.


The Lies Within was a great police procedural with dashes of a legal drama and a psychological thriller.


I Hate Everyone But You was a cute YA novel but I did have some issues with it. 


Something Like Happy was an inspiring read, I loved it!

One of my TBT picks was My Husband’s Son and it was a fantastic psychological thriller.


Lie to Me was a really fantastic domestic suspense.


Something Like Family was a beautiful, moving story.


Stillhouse Lake was a creepy read with lots of action. 


House of Spines was a super unique psychological thriller.


When We Were Worthy was a story of resilient women finding hope after a tragedy.


One Day in December was a great ensemble story told over one day.


Thief’s Mark was a romantic suspense with an old school whodunnit vibe.


The Missing Girls was an excellent addition to a great series!


The Names of Dead Girls is the second in a series and I’m a huge fan of the authors writing style.


Lies She Told was a book within a book, super tricky but really well executed.


Paperbacks from Hell is a really cool, creepy read about the history of horror fiction.


Best Day Ever was a chilling look at a messed up marriage. 


She Did It was a great psychological thriller about a relationship between two women.


Despite the awful cover I liked Sweet Reality.


Cold Blood was another great installment in a fantastic series.


I love the Jake Boulder series, The Kindred Killers was great!


Maria in the Moon is a true gem of a novel. 

Coben is a master and Don’t Let Go proves that once again. 


The Beachside Christmas was another lovely addition to a great series. 

Reach for the Stars was a beautifully positive, uplifting read. 

Sugar Pine Trail was an adorable read.


In Twenty Years was my TBT pick, an enjoyable read.


A Very Vintage Christmas was a gorgeous story.


Drawing Lessons was a beautiful and bittersweet read.

I’m so excited it’s finally fall, I love everything about this time of year it’s the best! September was another great month for me, I managed 32 books. You would think that would help me to catch up on my backlog but it honestly hasn’t even made a dent. Oh well. 

While I read some fantastic books my favorite from the month was Lie to Me!

How was your month? Favorites? 

Blog Tour: The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen @antti_tuomainen @orendabooks

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: October 10, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

A successful entrepreneur in the mushroom industry, Jaakko Kaunismaa is a man in his prime. At just 37 years of age, he is shocked when his doctor tells him that he’s dying. What is more, the cause is discovered to be prolonged exposure to toxins; in other words, someone has slowly but surely been poisoning him. Determined to find out who wants him dead, Jaakko embarks on a suspenseful rollercoaster journey full of unusual characters, bizarre situations and unexpected twists. With a nod to Fargo and the best elements of the Scandinavian noir tradition, The Man Who Died is a page-turning thriller brimming with the blackest comedy surrounding life and death, and love and betrayal, markinng a stunning new departure for the King of Helsinki Noir. 

I’m so delighted to be helping to kick off the blog tour for The Man Who Died today! I have a fantastic guest post from the author to share today. 


Guest Post: 
 The Truth is a Funny Thing

 

Two and a half years ago I found myself at another curious crossroad. Life has a habit of doing that: taking you down one road as far as you can go, then suddenly announcing that this where it ends. ‘Thanks a lot’ you might say, but it doesn’t really solve the geographical problem.

I had recently published my fifth novel The Mine, and I was trying to think of the next book. I wanted to write and needed to write – because that is what I do and have to do in order to be happy – and I was trying to get started, but it wasn’t happening. It wasn’t happening for several reasons.

 

One reason was that by that time I had written five very dark novels ranging from the icy North of The Mine to the dystopia of The Healer and I honestly felt I had given all I had in that direction, at least for the time being. (You never know about the future. I might decide tomorrow that I’m going to write something that is darker than all those five books combined.) I also realized a far more serious predicament. I had held back.

 

I had been restraining myself in my writing. I vividly remember a scene in one of the earlier books that I was writing and suddenly saw that I could make it funny. Very, very funny. But it didn’t fit the overall mood of the story. It would have stood out like a pink suit at a funeral. So I kept that alternative scene to myself and actually forgot about it for a while. Then, as I was searching for a new story, I remembered the scene and the feeling I had had at the time. It was almost an epiphany. It was obvious what I needed to do.

 

What are some of my greatest loves as far as artistic influences go? Noir. Comedies.

 

So there.

 

I was on my way. I watched and re-watched all that I had always loved so much, starting from The Marx Brothers. I love their lunacy, intelligence, sheer lovable insanity. I watched Fargo again. What a great, great film it is. (The television series is brilliant, especially season 1.) I re-read Elmore Leonard’s novels. I discovered they were even better than I remembered. He was one of the writers that got me into this writing life to start with. Same with Lawrence Block. He’s written both dark books (his Matt Scudder books are simply great noir novels and highly recommended) and lighter, funnier books starring burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr. I returned to those as well. It was like finding a well of fresh water all over again.

 

Most importantly, I followed my instinct. It’s such a cliché – to follow one’s heart – but there you go. It is true. Especially if you’re a writer. You simply have to write what you have to write. No way around it. And so many happy things followed that turn in the crossroads.

 

I told my literary agent what I was going to do. He said go for it. I didn’t have much in the beginning. Just a man going to see his doctor about flu-like symptoms and then hearing that he has been poisoned over a very long period. Then: enter the mushrooms and the mushroom business that was perfect for a host of reasons. One: I didn’t know anything about it. Two: I made nearly all of it up. Three: it had just the perfect amount of absurdity to it.

 

At first I was unsure of the setting. I had previously set all my novels in Helsinki and had made the city I love one of the characters in the books. Now I wanted to change that with everything else. I only had to look in my own past. I spent my childhood summers in Hamina, a small seaside town about two hours from Helsinki. I made it the golden, sunny, offbeat place that I remembered.

 

I had a blast writing the book that became THE MAN WHO DIED. By that, I don’t mean that writing was easy. It never is. But I knew I had a good story and the tone I had been missing even though I hadn’t really known it. I felt free. I was able to paint with all the colors, to go as far as I wanted, because now it all fit. It was the kind of story I wanted to tell.

 

I think I learned my lesson. As a writer, I need to trust my heart and instinct. If I love to laugh and be moved, and if I find life both tragic and comic I can’t exclude neither one. And what I hope to achieve as a writer – what I would like to do – is make the reader see the same and make the reader laugh and perhaps cry while enjoying a wild ride filled with twists and surprises.

 

Because, sometimes, the truth is the funny thing, and vice versa.

About the Author: 


Finnish Antti Tuomainen (b. 1971) was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011 Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post-apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later in 2013 they crowned Tuomainen ‘The King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. The Mine, published in 2016, was an international bestseller. All of his books have been optioned for TV/film. With his piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen is one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and The Man Who Died sees him at his literary best.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale @jhaleauthor @bookouture

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: September 29, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Romance

Blurb: 

An enchanting story about the magic of Christmas, the importance of family, and the joy of falling in love during the most romantic season of the year…


Christmas has always been a special time for Noelle Parker. Winter evenings spent with family and friends, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies at her family’s cozy bakery have shaped her love for all things festive. But this year everything is changing…


The beloved bakery is facing closure and Noelle needs a miracle to save Christmas.


Determined to raise funds for the family business, Noelle sets about revamping the bakery while juggling a surprise new job, caring for the elderly and cantankerous William Harrington in his luxurious, sprawling mansion.


As Noelle melts the frostiness of the house with cake baking, snowball fights and glittering decorations, she helps William to reconnect with a romance that has spanned decades and unexpectedly finds herself falling for his grandson – the gorgeous but mysterious Alexander Harrington…


In the countdown to Christmas, can Noelle save the bakery, reunite a family and create some magical memories of her own along the way?


Unwrap the feeling of Christmas in this beautiful novel celebrating friendship, family and love that lasts a lifetime. We’ll Always Have Christmas is the perfect treat for fans of Karen Swan, Susan Mallery and Sue Moorcroft.

I’m so pleased to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for We’ll Always Have Christmas!


Review: 

So now that it’s October first I don’t feel as bad about all my Christmas book reviews. Halloween schmalloween, bring on turkey day and Christmas decorations!! I’ve had the pleasure of reading some really gorgeous holiday books but I think I may have found my new favorite, this was such a delightful read! 

Noelle, sweet Noelle is at a crossroads in her life, she wants nothing more than to create an idyllic home for her and her son Lucas but she’s struggling. Her family bakery is about to close and it’s very dear to her as it was her grandmothers pride and joy and she recently passed away. She does not need any complications in her love life but there’s something about Alex she can’t resist, and seriously I don’t blame her, the man is pretty amazing sounding. While this is firmly a romance it’s also about family, long ago lost love and the holiday spirit and the true meaning of Christmas.

The characters in this book were fabulous, I loved Noelle’s family and her friends were pretty terrific as well but her son Lucas was the star of the show for me. His and Noelle’s bond was so beautiful, he was the cutest little guy, I just adored him. Cranky William wasn’t so pleasant at first but as Noelle slowly broke down his barriers I fell a little bit in love with him. (I think she did too!) And Alex was everything you want in a book boyfriend, he’s charming, successful, smart, romantic and generous. 

This was a swoon worthy Christmassy romance, heavy on the festive holiday feeling and giving spirit. It was cozy and warm and by the last few chapters I was giddy with happiness and ready to break out the mistletoe and dance to some Christmas music myself! I can’t recommend this one highly enough for fans of Christmas romances, it’s truly a wonderful and special book. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 


Jenny Hale is a USA Today and Amazon best-selling author of romantic women’s fiction. The film adaptation of her novel Coming Home for Christmas will air on the Hallmark Channel this year. Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family.  

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Review: Drawing Lessons by Patricia Sands @patricia_sands

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 1, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb: 

The author of the Love in Provence series returns to the South of France with a poignant portrait of a woman who must learn how to create a new life for herself…


Sixty-two-year-old Arianna arrives in the South of France for a two-week artists’ workshop full of anticipation but burdened by guilt. Back home in Toronto, she has been living with the devastating diagnosis of her husband’s dementia and the heartbreak of watching the man she has loved for decades slip away before her eyes. What does her future hold without Ben? Before her is a blank canvas.


Encouraged by her family to take some time for herself, she has traveled to Arles to set up her easel in the same fields of poppies and sunflowers that inspired Van Gogh. Gradually, she rediscovers the inner artist she abandoned long ago. Drawing strength from the warm companionship and gentle wisdom of her fellow artists at the retreat—as well as the vitality of guest lecturer Jacques de Villeneuve, an artist and a cowboy—Arianna searches her heart for permission to embrace the life in front of her and, like the sunflowers, once again face the light. 

Review: 

A few months back I read Sands Love in Provence series and absolutely loved it, she creates realistic characters in the most beautiful settings dealing with the same type of issues and problems that many of us can relate to on some level. She takes the reader on a poignant and emotional journey that is just a gorgeous experience. 

I adored her protagonist Katherine from LIP and was hoping I would have another strong connection to Arianna and I totally did! I love that Sands has heroines that are not in their twenties, they’re more mature and worldly bringing a sophistication to the story. Arianna’s situation was heart wrenching, dementia is a devastating disease and I had so much sympathy for her. When she takes a chance and heads to the artists retreat she begins a journey of personal growth and self introspection that was amazing. The rest of the people at the retreat are eclectic and interesting, they added an additional layer of depth to the story. 

Sands truly brings a setting to life, from the mouthwatering, scrumptious food descriptions to the stunning landscapes she paints the prettiest picture with her prose. There was a strong, rich sense of history of Arles that was fascinating, I’m not a history buff or remotely artistic by any means but it was compelling and I definitely learned a few new things. This was a bittersweet read with plenty of life lessons and inspiration, a really positive and lovely tale. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

Blog Tour: A Very Vintage Christmas by Tilly Tennant @TillyTenWriter @bookouture

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: September 28, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Romance

Blurb: 

The fairy lights are up and shoppers are flooding the snowy seaside promenade. It’s going to be a busy month at Forget-Me-Not Vintage, a magical shop with a warm heart where every item has a story to be told.


With bright red hair and an infectious smile, Dodie is a hopeless romantic and absolutely one of a kind, just like the pieces in her shop. 


When Dodie finds a love letter in the pocket of an old woollen coat, she makes it her mission to deliver it to its rightful owner. Following the address, she manages to persuade the handsome but reluctant new tenant, Edward, to help her with her search.


As the story of the letter unfolds, Dodie is there, as always, to pick up the pieces and make things right. But who will be there for her when her own love story needs a helping hand? 


Is it too much to dream of a happy ending like the ones in the black and white movies she adores? 


If you’re looking for a sweep-you-off-your-feet romance that will warm you through and through then the door to Forget-Me-Not Vintage is always open. Perfect for fans of Jane Linfoot, Debbie Johnson and Jenny Colgan.

 

 I’m so delighted to be one of the stops on the blog blitz for A Very Vintage Christmas today! 


Review:

Tilly Tennant is quickly becoming one of my go to authors when I’m looking for a lighthearted read that I can really escape into. I loved her From Italy with Love series and was so excited when I found out she was releasing a Christmas book! I know many of you think I’m a bit insane for already being all Christmas crazy but though this is set during the holidays, it’s not overwhelmingly Christmassy. It’s sort of there in the background and does play a part, but it’s not in your face, so any Grinches out there, don’t ignore this one because it has Christmas in the title, grab it because it’s such a fun, feel good book!

Sweet Dodie is the main character and I just adored her, she marches to the beat of a different drum but she was adorably charming and so kind. She’s an enormously giving individual and her small acts of kindness warned my heart. Her gran was an absolutely lovely addition to the story, she’s flaky and flighty but has a heart of gold. Isla is Dodie’s best friend and though her part was small, I really enjoyed their friendship and am so happy she’s getting her own book as the next installment in this little gem of a series. There are also some delicious male characters to swoon over which is always a treat. 

I loved the little bit of a historical vibe this book had between Dodie owning a vintage store and the letter she finds that was written during World War Two, there was a throwback to a different time even though this was set in the present day. This was a sparkly, festive magical read with wonderful characters and an engaging plot. Tennant always manages to sweep me away to a new place and I loved the charming town where this was set and could easily picture it all clearly thanks to her vivid descriptions and vibrant writing style. Add this one to your Christmas reading list and keep your eye out for book two next month! 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author 


Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.
Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her tenth Tilly Tennant novel. She also writes as Sharon Sant, where she explores the darker side of life, and Poppy Galbraith, where things get a little crazier. Find out more about Tilly and how to join her mailing list for news and exclusives at http://www.tillytennant.com

Throwback Thursday: In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch #TBT

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Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: July 1, 2016

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Blurb: 

Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea’s fortieth birthday.


But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts—but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that’s all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn’t have to face the truth about her own empty reality.


Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

Review: 

I’m joining in again with Throwback Thursday which was created by my good friend Renee at It’s Book Talk. She started this weekly feature as a way to highlight old favorites and read books that have already been published. I have so many older books on my TBR that get ignored in favor of review copies and I figure participating in Throwback Thursday will help me to read at a least one older title a week!

This is told from multiple perspectives that of Catherine, Owen, Annie, Colin and Lindy. This group couldn’t be more different, but maybe that’s what made them all connect in the first place twenty years ago. Catherine and Owen are married with children and go the non traditional route as he stays home with the kids and she works. They seem like the perfect all American family on the surface, but resentment bubbles under the surface. Annie is also married with one kid and she tries really hard to present the perfect life to the world, especially online. We all know no one is perfect though… Colin is a successful surgeon with a big secret about their late friend, Bea and Lindy is a famous musician with way too many issues to list here. For such a large ensemble cast of characters I found them all to be really well drawn and relatable. Some more than others, I didn’t have much in common with Lindy’s rock star life but could relate to both Annie and Owen as stay at parents. (I wonder why? 😜)

This isn’t a traditional mystery but rather a story of secrets and long held grudges with mysterious elements. When they reunite at the bequest of Bea most of them haven’t kept in touch at all and all have different issues with each other and things they really don’t want the others to know. I admittedly got slightly annoyed with most of them because so many of their problems could’ve been solved by simply talking to each other, but without conflict this would’ve just been a boring story about a group of middle aged friends, so I get that it was basically the driving force of the book. Overall this was an enjoyable read, the author is a good writer my only complaint was the ending, I felt like there were just too many loose ends that weren’t tied up at all BUT I’m super picky about endings so take that with a grain of salt. 

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

Review: Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne 

8 Comments


Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: September 26, 2017

Publisher: Harlequin 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Blurb: 

An unlikely attraction brings comfort, joy and unforgettable romance this holiday season!


Librarian Julia Winston is ready to ditch the quiet existence she’s been living. She’s made a list of new things to experience, but falling for Jamie Caine, her sexy military pilot neighbor, isn’t one of them. Julia’s looking to conquer life, not become the heartbreaker’s latest conquest. But when two young brothers wind up in Julia’s care for the holidays, she’ll take any help she can get—even Jamie’s. 


Happy to step in, Jamie reveals a side of himself that’s much harder to resist. Not only is he fantastic with kids, he provides the strength Julia needs to tackle her list. She knows their temporary family can’t last beyond the holidays, but the closer she gets to Jamie, the more she wonders if things could be this merry and bright forever… 

Review: 

This is the seventh book in the Haven Point series, I jumped in at book six with Serenity Harbor and have been bummed that I didn’t get in on the ground floor of this one. These books are SO sweet, I love how each one focuses on a new developing romance but there are appearances from previous characters in the subsequent books, that’s always so fun. I know I’ll never have time to go back and read the first five books, but I’ll definitely be following it from here on out. 

Julia is the town librarian and lives a fairly quiet life. She has plenty of close friends but her parents have both passed away and she’s an only child so she doesn’t have any real family left. Jamie needs a rental for a few weeks so his sister sets him up in Julia’s apartment that is attached to her own house. It’s a total opposites attract saturation, he’s a bit of a ladies man with a huge family, (he has six siblings) and she’s more reserved but besides the obvious cliche there isn’t anything cheesy here. I loved both of them and watching them fall in love was adorable. Jamie was quite the charmer and Julia was beyond cute but they both had wounds that needed to heal and darkness in their pasts. As much as I enjoyed their storyline two little boys stole the show and my heart. Clint and Davy end up staying with Julia while they wait for a spot with a foster family and they were the cutest kids and such a sweet addition to this already endearing story. Hot guys and darling kids, what more could a girl want?!

This was a cozy little read, tons of Christmas magic set in an idyllic, charming town. There’s a strong message of hope in Thayne’s novels that’s truly heartwarming, I’m in love with her writing style, there’s a natural ease and fluidity that just makes reading her books so much fun. If you need a book to add to your holiday reading list that would be perfect to read fireside make sure you add this one! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Claire at Little Bird Publicity for my review copy.