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Release date: May 7, 2019

Publisher: Gallery

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

With the man of her dreams back in her life and all three of her daughters happy, Ansley Murphy should be content. But she can’t help but feel like it’s all a little too good to be true.

Meanwhile, youngest daughter and actress Emerson, who is recently engaged and has just landed the role of a lifetime, seemingly has the world by the tail. Only, something she can’t quite put her finger on is worrying her—and it has nothing to do with her recent health scare.

When two new women arrive in Peachtree Bluff—one who has the potential to wreck Ansley’s happiness and one who could tear Emerson’s world apart—everything is put in perspective. And after secrets that were never meant to be told come to light, the powerful bond between the Murphy sisters and their mother comes crumbling down, testing their devotion to each other and forcing them to evaluate the meaning of family.

With Kristy Woodson Harvey’s signature charm, wit, and heart, The Southern Side of Paradise is another masterful Peachtree Bluff novel that proves she is a “Southern writer with staying power” (Booklist). 

Review:

Ahh what a bittersweet review this is for me, I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning and have been both anxiously awaiting the third and final book but also dreading it, simply because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters that I have come to adore. In case you want to see me gush over the other books in this series here’s my reviews for Slightly South of Simple and The Secret to Southern Charm, all highly recommended by me!

Three books in and it’s finally Emerson’s time to shine! Each book focuses on one of the Murphy sisters and you also hear from their mom, Ansley in alternating chapters, so by this point these characters feel like family. I’ve loved watching their family dynamics shift over the course of the series, so much has changed for all of them since the first book and I feel like things have come full circle for each of the Murphy women as well.

There have been some family secrets lurking in the background all along and all the unanswered issues and questions are resolved here, and for me, everything came to a totally satisfying conclusion. These women have messy, complicated relationships, both with each other and also in their romantic relationships and things were handled in a way that felt true and genuine. As much as this whole series feels heartfelt this one took that to a whole new level, I teared up a few times, I laughed, I was surprised and most of all I closed this one feeling completely content and ready to say goodbye to Peachtree Bluff, even though it was with a tinge of sadness.

The Southern Side of Paradise in three words: Charming, Sincere and Entrancing.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: May 7, 2019

Publisher: Little Brown

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

Summer has started in idyllic Sag Harbor, and for Emma Mapson that means greeting guests at the front desk of The American Hotel. But when one of the town’s most famous residents, artist Henry Wyatt, dies suddenly, Emma learns he has mysteriously left his waterfront home – a self-designed masterpiece filled with his work – to her teenage daughter, Penny. 

Back in Manhattan, legendary art patron Bea Winstead’s grief at her lifelong friend and former business partner Henry’s passing turns to outrage at the news of his shocking bequest. How did these unknown locals get their hands on the estate? Bea, with her devoted assistant Kyle in tow, descends on Sag Harbor determined to reclaim the house and preserve Henry’s legacy.

While Emma fights to defend her daughter’s inheritance, Bea discovers that Henry left a treasure trove of sketches scattered around town. With Penny’s reluctant help, Bea pieces them together to find a story hidden in plain sight: an illustration of their shared history with an unexpected twist that will change all of their lives.

Drawn together in their battle for the house, Emma and Bea are forced to confront the past while facing a future that challenges everything they believe about love, fate, and family.

Review:

Last year I fell in love with Jamie Brenner’s writing when I read The Husband Hour and I knew after reading just one of her books that I had found a new must read author for myself. From the stunning cover to the very final page this one had me enraptured throughout and only made me even more sure that the author is an auto buy for me.

You know what makes an perfect “beach read” for me? It’s a combination of a few key elements and Brenner has perfected this for me. Setting is obviously huge here, I wanna be swept away to somewhere gorgeous and well described, I also want to connect with the characters, they’ve gotta have depth and dimension, but there’s also gotta be a lighter side too, a tricky balance for some. Finally, I want to be invested in the story, it has to have substance and intrigue. Guess what?! This book has all of that and more.

Sag Harbor was fully brought to life here, there is so much history alongside the charming little town that I found myself wishing I could vacation there this summer. I connected with Emma from the start, she was extremely likable and her daughter Penny was just as easy to love, although Bea was the kind of character I love to hate, but that’s always fun. All three women were complex and interesting, so check off great characterization as well. There’s a light mystery at play as well, why exactly did Henry leave his estate to Penny? And who will wind up with the property in the end? There were many engaging plot points and angles here, deep familial bonds and history and how their dynamics evolved and grew over time, romance, grief and so much more. This one had it all for me friends, I’m calling it a must read for summer and I urge you all to read it on vacation this year!

Drawing Home in three words: Immersive, Intriguing and Genuine.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 30, 2019

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Mad Men meets The Devil Wears Prada as Renée Rosen draws readers into the glamour of 1965 New York City and Cosmopolitan Magazine, where a brazen new Editor-in-Chief–Helen Gurley Brown–shocks America by daring to talk to women about all things off limits…

New York City is filled with opportunities for single girls like Alice Weiss who leaves her small Midwestern town to chase her big city dreams and unexpectedly lands the job of a lifetime working for Helen Gurley Brown, the first female Editor-in-Chief of a then failing Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Nothing could have prepared Alice for the world she enters as editors and writers resign on the spot, refusing to work for the woman who wrote the scandalous bestseller, Sex and the Single Girl. While confidential memos, article ideas, and cover designs keep finding their way into the wrong hands, someone tries to pull Alice into this scheme to sabotage her boss. But Alice remains loyal and becomes all the more determined to help Helen succeed. As pressure mounts at the magazine and Alice struggles to make her way in New York, she quickly learns that in Helen Gurley Brown’s world, a woman can demand to have it all. 

Review:

I used to be obsessed with Cosmo, I had a subscription for years and one of the best days every month was always when a copy showed up in my mailbox, so when I found out Park Avenue Summer focused on the woman who gave Cosmo a makeover in the sixties I was super excited about this one! NYC in this era is also fascinating for me, so I had a strong feeling that this would be an amazing read for me and it was!

I imagine it would be really tricky and somewhat complicated to blend fact with fiction but Rosen did an incredible job here. This is told solely from Alice’s perspective but you also learn so much about HGB through her eyes which was totally fascinating. Alice was well drawn, at the start she’s new to the city and trying to find her place there and she grows and matures so much throughout the book. HGB is quite a character, she’s endlessly interesting to me and after reading the authors note and seeing that much of what was portrayed was really true, I was even more impressed. Rosen’s attention to detail and obvious research is very apparent and impressive.

This one has it all my friends, rich historical detail, love, loss, family and maybe most importantly, it was inspiring. Both Alice and Helen were bold in their own way and ahead of their time despite the heavy pushback from the men in their lives and I so admired their sheer will and perseverance. Highly recommended by me, it’s a perfect summer read, light and fun but with depth and heart as well!

Park Avenue Summer in three words: Captivating, Vivid and Inspiring.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: April 30, 2019

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy—a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary Lauren makes a decision that will change everything.

Lauren won’t pretend things are perfect anymore. She defies the controlling husband who has privately mistreated her throughout their marriage and files for divorce. And as she starts her new life, she meets a kindred spirit—a man who is also struggling with the decision to end his unhappy marriage.

But Lauren’s husband wants his “perfect” life back and his actions are shocking. Facing an uncertain future, Lauren discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had as she fights for the love and happiness she deserves. 

Review:

I just love Carr’s style, something about it almost soothes me even if she’s writing about some heavy stuff. I think it’s because she strikes the perfect balance between dark and light, and also due to the fact that her characterization is always on point and she has me invested in the people in her books before I’ve finished the first chapter. Whatever it may be, she’s damn good and I always know when I start one of her books that I’m about to begin an emotional journey alongside some memorable characters.

Lauren is just the type of character I’ve come to expect from a RC novel, she’s extremely likable and it was very easy for me to sympathize with her almost instantly. Right at the beginning of the book she’s preparing to leave her abusive husband after over twenty years of marriage and you just can’t help but feel for the poor woman. Initially I thought this would only be about her personal journey in starting over and while it definitely was, it was also so much more than that. She finds love again and that was developed in a really realistic and authentic way, but what surprised me the most was actually how many surprises the plot took. It was really unexpected for me, most WF novels follow a somewhat predictable path but this one was really different and I just love that!

Highly recommended for fans of the author, her trademark warmth and charm is heavily apparent but I think this is also my favorite of her books so far, so if you haven’t read her before this is a great place to start!

The View from Alameda Island in three words: Genuine, Warm and Charming

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: April 23, 2019

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

When recently divorced Katie Ellis and her rescue dog Bark move back in with Katie’s grandmother in Florida, she becomes swept up in a reunion of her grandmother’s troupe of underwater performers—finding hope and renewal in unexpected places, in this sweet novel perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Claire Cook.

Aspiring costume designer Katie gave up everything in her divorce to gain custody of her fearful, faithful rescue dog, Barkimedes. While she figures out what to do next, she heads back to Florida to live with her grandmother, Nan.

But Katie quickly learns there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Nan—like the fact that in her youth Nan was a mermaid performer in a roadside attraction show, swimming and dancing underwater with a close-knit cast of talented women. Although most of the mermaids have since lost touch, Katie helps Nan search for her old friends on Facebook, sparking hopes for a reunion show. Katie is up for making some fabulous costumes, but first, she has to contend with her crippling fear of water. 

As Katie’s college love Luca, a documentary filmmaker, enters the fray, Katie struggles to balance her hopes with her anxiety, and begins to realize just how much Bark’s fears are connected to her own, in this thoughtful, charming novel about hope after loss and friendships that span generations. 

Review:

I love a good book about starting over and this one caught my eye with the mention of a close relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter. I was incredibly close to my own grandma and valued our relationship so very much and I figured I would really enjoy reading about Katie and Nan’s special bond. I was mostly right, this was a light and sweet read that will make for good summer reading.

At the surface level there is plenty about Katie to like and I did admire her resolve when it came to starting over after her painful divorce. But once more about her character is revealed I’m afraid I never quite connected with her. She had a childlike quality about her and it grated on my nerves instead of bringing out my usual nurturing side for some reason. Thankfully I was totally obsessed with Nan and her mermaid friends, these ladies totally made the whole book for me and made me wish that I had a group of elderly women fussing over me! They were sassy, strong, brave and inspiring and made me laugh out loud several times.

Overall this was a solid read for me, despite my lack of connection with Katie I really did enjoy it. It was pretty predictable but the quirky supporting cast of characters including the mermaids and Katie’s best friend Mo more than made up for that aspect. There’s also a pretty sweet dog named Bark that features heavily in the story so if you’re an animal lover you would probably appreciate this one.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: April 9, 2019

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Two sisters raised in fear are about to find out why in a chilling novel of psychological suspense from the author of The Thinnest Air.

Ignorant of civilization and cautioned against its evils, nineteen-year-old Wren and her two sisters, Sage and Evie, were raised in off-the-grid isolation in a primitive cabin in upstate New York. When the youngest grows gravely ill, their mother leaves with the child to get help from a nearby town. And they never return.

As months pass, hope vanishes. Supplies are low. Livestock are dying. A brutal winter is bearing down. Then comes the stranger. He claims to be looking for the girls’ mother, and he’s not leaving without them.

To escape, Wren and her sister must break the rule they’ve grown up with: never go beyond the forest.

Past the thicket of dread, they come upon a house on the other side of the pines. This is where Wren and Sage must confront something more chilling than the unknowable. They’ll discover what’s been hidden from them, what they’re running from, and the secrets that have left them in the dark their entire lives.

Blurb:

This blurb is weird, it’s accurate and all but it leaves out something pretty big and I really don’t understand why?! So many times I feel like blurbs actually spoil things and I’ve even cut parts of them out for my reviews, but this time I’m just scratching my head wondering why. What they left out that I think is important for you to know is that besides the story of the sisters there is another main character that you hear from in alternatingchapters. Nothing is ruined by knowing this, in fact it actually piqued my interest even more once I started so I figured telling you guys wouldonly be beneficial. 

Wren narrates things from her and her sister Sage’s POV and there is also Nicolette, a totally unrelated woman and I had zero idea as to how things would ever tie together. Their lives couldn’t be more different, Nicolette lives an affluent lifestyle and the girls are living off grid and barely surviving so trying to figure out how their stories would merge was damn near impossible. Between my intrigue with the plot and the insanely fast paced writing I was totally invested in this one.

As much as my overall feeling about this book is one of enjoyment I do have to point out that the big twist and subsequent merging of the two groups of characters was pretty out there and unrealistic. Did I even care? No, not really I was just having so much fun with the whole thing I had a moment where I sorta rolled my eyes and then I just moved right on. But I wanted to be honest, I know many of you are bothered by that kind of stuff, so if you have issues suspending disbelief just be aware. If you don’t, give this one a chance, it had an original premise and was a fast paced, addictive read!

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: April 16, 2019

Publisher: Harper

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Review:

Did you catch in the blurb that two sisters end up marrying the same man?! Talk about an attention grabber, that line alone made me want to read this one and when it’s also an AB book I’m alllll in. You know there has to be some juicy and complex backstory about how one woman becomes an aunt and a stepmother to the same child, something like that just doesn’t happen, right?! That’s just one of several burning questions I had almost immediately after cracking this book open and there was definitely a ton to unpack here.

Let me set you straight real quick and tell you that if you’re looking for a fast paced thriller you need to adjust your expectations a little. This is definitely more of domestic suspense, there isn’t a ton of action but it’s compelling all the same. There is a lot going on here, you have courtroom drama that moves along briskly with some chapters having a pretty large time jump between them, you have this dysfunctional family trying to pick up the pieces after a tragedy and then Chloe’s job is also interesting and very timely as a sort of spin off of the #MeToo movement. So as much as this isn’t a typical thriller it’s never boring at all, just know that it has the feel of a classic whodunnit with a contemporary edge.

Fans of the author will love this one, it felt very similar to The Wife in many ways but was also original enough not to feel stale. What makes her books standout to me is the superb writing, she really knows how to create an addictive page turner that hooks you.

The Better Sister in three words: Engrossing, Fluid and Scandalous

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: April 23, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Someone once told me that you have two families in your life – the one you are born into and the one you choose. Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don’t choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all.

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm’s length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they’ll never have the closeness she’d been hoping for.

But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something…

From the bestselling author of The Family Next Door comes a new page-turner about that trickiest of relationships. 

Review:

Sally Hepworth is constantly being compared to Liane Moriarty and not just because they’re both Australian, female writers. I get the comparison, they both write lighter style suspense, no blood and guts, just good old fashioned who dunnits with a modern twist that focus on domestic secrets and betrayals. As much as I love LM dare I say I love SH more?! Yep, I just did, her books are the true definition of unputdownable and there is always more than meets the eye with everything from the plot itself to the characters and their motivations, histories and secrets.

Mother and daughter in law relationships are endlessly fascinating to me, maybe it’s because I truly have such a fantastic relationship with my own MIL (seriously, she is THE BEST) but there are always highly complex dynamics between a mom and her sons wife no matter how great the two women get along, there is always something tricky about them and Diana and Lucy’s is no different. You hear from both women, Diana in the past and Lucy in both the past and present and at first glance you assume many things about them both. I’m beginning to understand that making assumptions while reading a SH book is just not smart, she’s a clever writer and has so many tricks up her sleeve. That’s all I’m saying about that.

This was pure entertainment, the best kind of read because you get totally sucked in and before you know it, half the book is over. There’s a steadily building style of suspense, the chapters get shorter as you get closer to the end and the tension is raised as well. The ending was super solid and the whole thing was unique, this really felt like something new in the world of domestic suspense and made me a firm fan of the author.

The Mother In Law in three words: Fresh, Fascinating and Complicated

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: April 16, 2019

Publisher: Sarah Crighton Books/FSG

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: