Book Review: "Black Woods Blue Sky" by Eowyn Ivey

I love it when an author can make you experience the setting of a book with all of your senses. In her third book, Eowyn Ivey takes us back to Alaska and immerses us fully in its beauty and its danger.

Birdie is a single mother to her young daughter, Emaleen. She’s far from perfect—she drinks a bit too much, and doesn’t always watch Emaleen as closely as she should, but she brings Emaleen to work with her as a waitress at an Alaskan roadside lodge.

One of the men who comes to the lodge every now and again is Arthur. He’s quiet, keeps to himself, and he is the type of person that people talk about without knowing what his whole story is. He lives in a cabin in the woods, far from town, and he knows the woods quite well, so when Emaleen gets lost one day, it is Arthur who finds her and brings her back safely.

Birdie is tremendously grateful to Arthur for saving her daughter. The more she gets to know him, she is drawn to his quiet ways and his secrets, not to mention his love of Alaska’s natural beauty. Despite the warnings of many, she and Emaleen move into Arthur’s cabin with him.

“It was impossible, what Birdie wanted. To go alone, to experience the world on her own terms. But also, to share it all with Emaleen.”

This book is a very loose take on Beauty and the Beast, but it is also a story all its own. It’s powerful and emotional, with touches of magical realism and a little suspense. While it doesn’t surpass Ivey’s first book, The Snow Child, in my opinion, it’s still such a beautiful and satisfying read.

Book Review: "Village in the Dark" by Iris Yamashita

I’ve never been to Alaska but it’s high on my travel bucket list. Luckily, lots of books are set there, so I can visit by reading.

A year ago, Cara’s husband and young son disappeared while on a hike, as the family vacationed. Their remains were found, but Cara’s grief and anger have remained, and led to her suspension from the Anchorage Police Department.

When she finds a picture of her family on the cellphone of a dead gang member, she starts to wonder what really happened to her husband and son. And while every lead she follows winds up in a dead end, she’s determined to find the truth.

As she tries to investigate what happened to the other people whose photos appeared on the gang member’s phone, she steps into a very complicated web of deception and danger. Connecting with a young Native woman, they wind up traveling to a remote village called Unity, created to protect women and children from their abusers. It is there that Cara learns the truth.

As she puts herself and others at risk in order to find answers, she must also resolve her feelings for JB, a police detective she met while on assignment. He’d do anything for Cara, but will his sacrifices lead to happily ever after or grief and danger?

This is the second book in a series which in part takes place in Point Mettier, Alaska, an isolated town that can only be accessed by an underground tunnel, and where all the residents live in one large condo building. The first book, City Under One Roof, is really good, too, but you don’t have to have read that first.

I love the way Iris Yamashita writes. These books are so atmospheric I can feel the cold and see the images she creates. The fact that these books read like a movie is no surprise, considering Yamashita is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter. I hope there’s a third book!!

Book Review: "A Storm of Infinite Beauty" by Julianne MacLean

Scarlett Fontaine was a Hollywood star. She won several Oscars—for acting and songwriting—and was known for her beauty and fashion sense. Amazingly, she died when she was only in her mid-30s, but her talent lives on.

Gwen is a distant cousin of Scarlett’s and is the curator of a museum in Nova Scotia (where Scarlett grew up) that is dedicated to Scarlett’s life. She’s also going to inherit Scarlett’s estate, as she’ll be the last living heir.

One day, Peter, a photojournalist, comes to the museum to discuss a biography he’s writing about Scarlett. He shares some things about Scarlett that Gwen had never heard before, a story about time in Alaska and a secret child. Gwen, who is tremendously protective of Scarlett’s legacy, is shocked by Peter’s claims at first, and wonders if he has fabricated a scandal to sell his book.

But the more facts Peter lays out, the more the pieces start falling in place for Gwen. She’s been dealing with the end of her marriage as well as feelings of grief and anger, so working with Peter to verify this information becomes a good distraction for her.

Peter and Gwen travel to Alaska to see what they can find, and at the same time discover more about themselves as well. The book shifts between the 1960s in Alaska and the present, as the events in Scarlett’s early life unfold.

I didn’t realize that the bulk of the story was going to be Scarlett’s time in Alaska. It really didn’t grab me at all, but this book is highly rated on Goodreads so I might have missed something.

Book Review: "City Under One Roof" by Iris Yamashita

City Under One Roof is a compelling crime novel that gives a new twist to the locked-room mystery.

During the summer, the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, is full of tourists. But in the winter, the population of this town—only accessible via a tunnel that closes for bad weather—shrinks to about 200 people. And they all live in the same high-rise building, where nearly everything is located.

When local teens find a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore, the police believe it’s the remains of someone who jumped off a cruise ship. The case raises the suspicions of Cara, a police detective from Anchorage, who comes to Point Mettier to investigate. But her reasons for investigating aren’t entirely above-board.

She is stranded in the town during a blizzard, and has to stay in the same condo building as everyone else in town. When a severed head is found, Cara, who teams up with local policeman JB, realizes the killer may be someone they’re all staying with. More and more, she discovers that everyone in Point Mettier is hiding something. And the arrival of a dangerous gang from a nearby Native village only complicates matters further.

First of all, the book had me at Alaska. It’s one of my favorite settings for books. And I loved the concept of the town and the condo—I totally felt claustrophobic.

This reads like a movie, which makes sense because Yamashita is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, and it’s definitely full of unusual characters, some of whose stories definitely felt incomplete. I’m guessing a second book is in the works, especially given the twist Yamashita threw in at the end?

Book Review: "Nobody Gets Out Alive" by Leigh Newman

Leigh Newman's debut collection, Nobody Gets Out Alive, is a collection of stories featuring women at their toughest, dealing with the wilds of life.

I always love discovering books thanks to Bookstagram friends. This story collection, longlisted for the National Book Award, was recommended by two friends whose reading taste is so admirable, so I figured, how could I lose?

The collection takes place in Alaska, one of my favorite settings for books, and the stories follow women dealing not only with the wildlife and the sometimes-unforgiving climate, but also with the challenges and pain associated with love, loss, and relationships. Some stories are set in the present, some in the not-too-distant past, and one is even set in the early 1900s.

Newman’s characters are tough, independent, smart, and sensitive, which makes reading about them really appealing. A few of the stories feature the same characters at different points of their lives.

As with any story collection, I loved some more than others. My favorites included “Howl Palace,” about an older woman dealing with financial challenges and the mortality of those she loves; the title story, about an engaged couple dealing with the advances of others; and “Alcan: An Oral History,” which follows five different women outrunning their problems.

Let’s hear it for book recs from friends!!

Book Review: "Running Wild" by K.A. Tucker

Thanks to K.A. Tucker's latest book, I don’t care that it’s January, I happily went back to Alaska!!

When I think of my favorite book series, Tucker’s Wild series (The Simple Wild, Wild at Heart, and Forever Wild) quickly comes to mind. I fell deeply in love with Calla and Josh (especially Josh, yum) and the supporting cast of characters.

Running Wild, Tucker’s latest, focuses on Marie, a veterinarian who travels all over Alaska for her work. She’s also Josh’s best friend, and while she had hoped they could mean more than that to one another, it wasn’t meant to be. So she’s thrown herself into her work, which she loves, but she does get tired of everyone trying to set her up with someone, and her family treating her as if she's not whole without marriage and a family.

When she meets Tyler, who’s recently moved to the area to train sled dogs for the Iditarod, their first encounter is a tense one. (She’s investigating an alleged case of animal abuse.) But the more they get to know each other, the more she respects his talent and the more intense their connection to one another grows. However, Tyler is in love with someone else, and only wants to be with Marie as a friend. She's done that type of relationship before. Will true love ever swing her way?

I enjoyed Running Wild so much. Tucker pulled me right into this story and as always, made me care about these characters like they were my friends. I was also so impressed with the level of research she did on the Iditarod race and sled dogs, as I knew next to nothing coming into this book.

Here’s hoping there’s more Alaska to come for us Tucker fans!!

Book Review: "Enjoy the View" by Sarah Morgenthaler

Enjoy the View, the third book in Sarah Morgenthaler's Moose Springs series, makes one thing clear: Every rom-com should have a marmot.

Handsome mountaineer Easton Lockett gets more than he bargained for when he stops for a woman walking down the side of the road, pulling a suitcase. It turns out that she’s no damsel in distress—it’s actress River Lane—and she happened to be in the middle of filming. And Easton ruined her shot. (And he wasn't the only one, so she's even angrier.)

With her acting career on the decline, River is determined to get relevant again, so she decides to film a documentary about the charming little town of Moose Springs, Alaska. One tiny catch: the town and its residents don’t want the documentary to be filmed. But resistance has never stopped River before, so she’s going to shoot the film no matter what.

In an effort to compromise (and spend more time with River), Easton agrees to lead her and her film crew on a climb up Mount Veil, so she can shoot from up there. An experienced climber, River is excited for the challenge—and excited about climbing with Easton. What could go wrong?

Lots of things, of course. With a wayward crew, a lovesick marmot, and bad weather on the horizon, it’s going to take all of Easton’s skill to get them back safely. And if they do make it back, can Easton convince River to put down roots in the town he loves so much? Can two people with wholly different lives find happiness together? (What do you think?)

It’s so good to be back in Moose Springs again. I love the characters Morgenthaler has created—even the animal characters are so appealing!! I so enjoyed getting to see the characters from the last two books, The Tourist Attraction and Mistletoe and Mr. Right, again.

I’ll admit, it took a while for River’s character to grow on me, but I loved the chemistry between her and Easton. I also loved the climbing aspect of Enjoy the View, which added another dimension. (It’s something I will NEVER do, so it was fun to live vicariously through the characters.)

I hope we get to take another trip back to Moose Springs soon!!

Book Review: "Mistletoe and Mr. Right" by Sarah Morgenthaler

Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler is adorable and fun, and another example of why I’ve been loving holiday rom-coms lately.

In this book, we return to the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska. Lana isn’t the most popular person in town since her family’s company bought up most of the town, and she plans to build luxury condominiums in Moose Springs. Many town residents would prefer to keep tourists away even if it causes businesses to struggle more.

And while the town makes its displeasure with Lana known, there’s something else wreaking havoc. Apparently there’s a moose in town that isn’t fond of Christmas decorations—so much so that it keeps destroying everyone’s displays. Lana volunteers to catch the moose in the hope that it might win her some fans. Yeah, that should go well.

One such person she doesn’t have to worry about is Rick, who owns the town’s struggling pool hall. He’s always had a thing for Lana, even though he gets totally tongue-tied around her. He knows they come from totally different worlds, and she’ll probably not be in town long, but he can’t help but fall for her, and she definitely feels the same.

How could you not love a rom-com that has a blind border collie that loves to wear clothes and matching hats, and a Christmas sweater-wearing hedgehog named Darla, not to mention a sweet love story? I love the town of Moose Springs (the setting of Morgenthaler’s last book, The Tourist Attraction) and the characters are just great. The one interesting thing is that I always feel like the characters seem much older than they actually area—I would have pegged Lana and Rick for their mid-40s, but that wasn't the case.

Mistletoe and Mr. Right took a little while to get going but I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for Morgenthaler’s third book in January!!

Book Review: "Forever Wild" by K.A. Tucker

Did I love The Forever Wild as much as I hoped I would? Yes, yes, a million times, yes!

Calla and Jonah return in this novella, the third installment following The Simple Wild and Wild at Heart. Not that I needed reminding, but I love this series and these characters so much!!

Christmas is almost here in Trapper's Crossing, Alaska, and Calla and Jonah are getting ready for a full house of guests. Jonah’s mother and stepfather are coming from Norway, Calla’s mother and stepfather are coming from Canada, and Agnes and Mabel are coming, too. Calla can't believe it's been a year since her family dropped her off at the airport so she could begin her new life.

Of course, there’s family tension to be had (Jonah is not a fan of his stepfather), but the biggest topic of conversation is when—and where—Calla and Jonah will get married. Throw in some meddling from Muriel and some typical curmudgeon-like behavior from Roy, as well as a massive snowstorm, and it’s going to be quite a holiday!

The Forever Wild was just so good. Everything was familiar, sure, but K.A. Tucker hooked me from start to finish. If I had any criticism it was that the book was too short, but luckily she has a fourth book featuring Marie, a recurring character and former almost-flame of Jonah's, coming in 2021.

If you like romances with sexy pilots and stories that take place in Alaska, pick this series up. I wouldn’t mind a movie version to see what Jonah would look like in the flesh!

Book Review: "The Tourist Attraction" by Sarah Morgenthaler

You can’t trust tourists not to do anything...like make you fall in love with them.⁣ This is the moral of sorts in The Tourist Attraction, Sarah Morgenthaler's new rom-com.

⁣ FYI: I’m a sucker for sappy rom-coms, books set in Alaska, and dogs wearing outfits, so I was a goner here. There's also a moose in love with the smell of freshly baked bread. I mean, I was SUNK with this book before I started.

⁣ ⁣ Graham runs the Tourist Trap, a small diner in Moose Springs, Alaska that has become a huge tourist stop despite its limited menu and his less-than-stellar customer service. He’s one of many in his town who makes money off the tourists but doesn’t like the chaos and demands they bring.⁣

⁣ When he first meets Zoey, she’s nearly passed-out drunk in the diner and suffering from jet lag since she just arrived in Alaska. Since her friend abandoned her at the diner, Graham drives her back to the ultra-fancy resort where she’s staying, and it’s not long before he can’t get her out of his mind—despite the fact she’s a tourist.⁣

⁣ For Zoey, the trip to Alaska has been the dream of a lifetime. She’s spent all of her savings and planned everything down to the last detail—but she didn’t count on the sexy but grumpy local to get under her skin.⁣ Is she crazy to let him get to her? Should they start something that is sure to end when she leaves Alaska, if not before?

⁣ The Tourist Attraction was such a sweet, fun, sappy, slightly melodramatic book that I devoured. I loved the quirky and memorable cast of characters that Morgenthaler created (both human and animal) and hope to see them again in her next book, Mistletoe and Mr. Right, scheduled for release in October. (There's even a third book planned for January 2021!)⁣

Book Review: "The Simple Wild" by K.A. Tucker

I'll admit, I have a straight-up obsession with Alaska. Of course, I'm far from the roughing-it type, so my appreciation of the "Last Frontier" comes from the pictures I've seen from those on Alaskan cruises, books like The Great Alone or The Smell of Other People's Houses, and movies.

I must say, that when a character in K.A. Tucker's book The Simple Wild said she loved Alaska because of what she saw in the movie "Into the Wild," I actually laughed out loud, because I felt seen.

Anyway, all this preamble is just to say that The Simple Wild already had a bit of a head-start with me because of its setting, but Tucker's story of romance, family dysfunction, forgiveness, and desperately trying not to make the same mistakes your parents did really blew me away. I've been on a bit of a roll with romance/rom-com novels lately, and this one was just as spectacular as everyone told me it was.

Calla Fletcher is a bit out of sorts—she's just lost her job and her relationship with her boyfriend seems to be going nowhere. Then she gets a phone call that her estranged father, Wren, has cancer. Calla hasn't seen her father since she was two years old, when she and her mother left their rural Alaska home because her mother could no longer handle the isolated lifestyle. And while she talked to her father periodically throughout her childhood, they haven't spoken in a number of years, and she essentially felt he chose his life in Alaska over her.

With nothing really going on in her life, and the opportunity to try and get to know her father before it's too late, Calla decides to head to the Alaskan wilderness, where he runs a charter plane company. She is utterly unprepared for how different life is in Bangor, Alaska from her life in Toronto—the spotty wi-fi, the constraints on water usage, how much everything costs—but she is captivated by the beauty of the place. But her father is very guarded, and she can't seem to understand why he keeps avoiding her. She's only in Alaska for a week—shouldn't he be taking the time to get to know her again? Or doesn't he care that she came all this way?

Little by little, Calla begins to understand why Wren could never uproot his life, even for her and her mother. She gets to know the people he's chosen to surround himself with, especially Jonah, the cocky pilot with the chip on his shoulder, and a host of incorrect assumptions about Calla. He's convinced she's too pampered to last in Bangor, and is ready to fly her home at the first sign of distress—if she can ever get her luggage in the first place. She doesn't understand why Jonah resents her so much, although he does encourage her to get to know her father.

Determined to prove Jonah wrong, and realizing that the time she has with her father is truly limited, Calla begins to settle in to Alaskan life, and starts to form a relationship with her father again. She learns more about his relationship with her mother, and how they never truly stopped loving each other, even though she has gotten remarried and built a new life. More and more, Calla's combative relationship with Jonah begins to soften into friendship, with hints at something more intense. But Jonah will never leave Alaska, and like her mother, Calla cannot fathom a life here. She's determined not to make the same mistakes her mother did, no matter how much her hunger for Jonah grows.

While nothing surprising happens in The Simple Wild, I was completely hooked from start to finish, and devoured the book in just a few hours. I was totally invested in these characters and their lives, and found myself getting emotionally invested right along with them. Granted, I have a lot of emotional vulnerability regarding my own father's death five years ago, but this book really touched me. I love books which celebrate both the families we choose along with those we're born into.

Far from just being poignant, however, this book is funny, ridiculously sexy, and a love letter to Alaska. Tucker is a great storyteller, but she painted such vivid pictures of the beautiful surroundings as well as the mundane parts of rural, small-town life. She also did a great job capturing the exhilaration and the danger associated with flying such small planes in unstable conditions. It really added another dimension to the story.

If you're looking for a book that is both a story of family relationships and a love story, pick up The Simple Wild. Hopefully you'll marvel at Tucker's storytelling and the absolute charm of this book as much as I did.