Book Review: "The Red Robin of Christmas" by Santa Montefiore

Be still my sappy heart. I fell in love with this Kindle first selection, which was romantic, moving, and so heartwarming. It was exactly what I needed on a Monday!

Jack’s beloved wife Marjorie died eight years ago. Since then it’s just been him and Rusty, his fox red Labrador. Marjorie was always the social one, while Jack has gotten used to his solitude. He knows he has become a bit of a hermit, but he doesn’t have a lot of tolerance for others.

He is a creature of habit. Every morning he and Rusty go on a long walk and then wind up at the Hot Bun Café for breakfast. Jack doesn’t care much for small talk, but he always has time for a conversation with Betty, the café’s owner. Betty’s mornings become that much brighter when Jack and Rusty arrive.

When Jack learns that his granddaughter Flora is planning to visit from California for two weeks over Christmas, it throws him off. Marjorie was the one who used to travel to America, and Marjorie indulged their grandchildren. He can’t remember the last time he saw Flora, and doesn’t know how he’s going to entertain her when he just wants his solitude.

What Jack doesn’t realize, however, is how much he’ll enjoy Flora’s visit, and the memories she’ll share with him about Marjorie. Flora doesn’t realize that her grandfather has essentially let his grief keep him from living his life. But she’ll open his eyes to the possibilities his life still holds, while her heart may be open to possibilities of its own as well.

I’ve never read anything by Santa Montefiore before, but if her other books are like this, I will become a big fan! This worked for me on so many levels, and I was charmed completely.

This will publish 12/1.

Book Review: "An Unlikely Visitor" by Joanna Cannon

Joanna Cannon’s new book is both a cozy mystery of sorts and a reflection on grief, with some magical realism thrown in as well. It’s a bit different than I was expecting but it was tremendously moving and thought-provoking.

Margaret’s husband Derek recently died, and she’s not sure how to carry on. Their young daughter Jeanie went missing years ago, and they never got resolution on her disappearance. Derek’s death compounds the grief she’s already carrying.

“But the only thing I think we really need to accept is this: when you love someone, truly love someone, they never really leave. No one is ever lost to you, they’re just in a different place.”

Margaret finds herself barely able to go through the motions of everyday life. She tries, but she’s just so tired all the time, and doesn’t feel like doing much of anything. But then one day, she hears a voice coming from the living room. This unlikely visitor is there to help her try and find answers to what happened to Jeanie all those years ago, as well as learn how to move forward with her life.

“The trouble with memories, though, is they’re not as useful if you don’t have anyone to share them with.”

The narrative alternates between the present and the time surrounding Jeanie’s disappearance. Margaret hopes to finally find closure, but it’ll come in the most unusual of ways. I was really moved by this book—and if you read it, I’d love to chat!

Book Review: "Rabbit Rabbit" by Jennifer E. Smith

They say, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans.” Billie learns the meaning of this adage fairly quickly, in this heartwarming and emotional book. Thanks so much to Ballantine and NetGalley for the advance copy!! I really loved it.

Billie is a 39-year-old film editor living in Los Angeles. She is on a trip to Florence with her two best friends, and on New Year’s Eve she decides that this will be the year she has a baby. She plans to do IUI or IVF, and although it’s a little scary, she will raise the baby on her own.

Of course, within an hour of making this decision, she meets Arthur, a handsome, intelligent, Scottish environmentalist. They flirt, they wander the city into the wee hours of the morning, and both clearly feel a connection deeper than flirtation. But Arthur isn’t interested in having kids, so as much as they’d both love to pursue a relationship, Billie wants to give the baby thing a try.

They do keep in touch, however. Billie definitely longs to be with Arthur, but she really wants to have a child, too. She spends the next year trying to get pregnant and traveling all over the world to see him. Each time they’re together, they know they don’t want things between them to end, but this is a situation where Billie has to make a choice between Arthur and a baby.

Can she be happy with Arthur without a baby? Or should she have a baby and leave Arthur to his Scottish wildlands? Her heart aches with trying to decide, because she won’t feel complete either way. Meanwhile, other things in life seem to be changing at the same time.

Jennifer E. Smith has written both adult and YA books, and I’m a huge fan of hers. Her books are always imbued with so much emotion and the issues her characters face never feel outlandish. I definitely was in my feelings by the end of this one!!

The book will publish 12/15.

Book Review: "Comfort Read" by Dylan Morrison

“Isn’t that what a relationship is supposed to be? Someone who stands with you through the good and the bad? Someone who looks at the risks and says, ‘For you: Hell yeah, bring it on’?”

Kit has lived his whole life in Cedar Falls, a charming town in upstate New York. People in town remember an accident he had when he was young, and they empathized with him when his long-time boyfriend turned down his marriage proposal.

Kit is the owner of Sawyer’s Books, a beloved shop which once was the town’s firehouse. Yet despite its history, the store is literally falling apart, and the city wants to condemn it. He cannot imagine losing the store, but he definitely doesn’t have the funds to pay for all of the necessary repairs.

Enter Sage, who has been acting since he was a child, although recently he’s been in the tabloids more than the entertainment news. His dream is to adapt a beloved sci-fi book series into movies, but his major investor doesn’t believe he’s stable enough to fund the movies.

Sage asks Kit whether he’d consider pretending to be his boyfriend for a few months. All they need to do is convince his finder that he’s a worthwhile investment, and then Sage will foot the bill for the bookstore’s repairs. Of course, it’s not long before feelings blur between fake dating and reality, but both underestimate how their lives will be totally unsettled.

I love fake dating rom-coms so much. I wanted to hug Kit and Sage because both were dealing with so many issues. I loved the supporting characters, including Throgmorten, the hat-hating cat. Dylan Morrison’s books always have so much heart!

Book Review: "Takedown" by Allison Brennan

I’ve read 5 out of the 6 stories in Amazon’s Pursuit collection—a gripping collection of short stories that explore what it means to be predator and prey, and what it takes to gain the upper hand. Allison Brennan’s was the only one that blew me away and made me wish it could be turned into a full-length thriller.⁣

⁣ Skye Truman is a police detective investigating a series of sexual assaults. She is sure she knows who is responsible: Trent Calderon, a handsome, arrogant lawyer who works for the Governor’s office. The problem is, she can’t find enough proof to justify her suspicions, which frustrates her—and amuses Calderon to no end.⁣

⁣ When a park ranger is not only raped but also murdered, Skye worries that the perpetrator is escalating. Her obsession with Calderon grows, and so does his need to toy with her. She can’t afford to make a misstep because he will make sure they take her badge.⁣

When another victim is found and a scheme backfires dangerously, Skye is found on the outside looking in. Can she regain control of the situation, or will Calderon—or, heaven forbid, the real perpetrator—win?⁣

⁣ Given that Brennan is such a prolific thriller writer, I’m surprised not to have read her books before. But I’ll certainly be remedying that soon! While I sometimes struggle with short stories feeling incomplete, this one worked perfectly for me.⁣

Book Review: "Murmuration" by TJ Klune

It’s no secret that TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors of all-time. Every book of his that I read is unique and touches my heart, and several of his books topped my year-end best lists over the last few years. Thanks so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!

Mike Frazier owns a bookstore in an idyllic town called Amorea. There’s no crime. No hospital. No prison. No violence. And strangely, there are no parents or children. There’s just peace and routine.

Mike is in love with Sean, who is a waiter at the local diner. They’re both clearly smitten with each other—everyone in town knows it. To this point, he’s been afraid to admit his feelings, but he thinks he’s ready to take a leap.

But things are starting to unravel. Mike starts hearing arguments in his house, but there’s nobody there. Memories are starting to surface, tragic ones, but they don’t seem to be his. He’s even losing grip on his own identity: is his name Mike? And then there are the starlings…

It appears that Amorea isn’t quite the perfect town everyone believes it is. But Mike is determined to protect Sean from whatever bad things may come along.

This book is definitely a bit bleaker than many of Klune’s books. But the love story between Mike and Sean is absolutely beautiful and heartwarming. There’s so much to this book that needs to unfold for you, and it’s so worth it.

The book will publish 11/17.

Book Review: "Evie Walters Takes the Wheel" by Kathleen Fox

This was an utterly charming and heartwarming book about second chances and fighting for yourself. I found myself smiling so often while reading it.

“Women spend their whole lives taking care of others. It’s only when we’re older that we finally get to take care of ourselves.”

Evie’s husband Royce has just passed away. She’s spent so much of her life doing what was expected of her, but now she’s uncertain what to do. But she knows that she’s only 71 and she’s not ready to begin a slow descent into old age.

On the day of her husband’s funeral, she receives a very unusual flower—an egret orchid—but it was sent anonymously. However, Evie remembers receiving one of these flowers from a ranch hand back in Montana where she grew up. That young man, Novel Daniels, was her first love, and he believed she was one of the most courageous people he knew.

Years before, she and Novel dreamed of all the places they’d visit together. But the obligations and expectations of life got in the way. So on the spur of the moment, Evie buys a camper van and decides to head back to Montana to see if Novel might have sent her that orchid as a sign.

Evie’s journey from her comfortable life in North Carolina reminds her that she can do anything she wants. Of course, along the way she has to deal with the disapproval of her two oldest children, who wanted her to move into a retirement community. But she also befriends some tremendously unique and generous people. This really was such a sweet and enjoyable debut!