Book Review: "Pineapple Street" by Jenny Jackson

Pineapple Street is a fantastic, character-driven look at the foibles and crises of a wealthy New York family.

The Stocktons are an old-money family living in the historic section of Brooklyn Heights. Cord, the only son, works in their family’s real estate business with his father. Their mother occupies her time playing tennis and tracking the latest gossip among “their kind,” and can always be counted on for an appropriate tablescape for a party or everyday meal.

Darley, the oldest daughter, was once a businesswoman in her own right, but she gave up her career to raise a family, and her inheritance to marry for love. But when things get tough, she wonders if she gave too much away.

Georgiana, the youngest, hasn’t quite grown up yet. But when she strikes up a relationship with a coworker—a man she cannot have—it changes her, and she realizes she needs to make some major adjustments to be the person she wants to be.

When Cord marries Sasha, a woman from a middle-class family in Rhode Island, it causes friction among the Stocktons. Darley and Georgiana view her as a gold digger and resent the fact that Sasha and Cord got to take over the family brownstone. Sasha doesn’t really care about the money—what she wants is to feel a part of the family, not like an outsider. She even feels like Cord sides with his family over her.

I thought this was such a terrific story, even though it’s one in which not a lot happens. The characters were fascinating and flawed, but it took a slightly different path than I expected, which is great. A very impressive debut!

Book Review: "Go As A River" by Shelley Read

This is a moving and beautifully evocative story of a young woman who follows her heart.

It’s 1948. Ever since her mother, aunt, and cousin died in an accident, Victoria has become the woman of the house. She cooks all the meals for her father, brother, and uncle, not to mention the workers on her family’s Colorado peach farm. It’s a house full of tension, as all three of her family members have issues of their own.

One day she meets Wilson Moon, a young Native American man who has left his tribal land to pursue his own path. For the first time in her life, Victoria knows what it feels like to want someone and be wanted. But their time together is fleeting, because her town doesn’t like the idea of someone who is different having free will to do what he wants.

When tragedy strikes, she leaves home and escapes into the mountains, where she ekes out a solitary life for herself despite the challenges posed by the elements and her own limitations. But when she returns home, so much has changed. She soon learns of the government’s plan to flood her town, so she is determined to save all she can, especially her family’s peach orchard.

This is based on the true story of the destruction of Iola, Colorado. It’s an emotional story of love, betrayal, fear, isolation, friendship, and resilience. Victoria is a truly memorable character whose bravery and ingenuity in the face of adversity was moving and inspirational.

Book Review: "Off the Map" by Trish Doller

What happens when a woman who’s always off finding adventure connects with a man who’s never had one?

Ever since Carla’s mother left when she was young, her father taught her that when the going gets tough, you should travel somewhere exciting. And when he gets dementia, he tells Carla to travel for as long as she can, so she won’t be there for his deterioration. She lives a nomadic life, traveling wherever her mood takes her, and leaving if she feels too settled.

When she flies to Ireland for her best friend’s wedding, she’s looking forward to being around people she cares about. The last thing she expects is to connect with Eamon, the best man, who is tasked with bringing her to the wedding in Tralee. They recognize each other as kindred spirits, and their chemistry is intense. Carla is the inspiration Eamon needs to stop dreaming of seeing the world and actually do it.

They take advantage of a few days’ break before the wedding and travel some scenic routes, much to the chagrin of Eamon’s family. And the closer they get to one another, the more conflicted Carla feels. She’s always run away before things get too serious—should she do so again?

This is the third book I’ve read by Trish Doller and I’ve loved every one of them, and her mix of humor, banter, emotion, and steam. You could definitely read this as a stand-alone but it would help to read the first book, Float Plan. (You should read all three of them, really.)

One trigger: if you’ve had a loved one deal with dementia, this may be a tough read. But it’s just so freaking good!!

Book Review: "Your Driver is Waiting" by Priya Guns

Your Driver is Waiting is a darkly satirical, thought-provoking look at our culture of protest and selfishness.

Damani is a rideshare (like Uber or Lyft) driver who lives in an unnamed city. Since her father died at his fast-food job, she’s been taking care of her mother, barely scraping by, living paycheck to paycheck. (In order to eke out a living, she has to drive constantly, despite the rules set by her employer.)

All throughout the city there are protests for every conceivable cause and issue. At the same time, the rideshare drivers are banding together to protest their pay constantly getting cut and other adverse conditions.

One day, Damani picks up Jolene, a beautiful white woman. Their attraction to one another is evident and their chemistry is palpable. Damani has never dated anyone with money before (especially a white woman), but Jolene seems to get her. They quickly fall into a relationship, which seems perfect—until Damani discovers that Jolene isn’t quite who she seems to be.

I’ve heard this book is a gender-flipped adaptation of Taxi Driver, but I didn’t feel that. It seemed to me like the book wanted to provide sharp social commentary but at the same time be a romance, and those two styles didn’t quite mesh. I’ll admit I don’t love when authors play coy with the locale of their book, so I found it difficult to completely settle into the culture.

I’ve seen some strong reviews of this, so it might just be me. Give it a shot if the description intrigues you.

Book Review: "The Soulmate" by. Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth's latest is a deliciously addictive and twisty domestic thriller. She delivers another fantastic read!

Gabe and Pippa have a beautiful home at the edge of a cliff. It’s a memorable view, popular with walkers and tourists—as well as those looking to end their lives, since it’s a sharp and dangerous drop to the water below.

A number of times, Gabe has been able to talk these people out of taking their lives. But one night, a woman appeared at the edge of the cliff and Gabe proceeded to talk to her as always. This time, however, the woman did jump, despite Gabe’s best efforts.

Both are devastated by this tragedy and try to shield their young daughters from it. So what if Gabe’s recounting of events doesn’t quite match what Pippa saw through the window? He was there and she may have been at the wrong angle.

But when Pippa discovers that Gabe knew the woman who jumped—and why she jumped—she starts to worry what else he’s been hiding from her. And she’s also worried about her own role in all of this.

As is often the case when I read Hepworth’s books, I was hooked from the very first page. I had lots of suspicions about how things might unfold, and for the most part, I was surprised. I really enjoyed this one!!⁣

The book will publish 4/4.

Book Review: "Dibs" by Kimberly Knight and Rachel Lyn Adams

Dibs is a steamy and moving second-chance romance. (I mean, look at the cover!)

My Facebook algorithm doesn’t mess around—it showed an ad for this book; I was intrigued and bought it. I feel so athletic—I’ve moved from hockey romance to a baseball one!

Chase and Gage were baseball teammates and roommates at UCLA. One drunken night, after neither had any success finding a woman, one thing led to another and they messed around with each other. It wasn’t anything either of them had thought of before and both wondered what this might do to their friendship. But the next day, Gage suffers a random injury and he leaves UCLA with his parents, without saying goodbye.

Fifteen years later, Chase is just retiring from a fantastic professional baseball career. He’s looking forward to spending more time with his kids and getting to see his son play ball. He moves to San Diego to be closer to his ex-wife and kids.

Imagine his surprise when he meets his son’s coach—Gage. And their sons are best friends. Both can’t stop thinking about that one night in college, and little by little, they start building a new friendship. But one night, they need to address this growing attraction—and they decide to act on it. Their feelings for one another surprise them both.

As they start to take tentative steps toward a relationship, what will that mean for their careers, their children, their futures? It may be a difficult path, but is this completely different journey than they expected worth fighting for?

I loved this. It was romantic, super steamy, funny, emotional—it hit all the buttons. I’ll definitely be reading more books in this series!!

Book Review: "My Last Innocent Year" by Daisy Alpert Florin

An excellent, powerful coming-of-age novel about the decisions we make and the ripples they leave behind.

“…as small and unimportant as I mostly felt, the egotism of youth hadn’t left me, and I placed myself firmly and squarely at the center of the universe.”

It’s 1998. Isabel Rosen is a senior at Wilder College, a prestigious school in New England, where she is one of only a few Jewish students. She’s always been a bit of a follower, trying to find her place yet stay out of the spotlight. But a sexual encounter with an Israeli student confuses and frightens her, and she feels both angry and vulnerable.

She’s always thought about being a writer, following in the footsteps of her late mother, an artist, but her father tries to convince her there’s no money in that. And then she takes a senior writing seminar taught by R.H. Connelly, once a renowned poet expected to conquer the world, who now works for a local paper.

It’s the first time anyone has really praised her work and told her she has promise. It’s not long before Isabel starts an affair with her married professor, and he gets her thinking about pursuing a writing career and staying in New England with him. She knows, however, that this can’t last, and at a crucial juncture, she makes a decision that changes a number of lives.

I thought this was fantastic. It’s set against the backdrop of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, which sets the stage for a lot of interesting conversations, but this is more a story about Isabel coming into her own. It’s a sharply written debut that dazzled me.