These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

“I could handle a few more Storms”…. ” ~ Sheila

Alice Storm has spent five years apart from her family and the Storm family’s wealth. Removing herself from a toxic situation was probably the best decision she ever made, making (and paying) her own way.

Yet, when the call comes in from her mother about her billionaire father’s untimely passing, Alice finds herself returning to Storm Island, spending time with the siblings she has spoken to since she left, and finding herself once again entangled in one of her father’s manipulating games in an all-or-nothing family task for the inheritance that she never wanted.

Nothing, when it comes to the name Storm, is easy.

I read this one as we traveled to Florida earlier this week. As usual, I stockpiled a tote of books to bring along – many titles I have had for a while but had not had the opportunity to read.

It’s amazing the reading you can complete when traveling by RV for 3 1/2 days…

This was an enjoyable book. I liked Alice, and I liked her integrity. Toss in a mixed bag of family –

Greta – the oldest sister who has always felt it was her duty to hold everything together (to a fault), her mother’s right hand, and always seeking approval.

Sam – the only son. He should have been the leader and the next in line to take over as the CEO of Storm INC, but Sam is a spoiled rich adult who never put in the time to be his father’s successor and now struggles with secrets of his own and a wife and two kids expecting him to step up.

Emily – the youngest of the Storms, who is free-spirited and lives by her own rules, also does not break away from the family safety net.

And Elizabeth Storm, the mother of the four siblings, is icy and cold, never showing emotions.

Together, this reuniting of a broken, messed-up family forced into an inheritance game left in the father’s will, where they all have tasks to accomplish in one week, and if anyone fails, they all fail…

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even the sideline romance between Alice and Jack Dean, her father’s second-in-command.


My only gripe- the ending was … weird. I was left with questions that IMO would lead to another book, but a search online says nope… this is a stand-alone.

Still check it out for yourself.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: I don’t think so
Read Author Again: probably

Themes: Inheritance, Black sheep, romance

Book Club Worthy – Yes. The siblings and their vast differences, and all with a secret of their own makes for good discussion. Even Elizabeth, the icy mom, is worth diagnosing if she becomes under the family’s name, and of course, this controlling, now passed away father that literally holds the purse strings to most of their desires – is it worth losing who you are, who you want to be for a large financial prize?

The First Witch Of Boston by Andrea Catalano

I love historical fiction – and what an opportunity to get to know a bit about Margaret Jones. ~ Sheila

It’s 1646, and Thomas and Margaret Jones have left their life in London to escape suspicion of Margaret’s vast knowledge of herbal remedies. Moving to Boston, Thomas finds plenty of work with his skills of carpentry, and Margaret, in no time, is the one to call if you are having a baby or need a remedy for what is ailing you. She is whip smart on creating the perfect combination of herbs.

But soon, Margaret’s fiery personality and sharp tongue once again catch up with them, leading to townfolk using the word “cunning” when describing her, and men telling Thomas that he needed to control his wife. In this Puritan community, words and actions that seem to heal beyond what one would call normal processes lead to rumblings of witchcraft… words that you do not want in any way associated with you, as witchcraft means death.

When an upper-class young widow sets her eyes on Thomas, it’s all too easy to add her voice to the rumblings, adding fuel to a fire that, try as Margaret may, she can not put out.

I received this book through our Bookish Secret Santa Exchange. Loving historical fiction – and fascinated by the trials, this was a great pick! I dug into this as the first book I read while we traveled by RV to Florida these past few days.

Absolutely engaging, the historical fiction telling of Thomas and Margaret is one not to miss if this is a genre you enjoy. While in all historical fiction, the author is taking liberties to fill in the unknown, this book is inspired by actual diary entries and court records of Margaret, being the first woman to be executed for witchcraft in Boston.

I enjoyed the read immensely, still dumbfounded that women with skill could be accused and killed under the label of witch, and all of those innocent lives taken, Margaret being one of the early ones.

A few of my friends and I went to Salem in October of 2022 and toured where women were kept and learned more of this time in our history.

Rated: 4.5 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: I would

Themes: Witchcraft, Rape

Book Club Worthy – Absolutely. This would be a great discussion book – to review this time in our history, topics to dig deeper into surrounding the history of the witch trials, what traits a woman had to be accused, etc…

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Just great snarky fun unfolding in a unique, engaging style ~ Sheila

When Poppy and Alex meet during a shared car ride home from college, they have nothing in common. Poppy is a free spirit, adventurous and daring – loving to push the narrative a little farther than perhaps she should… and Alex is most content to stay at home with a book, keeping his circle of influence small and comfortable.

Somehow, this odd match works, and they become the best of friends, taking an annual one-week vacation together where Poppy’s wild child persona pushes Alex to be a little more out of his shell, which they fondly refer to as “Vacation Alex“. This fun tradition continues with the friends for 10 years until a disastrous trip to Croatia creates a rift between the two of them, and they both agree that this will be their last trip together.

Two years later, Poppy is in a rut and can’t stop thinking of her once-best friend. She reaches out to Alex, convincing him to take one last trip together to see if they can bring back the magic they once had together, mixing the intoxicating combination of Poppy’s spirit with Alex’s need for stability.

What could possibly go wrong?

Full disclosure.. I have kind of been stocking people’s first book of the year selections and cherry – picking the ones I would like to give a try. This one looked fun, so in I went.

I love the layout of this read… it’s common in books today to have a present-time narrative as well as a narrative of the past… what’s unique ( and fun!) about People We Meet On Vacation, Is that this back and forth narrative takes us through Poppy and Alex’s past vacations – starting with the ride from college when they met, to their annual tradition sharing with us their bond together, leading up to the fateful trip that reveals to us the readers, what went down… all the while alternating with present time in their current trip.

It works.

I loved Vacation, Alex. The way Poppy draws out this playful alternative person, where they play act with strangers, pretend to be married with a hilarious back story of how they met to get perks at hotels and restaurants, and let go of all the inhibitions that you can when you are in a place that no one knows you, and most likely you will never see them again.

Highly enjoyable read. I didn’t know until I had started this book that it was also going to be a Netflix movie. Double Score!!!! My timing was kind of perfect, as the movie released on January 9th, and I finished the book on this day as well, and treated myself to a follow-up with the movie last night.
The actors playing the roles of Poppy and Alex were perfect. They capture Poppy’s snarky, fun personality and her sense of adventure, as well as Alex’s more laid-back personality.

Highly recommend the book – and the movie.
It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy both.

Rated: 4.5 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Yes

Themes: friendship, romance, nothing triggering

Book Club Worthy – Yes. Discussion can be centered around friendships, if men and women can just be close friends or best friends, and if anyone has (or had) this kind of relationship with the opposite sex… also, vacation is a fun topic, and if you do act differently when not around people you know – do we let go of inhibitions?
Of course – vacation food pairings… the options are endless!

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

Delightfully insane… ~ Sheila

House hunting wars go to a new level in the suburbs of Washington DC for Margo and Ian Miyake. After 18 months of house searching and 11 failed bidding wars, Margo is feeling her dreams of the white picket fence and the tire swing in the back yard to raise their future children slipping from her grasp. Will they ever catch a break?

Then, just as she is about to give up, Margo gets a hot tip about a house that will be listed in the upcoming weeks… sworn to secrecy, Margo can not believe her luck – this house checks off all the boxes (including the tire swing!). But how will they beat out the other interested buyers… what can be done differently than what they have done before?

While Ian, an EPA Lawyer, is more level-headed and realistic, Margo has become obsessed with the house – HER HOUSE, and will stop at quite literally nothing to be sure that when the dust clears, it is her… err… their name on the title.
After all, what’s too much when it comes to your dreams?


Honestly, you are getting a mixed bag of nuts on this one. When the book started – I loved it. It was just fun to watch Margo slowly lose it over the pressures of securing a home and then finding the holy grail. Months of trying and failing will do that to a person, and in the start, Margo’s wild antics are humorous, and for most of the book, I am all in.

Deeper in – the book takes a pretty dark turn – totally changing the feel of the book for me. Maybe it was because it was unexpected (I mean – I’ve read some pretty creepy psychological thrillers), maybe I was looking for something lighter – but it left things a little wonky in the end. Some things in the book felt unnecessary and did not add to the book; in fact, IMO, took away. I’m a little sad about this, as 3/4 of the way through the book, I thought I had hit on another 5-star read.

And the moral of this story – be careful what you wish for.

Rated: 3.5 out of 5
Read Author Before: No – this is a debut author
Read Author Again: unsure

Themes: unhinged, infidelity, Going TOO FAR

Book Club Worthy – As much as I have mixed feelings about this, I think a good book club discussion could happen. Who hasn’t gone to great measures to get something they really wanted – even to the point of being a big unhinged ;P

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (First Book of 2026!)

What an absolutely beautiful book that will stay with me forever~ Sheila

When a mysterious older gentleman moves to Golden, Georgia, little is known about him other than that he goes by the name Theo.
When in a coffee shop one morning, where 92 framed sketches of various residents are on display, Theo comes up with the idea to purchase each of these portraits and gift them to their “rightful owners” – the person in the frame. And what a wide variety of people! An accountant, a custodian, a landlord, a bookstore owner, a street musician, a one armed mixolist, a young girl, and a homeless woman, just to name a few.
As Theo sets out on his mission, each sketched person is invited to meet. All Theo asks in return is that they sit with him and tell him about themselves… stories are told, long-lasting hurts are shared, treasured memories revealed, and in the process, lives are changed.

This is my planned first book of 2026. Only recently did this book draw my attention – and in an even shorter time, when a friend posted about this book on social media, the deal was sealed. Not only did I need to read this, but the timing, the beginning of a New Year, seemed to be perfect.

Having just finished this book yesterday afternoon, I am fresh from the words and all the feels. As I think about this today, I honestly don’t know if I can name another recent book that I have read that left me feeling this emotional, inspired, and with chills.

What a perfect book to start the year with. Beautifully and thoughtfully written. May we all take each day as a gift and a chance to quietly make a difference in a positive way. May we all long for Heaven the way that Theo does – and may we be the type of people that bring a little bit of Heaven to earth.

Absolutely read this book.

Rated: 5 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: Maybe – this feels so good I kind of don’t want to touch it 🙂

Themes: Faith, Hope, Spiritualness, Selflessness, Kindness

Book Club Worthy – YES, and if I have anything to say about it – it absolutely will be. There is so, so much that would make for great discussion here.

First Book Of The Year 2026!!!!

Happy New Year! It’s snowing here in Central Minnesota. I’m at my kitchen table with my COFFEE looking out the glass sliding door to the deck.
This morning, I have spent time putting together this annual post. Thank you, friends, fellow book lovers, and Authors who sent me what book you are starting the New Year with. It’s so fun to see the variety – both new and old titles… hopefully some will get added to your TBR pile (mountain).
Be sure to watch for the authors – Thank you to PJ Tracy, Cary Griffith, William Kent Krueger, Jill Hannah Anderson, Allen Eskens, Randy Sue Meyers, Lorna Landvik, Kao Kalia Yang, Barbara Claypole White, Heather Gudenkauf, Joshilyn Jackson, Adriana Trigiana, Julie Schumacher, Laurie Frankel, Nadia Hashimi, Erin Soderberg Downing, and Jenna Blum. So fun to see you in the mix and what you are reading 😀
If I missed anyone, please let me know.. pictures come to me by text, email, Facebook, PMs…. I can easily miss someone, so please resend, and I will get you added.

And with no further babbling from me – here are this year’s wide variety of First Books (titles linked below for easy access.


The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Secrets You Can’t Keep by Debra Webb

A Mercy by Toni Morrison

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 2 picked this!

The Secret Library by Hanna Reeves

The Bravest Battle by Dan Kurzman

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

State of Retribution by Marie Force

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

We Did OK, Kid by Anthony Hopkins

The First Witch Of Boston by Andrea Catalano

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

Cougar Claw by Cary Griffith

Mercy by Sara Cate

Framed In Death by JD Robb

Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z Danielewski

The Miracle Among Us by Marci Siegel

The Deepest Cut by PJ Tracy

Nightshade by Michael Connelly

Daughters Of The Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi 2 picked this!

Women of Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart

Heartbreak Hollow by Frank Weber

The God Of The Woods by Liz Moore

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser

This is Happiness by Niall Williams

A Gambling Man by David Baldacci

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben

The Onion Came First by Elinor Wilder

This American Woman by Zarna Garg

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

The Home For Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger

Heart The Lover by Lily King

What The River Knows by Isabel Ibanez

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Good Intentions by Marisa Walz

We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda

Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Wisdom Corner by David Heska and Wanbli Weiden

The Book of Kin by Jennifer Eli Bowen

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin

Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

Death of The Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Ghosts of Fourth Street by Laurie Hertzel

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Let Them by Mel Robbins

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Next of Kin by Gabrielle Hamilton

You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

That’s A Great Question, I’d Love To Tell You by Elyse Myers

The Book Of Daniel by EL Doctorow

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden

Something To Look Forward To by Fannie Flagg

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Flashlight by Susan Choi

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree

Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg

The Moonshiner’s Daughter by Donna Everhart

The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad

Note about my pick: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. As usual, I was back and forth on my choice… for a while there I felt certain I was going to go with a re-read (#comfort read) and then I recently was reunited with a book that I thought was a standalone and found out there are more and that this would be a great time to dig back in ( more about this later), there was also one I am intrigued by that a friend is also reading and I could not decide if it was for me now- or better to read once we travel to Florida when I can be all in when I have nothing but time over that three days of travel… – and then finally, Theo Of Golden caught my attention. This book was already in my peripheral vision as a “I need to read this,” and a recent post by a friend sharing her experience with this book sealed the deal.

If you missed this year’s participation deadline, feel free to send it today. I almost always have a few trickling in on New Years and I am happy to update to include your First Read.

Happy Happy New Year to you all! May 2026 bring JOY and Peace.

Love,
Sheila



It’s Monday, What Are You Reading and other Randomness

Hey all – Happy Monday! It was a nice weekend with friends and family… my class reunion, campfire, and yes – a little reading too. The It’s Monday What Are You Reading is hosted by Book Date.

Last Tuesday, our Book Club, the Bookies, met on a gorgeous evening by the lake to discuss Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It was a great discussion, and we had some great themed food!
Every October, we read a classic, and this year’s pick is The House of Seven Gables by Nathanial Hawthorne. Fun fact: In October of 2022, my friends, Cindy, Sara, Heidi, and I took a trip to Boston and, among other things, toured the House of Seven Gables in  Salem, Massachusetts. At the gift shop on the property, I picked up my copy of the book. (More on this when I read and write my review.)


I flew through Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt ( review will be up this week) and then, looking for my next audio to listen to while taking the dogs for a walk, I tried Charlie Sheen’s Memoir, The Book Of Sheen, and that lasted all of five minutes. What I was hoping for was to hear a telling of the movies he was in, having fond memories of first seeing Platoon, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ( small but funny role), Major League, Wall Street, Hot Shots, and of course, Two and A Half Men…
And, to be fair, maybe the book would have gotten there; however, the first five minutes that I would describe as crude were enough for me to decide that this probably wasn’t what I wanted to listen to.

If you do read/listen to this one, I’d love to hear what you thought 🙂
SO… That said, I moved on to What Lies In The Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, and so far am enjoying this.

In other random things… yesterday afternoon I cleaned up the last of my summer squash from my deck garden… I found a recipe for Roasted Zucchini with Feta and Dill Soup (cha-ching!!!) SO SO Good!

Here’s the gist of it:
Slice up 4 medium-sized summer squash (I had one giant one as well as 3 smaller, so I think I was over this amount, but I made a bigger pot)
Rough chop one yellow onion
4-8 peeled Garlic Cloves (I went 8, I LOVE Garlic! #notavampire)
I put all of this in a large bowl and tossed it with salt and pepper, olive oil, and then put it on a large cookie sheet to roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

When this was done, I added this in portions to my blender with Vegetable Broth – blending until smooth and then adding it to a large stove pot until I made it through all of it. The recipe called for 4 cups of Vegetable Broth, I used 6 because I believe I had more Squash than it called for 🙂

Once all this is in the pot, heat to a low simmer. Once simmering, add in one cup of Crumbled Feta, 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, and 1/2 cup of Plain Greek Yogurt or Whole Cream (I went with the cream because that is what I had at home).

Stir gently and let it continue to cook for 5 minutes at that same simmer, then add 2 tablespoons of fresh Dill or 1 tablespoon of dried Dill.
You can leave it like that, but I added in some cut-up rotisserie chicken for some added protein.

It was soooooo good! This made a big batch and we have plenty left over, in fact – thinking about it now, that may be lunch today! I will definitely make it again.

So that’s it! Tonight I am going to the Downton Abbey movie with friends… the week will be another full one – between work and wedding tastings I want to pack up the last of my garden for the year, maybe mow the lawn one more time before the mower is put away for the season, and listen to audio while doing so 🙂

Have a great week!

~Sheila

Girls Trip by Jason Letts

Is there such a thing as too many twists… too many turns? Yes. ~Sheila

Alice, Taylor and Emily are fairly new co-workers. On a whim, they decide to plan a girls trip over Labor Day Weekend. This is a chance to blow off some steam and get to know each other better.
Staying at a quaint little cabin in a small town in Texas, at first things appear to be shaping up nicely.
But – appearances can be false.

With a strange host with his cabin attached to their rental, a sense right from the start that they are being watched, a strange encounter at the local bar, and the constant changes to the cabin entry pad, – the girls can not tell if they are being messed with by the host or if they are in real danger.


Honestly – the book had my attention at the title Girls Trip. Who doesn’t love a good girls trip? I was all to soon disenchanted with the unlovable protagonists. As there was no real bonding moment in the book where as a reader you get to know the characters, they were hard to get a read on and IMO never really fully character developed for me to care one way or another about any of them. The continuous twists and turns that often led nowhere or were left to chase another direction – I found the book confusing and for the most part lost interest early on – but wanted to finish to see what really happened.

In the end – it was still not a fit for me. I love a good phycological thriller but this was a goose chase of a read with I am certain, good intentions that missed the mark.

Any one read this? Thoughts?

None Of This Is true by Lisa Jewell

An adventure of twists and turns and rights and lefts… never knowing what is going to happen next – but in a good way. A very good way. ~ Sheila

Popular Podcaster, Alix Summers meets Josie Fair while out celebrating her birthday. Turns out, it is Josie’s birthday too. A few days later, the two women find each other again and Alix in intrigued by this mysterious woman who showed up with a matching birthday. Josie, who has been listening to Alix’s podcasts feels she would be a great subject to be interviewed as she has an interesting life story. Intrigues, Alix agrees – calling the podcast, “Birthday Twins” and sharing with her fans the story of how she and Josie met.

As the two women dig into the podcasts, Alix finds that not only is Josie’s retelling of her life story interesting – it is down right shocking. Married to a much older man when Josie was only 16, Alix finds herself thinking of words like – pedophile, groomer, and rapist – and truly begins to worry about Josie.

As the two women create some sort of friendship, the unthinkable happens to Josie and the only place she feels she can turn is to Alix… and Alix, dealing with her own troubles in her marriage, feels that she has no choice…. not knowing – this would be the beginning of the end and her podcast was about to be introduced to a new and darker theme. Darker than anyone seen coming.

My gosh it has been a long time since I have read Lisa Jewell and after reading (well listening to) this, I wonder what has taken me so long to return to this incredible author. The story line held me, and while at first the breaks in the narration by the podcast felt odd… the style of reading grew on me and actually ended with me thinking if was pretty brilliant to put the audio version together this way.

I actually really enjoyed this dark read and feel those who enjoy a good twisted story would find this one interesting. I use the word dark in my description as topics of child rape/neglect, as well as abuse are themed throughout the book.

Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts

“The Second Book in the Trilogy, while not my favorite of the three, you definitely need this story to get from the beginning – to the end… ~Sheila

Ripley loves to keep her life simple. She has her morning run, coffee stop, and job as a Deputy of Three Sisters Island. With a glass of wine at night (or two…) life was all bundled up neatly and that was the way you like it.

Toss in that a geeky – yet hot – guy is staying on the island looking for the magical history and secrets that the island holds… Ripley is putting her off her lunch. 

Yet fight as she may, some facts are just that and they cannot be changed. While Ripley is strongly against all the magical hoopty-do (my word) and her so-called part in – she will never turn her back on family – or a friend… and in there, lies the rub.

Out of the three books in this trilogy, Heaven and Earth is my least favorite. While Nel, book one, comes in to the story all destroyed from life and looking for a quiet existence, and I enjoy reading of her rebound and strength as she finds who she really is and where she is meant to be; Mia (book three) is all strong and assure of who she is and what she wants (honestly one of my all time favorite non fictions characters), Ripley falls somewhere in the middle. For me, I think it is the EXTRA romance in this particular book – I have never been a romance reader. Its also a bit more technical when Mac enters the series, looking to discover the magic of the island with his gadgets and reading and spreadsheets. 

While I may grumble….. you still very much need this book as it links the sisters in ways that they need to for what is to come. As the three sisters learn how their posers work – and more importantly how they work together.

For a January re-read, this series is a comfort reading. The characters are like old friends and if Three Sisters did exist – with that book store and upstairs cafe with a magical twist…in another life I may have very well called such a place…. home.