Tag: book review

The Tower Motel was once a place where people stopped and stayed… a continuous flow of activity.  Now, many years later the hotel lays in despair and the girls who used to play there; Amy Piper, and Margo only have their memories.. and the memory of what happened that destroyed their friendship.

When a crime is committed that Amy is accused of, Piper and Margo are forced to relive what they had hoped they would never have to speak of.  The secret that had been held in the past – generation to generation… to come to light now.

Author Jennifer McMahon has amazed me before with her books such as Promise Not To Tell, Winter People, and The Island of Lost Girls. She has a way of adding an element of darkness to her stories.

Such is the case with Night Sister, once again Jennifer McMahon weaves a dark tale, but this time I just did not connect.  I just found the story too far fetched and the back and forth feel of the girls in modern time searching out the clues to the flash backs of what happened in the past… I don’t know.  It just didn’t work for me.  I finished the book hoping for some big revelation but it never really came.

Here are a few different opinions I found on line:

View From My Home   Highly recommended for fans of the author, coming of age stories in rural settings, mysterious suspense, and those willing to take a chance on a story with a plot ending you would never see coming when you started out.

Tales Of A Book AddictThe way this book unfolds is so impressive. It’s like Ms. McMahon just lightly peels away layer after layer until you’re finally at the heart and soul of the story.

The Caffeinated Book Reviewer I have been in the mood for suspenseful reads and The Night Sister with its creepy vibe and paranormal elements/lores was just the perfect fix.

I listened to this one on audio, the narration by Cassandra Campbell is almost always a draw for me and while I didn’t love her narration in this one (some of the females were too winy voiced) she is a narrator I admire and will continue to watch her work.

• Listening Length: 10 hours and 22 minutes
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: Random House Audio
• Audible.com Release Date: August 4, 2015

Vanessa “Van” Moran stands right where she left twelve years before.  Having left her home town as a young girl heartbroken, betrayed, and alone, she had vowed she would never come back.

And yet, here she was.

When her cousin’s husband dies in a freak accident, Van comes to pay her respects.  Her plan is to get in and get out as quickly as possible and move on to her true vacation at a fancy resort many miles from Whisper Beach.  Since leaving Van has created a wonderful business in Manhattan that has made her quite successful.  Part of her reason for this brief visit is for everyone to see that she was now established, doing well, and this town had not broken her spirit.

Things never go as planned.

When the woman who helped her all those years ago Dorie, asks Van to stay a few days to help her with some business decisions, Van decided a few days can not hurt.  Her good friend Suze is also staying at Dories and it would be fun to catch up.  As long as Van can avoid the one guy who broke her heart and the girl that stole him away – she will be just fine.  Anyway, she can leave anytime she wants.

As I said, things never go as planned.

I really enjoyed Whisper Beach.  Once again I find myself locked in a beachy read centered around a triangle of old friends working on healing old wounds.  (When you read enough beach reads you really find a pattern).  It didn’t matter.  I liked Van.  I liked that she was successful through everything she went through in her younger years.  She was strong and broken – but not beyond repair…. I can not say the same for others in the book. 😉

Author Shelley Noble flushes out some very real issues with this book and those within.  I found her writing style to be engaging and while some of the characters you meet in Whisper Beach you really would rather not know- I still wouldn’t mind popping in and hanging out at the Blue Crab with Dorie, Van, and Suze…. and oh yeah… Joe.  I think there could easily be more to this story and I for one would be happy to come and visit Whisper Beach again.

Looking for a good read this summer?  Add Whisper Beach to your list.

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 16, 2015)

After recently finishing one Jane Green book (Summer Secrets), I went to shelf that one and found this one that I picked up at a sale years ago…. with a title like that, how I could pass on it?  ~Sheila

Catherine, Simon, Portia, and Josh were the inseparable four during their college years.  Catherine (Cat) always the side kick who blended well with the rest enjoyed her cozy life and circle of friends and like her comfy sweater, she was happy with things just as they were.  Simon (Si) was always looking for love with just the right guy but love – true love for whatever reason eludes him.  Portia is tall, slender and gorgeous.  She is used to getting whatever she wants with just the blink of an eye but carries a coldness within her.  Josh wishes he could win Portia’s heart but has more or less given up on that dream.

Then one fateful night of poor choices and damaged egos breaks the group apart and Portia finds herself left behind.

Years later Josh is married to the delightful Lucy.  Cat and Si are still very single… Cat happily and Si not so much.  The four get together frequently for dinners and talks.  When Portia suddenly arrives back in their lives, her appearance unleashes events that threaten to push apart the friends.  At a time when Cat is starting to believe in love again she instead has to deal with her old friend and the damage that can be done when trust is not an option.

Score another one for Jane Green!  bookends was a delightful read and surprised me when I found out that bookends is actually the name of a book store within the book.  Well hello good story!  I enjoyed spending time with this group of friends as they lived out their dreams and their worst nightmares.  I find that it is a bonus when a book makes you wish you knew the characters in real life and that is what bookends did for me.

Jane Green once again surprises me with a fun light read with real life issues.  In bookends you will get it all – the fun, the pain, the reality of living in today world… the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It’s good to have good friends to help get you through.

Jane Green fans do not miss this one.  If you liked Summer Secrets, I think you will enjoy bookends as well.  Jane Green will be an author I keep an eye on.

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Broadway Books; Reprint edition (May 27, 2003)

If you are looking for a fun read with women friendships, a wonderful southern low country buzz running through the background and the smell of something good cooking on the stove with a tasty drink in your hand, reach for a book by Dorthea Benton Frank.  ~Sheila

When Lisa St Clair watches her favorite patient Kathy Harper lose her battle with cancer, she is impressed with the two friends that stayed by Kathy’s side during her long battle.  Carrie and Susan have been placed in charge of taking care of Kathy’s personal things and Lisa offers to help in any way she can.  The three women become closer as they try to solve the mysteries of Kathy’s past that she had kept so quiet.  With relationships popping up everywhere, a crazy greedy landlord, a wonderful 99-year-old woman, a young adult making poor choices and a dog named Pickles, who knows what will happen?

When I had an opportunity to invite a group of friends over to discuss this book I quickly said yes.  If it has Dorthea Benton Frank’s name on it, of course I would say yes!  At the time of our gathering none of us had read the book but we all received it that afternoon.  I started the book later that day.

Having a fun event is a great way to kick off reading a book.  I enjoyed All The Single Ladies by Dorthea Benton Frank.  It is an easy summer read.  I liked the cast of characters and the story line was set up as a light mystery centered around a woman who I wish I as well as the three protagonists knew a little better.  Kathy sounded like someone worth knowing.  There are a few life lessons mixed within the pages, light sprinkles of wisdom when it comes to family dynamics, I suspect each of us as readers can find someone within this book or some situation that is discussed that hits a familiar note.

A sweet easy read and perfect for Summer time.

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (June 9, 2015)

If you ever seen the movie Pretty In Pink than you have to remember the delightful and magnetic Duckie… and if you do, then you know Actor now Author, John Cryer in his earliest roles.  In So That Happened, John shares what it is like to be an actor when you don’t carry the natural confidence that many actors do… in fact, John Cryer will tell you that he is actually a lot like the character he plays on Two and a Half Men, Alan Harper.  John speaks openly about his co-workers including Molly Ringwald, John Hughes, Robert Altman, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, and of course…. Charlie Sheen.

In full disclosure….  (embarrassing full disclosure) it was not until recently that I realized that “Duckie” from Pretty In Pink was John Cryer.  True statement.  I clearly know him from Two and a Half Men and I think the role from then to now was so different… I just didn’t pick up on that.  That said, I picked up this audio because I do enjoy Two and a Half Men and I do enjoy books written and narrated by actors I enjoy.

As I listen to a fair amount of audio books narrated by actors, I know I enjoy hearing the stories behind the shows, the acting, the co-stars, funny happenings….  What I don’t like is whining about missed parts, what is believed to be unfair casting, and well whining in general.

This audio has a mix of both.

I of course wanted to hear about John’s role in Pretty in Pink and of course his many years of being on Two and a Half Men and working with the unpredictable, eventually fired Charlie Sheen.  For the record, the later does not get mentioned until disc 6.  The first 3 to 4 cd’s of this audio book are interesting however John has a lot of strong opinions of fellow actors as well as about others taking credit for something that was his doing.  To me… that felt a bit whiny.  At the same time I imagined an editor saying “John, be vulnerable, be angry… niceties do not get the book sales!”  So, that said… perhaps John was coerced.

I did enjoy the later half of the audio where the real meat of the book seemed to be.  When John talked about Two and a Half Men and what was happening there it seemed a bit more real.

Looking at the rating of this one on-line, I am in the minority.  For the most part people have found this memoir to be hilarious and well done.  This can very well be a case of “it is not John, it is me”.

I would love to hear from others who have read or listened to this one.

• Audible Audio Edition
• Listening Length: 9 hours and 8 minutes
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Audible.com Release Date: April 7, 2015

In apparently continuing with my trend of reading foody books (they feel pretty safe), I bring to you a review of a woman, her dog, a restaurant, and learning to let go.  ~Sheila

Elena Alvarez has just been offered the deal of a lifetime.  She has been offered the opportunity to run her own restaurant, something she has only dreamed about.  Being an experienced Chef, this is the first time she will be in the leading role from staff hiring, restaurant look and feel, and the menu planning.  Haunted by an accident that she alone survived with her back broken in 4 places, Elena knows what it is like to withstand the odds.  Arriving in Aspen Colorado with a restaurant project may just be the change she needs to reboot her life and it doesn’t hurt that her new boss, Movie Writer Julian Liswood is easy on the eyes.

For Elena, every move she makes is a risk.  The restaurant business is physically hard on her body and the ghosts of the past, do not let go easy.

There is a lot to like about The Lost Recipe For Happiness.  I liked the idea of a fixer upper project with Elena the one to call the shots.  I do like a good project!  I also found I liked Elena.  For what she has literally lived through, she is a strong independent woman with dreams and goals.  I also enjoyed the back up players in this book, while I never did get a full handle on Ivan, I think (I think) I liked him.  Patrick is wonderful and you have to love Julian and his daughter Portia.  Ivan the dog?  Also pretty awesome.

What I didn’t like so much was there are a couple off intimate descriptions that the wording actually made me cringe… I think the opposite of what the author would be looking for at that moment.  It also took me a while to understand the ghost part of the book and the first appearance of Elena’s sister, well, I thought she really was there.

All in all I think there is a lot of cultural history within this book that is slowly mixed in and that was interesting because I did not know about the Day Of The Dead traditions, or about the meal.  While the book was not an over the top “wow” for me, I did find it interesting enough to follow it all the way through.. curious about the Julian and Elena storyline, as well as the restaurants success.

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Discovery (December 30, 2008)

The final book in the Butternut trilogy.  The past two days I have reviewed Up At Butternut Lake and Butternut Summer.  This final installment of the series is an excellent completion that left me wanting more time at Butternut Lake.  ~Sheila

Mila Jones is running from her past.  When an opportunity comes up for her to take a Home Care Nurse position over 200 miles from her current situation she takes the offer.  After all, staying in a cabin on a lake in a quiet town like Butternut Minnesota sounds like the perfect escape.  Taking care of a wheelchair bound man named Reid Ford sounds like a pretty easy task compared to the life she is trying to escape.

Reid Ford however turns out to be anything but easy.

After Reid’s car accident that left him wheelchair bound, Reid has become a bitter shell of the confident always on the go man he once was.  Hating to rely on anyone for help, Reid has already chased off many in home health care aids with his biting sarcasm and unwillingness to help himself in any way.  When Reid takes one look at the young small woman named Mila he sees someone else who will be easy to run off.  Yet Reid notices something in Mila’s eyes he did not see in the other home care aids, a stubborn look of determination.

This…

could get interesting.

I really enjoyed Moonlight on Butternut Lake, perhaps even to the point of saying it was my favorite of the three books.  I liked Mila’s background story.  Reid is the brother of Walker Ford who we meet in the first book which helps the reader have a peek into the man that Reid was before the accident.  The change in him is startling and believable.  I found this book to have strong topics that felt realistic and I enjoyed how the characters from the past books play a role as this final story plays out.

Mila and Reid make for great protagonists.  Their differences played well off one another.

I have to admit, the Butternut Lake books brought me a nice comfort while I spent time with them.  I enjoyed how they all were separate books but together lay out quite a nice story about the powers of a small town in Minnesota.

• Series: The Butternut Lake Trilogy (Book 3)
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (May 12, 2015)

Yesterday I reviewed Up At Butternut Lake, the first in this trilogy.  While Butternut Summer can be read as a stand alone, I think you will find that you may enjoy the residents of Butternut Minnesota enough to want to meet them all.  I would recommend the whole series.  ~Sheila

Caroline has had no trouble running a diner and raising her now adult daughter Daisy on her own.  That said, you can imagine her shock when her ex-husband Jack who she has not seen in 18 years strides in one day looking tan, strong, and healthy.  Double the shock when Caroline discovers that this is her daughter Daisy’s doing.  When Caroline learns Jack is trying to make amends for his leaving them all those years ago she is furious with his confidence, and admittedly a little flattered that he would try….

Daisy is also finding herself in unusual circumstances.  Always the girl who put her schooling before pleasure she finds herself to be distracted by a guy she used to know in High School.  Did Will always look this good?  Has he changed his bad boy ways?

One thing Caroline and Daisy can be sure of…. summer can bring about a lot of things and change is certainly in the air.

Butternut Summer is the second book in the Butternut trilogy.  While characters from the first book pop in and out of the story line it is not a necessity to read the first book to know what is happening.  Butternut Summer is mainly centered around Caroline and Daisy, Jack and Will. I found this book to not be as good as the first one.  Many situations in Butternut Summer seem to resolve themselves too easy.  On one page a character may be upset but it never escalates and all is forgiven in another page or two.  While an ok read and I was very happy to spend more time in Butternut Minnesota, this one is my least favorite of the trilogy due its easy resolutions and non happenings.

Still…  enjoyed the pace of the read.

• Series: The Butternut Lake Trilogy (Book 2)
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (August 12, 2014)