July Confessions

My flowers 

July was such a relaxing month. I got a lot of reading done, especially when I was on vacation at the Outer Banks. August is going to be here soon and that means in a few weeks I will be getting my classroom ready for a new group of students! Where has the summer gone? I want to tell it to slow down!  One thing is for sure, I'm so thankful to have had this much time off though.

Books Read in July:
1.  Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
2.  Die For Me by Amy Plum
3.  Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
4.  Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
5.  The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly
6.  The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
7.  Love Story by Jennifer Echols
8.  The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
9.  Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
10.  Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell
11.  The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson (review and giveaway to come!)
12.  I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison (review to come!)





My July Top Five:

1.  Favorite Book:  It's hard to pick just one since I've read some great books this month.  I would have to say it's a tie between Die For Me by Amy Plum and Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer.

2.  Biggest Surprise:  I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison- This was an absolutely adorable historical fiction. I'll be posting my review this coming week.

3.  Biggest Letdown:  Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares really disappointed me.

4.  Favorite Post:  Outer Banks pictures

5.  Favorite Part of July: My week at the Outer Banks.

Book Review: Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Pages: 409

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pub. Date: April 26, 2011

Source: My copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream.  This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined."

Carrie is living her dream in New York City by taking a writing class at The New School.  She is only here for the summer since she leaves for Brown in the fall.  In Summer and the City, she becomes better friends with Samantha and in turn, meets some interesting people and even finds a romantic interest.  She attends fancy parties, meets wealthy people, and finds herself in some crazy situations.  Also, Carrie befriends Miranda and starts to get to know her better as well.  During this exciting summer, there's one thing in the back of Carrie's mind though. Does she have what it takes to be a writer in New York City?  This is Candace Bushnell's second installment in the whimsical and fun series, The Carrie Diaries.  Summer and the City the perfect book to read while soaking up the rays at the beach.

I can't deny how much fun it is to be back in Carrie's world.  I am a huge SATC fan and just like in The Carrie Diaries, it was fun to get the backstory on one of my favorite characters of all time, Carrie Bradshaw. Of course she was enjoyable this time around and there were plenty of Carrie's trademark witty comments!  On the other hand, Carrie is definitely trying to find her way in this novel.  She doesn't feel a part of home anymore and most of her friend from home, especially Maggie, don't seem to get her anymore now that she is living in NYC.  Carrie finds herself falling in the love with the city and doesn't really want to leave, which puts her in a difficult situation.

Fans of Samantha will love this book, because she definitely plays a bigger role.  In fact, Carrie lives with her at one point.  Readers will get the complete back story on Samantha and it sheds some light on why she is the way she is.  Lets just say I was a bit surprised by what Samantha was up to in Summer and the City, but it all make sense by the end of the novel.  Also, Miranda was her usual super opinionated self and I enjoyed getting her backstory as well.  In true Miranda fashion, she had me laughing out loud at some of the crazy things she says.  I loved how their friendship developed and to top it off,  how they met is hilarious!

The one thing that annoyed me a bit was the repetitive plot as there's REALLY not that much going on in Summer and the City.  Carrie wants to be a writer, Carrie dates an older man, Carrie goes to wild parties, Carrie hangs out with Samantha and Miranda, etc.  I needed a bit more conflict in order to give it a higher rating; however, the fact that I am a fan of Carrie and SATC made me stick with the book.

I adored the ending of Summer and the City and if you read The Carrie Diaries, you can probably figure out what I am alluding to.  This series is turning out to be the perfect mind-candy for a sunny pool day.  One thing is for sure, there's nothing like a gorgeous summer day and a little Carrie Bradshaw.

*Buy Summer and the City

*Read an excerpt

*Watch the book trailer

*Buy The Carrie Diaries

Waiting on Wednesday: Arcadia Awakens

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.  "Waiting on Wednesday" spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer

Pub. Date: February 14, 2012

Goodreads says, "To Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic and wholly unknown. But when her life in Brooklyn begins to fall apart, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where centuries of family secrets await her.  Once there, Rosa falls head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both fascinate and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem.  Hidden caves, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a history of familial bloodlust mean that Rosa can’t trust anyone. Torn between loyalty to her family and love for their mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love…or run as far and as fast as she can."

*In my opinion, Sicily, dangerous beasts, and the mafia definitely make for a suspenseful read. I love the sound of this one!

Book Review: Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Pages: 349

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: June 14, 2011

Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers (Thank you!)

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.  Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.  Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected."

Readers will be re-introduced to the four girls we have come to love from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series; however, it's ten years later and the girls are closing in on thirty years old.  Tibby and Brian moved to Australia for his career, which has since taken off tremendously.  Bridget and Eric live in San Francisco; she is still living a very bohemian lifestyle and trying to figure out what to do with her life.  Carmen is a successful actress living in NYC and is engaged to be married.  Lena is teaching art in Rhode Island and of course, Kostos is still in the back of her mind.  Tibby wants to get the girls together again in Greece and she sends them plane tickets to meet her, but that's where the girls' lives are impacted forever.  Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares is a tear-jerking novel about friendship and it deals with life's many unexpected tragedies and inevitable bumps in the road.

To be honest, I had a hard time with Sisterhood Everlasting probably because I have come to love these four girls and essentially grew up with them.  They are nearing the age of thirty, but are just as confused as before, which was disappointing to me.  I give kudos to Tibby for trying to get everyone together again, but why are they so bad at communicating? Ever hear of text messages? Emails? Carmen is pretty much a shadow of her former self (both physically and emotionally) and Lena is super depressing, sad, and lonely.  Bridget annoyed me the most, which is crazy, because I enjoyed her so much before this novel.  She is pretty much acting like she's twenty-two years old and may be one of the most selfish characters I've encountered lately.  I couldn't even understand her; in fact, I pitied her as I had hoped for so much more.  And it gets worse from there.  It was like watching my favorite literary characters fall apart before my eyes.  True, by the end of the novel there's something redeeming to take from it all, but the journey was painful.

The tone of Sisterhood Everlasting was morose and I didn't expect that at first.  I mean the entire book was depressing to the point where I then felt depressed even though I was reading it on a bright summer's day.  I started to get frustrated with the girls and wanted to just scream at them, "Get yourself together!"  The only reason I stuck with this book was for my favorite character, Lena. I just had to know if she was going to end up with Kostos once and for all. I was tired of their games and just wanted them to get together finally!

All in all, Sisterhood Everlasting left me disappointed, but I did appreciate the ending. However, I almost wish Brashares didn't write this book, because it puts a damper on my fond memories of this series.  If you are a true fan of this series, I'm sure you will read Sisterhood Everlasting, but don't say I didn't warn you. Make sure you have a box of tissues and take some time to process the events, because it is completely heartbreaking and gut-wrenching in every way.

*Buy Sisterhood Everlasting

*Read an excerpt

Book Review: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Pages: 314

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: March 3, 2011

Source: Book Swap

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "No twentieth-century American writer has captured the popular imagination as much as Ernest Hemingway. This novel tells his story from a unique point of view — that of his first wife, Hadley. Through her eyes and voice, we experience Paris of the Lost Generation and meet fascinating characters such as Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and Gerald and Sara Murphy. The city and its inhabitants provide a vivid backdrop to this engrossing and wrenching story of love and betrayal that is made all the more poignant knowing that, in the end, Hemingway would write of his first wife, "I wish I had died before I loved anyone but her."

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain is written from the point of view of Hadley, Ernest Hemingway's first wife.  It takes us through their first meeting, their courtship, and their marriage. Afterwards, they move to Paris and most of the story takes place there and deals with the Lost Generation.  Hadley and Ernest meet famous authors and artists, they travel the world, experience new and exciting adventures, and then there is also betrayal.  McLain's historical fiction, The Paris Wife, has a lot of potential, but it left me desiring a bit more.

Simply put, Hadley is a boring person and I think that is the problem as The Paris Wife is from her point of view. She annoyed me greatly with her lack of self-confidence and her extreme dependence on Hemingway.  For example, he would leave for a work assignment for three weeks and she could act like her world was coming to an end. No joke.  I like my main characters with a bit more spunk, especially if you are going to compete for the spotlight with someone larger than life, a.k.a. Hemingway.  Hadley, although I felt sorry for her, lacks backbone.  If you know anything about Hemingway, you know he is a philanderer and he cheats on Hadley with her friend, Pauline. Hemingway does end up marrying her and moves to Key West, but their relationship doesn't last either.  Anyway, Hadley knows that Hemingway is cheating on her, but puts up with both of them anyway and even takes Pauline on vacation with them! It was all very Big Love and I don't know how she could stand it for as long as she did.

Despite Hemingway's many downfalls, I have always been interested in him and love his writing style.  I found that the part of the novel that include him a bit more was exciting and fun.  For example, he spends time with great writers like Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Who doesn't love the Lost Generation and that time in history? Some of my favorite novels and poetry come from that time; in fact, my favorite English course in college was American Modernism.  Being an English nerd, I couldn't get enough of that aspect of the novel, but when it got back to Hadley and her mundane personality, I felt myself losing interest.  

The Paris Wife was a bit slow at times.  All they really did was sit around for the most part.  Ernest spent time writing, drinking, going to cafes, traveling, Ernest will write more, drink, etc.  The novel does pick up when Pauline enters the social circle and of course, turns Hadley's world upside down.  Hadley lacked anything special in her life other than the fact that she was Mrs. Hemingway and liked to play the piano, which made it dull.

All in all, readers will know Hadley is better off by the end of The Paris Wife as we all know what happens to Hemingway.  But when it comes down to it, Hemingway is a million times more interesting than Hadley, which in turn, makes The Paris Wife a bit tedious.  

*Buy The Paris Wife

*Read an excerpt

In My Mailbox #61

For Review:

Women of the Cousins' War by Philippa Gregory
*I got this one off of S&S GalleyGrab. I love this time period and am excited to learn more about the major players in the Cousins' War, such as the Duchess, the Queen, and the King's Mother. Hopefully I can read it before the third book in this series comes out!

Goodreads says, "#1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory and two historians present a must-have non-fiction book for both fans and scholars."

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
*I won this ARC through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.  Thank you! I can't wait to read it; I hope it is as good as Anna and the French Kiss.

Goodreads says, "Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.  When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door."

Summer Rental by Mark Kay Andrews (Audio Book)
*Thanks to Esther at Macmillan Audio, I received this for review and one to giveaway. This was one of my "WoW" picks back this past spring and I think I'm going to love it, especially since it's set at the Outer Banks.

Goodreads says, "Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Julia—whose caustic wit covers up her wounds--has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life.  And Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world…though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina's Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs."

Bought:

Austenland by Shannon Hale
*I heard from the Austenblog that this book is going to be made into a movie, so now I must read it! Plus, I love anything Austen.

Goodreads says, "Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.  Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?"

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
*I bought this one on vacation at the most adorable book store called Duck's Cottage which is located in Duck, NC (OBX).  I love it there; they sell books, some souvenirs, and my favorite...coffee. This book caught my eye.

Goodreads says, "In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, a city of great wealth and glamour, the home of millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords. Thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business, twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Though both sisters wave off authority and tradition, they couldn’t be more different: Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree . . . until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides."

What did you get in your mailbox? Have you read any of these books? Let me know what you think.   This meme is hosted by The Story Siren.   

Pictures From My Vacation to the Outer Banks

I thought I would share some of my pictures from my recent vacation.  We had a great time at North Carolina's Outer Banks. It's a great place to relax and unwind.  Here are some of my photos:

OBX beach

Sunrise

Scout and my husband on the beach

My favorite porch- great spot to read!

Scout and I on the beach (it was his first time)

Beach at sunset

Any day at the beach is a good day

If you are like me and love the Outer Banks , I am giving away an audio book called Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews and it takes place there!  Check out my giveaway here.  I hope you guys enjoyed my photos and have a great weekend.

Happy Friday,

Giveaway: Audio Book of Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

I'm pretty excited today to share that I am hosting a giveaway for an audio book of Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews.  I've been wanting to read this book for many reasons, but one being that it takes place at the Outer Banks. If you follow my blog, you know I just got back from vacation there this past week. I adore the Outer Banks! I don't know about you, but I love to listen to audio books on the long drive to the beach and this one would be perfect!

Here some information about the audiobook:

 Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews, read by Isabel Keating

Isabel Keating returns to narrate her sixth Mary Kay Andrews audiobook, and the program includes a bonus conversation between the author and narrator where the two discuss everything from Andrews’ passion for old homes to the southern background they both share.  Keating, a big Andrews fan, praises the immersive quality of Summer Rental saying “I still am vibrating with the scenario that you created there in Nags Head, it’s just as if I were there,” while Andrews divulges the impetus behind her writing: “I want to give my readers joy” she explains in the interview. “If I can give my readers a big juicy peach of a book, then that makes me happy and it makes them happy, and when they’re happy then it’s all good and it gives me more motive to keep writing.” This is one that will appeal to both long-time Andrews fans and those newer to her work.

Ellis, Julia, and Dorie, best friends since Catholic grade school, now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Recently fired Ellis is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Wry Julia has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life.  And trusting Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world…though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina's Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs. Ty Bazemore is their landlord, though he's hanging on to the rambling old beach house by a thin thread. After an inauspicious first meeting with Ellis, the two find themselves disturbingly attracted to one another, even as Ty is about to lose everything he's ever cared about. Maryn Shackleford is a stranger, and a woman on the run. Maryn needs just a few things in life: no questions, a good hiding place, and a new identity.  Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs?  

Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them."

How fabulous does this audio book sound? It's perfect for summer! If you can't wait to get your hands on this, Summer Rental audio book is available now from Macmillan Audio.

You don't need to be a blog follower in order to enter, but I really appreciate my followers and always give them an extra entry. This giveaway is limited to a US mailing address.  The deadline is August 7th.  Please refer to my giveaway rules.  

Thank you to Esther from Macmillan for allowing me to host such a fun giveaway!

In order to enter, please fill in this form.

Good luck!

Book Review: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Pages: 256

Pub. Date: July 19, 2011

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Source: S&S GalleyGrab

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Erin Blackwell is headed to college in New York City to study creative writing and earn a living as a romance novelist. Her grandmother has other plans: she approves of the college, but she wants Erin to major in business and then come back home to Kentucky to run the family’s famous racehorse farm. There is no way Erin will agree. Studying in New York and writing her way into a career is her escape from the farm and the family tragedy that happened there. So Erin’s grandmother decides Erin really will live life as a starving artist. She takes Erin’s future job running the farm, her inheritance, even her college tuition, and gives them all to Hunter Allen.  Hunter has lived on the farm for years. He’s Erin’s age, he’s the stable boy, and he’s the romantic dream of every girl in her high school. But he was involved in the family tragedy. Erin has always given him a wide berth. And he’s a slick opportunist. She’s furious that he fooled her grandmother into giving him Erin’s birthright and sending him to Erin’s college.  At least she’s free of him in her creative writing class. So she pens a story that has haunted her lately, in which the horse farm heiress at the very first Kentucky Derby starts a forbidden affair with the lowly stable boy. Unfortunately for her, the day she’s sharing this story with her New York classmates, Hunter walks in. He’s switching to her class. And after reading about himself in Erin’s story, he writes his own sexy assignments that lure Erin into dangerous fantasies about what could have been between them, and what might be."

Erin, an aspiring writer, is off to college in New York City.  It's very different than the life she has grown accostomed to as she has lived on her wealthy grandmother's horse farm in Kentucky her entire life.  Instead of going to college and majoring in business so she can take over her grandmother's farm one day, Erin took a stand against her grandmother and explained that she wants to be a writer instead.  Her grandmother didn't take this lightly and cut her out of the inheritance and her college tuition. Her grandmother gave it to the stable boy, Hunter, who happens to be Erin's longtime crush.  As Erin is trying to move on in New York City, she pens a romantic piece for her writing class about a wealthy horse farm heiress and her forbidden affair with the stable boy.  As the class is about to read it, in walks Hunter who happens to be switching into her class.  Obviously, Erin wants to die of embarrassment. Readers can always count on Jennifer Echols to write deliciously drama-filled novels and that is what readers will find here with her latest book, Love Story.


One thing I liked about Love Story is the fact that Erin is in college. You don't find that often in young adult literature and it definitely gave the book an older feel. Friendly warning-- this novel is for older more mature young adults as some of the topics are pretty scandalous.  With that said, Erin is trying to get by in college without the help of her grandmother. At times she struggles, but it's all for her dream to be a writer and you have to respect that. On the other hand, Hunter was quite an interesting character. I found him to be insufferable and overly cocky. Seriously. I didn't like him at all, which made it tough for the parts of the novel where I was supposed to be swooning over him.  Yes, I appreciated their relationship, but ultimately, I couldn't connect with Erin and I felt Hunter was awful.


Their relationship, in true Echols fashion, was dramatic.  There were mind games, miscommunication, crazy antics, and stubborn behavior.  The best was when Erin and Hunter would write stories for their creative writing class trying to get back at one another for this or that. They would try to analyze the different messages in the story and being an English nerd, I loved that.  Half the time I wanted them to just sit down and talk. I wanted them to get past their stupid games, but I think that is what kept me in suspense.


I also liked how readers learned more and more about Erin's history and her family's secrets.  Readers find out the real reason that Erin's family stopped being super friendly with Hunter's.  I enjoyed unraveling the mystery in Love Story and trying to figure out the family dynamic between her, her grandmother, and ultimately, where Hunter fit in.


Despite my frustrations with Erin and Hunter, I found myself reading Love Story late into the night. I think it's for the same reasons I get sucked into certain reality shows. I needed to know how it was going to end up for Erin even though I wasn't 100% invested in her relationship with Hunter.  This was the perfect book to read while on vacation. It was pure romantic mind-candy in the best way possible and as only Echols can achieve.  I can't wait to see what Jennifer Echols is going to write next!

*Buy Love Story

Waiting on Wednesday: Juliet Immortal

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.  "Waiting on Wednesday" spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Pub. Date: September 13, 2011

Goodreads says, "The most tragic love story in history . . .  Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love."

*You had me at Juliet.  Any book dealing with one of my favorite Shakespearian plays, Romeo and Juliet, is a book for me. The synopsis sounds extremely unique; plus, who doesn't love that cover?  Let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Pages: 273

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: March 22, 2011

Source: My copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.  But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it."

Willa Jackson's family used to be one of the most prominent families in Walls of Water, North Carolina until one day their family experiences misfortune and scandal.  Unfortunately, they lost their house, The Blue Ridge Madam, which happens to be the largest and most grand house in town.  Many years later, Willa is trying to move with her life that is until Paxton Osgood, a socialite, contacts her since the Osgood family is renovating The Blue Ridge Madam.  Willa could care less about Paxton and the renovation until they find a skeleton buried in front of the house under the peach tree.  Since it involves Willa's ancestors, she reluctantly gets involved and befriends Paxton in the process as both girls try to find out the secrets that happened many years ago in Walls of Water.  Sarah Addison Allen's The Peach Keeper is a magical tale that completely swept me away.

This is the first novel I've read by Allen and I was extremely captivated.  I loved her writing style; it was delicious! I enjoyed being transported to Walls of Water and was taken back by the mystery.  Allen includes hints of magic throughout the novel which I wasn't expecting, but thoroughly enjoyed.  Thanks to Allen's talent as a writer, I couldn't have asked for a better book to read while vacationing at the beach.

The mystery in The Peach Keeper was engaging.  I liked all the twists and turns and how both Willa and Paxton's pasts were intertwined thanks to their grandmothers' friendships.  This was a nice touch by Allen and I enjoyed that aspect of the novel as they tried to uncover past family secrets. 

If you are looking for a delightful read that has hints of magic, a great mystery, an unlikely friendship and a budding romance, you must check out The Peach Keeper this summer.  As for me, I am now a fan of Sarah Addison Allen and plan on checking out some of her other novels as well.

*Buy The Peach Keeper

*Watch the book trailer

*Read an excerpt