A Blog Break

 

I will be taking a much needed blog break to spend some extra time with my family and soak in those last drops of summer sunshine.  When I return, I'll be closing up my Summer Kickoff Feature. I hope you guys got some great ideas for what to read this summer and thanks for all the comments, questions, and recommendations.  It has definitely been a fun summer filled with some wonderful books.  You can visit my Summer Kickoff page to see what books I've highlighted this summer.  

Meanwhile, let me know what you are reading and I'll be back soon sharing all the best books that fall has to offer.

See you soon,

Cover Reveal: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

 

 

When I was asked to help reveal the new cover of Natalie Jenner's upcoming novel, I jumped at the chance. If you know me, you know I loved The Jane Austen Society. It was one of my favorite novels of 2020. Have you read it?

 

Natalie Jenner has written a new novel, Bloomsbury Girls, which comes out on May 17, 2022. Thanks to St. Martin's, I am able to share the new cover with you all today and some details about this new historical novel.

 

 

Learn More About Bloomsbury Girls:

 

Goodreads says, "“One bookshop. Fifty-one rules. Three women who break them all.” The Internationally Bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society returns with a compelling and heartwarming story of post-war London, a century-old bookstore, and three women determined to find their way in a fast-changing world.  Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare bookstore that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules.  But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans: Vivien Lowry:  Single since her aristocratic fiancé was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances - most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction. Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own. Evie Stone:  In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.As they interact with various literary figures of the time - Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others - these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow."

 

You can pre-order Bloomsbury Girls at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Kobo, Google Play and add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads.  

Learn More About Natalie Jenner: 

 

"Natalie Jenner is the author of two books, the instant international bestseller THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY and BLOOMSBURY GIRLS. A Goodreads Choice Award finalist for best debut novel and historical fiction, THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, a career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs."

You can learn more about Natalie Jenner by visiting her website and connecting with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.  

 

 

 

Now, I won't keep you hanging much longer! Here's the beautiful cover for Bloomsbury Girls!

 

 

So, what do you guys think? I absolutely love it! I wasn't sure if this cover could top the cover of The Jane Austen Society, but I think it does. I love the bookshop in the background and the beautiful flower in the foreground. It's perfection!  Let me know what you think about the cover and if you are adding Bloomsbury Girls to your TBR list. I can't wait to read it!

Book Review: The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

 

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: August 3, 2021

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Other Woman

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Six friends.  Rachel and Noah have been friends since they met at university. While they once thought that they might be something more, now, twenty years later, they are each happily married to other people, Jack and Paige respectively. Jack’s brother Will is getting married, to the dazzling, impulsive Ali, and the group of six travel to Portugal for their destination weekend.  Three couples.  As they arrive at a gorgeous villa perched on a cliff-edge, overlooking towering waves that crash on the famous surfing beaches below at Nazaré, they try to settle into a weekend of fun. While Rachel is looking forward to getting to know her future sister-in-law Ali better, Ali can’t help but rub many of the group up the wrong way: Rachel’s best friend Paige thinks Ali is attention-seeking and childish, and while Jack is trying to support his brother Will’s choice of wife, he is also finding plenty to disagree with Noah about.  One fatal misunderstanding . . .  But when Rachel discovers something about Ali that she can hardly believe, everything changes. As the wedding weekend unfolds, the secrets each of them hold begin to spill, and friendships and marriages threaten to unravel. Soon, jumping to conclusions becomes the difference between life and death."

 

Will and Ali are getting married in gorgeous Portugal and four of their closest friends are coming along with many family members. What could go wrong? Well, a lot.  Ali, Will, Paige, Noah, Rachel and Jack are all sharing a beautiful villa on cliffs that overlook the ocean.  No one likes Ali, the bride, as they find her manipulative and attention seeking.  Will's brother, Jack, doesn't even like her even though he is the one that introduced the two. Readers find out that Ali once worked for Jack.  Jack's wife, Rachel, has her own problems on this trip.  She is excited her best friend, Paige, is coming along with her husband, Noah, but she and Noah were best friends in college. They have a romantic history and one that she can't seem to forget.  While at their beautiful villa that they are all staying in, secrets start to come out, suspicions get serious, and there's tons of drama that unfolds in The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones.

At first I wasn't sure why no one liked Ali, but the more I got to know her, the more annoying she became in The Guilt Trip. She wasn't exactly bridezilla, but she is extremely attention-seeking. She has some major secrets and they will seriously disrupt the wedding if they get out.  Then there's Jack, the groom's brother, who is mysterious as well. Rachel can't help but feel like he is hiding something. She starts to suspect he is having an affair.  Or maybe it's her mental affair that she is having with Noah, her college boyfriend? Rachel can't seem to let go of the fact that twenty years ago she walked away from Noah to be with Jack and she is still grappling with this decision.  Being here at a wedding in Portugal with Noah doesn't make anything easier, not to mention her best friend, Paige, is Noah's wife!  So, as the story unfolds none of the characters are who they seem. They are all withholding secrets and as they get closer to the wedding, the drama comes to a head.

What makes The Guilt Trip more of a beach read than usual is the cliff side villa in Portugal. Jones really brought it to life and made me feel like I was on vacation too. The rocky caves, the large waves, and the beautiful cliff side homes and restaurants were all perfect settings for a beach read.

I thought The Guilt Trip was going to be a thriller, but it actually reads a bit like a domestic suspense novel. There's a lot of drama. At times I felt it was overdone; it was like car accident you can't stop staring at.  I was drawn to the drama just to see how it would play out.  And things get really dramatic towards the end. So, if you like an immersive soap-opera of a novel, check out The Guilt Trip as summer comes to an end. It would be a great book to get lost in over vacation or a lazy day at the pool.

Are you a fan of Sandie Jones? Is The Guilt Trip on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Blog Tour: Along Came a Lady

Ever since I binged Bridgerton this past winter, I have been loving all things historical romance.  I am very happy to be a part Berkley's blog tour for Along Came a Lady by Christi Caldwell, which comes out today!   

 

Along Came a Lady is perfect for fans of the enemies-to-lovers romance trope.  I hear there's some great witty banter in this novel, which is also being described as a reverse retelling of My Fair Lady.  How fun is that?

Learn More About the Novel:

Goodreads says, "Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne'er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who've been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke's man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman.  Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She's quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child's play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton. All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society. As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard."

 

To buy your own copy of Along Came a Lady, you can purchase it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Bookshop.   

Learn More about Christi Caldwell:

Photo Credit: Kimberly Rocha

 

"Christi Caldwell is the USA Today bestselling author of the Sinful Brides Series and the Heart of a Duke Series. She blames novelist Judith McNaught for luring her into the world of historical romance. She enjoys torturing her couples before they earn their well-deserved happily ever after. Originally from Southern Connecticut, Christi now resides in North Carolina, where she spends her time writing and being a mommy to an energetic little boy and mischievous twin girls who offer an endless source of story ideas. Learn more at christicaldwell.com."

You can learn more about Christi by visiting her website and connecting with her on Twitter, Facebook, and GoodReads.

 

So, what do you guys think? Is Along Came a Lady on your TBR list? Have you been enjoying historical romances? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

Stacking the Shelves (141)

 

Audio Book Review: Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Wicked Widow by Beatriz Williams

Blog Tour: The Bookseller's Secret

 

 

I'll be finishing up my Summer Reading feature by sharing just one more beach read, The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones. It's a captivating domestic thriller set in gorgeous Portugal, which makes it a fun beach read. I'm also part of the blog tour for Along Came a Lady, so keep your eye out for it!

Celebration at Christmas Cove by Carrie Jansen - Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley 

The Mayfair Bookshop by Eliza Knight - Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley

 

 

 

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath - Thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley

Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman - Thanks to Simon and Schuster 

 

 

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher - Thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley

The Wicked Widow by Beatriz Williams - Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley

 

Have you read any of these books? Are they on your TBR list? Let me know your thoughts. This meme is hosted by Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. Thanks for visiting!

 

Audio Book Review: Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman

 

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: July 27, 2021

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Other Books By Author: Red Sky Over Hawaii,
Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers, and The Lieutenant's Nurse

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "An extraordinary story inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense, where an unlikely recruit and her sisters-in-arms forge their place in WWII history.  Daisy Wilder prefers the company of horses to people, bare feet and salt water to high heels and society parties. Then, in the dizzying aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Daisy enlists in a top secret program, replacing male soldiers in a war zone for the first time. Under fear of imminent invasion, the WARDs guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips and track unidentified planes across Pacific skies.    But not everyone thinks the women are up to the job, and the new recruits must rise above their differences and work side by side despite the resistance and heartache they meet along the way. With America’s future on the line, Daisy is determined to prove herself worthy. And with the man she’s falling for out on the front lines, she cannot fail. From radar towers on remote mountaintops to flooded bomb shelters, she’ll need her new team when the stakes are highest. Because the most important battles are fought—and won—together.  This inspiring and uplifting tale of pioneering, unsung heroines vividly transports the reader to wartime Hawaii, where one woman’s call to duty leads her to find courage, strength and sisterhood."

 

Daisy Wilder is a horse trainer, so when she finds herself as a recruit for the Women's Air Raid Defense, she can't believe it.  After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Daisy finds herself in a top secret program. Her job working for the Air Raid Defense is to guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips as well as tracking unidentified planes.  Of course many people feel the women couldn't possibly do a man's job, but Daisy knows she is more than capable and more than ready. Throw in a side of romance with a soldier and the incredible setting of Hawaii, you've got yourself a compelling historical audio book in Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman.  

Daisy is the kind of heroine I love to read about in Radar Girls. Eventually she gains the confidence she needs and is determined to not let her country down as she takes on her new role in the Women's Air Raid defense.  As a woman, she has to break through many barriers and I was rooting for her the whole time.  The camaraderie that she starts to feel for her other female recruits was also something I thoroughly enjoyed.  I have been noticing a trend in historical fiction lately in that the books are highlighting lesser known female heroes of wartime and let's just say I'm here for it. I loved learning more about the Women's Air Raid Defense; it was utterly fascinating! Ackerman did a great job researching it and bringing it to life so vividly.

Ackerman also brought to life wartime Hawaii very well in Radar Girls. I absolutely loved the setting and felt like I was there.  Whether it was the bomb shelters, the beautiful landscape of the mountains, or the beaches, it was all well done and the setting of Hawaii felt just as important as the character of Daisy.

I listened to the audio version which I thought was also well done.  The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, has narrated a few other audio books that I have enjoyed, so you know you can count on a solid performance from her.

If you are looking for a compelling audio book or novel to finish out summer season, I'd recommend Radar Girls, especially if you enjoy being transported to a memorable setting.  I'd recommend the novel to fans of stories about courageous women during challenging times.

Are you a fan of Sara Ackerman's novels? Is Radar Girls on your TBR list? Have you read any of Ackerman's other novels? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Wicked Widow

Can't Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

The Wicked Widow by Beatriz Williams

Pub. Date: October 26, 2021

Goodreads sayas, "Gin Kelly, the wicked redhead, is back! Readers will delight in next installment of the Wicked City series by New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams.   June 1925. Audacious Appalachian flapper Geneva "Gin" Kelly prepares to trade her high-flying ways for respectable marriage to Oliver Anson Marshall, a steadfast Prohibition agent who happens to hail from one of New York's most distinguished families. But just as wedding bells chime, the head of the notorious East Coast rum-running racket--and Anson's mortal enemy--turns up murdered at a society funeral, and their short-lived honeymoon bliss goes up in a spectacular blaze that sends Anson back undercover...and into the jaws of a trap from which not even Gin can rescue him. As violence explodes around her, Gin must summon all her considerable moxie to trace the tentacles of this sinister organization back to their shocking source, and face down a legendary American family at a rigged game it has no intention of losing.  June 1998. When Ella Dommerich's ninetysomething society queen aunt Julie ropes her into digging up dirt on Senator (and Presidential candidate) Franklin Hardcastle in order to settle old family scores, she couldn't be less enthusiastic. Pregnant Ella's recently ditched her unfaithful husband and settled into cozy--if complicated--domesticity with her almost-too-good-to-be-true musician boyfriend, Hector. But then the Hardcastle secrets lead to a web of shady dealings Ella's uncovered in her job as a financial analyst, and the bodies start to tumble out of the venerable woodwork. With the help of her ex-husband and her mysterious connection to a certain redheaded flapper, Ella digs up more than mere dirt...only to discover herself standing alone between a legendarily ruthless family and the prize it's sought for generations. What ugly secrets lurk in the opulent enclaves--and bank accounts--of America's richest families? And can two determined women from two different generations thwart the murderous legacy of the demon liquor?"

 

I've really enjoyed The Wicked City series and I'm excited for another installment. Beatriz Williams has become quite a prolific writer! Are you looking forward to this one as well? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Blog Tour: The Bookseller's Secret

 

You guys know I love a good historical novel, especially when it's set during WWII. It's one of my favorite time periods to read about and combine that with a historical novel that involves a bookstore.....yes, please! 

Today I am part of the official blog tour for The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable, which hits shelves today.  I adored her previous novels, The Book of Summer, and The Summer I Met Jack, so I've had my eye on this book for awhile. Thanks to Harlequin, I am sharing an excerpt from the novel today.

Learn More About The Bookseller's Secret:

"From New York Times bestselling author Michelle Gable comes a dual-narrative set at the famed Heywood Hill Bookshop in London about a struggling American writer on the hunt for a rumored lost manuscript written by the iconic Nancy Mitford—bookseller, spy, author, and aristocrat—during World War II. In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she’s given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics. Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop’s brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy’s life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay. Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt for a lost wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford. For one woman desperately in need of a change, the search will reveal not only a new side to Nancy, but an even more surprising link between the past and present…"

 

You can purchase your own copy of The Bookseller's Secret at Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.  You can learn more about Michelle Gable by visiting her website and connecting with her on Twitter, and Instagram.  

 

 

An Excerpt From the Novel: 

April 1946
Hotel de Bourgogne, Paris VII

There they are, held like flies in the amber of that moment—click goes the camera and on goes life; the minutes, the days, the years, the decades, taking them further and further from that happiness and promise of youth, from the hopes…and from the dreams they dreamed for themselves.
—Nancy Mitford,The Pursuit of Love

 

“Alors, racontez!” the Colonel said, and spun her beneath his arm.
    Nancy had to duck, of course. The man was frightfully short.
“Racontez! Racontez!”

She laughed, thinking of all the times the Colonel made this demand. Racontez! Tell me!

“Allô—allô,” he’d say across some crackling line. “Were you asleep?”

He might be in Paris, or Algiers, or another place he could not name. Weeks or months would pass and then a phone rang in London and set Nancy Mitford’s world straight again.

“Alors, racontez! Tell me everything!”

And she did.

The Colonel found Nancy’s stories comical, outrageous, unlike anything he’d ever known, his delight beginning first and foremost with the six Mitford girls, and their secret society. Nancy also had a brother, but he hardly counted at all.

“C’est pas vrai!” the Colonel would cry, with each new tale. “That cannot be true!”

“It all happened,” Nancy told him. “Every word. What do you expect with a Nazi, a Communist, and several Fascists, in one family tree?”

“C’est incroyable!”

But the Hon Society was the past, and this gilded Parisian hotel room was now, likewise Nancy’s beloved Colonel, presently reaching into the bucket of champagne. How had she gotten to this place? It was the impossible dream.

“Promise we can stay here forever,” Nancy said.

“Here or somewhere like it,” he answered with a grin.
Nancy’s heart bounced. Heavens, he was ever-so-ugly with his pock-marked face and receding hairline, the precise opposite of her strapping husband, a man so wholesome he might’ve leapt from the pages of a seedsman catalogue. But Nancy loved her Colonel with every part of herself, in particular the female, which represented another chief difference between the two men.

“You know, my friends are desperate to take a French lover,” Nancy said, and she tossed her gloves onto the bed. “All thanks to a fictional character from a book. Everyone is positively in love with Fabrice!”

“Bien sûr, as in real life,” the Colonel said as he popped the cork.

The champagne bubbled up the bottle’s neck, and dribbled onto his stubby hands.

“You’re such a wolf!” Nancy said. She heaved open the shutters and scanned the square below. “At last! A hotel with a view.”

Their room overlooked Le Palais Bourbon, home to l’Assemblée nationale, the two-hundred-year seat of the French government, minus the interlude during which it was occupied by the Luftwaffe. Mere months ago German propaganda hung from the building: DEUTSCHLAND SIEGT AN ALLEN FRONTEN. Germany is victorious on all fronts. But the banners were gone now, and France had been freed. Nancy was in Paris, just as she’d planned.

“This is heaven!” Nancy said. She peered over her shoulder and coquettishly kicked up a heel. “A luncheon party tomorrow? What do you think?”

“Okay, chéri, quoi que tu en dises,” the Colonel said, as she sauntered toward him.

“Whatever I want?” Nancy said. “I’ve been dying to hear those words! What about snails, chicken, and port salut? No more eating from tins for you. On that note, darling, you mustn’t worry about your job prospects. I know you’ll miss governing France but, goodness, we’ll have so much more free time!”

Nancy was proud of the work the Colonel had done as General de Gaulle’s chef du cabinet, but his resignation made life far more convenient. No longer would she have to wait around, or brook his maddeningly specific requests. I’ve got a heavy political day LET ME SEE—can you come at 2 minutes to 6?

“It’s really one of the best things that could’ve happened to us,” Nancy said. “Oh, darling, life will be pure bliss!”

Nancy leaned forward and planted a kiss on the Colonel’s nose.

“On trinque?” he said, and lifted a glass.

Nancy raised hers to meet it.

“Santé!” he cheered.

Nancy rolled her eyes. “The French are so dull with their toasts. Who cares about my health? It’s wretched, most of the time. Cheers to novels, I’d say! Cheers to readers the world over!”

“À la femme auteur, Nancy Mitford!” The Colonel clinked her glass. “Vive la littérature!”

Excerpted from The Bookseller’s Secret by Michelle Gable, Copyright © 2021 by Michelle Gable Bilski. Published by Graydon House Books.

 

So, what do you guys think?  Is The Bookseller's Secret on your TBR list? Do you enjoy books set during WWII? Let me know in the comments below.  Also, check out the virtual launch event tonight for The Bookseller's Secret.  You can register here for this free event. 

Book Review: Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

 

Pages: 384

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: May 18, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating; 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "A family reunion for the ages when two clans convene for the summer at their beloved getaway in the Catskills--perfect for fans of Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel--from the acclaimed author of The Floating Feldmans.  In its heyday, The Golden Hotel was the crown jewel of the hotter-than-hot Catskills vacation scene. For more than sixty years, the Goldman and Weingold families - best friends and business partners - have presided over this glamorous resort which served as a second home for well-heeled guests and celebrities. But the Catskills are not what they used to be - and neither is the relationship between the Goldmans and the Weingolds. As the facilities and management begin to fall apart, a tempting offer to sell forces the two families together again to make a heart-wrenching decision. Can they save their beloved Golden or is it too late.  Long-buried secrets emerge, new dramas and financial scandal erupt, and everyone from the traditional grandparents to the millennial grandchildren wants a say in the hotel's future. Business and pleasure clash in this fast-paced, hilarious, nostalgia-filled story, where the hotel owners rediscover the magic of a bygone era of nonstop fun even as they grapple with what may be their last resort."

 

Benny Goldman and Amos Weingold have been friends since Booklyn College and these two best friends built The Golden Hotel in the Catskills in the 1960s.  It was a premiere hotel back then and many famous celebrities performed there.  Jewish families flocked there for the entertainment, the relaxing atmosphere, the summer activities, the dining, and to see the same families year to year.  Fast forward to present day and The Golden Hotel has most definitely seen better days. There's an offer on the table for The Golden Hotel, but the families aren't quite sure they are ready to say goodbye, so they have an emergency meeting to see what they should do next; after all, many of them could use the money! Once the Weingold and Goldman families come together again in the Catskills, there's sure to be drama, hilarity, romance, and much more.  Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was an absolute pleasure of a novel. I laughed out loud, I longed for a chat with my grandmother, and dreamed of a vacation up the mountains without wi-fi access. This is a gem of a novel!

There's many characters in Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, but Friedland makes it easy for readers by providing a family tree; thank goodness, because I found myself referring back to it quite often until I got the lineage down.  Friedland focuses on just a few key players by giving readers chapters from their points of view and I really preferred this. Once I got acclimated to each family member, I was able to breeze through the novel happily. There's a plot line for just about everyone here. There's Fanny Weingold and Louise Goldman, the matriarchs, but they never really got along and are polar opposites. The only child of Louise attends and she brings her two grandchildren to the hotel, but not her husband....cue the drama.  There's Brian Weingold, who runs the hotel, and hasn't had it easy since his divorce. There's also Brian's brother, Peter, and his family who come along with his influencer daughter whom is determined to make something of The Golden Hotel at least on Instagram.  Each character brings an interesting story to the table and I was impressed with Frieldland's ability to do that.

The setting of The Golden Hotel is just perfect. Friedland really brings to life the Catskills and the mountain lifestyle. It felt like I was on the set of Dirty Dancing or on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, when they spend their summer at the mountain resort. The Golden Hotel becomes a character in and of itself and I really loved that. I enjoyed learning about the hotel's past, all the performers that came, the traditions, and all the memories, both good and bad. Meanwhile, readers are worrying about what will become of The Golden Hotel and everything that the Goldmans and Weingolds built.

I really enjoyed Last Summer at the Golden Hotel. It was breezy, but it had substance. It made me smile, laugh and feeling wistful. It's one of my favorite beach reads of the year! 

Have you read Last Summer at the Golden Hotel? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Book Review: A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery

 

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: May 11, 2021

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "For thirty-year-old Frankie Simon, selling movie memorabilia in the shop she opened with her late mother on Hollywood Boulevard is more than just her livelihood--it's an enduring connection to the only family she has ever known. But when a mysterious package arrives containing a photograph of her mother and famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband at a coastal film festival the year before Frankie's birth, her life begins to unravel in ways unimaginable. What begins is a journey along a path revealing buried family secrets, betrayals between lovers, bonds between friends. And for Frankie, as the past unlocks the present, the chance to learn that memories define who we are, and that they can show us the meaning of home and the magic of true love. Experience the salty breeze of a Cape Cod summer as it sweeps through this sparkling, romantic, and timeless debut novel tinged with a love of old Hollywood."

 

Frankie owns a movie memorabilia shop on Hollywood Boulevard. She worked there with her late mother and people come from all over to buy her memorabilia.  One day a package comes for her from her mom's boyfriend and inside she sees pictures of her mother with Glory Cartwright and Glory's husband, Mitch.  Glory was a famous movie star who started a film festival on the island of Cape Cod.  Slowly Frankie starts to piece different things together about her mother and then more questions arise. She wants answers, so she heads to Cape Cod to get them. While there she meets Louise, who runs the festival and while there, Frankie learns more about her mother and her connection to Glory.  Montgomery also gives readers flashbacks to explain how the festival came about and how Glory, a Hollywood star, ended up at Cape Cod.  Erika Montgomery's debut, A Summer to Remember, will especially be appreciated by people who enjoy beach reads filled with not only family secrets, but some of that Old Hollywood magic.

I really liked the character of Frankie in A Summer to Remember. Her memorabilia shop was fascinating and I enjoyed the descriptions of her store, her clients, and what she was selling.  She's in a bad place though. Her mother died, her boyfriend dumped her, and the rent just went up on her store. When it rains, it pours. Once she gets the package with the letters and photos, she starts to wonder what this is all about. Why was her mother with Glory?  She also wants to get these letters back to their rightful owners, so she packs her bags and off to Cape Cod she goes. In the back of her mind, Frankie has always wondered who her biological father is, so that is also an unanswered question she hopes she might get some clues to.

Louise's chapters take us mostly back to when the festival started and some memories about Glory, Mitch, and more. I didn't always like the jump from present day to the past in A Summer to Remember, but her chapters were definitely necessary as they fill in the blanks about Glory and how the festival started in Cape Cod.

A Summer to Remember is your average, breezy beach read, but what separates it from the usual is the Old Hollywood descriptions in it. I liked that aspect of the novel and even how the author included famous quotes from movies prior to each chapter's beginning.   Also, I think Montgomery brought the historical parts to life very well while also capturing the slower pace of Cape Cod verses Hollywood.

So, if you are a movie buff who is looking for a light beach read, I urge you to check out A Summer to Remember. It had me wanting to re-watch some of my favorite classic movies.

Are you a fan of Old Hollywood? Is A Summer to Remember on your summer TBR list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

 

Book Review: The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George

 

Pages: 304

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: June 29, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Heiress Gets a Duke

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "Sparks fly when a runaway heiress bargains with a devilish rogue to escape a marriage of convenience.   No one would guess that beneath Violet Crenshaw's ladylike demeanor lies the heart of a rebel. American heiresses looking to secure English lords must be on their best behavior, but Violet has other plans. She intends to flee London and the marriage her parents have arranged to become a published author--if only the wickedly handsome earl who inspired her most outrageously sinful character didn't insist on coming with her.  Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, has a scheme of his own: escort the surprisingly spirited dollar princess north and use every delicious moment in close quarters to convince Violet to marry him. Christian needs an heiress to rebuild his Scottish estate but the more time he spends with Violet, the more he realizes what he really needs is her--by his side, near his heart, in his bed. Though Christian's burning glances offer unholy temptation, Violet has no intention of surrendering herself or her newfound freedom in a permanent deal with the devil. It's going to take more than pretty words to prove this fortune hunter's love is true..."

Violet Crenshaw doesn't want to just get married and do what is expected of her. She has high hopes and aspires to be published author.  For the time period, the Gilded Age, this isn't the norm for women, except she has her sister, August, who also is a non-conformist and she has paved the way for her.   In Violet's book she has a naughty aristocrat as a possible love interest and she based this character off of the notorious Earl of Leigh. As time goes by, she discovers that her father plans to have her marry an aristocrat she doesn't like as it would benefit the family company. Cue the drama. Violet, inspired by her sister, runs away to avoid a marriage that she doesn't want. Strangely enough, Christian, the Earl of Leigh, decides to help her run away.  Christian has always had his eye on Violet. He genuinely likes her; plus, it does help that she's rich and he, like many British aristocrats, has bills piling up. While on the run, their awkward friendship blossoms into something more.  Fans of The Gilded Age Heiresses series won't be disappointed by the second installment, The Devil and the Heiress.

Violet, while she is an interesting character and an aspiring author, wasn't as compelling as her daring sister, August. As The Devil and the Heiress progressed, I did feel she became more interesting as she really started to come into her own.  She doesn't need to go along with whatever life her father planned for her; she has options....except that spending all this unchaperoned time with Christian will lead to its own problems.

Christian is your typical bad boy in The Devil and the Heiress. At first, I didn't like him at all and found him to be too much of a cliche, but as the story evolved, he does redeem himself.  The whole idea of him helping Violet run away seemed a bit far fetched, but I found myself enjoying their time away together and the excitement of being on the run. They definitely have chemistry!

I am not your traditional romance novel reader, but I really liked The Devil and the Heiress. Yes, it is steamy, but it is also filled with thoughtful moments, a lot of historical details, and characters that you end up caring about.  I think St. George really brought to life The Gilded Age and I was happy to revisit it.

So, if you are looking for a new romance to throw in your bag this summer, look no further! While I did enjoy the first book in the series a bit more and liked August better than Violet, The Devil and the Heiress was still a lot of fun.  I definitely think I will be reading book three in this series which comes out this winter; I can't wait to read what St. George comes up with next!

So, what do you think of The Devil and the Heiress? Are you a romance genre fan? Have you read book one? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.