The Phone Swap Lia Louis

★★★☐☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
An amusing complication as two opposites accidentally trade phones. What could happen? 

You'll smile and groan as the story unfolds in mishaps, connections, and romance. Recommended when you need light humor to pass the time on your commute or in the doctor's office.

Country People by Daniel Mason

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
Mason captured my interest from the first chapter. I laughed and cheered for the family. You'll either like them or roll your eyes at their adventures and adaptation to country life. Clueless. Friendly. Sometimes wild things.

I thoroughly enjoyed them, especially with a glance back at my education in intercultural studies. It's a family you want to meet, want to greet, and want to get to know. Enjoy the ups and downs on this one.

Maria, Maria by Jennifer Galvão

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Staggeringly heart-wrenching. Galvao writes the story of a man who loses his identity and runs for his life. The two women who love him - his wife in Portugal and his "second" in Newfoundland - have their own trajectories and connections,  redolent with suffering, together and separately.

Beautifully written and profoundly insightful about 1950s European culture in ways most of us have forgotten. You may prefer one Maria more than the other, but you'll empathize with both. Recommended for those who like family stories and historical adventures. I could hardly put it down.