Reluctant Roommates by Tara Taylor Quinn

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Sometimes romance needs time and proximity. This adventure provides both between two people with different aspirations and dreams. I found myself cheering for Weston and Paige ... and sympathizing with the adjustments they were making.

If you've wanted to change someone or redirect your own future, shove this one into your tote bag when you leave on vacation or into your briefcase if you're going into the waiting room.

The Irish Fall : A Sweet Romance Novel by Brooke Gilbert

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Health challenges and our history can prevent us from living fully. What if those two meet in a story with the potential for a sweet romance.

Well, here you go. Grab this one for your book club, especially if you have members struggling with chronic illness. It's encouraging, eye-opening, and you'll turn the last page with a smile. The questions will lead you to a deeper understanding of the author's intentions as well.

The Journal by Tiffany Joans

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 Many of us keep journals. Sometimes the things we write have shaped us. And sometimes they influence who we are becoming. What if someone else read your journal and "met you" this way? 

This story of finding a home and finding a heart-companion is a tale of second (and third?) chances.

If you struggle to trust, to rebuilt a broken past, and want a good story to create hope and open your heart to possibility, read this one. Good for a girls-only book club, too.

After Annie by Anna Quindlen

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Some people are central to all their circles - family, friends, schools, churches, neighborhoods ... and such is Annie. When she dies, her influence continue to shape the lives of those who loved and knew her.

This book is full of characters you want to meet and get to know. You'll experience their emotions, their consideration of how to act and think, and their realization that life goes on but memories remain forever.

Since the Day We Danced by Kerk Murray

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 A sweet romance that offers the potential for a second chance. When you're blind-sided by divorce, wishing love would come, or just want characters you cheer for, this will be a book for you.

I struggled through it because the background was dark - but what I read was a story I'd take on a commute or shove in my tote bag for a day away. You'll get absorbed in the romance and possibilities.

I Am Rome by Santiago Posteguillo

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

If you are an armchair traveler, a lover of history, or enjoy a deep dive into the cultural background of where you hope to go, you'll enjoy Posteguillo's book on Julius Caesar. 

Key historical figures shape entire countries, and this book explores why Caesar made a lasting impact on a city, a country, and the Mediterranean region. I enjoyed the creative non-fiction, the descriptions, and the possibilities of what life may have been like around this towering man.

Well-researched and interesting.

Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 Less romantic than some Sparks novels, this one explores the value of family and history. 

For those who have no family history or wide-spread tribe of relatives, connection can be difficult. Throw in adulthood in the military for a sense of disconnection and homelessness. I enjoyed this and hoped for the surprise outcome that landed on the last pages.

Recommended for a commute, the beach, or a seat by the fireplace.

A Fire in the Sunset by Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 
So you want to send a sentiment to someone you love or someone you're interested in? Instead of a Hallmark card, borrow a poem or a few lines from this book. You'll create a flutter of romance in your beloved.

There were many place where I had to pause to take in the emotion of anticipation or satisfaction. Mikheyev captures the drama and the passion of love in a beautiful and heart-filling way.

Highly recommended. Read it aloud with your lover?

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
First you enjoy the description and enter the scenes. Then you met the ordinary person who may change the course of history. You'll be gripped by the characters, the nuances, and the action.

Would you choose to confront evil or close your eyes to what's going on? Do you care if you're overlooked or become a hero? Would you do what's right, one step at a time, regardless of consequences?

Could an accountant who understands the flow of economics - the links between money and values - change the world? A gripping tale of war and espionage, culture and economy, and what happens in the dark.

If you like a thriller tangled up in WWII history, don't miss this one.

Dark Debts by Karen Hall

★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Oh yikes. This one gave me chills. Hall throws a flaming ember into the genre of spiritual battles between good and evil so popular in the 80s and 90s (Peretti's This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, etc.)

It's part horror, part hope, with a lot of religious activity between. I won't read it again though it was a cult favorite when first published in the 1990s.

Around the World in Twenty-Seven Tales by Poornima Manco

★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Interesting, though I don't usually like short stories. I recommend this collection for world travelers, armchair explorers, and those who enjoy tales told by very diverse characters. There was a wide range of opportunities and outcomes.

Why buy it? It will hold your interest in short time periods. Take it on your commute. Take it on a plane and nap between chapters. And consider what it means to live a world away from where you are now.

When It Hurts to Hope by Rachel Miller

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
What happens when your expectations are unfulfilled? When life as you thought it would be is passing you by? Miller tells stories and gives counsel on how to live a full life - even when it's not the life you hoped for.

Honest in its emotions and strong in passion, the book allows the reader to explore unmet needs and disappointments. It names our biases and unhealthy responses. And it offers healthier ways of dealing with pain, abandonment, and rejection.

Read it. Be affirmed in faith. Be affirmed in personhood. And risk trying on the ideas in daily life. Miller offers tips and tools to move forward and live life to the fullest - especially when it's not all that you dreamed it would be.

An Unlikely Arrangement by Cindy Patterson

★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
I read for entertainment as well as for information. This one kept me going with someone viewed as broken and unredeemable through her exploration of what it means to be seen and known ... it was a good story. 

I was reminded of the historical and idealistic Grace Livingstone Hill novels of the past. When all is lost, how does God bring good and healing? You'll like Abigail and hope the best for her and her chaperone.

It's not heavy reading but an interesting and romantic tale. Good for a commute, a night in, or when you have a few hours that should have a happy ending.

The Songbird of Hope Hill by Kim Vogel Sawyer

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Whether you think you've gone beyond redemption and salvation - or if think you're too good for the world - you'll enjoy this book. This love story of transformation, forgiveness, and new life gives hope that anything is possible.

You'll like the characters, find yourself cheering for a happy ending, and enjoy the descriptions. It offers the reader a chance to consider the effects of rushing to judgment and condemnation of others. In Ephraim and Birdie's relationship, there's joy and growth - and yes, that happy ending. 

Good for passing time in a quiet week, as a bedtime novel, or speeding along your commute.

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
What happens when you've closed down the best thing that could happen to you? I laughed aloud, chewed my fingernail, and rooted for both the Captain and Margaret. I closed the book with great satisfaction. 

If you like a historical she-can-do-it-despite-the-odds story about a women with brass and courage, you'll have fun with this one. 

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Charm, likable characters, and a relatable dilemma. What's not to enjoy in Stone's novel? I was rooting for Lexie and Theo from first to last. And wasn't disappointed when I was done.

Recommended when you ned an engaging story about possibilities and hope in the midst of life's challenges. Figure it out with Theo and Lexie on your commute, during a quiet night, or just before Christmas.

The Lost Coast by Jonathan Kellerman; Jesse Kellerman

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Ok, so I pushed myself back from the edge of my seat a few times. I admit it. It's a good story that will keep you engaged and hoping for survival of the good guys - though you won't always know who they are.

I like a good thriller and story as much as anyone else. You'll root for Clay and those willing to help him like I did. Enjoy this to the last page when you need a little zip and a lot of mystery.

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Emily Giffen is a good storyteller. She reminded me of how much I love meeting with girlfriends of 30 years - though now we meet online since we live in different parts of the world.

Three very different women track their journey and their friendship over 10 years, through grief, celebration, and surprising revelations that we learn about each other as life unfolds. You'll love this for a beach read, on the commute, or when you need to be reminded that old friends can remain Friends of the heart.

Water, Water by Billy Collins

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
What makes art interesting - whether it's visual, auditory, or tactile - is its twist on reality. A true artist, including "Billy Collins, Poet"  brings the common and mundane to life in a fresh way. 

This made me think of sinking, swimming, floating, and skimming across experiences many of us encounter. The experience of his craft makes Collins a delight.

Recommended for poets, aspiring poets, and those who like a new way of looking around them Enjoy.

Humor Me by Cat Shook

★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
I'm not good at jokes. And I don't enjoy jokesters or comedians much. (= I'm opposite to my husband, who never forgets one.) So I didn't find the humor in this novel.

However, the conversations between girlfriends and others, the interactions at work and beyond, and the possibilities that others see and hope for us hooked me. 

The coarse language? I think it would have been just as effective without it. The amoral lifestyle? I couldn't cheer for the characters much of the time. But could life happen this way? It probably does in some settings. 

Read it at your peril and for your own amusement?