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.

2024… Your Year of More: Plan your goals and invest your efforts by Noah William Smith

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 
Forget the date. We're halfway through the year and I'm still finding the questions in this A-Z book helpful. If you like coaching yourself or others, you'll find a topic that resonates.

I liked that I could choose a topic - an emotion, action, or idea - and work through it at my own pace. I'm stingy at giving 5-star reviews but this has been useful all year. And I plan to go back to it next year and in the coming years.

If you're stuck, trying to get to the next level in goal-setting and self-understanding ... or if you're doing practical get-in-motion counseling to encourage your employees, grown kids, or friends to take the next step, grab a copy.

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.

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?

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.

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 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.

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?

In Pursuit of Love by Mark Bostridge

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

If you've ever been captured by an idea that has reshaped your life, you'll love this tale of pursuit. I liked the now-and-then exploration of life in Hugo's time. The genre of creative non-fiction allows for musings between what we actually can prove and what might or could have been. Bostridge combines facts and speculations in an engaging and interesting way.

Recommended for history buffs, for literature and Victor Hugo fans, and for the curious. Useful for academics as well as literary bystanders. Enjoy this unusual and engaging book (complete with photos.)

This Used to Be Us by Renée Carlino

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Marriage is hard. And difficult. And sweet. And ever-evolving. And vibrant. Unless we pour ourselves into each other day after day, time after time, we experience a natural atrophy of kindness and consideration. I know: married 47 years.

The story narrates how perceptions of character, personality, and friendship shift with time. Can love be recaptured? As Dani and Alex consider the long investment and value of marriage and family, you'll hold your breath. 

And when you finish the last page, you'll be glad you read it. Recommended for those who enjoy stories about our inner lives and relationships.

The Paris Gown by Christine Wells

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Three girlfriends, three ambitions. Can a gorgeous dress bring them together again?

If you like mid-century novels with historical description, beautiful scenes, and developing relationships, you'll love this one. Claire, Margo, and Gina will capture your imagination.

As will one Dior dress. Pick it up to read during travels or on vacation.

A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Time after time, I'm surprised by the creative stories Macomber thinks up. This was no exception. I enjoyed the steady pace of relationships, the rich descriptions, and of course - the romance between Hailey and Jay.

If you want a novel that stirs the heart, warms your emotions, and leaves you happy at the end, this is it. It will also get you in the mood to think about decorating, chopping a Christmas tree, and gathering family around. 

The Heartbeat Library by Laura Imai Messina

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Let's start with the cover. Liked it. I felt pulled into Japanese culture from the first page. If you're a lover of all things Japanese, you'll find delight in the story.

I got lost at times, accustomed as I am to fast-paced Western novels. But there's a soothing meditative rhythm to the development and unfolding understanding of the "heartbeat" felt by the characters.

Worth reading if you enjoy a novel that immerses you in another culture and another time.

Jane Austen: Daddy’s Girl by Zöe Wheddon

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
No one has had the same influence on me as my father. I'm a daddy's girl. So of course I was interested in this one! (My mom's amazing, too.)

I found it a bit thick and convoluted, as a British-ish novel based on history often is. The premise of influence and backdrop is strong and interesting. Recommended for Austin fans.

The Paris Understudy by Aurélie Thiele

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
I read a few chapters. Put it down. Picked it up again. There was so much personal drama in the life of a character I wanted to see succeed ... that I couldn't read it all at once.

For all the underdogs, those pushed back time and time again, this is your story. Enjoy! Get ready for a lot of tears and sighs - and getting your hopes up.

A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Oh my goodness. I couldn't anticipate where this was going. A perfect love story, disrupted by moral failure, and redeemed by a surprise participant. 

You won't be able to predict where it ends up - so if you have to know, read the last chapter and find out how the whole thing unfolds. Mayes is a great storyteller for the modern age.