November was a great month for reading with the exception of one that I had too push through to finish. I wanted a month of cozy, memorable reads and for the most part that's exactly what I got. I was able to read + listen to six books in November and really enjoyed my picks! Click on the links below for the standalone reviews of each title. Eliza Starts A Rumor was the perfect read to start my month. I really loved this one! I cozy, sisterly hug with depth and substance. Such a fun read with more thought provoking themes than I anticipated. Fast paced and hard to put down, for me anyway. Loved this one so much! If you're a fan of ... Read More
Always in December, by Emily Stone
I wanted to kick off the holiday season with a Christmas read and thought this book would fit the bill. Always in December, by Emily Stone isn't exactly what I expected, but an okay read nonetheless. Every December, Josie writes a letter to her parents whom she lost on Christmas many years ago. On her way to mail the letter, she bumps into Max (well, hits him with her bike, lol). They end up hitting it off, spending the holiday together after he misses his flight, and then wakes up one morning to find him gone without so much as a goodbye or a number where he can be reached.Fate brings Josie and Max back together again several times ... Read More
The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, by Rachel Linden
I've been on a bit of a reading kick with a foodie theme this month, so it seemed fitting to continue the trend with The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, by Rachel Linden. The book blurb sums this one up perfectly..."An uplifting novel about a heartbroken young pie maker who is granted a magical second chance to live the life she didn't choose". Swoon. Oh my word how I ADORED this book. One of my favorite comfort reads this year. Right off the bat, you need to know that I LOVE magical realism. It's one of my favorite genres, especially when done well. And this one is definitely that. One Italian Summer meets This Time Tomorrow meets The ... Read More
Very Sincerely Yours, by Kerry Winfrey
I absolutely adored Waiting for Tom Hanks, so when I saw that Ms. Winfrey had written yet another rom-com, I knew I had to read it STAT. Very Sincerely Yours, by Kerry Winfrey was just the cutest rom com! Teddy Phillips is a thirty-something woman working at a vintage toy store and just dumped by her longtime boyfriend. She writes into the host of a popular kids show, Everett's Place, for advice and comfort. Everett St. James, the show's host, is drawn to the letters he's receiving, both honest and vulnerable. He and Teddy, aka "Theodora", write each other back and forth forming an unlikely relationship while never having met....until ... Read More
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, by Louise Miller
Something about the title of this book screamed "Hallmark Movie!!!" to me, so I had to pick up my own copy and see if my thoughts were spot on. The City Baker's Guide to Country Living, by Louise Miller was equal parts endearing a charming and I'm SO glad I finally read it! Olivia Rawlings is an executive pastry chef at a Boston dinner club. After she inadvertently starts a fire in the club with her baked Alaska dish, Olivia relocates to Guthrie, Vermont and lands a job baking at the Sugar Maple Inn. Livvy and her dog, Salty, move into the sugarhouse on the inn's property and immerse themselves in the small town life. She becomes close ... Read More
The Simplicity of Cider, by Amy E. Reichert
The Simplicity of Cider, by Amy E. Reichert has been on my TBR for a minute and I figured it was the perfect time of the year to (finally) pick it up. I'm so glad I did! Sanna Lund and her dad, Einars, live on their family apple orchard in Door County, WI. While the business is struggling, Sanna stays devoted to making cider and tending to the orchard alongside her dad. Developers are more than interested in buying the orchard and turning it into a theme park, but the idea to Einars and Sanna is unthinkable. Einars hires Isaac Banks, a handsome father from California, for summer help on the orchard. He moves onto the land with his ... Read More
Eliza Starts a Rumor, by Jane L. Rosen
After a month of mostly average reads, I was on the hunt for something cozy and refreshing. Cue Eliza Starts a Rumor, by Jane L. Rosen. I accidentally stumbled upon this one on Amazon and it sounded like a good palate cleanser, so I picked up a copy and got to reading. Eliza Hunt is the founding admin on an FB group page called The Hudson Valley Ladies' Bulletin Board. She's also agoraphobic and rarely, if ever, gets out of her house now that her twins have gone off to college. Her bulletin board is her baby, her lifeline to the outside world. When she catches wind of a rival group board spilling all the tea and gaining all the members ... Read More
October 2022 Book Review Wrap-Up
October ended up being a pretty average month in the book department. I had a busy month full of work + friend and family obligations...plus a quick weekend getaway with my husband...so I was only able to squeeze in four books. I was excited about my spooky season TBR, but ended up feeling a little disappointed by the month's end. Not quite as stellar as I was hoping it would be, but every month can't be a home run! Click on the links below for the standalone reviews of each title. My most favorite book of the month was The Housemaid, by Freida McFadden. I didn't really know what to expect going into this one and it definitely ... Read More
And There He Kept Her, by Joshua Moehling
Talk about finishing spooky season with a BANG. And There He Kept Her, by Joshua Moehling was more like an incredibly disturbing train wreck. I couldn't look away. I found this one randomly scrolling down the rabbit hole of Goodreads and the premise sounded intriguing, so I figured, "why not?!" In the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota, two teens break into the home of the elderly Emmett Burr in search of prescription drugs. What was supposed to be a quick in-and-out smash-and-grab turned into a fatal night for the teens. Emmett goes to great lengths to keep his darkest secrets from being exposed when he catches the teens in action ... Read More
All Good People Here, by Ashley Flowers
I'm a big fan and avid listener of the Crime Junkie podcast. When I found out the host, Ashley Flowers, wrote a thriller....well, I couldn't put it on my TBR fast enough. All Good People Here was one of my most anticipated fall reads! In a nutshell straight from the book blurb, "In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast "Crime Junkie," a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later." Loved the strong start to this debut novel. Hooked me from the first chapter. The rest ... Read More
