Sunday, January 22, 2017

Sisters One, Two, Three by Nancy Star




What They Say.....After a tragic accident on Martha’s Vineyard, keeping secrets becomes a way of life for the Tangle family. With memories locked away, the sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears, Mimi keeps so busy she has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk that threatens the relationships she holds most dear.

When a whispered comment overheard by her rebellious teenage daughter forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’ carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of Glory, the family’s colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged Callie, Ginger resolves to return to Martha’s Vineyard and piece together what really happened on that calamitous day when a shadow fell over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s newfound understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother, with her sisters, and with her daughter.
At turns heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful, Sisters One, Two, Three explores not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go.


What I Say.....This was a random wish on NetGalley that I was granted, so I dove into it immediately.  Normally, I know if I just like a book or if I loved a book, but this one left me confused.  I think I really loved it, but  I don't know why.  

The story went back and forth between the past and the present, and how the events of the past have shaped their current lives.  Ginger was not very likable - but she was a nervous child who grew up to be a neurotic adult.  There was good reason, but even as I understood her, she drove me crazy.  

Her strained relationship with her 17 year old daughter was a direct result of her constant hovering and worrying, but even so having her leave to become a busker in Oregon with a boyfriend wasn't a decision that I think many parents would support, so she had my sympathy there.

After their mother declines quickly and passes away, Ginger and Mimi are shocked to see their sister, Callie, reappear.  She was sent away as a child, and as grown adults, they haven't expended any time or energy trying to track her down - and this doesn't seem strange to them at all.  They think Cassie is acting a little strangely, and while they think she has been gone after joining a cult, or to get away from their mother, they don't seem to question where she's been.

Callie reports that there is a house in Martha's Vineyard that they all three own now, where she has been living all this time, and that they need to agree on how to use the property.

Mimi wants to sell, Ginger is walking around in shock, and Callie disappears again, but this time they know that they can follow her back to the Vineyard.

As they all come together, old stories are brought back out to be re-examined with fresh, adult eyes.  The death of their brother, Charlie.  Their father's death. The evolution of their mother.  And where Callie has been and why.  

I don't want to spoil anything, but I think what I found the most fascinating (and what rang the most true), is how children see the world, and keep that as their truth even when they grow up.  And how children from dysfunctional families who experience trauma are so skilled at accepting lies, and how they think it's perfectly acceptable to just not talk about certain things.

I've already got my sister reading it so we can compare thoughts.  It was a great read, and it really spoke to me.

Current Goodreads Rating 3.73
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Sunday, January 15, 2017

Stacking the Shelves....January 15, 206




Stacking the Shelves is a weekly book meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, The Sunday Post is another great site hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  The Sunday Salon is a Facebook page where great readers share what they've read this week and Mailbox Monday is a weekly roundup of the new books people have received.


Well, we are experiencing winter in Arizona.  It's not too cold, hanging around the 60's but these unending gray days are killing me.  I can't believe how many years I spent living in Illinois, where you spend months out of the year with this depression inducing weather.  But I'm holding out for sunnier days.

I know I shouldn't complain when I see friends talking about -2 degrees and multiple feet of snow, but it's amazing who much impact the weather has on our moods.

I've added no new books to my shelf this week.  I haven't seen anything that I just HAD to have - and I'm so far behind, I feel like I can never dig myself out.

I'm currently trying to read Liane Moriarty's Truly Madly Guilty and I'm struggling to get past the first chapter - can anyone tell me if it's worth pushing on?
















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Thursday, January 12, 2017

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Levitt




What They Say.....Set in the early 1970s against the specter of the Manson girls, when the peace and love movement begins to turn ugly, this is the story of a runaway teenager's disappearance and her sister's quest to discover the truth.

Caroline Leavitt is at her mesmerizing best in this haunting, nuanced portrait of love, sisters, and the impossible legacy of family.

It's 1969, and sixteen-year-old Lucy is about to run away with a much older man to live off the grid in rural Pennsylvania, a rash act that will have vicious repercussions for both her and her older sister, Charlotte. As Lucy's default caretaker for most of their lives, Charlotte's youth has been marked by the burden of responsibility, but never more so than when Lucy's dream of a rural paradise turns into nightmare.

With gorgeous prose and indelible characters, Cruel Beautiful World examines the intricate, infinitesimal distance between seduction and love, loyalty and duty, and what happens when you're responsible for things you can't fix.


What I Say.....What a book.  I've always loved Caroline Leavitt, her "Girls In Trouble" was one of my favorites, but this new book is by far her best.  She writes about complicated relationships in all of her books, but this story of two sisters was especially melancholy.

Lucy is seduced by her teacher, she runs away seeking the excitement of a grown up life.  But she finds that the life she has run to is actually much more confining than her life with her sister and their loving guardian.

Charlotte is left behind, trying to follow the rules, trying to pursue her dreams of being a vet and being the remaining "good" child.  She is sick with worry, but also a little angry with Lucy's immaturity and the selfishness of leaving a loving family and not making any contact.

As Lucy begins to grow tired of her solitary life, she branches out, making secret friends, working a secret job, and beginning to realize that the life she left behind may not have been so bad after all.  But her boyfriend is becoming increasingly paranoid, and unhinge - by the time Lucy reaches out to her sister, tragedy strikes.

The story is as much Charlotte's as Lucy's.  The bond between sisters is a weird thing - it's a twisty relationship that thrives in chaos as much as in peace. Everything your sister does has a weird ripple effect on you, even when they aren't near you.

Definitely one of Leavitt's best - and I encourage everyone to read all of her books.

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Sunday, January 8, 2017

Weekly Book Haul.....January 8, 2017




Stacking the Shelves is a weekly book meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, The Sunday Post is another great site hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  The Sunday Salon is a Facebook page where great readers share what they've read this week and Mailbox Monday is a weekly roundup of the new books people have received.


Starting off this year with a whimper vs. a bang.  I've been working out and eating right since about March, but the holidays put a giant wrench in that plan - I didn't go all out, but enough to make me feel not so great about myself.   So I thought Jan 3, the first day back to work would be a great way to start the year by getting back on track.  But I had early meetings 3 times in this four day workweek, and this weekend I've been dog sitting my daughter's three dogs in addition to my two, so getting anything done has not been on the agenda.  I've spent my days mastering the art of walking 5 dogs at a time, doing hourly let outs, and constantly counting, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  I'm terrified that I will misplace one and lose any future grandparent babysitting privileges for eternity.


But I've been reading some great books!  And tomorrow, my life will get back on track.  I've marked my work calendar for Do Not Schedule from 8a-9a, so that I can get my workouts done in the morning and be back on track.


But oh the books I've been reading!! So much good reading!  And I'm catching up on my blogging. i just finished Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza, and it was so cute!  It won't be published until July 2017, but I read it early just because I wanted to - part of my New Year's resolutions.


I hope your New Year's has started out much more successfully than mine!

Here's what I added this week.


My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella....Everywhere Katie Brenner

looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demeter Farlowe. Demeter is brilliant and creative, lives with her perfect family in a posh townhouse, and wears the coolest clothes. Katie’s life, meanwhile, is a daily struggle—from her dismal rental to her oddball flatmates to the tense office politics she’s trying to negotiate. No wonder Katie takes refuge in not-quite-true Instagram posts, especially as she's desperate to make her dad proud.
            
Then, just as she’s finding her feet—not to mention a possible new romance—the worst happens. Demeter fires Katie. Shattered but determined to stay positive, Katie retreats to her family’s farm in Somerset to help them set up a vacation business. London has never seemed so far away—until Demeter unexpectedly turns up as a guest. Secrets are spilled and relationships rejiggered, and as the stakes for Katie’s future get higher, she must question her own assumptions about what makes for a truly meaningful life.
            
Sophie Kinsella is celebrated for her vibrant, relatable characters and her great storytelling gifts. Now she returns with all of the wit, warmth, and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her bestsellers to spin this fresh, modern story about presenting the perfect life when the reality is far from the truth.


A Death at the yoga Cafe by Michelle Kelly.....Keeley Carpenter has found
her center. After returning to Befrey, the traditional English village she called home ten years ago, she’s opened her dream yoga café, which doubles as both a yoga studio and a delicious vegetarian café. Even better, Keeley is dating handsome Detective Ben Taylor, and things are beginning to look serious.
Too bad things never seem to run smoothly for long. Eager to get involved with the local community, Keeley sets up a booth at the annual Belfrey Arts Festival, along with her nemesis, fellow small business owner Raquel. Preparing herself to play nice, she’s shocked when Raquel’s boyfriend, Town Mayor Gerald, is found dead after a public spat. Despite Ben’s strict warnings to stay out of it, Keeley isn’t going to let an innocent woman take the blame for the murder—even if it is glamorous, spoiled Raquel.
Now Keeley must balance a precarious murder investigation with the demands of her growing business and now-strained relationship. But when the killer takes a personal interest in Keeley, can she find the culprit before she gets bent out of shape? Charming and delicious, this cozy follow up to Downward Facing Death features recipes from Keeley’s café and is perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Laura Childs.

The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion......On the cusp of turning
fifty, Adam Sharp likes his life. He’s happy with his partner Claire, he excels in music trivia at quiz night at the local pub, he looks after his mother, and he does the occasional consulting job in IT. But he can never quite shake off his nostalgia for what might have been: his blazing affair more than twenty years ago with an intelligent and strong-willed actress named Angelina Brown who taught him for the first time what it means to find—and then lose—love. How different might his life have been if he hadn’t let her walk away?
And then, out of nowhere, from the other side of the world, Angelina gets in touch. What does she want? Does Adam dare to live dangerously?

Millie Vanilla's Cupcake Cafe by Georgia Hill....Is this the start of something
wonderful?
Millie’s working all hours to make her seaside café a success, so when a rival multi-national café chain opens its latest branch just around the corner, stealing away her customers, it means WAR!
Millie’s remaining loyal customers step up – and a new arrival in town, the gorgeous, enigmatic Jed Henville, is also keen on helping Millie solve her business crisis. But it’s only after Jed sweeps her off her feet that Millie suddenly realises how little she knows about him…


Sister, Sister by Sue Fortin....Alice: Beautiful, kind, manipulative, liar.


Claire: Intelligent, loyal, paranoid, jealous.
Claire thinks Alice is a manipulative liar who is trying to steal her life.
Alice thinks Claire is jealous of her long-lost return and place in their family.
One of them is telling the truth. The other is a maniac.
Two sisters. One truth.

Sisters One, Two, Three by Nancy Star....After a tragic accident on Martha’s
Vineyard, keeping secrets becomes a way of life for the Tangle family. With memories locked away, the sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears, Mimi keeps so busy she has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk that threatens the relationships she holds most dear.
When a whispered comment overheard by her rebellious teenage daughter forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’ carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of Glory, the family’s colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged Callie, Ginger resolves to return to Martha’s Vineyard and piece together what really happened on that calamitous day when a shadow fell over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s newfound understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother, with her sisters, and with her daughter.
At turns heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful, Sisters One, Two, Three explores not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go.


According to a Source by Abby Stern....We live in a society obsessed with
celebrity, but have you ever wondered who is on the inside gathering the best celebrity gossip and how do they get access? According to a Source: A Novel by Abby Stern dishes on this behind the scenes world in a way that only a Hollywood insider could. 
Ella Warren works for celebrity news website, The Life, as a club reporter. She’s assigned to stake out Hollywood’s hottest clubs and spy on the celebrities inside. When Ella is pressured by her Devil Wears Prada-type boss to find an exclusive story to keep her job, she has to decide if being in Hollywood’s elite inner circle is worth jeopardizing her friendship with actress Holiday Hall, her budding romance with Holiday’s agent, and her family. 
A juicy, big-hearted novel about a young woman who loses herself in a fast-paced, glamorous world where finding your authentic self isn’t easy.





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Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel




What They Say.....For fans of The Nanny Diaries and Sophie Kinsella comes a whip-smart and deliciously funny debut novel about Kate, a young woman unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of New York City private school admissions as she attempts to understand city life, human nature, and falling in love.

Despite her innate ambition and Summa Cum Laude smarts, Kate Pearson has turned into a major slacker. After being unceremoniously dumped by her handsome, French “almost fiancé,” she abandons her grad school plans and instead spends her days lolling on the couch, watching reruns of Sex and the City, and leaving her apartment only when a dog-walking gig demands it. Her friends don’t know what to do other than pass tissues and hope for a comeback, while her practical sister, Angela, pushes every remedy she can think of, from trapeze class to therapy to job interviews.

Miraculously, and for reasons no one (least of all Kate) understands, she manages to land a job in the admissions department at the prestigious Hudson Day School. In her new position, Kate learns there’s no time for self-pity or nonsense during the height of the admissions season, or what her colleagues refer to as “the dark time.” As the process revs up, Kate meets smart kids who are unlikable, likeable kids who aren’t very smart, and Park Avenue parents who refuse to take no for an answer.

Meanwhile, Kate’s sister and her closest friends find themselves keeping secrets, hiding boyfriends, dropping bombshells, and fighting each other on how to keep Kate on her feet. On top of it all, her cranky, oddly charming, and irritatingly handsome downstairs neighbor is more than he seems. Through every dishy, page-turning twist, it seems that one person’s happiness leads to another’s misfortune, and suddenly everyone, including Kate, is looking for a way to turn rejection on its head, using any means necessary—including the truly unexpected.

What I Say.....Kate is reeling from the breakup from hell, left at the airport in Paris for a French boyfriend who "changed his mind" after she packed up and left her life and her graduate studies behind to pursue love.

Kate's decision and subsequent breakdown impact all of the women in her life.  Her sister, and her two best friends have different ways of dealing with the changes in Kate that range from tolerance to fixing to phantom online dating in Kate's place.

Kate's sister helps her land a job as an admissions counselor at a prestigious private school, and slowly begins to come back to life.  In the midst of her long hours, she starts chatting with the neighbor that lives downstairs.  

This was a fun book to read, and I liked Kate's journey, along with her friends and sister.  I did feel like her friend who began to date her ex was pretty disloyal - a real friend wouldn't do that, or be so spiteful about it in the beginning - but in the end she got what she deserved too.

The funny thing was, all of these women were running around worrying about Kate; where she should work, who she should date, and Kate never really seemed to return the interest.  She didn't seem to care about them too much at all.  In spite of all their hard work, they didn't realize that the only thing she needed was time - time to reflect on why she made the major life change she did, and acceptance of the real reason behind that decision.  




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Monday, January 2, 2017

The Other Sister by Dianne Dixon




What They Say.....One sister has everything. Her twin hates her for it.

Would life be better without Ali? Probably. At least then people might think about Morgan. Ali's always gotten everything ― she doesn't even realize how much Morgan resents her.

Ali also doesn't realize that when she shuts Morgan out entirely, she will unleash a chain of events that show just how dangerous the underside of love really is. As their lives spin toward something neither one of them can control, a terrifying crime reveals how those who know us best can destroy us...or save us.

What I Say....Ali and Morgan are twins, but couldn't be more different.  Ali has lived a fairly charmed life, complete with friends, men, talent and beauty.  Morgan has struggled a bit more, and while I found her super annoying and clingy, I also found Ali to be not as perfect as she seemed.  In fact, all of the characters in this book were flawed in some way, which kept you on an emotional roller coaster of who you were rooting for, as they all seemed to take turns in being the villain and the victim.

Based on the book's description, I expected a much different story.  This book was much more complicated, focused on multiple characters, and Ali's rape wasn't the focal point of the story, but more like a plot twist.

The greatest change was Morgan's development from a weird, self-loathing, bitter person into one who not only accepted herself, but began letting others into her life in a positive way, including her sister.

Honestly, it seemed like this book couldn't decide whether it was a sister book, a thriller or a dysfunctional family book - and some of that choppiness made it difficult to know how to feel when the book ended.  

I enjoyed it and would read this author again.  Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!







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Sunday, January 1, 2017

Closing Out 2016 - My Christmas Reading Roundup



Happy, happy New Year!!  I have taken a pretty significant break from blogging over the last month and a half.  Not for any reason except it began to feel more like work than I cared to do.  So I decided to just read for enjoyment, and not feel guilty when I didn't bog after I finished each one.

But the guilt lingered, so I thought about shutting the whole blog down.  But I've decided that the positives outweigh the negatives, and if I need to take little breaks, I will, but I actually find it to be a positive in my life.  

One of my favorite book bloggers encourages us to choose one word for each year (her awesome blog is here).  I've never participated before, but when one of my best friends posted something similar about choosing one word, I decided it was a sign that I needed to participate.

My word for 2017 is Joy.  I didn't want a word like commitment, or strength because those feel like work - and I do enough of that.  I didn't want an overall word like gratitude or happiness, because it feels too wide open - who wouldn't want to be happy? But really what does that mean?

I chose Joy because it feels like an active word.  You have to consciously, purposefully choose Joy every day.  It will lead to happiness and gratitude if I do it right.  

Over the last six weeks, I read a lot of Christmas books.  There were so many good ones!! But Holly Martin won for 2016.  Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky was my favorite out of so many good choices. I highly recommend all of these!


Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin.....Piper Chesterfield lives a glamorous life travelling the world and reviewing the finest hotels. She calls nowhere home, she works alone and that’s how she likes it. For long ago Piper decided that to protect her heart she should lock it away. 

So when Piper’s next assignment brings her to the newly opened Stardust Lake Hotel for the festive season, the last person she expects to face is Gabe Whitaker, the man who broke her heart so completely she could never love again. 

But Piper isn’t the only one who has been frozen in time by heartbreak. Gabe hasn’t forgotten the golden-eyed girl who disappeared from his world without a trace. 

Now fate has reunited them on Juniper island, can the magic of Christmas heal old wounds? And can this enchanting town be the one place Piper can finally call home? 

Curl up with this gorgeously romantic tale and let the glistening snow and the roaring fires of Stardust Lake Hotel get you in the festive spirit this Christmas. 



Christmas in Paris by Anita Hughes.....Isabel Lawson is standing on the balcony of her suite at the
Hotel Crillon as she gazes at the twinkling lights of the Champs Elysee and wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake. She was supposed to be visiting the Christmas tree in the Place de la Concorde, and eating escargots and macaroons with her new husband on their honeymoon. 

But a week before the wedding, she called it off. Isabel is an ambitious Philadelphia finance woman, and Neil suddenly decided to take over his grandparents’ farm. Isabel wasn’t ready to trade her briefcase for a pair of rubber boots and a saddle.


When Neil suggested she use their honeymoon tickets for herself, she thought it would give her a chance to clear her head. That is until she locks herself out on the balcony in the middle of winter. Thankfully her neighbor Alec, a French children’s illustrator, comes to her rescue. He too is nursing a broken heart at the Crillon for the holidays. With a new friend by her side, Isabel is determined to use her time in the city of lights wisely. After a chance encounter with a fortune teller and a close call with a taxi, she starts to question everything she thought was important.
Christmas in Paris is a moving and heartwarming story about love, trust, and self-discovery. Set during the most magical week of the year, the glorious foods and fashions of the most romantic city in the world are sure to take your breath away.  Current Goodreads Rating 3.03.


The Cosy Christmas Teashop by Caroline Roberts.....From sleigh bells to wedding bells . . .

After a rocky start, Ellie Hall baked her way into everyone’s hearts at Claverham Castle – even the miserly Lord Henry was won over – and the run-down teashop regained its old sparkle.
Now Ellie has upgraded cupcakes for fairytale masterpieces as the proud caterer for an ever-growing list of weddings at the castle. The teashop team love baking to the tune of happy ever afters, but can they pull together when a certain bridezilla pushes them all to boiling point?
Christmas is just around the corner, and a last minute booking threatens to snow the team under. Ellie and her hunky hubby Joe have their own Christmas dreams to chase, but they’re determined to pull through and give this special couple the winter wonderland wedding they deserve.
Will Christmas at the Cosy Teashop be a showstopper to remember?  Current Goodreads Rating 3.97.
The Christmas Cake Cafe by Sue Watson.....Heart-warming and hilarious, a story that will make
you laugh, cry and bring a smile to your face.  Get ready for another deliciously amazing Christmas treat from Sue Watson….As the Prosecco chills and Bing Crosby croons, Jen Barker just knows that her long-term boyfriend is about to propose.  But instead of a diamond ring nestled in her champagne flute, Jen finds cold flat rejection.  Her once perfect life and dreams of a husband and family seem even further from reach.
A working holiday to the Swiss Alps with her younger sister Jody might not be the Christmas Jen had it mind, but it offers her the chance to recharge her batteries and recover from heartbreak.

When Jen meets handsome ski instructor Jon Zutter her hopes for a happy-ever-after seem within her grasp again. Jon is kind and gorgeous and as they bond over Sachetorte at the picturesque Cake Café, Jen thinks he might just be her perfect man. But a relationship with him comes with a catch – and there are some things even cake can’t fix.

As the snow falls and Christmas approaches, could this be the place that restores Jen Barker’s faith in love?
  Current Goodreads Rating 3.9.

All I Want For Christmas by Jenny Hale.....Christmas comes once a year . . . But true love comes once in a lifetime.

Snowflakes are falling, there’s carol singing on every corner, and Leah Evans is preparing for a family Christmas at her grandmother’s majestic plantation house in Virginia. It won’t be the same now that her beloved Nan is gone, but when Leah discovers she has inherited the mansion, she knows she can give her daughter Sadie the childhood of her dreams. 

But there’s a catch. Leah must split the house with a man called David Forester. Leah hasn’t heard that name in a long time. Not since they were kids, when Davey was always there to catch her. 

Now David is all grown up. He’s gorgeous, successful, and certain of one thing: Leah should sell him her half of the house. 

They can’t agree, but as they share memories over wine by the log fire, Leah notices a fluttering in her stomach. And by the look in his eyes, he’s starting to feel it too. 
Will it be Leah or David who must give up their dreams? Or, with a little bit of Christmas magic, will they finally understand Nan’s advice to them both about living life without regrets … and take a chance on true love? Current Goodreads Rating 4.11

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand.....Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems
to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, and an ill-fated affair with the Winter Street Inn's old Santa Claus, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost; Patrick is about to be released from prison; Kevin has a successful new business and is finally ready to tie the knot with Isabelle; and best of all, there's hopeful news about Bart, who has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan. That doesn't mean there aren't a few dark clouds on the horizon. Kelley has recently survived a health scare; Jennifer can't quite shake her addiction to the drugs she used as a crutch while Patrick was in jail; and Ava still can't decide between the two lovers that she's been juggling with limited success. However, if there's one holiday that brings the Quinn family together to give thanks for the good times, it's Christmas. And this year promises to be a celebration unlike any other as the Quinns prepare to host Kevin and Isabelle's wedding at the inn. But as the special day approaches, a historic once-in-a-century blizzard bears down on Nantucket, threatening to keep the Quinns away from the place--and the people--they love most. Before the snow clears, the Quinns will have to survive enough upheavals to send anyone running for the spiked eggnog, in this touching novel that proves that when the holidays roll around, you can always go home again.  Current Goodreads Rating 3.82


One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot.....Christmas: it's the most wonderful time of the
year...to fall in love The temperature is dropping, snow is on its way and Hayley Walker is heading for New York with one wish... to start over. 

With her daughter Angel, Hayley is ready for adventure. But there's more to New York than twinkly lights and breathtaking skyscrapers. Angel has her own Christmas wish - to find her real dad. 

While Hayley tries to fulfil her daughter's wish, she crosses paths with billionaire Oliver Drummond. Restless and bored with fast living, there's something intriguing about him that has Hayley hooked. 

Can Hayley dare to think her own dreams might come true - could A New York Christmas turn into a New York Forever? 

Travel to the Big Apple this Christmas and join Hayley and Oliver as they realise life isn't just about filling the minutes... it's about making every moment count. Current Goodreads Rating 4.19

A Cornish Christmas by Lilly Graham.....At last Ivy is looking forward to Christmas. She and her husband 
Stuart have moved to their perfect little cottage by the sea - a haven alongside the rugged cliffs that look out to the Atlantic Ocean. She’s pregnant with their much-longed for first baby and for the first time, since the death of her beloved mother, Ivy feels like things are going to be alright. 

But there is trouble ahead. It soon emerges that Stuart has been keeping secrets from Ivy, and suddenly she misses her mum more than ever. 

When Ivy stumbles across a letter from her mother hidden in an old writing desk, secrets from the past come hurtling into the present. But could her mother’s words help Ivy in her time of need? Ivy is about to discover that the future is full of unexpected surprises and Christmas at Sea Cottage promises to be one to remember. 

This Christmas warm your heart and escape to the Cornish coast for an uplifting story of love, secrets and new beginnings that you will remember for many Christmases to come. Current Goodreads Rating 4.02



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