According to a Source by Abby Stern

What They Say....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.

What I Say.....This was a super cute little read about a young woman who has developed a secret identity and a super secret job as an undercover Hollywood reporter.  

Ella has ben working for years as an undercover Hollywood reporter and she loves her job.  She gets to drop celebrity gossip, but tries to be fair about the information that she shares.   She's broken up with her long term boyfriend and has a bourgeoning flirtation with a Hollywood agent. 

But when her company is taken over by a new boss who wants to make a name for herself, suddenly Ella finds herself competing just to keep her job in a series of "tests" by her new boss.  She suddenly has to decide is her job is more important than her personal life and all of her relationships.

A fun beach read - you'll have fun figuring out the identity of the celebrities that she encounters.  I'd still take her job, crazy boss and all!

Current Goodreads Rating 3.75

The Guests on South Battery by Karen White

What They Say.....New York Times bestselling author Karen White invites you to explore the brick-walked streets of Charleston, where historic mansions house the memories of years gone by, and restless spirits refuse to fade away...

With her extended maternity leave at it's end, Melanie Trenholm is less than thrilled to leave her new husband and beautiful twins to return to work, especially when she's awoken by a phone call with no voice on the other end—and the uneasy feeling that the ghostly apparitions that have stayed silent for over a year are about to invade her life once more. 

But her return to the realty office goes better than she could have hoped, with a new client eager to sell the home she recently inherited on South Battery. Most would treasure living in one of the grandest old homes in the famous historic district of Charleston, but Jayne Smith would rather sell it as soon as possible, guaranteeing Melanie a quick commission. 

Despite her stroke of luck, Melanie can't deny that spirits—both malevolent and benign—have started to appear to her again. One is shrouded from sight, appearing whenever Jayne is near. Another arrives when an old cistern is discovered in her backyard on Tradd Street. 

Melanie knows nothing good can come from unearthing the past. But some secrets refuse to stay buried...


What I Say.....Okay, no secret that I'm a huge Karen White fan.  On Folly Beach and The Forgotten Room are two of my favorites - but the Tradd Street series routinely scares the crap out of me.  So why do I keep reading them? I have no idea, but I keep going back for more.

I like the characters, I like the scenery, and I like the stories.   But I hate the ghosts! And this one was even worse because it's a creepy doll, and a young girl ghost and her mom. I'm getting the creeps just thinking about it again.

Melanie has a mysterious stranger show up in her office when she returns to work after a year home with her twins. It seems meant to be since she is a nanny and Melanie is looking for a nanny.  Jayne moves into the house on Tradd Street with Melanie and her family.  

Suddenly everyone is experiencing creative block, including Melanie who can no longer use her ghost sensing abilities, she continues to feel like a curtain has been dropped over her third eye.  But Melanie isn't making the connection to Jayne, she is more worried about the relationship she feels is developing between her husband and the nanny - honestly, at times her jealousy seems pathological.

As the ghosts become more restless, the effects on Jayne and Melanie's life become increasingly difficult to maneuver.  Melanie has no choice but to solve the mystery before it destroys her family.

And seriously, why do I torture myself with books that make it difficult to sleep?  Every time, I say I'm never reading one of her ghost stories again, then I just fall for it all over again.

Current Goodreads Rating 4.15

A Life Without You by Shari Low

What They Say.....Dee and Jen have been best friends since their days of teenage crushes, bad 90's make-up and huge hair. 

They’ve passed every milestone of their lives together and now in their thirties own a successful boutique, sharing a bond that is as strong as the closest of sisters.

Until one day everything changes.

Dee is gone, killed by a reckless driver, leaving Jen to face the harsh reality of a world without her.

Jen vows to honour Dee’s dreams and take care of everything and everyone she loved.

Until she realises that sometimes the only way forward is to let go of the past.

What I Say......I always love Shari Low's books.  They are always breezy and yet moving, but this one was a little more on the sad side.  I read it while I was laying on the beach, and I have to admit that I shed a few tears, and became increasingly angry with Dee, even though I knew she was dead.  It made me stop and think, how when you die, your life gets opened up for everyone to pick through and judge.  

Jen is heartbroken without her best friend, who she grew up with and now runs a successful business with.  She isn't sure how to move on without her other half, but she finds comfort in Dee's parents, husband and brother.  However, as she starts trying to keep the travel appointments in Dee's calendar, she is forced to confront the facts - her best friend had another life that she knew nothing about.

As Jen tries to wrap her mind around this information, and keep it from Dee's family, Dee's mom has some secrets of her own.  She's currently stalking the man who hit her daughter with a car, and her stalking even extends to his mother.  

Meanwhile, Jen is developing feelings for her best friend's widower, and wondering how that will change her relationship with 'Dee's family.  And Dee's mom's nocturnal activities are escalating.  

How do you let go of the past in order to move on with the future?  What can you forgive when someone is already dead?   There were lots of interesting ethical questions in this book - and I was riveted until the end.

Current Goodreads Rating 4.6

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg

What They Say.....The bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is at her superb best in this fun-loving, moving novel about what it means to be truly alive.

Elmwood Springs, Missouri, is a small town like any other, but something strange is happening at the cemetery. Still Meadows, as it’s called, is anything but still. Original, profound, The Whole Town’s Talking, a novel in the tradition of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and Flagg’s own Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, tells the story of Lordor Nordstrom, his Swedish mail-order bride, Katrina, and their neighbors and descendants as they live, love, die, and carry on in mysterious and surprising ways.

Lordor Nordstrom created, in his wisdom, not only a lively town and a prosperous legacy for himself but also a beautiful final resting place for his family, friends, and neighbors yet to come. “Resting place” turns out to be a bit of a misnomer, however. Odd things begin to happen, and it starts the whole town talking.

With her trademark humor, wild imagination, great storytelling, and deep understanding of folly and the human heart, the beloved Fannie Flagg tells an unforgettable story of life, afterlife, and the remarkable goings-on of ordinary people. In The Whole Town’s Talking, she reminds us that community is vital, life is a gift, and love never dies.


What I Say......This is the first Fannie Flagg book that I've read and I have to say that I found it as relaxing as putting on an old pair of sweatpants.  The book starts out in the late 1800's, as the town of Elmwood Springs is settled and Lordor is looking for a wife.  The story follows the townspeople as they die, and are buried in the town cemetery, where they find a second life, able to watch and comment on their descendants lives.

I know that it sounds weird, but it actually worked.  It was strangely comforting to read.  The years went by so fast, and you got to see the progress and evolution of time on the people and the town.  

I love reading about ordinary people's lives, and that's all this was.  The chances they took, the heartache they faced, the happiness they found, and the loss they experienced.  I will definitely be looking for more of her books, this one just made me happy.

Weekly Book Haul....April 2, 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.

Well, I am back after a completely relaxing vacation in Grand Cayman.  It was a beautiful, but very expensive, island.  Everyone always talks about how expensive it is to go to Hawaii, but Cayman beat Hawaii in the money department, hands down.  But there wasn't the areas of abject poverty or constant begging like you see in Saint Marten, or Mexico, which I was grateful for- that always makes me sad and makes me feel guilty for being on vacation.

Lying back reading, the perfect day.

The snorkeling was amazing.  The water was so clear that you could see to the bottom no matter how far you went out.  We didn't go on any scheduled excursions to snorkel, just went out to public beaches and our hotel beach and we saw sea turtles, squid, lion fish, puffer fish, neons, yellow tang, and tons of blue tang.  It was truly mind blowing.  

Every day was spent snorkeling, swimming, hot tubbing, reading, relaxing and repeat.  It was well needed, and I averaged about a book a day.  Now I just have to catch up on my blogging and reviews.  

The F Word by Liza Palmer......At once a funny, whip-smart sendup of Los

Angeles culture and an irresistible love story, internationally bestselling author Liza Palmer's The F Word is a novel about how sometimes who we become isn’t who we really are. 

“We’re all pushing some version of the life we want you to believe. It’s all just PR.”

Olivia Morten is perfect. Maybe her high-flying publicist job has taken over her life, but her clients are Los Angeles' hottest celebrities. Maybe her husband is never around, but he is a drop-dead-gorgeous, successful doctor. Maybe her friends are dumb, but they know how to look glamorous at a cocktail party. And maybe her past harbors an incredibly embarrassing secret, but no one remembers high school…right? 

When Ben Dunn, Olivia’s high school arch nemesis and onetime crush, suddenly resurfaces, Olivia realizes how precarious all of her perfection is. As she finds herself dredging up long-suppressed memories from her past, she is forced to confront the most painful truth of all: maybe she used to be the fat girl, but she used to be happy, too.

The Cornish Escape by Lily Graham.....Get swept away along the beautiful

Cornish coast, where a love story in a long forgotten diary has the power to change one woman’s life forever.

Victoria Langley’s world crumbles when her husband leaves, but she knows exactly where to go to mend her broken heart. The rugged shores of Cornwall will be her perfect sanctuary. 

In the quaint, little village of Tregollan, nestled in the sea cliffs, Victoria is drawn to Seafall Cottage, covered in vines and gracefully falling apart. Inside she finds a diary full of secrets, from 1905.

Victoria is determined to unravel the diary’s mystery, but the residents of Tregollan are tight-lipped about Tilly Asprey, the cottage’s last owner. Just as she reaches a dead end, Victoria meets Adam Waters, the lawyer handling the cottage’s sale. He’s handsome, charming, and has a missing piece of the puzzle.

Tilly’s diary tells a devastating love story that mirrors Victoria’s own. Can Victoria learn from Tilly’s mistakes, and give herself a second chance at love? Or is history doomed to repeat itself?

Spring at Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin.....Welcome to beautiful Hope Island where the sea sparkles, the daffodils are blooming and a blossoming romance is just around the corner…

Bella has always had a sunny outlook and caring nature, despite recently falling on hard times. When she finds a handsome homeless man on her doorstep, her kind heart tells her she must help him. So, she invites Isaac into her cottage and into her life in ways she could never have imagined…

But Isaac is not what he seems. He’s keeping a huge secret from Bella, yet he never expected to fall for this open, generous and charming woman. 

Bella can’t ignore the chemistry between her and Isaac, but she’s had her trust badly broken in her past. Will she run when she learns the truth about Isaac, or will he be the one man who can help Bella believe in love again?

Now to write all my blogs from the last week of reading!