Monday, May 15, 2023

#AmReading


The Sweetheart List
 by Jill Shalvis
Published by Avon Books on June 13, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
four-half-stars
Goodreads

What makes life sweet?

Freshly baked bread A cool lake on a hot summer day The comfort of a cozy bookstore Second chances and new beginnings

When Harper Shaw's life falls apart, she knows it's time for a change. She removes everything that doesn't spark joy--from her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making lists--and sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldn't feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery.

With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace she's never experienced since...well, forever.. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secrets...

When those secrets explode, it changes Harper's new world, and she'll learn, it's never too late to start over, it's never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, it's never too late to let yourself believe in love.

It's always a pleasure to read a Jill Shalvis book. Once again, she gave me a beautiful story of people trying to heal and find their place, and it was told with lots of humor and warmth.

Harper was looking to start over after being set aside by both her almost fiancé and her father. She packed her things and made her way to the last place she was truly happy - Sunrise Cove. There, she hoped for a fresh start and a life filled with things that sparked joy.

Bodie had suffered some devastating losses and had to heal both physically and mentally. He had been left for dead after an op went sideways, lost his partner, and around the same time, his father. He was lucky to have such an incredible family. They were so loving and supportive, watching out for him while also trying to help him move forward. They were a definite plus for me and added a lot of fun to this story.

The universe also brought Ivy to Sunrise Cove, and she had quite an agenda. She DID find what she was looking for, but she also found so much more. This storyline was unexpected, but Shalvis did a great job with it. 

Shalvis' books never fail to leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. I absolutely loved seeing these three bond, open their hearts, and become a family. They were in self-protective mode, but slowly, they learned to trust each other. And, I have to mention, that my heart EXPLODED during the epilogue. There are things I never tire of, and I was happy-dancing due to what was revealed in the final pages of this book.

I picked up this book because Jill Shalvis never disappoints me. Once again, I smiled my face off and adored my visit to Sunrise Cove.



Save What's Left
 by Elizabeth Castellano
Published by Anchor Books on June 27, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
four-stars
Goodreads

An outrageously funny debut novel about a woman who moves to a small beach town looking for peace, only to find herself in an all-out war with her neighbors.

When Kathleen Deane's husband, Tom, tells her he's no longer happy with his life and their marriage, Kathleen is confused. They live in Kansas. They've been married thirty years. Who said anything about being happy? But with Tom off finding himself, Kathleen starts to think about what she wants. And her thoughts lead her to a small beach community on the east coast, a town called Whitbey that has always looked lovely in the Christmas letters her childhood friend Josie sends every year.

It turns out, though, that life in Whitbey is nothing like Josie's letters. Kathleen's new neighbor, Rosemary, is cantankerous, and the town's supervisor won't return Kathleen's emails, but worst of all is the Sugar Cube, the monstrosity masquerading as a holiday home that Kathleen's absentee neighbors are building next door to her quaint (read: tiny) cottage. As Kathleen gets more and more involved in the fight against the Sugar Cube and town politics overall, she realizes that Whitbey may not be a fairytale, but it just might be exactly what she needed.

Save What's Left can best be described as the "un-beach read." It pulls back the curtain on life in a beach town, revealing the true cost of a pretty view. Told from the candid and irreverent perspective of a newcomer turned local, this is a story of forgiveness, fortitude, and second chances.

I think I would call this an anti-beach read. Kathleen packed up and relocateed her life to a beachfront home following her husband's departure. As soon as she arrived, Kathleen realized this was NOT going to be the idyllic life she was expecting.

I have to admit, this book was a lot of fun. It was quite a tale filled with lots of over the top antics, and I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. Kathleen's war with the construction crew and owners next door provided endless fodder which made me glad I never had to live through something like that.

Under all the humor was the story of a woman who found her life turned upside down. Her husband of thirty years suddenly decided he no longer wanted to be married. Here was Kathleen thinking she was with her mate for life. A bit adrift, she tried to find her place in this seaside town. There were some times that I really questioned Kathleen's sanity, but I was happy with where she ended up. She found a "home", she embraced a second chance, and she found herself.

Overall, this was quite a fun and farcical story peppered with some rather sweet moments, tons of hijinks, and some twists I did NOT anticipate. 

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER


Have you ever lived in a beach town?
Let us know in the comments!

18 comments:

  1. Save What's Left sounds hilarious -- and I am dying to know more abotu Katherin's 'war'. Most of all I love the idea of her finding herself in the midst of such upheaval.

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    1. The escalation and the effects on her mental health were crazy, but it was very humorous.

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  2. I need to get back reading Shalvis. Everyone seems to be raving about this one, and you make it sound great.

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    1. I am such a fan of her books. They always hit the spot.

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  3. I really like the way Ivy's story played out. She so desperately needed the love and acceptance of Bodie's big family, even though she was scared to hope for it. And that epilogue... loved it!

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    1. Bodie's family - I need them to adopt me. I loved them, and I really didn't think Shalvis was going to go in that direction with Ivy, but I loved it.

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  4. These both sound like fun beach reads. My mom moved into a lake home when I was in college for about a year. I was only there some on weekends and holidays. It was the closest I've come to a beach home.

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    1. I am a fan of lake living. When I was a kid, we vacationed Upstate NY and Cape Cod. I am not a huge beach person (though I lived at the beach in Florida), but I loved the lake.

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  5. I really enjoyed The Sweetheart List! Harper and Bodie were fantastic together. It sounds like I would probably enjoy Save What's Left too!

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    1. They were such a great duo. I adored every character in that book. I wish Shalvis would revisit some of the families her more recent books. There are stories there, but she never connects them other than by location

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  6. I'm looking forward to The Sweetheart List! Shalvis is such a great writer!

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    1. She really is. It's always about the "family" she builds in all her stories. Never fails to warm my heart.

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  7. I don't know why but I keep having gaps in my Shalvis reading. When I get back to them though - it's so nice. Her books are always such comfort reads. Some drama but lots of love and laughter too.

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    1. I agree. Total comfort reads. I know I will be happy at the end of it.

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  8. I know I sound like a broken record but I swear i'll read one of Jill Shalvis books one day! That being said, the blurb and your review makes me think this is a book I'd truly enjoy!

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    1. If you go way back in her catalog, she has full on romance, romantic suspense, and these later books that are more women's fiction with strong romances. I love them all and hope you get a chance to check her out

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