In a Nutshell Reviews

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The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
Published by William Morrow on June 17, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Enchanted Realism

Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit The Measure—a runaway bestseller and a Read with Jenna TODAY Show pick—comes a stunning speculative story of healing, self-discovery, forgiveness, and found friendship.

What if there were a cure for the broken-hearted?

Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.

Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert, lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects.

On a journey to this mystical destination are four very different strangers and one little dog: Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. As they attempt to make their way from the Midwest all the way to the Poppy Fields—where they hope to find Ellis, its brilliant, enigmatic founder—each of their past secrets and mysterious motivations threaten to derail their voyage.

A high-concept speculative novel about heartache, hope, and human resilience, The Poppy Fields explores the path of grief and healing, a journey at once profoundly universal and unique to every person, posing the questions: How do we heal in the wake of great loss? And how far are we willing to go in order to be healed?

There was a place you could go to heal following loss called the Poppy Fields. There, you could go into a restorative sleep and awaken grief free. Some laud it as a miracle, others blame it for taking their loved ones away but these travelers are determined to uncover its secrets.

"After the First World War, they were one of the earliest flowers to begin growing again among the wreckage of the battlefields in Europe. They're often found in places where natural disasters or human behaiors have caused a massive disruption in the land. Their seeds wait in the soil, dormant, until they can emerge in the wake of catastrophe and help make way for other plants to return. Like they've been sleeping, just waiting to wake up and bring new life to the earth. Poppies are a ruderal species, which means they grow from the rubble. If something so spectacular can still blossom in even the most disturbed earth, then doesn't that mean there's hope for even the most battered hearts to heal?"

The Measure is a book that I still think of more than a year later, and therefore, I did not hesitate to add The Poppy Fields to my TBR. In this book, Erlick explored grief and loss, and I had the opportunity to follow three people on their journey to the Poppy Fields as they pondered their loss and if the Poppy Fields presented the right solution for them. Immediately, I was wondering what would I choose to do and knowing the possible side effects, would I risk it. It was interesting and thought provoking, and I am still not sure what I would do, but I definitely thought hard about it.

This strong and thoughtful concept featured multilayered characters who I loved getting to know. Each was nursing an aching heart and had very different opinions about the Poppy Fields. Their journey was an emotional one, and I found my heart aching for them. I cared deeply for each character but was overjoyed that they found each other.

Connection was something that ran throughout this story. We had these travelers who connected via their shared loss, but there were also actual connections between different people in the story and the Poppy Fields. I was thrilled to stumble upon these links and began keeping my eyes peeled for them. Some were subtle while other were the curve ball the author meant to throw. A few were quite surprising, and I reveled in the way they worked to move the story forward.

This was a life changing and thought provoking journey filled with emotion, friendship, tears, and joy. I was grateful to accompany these characters on their search for answers and relief from their pain.

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The Love Fix by Jill Shalvis
Published by Avon on June 24, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

Welcome back to Sunrise Cove for this heartwarming enemies-to-lovers tale where found family, forgiveness, and love may just be the key to finding yourself, from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis.

Lexi Clark’s life is falling apart around her, so when she’s summoned home to Sunrise Cove, the last thing she wants to do is face all the complications she left behind. Her past, her stepsister Ashley, and especially her infuriatingly gorgeous childhood nemesis-turned-crush Heath Bowman.

Yep, Lexi’s pretty sure being home again just might kill her. She’s an overachieving art appraiser who doesn’t believe in trust, love, or Happily Ever Afters. Free spirit Ashley, on the other hand, is so full of life it hurts to look at her. But Lexi can’t refuse Ashley’s plea to honor their late mother’s final wish to make amends with the people she’d wronged. So, on behalf of her estranged mother’s estate—and with Heath in tow as the executor—Lexi embarks on a road trip to repay all the people her gambling addicted mother owed money to.

Complicating everything are the feelings that well up for for her mom, for Ashley, and most of all, for Heath. And for the record, she doesn’t like it, or the way he has of scaling the walls she’s built around her heart. The road trip shenanigans that ensue are both funny and heartbreaking, but Lexi finds something shocking along the way. Acceptance. Family. And unbelievably—if you ask Lexi anyway—love.

A year after her estranged mother's death, Lexi is summoned back to Sunrise Cove by her step-sister, Ashley. Being at a low point in her personal and professional life, Lexi struggles with returning to a place that held a mix of memories for her and stirred up many complicated feelings about her mother. What starts out as a dreaded mission turns into a life changing journey for Lexi.

I say this every time, but only because I mean it. There's nothing like a Shalvis book to boost my spirits. I find her blend of humor, romance, and emotion to be perfect, every time. Once again, she crafted a story with warmth and heart and characters I could root for.

Lexi was a bit hardened from her life experiences. Her parents divorced when she was young, and due to her mother's gambling addiction, her father won full custody. After being abandoned by her mother, mistreated by her father's new family, and betrayed by her last boyfriend, Lexi had hardened her heart. This trip back to Sunrise Cove was exactly what she needed to come to terms with her past and heal.

Part of that healing journey was the task at hand, delivering the envelopes Daisy left. Each contained a gift and an apology of sorts. These deliveries were eye opening for Lexi and allowed her to see a different side of her mother while also helping her learn more about herself.

Lexi had the love and support of both Ashley and her childhood rival and crush, Heath. Ashley was a sweetheart who openly declared how much Lexi meant to her. I enjoyed watching these sisters renew the bond they once shared, and I was glad Ashley never gave up on Lexi.

Heath was a gem. He and Lexi shared so much history. First as children competing in any way possible, then as adults who found themselves dealing with the sparks and attraction between them. I adored seeing Heath with his family. They had such a great dynamic, and their interactions really showcased the A-plus type of human Heath was. I could not have picked a better love interest for Lexi. The combination of their history together and their history apart made them a great match, and it was a pleasure watching them take that fall together.

Overall, I loved being back in Sunrise Cove and was overjoyed that Lexi was able to heal and open her heart to the possibilites and love she found there.

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

Would you stay at the Poppy Fields?
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