Published by Avon on January 14, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
A warm, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com about a woman who, desperate for a fresh start, books a literary bus tour across the UK that consists of a lively group of elderly ladies plus one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver.
Falling in Love was not on her to-do list.
The last six months of Alice Cooper’s life have been, in her own words, “a poop tornado.” So, in a desperate attempt to pull herself out of the emotional quicksand threatening to swallow her whole, she books a three-week bus tour of literary and historical British sites.
Alice arrives in Edinburgh after a hellish trip involving multiple layovers, crushed luggage, and an epic row with an insolent Scotsman at the lost baggage counter. After a mad dash to catch the tour bus, she discovers that instead of globe-trotting thirtysomethings, the bus is?full of cheerful octogenarians, and that the aforementioned arrogant Scot is the bus driver. Alice is sure he will make the nonrefundable trip a misery.
He is arrogant and rude. He also has beautiful blue eyes and dotes on his elderly charges. The ladies are vivacious and full of stories. The historical sites are entrancing. The book club chat is on fire. And, it’s possible that Alice’s battered heart is starting to beat again.
Who wants to go on an all women bookish tour of the UK? You cannot see it, but my hand is raised. I had such a great time with Alice and all the "mature" women on this tour who became her friends and support system. Alice was struggling when she acted on impulse and signed up for this trip. It was the shared friendship and wisdom of these women that pushed her forward on her personal journey. She may have clashed with Robbie initially, but as their tour progressed, the two fell into a friendship and more.
With fantastic descriptions of Scotland including some great historical information, and a colorful cast of characters, I had an amazing time on this trip! This story was packed with warmth, humor, and charm, and I appreciated how much it helped Alice turn her life around. This was a gem that had me smiling from beginning to end.
Published by Pamela Dorman on February 11, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Goodreads
The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family
Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is... complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach about love, and what it actually means to be family.
This was such a fun and heartwarming book. I was terribly sympathetic towards Lila from the very beginning. I could not imagine having to face my ex and the woman he left me for on a daily basis. Lila was dealing with her divorce, her mother's death, her teen daughter's angst, the return of her estranged father, and writer's block. It seems like a lot for one person, but there was quite a bit of joy in all that chaos.
Lila's family grew for various reasons, and the challenge was putting the past aside in order to blend them together and more forward. Her step-father and father living under the same roof was an interesting situation that was often hilarious, and a few more people joined their found-family. These people ended up being her support system and helped Lila through this difficult time in her life. I was happy to see her heal and make new connections while also rebuilding some relationships. Her family was crazy and chaotic, but there was so much love and in the end, that was all that really mattered.
Let us know in the comments!
I've been wanting to read We All Live Here for awhile, so I'm glad to see how much you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI think it will be worth the wait.
DeleteI absolutely loved We All Live Here, too! The situations with the fathers were pretty funny!
ReplyDeleteThere was THAT thing, but their dynamic became quite interesting and added a lot of comedy gold to this story.
DeleteYou know when I read "lively elderly ladies' in a blurb I just want to read the book as usually they have the funniest come back!
ReplyDeleteThey were such a great group! I think you would love them.
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