Published by Riverhead Books on July 6, 2021
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
It is a perfect July morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at "The Paper Palace"—the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. But this morning is different: last night Elle and her oldest friend Jonas crept out the back door into the darkness and had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses chatted away inside.
Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn't forever changed the course of their lives.
As Heller colors in the experiences that have led Elle to this day, we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanors of families.
I had added this book to my TBR back when it first came out, and like a lot of books on my TBR, I forgot about it. It was back on my feed recently with many stars and rave reviews. I will admit that I went into this with some reservations given the adulterous event that kicks off the story as well as the fact that it is literary fiction. But, I attempted to keep an open mind.
This was a hard book for me. As is my experience with many literary fiction booka, it was often vulgar and very graphic. This was a story about people who did bad things and the bad things that made them who they were. I was taken aback by how many awful things happened to these people. Three generations of women were treated terribly and not cared for properly, and it made me sad. I suppose it's meaningful that I was able to feel terrible for these rather terrible people. Maybe it was how horrified I was by everything. And I just kept rereading the very end because I was not sure what happened there. It was driving me nuts, so I asked google about it, and then I was sad again.
It's a very intense and engrossing story but beware if you are a sensitive reader. There is nothing easy about this book.
Published by Big Dog Books, LLC on May 21, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
When Foster McInnis’ ex-wife flakes and he finds himself with full custody of his daughter, the nanny he hires brings a new complication—an attraction he can’t ignore, no matter how hard he tries.
I love being on the ice and am grateful for my hockey career, but the off season is my favorite time of the year because it brings me my one true love—my daughter, Bowie Jane. Between my job and my ex-wife living across the country, the time I get to spend face-to-face with my kiddo is limited, though we make up for it with summers full of fun adventures. We’re thick as thieves and take full advantage of our time together, but the distance away from her is killing me.
My fortunes change when my ex walks away and I find myself with full custody. But with the hockey season looming, I know I’m going to need help taking care of Bowie Jane. Enter Mary Elizabeth Archer—otherwise known as Mazzy. Highly recommended to me through the Titans’ network, Mazzy crashes into our life like a hurricane. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met and to say I’m intrigued is an understatement. But no matter how attractive she is, no matter how I crave to know everything about her, I can’t go there. It’s inappropriate. Just wrong, wrong, wrong, even though she might be the most right thing I’ve ever known.
Being the indescribable force she is, there is soon no corner of our lives that Mazzy hasn’t impacted in a positive way. And my desire for more with her becomes far stronger than my misguided idea that I could ever resist this woman. Our attraction burns hot and keeping our eyes, hands and mouths off one another gets harder by the minute. It doesn’t take long for me to know that I’m all in with Mazzy. She’s my end game and, lucky for me, winning is my specialty.
Foster definitely won my heart with his love and affection for his daughter. I admired the way he was so quick to make big changes in his life in order to give his daughter safety and stability. I also appreciated that he tried to work with his ex and not make her the villain in this story.
Mazzy was a musician whose calling was caring for kids. I liked her vibe and enjoyed learning about her and her family. She had a great rapport with her charge, Bowie Jane, and was very sensitive to this delicate family situation.
I think I was pulled in by the picture-perfect family the three of them became. I liked that they put Bowie Jane first and respected her feelings throughout the entire romance and custody drama. It was also great to "meet" some of the new guys on the team and get updates on others. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me, but I love watching this world expand and cannot wait to read the next book.
Let us know in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment