surprise – My Virtual Bookshelf

A Sweethaven Summer

What I read: A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh

Why I picked it up: I realized the other day that Courtney Walsh had a few series I haven’t read, so I’m going to work my way through them beginning with Sweethaven on audio.

How I read it: On audio at 1.75x speed over just a couple of days.

What it’s about: Campbell just lost her mom to cancer, and since it was just the two of them, she’s searching for some answers about her dad and what her mom was like when she was growing up. She finds clues in three letters ready to be mailed to friends and some scrapbook pages that direct her to Sweethaven, a town she’s never heard of. It’s there that a $3 latte with whipped cream changes her life!! She discovers more about her mom’s friends, her father, and a little about love.

What I liked: The story follows each of the women and we learn the backstory to “The Circle” – these women who are now 42 are coming back to Sweethaven and being friends again for the first time in six years – when the unthinkable happened and broke a fractured friend group into unfixable pieces. I appreciated that we got all of their perspectives, and I think the future books will walk through them more deeply.

What I disliked: This book has a lot of heartache and grief in it – I’m not sure I knew that going in, but that’s on me for not reading the description.

Genre: Chaste love story, single parent, grief, friendship.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely – I think this is going to be a good series! I’m excited to read more!

Breaking New Ground

What I read: Breaking New Ground by Amy Clipston

Why I picked it up: I’ve been enjoying Amy’s work recently and was excited to see this newest in the series on NetGalley – so I requested it and promptly read the previous two the past two days so I could enjoy this one today. received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

How I read it: On eGalley from NetGalley today.

What it’s about: We finally get Korey’s story – and he’s back from Ohio with a partially mended heart, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Savannah notices him but all of her friends are only noticing that she’s the only one without a boyfriend … so she devises a plan for them to fake date in order to get everyone off their backs. The only thing she didn’t plan for (and neither did Korey) was for them to become close as friend, confidants, and future family.

What I liked: I really liked the progression of Korey’s maturity throughout this book. We’d seen him in the previous two being shortsighted and immature and hotheaded. He really grows in this book.

What I disliked: The conflict at the end felt like a giant surprise and was really rushed. I also kept getting upset with Savannah’s notion that she had to be the one to take care of her brother – who it seems has a learning disability. Why has no one helped him with that?

Genre: Amish, chaste love story, fathers.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely – but you need the previous two to really understand Korey – this doesn’t make sense without his backstory. It releases on April 11th.

Starting Now

What I read: Starting Now by Debbie Macomber

Why I picked it up: I like Debbie, and when I saw this on the list on hoopla, I decided to give it a try.

How I read it: On audio at 1.75x speed during my traveling and hotel time this week.

What it’s about: The story opens with Libby’s experience of downsizing – as someone on the other end of a meeting like that last year, I completely related. She thinks it’ll be “super easy” to find a job because “anyone would hire her” (again, I feel right with Libby) but she spends months searching to no avail. Then a volunteer gig of rocking babies in the nursery finds her, and a young woman searching for a role model needs her help. She finds someone to fall in love with – has her heart broken in more ways than one, gets everything she thought she wanted until she realizes it’s not at all what she’s been looking for.

What I liked: It’s a sweet story, I really related to the main character and wish my own time being unemployed had followed a similar trajectory.

What I disliked: Eva’s story is significant and real and needed more exploring. She’s more of a side character, but I think there could have been a lot more here.

Genre: Closed to romance, adoption, unemployment.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes, it’s part of a series, but I’ve only read one other in the series and it’s was the one after this, so no need to read in order.

Second Chance Christmas

What I read: Second Chance Christmas by Lori Wilde

Why I picked it up: It was on the shelf at the library when I was looking for Christmas books.

How I read it: On hand over staying up too late (a recent theme) and finishing this morning.

What it’s about: Joel and Jana, close friends, find a baby in the manger one night when they’re putting the animals away before the storm. Gabriel changes everything for them. He shows Jana how to open her heart to trust love, for the first time. Joel gains the bravery needed to tell Jana how he’s been feeling for more than two years.

What I liked: I loved the foster and adoption story woven throughout the book.

What I disliked: In their “conflict” Joel walks out and gets advice to let her come to him. He walked out on her, asking for space. So why would he wait for her to come to him? That felt like terrible advice.

Genre: Christmas, small town, adoption, foster care, open door.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes, it’s the next in the Twilight series but since I started at 9 or 11, I’d say it’s stand alone.

The Family You Make

What I read: The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis

Why I picked it up: Someone I follow on Goodreads recommended it, and then I read the second in the series by accident first a few weeks ago – and loved it.

How I read it: On paper in less than 24 hours.

What it’s about: The book follows two roommates, Jane and Charlotte, who have been hurt in the past in relationships – romantic and friendship and family. They are each discovering what love can do and how it might change them when they open themselves up to trust someone else.

What I liked: I loved how the men kept showing up even when they were pushed away – they didn’t push back, but they didn’t give up on loving the ladies either. I’d take Levi or Mateo in a relationship of any kind any day of the week.

What I disliked: Charlotte was very closed off and even with therapy seemed to discount anything good – it was hard to read that even with help her mental and emotional health was still fractured.

Genre: Family, semi-open door, friendship.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes – this is going down as one of my favorite reads of the year!

Home Sweet Christmas

What I read: Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallory

Why I picked it up: It’s the second in a series I loved about Wishing Tree.

How I read it: On paper in just two days – it was a real delight.

What it’s about: This book follows two friends who are newish to Wishing Tree. We met Camryn in the first book as the woman who owns Wrap Around the Clock right on The Wreath. She came home to care for her dying mother and has stayed to take care of her younger twin sisters. Her residence in Wishing Tree has an expiration date though; when they graduate, she’s moving back to Chicago. Enter Jake – her friend’s ex-fiance and subject of Project: Jake’s Bride – a new effort for a wife for her son and grandchildren for her from his mother. There’s also River and Dylan – this year’s Royal Christmas Couple. Neither of them have learned how to trust others very well – but maybe they’ll be able to trust each other, then again, maybe not.

What I liked: I loved visiting this town again. I also appreciated Jake and how much he’s grown since his appearance in the first book. He’s incredibly emotionally intelligent here and even when his mother and his girlfriend go off on two separate crazy paths, he keeps his head about him.

What I disliked: The big misunderstanding of trust between Dylan and River was a little ridiculous. She wanted him to reveal everything about him because she revealed herself to him – and when he didn’t, 4 weeks into knowing her, she took it as the fact that he doesn’t care. They’d been on like 5 dates.

Genre: Christmas, closed door romance, adoption, grief.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes – the first one and the novella aren’t necessary, but you’ll find that knowing those character’s back stories really make this more of a delight. I hope Paisley gets her story next year!

The Personal Librarian

What I read: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Why I picked it up: It came up on hoopla or Goodreads as something that I’d like.

How I read it: On audio at 1.75x speed over a few days, it’s long!

What it’s about: Belle da Costa Greene was J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian. She was also a light skinned Black woman passing as a while woman in the early 1900s – which we only know now. It was very good, and also it was very challenging to read. I say “challenging” because of how hard it is to read about discrimination when I just want to “fix it all.” I loved reading about books and her life and the early 1900s, which is not an era that I typically go toward.

What I liked: She was an incredibly intelligent woman, and it was a delight to read her story.

What I disliked: I didn’t quite appreciate her take on relationships and love, I think many of her ways of thinking were skewed.

Genre: Historical fiction, race.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely, this is an excellent read!

The Friendship Pact

What I read: The Friendship Pact by Jill Shalvis

Why I picked it up: Found it on the shelf at the library and I think I’ve read her before and liked her. Susan Mallery endorses her, and I think I’ve read all of Susan’s books now.

How I read it: On paper in two days (a common timeline for me).

What it’s about: Tae and her mother, April, are very close as they practically raised each other. April got pregnant with Tae at 15 and most of their life has been quite the struggle, but now things are going pretty well. Then Riggs comes home for the summer – and now Tae can’t get that one night when she was 17 out of her head. Will they pick up where they left off, or will they just be friends.

What I liked: Tae goes searching for her birth father throughout this story, and that was quite interesting to read about.

What I disliked: April lied to Tae her whole life – as someone who understands what that’s like, it was hard to read.

Genre: Single mother, second chances, closed door.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes – it’s part of a series of 3, but I haven’t read the others yet, so I think it can stand alone.

Two of a Kind

What I read: Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery

Why I picked it up: I finished my book on the plan and know I can read these in a day so I went for it instead of the other three kindle books I have downloaded that are due earlier.

How I read it: On kindle while flying.

What it’s about: Felicia has been trying to find somewhere to belong her entire life, and now she just might get all that and more.

What I liked: Felicia is an amazing person, I want to be like her or at least be friends with her.

What I disliked: Gideon really struggles with trust. He has a good conclusion here, but I hope he gets some help too as he continues his healing.

Genre: PTSD, open door.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and as part of the series, at least the one before this!

Summer Nights

What I read: Summer Nights by Susan Mallery

Why I picked it up: It’s the next in the Fool’s Gold series.

How I read it: On kindle.

What it’s about: Annabelle is still recovering for her divorce and loveless marriage. Shane offers to teach her how to ride a horse because “how wild could a librarian be?” Turns out life has something in store for both of them.

What I liked: I really like to catch up with my old friends from Fool’s Gold as they show up in every book.

What I disliked: Shane could have benefited from a confrontation with his ex.

Genre: Second chance, small town, open door.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and as part of the series only.