What I read in June 2015
Longing for Home
by Sarah M. Eden
Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Clean
Katie responds to an ad and is hired for a job that fits her perfectly and will help her earn enough money quickly to return home. She travels across the country but once she arrives the job is a bit different than what she expected and the town is harshly divided. And worse, they want to use her to further divide it.
I've read previous stories by Eden, all Regency so this was a fun new taste. It's an Irish heritage story in an old west Wyoming setting. I found this book to be endearing, well written, and enjoyable.
On The Fence
by Kasie West
Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Clean
Charlie grew up with her dad, a few brothers and their friends so she's spending her summer learning more about her feminine side. And now that the timing seems right, Charlie and Braden have begun confiding in each other and creating a deeper connection to their relationship.
I liked this book for the most part. A sweet boy next door crush sorta book. Kind of your typical tom boy learns to be a girl story. I rolled my eyes at a few plot points but overall I still enjoyed it.
Saint Anything
by Sarah Dessen
Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance
Sydney has always lived in the shadow of her brother. She's always wanted to be seen. Her brother falls so low that he's convicted of drunk driving and permanently injuring someone. She switches schools, Makes new friends. Tries to be her own person and not her brothers little sister. It's then she meets Mac. He's considerate, kind, watchful. Sydney finally starts to feel like she belongs.
Another fascinating story by Dessen. It's the coming of age we've come to expect from a Dessen novel but this one feels a bit more raw. Sydney's problems seem hurtful and real and deep.
Loneliness. Guilt. She includes a good amount of hurt that I felt it differently than her others. Though as Sydney finds her light the reader too begins to feel hope. Pick this one up. *Also there's a mention of both cranberrys and french fries so I think she gets bonus points for that. :)
The Daisy Chain
by Heather B. Moore
Novella, Romance, Adult
Jess is recently widowed and is trying to work out a few court proceedings with the help of Preston Michaels, though for the last several months she's only spoken to him on the phone. Now though an inevitable meet up is forcing their first meet, and she might have a small crush on him.
I think it's more that I'm not a fan of novella's. This one was 65 pages and while the writing was fine (I think? I really dont even know if there was enough to form an opinion on), there was too much backstory given in just a few paragraphs. I didn't care about or connect to the characters at all.
The Woods
by Harlan Coben
Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Everyone's hiding from the truth. At a summer camp twenty years ago there were four friends not obeying curfew, two teens were found dead in the woods and the other two tried to disappear Now a homicide victim brings new evidence that is surfacing the case again.
This is my second Harlan Coben novel. The story was strong and interesting. Felt like a solid plot with enough depth and detail in the characters. If you're into this genre I think you'd like this one. I listened to this one on audio book and felt the narrator did a great job.
What Alice Forgot
by Liane Moriarty
Adult, Mystery, Contemporary
Alice wakes from a bump on the head and has lost 10 years of her life. Last she remembers she was pregnant, 29 and working on her dream home with her husband. Now though she's divorcing, has 3 kids and is a whirlwind. She must catch up on the last decade and piece together the life she built but doesn't remember.
This took me a bit to get into but then I was fascinated to find out more to the story. Such an intriguing set of characters. And the mystery kept getting more complicated and interesting. I couldn't tell if I wanted to cheer or cringe. I wouldn't have picked this up if it wasn't for a recommendation from a friend and I'm glad I did.
'
What I Thought Was True
by Huntly Fitzpatrick
Young Adult, Romance
Gwen Castle grew up a townie of a small island and now with what she hopes is her last summer on the island she's cleaning houses and worried she'll be stuck there forever. But now Cassidy Somers, a hookup mistake, is the new island yard boy and there are sure to be a lot of run ins. The summer proves to unravel a few 'What I Thought Was True' moments and Gwen is discovering things about herself and her future.
I was interested in this one up because I liked My Life Next Door. I was a bit turned off with Gwens pessimism but I kept reading because Cassidy offered so much hope and swooning. This one has some great well written scenes and has a few good 'fight for it' moments.
The Cinderella Deal
by Jennifer Crusie
Adult, Romance, Humor, Contemporary
Daisy is a sucker for a good story. She recently hits a few bumps (or probably big potholes) and is a bit desperate for money so when an opportunity knocks on her door to play a leading role in a developing kooky story she agrees to go along and help create the story with her neighbor Linc.
Jennifer Crusie is one of my favorites. Romance, snark, spunk, witt, her books are full of goodness. The title is pretty telling and even though the plot is a bit predictable the ride is still a fun one.
