A Hopeful tale of love. 5*

Joe first meets Nora standing near the great gold clock in Grand Central Station in 1937.  He's a lever man for the trains, and she's a refined young woman.  Instantly smitten, this book tells the story of the unconventional romance of Joe and Nora.  It shows the sacrifices made when life presents obstacles that may be impossible to overcome.

The characters in this book are so well drawn, you'll want to invite them to dinner in the diner... and have everything but coffee.  We love Joe's pragmatism, and Nora's artistic, get it done attitude. We love how character matters regardless of circumstance, for both of them.

Grand Central itself, in its prime, is the only setting that really matters, and it is fascinating to learn the inner workings of such an important hub through the eyes of an insider.  I finished the book a week ago, and already wish I could go back.

I got this book from NetGalley as an advance readers copy.  It was published June 11, 2019.

-->

Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner 5 stars

Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner packs in so much of the popular culture and issues from the era it covers that if you lived them, you’ll be constantly thinking “oh yeah!” and if you didn’t, you might just shake your head at the adventures these sisters experience. And you may find yourself wondering: was that really a thing back then?  Abortion rights, drugs, homosexuality, women’s right to work outside the home, participate in sports, etc. etc.…these are all the issues of the Millennials, right.

Wrong.  In this vivid portrayal of growing up in suburban Detroit in the fifties, sixties, and seventies, Weiner opens up a book of snapshots that seem too wild to be real. But they were.  And for two sisters, Bethie and Jo to experience them all…between them, truly, everything.

Their experiences take us through the trauma of a 50s style marriage, divorce, adultery, and recovery for awkward Jo, the athlete, and ultimately leads her to true love.  Bethie falls off the good girl track she’s been raised to ride, and finds herself immersed in sex, drugs and rock and roll.  The scenes at the commune where she lands are fascinating and colorful and make you want to live there, too.

Jennifer Weiner continues to grow as a writer and I look forward to each of her books. The setting and time periods are well researched and her characters are flawed and real. 

I received this book from NetGalley and am happy to provide this review. Publication date is June 11, 2019

-->

Woman 99 by Greer Macallister

Woman 99 by Greer Macallister

When Charlottes sister Phoebe is sent away to Goldengrove, a Progressive Home for the Curable Insane, Charlotte knows she must rescue her.  So, she figures out a way to be sent there too, unknown to her family and friends.  It takes weeks, and Charlotte learns the depths of the darkness of Goldengrove, where cruelty takes the place of actual treatment, and women with no problems other than being inconvenient for their male family members, are locked away without hope of release.  The women are used as slave labor, and deprived of all worldly comforts, fed the smallest amount possible to keep them alive and granted no freedom.

Charlotte hatches a plan with other sane inmates to escape, and the adventure unfolds, as she attempts to save her sister, and reunite with the man she loves.  In the spirit of Nellie Bly, she finds ways to improve both her own life, and that of those who truly need the services the ideal Goldengrove can provide.

I received this book from NetGalley.  The book was published March 5, 2019.

-->

Sunset from the Vortex.

Sedona, Arizona

The Liar's Child 3*

The Liar’s Child by Carla Buckley.

This book intertwines the stories of six characters, all who have suffered tragedies. It shows us how each of them copes and rather than gloss over their individual faults, the book seems to focus on them. It makes it hard to like any of the characters, and I was never sure who I should be rooting for, other than Boon, who is almost always the victim, intended or not.

The book does explore the details of complex lives, illustrating that the circumstances in which a person is born present challenges for improving their life. Hank, a sheriff whose life revolves around service fails his own family and himself. Whit, a handsome man who just want to keep his family happy and safe, whose wife creates havoc that makes it impossible. Cassie, the troubled preteen who can’t find herself, and whose actions ultimately will trap her in the cycle that has caused the family to fall apart. Little Boon, who can’t seem to catch a break anywhere, but who doesn’t seem to ever give up hope.

And then there is Sara, who’s grifter father has died in prison, who is supposed to be an informant who will help the FBI put the bad guys away, but who can’t seem to figure out who the bad guys really are.  She comes across, intentionally I think, as self-absorbed and selfish, though her humanity breaks through often enough to make us know that the only hope these characters have rests with her.

The writing is the saving grace for the book, as the author convincingly depicts the tension of the coming storm, the FBI always just off screen and the emotions of each of the characters.  It is harder to write complex characters, especially if the reader isn’t convinced they are good at heart.  Buckley skillfully creates humans… nothing cardboard at all about her characters.

The book also provides an interesting picture of the-- often idealized-- Outer Banks, and what happens to regular people when disaster and tragedy hit home. I didn’t find the ending particularly satisfying, because it didn’t seem to fit the projectory of the balance of the book.

I received this book from NetGalley. Publication date is March 12, 2019.

-->

Wrapped in the Stars by Elena Mikalsen 5*

Wrapped in the Stars is romantic, historical and mysterious all at once and keep the reader guessing.  Maya has issues with her pediatric residency and takes a leave of absence that takes her to Scotland.  There she follows instinct, and a Robin, and buys an antique ring in a shop in Edinburgh.  Her dreams are haunted with a woman connected to the ring, who it turns out was also a physician before women were allowed to practice, over 100 years ago.

Mikalsen does a great job of putting the reader in all of her beautifully described settings and making the characters and era come alive.  I found myself looking for magical robins!

Great read!

I got this book from NetGalley.  I'm happy to offer this review.

California Girls by Susan Mallery. 4*

Three sisters, brought together by the decision of their mother to leave the family home, must deal with life changes and the evolution of romance.  Finnola, tv star and woman who has everything, learns in humiliating ways of her husband's infidelity.  Ali, a working class girl who believes she's about to embark on her happily ever after, is  jilted nearly at the altar, and her fiancee's brother is there to pick up the pieces.  Zennie, whose romantic life is more love em and leave em than forever, is asked to carry her best friends' baby.  Each of the sisters struggles with her relationship with the others and find their own path to happiness, not what any of them expected,
Susan Mallery writes great, complex characters and puts them in interesting situations that make the reader keep turning the pages. California Girls follows the pattern and will leave new and old readers of Mallery satisfied.  Nice to have intelligent characters in non- traditional situations.

I got this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Regardless, this is an honest review.