Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I’m preparing this post ahead of time because I know this will be a busy time period for me. Either I’m recovering from a turkey coma or hiding from my sister because she’s super stressed about her wedding next week and taking it out on everyone.
Whatever it is, please wish me luck.
Since the holiday season is in full swing, I thought I would share some books I’ve read that center around the holidays.
Enjoy!
Title: Fake It Till You Bake It
Author: Jamie Wesley
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2022
Genre(s): romantic comedy
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I Read It: Once Upon a Book Club selection
Summary: Professional football player and bakery owner Donovan Dell’s orderly life gets turned upside down when he hired Jada Townsend-Matthews to work at his bakery. She is the most hated woman in America after turning down a beloved bachelor on a reality dating show. When pressed for an explanation, Jada lies that she’s dating someone and ropes Donovan into being her fake boyfriend. But as their relationship continues, things start to change for the better – and their feelings may not be as fake as they thought.
Title: If the Shoe Fits
Author: Julie Murphy
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
Year: 2021
Genre(s): romantic comedy
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: Cindy Woods loves fashion – especially shoes. However, she’s found that her creativity has fled her as she graduates fashion school. Unsure of her next step, she agrees to be on the dating reality show her stepmother produces called Before Midnight. Cindy hopes to get some exposure and kickstart her career. But when she meets Prince Charming, everything changes. Will she managed to get the prince? Or is she primed for heartbreak?
Title: How the Penguins Saved Veronica
Author: Hazel Prior
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2020
Genre(s): contemporary, some historical fiction
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: Eighty-six year old Veronica McCreedy wants to do something to save the world. After watching a documentary on penguins, she travels down to observe the scientists studying them. She forms a bond with them and the penguins. But when disaster falls, her recently discovered grandson travels to join them. Will the penguins help them connect or will it be too late?
Title: The Night Olivia Fell
Author: Christina McDonald
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2019
Genre(s): contemporary, suspense
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: Abi’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter ends up in a coma. Declared braindead, Olivia is kept alive due to the baby growing inside her. As the weeks fly by, Abi struggles to find out the truth about what happened to her daughter before she has to say goodbye for good.
Title: The House on Harbor Hill
Author: Shelly Stratton
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Year: 2018
Genre(s): historical fiction, contemporary
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: After running from her abusive husband, Tracey has nowhere else to go with her two young children. She then receives an invitation from Delilah Grey to come live at her mansion in Camden Beach, Maryland. Tracey accepts and soon her ghosts help Delilah put her own to rest.
As I mentioned in my last post, I was on vacation and part of it was spent in London. I was also on vacation last week or else this would’ve been posted sooner. Still, I would like to highlight some books I’ve read and reviewed that are set in England.
(I probably should’ve done this as the post when I was in England and saved the summer books for this post but oh, well).
After going through the books I’ve reviewed, I realized I’ve read a lot set in England. And I already excluded Jane Austen. So I’m going to narrow it down to my top 5 books set in England.
Wish me luck!
As you read this, I’m enjoying a nice vacation in merry old England. I hope you’re having a good summer (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere).
Here are some books I’ve reviewed in the past that I think would make some good summer reads:
Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher: Marin plans on a nice getaway with her sister Sadie on the island of Saba. But when her sister misses the flight, Marin experiences paradise with the mysterious Lucas Tsai. Will the beauty of the island inspire a change in her? Or will she just go back to her humdrum life?
The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio: Kate Morgan follows her grandfather’s cryptic plea and gets a job at the Hotel del Coronado during filming of “Some Like it Hot.” As she gets drawn into the world inhabited by the likes of Marilyn Monroe, she is also haunted by the ghosts of the past – both the hotel’s and her own family’s.
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor: Olivia returns to her grandfather’s house to handle his affairs after his passing. She finds an unpublished manuscript written by one of the girls who tricked the world into thinking fairies were real, fooling even Arthur Conan Doyle. But it brought magic to their tiny corner of England and it may just do the same for Olivia.
The Saturday Evening Girls Club by Jane Healey: Four immigrant girls meet up each week for the Saturday Evening Girls Club as they navigate balancing a new world with their old one.
In the Light of the Garden by Heather Burch: Charity returns to her grandparents’ mansion in the Florida Keys as she tries to figure out what to do next with her life. And as she builds a little family around her, she may find what she needs more – healing.
Anonymous by Kristina Woods: Olivia decides to find her father. When she manages to do so, she changes the lives of her parents and her family forever.
The Greek Rule by Aleka Nakis: When Athena spends time with Alex as the wedding of his brother and her best friend approaches, she considers breaking her only rule – never date a Greek.
Check them out and enjoy your summer reading!
Happy July!
Half the year has come and gone. And I’ve done a lot of reading and reviewing in that time. While I’m still finishing the latest book I’m reading, I’ve decided to take a lot at my top 6 reviews for this year so far.
So here we go!
1. The Space Between by Mete Deserve – 38 views
2. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – 28 views
3. Wildland by Rebecca Hodge, The Duchess by Wendy Holden, The Last Piece by Imogen Clark, Sisters of the Resistance by Christine Wells, and The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James (5 way tie) – 23 views
By contrast, here are the 3 reviews that have received the least amount of views:
3. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn and The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano (Tie) – 15 views
1. We Are Not Like Them by Christina Pride and Jo Piazza – 8 views
There we are! If you haven’t had a chance to check out any of these reviews, please go ahead and do so.
For the rest of the summer, I am holding off on reviews and will likely be posting other book-related content, though there may be at least one week where I don’t post anything. I am on vacation for the last week of July and the first week of August then again the third week of August. So I think reviews will resume in September.
I hope you enjoy the other content I’ll be posting.
And I hope you have a happy summer! (Or winter, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere).
Title: The Lost Melody
Author: Joanna Davidson Politano
Publisher: Revell
Year:
2022
Genre(s): historical fiction, gothic fiction, suspense, romance
Part of a Series: Yes, but can be read separately
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: Accomplished concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant is surprised when she becomes the guardian of a ward at Hurstwell Asylum. When the asylum insists her ward doesn’t exist, Vivienne goes to investigate herself. But powerful forces conspire against her and she soon finds herself an inmate at Hurstwell. Will she be able to figure out the asylum’s dark secrets and bring light to its patients? Or will she succumb to the darkness and madness herself?
Title: The Book of Cold Cases
Author: Simone St. James
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2022
Genre(s): mystery, suspense, paranormal
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: By day, Shea Collins is a receptionist at a doctor’s office. By night, she is a popular blogger who runs a site called The Book of Cold Cases. She writes about true crime, her way of coping with being a player in one as a child. Her two worlds collide when she meets Beth Greer, the last member of a prominent family in their Oregon town. Back in 1977, Beth was accused of being the Lady Killer – the murderer of two men who left behind taunting notes. Though she was ultimately acquitted at trial, suspicion has followed her since then. She decides to tell her story to Shea, who realizes that there is more to the story than anyone has known. Will she be able to tell the truth – or will some force make sure the truth remains a secret?
Title: Sisters of the Resistance
Author: Christine Wells
Publisher: William Morris/HarperCollins
Year: 2021
Genre(s): historical fiction, romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection
Summary: Yvette returns to Paris a few years after the end of World War II and is recruited to be a mannequin for Christian Dior’s new fashion house. But this is not her first time working with the legendary designer – or his sister, Catherine. Yvette and her sister Gabrielle must finally come to terms with what they sacrificed and the risks they took in the final days of the Nazi occupation of Paris while working as part of Catherine Dior’s network of spies. Will they finally be able to move on and find happiness in their lives at last?
Title: The Last Piece
Author: Imogen Clark
Publisher: Lake Union
Year: 2020
Genre(s): contemporary
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: The Nightingale sisters – Felicity, Julia and Lily – are surprised and concerned when their mother mysteriously goes to Greece with no warning. As they try to figure out what’s going, they deal with their own issues. When their mother returns, will everyone be prepared for the reason why she left? Will the truth she needs to share with them change all their lives forever?
Title: The Duchess
Author: Wendy Holden
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2021
Genre(s): historical fiction; romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon an Advent Calendar gift
Summary: As the Duchess of Windsor prepares to bury her husband alongside the royal family and the Commonwealth, she recalls the story of when she was just Wallis Simpson and dreamed of living the life of the rich and famous. She manages to break into a world she had only glimpsed from the distance and her life changes when she gets an invite to the royal home of Edward, the future king of England. As she forms a friendship with David, as he is known, she has no clue that she will be part of history – or that her name will be linked with scandal and infamy for the rest of her life.
Title: Clover Blue
Author: Eldonna Edwards
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Year: 2019
Genre(s): coming of age, historical fiction
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Summary: Clover Blue has only known the Saffron Love Community, a commune created by a man known as Goji. Blue has a rather unconventional upbringing and education. But when he learns he was not born to someone at SLC, he wants to learn more about where he came from. Will he get his answers? Who is his real family – the one he was born to or the one that found him?
Title: The Space Between
Author: Dete Meserve
Publisher: Lake Union
Year: 2018
Genre(s): mystery, romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection
Summary: After presenting the biggest discovery of her career to NASA, Sarah returns to find that her husband Ben is missing. The authorities search for him but also suspect him of a murder which may be why he is missing. Sarah has to sort through the jumble of evidence left behind to determine what happened to her husband, if he is innocent – and if their marriage can be saved.
Title: Circus of Wonders
Author: Elizabeth Macneal
Publisher: Atria
Year: 2022
Genre(s): historical fiction
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection
Summary: In the Victorian era, circuses filled with oddities and “freaks” are all the rage. Jasper Jupiter runs one such circus with the help of his brother, Toby. When Nellie is sold to him by her father, Jasper transforms her into a star. Nellie’s fame soon grows and Jasper feels he’s on the verge of achieving his greatest dreams. But when Nellie’s star starts to eclipse his own and his own brother starts to fall for her, will Jasper’s ego be their downfall?
Title: Wildland
Author: Rebecca Hodge
Publisher: Crooked Lane
Year: 2020
Genre(s): contemporary
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick.
Summary: After receiving life-changing news, Kat retreats to a mountain retreat she once visited with her late husband as she considers her decision. Her daughter, Sara, gives her mother a rescue dog to take care of and Kat also befriends her closest neighbors – military and security contractor Malcom and his son Nirav and IT professional Scott and his daughter Lily. They also rescue a puppy as well and Kat gives him a home. But the area has been experiencing a severe drought and a electrical storm soon puts them all in danger. Will Kat manage to rescue the children, the dogs and more importantly, herself?
Title: We Are Not Like Them
Author: Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
Publisher: Atria Books
Year: 2021
Genre(s): contemporary
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Summary: The book follows the aftermath of a police-involved shooting of a black teenager. Riley WIlson is the Black reporter covering the story for her TV station. Jen Murphy is the white woman married to one of the cops involved. The two women have been friends since childhood but this tragedy threatens to tear them apart as they both come to terms with racism and how it affects them as people and as friends.
Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2022
Genre(s): fantasy, romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club “Sweet Halloween” pick
Summary: Witches like Mika Moon have a lot of rules to follow, rules that guarantee that her life is a lonely one. But when she is summoned to serve as a tutor for three young witches, she starts to question the rules. Will her experience validate everything she’s been taught? Or will she come to realize she doesn’t have to live her life alone after all?
Title: The Woman in the Window
Author: A.J. Finn
Publisher: William Morrow
Year: 2018
Genre(s): suspense
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: Unable to leave her house, Anna Fox spends her days watching old thrillers and her neighbors while mixing alcohol and strong medications. When a new family moves in across the street, Anna befriends the young teenage son. But when she believes she sees a murder in his house, she’s forced to accept some hard truths about her life while also questioning her own sanity.
As I end one year and began another, I would like to take a look back on this blog’s 2022, almost like Spotified Wrapped.
Or at least as best as I can do.
I made 17 posts this year, including several months where I posted twice a month. This is a little more than double what I posted in 2021.
Here were my Top 5 posts:
1. Holly Banks, Full of Angst (29 views)
2. The Long Flight Home (25 views)
3. Meet Me in Paradise (24 views)
4. The Night She Disappeared (23 views)
5. The Lost Love Song and The One (21 views)
Now I present to you, my Books of 2022:
Happy New Year!
