“If the Shoe Fits” by Julie Murphy

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?

“How the Penguins Saved Veronica” by Hazel Prior

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?

"The Night Olivia Fell" by Christina McDonald

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.

"The House on Harbor Hill” by Shelly Stratton

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.

Merry Old England

 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! 

Summer Reading

 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! 

Mid-Year Check In!

 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).