All the Summers In Between
By: Brooke Lea Foster
Female Friendship – Fulfillment – Choices
Wealthy Margot and wrong side of the tracks Thea became friends in their early twenties, but after a traumatic experience, they didn’t see each other for a while. Then one day Margot shows up on Thea’s dock under mysterious circumstances.
This is a dual time line novel, which I normally love, but it didn’t work as well for me in this one. Both women were pretty terrible in the early timeline. It made you not appreciate the women they became. While this was a quaint summer time novel about life not turning out like you expected, it didn’t really stand out.
The Wake-Up Call
By: Beth O’Leary
Romance – Holiday – Enemies to Lovers
Izzy and Lucas work together at the Forest Manor Hotel. It gets awkward when Izzy professes her love in a Christmas card and Lucas just laughs. A year later, and all they do is argue when they are working at the same time. The hotel is in financial trouble and they will have to pull it together to save the hotel that is like a family to both of them. They find 5 wedding rings in the lost and found and make the returning of the rings social media content.
A fun romance, this was just what I was looking for at the time. The hotel setting made it fun and easy to read. Great for w quick hit of summer time reading.
Within Arm’s Reach
By: Ann Napolitano
Multi-Generational – Family – Dysfunction
Within Arm’s Reach is Napolitano’s first novel that was re released after the success of Hello, Beautiful. This is also a family story mostly centered on the women in the family. Each of the generations have their own issues, but they all come to a head when one of the youngest generation, Gracie, finds herself pregnant and unwed.
The central plot of the story is a little messy and the catholic guilt of an unwed mother is a little over done, but it was still an enjoyable read. The matriarch of the family suffers episodes in which her dead loved ones visit her, causing her issues in her life, but giving her a bit of escape from her grief.
This was aa beautifully written novel, if a bit over done in plot.
