The Last Train to Key West [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

May 12, 2022

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories/Setting: Romantic Historical Fiction, 1935 Hurricane, Florida

Welcome to Throwback Thursday where I highlight an older review or post a current review of an old read. Today, I’m re-sharing a suspenseful romantic historical fiction, The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton.

I’m linking up today with Davida @ The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog for #throwbackthursday.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Key West is a popular destination for tourists. In the 1930s, it is also an opportunity to forget the economic depression. The three women in The Last Train to Key West have very different reasons for finding themselves in Key West on Labor Day Weekend, 1935: Elizabeth travels to Key West from New York City and is desperately searching for a WW1 veteran who is rumored to have been sent to work on the railroad; Key West native, Helen, wants to escape an abusive marriage; Mirta comes to Key West from Cuba for her honeymoon. Rounding out the weekend is an FBI agent, a kind friend, an abusive husband, a secretive groom, and the destructive 1935 Labor Day Weekend hurricane.

one holiday weekend + three women in danger + a hurricane….

Continue here for my full review of The Last Train to Key West..

QOTD:

Have you read The Last Train to Key West or is it on your TBR?
Have you read other books by Chanel Cleeton?
Also Reviewed: The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

The Bookseller’s Promise [Book Review]

April 19, 2022

The Bookseller’s Promise by Beth Wiseman

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Women’s Fiction (Chick Lit), Romance, Uplit, Christian Fiction, Amish Country (Indiana), Rural Bookstore, Book About Books

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @Zondervan @HarperCollins for a complimentary eARC of #TheBooksellersPromise by Beth Wiseman upon my request. All opinions are my own.

In her job, Yvonne hunts down and purchases rare books for collectors who are willing to pay high prices. Her current search leads her to an Amish bookstore where she meets Jake, the handsome owner, and Eva, his employee. Yvonne is surprised to hear that Jake refuses to sell his rare book despite an outrageously high offer, but she is persistent and confidant of her gifts of persuasion and decides to stay in Amish country for a while. During her stay, Yvonne becomes friends with Jake and Eva and also begins to rethink her personal life. Will she break off her engagement? Will she discover why Jake will not sell the book at any price? Will Yvonne, Jake, and Eva find true love?

My Thoughts:

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Spring Tides at the Starfish Cafe [Book Review]

April 5, 2022

Spring Tides at the Starfish Caf é by Jessica Redland

Genre/Categories: Women’s Contemporary Fiction, (Closed Door) Romance

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary eARC of #SpringTidesAtTheStarfishCafe upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Hollie, owner of the Starfish Cafe, and her boyfriend Jake (and adorable Pickles the dog) have found each other and are living a contented and full life and looking forward to their bright future…..until an act of vandalism affects the future of the Starfish Cafe and puts their livlihood in jeopardy. An unexpected friendship is formed and new characters are introcuded as Hollie and Jake recover from their losses and rebuild.

Spring Tides at the Starfish Caf é is the second in the Starfish Cafe series but it can be read as a standalone.

My Thoughts:

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Castle of Water [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

March 10, 2022

Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Survival, Action/Adventure, Love Story, Uninhabited Island

Welcome to Throwback Thursday where I highlight an older review or post a current review of an old read. Today, I’m re-sharing a survival story, Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge.

I’m linking up today with Davida @ The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog for #throwbackthursday.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

“And so it came to pass that two utterly disparate lives happened to overlap … bound together on an uninhabited island some 2,359 miles from Hawaii, 4,622 miles from Chile, and 533 miles from the nearest living soul.
Crap, as Barry liked to say.
Putain de merde, as Sophie was known to exclaim.”

Sophie, an architect and honeymooner, and Barry, disillusioned with his career in finance and seeking inspiration for his love of art end up on one very small island when their plane is hit by lightning and crashes in the middle of the South Pacific. Strangers and sole survivors and as different as night and day, Sophie and Barry wash up on a small uninhabited island and survival becomes their primary objective. Sophie and Barry draw from each other’s strengths and skills and through harrowing experiences, keep the hope of rescue alive.

Themes of home, love, loss, sadness, perseverance, heartbreak, hope, resiliency, friendship, and desperation…

Continue here for my full review of Castle of Water…

QOTD:

Have you read Castle of Water or is it on your TBR?

This Won’t End Well [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

February 10, 2022

This Won’t End Well by Camille Pagán
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction

In 2020, I decided to systematically revisit my older review posts and update them. On Thursdays, I’ll be re-sharing a few of these great reads. Today, I’m re-sharing a fun romcom, This Won’t End Well by Camille Pagán.

I’m linking up today with Davida @ The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog for #throwbackthursday.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

“In the long tradition of other beloved, quirky characters, Annie Mercer feels best when she limits her interactions with new people. As a scientist, she analyzes her life experiences through the lens of science. Suddenly her organized life is turned upside down: she loses her job, curiosity about a new neighbor consumes her, her fiance takes a leave of absence, and a personable and charismatic private investigator surprises her. Ultimately Annie is faced with some big, life-changing decisions.”

…Quirky + Snappy + Epistolary = a fun read!

Continue here for my full review of This Won’t End Well…

QOTD:

Have you read This Won’t End Well or is it on your TBR?

10 Favorite Light Romance #TopTenTuesday

February 8, 2022

Ten Favorite Light Romance

I’m hopping aboard the “Love Freebie” train today and linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl: February Love Freebie

“I LOVE a sweet romance!”

You’ll notice looking at this list that I love stories where romance is served as a SIDE. I adore romance when it’s served along with substantial content. That’s why I’m categorizing this list as “light” romance because the romance is not the main focus of the stories. It’s unlikely that these titles are actually shelved as “romance.”

Do you see any favorites?

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Titles are Amazon affiliate links or links to my reviews.

(in no particular order)

1 Love and Lavender by Josi S. Kilpack

2 The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

3 How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry

4 Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

5 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

6 Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge

7 The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

8 The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

9 Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman

10 Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland

QOTD:

Have you read any of these or can you recommend another title for my collection?

Happy Reading Book Worms

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

Let’s Get Social!

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***Blog posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price. This money will be used to offset the costs of running a blog and to sponsor giveaways, etc.

Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book Cover and author photo are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.

© WWW.ReadingLadies.com

The Winemaker’s Wife [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

January 27, 2022

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction, WW11, Wine Making, French Resistance Movement, France

In 2020, I decided to systematically revisit my older review posts and update them. On Thursdays, I’ll be re-sharing a few of these great reads. Today, I’m re-sharing a pageturning story, The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel.

I’m linking up today with Davida @ The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog for #throwbackthursday.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

“Told from multiple perspectives and in a past and present timeline, The Winemaker’s Wife is a story of secrets, survival, guilt, and love.

Through the perspectives of Inès and Céline, we experience the intrigue of their daily lives before and during the German invasion of France during WW11; we learn details of the champagne production at the (fictional) Maison Chauveau in northern France near the city of Reims; and we also hear a little about the French resistance (hiding munitions and Jews). An alternate present-day timeline shares the story of Liv who is mysteriously whisked away from her home in New York to France by her eccentric grandmother. There are secrets from the past to be revealed.”

…secrets, survival, guilt, and love…

Continue here for my full review of The Winemaker’s Wife…

QOTD:

Have you read The Winemaker’s Wife or is it on your TBR?

Christmas in Briarwood [Book Review]

December 8, 2021

Christmas in Briarwood by M.K. McClintock

Genre/Categories: Historical (Frontier) Romance Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Novella, Series

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Thanks @BookSirens for the free complimentary eARC of #ChristmasInBriarwood upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Hawk’s Peak Ranch as well as the town of Briarwood is the setting for this heartfelt story in which the generous and compassionate Gallagher family is the core of the community. Christmas in Briarwood is #8 in The Montana Gallagher Series. Rachel Watson is recovering from a traumatic incident and Julian has come back into town to report on the manhunt for the man that caused the trauma. As the community prepares for Christmas, Rachel Watson and Julian Frank learn to trust each other and risk their wounded hearts.

My Thoughts:

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Love and Lavender [Book Review] #BlogTour

November 2, 2021

Love and Lavender by Josi S. Kilpack

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance/Love Story, Differently Abled, 1800s

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thanks Laurel Ann for the invitation to participate in the #BlogTour for #LoveAndLavender. Thank you #NetGalley @ShadowMountn @ProperRomance for a complimentary e-ARC of #LoveAndLavender upon my request. All opinions are my own.

My Summary:

Love and Lavender is a story of two people who face many challenges and obstacles and have limited choices. Hazel is independent and brilliant; however, she was born with a clubbed foot. As a child, her parents sent her away and now as a young woman, she has resigned herself to the unliklihood of marriage and has embraced a teaching career. Duncan is brilliant and has a neurodiverse mind. He is employed as an accountant and has carved out a predictable life for himself living alone with his beloved cat. The private school where Hazel teaches may be up for sale (which would jeopardize her job) and Duncan is unhappy with his employers and would love to own his own accounting firm. Neither of them have the finances to remedy their situations. Hazel and Duncan have the same uncle….one relationship is biological and the other is through guardianship. This uncle offers both Hazel and Duncan an inheritance with the condition that they must each be married. Duncan has the brilliant idea that they should marry each other which would technically fulfil the conditions, but the uncle is reluctant to be tricked into giving them their inheritances. After much convincing, the uncle agrees to their plan, but under the condition that they must live together for one year after the ceremony. This sets up a marriage of convenience. Will this arrangement lead to love and a true relationship? Or will they fullfil the agreement, gain their inheritance, and go their separate ways? Will they even survive the year?

My Thoughts:

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All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door [Book Review]

October 27, 2021

All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door by Chelsea Bobulski

Genre/Categories/Setting: Fiction, Contemporary Romance. YA, Christmas, Virginia

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @WiseWolfBooks for a complimentary eARC of #AllIWantForChristmasIsTheGirlNextDoor upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Sixteen-year-old Graham has been in love with Sarah, the girl next door, for several years. However, she’s been dating his best friend for the last two years. Graham makes a wish upon a star….all he wants for Christmas is Sarah. In the morning, Graham wakes to a new reality…..he is the one that has been dating Sarah for two years, not his best friend. As he spends more time with Sarah, he wonders whether or not they are right for each other. Further complicating the situation is that Graham is spending a lot of enjoyable time with the new girl in town.

My Thoughts:

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The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton #throwbackthursday

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Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge#throwbackthursday

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This Won’t End Well by Camille Pagán#throwbackthursday

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Ten Favorite Light Romance

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The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel #throwbackthursday

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The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
#throwbackthursday

Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge
#throwbackthursday

This Won’t End Well by Camille Pagán
#throwbackthursday

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel
#throwbackthursday