Where the Lost Wander [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

March 24, 2022

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction, Western Love Story, Westward Movement, Oregon Trail (U.S.History)

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 page-turning historical fiction with a strong sense of place, Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon.

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 1853, newly widowed Naomi May sets out for the West with her family. On the Oregon Trail which is filled with hardship, danger, and loss, she meets John Lowry. As the journey progresses and becomes more harrowing, they grow closer but their relationship is tested in intense and emotional ways.

A group of covered wagons on the U.S. Oregon Trail

Images Source: Wikipedia

A western love story that features a pioneer theme, feisty characters, and a strong sense of place…

Continue here for my full review of Where the Lost Wander..

QOTD:

Have you read Where the Lost Wander or is it on your TBR?

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?

Lovely War [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

January 6, 2022

Lovely War by Julie Berry
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories: YA or NA Historical Fiction, WW1, Romance/Love Story, Mythology

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 creatively structured WW1 Historical Fiction story, Lovely War by Julie Berry.

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

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Is love more powerful than war?

“During the years of WW1, Hazel, a shy and talented pianist meets James, a handsome soldier, at a dance. He’s shipping out to the front in a week. Is this enough time to fall in love? Two more characters round out the cast: Colette, a gifted singer from Belgium, and Aubrey, a member of the all African-American regiment and a gifted musician. The Greek gods narrate this story of love, music, and war.”

A story of love, music, and war….

Continue here for my full review of Lovely War…

QOTD:

Have you read Lovely War or is it on your TBR?

The Stationery Shop [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

November 18, 2021

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Romantic Fiction, Romance, Family Life, Iran

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 bittersweet love story, The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali.

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 1953, two teenagers meet in Mr. Fakhri’s Stationery Shop in Tehran. Roya loves the fountain pens, shiny ink bottles, and the thick, lovely writing paper while Bahman loves Rumi’s poetry and is an activist. They share a love of poetry and continue to meet in the Stationery Shop while their romance grows. Their happy life together is complicated by family tension and political unrest.”

Complicated families…..soul mates…..resilience…..

Continue here for my full review of The Stationery Shop…

QOTD:

Have you read The Stationery Shop or is it on your TBR?

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:

(more…)

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:

(more…)

The Fountains of Silence [Book Review] #ThrowBackThursday

October 21, 2021

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
#throwbackthursday

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction, Post Spanish Civil War Spain, YA, Family, Love Story

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 compelling historical fiction story from one of my favorite authors, The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys.

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 1957, Madrid, Spain is under the control of the fascist dictator General Francisco Franco. While citizens endure harsh conditions of the dictatorship after the Spanish Civil War, tourists experience another version of life in Spain as they enjoy parties and wine at the Hilton Hotel. Eighteen-year-old Daniel is a hotel guest, a photographer, and the son of a Texas oil tycoon; his mother was born in Spain and Daniel is eager to visit her homeland. Ana works at the hotel as a maid. Daniel and Ana meet and fall in love. While Ana is simultaneously intrigued by American life and concerned for her family, Daniel sets his mind to capture the real Spain in photos and finds himself investigating the plight of stolen children. The circumstances surrounding their love story are difficult for them to navigate.”

Family…love…silence…secrets…

Continue here for my full review of The Fountains of Silence

QOTD:

Have you read The Fountains of Silence or is it on your TBR?

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon#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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Lovely War by Julie Berry#throwbackthursday

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The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali #throwbackthursday

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The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys #throwbackthursday

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Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
#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

Lovely War by Julie Berry
#throwbackthursday

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
#throwbackthursday

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
#throwbackthursday