Little Pieces of Me by Alison Hammer (thoughts)

 

Summary from Goodreads:

"When Paige Meyer gets an email from a DNA testing website announcing that her father is a man she never met, she is convinced there must be a mistake. But as she digs deeper into her mother's past and her own feelings of being the odd child out growing up, Paige begins to question everything she thought she knew. Could this be why Paige never felt like she fit in her family, and why her mother always seemed to keep her at an arm's length? And what does it mean for Paige's memories of her father, a man she idolized and whose death she is still grieving? Back in 1975, Betsy Kaplan, Paige's mom, is a straightlaced sophomore at the University of Kansas. When her sweet but boring boyfriend disappoints her, Betsy decides she wants more out of life, and is tired of playing it safe. Enter Andy Abrams, the golden boy on campus with a potentially devastating secret. After their night together has unexpected consequences, Betsy is determined to bury the truth and rebuild a stable life for her unborn child, whatever the cost.

When Paige can't get answers from her mother, she goes looking for the only other person who was there that night. The more she learns about what happened, the more she sees her unflappable, distant mother as a real person faced with an impossible choice. But will it be enough to mend their broken relationship?"

My Thoughts:

Little Pieces of Me is one of those books that is going to stick with me for awhile.  Last year I read (and was broken by but in a good way) this author's debut You and Me and Us.  If you haven't had the opportunity yet to read that one, I highly recommend it as well.  I was nervous to read this one because I enjoyed that first book so much so I was both afraid that it was also going to break me and I wasn't emotionally ready and also worried that I had too high of expectations set for this one.  This book though didn't disappoint in the slightest.    It was just as good of a read as her debut but also very different.  This author has a knack for looking at mother/daughter relationships and bringing them to life in all of their messy glory.  One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was how real each of the characters felt.  They weren't perfect but instead had faults and just felt like normal, everyday people.  They made mistakes, poor decisions, and had insecurities that just helped me to become even more attached to them.  I even came to respect Paige's mother by the end although I still don't agree with the decisions that she made.  I also really liked how this book was told in two parts: one from Paige's viewpoint as she both learns and tries to deal with the fact that the man who she believed was her father wasn't and the second viewpoint from Paige's mother back in the past before and after she became pregnant with Paige.  It was interesting to see how the events from one viewpoint tied into and led to things that happened in the present.  All in all, this really was an enjoyable read and a good look at what makes up one's own identity.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and feel like this is an author to watch.  Her books bring about strong emotions for me but in the best of ways.  I hope that she continues to dive into the mother/daughter relationship in different ways because she really does it well.  Readers who enjoy contemporary fiction, women's fiction, and books with characters that come to life for you should give this book a read.  An easy book (and author) for me to recommend!

Bottom Line:  A book that tugged at my emotions as both a mother and daughter.

CW: Grief, lying, cheating, adoption, death of a loved one

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Honest thoughts are my own.

The Lost Girls of Devon by Barbara O'Neal (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"It’s been years since Zoe Fairchild has been to the small Devon village of her birth, but the wounds she suffered there still ache. When she learns that her old friend and grandmother’s caretaker has gone missing, Zoe and her fifteen-year-old daughter return to England to help.

Zoe dreads seeing her estranged mother, who left when Zoe was seven to travel the world. As the four generations of women reunite, the emotional pain of the past is awakened. And to complicate matters further, Zoe must also confront the ex-boyfriend she betrayed many years before.

Anxieties spike when tragedy befalls another woman in the village. As the mystery turns more sinister, new grief melds with old betrayal. Now the four Fairchild women will be tested in ways they couldn’t imagine as they contend with dangers within and without, desperate to heal themselves and their relationships with each other."

My Thoughts:

The Lost Girls of Devon was one of those books that just felt like the perfect book at the perfect time.  I absolutely love when that happens!  I feel like there is a certain kind of magic when a book fits into your reading mood so perfectly without you even realizing that it was what you were in the mood for necessarily.  There was just something about it that really drew me into the book from the very beginning.  There's a lot going on in this book but it never felt like too much.  I was worried about what happened to Zoe's missing friend throughout the book.  I was also equally concerned about Zoe and her mother's relationship, the romance that seemed to be developing between Zoe and Sage, the secrets Zoe's daughter Isabel was hiding, and the health struggles that Zoe's grandmother was facing.  I was just completely absorbed in their lives - there is really no other way to put it.  Another thing that I appreciated about this book was despite the harder topics it covered, I found this book hopeful.  I can't really explain what I mean about that without spoiling anything but I still really wanted to mention it.  The characters are up against many different things but it still left me hopeful by the end without just wrapping those darker threads into a bow.  This book is also told from each of the four women's viewpoints which was the perfect setup in my opinion.  We got to read from Zoe's point of view the most but she was really at the center of everything.  I felt like I understood each of these women more because of the way that the book was written.  Having the opportunity to really see things from their point of view allowed for the author to bring all of these characters to life for me.  I liked the way things ended with this book but I almost wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters.  I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!

Overall, this book really swept me away in its' pages and was a wonderful reading experience.  These are characters that I came to really care about.  I won't be forgetting their story anytime soon.  I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to read this book because it just fit with my reading mood perfectly.  I love when that happens!  Also, can we please talk about how gorgeous that cover is!  It brings to mind (for me anyways) a summer read but I have to say that this book felt just a bit heavier than that.  It may not have given me the summer vibes that the cover did but it really was a compelling read with characters that came to life for me.  I would recommend this book to fans of women's fiction, those readers who enjoy a lighter mystery, and just fiction in general.  I really think that this book would appeal to a variety of readers - I hope that many other readers find it and love it just as much as I did!  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  This is one of those books that I found myself just entranced by from beginning to end!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book as part of a TLC book tour.  Honest thoughts are my own.

**Please note that Blogger seems to have cut out portions of my thoughts - I didn't realize until afterwards so I went back and edited it with my original thoughts as best as I could.  My apologies!

The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"As an etiquette coach, Margot teaches her clients to fit in. But she’s never faced a client like Bianca, an aging movie star who gained fame—and notoriety—through a campaign of shock and awe. Schooling Bianca on the fine art of behaving like a proper diplomat’s wife requires intensive lessons, forcing Margot to move into the monastery turned mansion owned by the actress’s intensely private son. Like his incredible home, Alec’s stony exterior hides secret depths Margot would love to explore. But will he trust her enough to let her in?

Sunshine has always been the good-time sister, abandoning jobs to chase after guys who used her, then threw her away. No more. She refuses to be “that girl” again. This time, she’ll finish college, dedicate herself to her job as a nanny, and she 100 percent will not screw up her life again by falling for the wrong guy. Especially not the tempting single dad who also happens to be her boss.

Master storyteller Susan Mallery weaves threads of family drama, humor, romance and a wish-you-were-there setting into one of the most satisfying books of the year!"

My Thoughts:

This was such an enjoyable and page turning read!  I feel like this is another book that would be perfect spend reading on the beach or during a long, hot summer afternoon.  This is actually only my second or third book (I tried checking Goodreads but she has written so many books that I couldn't tell for certain) that I've read by this author but I really enjoyed them both so much.  Mallery has a knack for creating characters that you can't help but root for and enjoy reading about.  Sunshine and Margot were both so very different, and yet they were twins and also wanted the same things out of life.  It was just the case that neither of them thought that they would ever find true happiness thanks to their family history.  Sigh...how can you not want happiness for characters when they feel that way?  I just instantly found myself attached to them both and the two storylines that the author was telling us.  I loved when the two storylines intertwined but really I enjoyed it all.  I didn't even have a preference of one sister over the other - I wanted both of them to find true love and happiness with their lives.  I also really enjoyed the fact that neither of them were perfect or completely had her life in order.  Margot was definitely more on the I've got my stuff together side of things but she still had her issues that she was dealing with.  Sunshine on the other hand is just now going to college for the first time and trying to really make changes with her life.  While that isn't where I'm at in my own life, I related. to her and the struggles that she was dealing with because of the choices she made when she was younger.  I'm telling you guys - this book was such a winner for me because of these two characters and how relatable they both felt.  The pages of this book just flew on by and I was finished before I even knew it.  

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book immensely!  It just felt like the perfect read for these early summer days and I soaked it all in!  I'm not sure if I would classify this one more as contemporary romance or women's fiction but it has vibes from both genres.  I would classify it as a winner though and a book that I will be recommending to readers of either genre!  This book was also a great reminder that I would like to work on catching up with some of this author's backlist as well.  So many books and so little time!  Also, how gorgeous is this cover?  It's even better in person, I've got to admit!  This book was the perfect change of pace from the mysteries and thrillers that I read so often.  I always say to myself that I'm going to work on mixing my reading up more but books like this are why I want to make that happen so much!  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A great summer read that I can't help but recommend!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a TLC book tour.  Honest thoughts are my own.

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…"

My Thoughts:

This was such a fun and enjoyable read for me!  I don't read a ton of contemporary romances but this book has me reconsidering that.  One of my absolute favorite tropes in romance is the (I'm not sure what this is exactly called but this is what I'm calling it) hate to love romance.  I adore when the main characters despise each other but ultimately can't fight their attraction to one another!  It's my favorite so it was a sure fire thing that I was going to enjoy this book with that kind of set up.  I think one of the reasons that I enjoy this type of trope so much is that it usually means that there isn't any kind of insta-love which is my least favorite romance trope. The romance between Naomi and Oliver was a slow burn of the best kind in my opinion.  Also, just to let other readers know - this is a book that I've been recommending to readers who want a romance without the steamy scenes.  I just wanted to throw that out there for any other readers who are looking for that kind of romance!  In this book, Naomi remembers Oliver instantly from her childhood when they meet for the first time but Oliver doesn't remember her.  This leads to some humorous moments as Oliver can't figure out why Naomi seems to despise him on sight.  Especially as he is as attracted to her as he is annoyed with her for the way she is treating him.  The chemistry between these two was just absolute perfection so I couldn't get enough of reading it.  I also really enjoyed the friendship that Naomi had between two other ladies which is the kind of setup of this trilogy.  I don't want to give too many details on how they become friends, but I'm now eager to read both of their books so I can see them get their happy ever after as well.  This was just a fun read for me even though there were some serious aspects to it.  Oliver's father has Alzheimer's disease which plays a prominent part in this book.  The disease isn't glossed over and it is something that Oliver is constantly dealing with throughout the book.  I really liked the end of this book and am eager to get my hands on the next book in this trilogy.  

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author.  This is actually the second book that I've read by Lauren Layne - the other book that I read was Cuff Me which had more of a suspense vibe to it than this book did.  Two very different books but both books that I enjoyed immensely.  Looks like I have another author whose backlist I need to catch up on!  Also, I can't believe that I haven't mentioned this before but how gorgeous is that cover?  I love it!  It was almost a shame that I read this book on my e-reader so couldn't experience that cover in its' full glory.  Ha!  I would recommend this book to fans of romance but also to readers who are starting to get on board with the new wave of romantic comedies that are becoming so popular as of late.  This book was just a plain fun read at times and I think that there are many other readers who will enjoy it as well.  An easy book for me to recommend!

Bottom Line:  A fun and enjoyable read that has me excited for the next book!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Thoughts are my own.

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level-headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life.

His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.

Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk?"

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun and steamy read that I couldn't help but adore!  I don't read a lot of contemporary romance although after loving this one so much I think that I really should.  This author (and series) jumped on to my TBR list when a bunch of romance bloggers that I trust were raving about this series.  I couldn't resist downloading a copy of this book when it was available for free on Amazon and rather than waiting for months to read it, I jumped right in.  I'm so glad that I didn't wait as this book was just a really great read.  Not only was there a really steamy romance developing between Duane and Jessica but there was also some laugh out loud moments in this book.  I love a romance that makes me laugh as well.  Jessica was hilarious to me and she would say the most inappropriate things off the top of her head at the worst times.  It was really great and was an unexpected surprise.  

One of the things that I also enjoyed about this book was the conflict on how Jessica and Duane's relationship would work out.  Jessica has always wanted to travel the world and has been planning on leaving town as soon as she has enough money saved.  Duane on the other hand is more tied down to the area as he owns a car garage with his brothers.  They both seemingly wanted different things out of life so it was interesting to me to see how the author was going to make it all work.  I liked that there was also the added problems that Duane had with a local biker gang.  It added a little bit of tension especially to the end of the book which had me reading faster to see how it would all work out.  I loved the way that the author ended this book.  I can't say more than that without spoiling anything but I do want to mention that I found the ending to be really great!

Overall, this was a really great romance- one of the best that I have read in awhile!  I am so excited to read more books by this author (and get to know Duane's other brothers).  I hope that the other books are just as humorous as I found this book to be!  I'm now thinking that I need to find some more contemporary romance recommendations to try out thanks to this book.  What other great authors am I missing out on?  I can easily recommend this book to fellow romance readers!

Bottom Line:  A really great romance- both steamy and fun!

Disclosure:  I downloaded a copy of this book for free from Amazon.

Out Rider by Lindsay McKenna (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"A fresh start—that's all Devorah McGuire wants. As a former Marine and current Ranger with the US Forest Service, she's grown accustomed to keeping others safe. But when the unthinkable happens, she can only hope that a transfer to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, will allow her to put the past behind her for good.

Dev's mentor at Grand Tetons National Park is fellow canine handler and horseman Sloan Rankin. He shows Dev the spectacular trails, never knowing the terror that stalks her every move. Despite her lingering fear, Dev feels an attraction for Sloan as wild as their surroundings.

With Sloan, Dev can envision a new life—a real home. Unless a vengeful man fresh out of prison succeeds in finishing what he started…"

My Thoughts:

With all of the mysteries and thrillers that I've been reading lately, a romance was the perfect change of pace for me.  I eagerly picked up my copy of this book as I've read one other book by this author that I enjoyed awhile back.  Now I've only read two books so far by this author but both featured romance and the military which is something that I always seem to enjoy in my books.  This book was set in Montana and both main characters had served time in the military which I found very intriguing.  Especially because both Dev and Sloan were dealing with the after effects of having PTSD from their time in service.  It was just one of those small connections that combined to really make their relationship believable for me as the reader.  Speaking of their relationship, this was one of those books that I love when it comes to the building of a relationship.  They didn't just fall in love with each other despite the fact that they had an instant connection or attraction.  This was more of a friends to lovers story in a way even though they had just met at the very beginning of the book.  There were tons of factors and obstacles that led to them holding off on their feelings for one another but I really just appreciated that it came across more naturally than many other books.  In fact, I was almost impatient at points because I was so ready for them to take that next step.  LOL!  The wait was worth it though and I feel like I enjoyed this book more because of it.

The story line featured the fact that Dev had a stalker where she previously lived (not really a spoiler since it is mentioned in the summary).  The author goes into detail in what Dev previously went through which wasn't always easy to read at times so I thought I better throw that out there.  It might just be me but reading about stalkers always gives me the heeby jeeby's. It sure did add a layer of suspense to this book and especially to the ending!  I got to a certain point near the end and just wasn't able to set this book down.  It was really intense but I loved the way that the author wrapped everything up!  I also really, really loved the way that the author described Wyoming.  I've never been but from the descriptions I could just picture everything in my head.  I love when I am able to visualize a place that I've never been to while reading.  It just adds to the reading experience for me!  My one and only complaint with this book was that it felt repetitive at times.  I felt like there were certain things that were brought up over and over again.  It might just have been me though as sometimes I prefer more showing rather than telling.  All in all though, this was an enjoyable reading experience that made me glad to have read this author again.

Overall, I found this book to be a solid romance that was the perfect change of pace to everything else that I have been reading.  I'm curious to check out this author's other books because I believe that some of them might be loosely connected to this one (I'm guessing here on this).  Like maybe some of the other characters that were in this book have their own books?  A girl can hope!  This was a quiet romance with an explosive finish- that is the best way that I can describe it.  I would recommend it to other romance readers easily.  Recommended!

Bottom Line:  Another enjoyable read by this author!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley as part of a TLC book tour.