The Christmas Room Catherine Anderson

Published: Berkley
Date: September 26th 2017
Format: e-ARC
Pages:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                

Widow Maddie McLendon has uprooted her life to move to Rustlers Gulch with her son and grandson. But as a brutal Montana winter looms on the horizon, contractors have yet to break ground on their new house, leaving them to live in a makeshift camp of trailers, tents, and sheds....

Since his wife died six years earlier, millionaire rancher Sam Conacher has been content to wallow in his grief alone, while keeping a tight rein on his twenty-six-year-old daughter. But now the girl has gone and fallen in love with his foolish new neighbor’s no-good son....

Cam, his son Caleb and mother Maddie have arrived in a town in Montana and set up on a parcel of land where they intend to build. In the meantime home is a tent and caravan as they begin this stage of their journey. 

Not so far away is Sam and his daughter Kirstin, they have a huge ranch but not many workers. Sam has scared them all away with his grumpiness, think Scrooge and the Grinch rolled into one plus some. He has been really mean spirited since his wife Annie died about five years ago. He is very protective of his daughter Kirstin and runs off any man who looks at her. So... when Cam shows some interest it is a real challenge to Sam. He is downright rude and before long there is a war going on between Sam and Maddie, who resents his attack on her son Cam. A wall is built, no trespassing notices are put up. 

Maddie though is hiding a secret that she is keeping from her son Cam and grandson Caleb. Caleb is having a difficult time settling into a new school and so far has no friends.  Cam is finding it hard to sell land, all in all things are not going well. However there is romance blossoming between Cam and Kristin.  And even though its war for Sam and Maddie, perhaps there is going to be a second chance romance there too.

The story was a load of fun. It moved along at a good pace with something happening all the time. I loved Caleb, the young teen who had a heart of gold trying to fit in with his peers. He was thoughtful and so caring especially of his grandmother.

While the story does come together at Christmas and is totally heart warming, most of the story takes place before Christmas, so don't feel you are getting too Christmasy to read this now. It's a perfect pre Christmas read, that will put you in the spirit for that season when it arrives.

The Night the Lights Went Out. Karen White

Published: Berkeley
Date: April 11th 2017
Format:e-ARC
Pages:416
Genre: Southern Women's Fiction
Source:Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
        

Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.

Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past. Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world.

The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White was an absorbing read, that I thoroughly enjoyed.

On the one hand we have Merilee, recently divorced, with two young children stepping into a new phase in her life. Refreshingly, Michael her ex and herself have a reasonable relationship. Her two children fit in perfectly to the story.  Merilee has secrets, she has that look in her eye that she has experienced loss and lived on. She is resilient and strong.

Sugar her elderly landlady recognises Merilee's qualities and even though Sugar is known for her crustiness, Merillee is not long in discovering the woman has a heart and eye that sees and cares. I so loved Sugar and her little pearls of wisdom. Her life connects with Merilee in many ways, they have seen similar things and their hearts understand and connect.

Then there is "the blog" from your local neighbor that comments on life in the town and the people there in. It tells it like it is and makes connections, often going against the local gossip and innuendo. It is full of southern says which I totally adored, down to earth sayings that made me ponder, like " You can't tell the size of the turnips by lookin' at the tops". And so many more. Who is the author of the blog? Well that's just one small secret in a book that abounds in secrets.

Every detail that is dropped foreshadowing something is followed up. Nothing is left dangling. I like that in a book. The plot was full of interest, moved along at a very good yet relaxed pace. Lots of things happened.

I liked how it explored friendship and resilience. And that dreadful emotion or motivation - revenge. I am always partial to a book that has someone going for a little revenge on the party that hurt them. However this book I think has cured me!  Revenge is taken to a new level here, I'll never look on it in the same way.  Who is the executor of the revenge and why? You'll have to just read this book to find out!