Heaven Adjacent Catherine Ryan Hyde

Published:  Lake Union Publishing
Date:  June 19th 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 316
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Little Bird Publicity via NetGalley
Rating:
                         

Roseanna Chaldecott spent her life as a high-powered lawyer in Manhattan. But when her best friend and law partner dies suddenly, something snaps. Unsure of her future, Roseanna heads upstate on one tank of gas and with no plans to return.

In the foothills of the Adirondacks, Roseanna discovers the perfect hideout in a ramshackle farm. Its seventy-six acres are rich with possibilities and full of surprises, including a mother and daughter squatting on the property. Although company is the last thing Roseanna wants, she reluctantly lets them stay.

Heaven Adjacent is a thought provoking novel filled with quirky characters.  

Roseanna is a high flying attorney until she up and leaves it and everyone behind. A life changing moment happens when her attorney friend Alice dies before she can experience the joy of retirement and doing all those fun relaxing things she plans to do.  However Roseanna leaves behind one irate partner in the business who isn't impressed by her departure. He plans revenge! I didn't like him at all!

When Roseanna settles down on a farm she just comes across she finds that there are already some people living on her property and along come more. As well her son finds her because of a reporter who stops by and writes about what Roseanna has been involved in along with the little girl on the property.

Over a few years Rosie finds herself being challenged and while what might have began as a 'pretend' living off the land, becomes a reality. She finds out that it is not too late to change and to become the someone she would like to be towards herself and others. 

There's an old man, a dog and a horse with a mind of its own, a young man with no where to go until now and a little girl who is persistent but low key.  

There are poignant moments and moments filled with humour. And times where family really counts.

The Taste of Air Gail Cleare

Published: Red Adept Publishing
Date: September 2016
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 253
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Author
Rating:
                  

A simple phone call disrupts Nell Williams’s well-ordered life. Her mother, Mary, is in a hospital in Vermont. But her mother is supposed to be safely tucked away in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, so Nell can’t fathom why she would be so far from home.

After notifying her sister, Bridget, Nell hops on a plane and rushes to her mother’s side. There, she discovers that her mother has been living a second life. Mary has another home and a set of complex relationships with people her daughters have never met.

When Nell and Bridget delve deeper into their mother’s lakeside hideaway, they uncover a vault of family secrets and the gateway to change for all three women.

The Taste of Air by Gail Cleare is a story ultimately of family. It mostly tracks the story of Mary a mother and her two daughters Bridget and Nell. We go back in time to where Mary was a nurse in Vietnam and the men she met, the men she loved and the one she married.

But Mary has secrets and it is only as Nell and then Bridget care for her up in a Vermont hospital that they begin to question and eventually put two and two together. How did Mary end up in Vermont when they thought she was living in Massachusetts? And why does she have a cottage there? Who is the man Jake who is so upset by Mary's illness?

Bridget is running from her third marriage, back in time she had had an experience that had brought on the ire of her father and she has been in and out of loveless relationships every since. Nell has a good husband and two children, but she is feeling restless and somewhat dissatisfied. So far all she has been is a mother and wife, she wants more. Just like her mother seems to have done so quietly.

I enjoyed watching the story develop, the girls come together, the developing relationship with Jake and his son Adam. And the secrets which eventually outed, which we as the reader were able to put together before the sisters.  

I did feel a couple of aspects of the story were a little undeveloped and that some changes came quickly and one event was only a brief meeting. However this part of the story (Bridget's story) was linked to her mother's experience so I am apt to say well okay.

To sum up, a story I enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who likes a little mystery and some family secrets being revealed.

This Could Change Everything. Jill Mansell

Published: Hachette NZ
Date: 25th January 2018
Format:  Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Thanks to Hachette NZ
Rating:
                      

On the one hand, if Essie hadn't written that letter - the one that only her best friend was meant to see - then she'd still be living like an actual proper grown-up, tucked up with Paul in his picture-perfect cottage, maybe even planning their wedding...

On the other hand (if her true feelings hadn't accidentally taken the internet by storm, that is) she never would have met Zillah and Conor - not to mention Lucas. And she'd never have found out just how much life there is to be lived...

This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell was a joy to read. One of those books you can just pick up and relax into. It was a great mix of wonderful and endearing characters, with a little fun and a bit of romance thrown in. 

I loved Zillah, what a character, the kind of person I'd love to be at eighty three. She was warm and generous, loves dressing up and going out and having a good time, yet very thoughtful of others. She's quite human so has a little guilt and regret thrown in there as well.

Essie is another easy to like. She has the horror of her email sent out accidentally to her whole address book. In it she is very honest about some people and it doesn't go down well. However really it sets in motion the next phase in Essie's life... which was so good.

Then there is Connor who rents the flat above Zillah, he keeps an eye on her, and is an excellent photographer.  I liked that he had the courage to change his life completely, be honest and move on.  He makes a few mistakes in romance but it all added to the fun.

Lucas is an adorable character, a very handsome one too and very much part of the story. I don't want to give too much away about his involvement in things because it would spoil the story but just let's say he has an interesting back story which makes him just that little bit more vulnerable.

If you like a light hearted, quirky story then this one will satisfy. I was charmed by it and it will certainly be one I remember.

A Soft Place to Fall Liz Flaherty

Published:  Pelican Book Group
Date:  April 26th 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages:  234
Genre: Christian Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                        

Early McGrath doesn't want freedom from her thirty-year marriage to Nash, but when it's forced upon her, she does the only thing she knows to do-she goes home to the Ridge to reinvent herself. Only what is someone who's spent her life taking care of other people supposed to do when no one needs her anymore? Even as the threads of her life unravel, she finds new ones- reconnecting with the church of her childhood, building the quilt shop that has been a long-time dream, and forging a new friendship with her former husband. The definition of freedom changes when it's combined with faith, and through it all perhaps Early and Nash can find a Soft Place to Fall.

Sometimes - just occasionally I pick a book by its cover. And A Soft Place to Fall was one of those, all because of the quilt on it. Reading the blurb the story sounded like I might enjoy it and so I went ahead and read it.

Its a gentle yet moving story of life in a large extended family. Early and Nash have just been divorced because Nash has a bit of the mid life crisis going on.  They are still the best of friends, care about each other and their family.  I liked them both and never at any time felt impatient with them. I liked that the divorce gives Early a chance to explore her new freedom and to take her life in the direction she would like it to go. Up until now she has been the chief caregiver, and although that doesn't halt, she does have opportunities.

One opportunity is the chance to open a quilt shop called A Soft Place to Fall, its a good place where women gather, quilt, talk, heal and support one another. I liked this aspect of the book even though it was only a small portion.

There is tension as Early had a sister who died and Sarah her daughter was adopted by Nash and Early. Who is her father? As the search unfolds it brings both sadness and blessings.

The story ends in a way that was perfectly satisfying to me and I did enjoy this funny, caring family.

The Family Gathering. Robyn Carr

Published:MIRA
Date:  17th April 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Little Bird Publicity and NetGalley
Rating:
          

Having left the military, Dakota Jones is at a crossroads in his life. With his older brother and youngest sister happily settled in Sullivan’s Crossing, he shows up hoping to clear his head before moving on to his next adventure. But, like every visitor to the Crossing, he’s immediately drawn to the down-to-earth people and the seemingly simple way of life.

Dakota is unprepared for how quickly things get complicated. As a newcomer, he is on everyone’s radar—especially the single women in town. While he enjoys the attention at first, he’s really only attracted to the one woman who isn’t interested. And spending quality time with his siblings is eye-opening. As he gets to know them, he also gets to know himself and what he truly wants.

When all of the Jones siblings gather for a family wedding, the four adults are drawn together for the first time in a way they never were as children. As they struggle to accept each other, warts and all, the true nature and strength of their bond is tested. But all of them come to realize that your family are the people who see you for who you really are and love you anyway. And for Dakota, that truth allows him to find the home and family he’s always wanted.

Every so often I look forward to reading a certain book and then feel a little let down when I read it.  Not so with The Family Gathering, #3 in Robyn Carr's Sullivan's Crossing. I love, love, loved every word of it.

I've come to love this little community and the spirit that exists among them.  And I really looked forward to brother Dakota's story and it was everything that I wanted and more. Yes more! Because we had updates of Maggie and Cal and little Elizabeth. We saw Sully from time to time, and Connie and Sierra's story is furthered and in such a way that had my heart hurting and hoping at the same time.  And then the last sister Sedona - what a story for her too. Such a strong sense of family and community - my kind of read.

If that all sounds like you couldn't read this one without reading the previous two books - well you could because Robyn Carr does fill you in a unobtrusive way. However I am so happy to have followed the story from the beginning.

As soon as Dakota arrives and finds himself a little cabin in the woods I was hooked. Made me remember such a cabin in the Virgin River series.  I loved how he talks straight and tells people (women mostly) where he's at with them or not as the case may be.  I loved Sid too, she's had a knock back but in reality she is a very intelligent and strong woman. 

All the characters have such interesting back stories and it impinges on their lives now. This is not just some light romance, this is a story about people - their highs and lows and struggles. And their ultimate arrival on the path to redemption. And of course there is romance and in such a perfect way. 

I loved all the characters, Robyn Carr even includes the perfect nun, plus the oddest character around, we've met her in previous books and she is every bit as weird in this one, but has she finally met her match?

If you are a Robyn Carr fan this one is certainly for you. If you like a heart warming and emotional read, great characters and plenty to keep you involved in the plot then I say .... read it!

Mornings on Main. Jodi Thomas

Today it is my pleasure to welcome Jodi Thomas who is here to introduce us to her new book Mornings on Main - and so straight from her pen ....

I’ve always loved wandering the main streets in small towns.  Stepping into the shops.  Talking to the people.  Sometimes all you have to say is, “How are things going?” and an hour later you’re still listening. In MORNINGS ON MAIN, I wrote about the people of Laurel Springs.

Like most people in small towns, my daily life is woven between generations.  I never remember a time when I said, “I’m not sure what to do or which way to turn.”  I’ve always had relatives around, not only giving me advice, but pushing me in what they think is the right direction. So when I began MORNINGS ON MAIN I knew I wanted to show those threads.

My main character, steps into a town and a world foreign to her.  She’s a drifter who doesn’t pack even her memories as she moved from place to place. When Jillian takes a job in Laurel Springs, she finds far more than what she planned.  Eugenia Larady, Gram to her family, has owned a quilt shop for fifty years.  The quilts lining her walls hold the history of the town and its people.  As Gram’s mind slips, Jillian rushes to log all the stories and quilts with the help of Eugenia’s great-granddaughter, Sunny,who is hell bent to make her own wild memories as fast as possible. As the stories of lives in the town come to light, so do secrets and loves that have lasted a lifetime.  Jillian is drawn in and forced to question her lifestyle.

So step into my world of Laurel Springs,

Jodi Thomas 

http://www.jodithomas.com/

www.facebook.com/jodithomasauthor

                       

In Mornings on Main there is another delightful story by Jodi Thomas, set in a small town in Texas that has perhaps seen better days. But what counts are the warm hearted characters that populate the town and with the touches of humor that Jodi Thomas does so well, this book was all I had hoped for.

But wait... there's more! I hadn't realised that one of the shops on Main is a quilting shop and that Gram, the darling old lady is a wealth of knowledge and has such a love for the many quilts that have found their way into her shop. I just loved finding out about the various quilts - their history and the way in which they told  the stories of people from the town.

Wandering into this small town is Jillian - a wanderer since birth really. She now has nobody - totally alone, her father ditched her when she started college, and she has kept up the wandering ways she learned as a child with him. Right from the beginning she has made it clear, she isn't stopping, just spending a few months and then moving on.

Connor is the mayor, and owner of a lot of property in the town. But that doesn't make him rich as a lot of it is now land with old disused factories that knew better times. He is a part time unpublished writer, father of teen Sunnie and carer of his ageing Gram. It sure keeps a man busy. When he meets Jillian though, his heart begins to pine for something he has been assured he can't have.

So the mix of the quilting, the interaction of the characters, the small mysteries, the humor and warmth of the story kept me happily reading along. Yes and some romance too of course, sweet and gentle - perfect. For more than one set of characters too!

And of course it all ended too soon, I so hate leaving these small towns where I feel like I could just fit in so well.

Published: Harlequin

Date: 10th April 2018
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
 

Before I Let You Go. Kelly Rimmer

Published: Graydon House
Date:  3rd April 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Little Bird Publicity via NetGalley
Rating:
                        

The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.

Oh my! What a heart breaking read, so much of it dark and just so sad. Yet...  it is very real and at the same time is hope filled.

Lexie is the responsible sister, both herself and her sister Annie have had a tough upbringing after their father died and their mother after months of depression takes them to a closed religious group, whose values are far from mine. And as is sometimes the case hides those who are evil.

Both Lexie and Annie escape, Lexie becomes a doctor and becomes engaged to Sam, a fine young man - a doctor too and so very loving and understanding.  All through he supports Lexie in the days that follow after Annie returns pregnant and drug filled. And that's another difficulty because in Alabama that's a criminal offence.

What stands out is the love that Lexie has for Annie and vice versa. Both have had huge issues to deal with, my heart went out to both of them in their pain and struggle. Annie just can't share the shame she feels and Lexie can't ask for help. Both situations are so difficult. And yet amongst all this is the joy of Daisy, daughter of Annie, beloved by both Lexie, Sam and Annie.

The book explores serious issues in a way that for me the reader opened my heart to the characters, it wasn't easy to read in places, it made me feel so sad and yet at certain times my spirit was happy to see certain characters go from blindness to sight.

I don't want to give away the plot so enough.