Book Review: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer

 

Dear Henry, Love Edith. Becca Kinzer. Tyndale House (2023). 373 pages. Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christian Fiction.

First Line: "Henry grimaced, not sure which irritated him more - the persistent ache in his knee or the relentless voice in his ear."

Summary (Goodreads): After a short and difficult marriage, recently widowed Edith Sherman has learned her lesson. Forget love. Forget marriage. She plans to fill her thirties with adventure. As she awaits the final paperwork for a humanitarian trip to South Africa, she accepts a short-term nursing position in a small Midwestern town. The last thing she needs is a handsome local catching her eye. How inconvenient is that?

Henry Hobbes isn't exactly thrilled to have Edith, who he assumes is an elderly widow, dumped on him as a houseguest for the summer. But he'd do almost anything for his niece, who is practically like a sister to him given how close they are in age. Especially since Edith will be working nights and Henry works most days. When he and Edith keep missing each other in person, they begin exchanging notes--short messages at first, then longer letters, sharing increasingly personal parts of their lives.

By the time Henry realizes his mistake--that Edith is actually the brown-eyed beauty he keeps bumping into around town--their hearts are so intertwined he hopes they never unravel. But with her departure date rapidly approaching, and Henry's roots firmly planted at home, Edith must ultimately decide if the adventure of her dreams is the one right in front of her.

My thoughts: This is a fun romantic comedy that could easily be a movie. The author writes in such a way as to allow the reader to "play the movie" in their head.  She could take a simple sentence uttered by one of the characters and turn it into a hilarious mess.  I will admit it did feel a tad over-the-top at times.  

But, the story is not all fluff and light-heartedness.  There is some depth.  Edith and Henry have both had some difficult times in the past that are informing how they are living now.  They both have to do some soul searching.  Fortunately, each of them has a friend to give them a nudge in the right direction.  But, these things take time which is realistic, but also really frustrating for the reader!  Just when you think things are going the right direction, suddenly they are going the opposite way.  Yes, there was quite a bit of tension which kept me turning pages. 

The scenario is a funny one - two people live in the same house, but have not met.  As the story progressed and Henry discovered who Edith was, but chose to keep deceiving her, I was disappointed.  However, that didn't last long as Henry finally set out to right the wrongs and tell the truth.  And of course that didn't go smoothly either. 

Some of the themes are home, serving God, love, being good enough and self-doubt.  If you are looking for a light-hearted read with some depth, give this book a try.

Quotes:

"The light of the full moon guided her.  The muted brassy sound of big band music, competing with the tune of cicadas, followed her.  She folded her arms over her stomach, a sense of peace battling with a restless desire to run."

"'Let me get this straight,' Lance said, raising his voice to be heard above Frank Sinatra's croons.  'You're baring your soul to an old lady who's living in your house but you've never actually met.  You've got the hots for a lady you've met but don't know anything about.  And you're still going out with a lady who drives you crazy every time she talks, which is all the time.'"

Book Review: Alaskan Sanctuary by Teri Wilson

 

Alaskan Sanctuary (Alaskan Wilderness #5). Teri Wilson. Love Inspired (2015). 217 pages. Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christian Fiction.

First Line: "'Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?'"

Summary (Goodreads): Piper Quinn is fighting for the future of her wolf sanctuary. A painful childhood has taught her to be more comfortable with animals than humans—especially the beautiful wolves of Aurora, Alaska. So when reporter Ethan Hale arrives to cover her struggling shelter—and deems the wolves a danger to the community—she's ready to prove him wrong. A former park ranger, Ethan's seen just enough tragedy to support his claim. Soon their difference of opinion is front-page news. And Piper and Ethan must reconcile their opposing views with their stubborn hearts that are quickly finding refuge in each other.

My thoughts:  Often when I go on vacation, I like to take books that have been sitting on my shelf for a while.  Alaskan Sanctuary met the criteria and sounded intriguing.  What I didn't realize until after I read the book, is that it is the final book in a series.  However, I never felt like I was missing anything during my reading.  Looking into the series a little more revealed that all the books take place in Alaska, but have different characters and scenarios.  

My interest was peaked from the very first page and I don't mean the first page of the story.  The author dedicated the book to the people and wolves at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center and went on to thank them in her acknowledgements.  That told me the author had done some research on wolves and I was in for a learning adventure.  I was not disappointed.

Piper Quinn has developed a heart for wolves and is working hard to find funding for her wolf sanctuary.  She has two wolves living in the sanctuary and has become friends with them.  If that sounds a little frightening to you, I understand, I felt the same way.  However, the author did a wonderful job of informing the reader about these magnificent animals and their habits and she did it all in a natural way through the main character's thoughts and dialogue with others. I liked Piper.  She is a lonely soul who has been hurt and is afraid to open up to others.  She has a big heart and has found solace in caring for the wolves.  

I wasn't sure what to think of Ethan Hale at first.  But as the story went on and we learned something about his past, I warmed up to him.  He is a man dealing with past pain that is informing the decisions he is making in the present.  I didn't blame Piper for not trusting him.  

There is a lot to work through when Ethan's article comes out and makes the wolf sanctuary seem like a danger to society.  Ethan soon realizes that he was hasty in his assessment of what Piper is doing and hopes to do with the sanctuary and amends need to be made.  There was also a mystery to solve and a bit of suspense.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this story set in Alaska.  I'm not sure I will go back and read the other books in the series, but I will definitely look for more books by Teri Wilson.

Quotes:

"She was consciously aware of the fact that she spent the majority of her time with wolves.  For the most part, she preferred it that way.  Wolves were easier to understand than most people.  Wolves had an organized, predictable social structure.  You knew where you stood with wolves.  Wolves didn't lie.  And they didn't keep secrets.  Not that they were particularly noble.  Like other animals, they were simply incapable of deception."

"The crisp morning air swirled with snowflakes as she led him down the path toward the wolf enclosures, their footsteps muffled by a blanket of pine needles." 

"Snow drifted down from a sky the color of glaciers in springtime and surrounded them in a feathery embrace.  The wind whispered through the lonely forest, and it sounded almost like a sigh. "

Book Review: Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg

Autumn by the Sea (Muir Harbor #1). Melissa Tagg. Larkspur Press (2021). 356 pages. Genre: Christian Fiction.

First Line of Prologue: "My Dearest Robert, Sometimes I think about how no one understands."

Summary:  Maggie Muir has been searching for her granddaughter for years.  The child was never located after an accident that killed her mother.  Maggie is convinced that the child is still alive and has used a private investigator to try and locate her.  

Sydney Rose was abandoned as a toddler and spent years in foster homes.  She has made a life for herself and her foster brother, but she often wonders what life would have been like if she had not been abandoned.  When Maggie's private investigator enters her life and suggests that she might be Maggie's granddaughter, Sydney Rose begins to hope.  

Neil MacKean was taken in by Maggie as a teenager.  He loves Muir Farm and feels like farming is his calling.  But he is suspicious of the latest "granddaughter" who shows up. She seems to be different from the others and Neil finds himself drawn to her.  However, he doesn't want Maggie to be hurt again.  

My thoughts:  This book drew me in immediately.  I fell in love with Muir Harbor and the farm that has seen better days.  I wanted to know if Maggie was finally going to find her granddaughter and if Sydney Rose would fit in.  I wanted to know how Neil, Lillian and Indi came to be taken in by Maggie and how does Wilder Monroe fit in the picture?

There are a lot of mysteries to be solved and the author did a great job of revealing them layer by layer.  In the process, we get to meet some really great characters.  Maggie has suffered much loss in her life, but she has also offered much hope to others.  However, she is not an open book and there is still much to learn about her. One thing we do know is that she is not willing to give up the search for her granddaughter until she is found, no matter the cost. 

In addition to the mysteries to be solved, there is a little romance, a little humor and realistic interactions of a family trying to get along. I enjoyed every minute of it.  The story has a satisfying ending, but not everything is solved.  There are a few loose ends that make me eager to get my hands on the next book in the series. 

Quotes:

"Trees burning with color, fiery red and orange and gold, lined the lane on one side, and up ahead, she could just make out the shape of the house."

"'I think Maggie would say that's what love does.  It keeps hoping even when the answers don't come easily.  It invites strangers in.  It doesn't give up.  Love keeps searching.'"

"Maybe she was here because God had led her here.  Laid a path for her feet and whispered for her to walk.  Maybe He hadn't forgotten her, after all."

Book Review: The Sweet Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Sweet Life (Cape Cod Creamery #1). Suzanne Woods Fisher. Fleming H. Revell Company (2022). 308 pages. Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction. 

First Line: "Dawn parked in front of her childhood home in Needham but couldn't make herself get out of the car."

Summary:  Dawn Dixon never expected to spend her honeymoon without her groom and with her mother.  But that is exactly what she finds herself doing.  After breaking their engagement just two months before the wedding, Kevin offered their hotel reservations to Dawn saying they were already paid for and no refund was possible.  So, Dawn took him up on the offer and decided to invite her mom, Marnie Dixon, to come along.  Dawn's father passed away less than a year ago, so she figures her mom could use some time away.  

The two of them are doing their best to rest and heal.  But when Marnie buys an old, run-down ice cream shop, Dawn thinks her mom is crazy.  Or maybe in denial.  After the initial shock and frustration wear off, Dawn agrees to stay just for the summer and help her mom get the shop cleaned up. In order to do that though, Dawn will need to take a leave of absence from her job in Boston.  Dawn has been working her way up the ladder of an accounting firm and is poised to make partner.  Staying in Cape Cod will most likely mean giving up the partnership.  Will spending the summer helping her mom be worth the loss of the partnership?  Dawn can't imagine it will, but it feels like the right thing to do.  As the two of them begin working on the overwhelming clean up and restoration, Dawn learns that there is more to life than climbing ladders. 

My thoughts: The Sweet Life was such a great read!  I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end.  The book jacket lists it as Contemporary Romance.  I'm not sure that I would classify it that way.  There is some romance, but it is actually pretty minor.   It is mostly about a mother and daughter who have very different personalities learning to work together and appreciate one another.  

Dawn Dixon is the type of woman who plans everything and follows the plan.  She has a hard time working off of her plan because that might mean she will not reach her goals. She is known as a hard worker and has earned the name Teflon Dawn.  

Marnie Dixon, on the other hand, likes to be spontaneous and decide what strikes her fancy in the moment.  She is very creative and can sometimes be impulsive.  Dawn has a hard time trusting her to do what she says she will do.

There are some great supporting characters as well.  Lincoln Hayes, a local who volunteers on a daily basis to various charitable causes.  He gives his afternoons to helping Dawn and Marnie get the creamery ready for opening day.  Leo the Cowboy, a five-year-old who loves ice cream and is always a willing taster.  Nanette, owner of the t-shirt shop across the street.  If there is anything you need to know about anyone, Nanette is your gal.  Mrs. Nickerson-Eldredge, descendent of the original founders of the town.  It is her job to reinforce the historical standards of the town.  

Dawn and Marnie develop a rhythm to their days.  Basically they stay out of one another's way.  But, as they are working independently, they are also growing and changing and healing.  Some of the themes in the book are grief, fear, disappointment, determining what is really important in life, patience, friendship, the role of faith and stepping out of your comfort zone. Even though Dawn and Marnie have been through some very difficult situations, there is a thread of hope that runs through the entire story.  

Thankfully, this is the first book of a planned series because I was not quite ready to leave Dawn, Marnie and the rest of the cast quite yet.  I will be eagerly awaiting the next book.

Quotes: 

"Chatham was a walkable town.  Quaint, tree-lined, utterly charming."

"It was the only way to really know a place - to walk it."

"'Living one day at a time brings a wonderful freedom.  Most people live in the past or the future."

Book Review: Sunrise by Susan May Warren

Sunrise (Sky King Ranch #1). Susan May Warren. Fleming H. Revell (2022). 368 pages. Genre:  Christian Fiction, Adventure, Romance.

First Line: "By the time Dodge got to the hospital, he'd already broken his first promise."

Summary:  When Dodge left Copper Mountain ten years ago, he made himself some promises.  One was that he would never return.  After receiving a phone call from his sister telling him their father had been in a accident, Dodge had no choice but to return to Copper Mountain.  Fortunately, his father was only injured, but he will need some help at the ranch for a while.  Dodge agrees to stay for a few weeks, but then he is leaving.

Echo Yazzie dreamed of leaving Copper Mountain for Anchorage or maybe even the lower 48.  She loves the Alaska wilderness and thought she might want to get a degree in Biology.  But if she left, her father would be alone.  To be honest, she wasn't sure she was ready to leave him.  She has made a life for herself raising and training sled dogs, gardening and guiding research expeditions in the wilds of Alaska.  

There was a time when Dodge and Echo thought they would spend their lives together.  Now it has been ten years since they have seen one another.  When a fellow researcher goes missing, Dodge and Echo have to work together to find her before it's too late.

My thoughts:  This is the beginning of a new series by Susan May Warren.  She excels at creating characters who are true heroes.  That is not to say that these characters don't have flaws, they definitely do.  But what makes them heroes is that they are willing to sacrifice for others and often choose to do what is right, rather than what is convenient.  They are relatable because they are not perfect, they make mistakes along the way and often mess things up.  

Something happened ten years ago that caused Dodge to leave.  He was hurt in many ways and promised himself he would never come back.  His story is revealed layer by layer as we watch him interact with the people in his home town.  He is home because it's the right thing to do.  His dad has been injured and can't fly his delivery route.  Dodge will take over until he can fly again.  He really doesn't want to see anyone from his past, especially Echo Yazzie.

Echo also has hurts in her past.  She loves Alaska and she really does love her life there.  But there is a part of her that wonders "what if".  Her dad has been struggling.  He loves wildlife and has spent many years rehabilitating animals that were injured.  But recently he has been making some bad choices - drinking and getting into fights.  Echo has her hands full.

The Alaska wilderness plays a huge part in the story.  The beauty and rawness of the landscape really comes through.  As Echo's fellow researcher goes missing, the elements prove to be the biggest adversary.  In fact, this was one of those books that I got so absorbed in, that the intrusion of real life was jarring. I didn't want to put it down, but I also didn't want it to end. 

Themes of forgiveness, second chances, faith and love dominate the story.  There is a lot to love about it and I highly recommend it. 

Book Review: At Lighthouse Point by Suzanne Woods Fisher

At Lighthouse Point (Three Sisters Island #3). Suzanne Woods Fisher. Revell (2021).  314 pages. Genre:  Christian Fiction; Contemporary. 

First Lines:  "It was a long way home.  Blaine Grayson stood on the bow of the Never Late Ferry to fully appreciate this moment of coming home, breathing deeply of the salty ocean air, listening to the screech of seagulls, the hum of the lobster boat engines as they chugged toward the dock with the day's catch."

Summary:  Two years ago Blaine Grayson left Three Sisters Island for Paris.  She needed to put some space between herself and her family.  Her dad and two sisters were all living on Three Sisters Island and had begun to build lives for themselves there.  Her dad had realized his dream of reopening Camp Kicking Moose and her two sisters had recently married.  Blaine needed to find her place in the world.  

Now she is returning to Three Sisters Island.  Blaine had always loved cooking and was often praised for her skill in the kitchen.  While she was away, she had the opportunity to attend Le Cordon Bleu and become a chef.  Now she is looking forward to redesigning the kitchen at Camp Kicking Moose and beginning full service dining for the campers.  But when she arrives, things are not as she expected.  Things have changed.  People have changed. Her dad and her sister went ahead and had the kitchen redone as a surprise for her.  The only problem is, they had no idea what needs to go into a commercial kitchen and didn't bother to find out.  Blaine is disappointed, but doesn't want to express her disappointment to her family.  Instead, she makes excuses for spending her time elsewhere.  Will Blaine be able to make her family see that it will be impossible to use the kitchen to serve guests of the camp?  Does she truly belong on Three Sisters Island?

My thoughts:  The Three Sisters Island series is filled with great characters, lots of family drama and a setting that is memorable.  

The focus of this story is Blaine.  She is the youngest of three sisters.  As the story opens, we know that she is returning after having been away for two years.  She is excited to return and has brought a friend with her.  The friend is a young French man whom everyone assumes is her boyfriend.  It is only as the story unfolds that we learn her true relationship with him.  I really like Blaine's character in this story.  In the previous two books, I sometimes felt she was a bit immature.  She has definitely grown and continues to grow throughout the story.  

All of the regular characters from the previous novels return as well and each of them continues to grow.  The family has some difficult circumstances to work through and I loved watching them interact.  There are a couple of new characters this time as well.  Jean-Paul, the young French man that came home with Blaine and Walter Grayson, Blaine's grandad, who has been estranged from the family for many years.  Poor Jean-Paul seems to be very accident prone and becomes thoroughly unFrench while visiting.  Walter Grayson is very secretive as to why he has come and how long he intends to stay. There is some romance in the story, but it is not the focus.  

Some of the themes include managing our expectations, accepting circumstances that come into our lives, the power of prayer, recognizing our gifts, and finding the right balance between work and rest. 

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an amazing writer who always leaves me pondering what I have read. 

Quotes:

"She loved this moment!  It made her feel terribly insignificant to face the power of the open sea, and yet also full of awe.  So filled with the intense awareness that she was in the presence of something greater than herself."

"She hadn't seen Maeve since Christmas and was happy to see she looked just the same.  Maeve never changed, and Maddie was so grateful for that.  Grateful for everything about her mother-in-law.  Her strength, her solidness, her faith.  Calm and comforting."

Book Review: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Reading List. Sara Nisha Adams. William Morrow (2021). 384 pages. Genre: Fiction, Contemporary. 

First Lines of Prologue: "2017. The doors are new: Automatic open. Fancy. That has changed since Aidan was here last."

Summary:  Mukesh, a widower with three daughters, is still struggling with grief over the loss of his wife.  She always loved to read.  Mukesh never understood this love, but maybe if he tries reading one of her books he will feel closer to her.  When his daughters find one of her books under the bed, a library book, he decides to read it before returning it.

Aleisha works at the local library.  It was a job her older brother recommended to her.  The problem is Aleisha doesn't read.  It is her brother who loves to read.  So when Mukesh arrives at the library asking for recommendations for something to read, Aleisha doesn't know what to tell him.  She feels guilty for treating him rudely and determines to remedy the situation by reading the first book from a handwritten list she found in a library book.  The next time Mukesh comes into the library, Aleisha is able to recommend To Kill a Mockingbird to him.  The reading list creates a bond between them and helps them both to overcome difficulties in their lives. 

My thoughts: The storyline of this book is very unique.  It revolves around a handwritten reading list found by one of the characters.  This is the thread that weaves the story together.  Also, the layout of the book is a bit unique.  The book is separated into sections named after a book on the list and follows the characters as they are reading that particular book.  Within each section, each chapter is labeled with a character's name and sometimes a date.  This sounds like it could be confusing, but was very easy to follow.

The characters are wonderful.  They are complicated, deep and full of life.  Mukesh is still grieving the loss of his wife and feels adrift.  His daughters treat him like he is old and feeble.  He feels lonely and wishes he had a deeper relationship with his daughters and grandchildren. Aleisha has a difficult home life, but it is all she knows.  Her father left several years ago and since then her mom has not been the same.  She has good days and bad days.  But more often, her days are bad.  Aleisha and her older brother, Aidan, take care of her.  They both have jobs to support the family and one of them must be home at all times.  It is a lot for a seventeen year old to handle.  

The importance of books to bring people together is the main theme in this story.  The author did an outstanding job of showing this.  Some of the other themes are grief, loneliness, family - both biological and found, friendship and stepping out of your comfort zone.  

There is content that might be a concern to some - suicide, mental illness and some profanity.

Overall, this is a heartwarming, hopeful story full of deep, interesting characters.  

Quotes:

"The city had been so large, so vast and lonely sometimes, finding lists was like finding tiny moments of human connection, where she could prove that the silent strangers who walked past her, avoiding eye contact, were people too.  They wrote shopping lists, they planned their dinners, they added some treats in every so often - the lists grounded her."

"'Please try to remember that books aren't always an escape; sometimes books teach us things. They show us the world; they don't hide it."

Book Review: The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island. Colleen Oakley. Berkley (2021). 368 pages. Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary.

First Line: "At first when Piper scanned the docks and didn't see the familiar rickety white-pine-and-fir fisherman's trawler, she thought nothing of it."

Summary:  Piper Parrish has a near perfect life.  She is married to her best friend, lives on a small island in Chesapeake Bay and is surrounded by people who love her.  When her husband's boat is found after a storm with no trace of him, she is devastated.  She knows that Tom would never leave her, so she copes the only way she knows how.  She imagines that he is with her and goes about her daily life as it was before Tom disappeared.  The townspeople love her so much, and realize that everyone grieves differently, so they go along with the charade.  One day, reporter Anders Caldwell, is sent to the island to cover their annual cake-walk.  While there he befriends Piper and becomes fascinated with the island.  He returns to the island under the cover of doing research for a podcast, and soon befriends many of the residents.  However, Anders is hiding something and when the people of Frick Island discover his secret, they have a hard time forgiving him.

My thoughts:  When I heard about this book some of the things that caught my attention were: quirky characters, an island in Chesapeake Bay, the fascinating premise and several reviewers who said they loved it. I have to admit, I really enjoyed this one. 

While the story does include some difficult topics - death, grief, mental illness, inclusion - it never gets heavy. Along with those difficult topics were themes of friendship, found family, love, kindness, and patience with others.  I loved the hopeful thread that wound its way through the entire story.  And the island itself captured my imagination.  Once I started reading the book I found it hard to put down.  I just had to know what happened.  Why did the townspeople go along with Piper's charade?  What was going to happen when they found out about Ander's secret?

While this is not a mystery, it does contain several mystery elements.  Some reviewers have called this a romance.  There is some romance in the story, but it is just a part of the full story.  It is a well-written novel with interesting characters that will steal your heart.  I don't want to give too much away.  The less you know going in the better, I think.

Don't miss the author's note at the end of the book talking about her inspiration for the island.

If you are in the mood for a light-hearted, captivating read, I highly recommend The Invisible Husband of Frick Island.

Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Gail Honeyman. Viking (2017). 336 pages. Genre:  Contemporary Fiction.

First Lines:  "When people ask me what I do - taxi drivers, dental hygienists - I tell them I work in an office.  In almost nine years, no one's ever asked what kind of office, or what sort of job I do there."

Summary:  Eleanor Oliphant is a woman who prefers things to stay the same.  Every day she eats the same breakfast, takes the same route to work, does the same work, eats the same lunch, goes home to the same flat and eats the same dinner.  Every Wednesday she has a phone call with Mummy.  She is completely fine.  She doesn't need anything else.  One day when Raymond, a  man who works in IT, strikes up a conversation with her, a real conversation, she finds herself enjoying it.  She doesn't remember the last time she had a real conversation with anyone.  When she and Raymond find themselves in a situation where they must save a man's life, she finds her heart softening even more.  Ultimately, it is these friendships that will save her life.

My thoughts:  I like quirky characters.  Eleanor is definitely a quirky character.  However, it took me many pages to warm up to her.  At first, she was just really odd.  But as the story moves along, we finally get a glimpse of some tenderness in her.  She becomes likeable.  I'm glad I didn't give up on her.  

Eleanor's life is void of human contact, she is lonely.  But, she doesn't think she is lonely.  Sometimes she will admit that it would be nice to have a friend.  Mostly she avoids relationships because they cause pain.  She has gone through a lot of difficulty in her life and survived.  However, in order to get through the loneliness of the weekend, she often relies on vodka.  There is some heavy subject matter is this book, but the book never feels heavy.  Eleanor is funny and very relatable.  We have all found ourselves in situations like she has.  

I really liked Raymond.  He is just an ordinary guy, well an ordinary IT guy.  But he is kind and gentle and a true friend.  He is patient with Eleanor even when she is being very difficult. 

This story shows the power of friendship, kindness and unconditional love in a person's life.  It was these glimpses that I loved most in the story.

"She was, quite simply, a nice lady who'd raised a family and now lived quietly with her cats and grew vegetables.  This was both nothing and everything."

"There was birdsong, a descant over the sounds of a television drifting through an open window. Everything felt safe, everything felt normal.  How different Raymond's life had been from mine - a proper family, a mother and a father and a sister, nestled among other proper families."

"I realized that such small gestures - the way his mother had made me a cup of tea after our meal without asking, remembering that I didn't take sugar, the way Laura had placed two little biscuits on the saucer when she brought me coffee in the salon - such things could mean so much."

If you like quirky characters or stories of friendship and hope, give Eleanor Oliphant a try.

Book Review: The Solid Grounds Coffee Company by Carla Laureano

The Solid Grounds Coffee Company (The Supper Club #3). Carla Laureano. Tyndale House (2020). 432 pages. Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance. 

First Lines: Prologue: "By all accounts, Suesca was haunted.  From everything Bryan Shaw had seen, he believed it.  But for him, it wasn't the spirits of the dead that hovered over this small Colombian town.  It was the memory of the living."

Summary:  Bryan Shaw is a professional climber with a sponsorship.  That means he spends his time doing what he loves most without needing a day job to support himself.  As much as he loves traveling and climbing, he is beginning to realize that something is missing from his life.  Three years ago, he asked the woman he loved to marry him.  She said, "No".  Since that day, he has made one bad decision after another trying to fill the void in his life. He often thinks about Vivian and wonders what went wrong.  So, when she shows up unexpectedly in Suesca, Bryan is happy to see her. Unfortunately, his happiness is short lived.  After spending the night with him, Vivian reveals she is engaged to be married to Bryan's friend and CEO of his largest sponsor.  It is not long before his sponsorship is dropped and Bryan is without the means to make a living. A chance encounter in a bar leads Bryan to become a translator for a coffee import company that helps farmers shift from growing coca to growing coffee.  

Most would describe Ana Sanchez as beautiful, bold and efficient.  These traits come in handy in her work as crisis management associate at Denver's largest publicity firm.  She spends her days cleaning up messes and creating images for her high profile clients. She is good at what she does.  But when she makes the decision to involve the authorities in one of her client's situations, her boss decides she needs to take an extended leave of absence.  

When Bryan returns to Denver looking for a place to set up a coffee roastery, he asks Ana to help him out.  Ana has nothing better to do with her days, so she agrees to help Bryan.  He is the best friend of her best friend's fiancee.  Unfortunately, his reputation precedes him.  Ana is determined to keep her distance while helping him get his company going.  But, as she gets to know him better, she realizes that he has changed.  There is more to him than she has given him credit for.  

My thoughts:  This is the third book in the Supper Club series.  However, it could be read as a stand alone.  The Saturday Night Supper Club and Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe tell the stories of Ana's two best friends, Rachel and Melody.  You would miss their stories, but while they both make appearances in this book, you don't need to know their stories to enjoy this one. 

This was an interesting, multi-layered read.  One of the layers is the process of setting up a coffee roastery from scratch.  This involves finding a warehouse to house the roastery, obtaining a roaster, finding a supplier of good quality coffee beans, and then learning to roast the beans.  Once you have figured out all the nuances of roasting, you must market your product and figure out how to get it into the hands of customers. It is a complicated, intricate process that I enjoyed learning something about. I love to have a good cup of coffee in the morning, so I really appreciate all of the people and processes that make this possible! 

Another layer is the lives of Bryan and Ana.  Bryan is truly a good guy, with great parents, who was deeply hurt and didn't know how to deal with that.  He turned to a lifestyle of living loosely, hoping this would fill the void in his life.  What he found, however, is that he felt even emptier.  I appreciated the way he took responsibility for his actions and was willing to pay the consequences while also making better choices moving forward.  

Ana has a tender heart underneath her exterior of highly driven, perfectionist personality. She works hard to keep herself in shape, she is one of the best crisis management associates in her office, she always looks flawless.  The only time she slows down is when she occasionally gets together with her best friends for camaraderie and some kind of indulgent pastry.  While most would think she has it all together, she realizes she is trying to portray an image that may not truly be her.  I found her to be very relatable. 

The bulk of the story takes place in Denver.  The author gives us a glimpse into the hipster, foodie scene there.  I enjoyed this in the other two books as well.  Denver is another place I have never been, but feel like I have a sense of it after reading these novels.  Bryan and Ana take a trip to St. Louis, which is somewhere I have been, and it was fun to see some of the places I have visited through their eyes. 

The story takes several twists and turns, both in the roasting business and Bryan and Ana's personal lives, before the conclusion.  I have enjoyed all three books in the series.  If you enjoy flawed characters who try to live better lives, if you are looking for a contemporary story set in the US or you would like to learn something about the process of growing and roasting coffee, I recommend you give this book a try.

Book Review: The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay

The Printed Letter Bookshop. Katherine Reay. Thomas Nelson (2019). 324 pages.  Genre: Contemporary, Christian Fiction, Women's Fiction.

First Lines:  "People parted around us in the courtyard.  No one stopped to say anything - why would they? No one had ever seen us before."

Summary:  Madeline Cullen is a rising lawyer in the Chicago area.  She anticipates being made a partner very soon.  However, the firm has different ideas.  When the partner position is given to a man at the firm, Madeline hands in her resignation.  She immediately has doubts, but realizes you only get one shot at becoming partner.  She has no plans for what to do next.

Her aunt recently passed away.  She attended the funeral with her parents.  Madeline has wonderful memories of spending time with her aunt and uncle when she was young.  However, there was a disagreement between her dad and aunt which led to the families not spending time together.  Madeline was loyal to her dad, but her own memories of her aunt are different than the aunt her dad seems to be portraying.  When Madeline receives a phone call from her aunt's lawyer letting her know that her aunt's house and bookshop have been left to her, she is stunned.  She doesn't want it.  She is a lawyer who lives in the city, not a bookshop owner.  

Madeline has no choice but to go visit the bookshop and the house to figure out what needs to be done to get them ready to sell.  However, she immediately feels at home in her aunt's house and is drawn to the bookshop.  The more time she spends there, the more she wants to stay.  

There are two women who work at the bookshop and loved Aunt Maddie, Claire and Janet.  At first they are polite, but cold toward Madeline.  She realizes how much they loved her aunt and feels remorse that she didn't spend more time with her.  But how could she without betraying her dad?  The bookshop is very important to both Claire and Janet.  Madeline begins to catch their vision.  Can the women work together to keep the bookshop afloat, or are they too late?

My thoughts:  There are so many things to like about this story.  First, much of the book takes place in a bookshop and the characters are surrounded by books.  The characters are likeable and the relationships between them are rich and deep.  While this is a feel good story in many ways, the characters deal with some significant difficulties.

The bookshop is an amazing place that people enjoy.  There is so much of Aunt Maddie in the shop.  She loved people and always made them feel welcome.  Along with her will, Maddie left an envelope for Claire, Janet and Madeline.  In each envelope was a list of books to read.  The lists were personalized based on what Maddie knew of each one and what she thought they needed.  How I would love to see those lists!  The author tells us that each list was a love letter that must be kept private.  However, some of the books each character is reading are mentioned as well as many other books.  The author has included a list of all the books mentioned.

Madeline, Claire and Janet all grow in significant ways throughout the story.  Each of them becomes a better person and deals with some things that were keeping them from being the best person they could be.  They also become great friends.  One of the major themes in the book is forgiveness and along with that, apology.  

Madeline's relationship with her parents is really good, but it also grows in the course of the story.  She is able to see her mom as a person and not just "mom".  She respects her dad and is still loyal to him even as she begins to understand what happened between her aunt and dad.

Claire is married and has two children who are teenagers.  She struggles with finding her place in life now that her kids don't need her as much.  Claire loves working at the Printed Letter Bookshop, but her daughter seems to resent it.  Claire struggles with the way her daughter seems to be pulling away and is not sure what to do about it.  She and her husband love one another, but so much of their focus is on their kids these days.

Janet was recently divorced and is still struggling with guilt from that.  Her children seem distant as well and she blames herself for ruining their family.  

This was a deep, moving story full of books, friendship, forgiveness and a touch of romance.  I highly recommend it.