Title: Summer Secrets
Author: Jane Green
Published: June 23, 2015 by St. Martin's Press
Pages: 308
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

June, 1998: At twenty seven, Catherine Coombs, also known as Cat, is struggling. She lives in London, works as a journalist, and parties hard. Her lunchtimes consist of several glasses of wine at the bar downstairs in the office, her evenings much the same, swigging the free booze and eating the free food at a different launch or party every night. When she discovers the identity of the father she never knew she had, it sends her into a spiral. She makes mistakes that cost her the budding friendship of the only women who have ever welcomed her. And nothing is ever the same after that.

June, 2014: Cat has finally come to the end of herself. She no longer drinks. She wants to make amends to those she has hurt. Her quest takes her to Nantucket, to the gorgeous summer community where the women she once called family still live. Despite her sins, will they welcome her again? What Cat doesn’t realize is that these women, her real father’s daughters, have secrets of their own. As the past collides with the present, Cat must confront the darkest things in her own life and uncover the depths of someone’s need for revenge.

My review:

Another great story by Jane Green, this one takes on a heavy topic....alcoholism. Told in two different time frames, the story weaves back and forth between the summer Cat learns about her real father, and the summer she goes back to Nantucket to right her wrongs. Cat was a character that you may want to shake at times, but you can't help but root for. Green does a wonderful job tackling the subject of addiction, and its toll not just on the addict, but also on family and friends. Great setting of Nantucket, it made me feel like I was there. There were several secondary characters who maybe could have been a bit more developed, but this was a story about Cat and her struggles, so the story still flowed without it. As is the case with Green's novels, things work out in the end, perhaps a bit too well (and maybe a bit too rushed), but I like my endings to be tidy, so I was ok with it.

Overall a good summer read, although with a darker subject than normal summer fare. Another success for Jane Green!

I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon with Jane Green on the book's release date. What a lovely lady, and I could listen to her English accent all day!

Title: The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street
Author: Susan Jane Gilman
Published: June 10, 2014 by Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 505
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

In 1913, little Malka Treynovsky flees Russia with her family. Bedazzled by tales of gold and movie stardom, she tricks them into buying tickets for America. Yet no sooner do they land on the squalid Lower East Side of Manhattan, than Malka is crippled and abandoned in the street.

Taken in by a tough-loving Italian ices peddler, she manages to survive through cunning and inventiveness. As she learns the secrets of his trade, she begins to shape her own destiny. She falls in love with a gorgeous, illiterate radical named Albert, and they set off across America in an ice cream truck. Slowly, she transforms herself into Lillian Dunkle, "The Ice Cream Queen" -- doyenne of an empire of ice cream franchises and a celebrated television personality.

Lillian's rise to fame and fortune spans seventy years and is inextricably linked to the course of American history itself, from Prohibition to the disco days of Studio 54. Yet Lillian Dunkle is nothing like the whimsical motherly persona she crafts for herself in the media. Conniving, profane, and irreverent, she is a supremely complex woman who prefers a good stiff drink to an ice cream cone. And when her past begins to catch up with her, everything she has spent her life building is at stake.

My review:

Where to begin with Malka/Lillian? In one moment I would be in love with her personality, her drive, her passion for making it in the world, and the next I would think what a mean lady. Couple that with the horribleness of her childhood, and my emotions were all over the place. This is a story of one lady who is the quintessential "rags to riches" story, but not without a ton of ups and downs along the way. This is Malka/Lillians story (told in the first person), which takes place over about 70 years. There are brief sections in the present day, but for the most part we are taken back through her life from the time she is 5 years old. I loved the writing style of the author, I was interested in all the historical events that are touched upon, but mostly I was fascinated by Lillian (her good and her bad parts). What an amazing life this lady lived. Every time she was faced with adversity (and she was faced with a lot), she would get back up again and make lemonade from lemons!

Don't go into this expecting a sweet story about ice cream making, go into it expecting a heck of a story about a woman who like a boxer in the ring, is tough and gets back up again after every punch knocks her down.

Thanks to Tiffany at Grand Central Publishing, I have a paperback copy of The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street to giveaway! Follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below for you chance to win a copy. US residents only.

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Title: Maybe In Another Life
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published: July 7, 2015 by Washington Square Press
Pages: 352
Source: BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

My review:

I loved the concept of this novel. It's told in alternating chapters, based on one decision from one night in Hannah's life. The interesting aspect was that while Hannah's life was radically different, the author kept aspects in her friends and family's lives the same. The reader gets two versions of the same story, and while I did find one part of one of the endings a little implausible (the way that she met one of the guys at a later time was a bit of a stretch), it was really clever that both stories ended at the same event. Good writing kept this story interesting, even though we "relived" some of the same events in those around Hannah more than once. I honestly did not have a preference for which story I hoped was the one she ultimately would have picked.

A really engrossing read that gets the reader thinking about how a simple choice in our life can lead us down a completely different path. Do you believe in fate, or chance? Is there such a thing as a soul mate? Great questions that this book will have you pondering.

I received a copy of this book from BookSparks, as part of their Summer Reading Challenge. Click the link for info about all of the books selected.

Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Author: Kevin Kwan
Published: May 20, 2014 by Anchor (paperback)
Pages: 527
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.

On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.

My review:

I was chuckling at the author's descriptions before I had read past the first page! This was a fun, satirical look at the super rich of Singapore. However, despite their wealth, we soon see that a lot of these people have the same issues plaguing many in our societies........mothers who interfere into their childrens' lives, gossipy neighbors, insecure women, and a hefty dose of canniving, canoodling, and cattiness! I can't say that this book really teaches you anything, and most of the characters were not anyone I'd want to know in real life, but I thought it was escapism to the highest degree. I think it was a bit lengthy, some of the descriptions of opulence did get wordy, but it sure was fun to imagine all those places and things.

There is a sequel to this book (it may end up being a trilogy?), so don't expect everything to be tied up nicely at the end. I'll be reading it for sure, I can't wait to find out what happens to Rachel and Nick.

If you are someone who doesn't like reading about those with extreme wealth (even though they are being called out for it), then this probably would not be a good fit for you. I thought it was crazy fun, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Title: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
Author: Joanne Fluke
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Published: 2001 by Recorded Books LLC
Length: 9 hrs 35 min
Source: Recorded Books
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads

In her first foray into the sleuthing game, resourceful, red-headed Hannah Swensen must find the right ingredients to solve two perplexing murders. One chilly morning on her way to The Cookie Jar, Hannah discovers Ron, the dairy delivery man, shot dead in his truck. When she begins to investigate, she suspects the dairy owner, but when he, too, is murdered, Hannah must look further afield for the culprit.

My review:

This was a quick and light read (listen). I did not know that it was the first in a series, and I think this is what is termed a cozy mystery? I liked the main character, loved the humorous portrayal of her mother, was annoyed at first by the sister, but she grew on me. The small town setting, where everyone knows everyone and everything, has been used frequently in books, but I kind of like it. I did enjoy trying to figure out the mystery along with Hannah, and of course I guessed the wrong killer 🙂 Hannah is a baker, and there are cookie recipes mentioned throughout the book that are included at the end of several chapters. While this works well for reading (you can skip over them or not), it was a bit of an annoyance to have to listen to the recipes. I thought the narrator did a good job with voicing all the various characters, although with so many, some of them did end up sounding the same.

Overall this was a good book. It worked well to listen to poolside, since it didn't require lots of concentration to keep up with the plot. I've seen lots more in the series, and I'm not sure that I would continue. If I did, it would perhaps be one of the latter ones, to see what happened in Hannah's life. This book makes a big point about how small the town is, I think it would start to bother me that there happen to be so many murders!

I received a download copy of this book at BEA from Recorded Books.

Title: The Blessings
Author: Elise Juska
Published: May 26, 2015 by Grand Central (paperback)
Pages: 288
Source: Grand Central Publishing
Rating: 3/5
Goodreads

Elise Juska's THE BLESSINGS is an extraordinary novel about an ordinary family. The Blessings rally around one another in times of celebration and those of sorrow, coming together for departures and arrivals, while its members harbor private struggles and moments of personal joy. College student Abby ponders homesickness in her first semester away from her Philadelphia home, while her cousin Stephen commits a petty act of violence that takes a surprising turn, and their aunt Lauren faces a crisis in her storybook marriage she could never have foreseen. Through the lens of one unforgettable family, this beautifully moving novel explores how our families define us and how we shape them in return.

My review:

This is a well developed story about a large Irish-Catholic family in the Philadelphia area that takes place over the course of about 20 years. The chapters are told in chronological order, but each one seems like a short story exploring one of the family members. You do get information about the others along the way, but it seems written in the style of short stories. I'm not a big fan of short stories, so this was a little off putting for me, but because of the fact that the stories were interwoven, I did get used to the format. While I applaud the author for her creativity in using this type of approach, it did affect my overall rating. I also felt that maybe there was a bit too much happening to this family to make it totally believable. It made for good storylines, but it seemed like they had an awful lot of traumatic events to overcome. I thought the writing was well done, even though the chapters were about different people, they did flow well within. The characters were all people that you could relate to, and I thought the large family dynamic was well done.

Overall I thought this was a good book, but the format was not my favorite. I think anyone wanting a good family saga who doesn't mind short stories, will like this one. I will definitely be on the lookout for future books by this author, I  thought she did a very good job with her characterizations.

Thanks to Tiffany at Grand Central Publishing for sending me a copy for review. As always, my opinions are my own.

Title: A Hundred Summers
Author: Beatriz Williams
Published: April 1, 2014 by Berkely (paperback)
Pages: 432
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak.

That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married—an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations. Budgie’s arrival to restore her family’s old house puts her once more in the center of the community’s social scene, and she insinuates herself back into Lily's friendship with an overpowering talent for seduction...and an alluring acquaintance from their college days, Yankees pitcher Graham Pendleton. But the ties that bind Lily to Nick are too strong and intricate to ignore, and the two are drawn back into long-buried dreams, despite their uneasy secrets and many emotional obligations.

Under the scorching summer sun, the unexpected truth of Budgie and Nick’s marriage bubbles to the surface, and as a cataclysmic hurricane barrels unseen up the Atlantic and into New England, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional cyclone of their own, which will change their worlds forever.

My review............5 stars

After reading blog after blog touting this as "the best beach read", this was the summer I was determined to see what all the talk was about. Well you can now count me in with my blog peers, because this book was fantastic! I really felt transported back to the 30's, the descriptions by the author were fantastic (but oh my, did people really drink and smoke that much back then?). It alternates back and forth between the time Lily and Nick were together, and the present summer at the beach. I could not wait to find out what happened between them, and how the summer was going to play out. There were a few more surprises thrown into the mix as well as the mystery of the ill fated lovers. I could see this as a movie, it reminded me of the old black and white movies from that era. There was an ease to the writing style that kept me fully engaged, I could almost see the scenes playing out on a movie screen in my head. I do admit that the ending felt a bit contrived, but at that point, I was so hooked that a measly few pages were not going to alter my view at all. This was my first book I've read by Ms. Williams, but it absolutely will not be the last!

Wonderful descriptions that make you feel like you are there watching the scenes play out, and feeling transported back in time. I loved this one, pick up a copy and join the club raving about this one.

The House on Mermaid Point (Ten Beach Road #3)

Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another—perhaps all too well—while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they’re putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies—although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie’s wildest fantasy once . . .

Rock-and-roll legend “William the Wild” Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he’s still worshiped by fans—which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys. He’s not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show . . . though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.

But whether it’s an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom.

~ Goodreads

If you want a story about women and friendship, the beach, and a renovation project thrown in, I recommend that you pick this one up. Don't say that you haven't been warned that one book could lead to four (+?) in the series 🙂

Every Fifteen Minutes

Dr. Eric Parrish is the Chief of the Psychiatric Unit at Havemeyer General Hospital outside of Philadelphia. Recently separated from his wife Alice, he is doing his best as a single Dad to his seven-year-old daughter Hannah. His work seems to be going better than his home life, however. His unit at the hospital has just been named number two in the country and Eric has a devoted staff of doctors and nurses who are as caring as Eric is. But when he takes on a new patient, Eric's entire world begins to crumble. Seventeen-year-old Max has a terminally ill grandmother and is having trouble handling it. That, plus his OCD and violent thoughts about a girl he likes makes Max a high risk patient. Max can't turn off the mental rituals he needs to perform every fifteen minutes that keep him calm. With the pressure mounting, Max just might reach the breaking point. When the girl is found murdered, Max is nowhere to be found. Worried about Max, Eric goes looking for him and puts himself in danger of being seen as a "person of interest" himself. Next, one of his own staff turns on him in a trumped up charge of sexual harassment. Is this chaos all random? Or is someone systematically trying to destroy Eric's life? New York Times best selling author Lisa Scottoline's visceral thriller, Every Fifteen Minutes,brings you into the grip of a true sociopath and shows you how, in the quest to survive such ruthlessness, every minute counts.