Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS by Kristy Woodson Harvey
/14 Comments/by Suzanne
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.
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My selection for this week is THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Those who have followed my blog for a while know that I’m a big fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s novels. Her Peachtree Bluff series is a favorite of mine, full of heart and southern charm, but I’ve read seven of her novels so far and have loved them all. I honestly didn’t even have to read the synopsis of her latest to know it would be a must-read for me, but wow, it sounds like it has the potential to become my new favorite!
THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Publication Date: July 11, 2023 by Gallery Books
From Goodreads:
Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.
Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.
June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.
Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.
But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.
From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” (E! Online), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood—and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂
Top Ten Tuesday – My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023
/43 Comments/by Suzanne
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Most Anticipated Releases of the First Half of 2023. This is always an easy topic just because, of course, there are always so many books that I’m excited to get my hands on. I have ARCs for several of these so I’m glad I don’t have to wait too long to dive into them. As always, it’s a mix of romance and historical fiction, with just a hint of thrillers and fantasy.
My Most Anticipated Releases of the First Half of 2023
1. FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN by Elle Cosimano – “Author and single mom Finlay Donovan has been in messes before―after all, she’s a pro at removing bloodstains for various unexpected reasons―but none quite like this. When Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they had “borrowed” in the process of saving the life of Finlay’s ex-husband, the Russian mob did her a favor and bought the car for her. And now Finlay owes them.”
2. THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren – “Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script—from the New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners .”
3. CODE NAME SAPPHIRE by Pam Jenoff – “A woman must rescue her cousin’s family from a train bound for Auschwitz in this riveting tale of bravery and resistance, from the bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris.“
4. HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry – “A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.”
5. THE PARIS DAUGHTER by Kristin Harmel – “From the bestselling author of the “heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism” (People) The Book of Lost Names comes a gripping historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of the Nazi occupation.”
6. THE GOLDEN DOVES by Martha Hall Kelly – “Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.”
7. IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS by T.J. Klune – “New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.”
8. YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez – “A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match from “a true talent” (Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author).”
9. THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis – “New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and the glamorous Radio City Music Hall. . .”
10. LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood – “Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.”
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Question: Are you planning to read any of these?
Reviews: EXES & O’s and THE BACKUP PLAN
/23 Comments/by Suzanne
Hey everyone! Today I’m back to share reviews from two authors who were new-to-me in 2022, Amy Lea and Jill Shalvis. I enjoyed my first time reading them so much that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on their newest releases. I’m thrilled to report that I’m still just as enamored with their writing as I was last year.
Exes and O's (The Influencer, #2) Goodreads
Author: Amy Lea
Publication Date: January 10, 2023
Publisher: Berkley
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Exes & O’s is the second book in Amy Lea’s The Influencer series. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, which featured a fitness influencer, but as soon as I saw the Exes & O’s features a romance book reviewer as its protagonist, I knew I was going to love it!
Tara Chen is all about romance. She loves to read romance novels, and she has her own Bookstagram account where she reviews books and goes live to talk about her favorite romance tropes. Tara is practically a living, breathing heart eye emoji, but although she loves everything about love and romance, has had little to no luck in her own personal life. She has had her heart broken ten times and each time, she was the one getting dumped, and was often told it was because she was too clingy.
Even with all her bad luck in the romance department, Tara remains convinced her one true love is out there. She just has to find him. Tara is a bit gun shy about putting herself out there with total strangers, however, and decides a second chance romance with one of her exes is the way to go. She begins to seek out each of her exes, documenting her progress on her Bookstagram account. As she embarks on this new adventure, Tara is also in the process of moving in with a new roommate, thanks to her last breakup leaving her homeless. Unlike Tara, her new roommate Trevor, a sexy firefighter from Boston, has no interest in love and romance. Even with his dislike of romance, Trevor can’t resist Tara’s charms and soon finds himself enlisted to help Tara find her second chance romance.
Oh my goodness, guys, this story was freaking adorable! I truly adored Tara. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is just so precious. I loved both her passion for romance and her passion for all things junk food, both of which led to some pretty hilarious moments between herself and Trevor. My heart also broke for her because she was so unlucky in love and almost all of her exes sounded like complete jerks. I practically screamed at the book when she announced her plan to try to reconnect with one of them because OMG, they already broke her heart once. Why would she let them get close enough to do it again?
As much as I adored Tara, I think I loved Trevor even more. He may be the grump to Tara’s sunshine, but it becomes pretty obvious within a few days of them living together that he is actually a cinnamon roll who would do absolutely anything to put a smile on Tara’s face. The two of them were just so cute together and their scenes were filled with fun and sexy banter. I was rooting for Tara to ditch her exes plan and jump Trevor’s bones from almost the beginning and so were Tara’s Bookstagram followers when he accidentally appears in one of her livestreams, haha!
The journey to Tara’s true love is definitely a slow burn one, but the pay off is worth the wait and the ending was so sweet, it had me crying happy tears. Exes & O’s was the perfect sweet and swoony rom-com to kick off my 2023 reading year with, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the friends to lovers and grumpy/sunshine romances. 4.5 STARS
The Backup Plan (Sunrise Cove, #3) Goodreads
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The Backup Plan is the third book in Jill Shalvis’ Sunrise Cove series, and as much as I enjoyed the first two books, I think this one is my favorite. It’s a heartwarming story about love and loss, family and friendships, and above all, about forgiveness and second chances.
The story follows Alice, Lauren, and Knox, who all grew up around the same time in Sunrise Cove. Alice and Lauren were best friends who became estranged after Will, Alice’s brother and Lauren’s then boyfriend, was killed in a car accident. While Lauren stayed in Sunrise Cove, Alice left, vowing to never return. Knox, while not involved in any of the drama surrounding Alice and Lauren, has emotional baggage of his own related to Sunrise Cove and he, like Alice, left with no plans to return. Knox also happens to be the guy Alice had a not-so-secret crush on when she was a teenager. It has been years since they have all seen each other but when the three of them co-inherit an inn, courtesy of a woman named Eleanor, an awkward reunion is thrust upon them and they each must face ghosts from their past as they come together to renovate and reopen the inn.
Everything about this story captivated me, especially the emotional and awkward moments between Lauren and Alice. The tension between the two of them is palpable throughout the story, as each of them remembers how they used to be as close as sisters, and because they know they’re going to have to eventually confront each other and talk about what happened to drive them apart. Knox is often caught in the middle, doing what he can to try to diffuse the tension between the two women. He also has awkward feelings of his own that he’s dealing with, however, namely that he very much reciprocates the crush Alice had on him back in the day. Now is not the time for romance though…or is it?
As much as I loved getting to know Alice, Lauren, and Knox firsthand, I also loved getting to see them through the eyes of Eleanor. We never actually meet Eleanor, as she is already deceased when the story opens, but she is truly the driving force behind the story. Eleanor was a childless woman who was practically a second mother to both Alice and Knox, while Lauren was the grand niece she loved but never got to know because Lauren’s father cut Eleanor out of their lives. Through a series of email drafts she has left behind on an iPad, Eleanor slowly reveals to Alice, Lauren, and Knox why she left each of them a portion of the inn, why they were so important to her, and why she thought they needed each other.
It’s not all heavy emotion and drama though. The story also has some downright hilarious moments as Alice, Lauren, and Knox work to get the inn into shape in time for a grand reopening Eleanor had set into motion before her death. I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud at the three of them and their antics.
If you’re looking for an engrossing story filled with both heart and humor, you’re going to want to add The Backup Plan to your TBR. 4 STARS