Category: Fiction

Eleanor Brown has crafted a novel with a new premise: a mother has birthed four children, placing them all up for adoption. The three families that agree to adopt the siblings then form a new family, where they spend holidays together, along with the birth mother, Briana. Vacations, birthdays, really any event of importance, are also celebrated as a group. The idea is to raise the siblings together to keep their familial bond. But when the birth mother is again pregnant, the families need to scout out a yet another couple to join their circle. Of course the moms grate on each other’s nerves from time to time, but ultimately get along. I wonder if this has happened in real life. The author herself has adopted a child, and her intent with this title was to challenge people to redefine their idea of what families are…

Poppy Alexander’s debut novel is a delightful read. Jess, a librarian in a small English village, decides to uproot herself after losing both her job and her beloved grandmother. She finds a little house near the sea and impulsively buys it, and finds out she is responsible for the red telephone box on the property as well. Deciding to convert it into a tiny library, Jess stocks it with her own and her grandmother Mimi’s books. The little library slowly catches on, as villagers delight in finding different books to read, and Jess comes to know and love them. But when the only job offer she lands is in Birmingham, too far away to commute, Jess faces up to the fact that she must sell and uproot once again. Will anyone else step up and save the day? Read it and find out…

Three women friends, Liv, Binnie & Beth add a new member, Ange, to their group who initially seems genuine. However, Liv discovers over time, Ange is out to separate her from the rest of the group. Ange’s little digs begin to pile up, and during a group vacation in Greece, Liv finally has had enough and explodes. She leaves the group after finding a new friend, Clara, who is quite unconventional. But will Liz take it too far in her efforts to pay Ange back for her backstabbing? This is quite the suspense novel!

Linda Holmes follows her hit title Evvie Drake Starts Over with another winner: Flying Solo. Laurie Sassalyn volunteers to clean out her favorite aunt Dot’s house after her death. Her four brothers are all too busy, and since Laurie is a freelancer and is in between jobs, she is the logical choice. But when Laurie returns to her hometown in Maine to work on the house, she is dismayed to find it is crammed with her aunt’s memorabilia. She enlists the help of a local man who offers to sell what pieces he thinks would command a profit, but she soon finds out he isn’t what he seems. But Laurie sets out to right a wrong with her youngest brother’s help, and finds romance along the way with an old boyfriend. I very much enjoyed this, it’s a great light summer read.