Author: Susan Wiggs

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: August 13, 2019

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The kind of special book that is made for book clubs! Women helping women and a warmth throughout that will leave readers smiling as they turn the last page.

 After setting off for the big city to launch a career in the fashion industry, Caroline Shelby has worked hard to prove herself to have it all explode in her face. With nowhere else to turn, she returns to her hometown of Oysterville, Washington. She isn’t returning alone, coming home with her are two children that become orphans when their mom, her friend died. It has been ten years since she left, and a lot has changed. When she arrives on her parent’s doorstep, she isn’t sure where her life is headed. It isn’t long before she runs into Will Jensesn, one of her oldest and closest friends until she left town. Will went into the Navy and was wounded causing him to return home with his wife Sierra, Caroline’s best friend. It doesn’t take long for Caroline to return to her favorite place in town, the sewing shop, and discovers secrets the town has been hiding for years. Finding a purpose with the secret, Caroline starts the Oysterville Sewing Circle and sees lives changed, especially her own.

 For me, the name of this book was very misleading. I was expecting one thing and ended up with something very different. This is a great women’s fiction domestic drama, lots going on in the pages of this story with so many life lessons we can learn from helping a friend to dealing with long lost love. Even if you think a book about sewing and fashion isn’t for you, give it a chance as there is so much more to this story. Caroline is a great protagonist, she has to go up against a lot, not only the people in the fashion industry but also taking on the responsibility of the kids thrust into her life. A lot of people put in her position wouldn’t have made the decision she did. The story flowed great, not only with all she went through but how others reacted to her and the way she kept her values at the forefront of all she did. The subject of domestic violence, drug abuse, and others tackled here are not easy, but when handled with care it can make for a story very much worth reading. I loved the way Wiggs dealt with these characters and the issues they faced. This is the first book I have read by Wiggs but can easily see myself picking up more by her. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy contemporary women’s fiction with a message and heart to the story.

 I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Kerry Lonsdale

Publisher: Lake Union

Release Date: July 9, 2019

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A thrilling read that will leave readers guessing until they finally know the truth.

Ella Skye wakes up in a hospital to find that she has been in a car accident.  Initially, she can’t remember what happened but begins to remember some details of her life.  The one thing that she can’t remember is being pregnant for the last five months.  She can remember what happened five days ago, but no memory whatsoever of carrying a child.  She returns home to find a nursery that she decorated and all sorts of plans she had set up for a child.  Even her husband Damien, who never wanted children, seems to be devasted by this loss.  She and Damien’s relationship has been strained since the accident, but they seem to be finding some sort of new normal.  Then she gets a call from the magazine she works for to pick up where she left off on an interview with a world explorer named Nathan Donovan.  Amazingly, Ella can’t remember a thing about this man either, even after spending two weeks in solidarity with him.  With her husband begging her not to go interview him, Ella decides she must take the chance to find out if he can trigger anything about her lost memories.  What else can she lose?

If there is one thing that I’ve learned from Kerry Lonsdale, it’s that her books will always give you a dose of the unexpected.  Another thing is that the antagonist is always very crafty.  I loved getting to know Ella’s story just as I have her previous books.  This one had a bit of a twist to it at the end, which I had a feeling was coming, but still had me pleasantly surprised.  Ella is a strong confident woman, who must become very vulnerable to try to find out what happened in her past.  Having carried two children, I can’t imagine waking up to not being able to remember them.  That would an earth-shattering moment, which is obvious in her behavior.  I’m not sure I would have made the same choices in her place, but then again, I don’t share her past either.   Needless to say, this book stayed suspenseful, but not in a murder thrilling kind of way, just in a way that made me have to find out what happened.  The ending also leaves a potential opening for a follow up, but we will have to wait and see on Lonsdale’s intentions!

There is some strong language throughout the book as well as some sex scenes that make this a read for mature audiences only.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Dorothea Benton Frank

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: May 15, 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A story of two families coming together and the hardships and blessings they face showing how love can be a beautiful and even brutal thing sometimes.

 When Diane English Stiftel finds out her son is engaged she plans a party to celebrate. She invites him, his fiancé and her family to the low country of South Carolina to their farm. Her brother Floyd and her parents help plan the celebration. When the bride-to-be and her family arrive, they see that they are marrying into a family completely different than their own. Susan Kennedy Cambria, the mother of the bride, has lived a very privileged life. Her husband Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy power broker in Chicago, has spared no expense in their lives and Susan has grown accustomed to this way of living. As the two families clash on money, how their children should live, and correct behavior, the young couple must learn from both sides of the family and see if they can find an outcome that will give them a happily ever after.

 The first part of this book was a little slow for me but once I got about two thirds of the way in I was hooked. The ending is where the tension picked up and made me really care for the characters. Dorothea Benton Frank did an excellent job of making characters I became emotionally connected to. At first, I really despised Susan, as was the author’s intent. Readers will connect with her on several different levels. Her character development is the best in the whole story and the way she evolves was beautifully written.  It’s funny, you might think the story is going to be more about the young couple, which in a way it is, but the focus is more on the mothers of the groom and bride and how this kind of thing can bring families closer together. I have never read anything by Frank before but am glad I decided to pick this one up. There was a great warmth about Diane and her side of the family, the differences between the two families, and how they contrasted with each other was beautifully written. The back and forth point of views between the two characters set a great writing style for this story and worked very well keeping me engaged in the story and turning the page to see what was going to happen next. I recommend this book to fans of southern family dramas with a lot of heart and excellent character development.

 I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Author: Christina Suzann Nelson

Publisher: Kregel

Release Date: September 25, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

This book is a prime example of how everything can come full circle.

Izzy Cline is a terrific swimmer who has a dream of competing in the Olympics.  At least until she realizes that she is pregnant.  Still in high school, she and her boyfriend Travis had plans.  He was going to be the first in his family to go to college and he would do it on a baseball scholarship.  Izzy would swim in college and at the Olympics.  That all seems like a distant dream now.  At least nothing can tear her and Travis apart.

Izzy’s mom Jillian is pinning her hopes on her daughter.  But when she sees that Izzy is pregnant, it conjures up painful memories of her past.  As she tries to force Izzy to do things her way, she begins to cause a huge rift between herself and the rest of the family.  Will she be able to deal with the issue before the family is completely torn apart?

Travis’s mom Margaret wants a different life for her son than she had.  Travis father was a drunk who was rarely around with Travis’s older brothers and once Travis was born he pretty much took off.  But this pregnancy worries Margaret that the will get trapped in the same kind of life she is in and she wants to make sure this doesn’t affect her dreams for him.

Stacey Frey and her husband have just moved to the area.  Not able to conceive children of their own, they have recently gone through a horrible adoption experience and have been healing to try the process again.  God works in mysterious ways and Stacey begins to get involved in a home for young mothers.  As events begin to play out, an unexpected story of healing affects all four main characters.

This was one of the most interesting books that I have read where the main characters are all interconnected.  At least three separate stories that appear to have little relevance with each other begin to weave a pattern until they are fully intertwined.  Nelson has always done a great job of taken women with a broken spirit as her characters and forming them into someone that is strong and both supported and supportive.  This book is no different.  Each of these women has gone through a traumatic experience that has broken their spirit and it takes all of them to realize how to move forward.

I highly recommend this book to all readers.  It’s just a great story that should be read by all.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions express within are my own.

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Publisher: Lake Union

Release Date: December 4, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

While dog might be man’s best friend, Hyde shows that horses may very well be a girl’s best friend.

Faith has left her husband after taking all that she can take and heads to her parents’ California beach house. She doesn’t know what the future holds, but knows she has to do it on her own. She never expected to get involved helping a young girl running away from her father and trying to deal with the death of her mother. Sarah is living with her grandmother after her mother’s death. It was ruled a suicide but Sarah knows more than she has told the authorities about what really happened to her mom. Sarah’s grandmother is trying to get custody of her and needs to keep her away from her father. Faith ends up taking Sarah on a journey to try and lift her spirits. Her father has sold her beloved horse and together Faith and Sarah spend the summer following the horse from show to show and learning a lot about themselves in the process.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has solidified herself as one of the very best in writing literary and women’s fiction. Her writing gets to the reader’s heart and soul, showing that there is still kindness in the world. I loved everything about this book. The characters were relatable, strong and yet not afraid to show their sensitive side. I thought the story would be more about Faith and what happened with her husband but instead it was more about Sarah and how she is dealing with the problems she is facing with the loss of her mother and her father’s involvement in what happened. The relationship between Faith and Sarah blossoms and shows that the two need each other even if they don’t realize it. The way Hyde builds these characters and makes the readers care deeply what happens is better than almost anyone I have read before. She is able to get to the heart of the story and keep us enthralled so much so that it is hard to believe the story is over until the last page is turned. I recommend this book to readers who love a good story with characters they will fall in love with. Those that love a story about horses will also enjoy this story but being a horse lover is not a requirement to enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.