Tour Review - - People in Glass Houses

People in Glass Houses

By Jayne Castle

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

His name is Joshua Knight. Once a respected explorer, the press now calls him the Tarnished Knight. He took the fall for a disaster in the Underworld that destroyed his career. The devastating event occurred in the newly discovered sector known as Glass House—a maze of crystal that is rumored to conceal powerful Alien antiquities. The rest of the Hollister Expedition team disappeared and are presumed dead.

Whatever happened down in the tunnels scrambled Josh’s psychic senses and his memories, but he’s determined to uncover the truth. Labeled delusional and paranoid, he retreats to an abandoned mansion in the desert, a house filled with mirrors. Now a recluse, Josh spends his days trying to discover the secrets in the looking glasses that cover the walls. He knows he is running out of time.

Talented, ambitious crystal artist Molly Griffin is shocked to learn that the Tarnished Knight has been located. She drops everything and heads for the mansion to find Josh, confident she can help him regain control of his shattered senses. She has no choice—he is the key to finding her sister, Leona, a member of the vanished expedition team. Josh reluctantly allows her to stay one night but there are two rules: she must not go down into the basement, and she must not uncover the mirrors that have been draped.

But her only hope for finding her sister is to break the rules…

PJ's Thoughts:

If Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick (she's all three) ever writes a book I'm able to put down before reaching the end, I'll probably fall over in shock. It doesn't matter if they're set in the past, the present, or the future, they are all compelling, addictive, and keep me compulsively reading way past my bedtime. People in Glass Houses is the newest entry in what is a very long list of books that would not only fill a keeper shelf of their own in my library, they would fill the whole dang bookcase. 

Molly and Joshua drew me into their story and kept me riveted through a series of surprises, twists, breath-stealing danger (haunted houses, anyone?), and endearing romance right up until the final scene. I loved them, had the best time tagging along on their adventures, and am already eagerly anticipating Molly's sister, Leona's story next. 

This is the seventeenth novel set on the planet of Harmony, far into the future, but don't let that scare you off. First, Harmony was originally populated by citizens of Earth when a curtain opened between the planets (then suddenly and inexplicably closed). Characters have developed advanced psychic and crystal using skills but they're descended from Earth's explorers, not aliens. Each book is written in such a way that you really can start anywhere and not feel lost or confused. Having said that, however, don't be surprised if once you experience any of these stories you immediately want to read more. The characters are relatable, the suspense threads are tightly constructed, the unique qualities of Harmony are fascinating (it really is a character in itself), and the dust bunnies are beyond adorable. Also dangerous when necessary. Or hungry. It's part of their charm. 

If you're a Krentz/Castle/Quick fan, add this one to your summer reading list. If you're new to the author, People in Glass Houses is a great place to jump in. It has my enthusiastic recommendation. 

Review & Giveaway - - The. Best Life Book Club

The Best Life Book Club

By Sheila Roberts

Publisher: Mira

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

It started as a book club. It became a way to build a better life together.

Karissa Newcomb is ready for a new start in a new neighborhood, as far away as she can get from Seattle, where her husband cheated on her with the neighbor who was supposed to be her best friend. She and her nine-year-old daughter are moving on to the city of Gig Harbor on the bay in Puget Sound. She even has a new job as an assistant at a small publishing company right in Gig Harbor. Her new boss seems like a bit of a curmudgeon, but a job is a job, she loves to read, and the idea of possibly meeting writers sounds fabulous.

Soon she finds she’s not the only one in need of a refresh. Her new neighbors, Alice and Margot, are dealing with their own crises. Alice is still grieving her late husband and hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel of a car since a close call after his death. Margot is floundering after getting divorced and laid off in quick succession. They could all use a distraction, and a book club seems like just the ticket. Together, the three women, along with Alice’s grumpy older sister, Josie, embark on a literary journey that just might be the kick start they need to begin building their best lives yet.

PJ's Thoughts:

As someone who has met some of my dearest friends through a shared love of books, The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts found a special place in this reader's heart. 

Moving to a new city, especially as an adult, can be difficult. Making new friends, even harder. For these three new neighbors, and one's very cynical sister, books will hold the key to new friendships, new opportunities, new growth, forgiveness, healing, and, in some cases, romance. 

I really enjoyed how Roberts explored these characters. She gives each woman the time and attention she deserves while also weaving their individual journeys together into a fabric of friendship, support, and new beginnings. I found myself cheering them all on, even the curmudgeon. 

The book quotes at the beginning of each chapter are fun additions that set the tone for what's happening with - and to - the characters at that point in the story as well as cool Easter eggs for longtime Roberts readers. Muriel Sterling, anyone? 

Books, what we learn from them and how they impact our lives, is a prevalent theme throughout this book. So too, is both humor and heart-tugging emotion. One thing I'm guaranteed when I pick up a Sheila Roberts book is that she will make me laugh and also touch my heart. It's an intoxicating combination. This book did both, keeping me eagerly reading from start to finish. It's one of my favorites from an author who always entertains. 

Have you read any of Sheila Roberts' books?

Are you, or have you ever been, in a book club?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 8 will receive a print copy of The Best Life Book Club.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review & Giveaway - - The Dressmaker on Amelia Island

The Dressmaker on Amelia Island

by Hope Holloway

Publisher: Hope Holloway

Release Date: May 3, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

A sisterhood saga with threads of drama, dreams, and danger.

Life for the Wingate women of Amelia Island is never dull! While Raina balances the challenge of nurturing newborn twins and a budding romance, trouble arrives on her doorstep to threaten her sweet new life. And when Tori and Justin firmly disagree on an issue that affects the whole family, their love faces a test that could end their relationship forever.

But one person in the family is enmeshed in the adventure of a lifetime, and she’s keeping the secret from everyone but her former flame. Under the guise of creating a wedding dress for a mafia princess, Madeline steps into a thrilling but risky new role. Leaving the safety and security of her quiet life, this dressmaker must put everything on the line to protect the people she loves most.

As the winds of change blow over Wingate Way, the seven sisters continue to face every crisis with strength, grace, humor, and love.

PJ's Thoughts:

Each book in Hope Holloway's Seven Sisters series has been a pleasure to read but this one, The Dressmaker on Amelia Island, ticked all my happy reader buttons in a big way. Holloway is a master at creating a family of characters who leap from the pages of her books. I feel like I know each of them personally and am thoroughly invested in their lives, their hopes and dreams, their challenges, and, yes, their happiness. I enjoy how each book in the series focuses on the storylines of four primary characters while also threading other family members, friends, local citizens, and adversaries throughout. Just as in real life, no one character lives in a vacuum. I also appreciate the age span of the sisters which gives us relatable journeys at various points of life.

I do love an older heroine and never-married Madeline, at almost fifty is a gem. It's such fun to watch her not only rediscover love but rediscover joy and adventure at the same time. Raina is my favorite of the sisters. She has a fair number of obstacles thrown her way in this book with some surprises along the way. She also has a new man in her life who makes me want to shout, "If you don't take him I will!" Her storyline never fails to make me smile, shed a few tears, and want to stand and cheer. Then there's Tori, a character to whom anyone who has ever had teens will be able to relate. I love the possibilities in her future and especially the tear-inducing grand gesture awaiting her. Finally, there's a new - unexpected - character in this book, one who brings disruption and chaos to one of the sisters. I was surprised by the direction this new character's storyline took. I don't want to give away spoilers so I'll just say I love the way Holloway weaves grace, accountability, and forgiveness into the journeys of (some of) her characters. Alas, there will always be villains who stay villains. 

If you enjoy family sagas with endearing (closed door) romance, sisterly bonds that may stretch but never break, heart-tugging emotion, humor, and (in this book) a bit of danger and suspense, Hope Holloway's Seven Sisters is a series that will have you reading late into the night, closing each book with a deep satisfied sigh, then wanting nothing more than to go back to the beginning and read them all over again. 

This is a series where the stories and relationships in each book build upon the previous book(s). I strongly recommend beginning with book one and reading the entire series in order. The final book, The Inn on Amelia Island, is scheduled to be released on July 12, 2024. 

The Beach House on Amelia Island (book 1)
The Café on Amelia Island (book 2)
The Bookstore on Amelia Island (book 3)
The Florist on Amelia Island (book 4)
The Chocolate Shop on Amelia Island (book 5)
The Dressmaker on Amelia Island (book 6)
The Inn on Amelia Island (book 7)

Have you read any Hope Holloway books yet?

Do you enjoy family sagas? Have you read any that you would recommend?

In this book, Raina is embracing the joys - and challenges - of life with infant twins. Are any of you twins? Do you have twins in your family? 

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 6 will receive a print copy of book five, The Chocolate Shop on Amelia Island. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review & Giveaway - - Effie Olsen's Summer Special

Effie Olsen's Summer Special

by Rochelle Bilow

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 30, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

These childhood best friends swore they’d never speak again. But a surprise summer reunion changes everything when it gives them the chance to turn up the heat.
 
Effie Olsen thought she’d never live on the tiny Maine island where she grew up, but she’s returning from sixteen years as a professional chef in far-flung countries for one summer and one summer only. Her hometown boasts one of the best restaurants in the US, and lucky for her, Brown Butter needs a sous chef. Effie's eager for a chance at redemption after her last job went up in flames, but reluctant to set down roots in a place that reminds her of the ghosts of her past.

Until, that is, she runs into Ernie Callahan, her onetime best friend who now works in the very same restaurant. Early morning swims and late-night games of truth or dare with Ernie remind her of what she’s been missing while traveling the world. He knows her better than anyone, and it doesn’t hurt that his smile lights her up brighter than the lighthouses dotting the craggy coastline.

But their restaurant has a secret that’s bursting at the seams, and if Effie doesn’t keep it, her job will vanish into the foggy Maine air. As summer draws to a close, her dream job and the perfect guy are both within reach. Her salty seaside hometown might be the key to Effie’s sweet ending...if she can learn to let her heart lead the way in time.

Santa Says:

 

Effie Olsen’s Summer Special by Rochelle Bilow melted like butter on a pan seared lobster tail. It would get five stars on Yelp! You see, Effie Olsen is a hot mess. Not that she would ever admit to it. She always has a plan and meets her goals most of the time. She has traveled the world. Worked in world class Michelin star restaurants. Her one shot as head chef at said restaurant and she choked under pressure and got fired. Now it’s time to regroup before heading to the next country on her culinary journey.

What better place to do so than her father’s house where she grew up on Adler island off the coast of Maine. Get in. Get a job as sous chef at Brown Butter, the island’s own Michelin starred restaurant. Save money. Get out by summer’s end She gets the job and celebrates a little too hard. Clears her head at her favorite spot on the island and runs into the hottest man she has ever seen on the island. Closer inspection shows it to be none other than her best friend. This was not part of her plan.

She had only been back a handful of times in the sixteen years that she left. Not that she was avoiding anyone. Not her former best friend in the whole world, Ernie Callahan, who helped her through her parents divorce and adolescence. They were inseparable.

Ernie professed his undying love for her their senior year. He knew what her dreams were and he was willing to wait for her. She panicked and ran for 16 years.

 

Running from Ernie was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. Now this hot, ginger cinnamon roll of a man turns out to be just as wonderful. To add insult to injury, he is working at the same restaurant as a butcher. 

They fight a growing attraction time and again throughout the book. As their renewed friendship grows deeper, Effie reconnects with old and new friends on the island and at the restaurant. It really is a beautifully written love story. 

The only fly in the brown butter, if you will, is the tensions in the restaurant both in the dining room and kitchen largely caused by the toxic masculinity of the owner and head chef. He created Brown Butter as a classy farm to table restaurant. It quickly grew in popularity. Its Michelin standing and quality menu was unsurpassed. But something wasn’t quite right to Effie and most of the crew. An anonymous email had a reporter from New York sniffing around.

The author, Rochelle Bilow, crafted such a great story with Effie and Ernie but the island , Brown Butter and Maine were just as important to it. The laid back atmosphere of the island was in sharp contrast to the tensions in the restaurant kitchen. She really nailed it for me and portrayed it all so realistically. I couldn’t wait to see where the story went. 

I am excited to read more from this author in the very near future.

~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever worked in a restaurant? What did you do? Did you like it?

Have you read Rochelle Bilow?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 5 will receive a print copy of Effie Olsen's Summer Special.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Coming Attractions & Giveaway - - May 2024

 

May has arrived! I'm back from my sojourn to the UK where the gardens are in glorious bloom. I've never seen so many stunning varieties of tulips. I could have happily spent the entire three weeks taking leisurely strolls through gardens and nothing else. You know what else is in full bloom this month? Books! We have a full lineup of terrific new titles to share with you this May. Here's what's on the schedule.

Kicking things off on Wednesday, May 1 is Santa's review of Funny Story by Emily Henry. Santa loved this new romcom that she says "is a funny story about how two people can be thrown together by horrible circumstances and are able to find real, lasting love."

Friday, May 3 brings Santa's review and a giveaway of Effie Olsen's Summer Special, a romcom by Rochelle Bilow that features a reunion romance between childhood best friends who vowed they would never speak again.

Saturday, May 4 features a review of The Dressmaker on Amelia Island, book six in Hope Holloway's emotional and heartwarming Seven Sisters series. This one will definitely tug at your heartstrings. 

Sheila Roberts will be in the spotlight on Monday, May 6 when we feature a review and giveaway of her newest book, The Best Life Book Club. These book club neighbors all had me cheering for them.

Tuesday, May 7 brings a tour review of People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle (a/k/a Jayne Ann Krentz). This 17th book in her futuristic Harmony series (can totally be read as a standalone!) features another adorable dust bunny along with a riveting story I couldn't stop reading.

Santa returns on Wednesday, May 8 with a review of This Summer Will be Different by Carley Fortune, a women's fiction novel with a best-friend's-younger brother romance. 

Be sure to stop by on Thursday, May 9 for a review of The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan. This women's fiction novel with a strong romantic thread is another keeper from one of my favorite authors. 

Hellie returns on Friday, May 10 with a Top Dish review of Happily Never After by Lynn Painter. Stop by to read why Hellie thinks this romcom should be on everyone's summer beach read list. 

Debbie Mason is back this month with a new story of the complicated relationships among the Rosetti women of Sunshine Bay. Stop by Saturday, May 11 for a review of Three Little Wishes.

On Monday, May 13, I'll be sharing my thoughts about The Heiress's Daughter, a new historical romance novel by Anne Gracie. This is the third book in Gracie's The Brides of Bellaire Gardens series and one I'm eagerly looking forward to reading. 

Speaking of books I'm eager to read, Jenn McKinlay's Love at First Book releases this month. Stop by on Tuesday, May 14 for my review of this book that features an American librarian who moves to a small Irish village and falls for her favorite author's grouchy son.

Wednesday, May 15 brings a review of Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau, an Asian American romcom with a meddling mom who just maybe really does know what's best for her daughter. 

So, I'm an unapologetically enthusiastic fan of The Bachelorette/Bachelor franchise which makes me doubly excited for former Bachelorette Hannah Brown's upcoming debut romcom. Stop by on Thursday, May 16 for my review of Mistakes We Never Made. 

We're heading back to WWII on Monday, May 20 with a review of Kelly Bowen's newest novel, Tomorrow is for the Brave. Bowen is one of my favorite authors which makes me even more eager to dive into this one.

On Tuesday, May 21 I'll be sharing my thoughts about The Prince's Bride, book two in Charis Michaels' Hidden Royals series about French royal siblings who have been secretly living (separately) in exile since childhood. 

Vanessa Riley returns to historical romance with A Gamble at Sunset. Stop by on Wednesday, May 22 for a review of this first book in her new Betting Against the Duke series.

I love a good character redemption arc and am looking forward to discovering what Susan Sands has in mind for cardiac surgeon, Elizabeth Keller. Join us for a review of Bayou Redemption, book four of Sands' contemporary Louisiana series, on Thursday, May 23.

I thoroughly enjoyed Emmaline Warden's debut, Love and Other Perennial Habits, and have been looking forward to the second book in the series. Join me on Friday, May 24 when I share my thoughts about book two in Warden's A Genus of Gentlemen historical romance series: Seasonal Habits of Husbands and Honeybees. 

Next up is a review of the newest historical romcom from Virginia Heath. I'll be sharing my thoughts on Tuesday, May 28 of All's Fair in Love and War, the first book in Heath's Miss Prentice's Protegees series. 

Wrapping up the month on Wednesday, May 29 will be a review of The Promise of Tomorrow, a new women's fiction novel by Mary Ellen Taylor. Taylor, who also writes suspense thrillers as Mary Burton, never fails to touch my heart with her emotional women's fiction stories. 

What are you looking forward to this month?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 3 will receive a print copy of A Summer of Second Chances by Miranda Liasson. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - Funny Story

Funny Story

by Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 23, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
 
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
 
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
 
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Santa Says:

Funny Story by Emily Henry is her best one yet and that's saying something. So nice, I read it twice. That is my review in a nutshell. I happily discovered Emily Henry a few years ago when I read Book Lovers. I have been a fan ever since. 

Funny Story really hit me on a couple of different levels. Our main characters Daphne and Miles are thrown together after having been tossed aside by their respective fiancés. Daphne left her job and friends to move cross country to her fiancé's hometown of Waning Bay, Michigan to live closer to his family. While at HIS bachelor party Peter decides he really is in love with his childhood best friend, Petra, who is ALSO at the party professing her undying love! 

Miles arrives on Daphne’s doorstep absolutely devastated after Petra hies off to the Amalfi Coast with Peter to bask in their love. He invites Daphne to move into his apartment until she can get a plan together. Her plan is already formulating in her mind. Stay in Waning Bay at her children’s librarian job until the end of the summer, get another job elsewhere in the country and move on. 

They fall into an easy roommates situation pretty much staying out of each other’s way until they each receive an invitation to Peter and Petra’s WEDDING scant weeks after what would have been Daphne’s own day. While commiserating they snap a selfie of themselves and post it on social media. P & P see it and assume they are now dating while Daphne and Miles play up like champs.  

Soon lines seem to blur and Daphne and Miles fight a growing attraction which her work friends and his sister see a mile away. Daphne is understandably hesitant. She needs to protect herself but Milles is turning out to be irresistible in the sweetest of ways. He is not the lazy stoner Peter went on about. Miles, for his part, campaigns to show Daphne what a great place Waning Bay is and how incredible she really is. 

I just loved every one in the book with the obvious exception of Peter and Petra! Emily Henry crafts such fantastic characters. They are well defined and completely believable. It really is a funny story about how two people can be thrown together by horrible circumstances and are able to find real, lasting love. Go Daphne and Miles!