Until Then (Cape Harbor Book 2) Kindle Edition by Heidi McLaughlin

Book Excerpt:

'From New York Times bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin comes an uplifting story about two old friends finding new love.

Rennie Wallace has it all: a boyfriend, a good job, a best friend who lives a stone’s throw away…but something’s missing. She isn’t sure what until she returns to Cape Harbor, her favorite home away from home. There, she crosses paths with an old love, Graham. Rennie’s drawn to him but senses their paths in life have wandered too far apart.

Graham Chamberlain has returned to Cape Harbor to care for his brother, the town alcoholic. Managing and serving drinks at his family’s bar, Graham can’t believe how mundane his life has become. He’s resigned himself to living for others, his own desires for adventure and romance taking a back seat to running the family business—until Rennie walks through his door.

Graham feels the weight of his small-town life; Rennie has a boyfriend and a busy life in the city. But neither can deny the rekindled spark between them. Will they find their way back to one another?'

Title:  Until Then 

Author:  Heidi McLaughlin

Publisher:  Montlake

Series:  Cape Harbor Book 2

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

'Until Then' by Heidi McLaughlin

My Review:  

 'Until Then' is an engaging read that stands out due to its well-drawn characters, notably Rennie and Graham, who drive the story forward. The novel blends humor and heartfelt moments, especially in its sensitive depiction of death. Suspense and drama are woven throughout, with themes of alcoholism and drug addiction that add depth and keep readers invested until the last page.  

In Sickness and In Health: What Did You Vow? Kindle Edition by Lakisha Johnson

Book Excerpt:

"Jade and Alex met as children in the foster care system, overcoming obstacles and beating the many odds stacked against them. Over the years, people and life disappointed them. Yet, the one thing they could always count on was each other.

Even when jobs and school separated them, they always found their way back to each other. Seven years ago, they stood before a justice of the peace vowing never to give up on each other or themselves.

Then a tragic accident leaves one of them fighting to live. The other is thrust into the role of caregiver to a patient whose body, mind, and faith were all left broken.

Will their marriage survive the hardship and mental torment of trauma or will the In Sickness and In Health part of the vows shatter when they are put to the test?"

 Title:  In Sickness and In Health:  W

Author:  Lakisha Johnson

Publisher:  Twins Write 2hat Did You Vow?

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Five

Review:

'In Sickness and in Health' by Lakisha Johnson

My Review:  

'In Sickness and In Health: What Did You Vow' was an excellent read, with scriptures that blended seamlessly with the story. Jade and Alex were truly memorable characters who left readers with a thought-provoking narrative to consider after finishing the book.  

The author reveals what is meant by 'In Sickness and In Health.' Observing these two navigate their partnership after Alex's accident was fascinating. I appreciated how Jade reached out to God amid their trials, and I found Mrs. Cora's portrayal engaging throughout the story. Will Alex manage to regain his footing so they can achieve happiness?

At this point, I recommend you pick up this captivating book to see how the author ties the threads together. It is a delightful read.  

In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women Kindle Edition by Alice Walker

 Book Excerpt:

"Short fiction about the female experience from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Color Purple, "one of the best American writers of today" (The Washington Post).

 
Here are stories of women traveling with the weight of broken dreams, with kids in tow, with doubt and regret, with memories of lost loves, with lovers who have their own hard pasts and hard edges. Some from the South, some from the North, some rich and some poor, the characters that inhabit In Love & Trouble all seek a measure of self-fulfillment, even as they struggle with difficult circumstances and limiting social conventions.
 
The stories that make up Alice Walker's debut short fiction collection reflect her tenacious commitment to face brutal and sometimes melancholy truths while also illuminating the ways in which the courageous pursuit of love brings hope to even the most harrowing lives."

Title:  In Love & Trouble

Author:  Alice Walker

Publisher:  Open Road Media

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

'In Love & Trouble' by Alice Walker

My Review:  

'In Love & Trouble' is a captivating collection of short stories, each offering unique and thought-provoking insights that stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

The Rose and the Crown Kindle Edition by Evelyn Sola

 Book Excerpt:

"In the small, quiet town of Shadow Cove, appearances hide dark secrets — and new beginnings can spark deadly games.

Eden Rose, a dedicated physical therapist and the sheriff's daughter, never expected to cross paths with a reckless motorcycle biker with a criminal past. When Ripley King saves her from being drugged at his nightclub, a dangerous obsession ignites. His tattoos and leather-clad danger draw her in, but his involvement in illegal activities threatens to destroy everything she loves.

As Ripley's need to claim her grows, Eden fears her carefully crafted world, her family's reputation, and her sense of safety will come apart. She aches to believe in their love, but the darker truths of Shadow Cove—her father's world and Ripley's secrets—push her to the edge. Can their passion withstand the chaos, or will the weight of her fears bury them both before they even have a chance?

The Rose and the Crown is the first installment in the Good Girls, Bad Boys series — a pull-no-punches tale of desire, danger, and the fight to trust in a small town where everyone's hiding something."

Title:  The Rose and the Crown 

Author:  Evelyn Sola

Publisher:  E. S.

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"The Rose and the Crown" by Evelyn Sola

My Review:  

'The Rose and the Crown' was a wonderful romantic comedy with plenty of drama in the small town of Shadow Cove that will keep you turning the pages for more. You will get some interesting characters like [Riley and Eden] that will keep you turning the pages for more. Be ready for some happy parts, along with some sad parts, too. All in all, the author gives the readers an exciting ride from start to finish. 

You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down: Stories Kindle Edition by Alice Walker

 Book Excerpt

"Women stand their ground in the midst of crisis in this story collection by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Color Purple. 

This collection builds on Alice Walker's earlier work, the much-praised In Love & Trouble. But unlike her first collection of stories, the women in these tenderly wrought tales face their problems head on, proving powerful and self-possessed even when degraded by others—sometimes by those closest to them. But even as the female protagonists face exploitation, social asymmetries, and casual cruelties, Walker leavens her stories with ample wit and, as always, an eye for the redemptive power of love."

Title:  You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down 

Author:  Alice Walker

Publisher:  Open Road Media

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down" by Alice Walker

My Review:  

'You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down' was a wonderful collection of short stories that you will find some interesting reads from 'demise, myths, and mistreatments.'  Some of the stories are very powerful, as they will leave one a lot to ponder over long after the read.

Hemlock Lane: by Marshall Fine

 Book Excerpt:

"In this riveting story of family bonds and buried truths, a young woman's homecoming becomes a reckoning as four days together threaten to shatter the comfortable lies that have held her family together.

In the summer of 1967, the Levitsky family convenes for a long weekend at their home in the suburbs—an idyllic holiday for the perfect family.

But Nora has always known better.

Growing up, she learned to tiptoe around her mother, Lillian, whose explosive temper was well known. Her father did the same. Nora's sole confidante was their housekeeper, Clara, and their bond has only strengthened through the years. In fact, it's all that's keeping Nora together for her homecoming. But under that lifetime of pressure, the facade is beginning to splinter.

Over the next four days, everyone's secrets are at risk. None more so than what Nora really wants for her life, how Clara has helped her get it…and how they've orchestrated it all behind Lillian's back.

As the family grapples with the complex ties that bind them, Nora discovers that facing the truth—however painful—might be the key to finally breaking free. This weekend, Nora's bravest act may be in knowing which bonds to cherish and which ones need to be gently set aside, making room for a future of her own choosing."

Title:  Hemlock Lane [Audio Book]

Author:  Marshall Fine

Narrator: Helen Laser 

Publisher:  Brilliance Audio

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"Hemlock Lane" by Marshall Fine

My Review:

'Hemlock Lane' was quite a read that kept me interested, and I kept turning the pages to see what was going on in this woman's life that she treated this child so horribly. It was no wonder that this child [Nora] felt that her mother did not love her.  

You must pick up this read to see how the Levitsky family goes through it as the story unfolds, and to see all the 'buried truths, secrets, tension, emotion, upheaval, and long-hidden revelations' that will tell this whole story. There were some good parts in the story, as the housekeeper, Clara, was a big help as you read through this story. 

Be prepared for some sad areas as well as some laughable ones. All in all, you will get a good read.  

Once and Again A Novel by Rebecca Serle

Book Excerpt:

"The women of the Novak family were each born with a gift: they can, just once, turn back time.

Lauren has known since she was fifteen that her mother, Marcella, saved Lauren's father from a deadly car accident. Dave is alive and happy, and out on the Malibu waves. But ever since, Marcella, her power spent, has lived in fear of what she can't reverse. Her own mother, Sylvia, is her polar opposite: a free-spirited iconoclast with a glamorous past she only hints at. Lauren has spent her life between these two role models—and waiting for her own catastrophe to strike.

Then one summer, Lauren's husband takes a job in New York, and she moves back to Broad Beach Road, back into her childhood home on the shores of Malibu. Lauren looks forward to surfing with her dad again and perhaps repairing an unspoken fracture in her relationship with her mother. What she doesn't expect is for the boy next door to return home as well: Stone, Lauren's first love, who broke her heart nearly a decade before.

As Lauren falls into familiar patterns, with her family and, more dangerously, Stone, she finds herself thinking about all the choices, wide and small, that have brought her to this moment. And wondering, finally, if one of them should be undone."

Title:  Once and Again

Author:  Rebecca Serle

Publisher:  Atria Books

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:  

'Once and Again' by Rebecca Serle

My Review:  

 'Once and Again' was quite a read, being emotional and all from three women: Sylvia, Marcella, and Lauren [3 generations], all having a special gift. You will find yourself turning the pages to see what's coming next in the story for each of the Novak family members. I found many of these characters somewhat relatable and could easily identify with them; however, some of their choices... well, could leave one pondering long after the read.  

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.