Izzy Bromley - Table for Five

When your life falls apart, all you need is a friend…
Abbie Finch loves her job.
Unfortunately, her boss doesn’t love her.
When she finds herself unexpectedly unemployed, Abbie realises that she’s let all her friendships fall by the wayside and has no one to turn to.
Lost and lonely, Abbie decides to leave her comfort zone and join the neighbourhood café’s community table. There she meets aloof, elegant Ethel, down-on-his-luck Bob, colourful, chaotic Dawn and recently relocated Viraj. Friends? Not yet. But when they decide to help the homeless people in their community by staging an extravagant fundraising event, will something that began as a good deed help Abbie find a way back to herself—and make lifelong friends at the same time?

Comment: This book was part of a list of recommendations from a site I subscribe to, which often contains discounts and deals regarding the genres I chose, which is why I decided to try this book, released only last year.

Abbie is a young woman who gets fired for unfair reasons and then, while looking for something else, she realizes she doesn't have close friends nor other things to occupy her, since her job was her only focus. She had even let go of a potential boyfriend, who moved away. Now, with free time on her hands and some worry about her finances creeping out, she starts going to a close coffee shop and after some days of this routine she notices that there is a table with a note saying that anyone looking for a friend can sit there. Abbie is wary, as most clients are, of this table but after seeing two different people sitting there once or twice, Abbie looses her embarrassment and introduces herself. From this moment on, her life does change for she meets four other people who she connects with. They even start a project together, but will their friendship last after it is done?

This is the first book I try by this author (I see Izzy Bromley hasn't yet many books published) so I had no specific expectations other than this would be an uplifting woman's fiction novel.

The cover is bright and colorful so I assumed this would be uplifting and positive, which it was but not as great as I imagined because to me, there didn't seem to exist much evolution or progress from one thing to another when it came to the main character's life. This is a story told by Abbie, a character I liked for her personality and traits but I hoped her "journey" would lead her to some kind of definitive conclusion and, to me, the end was still as vague and unassuming as the beginning was.

The story starts with Abbie being fired and I did sympathize with her emotions as she processes this and the reasons why, after all she didn't have much chance to do anything different to avoid it. Since this is told in her POV, we get to follow her thoughts on what this means to her and to her life, and I did identify with some things - as I imagine many others in similar situations would - for I was unemployed at a time too and the worry and the stress are repeated mantras, it felt. I liked Abbie because she was thinking of the practicalities but also of what it meant to realize she was more alone than she imagined.

Abbie's work consumed all her time, apparently, and not having it anymore confirmed she didn't have many friends. Some of Abbie's musings while dealing with the loss of close contacts made her see how unbalanced her life was and we also get to know how she saw herself though those lens. In this regard, the book was doing what it proposed but I'll have to say this introduction period of Abbie's situation took, perhaps, a bit too long, and the table mentioned in the title, which we find is a social experiment of the cafe, only started being relevant after a while. Perhaps a bit more editing would have helped, because it came to a point it felt some things were, of course repetitive...even if they seem so if one has free time for the reasons Abbie did.

When the interactions with the secondary characters started to happen more frequently, I got to see how Abbie was polite but realistic in her assumptions, as so many of us are when meeting people and judging by appearances. Nevertheless, Abbie and the others started to become friends and go on to start a project to benefit the shelter where one of them is at, for he doesn't have a home of his own. It is obvious the author also intended this book to have a message and a goal, and I can't say it's bad; in fact, shelters for the homeless probably don't have enough help from society, but....

Now I'll feel cold and mean perhaps, but I kind of wanted more of the characters themselves and an evolution for them personally, not as much about what task this person does or what will that one try and so on. I was more interested in seeing how the five friends connected and how their lives could be affected by the project or what was going with them apart from that, and especially how Abbie would cope and would she make more friends or find a new job and things like these. Some of this was more less addressed, but in a very superficial way. 

Throughout the novel, we also get to know Abbie regretted some things in regards to Spencer, a man she was very interested in and who went to work faraway. Again, this is not the focus but it's mentioned  so often, I figured something would come out of it, and it does, but so, so hastily that I think was more an afterthought. It seemed that, from a certain point on it was all about the friend's project but the other elements didn't get to be solved/dealt with the amount of information those things required. To me, there were things that felt unbalanced for sure.

When we reach the end, most things finish in a positive note, that is true, and there's this uplifting vibe but not as great as I pictured. I think the group of friends didn't really evolve beyond the basic and while Abbie improved her life, I don't see it benefiting her personal choices that easily either. Some situations were also rushed, when comparing to the time dedicated to other things and this made me think the message of the book, which has a fine point at times, was also kind of wasted. All in all, a good idea but the execution was, as often is, not in par with the suggestion of it.

Grade: 6/10

Emily Gee - Thief With no Shadow

Aided by the magic that courses through her veins, Melke is able to walk unseen by mortal eyes. When a necklace she has stolen holds the key to both saving her brother’s life and breaking a terrible curse, she must steal it back from a den of fire-breathing salamanders. Things are about to get very tough for Melke, especially when she comes to realize she may have to trust the very people who were out to kill her.
Thief With No Shadow is a rich, romantic fantasy tale set in a world where the ordinary and extraordinary coexist, where nightmarish creatures live alongside men, and magic runs in the blood of mortals.

Comment: One more paperback I've collected in the early 2010s on the recommendation of a friend, with whom I shared some reads. The books we had in common made me think this would be something I'd like and now that fifteen years passed, although my taste has changed, this one was still more or less positive.

In this fantasy we meet Melke, a woman who can be become a wraith, meaning becoming invisible, and she uses this ability to steal a necklace and give it to a den of salamanders (mythical beings who are linked to the element of fire) so she can rescue her brother, trapped there. However, by doing this, she put siblings Bastian and Liana in danger, for their family is cursed and they needed the necklace to undo it. After being caught, Melke and her brother Hantje are helped by Bastian and Liana, and Melke impulsively promises she will steal the necklace back from the salamanders, but that will put her in jeopardy again...will she fulfill her promise when Bastian keeps treating her so badly, though?

What a bonkers story, even for a fantasy one! Still, there was a time I loved these types of books and I was even further seduced by the idea there would be some romance too. There was, true, but when comparing to the type of romances I prefer nowadays, this one was certainly very weak.

The plot is very simple and focused on the tasks the characters have to accomplish, both to save someone and to undo the curse. If I were to pick up every detail one by one, there would be plenty to complain about, but it's one of those situations where, somehow, the whole makes up for the several individual elements. For instance, I disliked Bastian's behavior for most of the novel, but as a whole I can understand some of his feelings and I feel he was a valid part of the plot anyway.

The best element, for me, is the psychology I find in the characters, namely in Melke's. She and her brother had a terrible past once their father was found out as being a wraith, who are persecuted and executed in their country. This is why they left when they could, they want a quiet life somewhere else, but circumstances placed them in this situation now. I really can't remember what really led to the specific situation where they got mixed with the salamanders but that doesn't seem to be important, only that they are marginalized and this led to them having very low self esteem and consider themselves to be bad people.

I usually like novels where some character is shy or doesn't see the qualities they have and part of the goal is to prove them otherwise somehow. Of course Melke "proves" how reliable and brave she is, unlike what she thought of herself, but the price to pay could be very high. I liked the overall evolution of her mental state and how she helped the others even when Bastian was being rude, but the self depreciation did go on for far too long without enough positive aspects to balance it. It's true I can say some of those good aspects were seen through others' POV, which was a good "show" instead of "tell", but the author could have gone further with this.

The romance is very, very disappointing because we don't have interactions between Melke and Bastian in which we can see the development of their feelings. In fact, until the very end, Bastian doesn't like Melke and this means their mutual change of heart at the end seems ridiculous and superficial. Surely this element could have been done better too... we also have a secondary romance between the other two, Liana and Hantje, but this was also rushed. One can say traditional romance isn't that easy to find in fantasy novels, but if the element is there, why not!

The myths and fantasy details are quite imaginative, the author basically thought about the four elements, air, earth, fire and water to create monsters who represent each element and how bad they can be to humans, while still wanting to...have sex with them. Really bonkers in regards to this, I'll have to say. I mean, I didn't find this idea to be as bad as other readers considered because it's a slightly silly fantasy in my eyes and the world building wasn't one I saw as encompassing, but yes, some scenes are definitely ludicrous.

Some magical elements, such as the curse by a water monster on Bastian's family decreeing his land would loose water as time went by and that he and his sister might be killed in an accident related to water - family members in the past drowned - made this an interesting plot to follow... I was expectant to see the curse broken, of course, which also symbolized the renewal of life, but the road there wasn't as great as that, and the romance very poor, indeed. Nevertheless, this was a story I felt compelled to read and for the most part, was fluid and easy.

Grade: 7/10

Claudia Burgoa - Wong Text, Right Love

Sex talk is my job. I’m an influencer. I run a popular blog where I give all kinds of dating tips, and girls all over the world thank me for helping them with their love lives.
I wish I could follow my own advice because my love life is totally dead. I just drunk texted my ex-boyfriend… except, I didn’t. That text ended up going to someone else.
Oops.
This new relationship is almost picture-perfect, just like my online life. I guess I give good… text.
He doesn’t have to put up with my colorful personality — as my hot next-door neighbor describes me. Or my messy schedule.
This long-distance relationship is the best thing that’s happened to me and I plan to keep it that way.
Until we agree to meet up, and I’m freaking out.
When he meets the real me, will he hate me forever?
Or will we be one day telling our grandkids about that wrong text, right love?

Comment: This one had been in the pile since 2020 and this time I remember why it was in the pile, it would feature a plot with exchange of text messages and I'm interested in books in which the story is told by messages, notes, email or letter exchange, etc. Regrettably, it wasn't what I envisioned at all.

Persy Brassard is an influencer whose posts focus on advising people and couples on dating and sexual tips, which she can do since she has professional background. She is the face of a small business and she has an agent to help her, as well as her sister Nyx as a lawyer. When Persy needs a place to stay temporarily, her agent Sheila finds her an apartment, which is right next to the one where the owner of the building lives in. Persy doesn't know it, but Ford is a very rich man and he only accepts to lent the apartment because of his half brother, Sheila's husband, even though they don't get along. Ford and Persy don't see eye to eye either right away, but her constant voicing out loud the post contents starts getting on Ford's head, especially because of the sexual content, but things between them only change when one night, by accident, Persy texts Ford's number not knowing it's his. Can it be that a mistake might turn into the best thing in their lives?

I feel like sighing. I actually did, just right before starting writing this. I am aware my summary is rather confusing but I don't even know how to explain things without spoilers. Besides, I was really annoyed that the main reason why I've picked this story - the text message format - wasn't really that used (and when it happened, I almost always skimmed) and even more, it only started around page 90 in my edition. Lots of setting up, I thought.

Persy has a clinical formation on psychology and she can be a therapist and I was quite surprised by the road she chose, to give advice for couples and such. One of the elements I liked the most in this book was how this job, more than the social media thing, affected her personal life and that her boyfriend never saw her as more than fun. What she does, if not for social media, isn't that far from any other professional in the area but sexuality is still seen through a certain lens. I think this and what Persy felt when confronted with what others thought of her as a possible life partner were really on point.

However, to me, this was pretty much what saved the story, for the majority of what was happening disappointed me somehow. I only finished the book because clearly there would be a point where Persy would discover her agent wasn't such a great professional as she imagined due to their long friendship, and I was curious to see how the author would play this out. Sadly, I think this was done poorly and without the importance on the page I think the situation required.

Of course, this felt like this to me because the story is told in first person by Persy and Ford, and some things we cannot see as well as if it was third person. I also had the feeling the focus wasn't really on this but on the romance, which is a pity because the romance was weak. Sometimes, there are stories where misunderstandings and keeping the secrecy of identities works out, but to me not so in this book. Persy doesn't know who Ford is, which is credible, but the way the plot develops, and considering the small group of people they have in common, it feels over the top they never connected the dots. Well, that Persy did, because Ford knowingly kept things from her.

At some point, the expected cliches in such a plot were easily spotted and I think the author wasn't dealing with the plot's issues well enough. The message exchange device was contrived, in my opinion, and not executed well for them to keep up the secret of their identities. I could not buy they were making an emotional connection, despite what they admitted later on, when things were finally solved. I think Ford's personality was too bland and unsympathetic at times for me to see the allure of him as a good romantic partner.

When things are solved romantically, and the lives of everyone are finally on track, the story ends but I cannot say I think the choices were successfully presented. In fact, some things we are told in regards to the end of the plot and then in the epilogue were just too out of character for what had been seen the rest of the novel, especially when it comes to Ford's attitude and thoughts. I did not buy his change of heart.

Therefore, this was readable, had some interesting elements is true, but will not stay memorable to me.

Grade: 5/10

Heather Webber - Midnight at the Blackbird Café

Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.
It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.
As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

Comment: I had this book in the pile since 2019, probably because of the magical realism label. I've read other books with this in the past and some were great, which means I keep up the hopes of regaining similar reactions!

In this story, set in the south, we meet heroine Anna Kate, a young woman who is back to Wicklow after the death of her beloved grandmother Zee. Anna Kate is looking for to go to medical school, a dream her late mother had for her, but there is something about Wicklow and about her inherited cafe and the blackbirds which only come at night, that draws her in. While debating what to do, Anna Kate keeps up with her grandmother's routines and cooking at the cafe, something everyone is eager for, especially since there is a pie which makes people dream about messages loved ones send them. Still, in such a close community, there it isn't possible to avoid some people, including the family on her father's side, whom she never met...until now. What will Anna Kate decide to do if she ends up falling in love with all the people she comes to care about...?

This is my first attempt at a book by this author, although her name has popped up often in my GR feed, which only enhanced my curiosity over what the story would be like. I think I now have a pretty good idea about this author's style - I really think some authors are too distinctive - and my conclusion is that while this story, and others very likely, was great and sweet, it was also rather boring and slow.

The story starts off right away as Anna Kate is dealing with kitchen issues. There wasn't any kind of setting up and it felt as if I was dumped right in the middle of things. This usually doesn't bother me but this time it did affect my focus and I struggled to get on track with what was happening. I also think this had to do with the author's style, which isn't as polished and subtle as I envisioned for this type of story. The mystery hints, the magical realism issues which are addressed or suggested are just too plain and presented in ways that didn't make me feel the anticipation of what would happen. I think the author's style if fine but perhaps not the best for this type of plot.

From the start we know the pies Anna Kate's grandmother did were special. Everyone knows it and talks about them. Perhaps if the "is it magical or isn't" were to remain a mystery would have highlighted the situations in which, indeed, people could believe magic was present; the way things happen, it's more a matter of how long will it take for the plot to move on and not that the magic will exist. In the big scheme of things, I think the presentation of the plot and the development wasn't executed as well as it could, or as mysteriously.

The story is told from the POV of Anna Kate and Natalie, who happens to be a family member of hers. I didn't mind these two as main characters but, again, this proved to be quite the distraction and to me didn't add much to the overall story. Sadly, to me, the characters are all one dimensional and very poorly developed. There were also some romantic elements, for both women meet someone who seems suited for them, but even this element was a bit too simple and the way I see it, the romance itself was non existent.

The main focus of the story is on letting go of past resentments and anger over things that cannot be changed. This aspect was certainly developed and offered many interesting scenes and food for thought over what the characters do/say in their interactions, but I think it was a little simplistic to have the attention only on this and in what happened in the past which still affects Anna Kate and Natalie and the rest of their common family. I think all these things with a better polish and execution or even some editing could have improved the book.

The magic of the pies and the blackbirds and all the hints at something out of the ordinary were interesting and cute most of the time, but not subtle enough for me to feel eagerness to know what would happen next or why specific situations would matter for the characters afterwards. As I often want in books, I wish there had been some more tension and longing in what the characters were dealing with so that when something important happens, the "message" would be clear. The way things were, there wasn't much inferring to do, things were just too average after all.

All things considered, it was fine, certainly readable but everything is slow and not very exciting. Right now, I don't know if I'd pick another book by the author.

Grade: 5/10

Sloane Kennedy - The Truth Within

At twenty-five years old, Ford Cornell should have his whole life ahead of him but instead, the would-be artist is drowning in denial and just trying to get through each day. And the boy who once believed life was about following impossible dreams has finally come to accept that it’s really only about surviving a living nightmare… one of his own making.
But the bruises are becoming harder to hide. So is the truth…
They say bad things happen in threes.
For Sherriff Camden Wells, it’s more like fours… or fives… or dozens.
After an ugly lie destroys his career and the man he’d planned to spend the rest of his life with cuts him to the core with the ultimate betrayal, forty-year-old Cam is counting on his new job as sheriff of the quiet town of Pelican Bay to be the fresh start he needs. What he isn’t counting on is meeting a young man who makes him want to break all his own rules.
Ford’s gotten used to his role as his older brother’s punching bag and being his mother’s never-ending disappointment. They may not be the Cleavers but family is family and Ford’s seen up close and personal what happens when you don’t have anyone in your corner… or when you go against family.
Two men… one living a lie and one knocking down the walls of the closet he was forced to live in for so long. When one white-hot encounter leads to another and then another, Ford and Cam are forced to accept that their need for each other isn’t going away anytime soon. But being together means one will need to go against everything he believes in.
So which man will bend and which will break? And what will the truth ultimately reveal?

Comment: This is the third story in the Pelican Bay series by author Sloane Kennedy. Although there were some issues with the first two novels, I still feel somehow drawn into these books and that is why I've now read the third...

In this third novel, sheriff Camden Wells is new in town but he is already more than familiar with the problems that can be found at the Sullivan house, namely the way he often finds Ford with some bruising. He knows very well that is his brother Jimmy who does that, but if Ford doesn't present charges, there isn't much he can do. 

Ford knows everyone is aware of what is going on and this embarrasses him, but he still looks for his mother's approval and it is hard to have that when she seems to prefer Jimmy instead of him. Cam makes him want something different for his life but will he achieve it when he is too afraid of what his family will do if they find out he more than likes Cam?

As expected, this was a rather cheesy story from star to finish. Especially the finish, in fact Still, I feel compelled to read and see for myself what will happen, even more so when there's something about the vulnerability of the main characters when they are in the stages of falling in love. It's really too bad there are so many cheesy scenes instead of the longing and the tension I think would suit the story more.

Ford and Cam were featured in the last book, in a very secondary situation but it became clear they would end up being a couple. I actually don't mind these tactics of setting up couples from books to books and often the anticipation can do wonders for one's interest in that specific story. I've felt that in regards to these two because Ford was obviously a victim of bullying and domestic violence and Cam would be a figure of authority and I was eager to see this dynamic in a relationship. For the most part, this worked out well but the guys weren't certain of one another for some time and then, of course, it felt Ford was not on the right spot (mentally I mean) to start a romantic relationship.

I did like Ford, actually, I think the author portrayed his vulnerability quite well and his anguish at what he had felt as a teenager but was "forced" ignore and how the abuse made him feel weaker. I can, therefore, understand why Ford wasn't able to simply acknowledge Cam nor his feelings for him even though it is made to be obvious how visible the attraction between them is. I still think the author could have written things in a way that these things would be stronger but I'll have to accept her style is different.

Cam is a steadier person, he's older too so that can be a given, and he has been through situations that reinforced his own sense of self. I thought the plot would be a lot about Cam trying to protect Ford while battling his attraction to him and this was very much so, but it got to a point where this situation became repetitive and frustrating. Of course Ford would not be assertive in his attitude and this made it feel as if Cam was trying to have something while Ford didn't... in real life waiting for someone might be frustrating but life happens; in a book it can seem dull.

When things between them finally happen, I must say I wasn't that interested in their intimacy scenes... things weren't as romantically described as I imagined and there was still some contrast to what they were facing in their personal lives... I can't explain it properly, but there were so many other things to deal with, problems, conflicts, past situations which affected both protagonists that everything felt like a pile of issues, which when added to several secondary characters/situations made the book seem vague, as a matter of fact! I wish the romance had had more tension and more scenes between them, both before and after they become intimate.

At a certain point, the most complicated issues get solved, the HEA seems imminent and several secondary situations play out or are finally dealt with. Still, despite all this, the very end is increased even further on cheesiness by having two more issues with a lot of emotional relevance happening and Cam and Ford somehow managing all that. I mean, it was great to see them together and having common goals in the community but...very unlikely too. One of those cases where, perhaps, less is more.

Grade: 6/10

Happy weekend!

 Happy weekend!

Wishing you a good relaxing time, perhaps with a book!

(here)

Kaki Warner - Colorado Dawn

After only three letters and one visit during her six-year marriage to a Scottish Cavalry Officer, Maddie Wallace decides to build a life without him. Accepting an assignment from a London periodical to photograph the West from a female perspective, she sails from England, determined to build a new life as an independent woman.
After injury ends his military career, Angus Wallace returns home to find his wife gone, his family decimated by fever, and himself next in line to an earldom. His new mission is clear--find his wife and sire heirs. His search takes him across an ocean and half a continent, but he finally tracks her to Heartbreak Creek, Colorado. There his biggest challenge awaits--to convince his headstrong wife to return home as his viscountess.
Amidst statehood struggles, claim jumping, and railroad disputes their passionate battle rages...until word comes that Angus has become the earl. Now they must decide between a life in the mountains of Colorado, or in the glittering ballrooms of London...and between duty and desire.

Comment: In 2014 I've read a book by author Kaki Warner and I liked it a lot. Checking out my post, it was quite a high grade but I barely remember details, much less specific information. That book is the first in a trilogy and I did add the other two to my TBR but in all these years they simply were left aside. This year I told myself, just read them and get them out of the pile, thus why I've picked out this one now, and I'm planning on reading the third next month.

The trilogy, titled Runaway Brides, features brides who are running away from something,of course. In this second novel, Maddie Wallace leaves England, after months of not having any information on her cavalry husband. Thinking he died and no one told her or that he had forgotten about her, she decides to accept a photography assignment in the West, which will be published as being from a woman's perspective. Her days are quite enjoyable and she has even found a group of friends, however, one day, her husband simply shows up and she believes her  life will be in his control again.

Angus Wallace, now lord Ashby, was injured and when he returned home, his family was ill and his wife was gone. He now needs her to go back to England, for there are duties they must perform, but what he finds is his wife flourishing and happy. Will they find a way to work together so both can have what they want? They will need to make a decision before a man seeking trouble discovers they all might be in his way...

Eleven years can change a lot but thankfully, I'm still interested in historical stories for the most part, and I've started this book with some expectations. The beginning, however, was a little slow and not very vibrant and on top of things it even featured a lovers reunited trope, which in par with friends to lovers isn't one I find that thrilling. I also think the development of this story didn't make me change my mind on that.

To start with, I am part of that group of readers who thinks Maddie going to America to be a photographer was a fine idea but the why is a bit contrived. I supposed the author had to explain why a married woman could simply leave, and then conveniently her husband would find her, but this whole set up was a bit weak to my way of thinking and it felt even worse when the reasoning was that she waited months for him to reply to her letters, so she believed hat she wanted and went. Possible, yes, but not convincing to me.

Maddie, I should say, does think and act as an independent woman and I certainly cherished this, even though it's an historical, but I think she wasn't always a very approachable character. Perhaps this is only my own vision of things, but I didn't really warm up to her. I did like Ashby a bit more and when they meet again, very early in the book, I thought his explanations to be reasonable but, again, after being married for some time and for love, that he hid one or two details from her... I've summarized this in my head this way: they didn't properly communicate before so that now their story could really begin.

Certainly, this is valid and I suppose the setting up was the author's way of letting us know about what happened to lead to the current situation but... ehh, I was not really satisfied with these decisions. The romance simply didn't move me and while I knew they would get their HEA, I was not moved by the evolution of their relationship. In fact, I was way more interested in seeing the dynamics with the secondary characters (some had already been in the previous book but I didn't remember much) and how everyone acted as if they were this united family.

There is also another sub plot, regarding two brothers who are looking for a gold location, after killing the owner. The only clue to the spot is a photography taken by Maddie, as they later discover, and they think she might remember where that had been. From the moment these two show up and the others realize what is going on, the story became a lot more engaging and the main reason why I enjoyed the book until the end. Not everything is great about this subplot but it allowed for further developments and evolution in what the characters were thinking of doing.

All in all, this book ended up being average to me. I liked some elements but the romance was really poor to my way of seeing things. Maddie and Ash can be as happy as they want but I wasn't convinced. I hope the third book is better executed.

Grade: 6/10

Nicky Pellegrino - Recipe for Life

A recipe for life should be a simple love and happiness, family, friends, and a little food. But life is rarely that straightforward. Alice wants to make the most of life—after all, she knows how fragile it can be—and knows she never feels more alive than when she's cooking. Babetta has spent a lifetime tending the garden of her tiny house on the Italian coast, supplying food to feed a family now grown and gone. One summer these two women are brought together in a crumbling Mediterranean villa, with the shared language of food. There, under the heat of the Italian sun, or the shade of the pomegranate tree, secrets will be spoken, fears and hopes shared. But life's lessons are not learnt easily.

Comment: Another random pick from the library. I remember I had read another book by this author years ago, but looking at my posts, it turns out I actually read two already! I really no longer remembered the second book, which clearly I've read... that means this is the third I try and the only reason why I took it out of the shelf is because it wasn't a long one.

Alice is a young woman who decides to change her life and do what is enjoyable to her after suffering a terrible trauma. This leads her to start working at restaurants and the food call grabs her and she starts living for the thrill of a professional kitchen. She is also offered the chance to stay for a while with her best friend in Italy, for her friend's mother got herself a house there. It just happens that it's in the same city from which her restaurant's boss is from and this will allow Alice to have experiences she would not think of before, such as working in a real Italian restaurant. With her friend Leila having different goals and the people she gets to know in Villa Rosa, everything becomes different for Alice. But will the lessons be what she really needs?

What seems captivating about this author's work - and this is now the third I try - is how the premise of her stories draws me in and I do feel curious to see what will happen. Inevitably, though, as things progress, I start feeling a little frustrated with the first person narration, which is incredibly limited, and also in this book's case, the direction the author took in regards to the characters' life path, which I think was very poorly done.

Alice suffers a sexual trauma, right as soon as the story begins and this supposedly affects her enough that she feels she need to live her life differently. Fine, a rather predictable POV, but I was a little surprised by how quickly Alice moved on and how little this seemingly affected her emotionally. Of course everyone is different and there are multiple ways one can react to trauma, but having her thoughts really made me see this event as just an excuse...why not having her been robbed or such other situation? The way she behaved and moved on would not need to change from what did happen.

Then, Alice goes on to work on a restaurant and this starts off her new life. I did like this part, I was quite eager to keep reading her sections as she described her days, her routines in the kitchen and her newfound interest in food and in the way the products could work together. Through her friend, she goes on to stay in Italy and this part was very entertaining, her boss also recommends his parents' restaurant for her to learn new things... I figured this was leading Alice to become a chef, perhaps with her discovering she might not need to be a gourmet one, though! The secondary characters around her by now were also interesting but not fully well fleshed.

Throughout the novel, there are also sections told from the POV of Babetta, an old lady who was taking care of Villa Rosa, the estate her friend's mother bought. I suppose this works out as a contrast but to be honest, I wasn't particularly interested and could read these parts quickly.

Another element I should mention is that in the middle of all this, Alice had broken up with her boyfriend after what happened to her and, in my romance-reader mind I imagined this meant she would also find love with someone else.

Well, every plan I imagined went down the drain when, suddenly, Alice is back to her boss' restaurant and the apparent idyllic Italian section is over. Now, Alice is all about the restaurant and what she can do but she has a new boss, for the owner is opening a new place and isn't around as before. Alice is bullied, with other co workers, and then this section ends, and it feels that out of nowhere, she is now in a relationship with her boss! But no worries, because Alice quits.

Well, bummer. The story became thin and ridiculous and I wonder why bother with all the supposed "lessons" she had had in Italy, when now she seems more a housewife than anything else and they don't even marry (if it was meant to be something romantic). 

Then, another section of the story and it's been years and every character is different and made certain life choices and Alice no longer speaks with her best friend, and I was, what? Why? Why these options, what did this benefit the overall plot? The book isn't big so it was easy to read, but what a disappointing development! Things end happy but Alice ended up with a person I thought didn't matter, her life was not to be a chef after all, and this is fine, but... so frustrating. I really think the author planned this story very, very badly.

Grade: 5/10

Jean Kwok - Searching for Sylvie Lee

It begins with a mystery. Sylvie, the beautiful, brilliant, successful older daughter of the Lee family, flies to the Netherlands for one final visit with her dying grandmother-and then vanishes.
Amy, the sheltered baby of the Lee family, is too young to remember a time when her parents were newly immigrated and too poor to keep Sylvie. Seven years older, Sylvie was raised by a distant relative in a faraway, foreign place, and didn't rejoin her family in America until age nine. Timid and shy, Amy has always looked up to her sister, the fierce and fearless protector who showered her with unconditional love.
But what happened to Sylvie? Amy and her parents are distraught and desperate for answers. Sylvie has always looked out for them. Now, it's Amy's turn to help. Terrified yet determined, Amy retraces her sister's movements, flying to the last place Sylvie was seen. But instead of simple answers, she discovers something much more valuable: the truth. Sylvie, the golden girl, kept painful secrets . . . secrets that will reveal more about Amy's complicated family-and herself-than she ever could have imagined.
A deeply moving story of family, secrets, identity, and longing, Searching for Sylvie Lee is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive portrait of an immigrant family. It is a profound exploration of the many ways culture and language can divide us and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone-especially those we love.

Comment: This is the second book I try by this author. I liked the other one a lot but I confess I no longer remember much of what the plot was about, except the basics. I knew this book would have similarities (especially the mix of Chinese and American cultures) but it would have a different focus. I think the other book I had read before was a lot more rewarding to me...

Sylvie Lee is considered by all who know her to be successful and dynamic. She has Chinese origins but her childhood was spent in the Netherlands, where part of her family is, and at some point she went to live with her parents in America. She has a younger sister, Amy, who is a lot less accomplished, but with whom she has a close relationship. Everything changes when their grandmother, who never left the Netherlands, becomes sick and Sylvie decides to travel to see her. After the funeral, Sylvie goes missing and no one knows where she might have gone to or if it was on her own free will. Finally, Amy also travels to the Netherlands to look for Sylvie but she finds a lot more obstacles then what she anticipated. Will the family know what happened? What kind of secrets will need to be uncovered for the truth to be known?

I didn't have specific expectations of this book and having read the other one ten years ago, of course there wasn't much I could remember to compare. I do recall the other book to also have similar elements in terms of cultural aspects and I know that other book had hints of romance. From the start this one seemed to be focusing more on mystery/suspense details and, in my opinion, there is no romance here.

The book is told in first person by Amy, Sylvie and their mother. Most chapters are by Amy and Sylvie and the mother's are more about reminiscence and a few details which, of course, explain a few things neither girl could know and/or provide. Amy tells the story of what is happening after Sylvie disappeared and Sylvie's chapters are dedicated to what led to her disappearance. In between, we learn a lot about the pressure all have to perform, to maintain the appearances of their lives and what impact those around them had on all their lives.

I cannot say I was rooting for these characters because all had some kind of "flaw" let's say, which soon became annoying. There is a lot of inevitability and fate as elements which led their lives to go the path they did and this does clash a little with our contemporary and western way of seeing life as something we need to live but for which we make decisions. Sylvie decided to make those decisions and she found success and many other things which should be fulfilling but ended up not being so, which made her someone rather ruthless. Amy, on the other hand, had neither and to make it harder, a very low self esteem.

A lot of these thoughts come from the Chinese way of thinking and the customs their families adhere to, even when living abroad. Sylvie's family, however, for several reasons, socially behaves one way while in America and another while in the Netherlands. In general, I liked the writing, as I had in regards to the other book, but there were times where everything felt heavy and seemingly out of proportion. the first person narration also gave me opposed feelings: I liked being in Amy's head despite her personal issues because she seemed to be active and in a moment where things were still happening. Sylvie's thoughts were different, she was describing things that already happened and which couldn't be changed anymore.

I think it might have been a mistake to label this a mystery thriller. It's true that we don't know what happened to Sylvie until the end, but the road there wasn't as much about an actual investigation but what led to her disappearance. The several secondary elements we had to go through, namely the several characters Sylvie, in particular, interacted with, also contributed to the mystery vibes, but I will have to say that some relationships weren't described as interestingly as they could.

There's a twist, however, which might compensate a lot for the less good elements, and I confess I wasn't expecting it, perhaps the development leading to this reveal was so slow and rather boring that it took off some of the shock. We also learn how this affected Sylvie and what happened to lead to her disappearance but this element was very frustrating and a little pointless. I think the author could have found a way to present the information in a better way, to make this a more engaging novel.

All in all, an interesting experience and story, there were things I appreciated in the writing and in the plot here and there, but I think a lot more could have been done to elevate it. Thus, very generous four stars, if I were to think of that grading method.

Grade: 7/10

Susan Spencer-Wendell - Until I Say Goodbye

In June 2011, Susan Spencer-Wendel learned she had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)--Lou Gehrig's disease--an irreversible condition that systematically destroys the nerves that power the muscles. She was forty-four years old, with a devoted husband and three young children, and she had only one year of health remaining.
Susan decided to live that year with joy.
She quit her job as a journalist and spent time with her family. She built an outdoor meeting space for friends in her backyard. And she took seven trips with the seven most important people in her life. As her health declined, Susan journeyed to the Yukon, Hungary, the Bahamas, and Cyprus. She took her sons to swim with dolphins, and her teenage daughter, Marina, to Kleinfeld's bridal shop in New York City to see her for the first and last time in a wedding dress.
She also wrote this book. No longer able to walk or even to lift her arms, she tapped it out letter by letter on her iPhone using only her right thumb, the last finger still working.
However, Until I Say Good-Bye is not angry or bitter. It is sad in parts--how could it not be?--but it is filled with Susan's optimism, joie de vivre, and sense of humor. It is a book about life, not death. One that, like Susan, will make everyone smile.
From the Burger King parking lot where she cried after her diagnosis to a snowy hot spring near the Arctic Circle, from a hilarious family Christmas disaster to the decrepit monastery in eastern Cyprus where she rediscovered her heritage, Until I Say Good-Bye is not only Susan Spencer-Wendel's unforgettable gift to her loved ones--a heartfelt record of their final experiences together--but an offering to all of us: a reminder that "every day is better when it is lived with joy."

Comment: I got this book randomly at the library and was interested in it because it would be an auto biography of someone who was aware of her illness and wanted to leave something for her children. Before starting this book, I had never heard the author's name.

Susan Spencer-Wendell was a journalist and had a very busy life when the first signs that something wasn't right became obvious. Her left hand seemed weird and she couldn't move her fingers properly. From this to a devastating diagnosis felt like a second but realizing what her life would end up being made her want to try to create memories with her family while she was able. She found ways to share things with her husband and children and also her closer family members, and this book would be her final goodbye, something those who loved her could cherish.

It was predictable of me that, after having finished the book, I went on to search some superficial information about the author and what happened and such. I say this because throughout the book the author clearly intended on presenting herself in the most positive and uplifting way possible. There aren't many references to her bad thoughts or to the certainly bad moments and stages she went through. There are hints of it, yes, but very minimal that it almost feels as if she wasn't as sick as she clearly must have been.

Since I had no knowledge about the author nor about her situation before reading this book, the "story" was engaging to me and I did feel for this woman, who was quite young, and a disease like ALS was so heartbreaking for besides not having a cure, it also led to a situation in which she would lose control of her body. The way this information is presented means the author and those close to her would have a short span of time to be together and to deal with the impact of this situation.

To minimize this for her children and to leave them something they can remember fondly, instead of just thinking about her disease, she planned on writing this book, which at some point a publisher friend made possible. Susan does set up the book with information on her professional and personal life and I wondered on the chance she was given, to write her won words somehow and to know they would be published. I wasn't really thinking about it from that angle, but some reviews of other readers have highlighted the "privilege" Susan and her family had regarding some things and how this also colored what she was able to do.

With this in mind, it is certainly "lucky" that she could travel so much and go to many places - to create the memories and to investigate her biological parents' origins, especially her father's - in a way that is made to seem simple and easy but it clearly must have been not. I will not go into the financial aspects of what her experiences meant but I will simply have to assume the family was well and could afford those things. Others with ALS might not have the same opportunity, and their final days might be very different... but this is Susan's story with all that is involved.

The experiences themselves are the sweet and nostalgic type, of course, doing things with those around her, especially the children. Not everyone is able to say goodbye in such a fashion and the kids were quite young, but some things are everlasting... for the three kids it certainly must be. I did wonder how Susan could physically accomplish some things, though...she required a lot of help for most of the experiences and I figure she must have minimized what it cost to her and, to an extend, to her husband, who was with her through everything.

This was an interesting book to read. I thought it would be more emotional but the author's journalist background gave it a more practical aspect, i'd say. It also had less ALS content than what I imagined, and I suppose that was on purpose, after all this is a memoir for specific people, not a study on the illness' progress.

Grade: 7/10

Dawn Sister - See You Smile

Jake is forty five and has lived alone for some time. He's happy. He's not really in the market for any kind of romance, so why has his new neighbour set his heart racing and his stomach churning with butterflies?
Jake has watched this neighbour with interest over the last few weeks, telling himself that writing down this guy's every move in a special note book whilst observing him from behind his ivy on his deck is perfectly normal, but he is actually beginning to think he's turning into a creep. He can't help himself though. He's addicted. This new neighbour is quite simply the most beautiful creature Jake has ever set eyes on. He is also young enough to be Jake's son.
How is Jake ever going to get to know this guy without everyone, including the neighbour, thinking he is just a dirty old man? And how is he ever going to reconcile the fact that he is at least twenty years older?
The age gap is the least of his problems though, because this guy is elusive to say the least. Jake has a plan, but even the best laid plans go astray. After some disastrous attempts to meet his enigmatic neighbour something happens to bring them together and then Jake faces the possibility that he may have fallen for this guy, but how is someone young enough to be his son going to look at him as anything other than a friend?

Comment: This book was recommended to me years ago. Quite sad that only now I decided to pick it up...

Jake is a 45 year old writer who has a pretty stable life, although sometimes sad since his partner of years has died some years ago too. Things change when a new neighbor starts living next door and Jake can't help but feel funny just looking at him. The neighbor seems to like surfing and is very young and fit. He probably would never be interested in Jake anyway but that doesn't stop Jake from kind of stalking him, but this proves helpful when, one day, he sees the neighbor forgets his wallet and decides to finally meet him having a good excuse. Things don't go as smoothly as he imagined, for the neighbor Cal is deaf, which explains a lot of failed chances but after some time they became friends. But will Cal ever see Jake as more than friends considering their age gap?

This story is told exclusively from Jake's POV and, of course, as I repeat ad nauseam, that can be quite the limitation. Jake is likable and funny for a man who suffered the loss he did, but there were parts where his attitude was just a little too breezy and others where I really missed Cal's POV.

The story is very simple. Jake has his life organized and he had a great passion but his partner was ill and died. Jake isn't looking for someone new but sometimes heart and brain clash and his new neighbor fascinates Jake, even if it seems it's all bout his looks. I think this is a good enough starting point but we learn that Jake is actually more vulnerable than what he claims, and the fun part of the story is to see how Jake behaves when around Cal. I used the word "stalker" but that isn't the best word, or one should think of it as a joke if possible. Jake is always proper and correct when dealing with Cal.

The relationship starts as a friendship because that is what Cal needs. Cal is deaf but is living a quiet life which means he doesn't need any coddling. He has family, though, who decides to harass him for money issues - his parents died and left him in a good financial situation - and this also means they try to prove his inability to be alone. Of course, Cal being friends with Jake and many other people who know Jake in their small community means he has all the support he might require.

The plot is quite simple because the book isn't very big either, but this means some details might seem rather superficial. I, personally, would have liked more depth to the protagonists and more meaningful scenes between them. Since we only have Jake's POV, this is achieved by secondary guessing, but noticing the clues Cal offers in their interactions but Jake is a bit more vulnerable than one would think for someone who keeps claiming he could be Cal's father.

The age gap didn't feel much of a big deal but it's easier to say this than it would be to really live it, so I could respect Jake's thoughts on this. The author did enough about Jake to give me the impression of someone who went though his challenges but he is still worthy of a HEA. I think the bare minimum was done in regards to Cal but, truly, in a romance where two people go on at the supposedly same sped towards a relationship of some kind, we should have his POV too. In the end, no matter how positive I think the book to be, Cal still reads as too vague.

Close to the end, they guys finally hit if off, after some obvious scenes though, and Cal's intrusive uncle showing up set the stage for them to realize they were more than friends. I cannot really say if their romance would be as strong as it needed for them to last based on this novel, though. The tone was, sometimes, a bit too lazy and cute and I prefer a bit more of tension or some angst for the romances to feel more validated somehow... still, the guys ended up happy and that can be enough.

This wasn't life changing, but it was good to read, yes.

Grade: 7/10