Books Added
Books Read
Just my luck on the week that I was quite good on the acquisitions front that I didn’t manage to read as much as usual either, so bang goes the balance again! Both numbers indicative of being pre-occupied and busy in real life so not as much time spend on the PC or reading. I did say last week I’d give my verdict on Time of the Child as I still hadn’t quite finished it when I was putting the post together. I really enjoyed it, though I think This is Happiness still just has the edge for me, if you’re looking for a starting point. That said, please don’t take that as a criticism. As a look at small town Ireland, it was spot on and the storyline had me hooked, though the doctor’s ingenious plan, to solve the dilemma of the said ‘child’ never really had legs for me. Whether that was what happened I’ll leave you to discover. As ever, it shone a light on the stranglehold that the Church had, and how it felt indivisible from the State in the way it dictated people’s lives. The writing as always is simply beautiful.
I definitely needed something lighter after it though, so in keeping with the idea of a secret baby I picked up An Irish Affair, which started as a St Patrick’s Day fling and became so much more … eventually. It was a light easy read, and for once the ‘playboy’ was actually a decent bloke and if anything was as wronged by his family as his fling, which he’d believed to be so much more. Anyway, this was a romance so despite the miscommunication and inevitable 3rd act fallout, all ended happily – aaah!
Next, a book which straddled two worlds, Life After You, it was a second romance, but it also dealt with the issues of grief and depression, so it had a bit more depth than some straight line romances might. I realise that might sound as though I’m trivialising some romances which is far from my intention, especially as I’m the one devouring them. What I’m trying to say, probably badly, is that it was about more than just the romance aspect. Milly Bryne’s world came crashing down when she lost her beloved Dad and boyfriend in a matter of weeks. The boyfriend because he’d just taken off to live in Italy. Several years later he’s back and Milly realises she may have hated him for what he did, what she finally needs is closure to be able to move forward and that means finally hearing him out. Was I invested in the story, yes, did I enjoy it, yes, did it end with the right conclusion – for me, yes!
My final read of the week saw me move away from romance, although the themes of second chances and grief could equally well apply. Greener, is the story of 3 inseparable teenage friends who meet up again years later, when life has seen that friendship group fall apart. Helen, left home at 18 and never returned but is now back because her father has had a stroke. She returns to find one of her friends not only caring for him (professionally), but living in her childhood home and the other popping in to tend to the garden. Having distanced herself from her friends and family, they know her father better than she does and that causes further resentment. It’s a great read, that shines a light on the way each viewed their relationship with each other and with their own parents. Ultimately, it also recognises that it’s also their individual, unspoken inner thoughts and insecurities that impact on the assumptions they make about others. Helen’s father subsequent death brings about a reconciliation and an understanding of their shared pasts to hep them move forward. It’s a book that makes you think about our own relationships and how we perceive things.
Books Added
Lessons in Love by Hannah Lynn (free)
The Lonely Hearts Book Club is back in session
Meet Jules, a single mum juggling a demanding job at an exclusive prep-school and raising her 11-year-old son, and love is the last thing on her mind. But all of that changes when she meets Nate and they immediately hit it off.
Nate is charming, funny, and seemingly perfect, that is until the first parent-teacher conference of the year. With the knowledge that he is a parent, Jules is faced with a difficult decision: risk her job and security to purse love, or play it safe and miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime connection.
As sparks fly between Jules and Nate, their resolve will be put to the test. Will Jules take a leap of faith and follow her heart, or will she let her fears hold her back? Can these two single parents find a way past all the logistical hurdles for a second chance at love? Find out in this heartwarming, feel-good romantic comedy that will leave you laughing, swooning, and rooting for a happily ever after.
Sinful Chance by Vivian Wood (free)
He was her first love. She was the one who got away. A broken engagement brought them back together for a summer of second chances.
Rachel Black had it all: the perfect job, the perfect life, and the perfect fiancé. Until it all fell apart.
Heartbroken after finding her fiancé cheating, she ran away to a summer internship with the national parks service. She never expected to run straight into Grayson… the one-time love of her life.
Grayson was now a ranger guide. In the new role she’d just taken, Rachel had to rely on him. But how could she trust the man who once broke her heart? His reasons for leaving remained a mystery. The longing in his eyes never faded, though.
As old wounds reopened and dark secrets came to light, their spark . Could they find their way back to each other? Or were some bridges burned beyond repair?
The Italian Daughter by Soraya Lane (free)
Italy, 1946. “Estee, I bought this ring years ago and have kept it safe ever since. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.” She reached for Felix’s hand and gently closed it over the box. “No,” she whispered. “I want you to propose only when you’re truly free.”
London, present day: Lily clutches a faded piece of paper in her hands, knowing that her life will never be the same again. Whilst grieving for her late father, she is told that her grandmother was born at Hope’s House, a home for unmarried mothers, the only clues to her past contained on a handwritten Italian recipe and an old theatre programme.
Desperate for answers, Lily accepts a job on an Italian vineyard in the heart of picturesque Como – a dream her father once shared. Arriving at the palatial home of the Martinelli family, Lily is captivated by the acres of vines that surround her and instantly feels at home. She is also struck by their charming son Antonio and as they chat long into the night over a candlelit dinner, he offers to help Lily discover her family’s heritage.
As Lily unravels the truth of her own legacy, she begins to fall more in love with Italy and with Antonio. And tracing the recipe back to a bakery in a hilltop village, she soon unearths a tragic love story that changes everything…
But when Lily discovers who her grandmother really was, can she too have the courage to follow her heart and leave her old life behind? Or will her family’s heart-wrenching story force her home?
Only You by Melanie Harlow (free)
Nate Pearson is ridiculously handsome and wears the hell out of a suit and tie, but I’ve seen the parade of beautiful women leaving his apartment across the hall—a different one every time—and I want no part of it.
When it comes to romance, I’m looking for something real, something that will last: the happily ever after. As a divorce attorney, he loves to tell me there’s no such thing. As a wedding planner, I choose to disagree.
We disagree on almost everything, in fact. Everything except James Bond. The only time we really get along is when we’re watching 007 flicks together, and I’ll admit—he has rescued me from a disaster or five.
So when one of the baton twirlers from his parade leaves a baby girl at his door with a note that says “I’ll come back for her” and he begs me for help, I can’t turn him down.
But it’s a mistake.
Because watching him with his daughter, I start to see another side of Nate, a side that has my breath coming faster, my body craving his, my heart longing for him to change his mind about love and tell me there’s a chance for us.
I don’t want to be just another girl leaving his apartment in the morning.
I want to be the one he asks to stay.
The Wife Situation by Lyra Parish (free)
The grumpy billionaire accuses me of stealing, has me fired, and now wants me to be his temporary wife. I think he’s lost his mind.
Easton Calloway needs a wifey, pronto, and he chooses me to temporarily fill the position. While I want to tell him to eff off, I can’t walk away from the temptation. So, I do what any broke actress living in New York City would do, and I agree to the terms and conditions.
It should be easy—a year of marriage, a cushy penthouse in the city, and a spending allowance. After three hundred sixty-five days, I’ll receive divorce papers and a check in the mail. All I have to do is pretend we’re happily married without falling in love.
Doable, right? Wrong.
Accidentally Checked by my Brother’s Best Friend by Abby Greyson (77p)
A Brooding Hockey Player. A Gorgeous Movie Star. And One Very Public Break-up.
Ava
Duncan James has always been the one person I couldn’t hide from.
He saw me. The real me I hid from everyone.
Ten years later, that hasn’t changed, but Duncan has.
The younger brother of my best friend is all grown up. And way too attractive for his own good, and mine.
With a crazy ex, I have a favor to ask: Pretend to be my boyfriend.
Duncan
The moment I laid eyes on Ava Norris, I knew she was my person.
Now she’s asking the impossible: pretend I’m in love with her.
One problem: I’m pretty sure I still am.
Fake dating never goes well in the movies. And if the ‘fake’ kisses are any indication, my heart’s about to be broken a second time.
Unless I can figure out a way to make her mine for real.
Books Read
An Irish Affair by Ajme Williams
I’d always found Irish men to be irresistible.
And Devin?
He’s the hottest one of them all.
I had my chance with him.
Heck, I even have a baby with him.
A four-year old boy.
My only secret.
I lost my V-card to Devin on St. Patrick’s night four years ago.
My biggest mistake was thinking that I could trust him.
Hot men like him are trouble.
Besides, he made it clear to me that he hates kids.
Hates.
Fast-forward to when he meets our little boy.
A meeting that I tried my hardest to avoid.
I might have expected them to get along but… best buddies?
Devin is supposed to hate kids, remember?
It’s only a matter of time until he finds out his birthday.
And when he does…
Oh boy!
Life After You by Sian O’Gorman
What if the person you’ve lost, is the one you need to find?
Milly Bryne’s world came crashing down when she lost her beloved Dad and boyfriend in a matter of weeks.
Losing her Dad broke her family. Losing her soulmate made her give up on life and love.
After swerving from stability to chaos to despair, Milly finally believes she has her life back on track when the unexpected return of a familiar face to Dublin throws her life into a spin.
Milly is forced to decide if her new life is the one for her, or if there is another path that will bring even greater riches of joy, excitement and fun.
Life just isn’t worth living if your heart isn’t in it?
Greener by Grainne Murphy
As teenagers, Helen, Annie and Laura were inseparable, bonding over family, boys, and their dreams for the future. But when school ended, so did their friendship.
Twenty-five years later, a snowstorm forces the three women to spend time together, leaving them wondering if they can reconcile the gap between who they are and who they used to be.
GREENER is an exploration of the changing dynamics of adult friendships and asks whether old friends can ever let us become new people.
The Verdict
| Books Purchased | 6 |
| Books Read | 3 |
| Deficit | -3 |
| Balance brought forward | 5.11 |
| Weekly budget | 10.00 |
| Total Spent (another first) | .77 |
| Balance carried forward | 14.34 |
