Summer of ’69

• AUTHOR: Elin Hilderbrand
• TOPIC: Novel

My first book by @elinhilderbrand and I loved it. An enthralling story of family, secrets, marriage, love, and coming of age. I loved how the story followed the lives of all the family members, both separately and as they intertwined with each other, creating a mesh of tales and feelings, as if you would be living in the characters head, feeling what they feel and thinking what they think. This makes the summary a tough one to do, as there is so much going on.Taking place in the summer of ’69, we follow the lives of Kate and his kids: Jessie, Blair, Tiger and Kirby.Usually the summers are spent all together at grandma’s manor in Nantucket, but this year is a different one: Tiger is deployed in Vietnam; Kirby is set on finding her own two feet and get a summer job in the next town; Blair is about to give birth to twins while afraid that her estranged husband is having an affair. That leaves Jessie, only just turned 13, to deal with her mother’s pain for her brother Tiger; to get her heart broken for the first time; to learn how to become a person on her own and finally a little woman. Many secrets held by each family member will be revealed throughout the book, and it’s what makes it all the more exciting! I can’t wait to read more from her.

500 Miles From You

• AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan
• TOPIC: Novel

Another great and heartwarming read by @jennycolganbooks I loved the story but personally I thought that the ending was a bit rushed compared to how descriptive and intense the rest of the book was, but I loved it regardless. 
Lissa is working in London as a nurse, living the city life and genuinely loving her profession. When she happens to witness a hit and run, and the teenager dies in her arms, everything comes tumbling down. Her anxiety is so strong that she is unable to function, and in order not to lose her, her supervisor arranges for her a 3 months swap: she will go to a small town in Scotland and Cormac, an ex-army nurse, will take her place. Initially terrified and unable to fit in, Lissa slowly falls in love with the beauty and quiet of the place, enjoying the community and nature, making new friends, and letting the calm soothing new surroundings ease her anxiety away. Though reluctant at first, she starts to message with Cormac, starting with professional updates that slowly turn into more personal ones. When Lissa finally opens up about the accident, they both feel like the other person is the only one in the world that can understand them, leading to growing feelings on both sides. When Lissa is called back to London to testify in court, they arrange to meet for the very first time, and though various obstacles come in the way, they still make it back to each other, confirming what they knew all along.

Atlantis Genesi

• AUTHOR: A.G Riddle
• TOPIC: Thriller

First book for me by this author, and I found it complicated at times…so much going on with lengthy parts that made the read sometimes stuffy and on the verge of boring. On the other hand, other parts left you speechless with twist and turns and wow moments, especially towards the end, with so many unexpected discoveries. Read in Italian.

More than 70,000 years ago, humanity was on the verge of extinction. It miraculously survived, but no one knows how. Now it is ready to take a new step towards a higher evolutionary level, but time is running out. Dr. Kate Warner, a brilliant geneticist, is convinced that she has found the cure for autism, but instead she has made a much more dangerous discovery for her, and for the entire human race. Meanwhile, in Antarctica, a scientific mission has identified a Nazi submarine buried inside an iceberg and strenuously defended by agents of the Immari, a mysterious and very powerful global organization, divided into many subsections with branches in every field and around the world. Agent David Vale has spent the last ten years trying to understand what this organization protects, but by now it is too late: the men of the Immari are on his trail and are hunting him. The only person in the world who can help him is Kate Warner. Together, she and David must try to thwart a global threat and understand what the Atlantean gene hides and what the true origins of man are. But the Immari agents are willing to do anything, even to kill 99.9% of the population of planet Earth, in order to stop them.

The Family Gift

• AUTHOR: Cathy Kelly
• TOPIC: Novel

I laughed a lot while reading this amazing novel by @cathykellybooks. This tale is a true reflection of life and family, touching on so many important topics of every day life: love, family, insecurity, social media, infertility, sickness, adoption. A women’s quest to save everyone around her, while trying to juggle a career, kids, sick and grieving family members, while trying to find herself again after a traumatic experience. I absolutely loved it.
Freya is a celebrity Chef, who is supposed to be writing her new show and cookbook, but she’s on a creative freeze. She was mugged months before and not even changing houses to feel more secure, is helping her anxiety and inability to sleep without pills. If that wasn’t enough, her mom is taking care of her dad after a stroke; her sister marriage is on the brink as she cannot conceive; she has 3 kids to take care of, one of which she adopted from her husband’s first marriage; the birth mother of said kid is back on the scene causing havoc; she has to lie on social media to keep up her celebrity face while all she wants to do is tell the truth; she cannot seem to come up with any new recipes; and she lied to her husband about her constant fear and sleeping pill addiction. It will take a lot for Freya to get over the fact that she cannot save everyone around her. And it will be exactly this realization, that will enable her to help herself get back on track with her life and career, coming up with an amazing new set of recipes, meant to help families when everything seems wrong. And thanks to this newfound strength, she will be able to help everyone around her with a newfound inner peace, and finally shut up the voice inside her head: Mildred.

Point Of Retreat

• AUTHOR: Colleen Hoover
• TOPIC: Novel

@colleenhoover is one of my favorite writers, and I am slowly making my way through all her books. I didn’t know this was a sequel, but it was a great novel standing on its own feet, so I was able to read it without being left wondering what happened before. And it was so good, that I finished it in one day.
Lake and Will are living the best of love stories: young, desperately in love with each other while studying and taking care of their own two little brothers. As a promise to Lake’s dying mother, they didn’t consummate their love just yet, waiting for the famous one-year mark to pass. And as it’s not easy feat to resist each other, they have one key phrase they can use when they know they have reached the limit and have to stop: point of retreat. While they are planning their first special night together, something always gets in the way: family, school, their amazing neighbors or their responsibilities as carer for two young kids. When THE NIGHT is finally approaching, the worst happens: Will’s ex ( who studies with him in college and who Will is avoiding ) shows up at his house wanting to talk to get him back. And Lake shows up in the exact moment when Will is hugging her. The problem: Will never told Lake about her. Will tries anything in his power to try and explain to Lake what happened, and with the help of all his friends, he manages to win her back at a slam poetry night. But than a tragedy happens: they are all in a terrible car accident. Lake is on the verge between life and death, and Will makes a promise once more: he will never let her go, she will make her his forever. 

Love, Almost

• AUTHOR: Hayley Doyle
• TOPIC: Novel

My second book by @hayleydolly and I certainly enjoyed it. A love story shadowed by tragedy, but at the same time laced with hope and the ultimate question: how can you live and survive when the love of your life no longer lives?
Chloe is madly in love for the first time with Jack. On a trip to Thailand, he asks her to move in with her. Though they just started dating 5 months ago, there is no question: he is the one, and she says yes. Recently moved in, she is hit by the worst news when Jack goes out one morning, and his father ( that she never met before ) comes into the apartment to announce that Jack was hit by a truck and died on the spot. She is lost, alone and misunderstood: no one seems to have known about her, and all her family and friends don’t seem to understand how such a short relationship could have such an impact on her. Not knowing what else to do, and unable to let go of Jack just yet, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own. From another trip to Thailand into Vietnam, to a comedy show, a ski lessons, a posh restaurant, she ends up finding her own way, after being on this mission of completing a list that was hanging on their fridge. Finding her purpose in life again, she learns to cherish what she had, but looking forward to the future at the same time.

Maybe This Time

• AUTHOR: Jill Mansell
• TOPIC: Novel

I love @jillmansell and everything she writes. Her novels are just so breezy and easy to read, you get so engrossed in the stories that you are unable to put the book down, waiting eagerly for what comes next. This was no exception, a story not only of love, but family, loss, community and how to find yourself.
When Mimi visits her dad’s new home in the Cotswolds for the first time, she is surprised about how much she loves it. Cal, a charismatic and charming man she stumbles on upon arrival, certainly helps matters. Her dad and her partner are new to the small town, but with Cal’s and Mini’s help, they get over the fear of being unaccepted and venture out to meet the locals, forming long lasting relationships. Though Mimi lives and works in London, she goes back to visit as much as possible, and on one of these occasions, the unthinkable happens: her father and Cal’s wife die in a car accident. Getting back to living again is hard, but life has his ways to get in between. So, when Mimi discovers that her new boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend, she finds solace with her dad’s partner and moves back to Cotswolds, leaving her job and London behind. Fighting to get her career back on track, she spends more time with Cal, and develops feelings for him…but the timings is never right: either she is away due her new job, or he is away for his, or he is dating someone new. But fear not…as i said…life has his ways to get in between.

The Order

• AUTHOR: Daniel Silva
• TOPIC: Novel

I already LOVE @danielsilvabooks but it doesn’t get any better than reading a Gabriel Allon novel that is mixed with a Papal conspiracy: that is next level! As usual, he doesn’t disappoint. His signature mix of dry humor and action, intertwined with historical fiction, makes him my absolute favorite for this genre!
Gabriel is headed to Venice for a much needed holiday with his family. Of course, it doesn’t last long when news of the Pope’s death reaches him. His private Secretary Donati has reason to think it was not of natural causes: the Swiss guard who was in front of the Pope’s apartment disappeared, as did the letter that the Pope was writing to Gabriel about a book he discovered just before his passing. The book is a lost gospel that questions the accuracy of the New Testament’s version of the death of Jesus. And the Order of St. Helena, a secret Catholic, anti-Semitist and racist society, will stop at nothing to keep its message hidden and try to control the upcoming conclave’s verdict. Gabriel sets on a mission across Europe to get to the bottom of the Order, and gather proof of its evil plans, during which he discovers that so many high clerical officials were paid handsome sums to alter the votes for the next Pope. With this information in hand, Donati manages to get audience with the Conclave just before the voting starts, ultimately upturning the Order and ensuring that the next Pope is one that the Church deserves…but also one he never expected to be.

If You Could Go Anywhere

• AUTHOR: Paige Toon
• TOPIC: Novel

Another big favorite of mine, @paigetoonauthor never disappoints. This tale of travel, lost family, grief, love, food and discovery, kept me glued to the pages. I felt like I was traveling right there with the characters, and since majority of the story takes place in Italy, it gave me a pang of longing and home sickness that I don’t always feel. Or maybe was it a longing to travel? Either way, I loved it and highly recommend it.
Angie always wanted to travel, but she never left her small mining town in the desert of South Australia. Only when her grandma passes away, she feels like she can finally go and discover the world. But where and how? Fate helps her out when she finds a lost letter from her late mom, addressed to the father she never met. And this letter, takes her to Rome. Once there, she meets her father Giulio and all of his family, but it’s Alessandro that helps her the most to adapt to the Italian way of life. It’s soon apparent that Angie is really an Angel, her heart knows no boundaries when it comes to helping the people she loves. Secrets start making their way to the surface as Alessandro and Angie spend more and more time together, secrets so dark that explain why he is often withdrawn, why he seeks the adrenaline of extreme sports, and why he keeps all of his family always at a distance. Against her better judgement, she can’t help falling in love with him…but will this love be enough to cure his ghosts? Will her love be enough to save him? You will need to read to find out!

Grown Ups

• AUTHOR: Marian Keyes
• TOPIC: Novel

@marian_keyes is one of my favorite authors. I absolutely love her books. This one, took me a little while to warm up to. In fact, I think I was really conflicted about it until the second half. Definitely not my favorite from her, but I still liked it in the end. My opinion: other books from her are far better, and if you have never read her before, don’t start with this one.
The plot summary is virtually impossible to write, as there is simply too much going on. Three brothers, three wives, countless kids, family affairs, health issues, cheating, disappointment, money and job problems, it’s simply a whirlwind portraying how life really is, especially when you are part of a huge extended family. It’s a genuine portrait of life, insecurities, love, family, jealousy, conflict, marriage, parenthood, and all the different shades of being human.

A Summer Without You

• AUTHOR: Karen Swan
• TOPIC: Novel

Another great read from one of my favorite writers @swannywrites She has this ability to mix suspense, mystery and romance into one, creating compelling stories that keep you glued to the pages. It is my goal to read each and every one of the books she has ever written, and I am nearly there. If you haven’t read her yet, please make sure you do!
Photographer Rowena is shocked when her boyfriend of 11 years announces that he wants to press pause on their relationship for 6 months to travel the world, before committing for life. During a wedding shoot in NYC, faith has other plans for her when she ends up in an audition for a houseshare in the Hapmtons for the summer, and wins. Driven by the opportunity to live a new life while Matt does the same, she embarks on a summer with 3 eclectic housemates, in an ambience at the polar opposite of her usual lifestyle: tennis, beach and high society events. Housemates become friends, and while she slowly but successfully establishes her studio, she will find herself entangled in a local campaign crossfire, with a homicide in between, and she will also succumb to her feeling for a stranger that she met on her first day…that though she tried so hard to avoid, will turn out to be everything she has ever wanted. 

The Jetsetters

• AUTHOR: Amanda Eyre Ward
• TOPIC: Novel

I heard so much about this book but I am sorry to see that it feel short for me and was slightly disappointed. Though finished in one setting, mainly because I couldn’t wait for it to be over with, I was left with a question: what’s the story line and purpose of this book? I really didn’t enjoy it.

When Charlotte wins a Mediterranean cruise for herself and her 3 grown up kids, she hopes that this will be something to bring them together. Lee, the prettiest failed wanna-be actress; Regan, the married woman with kids in an unfaithful marriage; and Cord, a successful venture capitalist unable to come out of the closet. All 3 of them have way more secrets that they can bear, but past misunderstandings drifted them apart so much that no one knows whom to trust and rely on…and no one really knows what’s really going on in the other person’s life.
During the trip these secrets slowly start to surface, include Charlotte’s own…but the issue with the book is that there is no purpose, no solution, no bonding, no epiphany moment. So what could have been a great novel about family and relationships, just leaves you with a huge question mark, and you are left unable to understand what you were actually reading about in the first place. Shame.

Summer of ’69

• AUTHOR: Elin Hilderbrand
• TOPIC: Novel

My first book by @elinhilderbrand and I loved it. An enthralling story of family, secrets, marriage, love, and coming of age. I loved how the story followed the lives of all the family members, both separately and as they intertwined with each other, creating a mesh of tales and feelings, as if you would be living in the characters head, feeling what they feel and thinking what they think. This makes the summary a tough one to do, as there is so much going on.Taking place in the summer of ’69, we follow the lives of Kate and his kids: Jessie, Blair, Tiger and Kirby.Usually the summers are spent all together at grandma’s manor in Nantucket, but this year is a different one: Tiger is deployed in Vietnam; Kirby is set on finding her own two feet and get a summer job in the next town; Blair is about to give birth to twins while afraid that her estranged husband is having an affair. That leaves Jessie, only just turned 13, to deal with her mother’s pain for her brother Tiger; to get her heart broken for the first time; to learn how to become a person on her own and finally a little woman. Many secrets held by each family member will be revealed throughout the book, and it’s what makes it all the more exciting! I can’t wait to read more from her.

500 Miles From You

• AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan
• TOPIC: Novel

Another great and heartwarming read by @jennycolganbooks I loved the story but personally I thought that the ending was a bit rushed compared to how descriptive and intense the rest of the book was, but I loved it regardless. 
Lissa is working in London as a nurse, living the city life and genuinely loving her profession. When she happens to witness a hit and run, and the teenager dies in her arms, everything comes tumbling down. Her anxiety is so strong that she is unable to function, and in order not to lose her, her supervisor arranges for her a 3 months swap: she will go to a small town in Scotland and Cormac, an ex-army nurse, will take her place. Initially terrified and unable to fit in, Lissa slowly falls in love with the beauty and quiet of the place, enjoying the community and nature, making new friends, and letting the calm soothing new surroundings ease her anxiety away. Though reluctant at first, she starts to message with Cormac, starting with professional updates that slowly turn into more personal ones. When Lissa finally opens up about the accident, they both feel like the other person is the only one in the world that can understand them, leading to growing feelings on both sides. When Lissa is called back to London to testify in court, they arrange to meet for the very first time, and though various obstacles come in the way, they still make it back to each other, confirming what they knew all along.

Atlantis Genesi

• AUTHOR: A.G Riddle
• TOPIC: Thriller

First book for me by this author, and I found it complicated at times…so much going on with lengthy parts that made the read sometimes stuffy and on the verge of boring. On the other hand, other parts left you speechless with twist and turns and wow moments, especially towards the end, with so many unexpected discoveries. Read in Italian.

More than 70,000 years ago, humanity was on the verge of extinction. It miraculously survived, but no one knows how. Now it is ready to take a new step towards a higher evolutionary level, but time is running out. Dr. Kate Warner, a brilliant geneticist, is convinced that she has found the cure for autism, but instead she has made a much more dangerous discovery for her, and for the entire human race. Meanwhile, in Antarctica, a scientific mission has identified a Nazi submarine buried inside an iceberg and strenuously defended by agents of the Immari, a mysterious and very powerful global organization, divided into many subsections with branches in every field and around the world. Agent David Vale has spent the last ten years trying to understand what this organization protects, but by now it is too late: the men of the Immari are on his trail and are hunting him. The only person in the world who can help him is Kate Warner. Together, she and David must try to thwart a global threat and understand what the Atlantean gene hides and what the true origins of man are. But the Immari agents are willing to do anything, even to kill 99.9% of the population of planet Earth, in order to stop them.

The Family Gift

• AUTHOR: Cathy Kelly
• TOPIC: Novel

I laughed a lot while reading this amazing novel by @cathykellybooks. This tale is a true reflection of life and family, touching on so many important topics of every day life: love, family, insecurity, social media, infertility, sickness, adoption. A women’s quest to save everyone around her, while trying to juggle a career, kids, sick and grieving family members, while trying to find herself again after a traumatic experience. I absolutely loved it.
Freya is a celebrity Chef, who is supposed to be writing her new show and cookbook, but she’s on a creative freeze. She was mugged months before and not even changing houses to feel more secure, is helping her anxiety and inability to sleep without pills. If that wasn’t enough, her mom is taking care of her dad after a stroke; her sister marriage is on the brink as she cannot conceive; she has 3 kids to take care of, one of which she adopted from her husband’s first marriage; the birth mother of said kid is back on the scene causing havoc; she has to lie on social media to keep up her celebrity face while all she wants to do is tell the truth; she cannot seem to come up with any new recipes; and she lied to her husband about her constant fear and sleeping pill addiction. It will take a lot for Freya to get over the fact that she cannot save everyone around her. And it will be exactly this realization, that will enable her to help herself get back on track with her life and career, coming up with an amazing new set of recipes, meant to help families when everything seems wrong. And thanks to this newfound strength, she will be able to help everyone around her with a newfound inner peace, and finally shut up the voice inside her head: Mildred.

Point Of Retreat

• AUTHOR: Colleen Hoover
• TOPIC: Novel

@colleenhoover is one of my favorite writers, and I am slowly making my way through all her books. I didn’t know this was a sequel, but it was a great novel standing on its own feet, so I was able to read it without being left wondering what happened before. And it was so good, that I finished it in one day.
Lake and Will are living the best of love stories: young, desperately in love with each other while studying and taking care of their own two little brothers. As a promise to Lake’s dying mother, they didn’t consummate their love just yet, waiting for the famous one-year mark to pass. And as it’s not easy feat to resist each other, they have one key phrase they can use when they know they have reached the limit and have to stop: point of retreat. While they are planning their first special night together, something always gets in the way: family, school, their amazing neighbors or their responsibilities as carer for two young kids. When THE NIGHT is finally approaching, the worst happens: Will’s ex ( who studies with him in college and who Will is avoiding ) shows up at his house wanting to talk to get him back. And Lake shows up in the exact moment when Will is hugging her. The problem: Will never told Lake about her. Will tries anything in his power to try and explain to Lake what happened, and with the help of all his friends, he manages to win her back at a slam poetry night. But than a tragedy happens: they are all in a terrible car accident. Lake is on the verge between life and death, and Will makes a promise once more: he will never let her go, she will make her his forever. 

Love, Almost

• AUTHOR: Hayley Doyle
• TOPIC: Novel

My second book by @hayleydolly and I certainly enjoyed it. A love story shadowed by tragedy, but at the same time laced with hope and the ultimate question: how can you live and survive when the love of your life no longer lives?
Chloe is madly in love for the first time with Jack. On a trip to Thailand, he asks her to move in with her. Though they just started dating 5 months ago, there is no question: he is the one, and she says yes. Recently moved in, she is hit by the worst news when Jack goes out one morning, and his father ( that she never met before ) comes into the apartment to announce that Jack was hit by a truck and died on the spot. She is lost, alone and misunderstood: no one seems to have known about her, and all her family and friends don’t seem to understand how such a short relationship could have such an impact on her. Not knowing what else to do, and unable to let go of Jack just yet, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own. From another trip to Thailand into Vietnam, to a comedy show, a ski lessons, a posh restaurant, she ends up finding her own way, after being on this mission of completing a list that was hanging on their fridge. Finding her purpose in life again, she learns to cherish what she had, but looking forward to the future at the same time.

Maybe This Time

• AUTHOR: Jill Mansell
• TOPIC: Novel

I love @jillmansell and everything she writes. Her novels are just so breezy and easy to read, you get so engrossed in the stories that you are unable to put the book down, waiting eagerly for what comes next. This was no exception, a story not only of love, but family, loss, community and how to find yourself.
When Mimi visits her dad’s new home in the Cotswolds for the first time, she is surprised about how much she loves it. Cal, a charismatic and charming man she stumbles on upon arrival, certainly helps matters. Her dad and her partner are new to the small town, but with Cal’s and Mini’s help, they get over the fear of being unaccepted and venture out to meet the locals, forming long lasting relationships. Though Mimi lives and works in London, she goes back to visit as much as possible, and on one of these occasions, the unthinkable happens: her father and Cal’s wife die in a car accident. Getting back to living again is hard, but life has his ways to get in between. So, when Mimi discovers that her new boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend, she finds solace with her dad’s partner and moves back to Cotswolds, leaving her job and London behind. Fighting to get her career back on track, she spends more time with Cal, and develops feelings for him…but the timings is never right: either she is away due her new job, or he is away for his, or he is dating someone new. But fear not…as i said…life has his ways to get in between.

The Order

• AUTHOR: Daniel Silva
• TOPIC: Novel

I already LOVE @danielsilvabooks but it doesn’t get any better than reading a Gabriel Allon novel that is mixed with a Papal conspiracy: that is next level! As usual, he doesn’t disappoint. His signature mix of dry humor and action, intertwined with historical fiction, makes him my absolute favorite for this genre!
Gabriel is headed to Venice for a much needed holiday with his family. Of course, it doesn’t last long when news of the Pope’s death reaches him. His private Secretary Donati has reason to think it was not of natural causes: the Swiss guard who was in front of the Pope’s apartment disappeared, as did the letter that the Pope was writing to Gabriel about a book he discovered just before his passing. The book is a lost gospel that questions the accuracy of the New Testament’s version of the death of Jesus. And the Order of St. Helena, a secret Catholic, anti-Semitist and racist society, will stop at nothing to keep its message hidden and try to control the upcoming conclave’s verdict. Gabriel sets on a mission across Europe to get to the bottom of the Order, and gather proof of its evil plans, during which he discovers that so many high clerical officials were paid handsome sums to alter the votes for the next Pope. With this information in hand, Donati manages to get audience with the Conclave just before the voting starts, ultimately upturning the Order and ensuring that the next Pope is one that the Church deserves…but also one he never expected to be.

If You Could Go Anywhere

• AUTHOR: Paige Toon
• TOPIC: Novel

Another big favorite of mine, @paigetoonauthor never disappoints. This tale of travel, lost family, grief, love, food and discovery, kept me glued to the pages. I felt like I was traveling right there with the characters, and since majority of the story takes place in Italy, it gave me a pang of longing and home sickness that I don’t always feel. Or maybe was it a longing to travel? Either way, I loved it and highly recommend it.
Angie always wanted to travel, but she never left her small mining town in the desert of South Australia. Only when her grandma passes away, she feels like she can finally go and discover the world. But where and how? Fate helps her out when she finds a lost letter from her late mom, addressed to the father she never met. And this letter, takes her to Rome. Once there, she meets her father Giulio and all of his family, but it’s Alessandro that helps her the most to adapt to the Italian way of life. It’s soon apparent that Angie is really an Angel, her heart knows no boundaries when it comes to helping the people she loves. Secrets start making their way to the surface as Alessandro and Angie spend more and more time together, secrets so dark that explain why he is often withdrawn, why he seeks the adrenaline of extreme sports, and why he keeps all of his family always at a distance. Against her better judgement, she can’t help falling in love with him…but will this love be enough to cure his ghosts? Will her love be enough to save him? You will need to read to find out!

Grown Ups

• AUTHOR: Marian Keyes
• TOPIC: Novel

@marian_keyes is one of my favorite authors. I absolutely love her books. This one, took me a little while to warm up to. In fact, I think I was really conflicted about it until the second half. Definitely not my favorite from her, but I still liked it in the end. My opinion: other books from her are far better, and if you have never read her before, don’t start with this one.
The plot summary is virtually impossible to write, as there is simply too much going on. Three brothers, three wives, countless kids, family affairs, health issues, cheating, disappointment, money and job problems, it’s simply a whirlwind portraying how life really is, especially when you are part of a huge extended family. It’s a genuine portrait of life, insecurities, love, family, jealousy, conflict, marriage, parenthood, and all the different shades of being human.

A Summer Without You

• AUTHOR: Karen Swan
• TOPIC: Novel

Another great read from one of my favorite writers @swannywrites She has this ability to mix suspense, mystery and romance into one, creating compelling stories that keep you glued to the pages. It is my goal to read each and every one of the books she has ever written, and I am nearly there. If you haven’t read her yet, please make sure you do!
Photographer Rowena is shocked when her boyfriend of 11 years announces that he wants to press pause on their relationship for 6 months to travel the world, before committing for life. During a wedding shoot in NYC, faith has other plans for her when she ends up in an audition for a houseshare in the Hapmtons for the summer, and wins. Driven by the opportunity to live a new life while Matt does the same, she embarks on a summer with 3 eclectic housemates, in an ambience at the polar opposite of her usual lifestyle: tennis, beach and high society events. Housemates become friends, and while she slowly but successfully establishes her studio, she will find herself entangled in a local campaign crossfire, with a homicide in between, and she will also succumb to her feeling for a stranger that she met on her first day…that though she tried so hard to avoid, will turn out to be everything she has ever wanted. 

The Jetsetters

• AUTHOR: Amanda Eyre Ward
• TOPIC: Novel

I heard so much about this book but I am sorry to see that it feel short for me and was slightly disappointed. Though finished in one setting, mainly because I couldn’t wait for it to be over with, I was left with a question: what’s the story line and purpose of this book? I really didn’t enjoy it.

When Charlotte wins a Mediterranean cruise for herself and her 3 grown up kids, she hopes that this will be something to bring them together. Lee, the prettiest failed wanna-be actress; Regan, the married woman with kids in an unfaithful marriage; and Cord, a successful venture capitalist unable to come out of the closet. All 3 of them have way more secrets that they can bear, but past misunderstandings drifted them apart so much that no one knows whom to trust and rely on…and no one really knows what’s really going on in the other person’s life.
During the trip these secrets slowly start to surface, include Charlotte’s own…but the issue with the book is that there is no purpose, no solution, no bonding, no epiphany moment. So what could have been a great novel about family and relationships, just leaves you with a huge question mark, and you are left unable to understand what you were actually reading about in the first place. Shame.