Good Reads & Views

The Trouble with Hating You (#1) by Sajni Patel 
Fiction 

What happens: Liya is a biochemical engineer married to her work. Even though she is fine being single, her parents are not. Ambushed one night at a family dinner, a blind date goes wrong with Liya escaping before dinner is served. Jay is a lawyer who would do anything for his family even if that means being set up on a blind date where the girl flees. When Liya and Jay are forced to work together, sparks fly, and they begin to not hate each other. Will Jay help Liya realize life isn’t all about work? Will Liya get Jay to loosen up his overprotectiveness? 

Why you might like it: A great read for those who love enemies to lovers. Jay and Liya have great chemistry and their banter is comical. Liya is in the STEAM field, and it was refreshing to read about a woman engineer.

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Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes 
Fiction 

What happens: Recently widowed, Evvie Drake has decided to rent out the apartment in the back of her house to help get over her grief of losing her husband. She wasn’t expecting Major League Baseball Player Dean Tenney (a pitcher who has a bad case of the yips) to want her apartment. For this to work out, Evvie can’t talk to Dean about baseball and Dean can’t ask Evvie about her deceased husband. Of course, rules always have a way of getting broken. 

Reviewers say: “Believable, flawed characters are at the heart of this novel. At times deeply emotional yet sometimes extremely humorous. This is a satisfying crowd-pleaser” (Publishers Weekly).

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Caraval (#1) by Stephanie Garber 
YA FIC

What it's about: Scarlett and Tella are sisters who are controlled by their cruel father. He has found a match for Scarlett which makes Tella want to kidnap her and run off. The sisters have dreamt of attending Caraval which happens once a year and is full of magic and mayhem. A chance encounter with a pirate gives the girls the opportunity to run off but Tella is soon kidnapped and the fun of Caraval goes out the door.  

Reviewers say: “Intriguing characters, an imaginative setting, and evocative writing combine to create a spellbinding tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and hope. While the search for Tella drives the narrative, Scarlett’s quest for self-empowerment is equally captivating” (Publishers Weekly).

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The Paris Wife by Paula McLain  
Fiction 

Why this book: With so many historical fiction books depicting life during WWII, why not travel back before the war and read about the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. Hadley Richardson falls quickly for Ernest Hemingway and soon they are married. Ernest and Hadley travel to Paris and join the literary group called “Lost Generation” which is made up of the Fitzgeralds, Greta Stein, and Ezra Pound. Life in Paris begins to lose its charm and Hadley and Hemingway’s marriage is tested in more ways than one.  

Why you might like it: Those who are interested in the behind-the-scenes of an artist’s work will get a glimpse into the life of Hemingway while he wrote The Sun Also Rises. 

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One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid 
Fiction 

What sets it apart: Emma marries her high school sweetheart Jesse, and they live happily ever after. Well, that is until Jesse goes missing on their one-year wedding anniversary. Years later, Emma finds herself in her 30’s and falling for an old friend, Sam. The couple get engaged and start to plan their future together. All is well until Jesse is found…alive! How will Emma ever decide between her husband and her fiancé? 

Why you might like it: Taylor Jenkins Reid does an excellent job of showing the internal conflict Emma goes through when choosing between Jesse and Sam. This is a heart-wrenching read that leaves readers guessing till the end, on who is the love of Emma’s life. 

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The Dead Romantics by Ashely Poston
Fiction

What it’s about: Florence Day is a ghost writer for an older famous author. As a failed author herself, ghost writing has allowed her to do what she loves without the fear of rejection. Moving away from home after high school to New York, Florence separated herself from her family and their funeral home business. A tragedy brings Florence home and makes her confront her past and her ability to see ghosts.

Why you might like it: If you like romance with a paranormal/fantasy twist, this book is for you. Florence is a millennial so millennials will relate to her. If you enjoy eccentric characters then Florence’s family will not disappoint.

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The Ex-Hex (#1) by Erin Sterling
Fiction

What it's about: Vivienne Jones is a witch with a broken heart. To get back at her ex (Rhys), she puts a curse on him. Nine years later, that curse has come back to haunt her, Rhys, and her town of Graves Glen, Georgia. Rhys Penhallow is a descendant of a family of witches who are in charge of protecting and recharging Graves Glen’s key lines. This is done every year during the town’s Fall Festival. Not knowing he has been hexed, Rhys has done damage to the key lines which cause a lot of things to go awry for the town. Vivienne and Rhys must put their differences aside in order to break the hex and restore the town.

Good to know: This book has been described as Hocus Pocus but with spice! A Perfect goofy/spooky book to read during October. Nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in the Best Romance category of 2021.

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The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
YA Fiction

What’s it about: Teenager Belly has spent every summer she can remember at Cousins Beach. Summers are for family, laying by the pool, playing on the beach, and crushing hard on Conrad. This is the first summer that Belly is old enough to hang out with the older kids and she’s ready to show how grown up she’s become. Besides Conrad, there is his brother Jeremiah who has always been just a friend to Belly, but this summer everything could change.  

Why you might like it: If you have read Jenny Han’s To All the Boys, I’ve Loved Before, this series will not disappoint. This is young love in its finest form set during the summer and perfect to lounge by the pool with.  

Good to know: The first book has been turned into a TV series on Amazon Prime and season 2 started July 14.

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It Happened One Summer (#1) by Tessa Bailey 
Fiction

What’s it about: Piper Bellinger is a socialite who finds herself in trouble with not only the law, but also her wealthy stepfather. To teach her a lesson, he cuts Piper off and sends her to her birth father’s hometown where she decides to makeover his rundown bar. With the help of Piper’s sister Hannah, the girls learn about their deceased father and reconnect to their past. If you are into enemies to lovers, this book is for you.  

Good to know: This was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance 2021. This is also the first book in the series of the Bellinger Sisters. Book two is called Hook, Line, and Sinker and was also nominated for a Good Reads Choice Award for Best Romance 2022.

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Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
Fiction 

Why this book: A perfect read for those who daydreamed about vacationing in the Catskills (Dirty Dancing anyone??). For sixty years the Golden Hotel has been owned by the Goldman and Weingold families. With the older generation getting older, the hotel and its legacy is up in the air. The younger generation isn’t into all the hard work that goes into preserving and running the hotel and buyers have come a knocking with plans to tear it down and build luxury resorts. Will the two families do everything in their power to save the hotel, or will they let the legacy of the hotel live in the past? 

Reviewers say: “Friedland brings laughs and nuance to the family foibles and demonstrates a wide range in her convincing narration from the many points of view. Breezy and charming, this is great fun” (Publishers Weekly).

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