Good Reads & Views

The Return by Nicholas Sparks
Fiction

What it's about: Trevor Benson returns to his hometown of New Bern, NC to claim the dilapidated cabin that he inherited from his grandfather who recently passed away. While taking care of his grandfather's beloved beehives, he meets and falls for deputy sheriff Natalie Masterson and encounters the mysterious teenage girl, Callie. These two women have secrets that will change the course of his life. 

Reviewers say: "As much a family drama as it is a love story...If you, like Trevor, are looking to slow down and focus on what's really important, The Return is the heartwarming read you've been waiting for" (BookPage).

You might also like: One Summer by David Baldacci or The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry   

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
Fiction

About the author: Emily Giffin is the author of nine bestselling novels. She graduated from Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law and lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.

Reviewers say: “Giffin’s novel has style and substance…Truly excellent" (The Washington Post).

Try this next: Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin.

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos
Fiction

What it’s about: As Ginny’s marriage dissolves amidst a scandal, she turns to her lifelong best friend for support. Then, when an old tragic event veiled in secrecy reemerges, it threatens to disrupt the lives of multiple families. Relationships are at the heart of this engaging, bittersweet novel—Ginny’s longstanding friendships, her close ties with her teenage daughter, and her reconnection with a lost friend from the past.

Why you might like it: Despite the difficult issues faced by the characters, the tone of this story is comforting and warm—and the writing is lovely and lyrical.

You might also like: Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman is another warm and witty novel about secrets from the past that turn people’s lives upside down years later.

Visit Stacey’s My Librarian Page

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan
Fiction

What it’s about: A clairvoyant, Imelda Burova, does readings, and thus keeps secrets for her clients. When Billie walks into her life, she learns that some secrets cannot be kept forever, and she uncovers some of her own truths as well.

Is it for you? Like all of Ruth Hogan’s books, this novel is on a dual timeline. It switches back and forth from the past to the present, so readers are welcome to make their own connections and solve the mysteries. If you like somewhat predictable twist endings that wrap themselves up nicely, you’ll love this.

Look for: The Keeper of Lost Things, The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, or Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel all written by Ruth Hogan.

Visit Aimee’s My Librarian Page

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Fiction

Read it for: The unexpectedly plucky and resilient characters you’ll care deeply about, the swashbuckling adventure and deadpan humor, and the uplifting tale of female solidarity and friendship.

What it’s about: It’s 1950, and domestic science teacher Margery Benson has had enough of being underappreciated and made fun of, so she sets off on an expedition to find the mythical golden beetle of New Caledonia. She is an unlikely adventurer, a mid-forties spinster with no experience of the world. She is joined by an even less likely assistant (not her first choice), the loud and brassy blonde bombshell Enid Petty, who is hiding some secrets about her past. But Enid is surprisingly capable and kind when Margery falls very ill with seasickness, and they begin to develop a respectful friendship that may help them weather the many obstacles they face—language barriers, passport fraud, their inexperience with jungle conditions, and the obsessed man who is stealthily following them.

What critics say: “If you’ve been longing for a book about fully realized women helping one another grow through kindness and acceptance, this 'happy' book with a lot of depth is exactly what you need” (Bookreporter); “There are delightful flashes of humor in this novel... they fight, they bicker, they betray each other. Secrets and hurt from their past threaten to jeopardize their present. Joyce is excellent at depicting their pain and revealing their failings, and she has no qualms about repeatedly placing her characters in harm’s way“ (The Star Tribune).

Visit Laura’s My Librarian Page

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner  
Fiction

What it’s about:  Jennifer Weiner’s new book is considered a beach read but it is not light and fluffy. Daisy Shoemaker, wife, mother, and cook, starts receiving emails intended for a stranger named Diana. After Daisy contacts her, they quickly hit it off and decide to meet. A friendship forms between them, but Diana has a secret that involves Daisy’s husband Hal. The book is about the #metoo movement, friendship and family. 

Reviewers say: "Weiner's storytelling skill is such that she paints an uncompromising, complicated portrait of the insidious dangers of the patriarchy that is also a lot of fun to read. Weiner's latest is a summer banger with a ripped-from-the headlines plot, which is sure to garner lots of attention" (Booklist).

You might also like:  First Comes Love by Emily Giffin or Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand.

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
Fiction

1942: 4 women are competing in a cooking contest. The winner will become cohost of a British radio program, “The Kitchen Front,” teaching women how to use their rationed food in thrifty, nutritious, inventive ways. The contestants are widowed mother Audrey, her haughty sister caught in an abusive marriage, a kitchen maid who dreams of freedom, and an ambitious chef in a man’s field. As these diverse women strive to win, they strike up heartwarming friendships. But will the contest that is supposed to bring a community together end up pulling it apart?

Reviewers say:  “A positively uplifting read that is as soothing as a warm cup of Earl Grey on a gloomy morning. The perfect book for fans of The Great British Baking Show” (Booklist); “Readers with an appetite for homefront WWII novels will find this deeply satisfying” (Publisher’s Weekly).

Visit Kristin’s My Librarian Page

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction

What it’s about: “In this satisfying page-turner from "the queen of beach reads" (New York Magazine), a Nantucket novelist has one final summer to protect her secrets while her loved ones on earth learn to live without their golden girl” (Amazon).

Reviewers say: "In her 25th novel, Hilderbrand gets everything right and leaves her ardent fans hungry for No. 26. Hilderbrand sets the gold standard in escapist fiction" (Kirkus Reviews).

You might also like: Now that you mention it by Kristan Higgins or The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult.

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

Summer Breeze by Nancy Thayer
Fiction

Reviewers say: “Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide” (Elin Hilderbrand).

You might also like: First Comes Love by Emily Giffin or The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand.

What’s it about: Set in the Berkshires on Dragonfly Lake, three women come together to reassess their lives and, in the process, become fast friends. During a summer Natalie, Bella and Morgan struggle to reconcile their desires and dreams with the cards they've been dealt. 

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction

Reviewers say:  "Hilderbrand throws enough curveballs to keep readers guessing, but not too many, maintaining the breezy pace her novels are known for. The mystery element is new, but The Perfect Couple is classic Hilderbrand" (Booklist).

Featuring: Chief of Police Ed Kapenash.  

You might also like: Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin or A Nantucket Wedding by Nancy Thayer.  

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page