Month: May 2024

The Sunday Post #24

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Update:

Brief post today! I have been less busy on my blog lately since I’ve dealt with some pretty tough migraines over the last week and a half. I’m feeling quite a lot better today, though. I hardly get them anymore, but when they come, they come in pretty aggressively. Meanwhile, it’s given me some time to rest. And I’ve been comforted with a bit of ice cream – there’s a great cashew, plant-based cashew chocolate fudge brownie I find hard to resist from a local vendor! Apologies. I have been on a bit of a pause in replying to comments since my migraines. I hope to get back on track soon.

Olivia Update 🐾

Olivia has been doing great! She’s helped make these migraines go by a lot smoother. I’m always amazed by how loving and caring she is. She’s such an amazing cat.

Reading/Watching Update

Currently Reading

Title: The Paradise Project
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Simon and Schuster CA
Release Date: May 14th, 2024

Title: Great Expectations
Author: Charles Dickens
Published: December 1st, 1860 (Initial), audiobook published 10-18-2011
Published by: Blackstone Publishing

Title: The Warmth of Other Suns
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
Published: September 7th, 2010
Published by: Random House

Recently Read

Title: The Finders Keepers Library
Author: Annie Rains
Published on: April 16th, 2024
Published by: Forever

Title: Crooked Plow
Author: Itamar Vieira Junior, Johnny Lorenz (Translator)
Published on: June 27, 2023
Published by: Verso Fiction

New to my shelf

Title: The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
Author: Annie Rains
Published on: May 21st, 2024
Published by: Forever

Recently Watched

This Week on the blog

  • Reviews (hopefully) for The Paradise Problem and The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
  • TTT (possibly!)
  • WWW Wednesday
  • The Sunday Post

Last Week On The Blog

QOTD: What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
Let us know!

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The writing of this post was edited and enhanced with the help of Grammarly AI.

Review | One Long Weekend by Shari Low

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Title: One Long Weekend
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Format: E-book ARC
Pages: 326 pages
Source: NetGalley and Publisher

Description

When all seems lost, hope remains… Val Murray has mislaid her most precious mementoes of the people she’s loved and lost. Can her family, the wonders of technology and a little divine intervention somehow mend her shattered heart?

Sophie Smith had to take a rain check on a marriage proposal. Will her bid to turn back the clock lead her to her greatest love or yet another heartbreak?

Alice McLenn stood by her husband, Larry when a scandal cost them everything. When he hits the headlines again, Alice has an opportunity to leave – but can she find the strength to finally walk away?

Rory Brookes was forced to turn his back on his parents to save his career and marriage. Now, he’s lost his job and wife on the same day. Is it too late to make amends with the one person who never let him down?

Three days. Four broken hearts. Just one weekend to make them whole again.

(Source: Goodreads)

Review

Well, I had a great time reading this one! This is my first time reading a novel by Shari Low, and it was a pleasure. I fell in love with the characters, enjoyed the plot, and was propelled forward at every chapter cliffhanger. The book is told from the perspective of several main characters. This is an element I love to see in a book! They intertwine beautifully and make for an engaging read. I enjoyed the protagonists; they each have their personality and backstory. It’s a great way to add depth to the characters. The book is sometimes predictable – with that said, it’s still very intriguing and fun to follow.

I recommend this read to those interested in a lighthearted, multi-perspective, and uplifting novel.

Content Warnings
(None listed on The Storygraph. There is alcoholism, toxic relationship, illness, MVA.)

This Book in Three Words

Uplifting, engaging read

Values/Themes

  • Family
  • Love and loss
  • Multi-generational

Favourite Part

I liked that the chapters were fairly short and digestible. The pacing was excellent.

Feelings

  • Uplifting
  • Emotional
  • Hopeful

Overall Rating

Numerical Rating: 4.25 stars

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

QOTD: Do you enjoy reading contemporaries? Let us know!

Review | The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains

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Title: The Finders Keepers Library
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Forever
Format: e-Galley
Pages: 345 pages
Source: e-ARC provided by publisher

Description

This heart-warming second chance love story about hope and healing from USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains is perfect for fans of Raeanne Thayne and Jenny Hale!

For a gardener blessed with a green thumb, Savannah Collins’s life sure seems like it’s all thorns, zero roses. She has no job, no relationship, and no place to live. With nothing but a car full of plants and her new rescue kitten, Savannah heads to Bloom, North Carolina, to spend the summer with her beloved Aunt Eleanor, a retired librarian.

Her aunt shares her love of literature with the Finders Keepers Library, located in her beautiful garden, where anyone can stop by to pick a book or leave a book. When a sudden summer storm destroys the library and many of the roses, it will take a village to get everything ready for the garden wedding that is planned there in just three weeks.

As the entire town joins in to make the necessary repairs, Savannah bonds with their neighbor Evan Sanders over the books that Eleanor has handpicked for each of them, helping them both find healing and self-discovery. Savannah only intends to stay through the summer, but when an unexpected job offer, a sudden health crisis, and a wayward pre-teen push her future in new directions, she has to wonder whether this is the place that she is meant to be—and the family she’s meant to be with.

Review

Olivia and I read The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains and enjoyed it! It’s a very heartwarming story about a woman who has recently experienced heartbreak, a medical diagnosis, and a job loss. During the summer, she heads to North Carolina to live with her Aunt Eleanor and brings along her rescue kitten and plants.

I very much enjoyed how cute this romance was! And, of course I enjoyed every time her cat was on the page. Like her previous books, Annie Rains highlights the importance of community in small towns. While I enjoyed the book overall, the romance and the main male character were sometimes flat and sometimes I wanted more. But overall, very good read!

I recommend this if you enjoy cute, small-town romances!

Content Warnings

This Book in Three Words

Very cute book

Values/Themes

  • Family
  • Community libraries
  • Small town romance

Favourite Part

I actually really enjoyed the storyline with Evan’s daughter and thought that her friendship with Aunt Eleanor and Savannah was very sweet.

Feelings

  • Heartwarming
  • Light but with depth
  • Medium-paced

Overall Rating

Numerical Rating: 3.5 stars

Acknowledgements

Thank you to @NetGalley and @ReadForeverPub for the advanced digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

QOTD: Do you enjoy small-town romances? Let us know!