Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to... A CUP OF SILVER LININGS by Karen Hawkins - REVIEW!

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're grabbing our party hats and throwing the confetti as we celebrate the BOOK BIRTHDAY of the latest release in the Dove Pond series from author Karen Hawkins!  You might recall the MAGIC and BEAUTY that was the first title, The Book Charmer, and if you need a refresher, just click here for my review.  It was a pleasure to read with charm to spare and a great beginning to what we hoped would be a growing series to come.  That time has arrived and without further ado, here comes today's book birthday celebrant and book of choice...

A Cup of Silver Linings

Dove Pond series, Book 2

by

Karen Hawkins

9781982105563

Gallery Books

About the book...

Ava Dove—the sixth of the seven famed Dove sisters and owner of Ava Dove’s Landscaping and Specialty Teas—is frantic.

Just as her fabulous new tearoom is about to open, her herbal teas have gone wonky. Suddenly, her sleep-inducing tea is startling her clients awake with vivid dreams, her romance-kindling tea is causing people to blurt out their darkest secrets, and her anti-anxiety tea is making them spend hours staring into mirrors. Ava is desperate for a remedy, but her search leads her into dangerous territory, as she is forced to face a dark secret she’s been hiding for over a decade.

Meanwhile, successful architect Ellen Foster has arrived in Dove Pond to attend the funeral of her estranged daughter, Julie. Grieving deeply, Ellen is determined to fix up her daughter’s ramshackle house, sell it, and then sweep her sixteen-year-old granddaughter, Kristen, off to a saner, calmer life in Raleigh. But Kristen has other plans. Desperate to stay with her friends in Dove Pond, Kristen sets off on a quest she’s avoided her whole life—to find her never-been-there father in the hopes of winning her freedom from the grandmother she barely knows.

Together, Ava, Kristen, and Ellen embark on a reluctant but magical journey of healing, friendship, and family that will delight fans of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen.

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Another Dove sister, another magically infused dilemma...

...but this time, the choice made once upon a time,..

...may come back to bite with a VENGENANCE.

OH yes.  Those decisions we make out of an abundance of love for someone, may be from the kindness of our heart, but they can still backfire in spectacular ways.  Ask Ava...she knows ALL about that...and yet to see her, to know her, to work with her, is to care for her and see just how very much she cares for those around her.  Her calling in life may be to work with plants, and the outlets she's cultivated through gardening and her specialty teas are a perfect match, but at the heart of it all, she's human.  She can make mistakes even when entirely laced with love and the repercussions of those chances taken can echo through the years.

It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming to be immersed in this story.  From the sister dilemma coming back to life from their shared past to their recent loss of a a dear friend and the challenges presented when change comes in like a wrecking ball...and in the form of a relation you never knew...there is so much here to love, you won't know which shoulder to cry on, or hug to embrace.  The tough times ARE TOUGH, and those Ava inadvertently wronged do not let her off easy, but the joys are equally uplifting, the sisterhood something to celebrate, and the second chances others didn't know they'd be getting a gem to remember.

All in all, a great addition to the series with characters to love and new charms to cherish.  You can feel the family fold growing despite the bloodlines not always being shared, but that's the beauty of family.  It's not always who was born into it, but WELCOMED into it that matters most.  Can't wait to see what the next release has in store for us!

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About the author...

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond series is a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors for her to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible.

SITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to Lucy at Simon & Schuster for the ARC for review (THANKS!). For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. 

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Gallery Books COVER REVEAL: The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel - July 2021!

HI guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

So, we've got some EXCITING NEWS to share. Author Kristin Harmel has a NEW TITLE releasing July 2021 via Gallery Books entitled The Forest of Vanishing Stars! Doesn't that just scream READ ME?! Okay, well it most certainly peaked my interest, and while we're not diving between the covers yet (hello, July 2021?!), we ARE in fact sharing the FABULOUS COVER REVEAL going on TODAY! So, if you're ready to fall in cover love and add to your wish list, keep on reading and keep on scrolling, because it only gets better from here...

The Forest of Vanishing Stars

by

Kristin Harmel

Gallery Books

About the book...

After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything.

--->   PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY   <---

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OH, I SERIOUSLY CAN NOT WAIT!

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Special thanks to Tandem Literary for the heads up on this title and to Gallery Books for the cover reveal party access!  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to go live July 2021, so mark your calendar or preorder your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

READ ALL ABOUT IT: The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is BACK!

 

Woot woot!! BIG announcement here folks!

I’m thrilled to say that, as of today, THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES (July 21;

Gallery Books

), the instant New York Times bestseller by Kristin Harmel, is back in stock everywhere! If you haven’t read this “heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism” (People magazine) yet, now’s your chance to snap it up!

Order NOW! Shop local HERE: http://bit.ly/BOLNisBack

Curious what it's all about outside of that GORGEOUS cover?

Take a peak...

SYNOPSIS: Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in this unforgettable historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the “epic and heart-wrenching World War II tale” (Alyson Noel, #1 New York Times bestselling author) The Winemaker’s Wife. An engaging and evocative novel reminiscent of The Lost Girls of Paris and The Alice Network, The Book of Lost Names is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil.

**special thanks to

Tandem Literary

for the head's up!

PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ: Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey!

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Post number two of the day, and it sees us spreading a bit of pre book birthday BUZZ for the latest release from author Kristy Woodson Harvey!  Now, I had another of her titles on my "to read" list, but I never had a chance to actually indulge (yet).  When I saw this upcoming release land in my inbox, I knew I couldn't pass it up.  It just called to me, between the cover, and the synopsis, and having flicked the final epage on my eARC just yesterday, I can honestly say I'm SO GLAD it did!  Ready or not, here comes today's title in the spotlight...

Feels Like Falling

by

Kristy Woodson Harvey

9781982117702

Gallery Books

RELEASE DATE:  April 28th, 2020

About the book...

It’s summertime on the North Carolina coast and the livin’ is easy.

Unless, that is, you’ve just lost your mother to cancer, your sister to her extremist husband, and your husband to his executive assistant. Meet Gray Howard. Right when Gray could use a serious infusion of good karma in her life, she inadvertently gets a stranger, Diana Harrington, fired from her job at the local pharmacy.

Diana Harrington’s summer isn’t off to the greatest start either: Hours before losing her job, she broke up with her boyfriend and moved out of their shared house with only a worn-out Impala for a bed. Lucky for her, Gray has an empty guest house and a very guilty conscience.

With Gray’s kindness, Diana’s tide begins to turn. But when her first love returns, every secret from her past seems to resurface all at once. And, as Gray begins to blaze a new trail, she discovers, with Diana’s help, that what she envisioned as her perfect life may not be what she wants at all.

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  BAM  |  INDIEBOUND

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Having not read this author's work before, I wasn't entirely sure what I was stepping into, but boy, oh boy, did I enjoy my time on the North Carolina coast!

The dual story line between Gray and Diana keeps you captivated with every flick of the page.  You can't help but fall in love with them both, cringe at their missteps, cheer at their successes, and be humbled by the hardships they've each faced.  They are not the same, and yet they share the same experience...the HUMAN experience.  The kindness they show each other, the friendship that grows, the hard times they tackle together, and the dreams they can't believe may turn into realities, endear them to you even more.  

I loved Gray for her tenacity in business, yet innocence in love.  I loved the fact that she would fight tooth and nail to keep her business HER business, as well as for the presence of her son in her life.  My heart felt full when she had another chance at love (OMG...Andrew...I never thought I'd find their connection appealing with the younger man, slightly older woman couple, but he was definitely a keeper!), but her hesitation kept it at arm's length, leaving the HEA uncertain to say the least (FYI...there IS a HEA, but it may not be exactly as you suspect!).  I loved Diana for her present self, grown from a past that was life changing to say the very least.  I loved how once she made up her mind, she stuck to whatever path she decided, but wasn't so hardheaded that she wouldn't listen to friend founded wisdom when necessary.  She kept chasing her tightly held dreams even when all looked lost and wasn't above employing a little subterfuge if the situation was dire.  She was a good egg, and a wonderful friend to boot....and honestly they were both just what the other needed at this massive junction in their lives.

All in all, a FABULOUS read that I couldn't recommend more!  It'll make the perfect add to your summer reading list, and a great way to escape self-quarantine and then some!

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About the author...

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the bestselling author of six novels, including The Southern Side of Paradise, Slightly South of Simple, and the forthcoming Feels Like Falling. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry Magazine. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her work has been optioned for film, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is working on her next novel.

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Special thanks to Bianca at Gallery Books for the eARC for review (THANKS!).  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to release April 28th, 2020 via Gallery Books, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

S&S BLOG TOUR: The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Okay, so if you didn't know it already, I am TOTALLY and IRREVOCABLY in LOVE with...BOOKS!  Yep, that's right.  I'll take them any way I can get them.  I'm like SAM I AM in book nerd(ish) form.  So, yeah...the title of today's book of choice stopped me in my tracks.  I was CURIOUS.  I was INTRIGUED.  I was SO IN LOVE with not only the TITLE but also that GLORIOUS COVER!  Oh come on...don't tell me you didn't scroll down and PEEK at it already because we both know you did and that's TOTALLY OKAY!  It's SO DESERVING of peek-age.  Anywho, while I grab a handful of sea-salted popcorn (snackage of choice while reading and blogging!), you get cozy as we settle in to explore between the pages of a recent (YESTERDAY) book birthday celebrant...

The Book Charmer

Dove Pond, Book 1

by

Karen Hawkins

9781982121976

Gallery Books

About the book...

Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler.

If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents—Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book.

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Alright, just take another moment or two and gaze at the cover.

*sigh*

Isn't it simply GORGEOUS?!

I mean from the title to the cover image to the font to the sparkle effect, it's a total winner.  Honestly, I'd love to have a chair like that...the print is so cute without being TOO cute, you know?  Anywho, we're not here to talk FURNIture, but LITERAture, so let's get to it.

From page one, I was gone...as in my heart was sold to the highest bidder and that bidder lived in Dove Pond with these AMAZING characters, living lives full of COLOR and RICHNESS, sharing time with their loved ones which was pretty much the WHOLE TOWN because everyone knew everyone in the way that small towns do, and their only desire was to be happy and spread that happiness to others.  What begins as a tale of two trouble orphan girls, a child from a magical family with the town's future riding on her shoulders, and a grumpy old book unwilling to give up the details to make destiny easier to grasp, turns into a story has heart in abundance, a profusion of friendship, and love springing eternal even when the intended parties aren't truly seeking.  While these situations play out, we are gifted the chance to get to know Mama G despite her coming transformation, meet a rather articulate Daisy, despair as things happen beyond our control, and celebrate the moments of closeness never imagined.  As truly moving as the overall story is though, its the characters that make everything THAT much more special.

I adored Mama G and all her magical qualities.  She was a kind soul who could see into the hearts of others and know who truly needed her; an interesting talent to be sure, but when seen in action, inspiring.  The scene when she is taking the measure of our little orphaned sisters, I just knew she had read them accurately despite voices to the contrary.  As things changed for her, both circumstance and health related, I couldn't help but smile through the tears at her gentle yet determined spirit still shining through.  Grace was a remarkable woman who survived the tough times, made it through the difficulties life presents us all, and trudged headfirst through the challenges that no one could foresee.  I could feel her pain and anger.  I knew how hard it hurt her heart to do everything she had to do, but she did it...she made herself the unwitting champion for the two souls she cared most about in this life, while still leaving room for others.  Daisy is certainly Hannah's daughter, but she has a calmer head on her shoulders...unruled by the clouds, and moored to her family.  Her spunkiness and individuality shined through as did at times a wisdom beyond her years.  Then there's Sarah, and Trav, and pretty much the rest of the town because, yeah, they all play their part in making what could be a mere stopover in Grace's life path, a potential permanent home.

In the end (since I seem to be rambling again), it was heart warming, friendship welcoming, moving, and all the beautiful things it promised to be. The idea of books actually talking to someone, even if only in their mind, was simply magical, as were the bonds of friendship, family, and love forged with every turn of the page.  My only wish...it was longer! ♡  Needless to say, I'll be keeping a spot on my reading list for book two when it makes its presence known.

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About the author...

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond series is a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors for her to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible. 

SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to Hannah at Simon & Schuster for the ARC for review (THANKS!).  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY yesterday (July 30th, 2019) via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to check out the rest of the sites participating in this blog tour celebration going on now throughout the blogosphere!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

THE SUMMER GUESTS by Mary Alice Monroe

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the review spotlight on a NEW RELEASE from author Mary Alice Monroe.  You may have read her previous works, or simply have her on your radar, but one way or another, the name rings a bell.  For me, it's the Lowcountry series as far as my want-to-read list, and the Beach series for her work Beach House for Rent (adored it!).  This time around, we've got a provocative work of Fiction that really hits home in many ways for this reader, and while making me squirm for those very reasons, I landed in a happy place by book's end thanks to the book's characters.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

The Summer Guests

by

Mary Alice Monroe

9781501193620

Gallery Books

About the book...

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Beach House series comes a heartwarming and evocative novel about the bonds and new beginnings that are born from natural disasters and how, even during the worst of circumstances—or perhaps because of them—we discover what is most important in life. 

Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast—the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. A perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a threat: it’s also peak hurricane season.

When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North Carolina: the Phillips’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can fit in their vehicles. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they must ride out the storm together.

During the course of one of the most challenging weeks of their lives, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters isn’t what they brought with them to the mountains. Rather, it’s what they’ll take with them once they leave.

With Mary Alice Monroe’s “usual resplendent storytelling” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author), The Summer Guests is a poignant and compelling story of self-discovery, love, and redemption.

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So, I was anticipating this one IMMENSELY, but once I got started, it was actually REALLY HARD for me to read.  I think it falls under the "too much too soon" category, as in the subject matter deals with things a bit too close to home, i.e. a major hurricane barreling at the Florida coast and beyond with the power to destroy lives, dreams, and forevers.  

I can honestly say (from unfortunate first hand experience) that she did capture the moments leading up to its landfall remarkably well.  The awareness but only on the peripheral when a storm is first spotted in the Atlantic.  The concern as it takes whatever track it decides to take and drives us all mad as we try to guess just where it's heading for.  The planning as more definitive landfall targets are announced.  The actions taken to prepare homes, and family (hoofed, pawed, and all) for "fight or flight".  The chaos as things change, whether in the storm's track or in our safety plans, as we prepare for the worst.  The unexpected challenges faced when whatever game plan you decided on is put into play....if staying, battening down the hatches and praying for all you're worth; if leaving, traffic (goodness the traffic!), gas shortages, and lodging nightmares.  Sound too unfortunate to be true?  Nope...lived through it, as did may others, and the reality is scary enough to leave its mark.

As for our cast of characters here...the majority made their way out of state, destination North Carolina, and the storms they weather are not all weather related.  Yes, the rains come, the wind stirs, and things get out of sorts as they all accept their current circumstances and keep their fingers crossed it all sorts itself out soon, while taking great care of their four-legged equine companions...but the real "storm" here is in the connections between them all.  Those that start as friends, lovers, or mere acquaintances, all have new brandings for their "relationships" by the end of their stay.  Grace and Charles find their way back to each other, learning to trust fully once again.  Moira discovers that she can be herself while still giving of herself in a relationship, though taking time to follow her own passions is a must.  Gerta and Elise find their way back to themselves, a longer road than you might think too, and in that rediscovery make their own ways in the world in rather surprising ways...and with surprising people.  Hannah and Javier Angel de la Cruz realize what is truly important to them, and make the changes needed to follow their dreams come what may.  Cara and David find that what they were always searching for was right in front of them, and that when love is found it should not be let go.

All in all, I got caught up in all the connections forged through proximity and the carryover after the storm passed. Though it was not exactly what I expected, and the storm's changes unanticipated, it was enjoyable nonetheless.  My only hang up was when Moira said something about "...and the residents who had decided, foolishly, to stay and ignore evacuation orders"...not all the decisions made in those situations are so black and white.  Some don't have anywhere to go, extended family or friends to stay with, a place to take their pets, or the extra money to even fund it.  Some live day to day, week to week, not by choice, but by circumstance.  It may be that it was simply too soon after our own event and I was extra sensitive...or not...but in either case, there's always more than one side to whatever story we think we see.

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About the author...

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the Beach House series: The Beach House, Beach House Memories, Swimming Lessons, Beach House for Rent, and Beach House Reunion. She is a 2018 Inductee into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the 2008 South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing, the 2014 South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence, the 2015 SW Florida Author of Distinction Award, the RT Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Book Award for Green Fiction, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize for Fiction. Her bestselling novel The Beach House is also a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. An active conservationist, she lives in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Visit her at MaryAliceMonroe.com and at Facebook.com/MaryAliceMonroe.

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Special thanks to Michelle at Simon & Schuster for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY June 11th, 2019 via Gallery Books, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

The Hudson sisters bid us adieu in... THE GOODBYE CAFE by Mariah Stewart!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining ranks with other readers throughout the blogosphere as we unite with Simon & Schuster to bring you the scoop on the latest release from Mariah Stewart.  It's the third and final book (maybe?) in her Hudson Sisters series, and while reading them in succession would obviously be the ideal, I was jumping into this one from book one, but despite that bookworm hole, it still felt relatively easy to catch up.  Speaking of which, let's catch up with the girls, shall we?  Today's book of choice has arrived...

The Goodbye Café

The Hudson Sisters series, Book 3

by

Mariah Stewart

9781501145124

Gallery Books

About the book...

California girl Allie Hudson Monroe can’t wait for the day when the renovations on the Sugarhouse Theater are complete so she can finally collect the inheritance from her father and leave Pennsylvania. After all, her life and her fourteen-year-old daughter are in Los Angeles.

But Allie’s divorce left her tottering on the edge of bankruptcy, so to keep up on payments for her house and her daughter’s private school tuition, Allie packed up and flew out east. But fate has a curve-ball or two to toss in Allie’s direction—she just doesn’t know it yet.

She hadn’t anticipated how her life would change after reuniting with her estranged sister, Des, or meeting her previously unknown half-sister, Cara. And she’d certainly never expected to find small-town living charming. But the biggest surprise was that her long-forgotten artistry would save the day when the theater’s renovation fund dried up.

With opening day upon the sisters, Allie’s free to go. But for the first time in her life, she feels like the woman she was always meant to be. Will she return to the West Coast and resume her previous life, or will the love of “this amazing, endearing family of women” (Robyn Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author) be enough to draw her back to the place where the Hudson roots grow so deep?



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Though this story belongs to the whole family, it does circle a bit more around Allie and Barney...and what a tale to tell!  Poor Allie was in a pickle between fighting her own demons, addressing the situation with this Ben fella (what a bonehead!), and her daughter's sudden desire to stay after the theater is finished.  I couldn't fathom what new straw would appear and be the one to break her...though she has more backbone than she seemed to know.  It was great to watch her become comfortable in her own skin, even addressing those issues that she attempted to hide, and realize her own potential.  It also warmed my heart when things moved from grousing to cordial in the man department...*ahem*...but, umm, yeah...I'll let you discover that part.  Anywho...

The great big mystery that surrounded Barney and the dessert maker dropped us a clue here and there as to what created such a rub between them, allowing the plot to thicken quite nicely, and build to a final reveal of sorts by book's end. Oh, it's not what you think (or maybe it is, depending on what's in your head), but rest assured while it could be quite the scandal, our gal Barney has it all in hand just as she always does.  Really, how can you NOT adore her character?  She's there for EVERYONE, always knows what to say or do, and pretty much NOTHING throws her for a loop.  I mean, can I be here when I grow up?  Seriously?

All in all, it was a wonderful conclusion to what's been an amazing series.  It gave us satisfying ends for our leading ladies three (and sorta four, and maybe five, and...okay, I'll stop) as well as the potential for new beginnings long after we turn the final page. ♡  For me, it also felt like a little piece of home because the setting of the book is actually in the surrounding area of where I was born and partially raised...haven't been up there in FOR-EV-ER, but it's still nice to reminisce, and reading about places I've been, lived, or seen, gives it another layer of "personal".

    

Recommended for Women's Fiction and Contemporary Romance fans.

For more fun with the Hudson family, be sure to check out books one and two of the series!

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About the author...

Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of numerous novels and several novellas and short stories. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors country life and tends her gardens while she works on her next novel. Visit her website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Instagram.

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Special thanks to Hannah at Simon & Schuster for the eARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the series, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY this Tuesday, March 26th, 2019, via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to check out the other sites participating in this blog tour as it makes the virtual rounds!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!