Three Words For Goodbye : A Novel by Hazel Gaynor

Three Words For Goodbye : A Novel by Hazel Gaynor-340 pages

New York, 1937: When estranged sisters Clara and Madeleine learn their grandmother Violet is dying, they agree to fulfill her last wish: to travel across Europe—together. They are to deliver three letters, in which Violet will say goodbye to those she hasn’t seen since traveling to Europe forty years earlier.

The eldest sister Clara sees the trip as an inconvenient detour before her wedding to millionaire Charles Hancock, but it’s also a chance to embrace her love of art. Younger sister Madeleine looks forward to the opportunity to develop her ambitions to report on the growing threat of the Nazi party and Mussolini’s control in Italy.

Constantly at odds with each other, through the sights of Paris and Venice, Clara and Madeleine wonder if they can fulfil Violet’s wish, until a shocking truth about their family brings them closer together. But as they reach Vienna to deliver the final letter, old grudges resurface and the sisters are at odds.  

Their final mode of transportation may be their last!  Lots of twists and turns.  I LOVED it.  Hazel Gaynor is now on the top of my list for historical authors. 

 

Shipped by Angie Hockman

Shipped by Angie Hockman -- 329 pages

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.

The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.

Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.

With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

Displacement: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley

 Displacement: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley-161 pages

"Displacement" is the story of the author going on a cruise with her aging grandparents. Her grandma and grandpa live in an assisted living facility in Connecticut. Both are dealing with dementia and old age. The family decides that they should send someone to accompany Knisley's grandparents on the cruise and Lucy volunteers. This is the story of that cruise. Knisley recounts being her grandparents' caretaker for the duration of the cruise and during travel to and from. It seems like it must be tough to care for people we love who're dealing with dementia (or Alzheimer's or other such diseases). A nurse on the cruise tells the author that it's tough to care for the elderly, but one could be doing the last kind thing for someone who's dying and that makes it worth it. Knisley's grandpa says that they had a great time with her on the cruise when they get home. Reading this book is a reminder that life is worth it and we should appreciate the time we get to spend with family. I liked reading this book.

Sweet by Emmy Laybourne

Sweet by Emmy Laybourne  272 pages

The luxurious celebrity cruise launching the trendy new diet sweetener Solu should be the vacation of a lifetime. But Laurel is starting to regret accepting her friend Viv's invitation. She's already completely embarrassed herself in front of celebrity host Tom Forelli--the hottest guy ever!--and she's too sick to even "try" the sweetener. And that's "before" Viv and all the other passengers start acting really strange. Tom knows that he should be grateful for this job and the chance to shed his former-child-star image. His publicists have even set up a 'romance' with a sexy reality star. But as things on the ship start to get wild, he finds himself drawn to a different girl. And when the hosting gig turns into an expose on the shocking side effects of Solu, it's Laurel that he's determined to save.

Mermaid Mary Margaret by Lynn E. Hazen

Mermaid Mary Margaret by Lynn E Hazen, 87 pages

When Mary's grandfather dies suddenly, she travels with her grandmother on a cruise for the elderly her grandparents had booked to Greece for their 50th wedding anniversary. Mary is selected to go with her grandmother on the cruise as she is the youngest and her single mother was unable to travel.  Mary keeps a journal of the daily activities and it's through her eyes that we experience everything she sees. She truly wishes to be a mermaid and each of the entries brings us closer to why that is. At the close of the book is a lesson about longitude and latitude. The journal entries are short though some words may be hard for young readers to understand.