It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, 385 p. 

TW: domestic abuse

"Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up— she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened."--Goodreads blurb

This was my first Hoover book and honestly, I WANTED to love it. It fell totally short for me, which I know puts me in the minority. I was expecting to be blown away by the story considering how much hype I've read over Hoover online. Her dialogue was great and the story did keep me interested, but it just didn't do it for me. I will try Hoover again, though.
 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 389 p.

"Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways."--Goodreads blurb

 This book has been on my radar for many years now and boy do I wish I'd read it sooner. I loved this book. So well-written, emotional, and engrossing. This was my first book by Reid, though I see her name everywhere. I will definitely be trying some more of her books, as she is phenomenal. 

Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter

       Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter-307 pages

Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job, settling at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine for the first time in months, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.

Josephine takes the high road and decides to deliver the divorce papers to Noah herself to save him a trip to town.  She must have not checked the forecast, because the worst spring snowstorm in a decade has decided to dump a lot of snow on top of them.

As the electricity goes out and they are forced to live in one room around the fireplace, old wounds surface and tempers flare.  And yet, Noah still finds himself in love with his wife.  Once she finally admits all that she has endured in her past, Noah realizes that even he has let her down.  Will they tear up those divorce papers? I guess you will have to read it to find out!

A nice, clean easy read.  I enjoyed it very much. 

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, 216 pages

I have read many love stories in my life, but none quite like this one. It has more than one romance within its pages. Keturah is the storyteller in her village -- Every night she sits by the communal fire and tells a wondrous tale. The story woven through the pages of the book is of Keturah and her true love. One evening she follows the Hart into the woods and becomes lost. Death comes to claim her but she begs for the opportunity to find her one true love. Death grants her wish but says she only has one day to find him. Keturah goes through great means to discover her true love and even cheats Death a few more times. But, will she succeed in the end and find her future husband? And in searching for her own true love, will she discover the true love for others? You'll have to read the book to find out. I will say that Keturah and Lord Death gives a small nod to Cinderella.