The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

 The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

368 pages

★★★

As she drives her mobile library van between villages of Ireland's West Coast, recently divorced Hanna Casey is determined to reclaim her independence by restoring a derelict cottage left to her by her great-aunt. But when the threatened closure of the Lissbeg Library puts her personal plans in jeopardy, Hanna finds herself leading a battle to restore the heart and soul of the Finfarran Peninsula's fragmented community. And she's about to discover that the neighbors she'd always kept at a distance have come to mean more to her than she ever could have imagined.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

377 pages

★★★★★

This romance novel by popular author Emily Henry pokes fun at its own genre by making the characters work in publishing and self-aware of all the common romance tropes. Nora Stephens is a literary agent who lives in the Big Apple and is your stereotypical New York business woman, and Charlie Lastra is a big-shot editor who is your stereotypical cold businessman. When Nora’s sister, Libby, drags them to small town Sunshine Falls for a month-long getaway and to push Nora to have a small-town romance like in the books, Nora wants to do nothing but work and go home. That is, until she runs into Charlie working at the local bookstore. 

As someone who doesn’t normally read or enjoy romance, I was surprised how much I loved this book but it hit all the right marks by making it funny, about books, and not too cheesy.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry, 384 p.

"Nora Stephens' life is books - she’s read them all - and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away - with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again - in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow - what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves."--Goodreads blurb

Despite the fact that romance isn't my usual genre, I always have a good time when I read one. And this one WAS a good time. There was a great relationship between Nora and Libby (though their communications skills were majorly lacking), and the buildup of the friendship between Nora and Charlie. I loved the bookishness of this book, being a book lover myself. I can see myself reading more contemporary romance if they're like this one.
 

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. 

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton-275 pages
                                                                                                                                        

Beth Rivers is on the run -cold and remote, Alaska seems tailor-made for her to hideout.  Sparsely populated with people who all seem to be on the run from something, she feels safer than she has for a long time.  As her memories begin to return from her traumatic brain injury, she begins to wonder if her assailant has followed her to this remote town, especially after a murder is committed.  After all her years working with her beloved grandfather who was a sheriff in the Missouri Ozarks, she becomes an invaluable asset to the sheriff in her new home.  The first in a new series.  I enjoyed it very much and look forward to the next one.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Well Met by Jen DeLuca -- 336 pages

All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck - 176 pages

It's 1958 and there is a new family living next door to Mrs. Dowdel . . . a family that desperately needs her help whether they know it or not.  There's 12 year old Bob who is shy and being picked on by bullies.  There's 14 year old Phyllis who is obsessed with Elvis Presley.  There's 6 year old Ruth Ann who is looking for a larger than life role model.  And there are their parents, a young minister and his wife, who are adjusting to small town life.  As they go through the fall season from the start of school to Christmas, they'll realize just how special Mrs. Dowdel is and all the gifts she's given them.

This is a companion novel to Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder.  I really enjoyed listening to these books on audio.  The narration is wonderful.  The stories are fun, lively, and interesting.  I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a fun read or listen.

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck - 160 pages

Joey and Mary Alice are sent for one week each summer to stay with their Grandma Dowdel in a small southern Illinois town.  You would think that nothing would ever happen in such a small town, but there's the corpse that won't rest peacefully, the revenge on a some teenage pranksters, a ride in a airplane, and much more.  Each of their seven visits is an adventure.

 I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it.  I'm not a huge historical fiction fan, but this one kept the action moving with humorous stories.  I thought the narration of the story was good.  One little quibble is that there were weird pauses in the narration that didn't always make sense. 

The Guardians by John Grisham

 The Guardians by John Grisham-375 pages

I am not sure what it is about Grisham books, but they grab my attention from the very beginning to the bitter end.  In this book he brings to light the plight of innocent people who are wrongly accused and sent to death row.  A group of dedicated people work at clearing their names and getting their sentences expunged.  He really takes you on some interesting twists and turns.  An exceptional read.

Arms of Mercy by Ruth Reid

Arms of Mercy by Ruth Reid - 479 pages

On the eve of a new year, Catherine Glick is expecting her bu of five years to propose. Instead, the unexpected arrival of an old boyfriend, Elijah, sends her life spiraling out of control. When a rash decision damages her current relationship, Catherine leaves for Florida to work in her cousin's bakery - anything to flee the source of her shame.

Elijah Graber knows he hurt Catherine when he left their Amish district six years ago. He's determined to explain his actions, even if it means following her to Florida. Perhaps their two-day bus trip together will provide enough time for him to make his case and win her back.

Entertaining and well written.

Without a Trace by Colleen Coble

Without a Trace by Colleen Coble - 289 pages

This is the first Colleen Coble novel I have read.  I must say that I was pleasantly surprised.  This is  inspirational fiction and I must admit sometimes they are cheesy.  This book completely changed that opinion for me.  It is a mystery that features search-and-rescue dogs and a one year old cold case.  I love that it was set in a small town.  The only down fall I found was the amount of characters that were introduced in the beginning of the book.  There were so many different ones that it was hard to follow at times.  I do believe that I will be looking for more books in this series.

The Next Always by Nora Roberts

The Next Always by Nora Roberts -- 324 pages

The first book of the Inns BoonsBoro Trilogy has made a great first up and coming new best seller for Nora Roberts. Clare and Beckett have known each other since they were 15, but only Beckett knows what Clare does not, Beckett is still in love with Clare. Well Clare is back in town, but with three boys in tow, but this does not stop Beckett from getting what he had wanting since he was 15. While he is trying to pursue Clare he is also building an inn with his brothers and mother. This house/inn has been in shambles for a really long time and it is time to put it back together and bring this town some new tourists. Now you know there will always be some sort of trouble, but you just have to read it to find out.