When Abby's best friend Lucy calls for a favor - Abby can't say no. Lucy's grandmother fell and broke her arm. She needs someone to stay with her while Lucy finishes up her job before she can come home for the holidays. It's perfect timing for Abby, who is just finishing up one job before she and her son move to a new city.When she arrives, she realizes that Lucy's brother has rearranged his schedule and is now back in town. Ethan is thrilled that his grandmother is home alone in such a big house. Now that Abby's there, he's off the hook.But the house needs to be decorated for events. Ethan gets pulled into helping and also spending time with Abby and her son. The more time he spends with them, the more he wishes that she wasn't moving to another town.
Malcolm grew up with the wealth and privilege of his father's family. But when his father died, he discovered that he has two half sisters. His grandfather wants to bring them into the family fold. His youngest sister is twelve. Malcolm has no idea how to communicate with her. Callie is closer to him in age. Both sisters have struggled in life - Callie's served a jail sentence for a crime in her youth.My Thoughts: I really liked this book about family drama, romance, and friendship. I loved how Callie and Kiera both adjusted to their new life and their new family. I loved their relationship with each other and how they both helped Malcolm understand how to be a brother. I loved Lizzie the kitten, Kiera's stubborn streak, Grandfather's love, and learning more about the family business. I love the Callie didn't sugarcoat her past and how she wanted to work towards bettering her future. I liked the romantic ties in the book. Another great read from Susan Mallery.
Callie and Kiera both struggle with their new family. After being placed in so many homes, Kiera's doesn't believe her good fortune. She's sure that she will be asked to leave - it's only just a matter of time. Together they find common ground.
Malcolm tries to understand, but he struggles in learning how to be a brother. Can the three of them make their new family work?
After a difficult childhood, Harriet came to rely on her twin and older brother. Now that her siblings have found true love, she’s ready to take back control of her life. So she's going to do something challenging every day, something that scares her.My Thoughts: I loved this trilogy about the three siblings finding love. I love how Harriet challenges herself and gain confidence. The challenges lead to some funny moments, but also some very serious reflection. I love her conversations with Ethan and how they both grow more comfortable with each other. I loved Ethan's friend from the ER. Of course I loved the bit in Vermont and seeing old friends from the Snow Crystal resort. It was wonderful to see old friends again.
Harriet attempts online date, but it's an epic disaster.She twists her ankle jumping out of a bathroom window to escape a date. But she does meet a handsome doctor who looks at her ankle.
Dr. Ethan Black isn't having the best night in the E.R., in fact he's surprised when he meets Harriet. She's not the typical patient and that intrigues him. But knowing his relationship hang ups, nothing happens.The two meet again when her dog walking business collides with his life. His sister leaves her dog with him for a few days. Ethan isn't used to having a dog in his life and the second meeting between the two doesn't go well. Ethan comes home to chaos after a horrific day and loses his temper causing Harriet and Madi discomfort.Ethan has to convince Harriet to leave Madi with him. But she rearranges her schedule to give Madi more attention. Dog sitting is outside her comfort zone, but talking to Ethan isn't anymore. The more time she spends with him, the more she relaxes with him. Ethan knows there’s something about Harriet, but he also knows that he’s terrible at relationships. Is it worth the risk?
Pallas's new business is struggling. Having inherited it, she's not sure she wants to keep it. She likes planning weddings, but it feels stale. Luckily, she just hired herself a handyman artist who convinces her to think outside of the box.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this spin off of Fool's Gold. I loved seeing the brothers from Fool's Gold and their relationship after the bombshell that changed their lives. I loved watching them create art and dabble in new projects. I really loved Pallas. I loved her loyalty, loved her group of friends, and I loved how she started to take chances. I felt terrible for her in regards to her relationship with her mother, but I love how she started feeling more confident in herself. And the meetings between Nick and her mother were great. A wonderful start to a surefire hit series!
Nick's in limbo, waiting to hear about an overseas art project. So, he doesn't mind helping out someone in need. Plus, it lets him go back to working with a familiar medium.
Together, the two of them fall into an easy relationship. But Nick doesn't do long term and he's leaving soon. Should Pallas risk her heart anyways?
Two sisters' lives change on the same night. What's supposed to be a celebration of Eric being cancer free turns into a tragedy. Kate's husband of four months dies in a freak accident. Eric, who was about to propose to Ainsley, takes it as a sign and breaks up with her.My Thoughts: I Loved this book. It's sent in the same town as If You Only Knew, so it was nice to see some old favorite characters. I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters. Being 10 years apart and half siblings, it's easy to see why they were never close. But I love how they lean on each other through their tough times and get to know each other better. I felt terrible for Ainsley dealing with all the fallout from her Eric's choices. There were times I wanted to smack her, but that worked itself out. I enjoyed her moments at work, her being late and her talking back to the boss. I felt bad for Kate as she dealt with grief, knowing her grief wasn't as much as other people in her husband's live who had known him longer. I loved the humor and the sweet moments. Most of all I loved the journey from the ashes to the phoenix and I think it was even sweeter because they helped each other. Another fantastic book from Kristan Higgins that I devoured.
After spending eleven years with Eric, Ainsley is blindsided. Since their neither the house nor the finances are in her name, she's in serious trouble. Not knowing where to turn, she shows up at Kate's door.
Kate's been dealing with her own grief. She didn't get enough time with her husband; they were still learning about each other. She's living in a house that isn't hers and she's lonely.
Even thought Kate and Ainsley aren't close, they need each other now more than ever.
Library Recommendation: Public Libraries: Grab this one immediately for your adult fiction section if you don't have it already.Where I Read This: I saved it for vacation reading, poolside in Vegas.
Katrina is home for her sister's wedding and then she's headed back to Columbia to figure out the adoption process. Her family and friends haven't adjusted to her maturing since they saw her last. They're having a hard time with the new her. But Katrina isn't giving up.My Thoughts: I love this series and seeing how favorite characters. I really enjoyed Katrina's story. I too fell for Milo. I loved the moments between Milo and Katrina - they were very sweet. I loved watching Milo progress once he felt comfortable in his new life. I enjoyed the romance and I'm eagerly looking forward to returning to Haven Point soon.
While witnessing an epic meltdown of a child, she steps in to help calm him down. Milo's newly found relative (half brother) begs her to take a temporary job helping out with Milo until permanent help can arrive. At first Katrina isn't interested, but the money is too good to pass up.
The more time she spends with Milo and his brother, the more she falls for both of them. But being home is just temporary and she's not sure she wants to risk her heart.
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your romance section at your public library! And if you don't have this series, be sure to get the others too!
When Keri's boss finds out that she used to date the reclusive author Joe Kowalski, she threatens Keri's job in order to get a story. Reluctantly, Keri heads back home to face the man she left to pursue her career.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I loved the Kowalski family, especially all the kids. I loved getting to know their stories and look forward reading more about them in future books. I really liked the issues between Joe's twin sister and Keri - and how they reacted to each other over the two weeks. Lots of grant banter and sexual tension in this one. I like the question about careers vs love and if you really have to choose between them or if you really can have it all. So looking forward to the next book in the series.
Joe isn't interested in giving an interview, but he can't help but feel that he and Keri have unfinished business. He creates a bargain where she joins him and his family on their two week camping vacation in exchange for answering questions. But he has limits; his previous love life and his family are off limits.
Keri isn't thrilled at the prospect of spending two weeks gathering information, but she's willing to do just about anything to save her job. But could the two weeks be more than she can handle?
Harper's sister calls her with a question, if Harper will be her maid of honor. Harper's horrified to learn that her sister is walking down the aisle for the third time to her ex-husband's brother - especially when her own personal life is a disaster.My Thoughts: I adore Kristan Higgins' books. I've been trying to savor her backlist books because there are days when you just need one of her books. This one was fabulous. I loved Nick and Harper's banter. I loved learning more about their relationship. I loved Harper and Willa and their relationship - how it evolved. I loved her next door neighbor and Coco the puppy was adorable - they added a little humor to the story. I like that Harper was a divorce attorney and a little jaded after her own failed marriage. I liked the small town charm on the island, it made me want to visit the Vineyard. Another winner of a novel.
Harper reluctant attends the wedding, hoping to talk her sister out of it, but it's no use. Neither is attempting to ignore her ex-husband. She can't help the way she reacts to him, even if she doesn't like it.
When her flight gets delayed, she has no choice but to drive cross country with Nick. The more time she spends with him, the more time she remembers their relationship. She remembers why they were so good together and also why they failed. But they've both changed. Could it be time for second chances?
Library Recommendation: Kristan Higgins's books should be in all public libraries - they're just that good.
Eva's having a hard time with Christmas this year after the loss of her grandmother. She struggling to find happiness. Since both of her friends are happy in new relationships, she doesn't want to burden them with her loneliness.My Thoughts: I adored this book. I felt terrible for Eva in the previous two books as she struggled with her inner self about how to handle her grandmother's death and her friend's new happily ever afters. I enjoyed her banter with Lucas. I love that she was his muse - especially how the muse turned out. I loved how they could help each other grief because they both lost someone close to them. I loved the memories with Eva and her grandmother. It made me miss my grandmother. I didn't want to put this book down! And I'm so glad more is coming in this series.
She's tasked to fill up a writer's freezer and decorate his apartment since he's at a writing retreat. Only he's not at a retreat, he's hiding from the world. Plus he's not happy about Eva descending on his apartment.
However since the snow is falling rapidly and since he doesn't want to tell his grandmother that he's actually at home, he allows her to stay. Which works well for him as she becomes his muse for his book. With her in the apartment, his words start flowing. His deadline now might be possible if only he can convince Eva to stay with him.
Library Recommendation: Highly recommended purchase for all public libraries.
* Book 5 in the Haven Point series *Andrea's had a couple of terrible years after her husband died and his partner wouldn't take no for an answer. Now, she's looking forward to making sure her two adorable children have a great Christmas in Haven Point.My Thoughts: I adore this series and I love that Andrea gets her own book. I felt terrible for her previously for all that she'd been through. Her kids are adorable. I love that they opened up to Marshall, especially Chloe. I loved that Marshall didn't want help and was grumpy about it from the beginning. I loved the banter between the two of them. As they spend more time together, I loved how they shared pieces of their lives and gave each other advice. I really liked Christopher. I liked the struggle each of them had, but I'm glad that everything worked out. Another winner for this series!
When her friends asks her to look in on her brother since she's out of town, Andrea can't say no. Marshall is recovering from a sinister car accident that left him with a broken leg. He's not happy about being laid up or about Andrea looking in on him.
But her kindness gets to him as do her two children. They're appalled that he has no Christmas decor up, so they make decorations for them. When a blizzard forces the tow families together, sparks fly.
Ever since Frankie's parents' divorced and her mother became that woman, she's had trouble trusting men. Thus she's never been in a real relationship. Still her best friend's brother makes her weak at the knees. When Matt confides that he wants to be more than friends, all bets are off.My Thoughts: I adored this novel. I really liked seeing pieces of Frankie's former life and how that shape her adult life. I love it when she finally went back home after all those years away and discovered nothing was how she remembered it. I loved their moments on the island. I like how Matt was patient with her. I love seeing the three best friends together again. I'm so happy that Eva will have the Christmas story, I can't wait to read it!
At first they begin with no strings attached, but the more time they spend together, the more they fall for each other. Is there any way Frankie can let happiness take over and trust in love?
Wyn Bailey likes being a police officer, but lately life has been a little boring. She's looking for something more and she's not sure that she'll find it in Haven Point. Plus she's in love with her boss, who treats her like his little sister. Maybe leaving Haven Point will help bring her some perspective.My Thoughts: I loved Wyn and her protective nature. I love her moments on the job from the mundane tasks to the dangerous situation she found herself in. I liked her conversations with her new neighbor and how she helped them ease into a new town. I liked her family and how she came from a long line of police officers. I love the brother's best friend romance trope, so this one was fantastic. I like how Cade struggled with his feelings. I liked learning more about his terrible childhood. I'm a huge fan of this small town series and I'm so looking forward to the next book.
Cade feels attraction for Wyn, but she works for him and he doesn't want to lose her. He's also been keeping a secret from her, that's bound to come out once she starts asking questions. When Whyn finds herself in trouble, Cade must decide the depth of his feelings.
Paige hasn't had an easy life but just when pieces seem to be falling into place, her world comes crashing down. She goes into work one day expecting a raise but leaves without a job. Before Paige can wrap her head around this new chance, her brother's best friend (and her major crush) dares her to start her own events company.My Thoughts: I loved the first book in this new trilogy! I adored the friendship between the three girls. I loved the easy way they conversed with Paige's brother and Jake. I love how they had each other's backs. I loved how Paige grew during the book - how she took chances and how she distanced herself from her past. I liked learning more about the events planning business. I loved her determination and her strength. Can't wait to read the next two stories!
Armed with her two best friends and knowledge, Paige decides to give it a go. Only once she starts, she finds it hard to drum up any clients - until Jake steps in again and offers her a huge job. Can she work with him without allowing her feelings to get in the way?
Final Thoughts: A fun start to a new trilogy in the city that never sleeps (And neither will you if you start this book at night - at least not until you finish it)
Shelby wants to learn how to trust men - especially after her childhood. She thinks that if she can become friends with a man, than she could learn how to have a relationship. She think she's picked the perfect candidate in Aidan.
Aidan dates tourists - lots of tourists. He doesn't want any strings attached but when one returns and he doesn't remember her, she makes a scene. So he swears off dating for six months. When Shelby approaches him with her idea, he's not sold on it, but he realizes that something has to change. So he agrees to give it a go.
No one in town believes that they are just friends - but they are, until they're not. Could romance blossom out of friendship?
Final Thoughts: Another winner in this series - sweet, funny, and perfect to read by the beach this summer.
Brittany always found sanctuary on the island. As a child, she found comfort in the small community, comfort in her grandmother's love, and comfort in the freedom the island provided.My Thoughts: I loved the first book of this trilogy and was so happy to stumble across the British version of book 2 at my library. I loved this one just as much. I love the three best friend and how they each come to the island to figure out their lives. I love the smallness of the island and how gossip spreads like wildfire. I love the casseroles appearing on your doorstep. In this book, I loved the idea of second chances. I loved the camp and how young kids need hope in their lives. I loved learning more about Zach's past and how he overcame the odds. I liked his relationship with his new family.
Now she's back with a broken heart and unsure about her future. She's hoping that the island can work it's magic on her once again. But never in a million years did she expect Zach to be on the island again.
As a teenager, she fell hard for him. They married, but when he walked out on their marriage, he broke her heart. As much as she wants to hate him, the sparks between them are still there. Can she give him a second chance?
Final Thoughts: A sweet fantastic summer story that will warm your heart.
McKenzie Shaw loves her town, she's desperately trying to make the economy. Especially after Ben Kilpatrick left years ago and destroyed the once booming town.My Thoughts: I loved the first book in this series and of course gravitated towards this one. After a brief disappointment (I thought this was another Christmas story because of the lights on the boats), I fell quickly for this read.
Now he's back. And living next door to her.
McKenzie vows to be polite (after she yells at him for his past crimes) and then she learns that he's in a position to make the town soar to new heights. Sworn to secrecy, she has the town hopping to show him a welcoming community.
The more time she spends with him, the more she understands about his past and his reasons for escaping town the first time. Can she change his mind against the town without falling into her old crush.
Final Thoughts: Read this series for the small town charm, the friendships, and of course the romance.
Connor and Jess have been secretly dating for years. He's ready for the next step in their relationship. One night he proposes.My Thoughts: I loved this book, although I'm sad that the series is now over. I really enjoyed getting to know the people of this town. Kristan Higgins has a few situations in every book: a fantastic dog and bad dates. This book had both, which of course made me giggle.
She's not ready for anything more.
They break up - again.
Connor warns her it could be for the last time. But as much as Jessica cares about him, she cares about her brother more. She's not interested in getting married, especially with her reputation.
Connor vows to move on, but how can you forget your first love?
Final Thoughts: Kristan Higgins is one my favorite contemporary romance authors, she's amazingly good. If you haven't read her books yet, get on that. Trust me, you won't regret it!
Happy Book Birthday Kristan!
Anything for You comes out today. I was lucky enough to get an early look at the book and as much as I hate for this series to be over, it's everything I could have wanted and more!
*review to follow later this week.
I'm lucky to be chatting with the fantastic author herself!
Take a look and don't forget to snag yourself a copy of her book.
Madeline loves finding the perfect dress for her brides at the bridal store in town. She's never planned a wedding before but when the mayor and her friend ask her for help, she can't turn them down. The she uncovers that the wedding is for the sister of Jonny Blaze - the action star that lives in town. The one she has such a crush on, she can't seem to find words to say to him.My Thoughts: I love Fool's Gold, especially the Christmas stories. I loved learning more about Maddie, especially watching her interact with her brides and finding them the perfect dress for their special day. I enjoyed watching her fall out of her crush with the movie star and discovering him as a person. I liked Jonny's protectiveness of his sister and his crazy attempts to show her that he loved her - even if they were misguided. I loved the snow falling, the festivals, and the decorations of the town. Everything's so charming, I'd just love to visit.
Jonny Blaze wants his sister to have the wedding of her dreams. He settled in Fool's Gold to get away from all that hype in Hollywood. He's sometimes dumbfounded that it happened. He's not interested in a relationship, but the more time he spends with Maddie, the more she grows on him.
Could a winter romance be in the air?
Final Thoughts: Another winner for the series. If you're not reading this series, what the heck are you waiting for?
