Rich man wants to divorce his wife of 40 years because he's in love with their 24 year old chef. Wife, Mebel, decides to go to cooking school in the hopes of winning him back. While there, she discovers the parts of her self she's kept tamped down her entire life.
3 stars.
A woman's husband asks for a divorce and the wife's paints herself as a total victim. Second half of the book, from the mistress's perspective shows maybe the wife isn't as pure as she thinks she is. Also, the husband is a jerk the whole time.
I didn't like any of the characters and the "twist" is now such a FMcF thing that I spend the whole first half wondering what's not true. She really needs to write more novels where the twist is not the main plot point. It was great in The Housemaid when nobody expected it, but it's getting pretty old now.
2.5 stars.
Ninety two year old Flo receives a terminal diagnosis. Her life is revealed in a letter she writes to Ruthie, the woman she watched grow up and who has been like the daughter she never had.
4.5 stars.
The life of Artie Dam, husband, father, high school teacher, is slowly revealed.
Beautifully written.
5 stars.
When a woman disappears during a 3-day yacht trip, a grieving Mel is the only one who suspects foul play and decides to investigate.
Read as part of the GoodReads Spring reading challenge.
3 stars.
Elm Creek Quilt Camp holds a special session for actress Julia Merchaud and the crew from her TV series, A Patchwork Life.
Okay story. I think I'm just bored of this series.
3 stars.
Picked this to fulfill a Goodreads challenge even though I'm pretty sure I read it once upon a time.
Bridget is a 30-something single woman navigating life.
This felt pretty dated. I probably enjoyed it more when I was younger.
2.5 stars.
Audio. 16 hours.
Read by Susan Ericksen.
Continuing the story of Fire Fly Lane. Tully's life goes downhill after the death of her best friend Kate. Kate's daughter is not doing well either.
4.5 stars.
Turns out I read this in 2017. Oh, well.
Caution Nell finds herself alone in Paris when her boyfriend bails out at the last minute. A handsome French waiter helps her pass the time.
4 stars.
Zoe, beautiful, and Cassie, talented, form a band. They find fame until the tragic death of the band's songwriter/guitarist.
I know JW's thing is fat women, but I wish she'd use a scalpel instead of a sledge hammer.
4 stars.
Lila is picking up the pieces of her life after her husband leaves her and her mother dies unexpectedly. Along the way, both her absentee father and her step-father end up living with her and her two daughters.
4 stars.
Audio. 7 hours.
Read by Jane Oppenheimer.
Edie is in hospice and her best friend Ash is tending to her during her final days.
Besides the heartbreaking story of Edie's death, there is also a clinical look at how the body breaks down.
4.5 stars.
Camilla is navigating her first day back at work after maternity leave when police show up and tell her her husband has taken three hostages at a nearby warehouse. After he shoots the hostages and escapes she spends the next seven years trying to understand while also pining for the husband she thought she knew.
3.5 stars.
Elm Creek Quilt's founder Sylvia flashes back on the quilt she and her sister Claudia entered in the World's Fair contest.
3 stars.
Audio. 6 hours.
Read by Nan McNamara.
A family takes their annual beach vacation. The mom is sandwiched between her adult children and aging parents.
4 stars as a summer beach read. Won't ever be mistaken for fine literature.
Audio. 10.25 hours.
Read by the author.
Semi-famous author abandons her cross-country drive 30 minutes from home. Instead of returning home, she checks into a motel and spends the next two and a half weeks lying to her husband and friends.
While the writing was good, the topics weren't for me. Also, another example of writers should write and leave narration to professionals.
2 stars.
Audio. 11 hours.
Read by Karissa Vacker.
Dr. Chloe Davis is the daughter of a serial killer. With the 20th anniversary of her dad's crime spree looming, girls start disappearing again. But with her dad in prison, this must be a copycat, right?
This started really good, but around the middle it became a smart-woman-makes-dumb-decisions novel. Sigh.
3 stars.
Audio. 15 hours.
Read by Julia Whelan.
The nurses of Vietnam. Part 1 was amazing. Part 2 was so whiny I almost had to stop listening. I get the author was showing the effects of PTSD, but it went on too long, especially the "woman makes bad decisions" part regarding the married boyfriend. I was happy when the story moved on to redemption.
3 stars. It would have been higher without the above parts.
Gail's daughter is getting married and her ex-husband shows up hoping to stay with her. And he brings a stray cat he is fostering. I only wish this book had been longer.
4.5 stars.
Pregnant 23 year old, Tegan, crashes her car in a snowstorm. A good samaritan stops to help, but may not be the savior she wished for. I disliked the "conversations" with Little Tuna. <gag>
I expected much better from the author.
2 stars.
