Shelley Reads and Writes

Tag: women’s fiction

  • Will Death Change Friendship?

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    In The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins, a group of friends’ lives completely change when they lose one of their own. Even more, she sent everyone a letter to ensure that they learn something from her own experiences.

    For Kate, she is busy being a wife and mother. Her entire life revolves around her family and making sure that everyone else’s lives run smoothly. She tries skydiving because her friend asked her to. And it changes her perspective on her life.

    For Jo, her career is everything. She works hard to ensure that she is going to have a better future than her childhood. When she gets her friend’s daughter, she has to figure out if one orphan can help another!

    For Sarah, she is forced to confront the man that she has loved for the last few years. It has kept her from finding love with anyone else, even the man who has been beside her in the steamy jungles of Africa.

    The three women are changed, both by the loss of their friend and her final wish for all of them.

    I have been reading a lot of tough books lately, and I was looking for a lighter read. Though this book dealt with death, it was a good, easy read about a group of friends who will be there for each other, no matter what. It also talks about growth as the women learn from their deceased friend. It is a good read!

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

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    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • Can Rebecca Find Love Later In Life?

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    In A Second Chance by Samantha Price, we meet an Amish woman, Rebecca, who fell in love with an Englisher and married him. When he died, she started a business and moved on. She never thought she would be thinking about love again, especially as she got older.

    When Jeremiah, an Amish widow, started coming into her shop, he changed her life forever. She wonders if she could go back to being Amish and marrying another man.

    However, as she starts to contemplate her future, her husband’s niece shows up on her porch. Morgan has nowhere else to go, and Rebecca welcomes her in. But Morgan’s wild ways bring a wedge between Rebecca and her new love with Jeremiah.

    Will she ruin Rebecca’s chance at love?

    You can never go wrong with Samantha Price. Her books are always a treat to read, especially when you are looking for something that is not so emotional to read. I devour anything she writes!

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

    ***

    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • A Pop Star Invades Heather’s College Dorm and Changes Everything

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    Heather is hoping for a calm summer. Her residential dorm is closed for renovations over the summer, so she just has a few residents helping to keep things running. But then, Tania’s bodyguard gets shot, and her camp of teenage girls gets moved into the dorm. 

    She gets ready for a reality TV crew, Tania, and a slew of teenage girls, until a homicide spoils the fun. Cooper and Heather are determined to get to the bottom of it, all while trying to figure out their new relationship (and hiding it from the world). 

    Another great read in the series. You can’t go wrong with Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot. I can’t wait to see how this series ends! 

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

    ***

    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • A Mother Keeps Her Family Close, Despite Their Choices

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    In Against All Odds by Danielle Steel, Kate Madison is determined to keep her family together. After losing her husband to cancer, she has four children to raise. So, she does what she has to. She relies on her mother, goes back to work, and eventually starts her own business, a resale shop.

    But as her children grow up, go to college, and move on with their lives, she is not quite ready to let them go.

    Isabelle is a hardworking lawyer determined to make partner. When she falls for her pro bono client in a criminal case, she can’t wait to begin a life with him.

    Julie is a clothing designer, though she doesn’t get any credit for her work. That being said, she is paid well for her designs and is happy doing what she loves. When she meets a man who seems too good to be true, she marries him, gives up her job, and follows him to Los Angeles, worrying her mother.

    Kate’s son Justin is a freelance writer with a dedicated partner. However, when they decide to start a family, she worries about their relationship and doesn’t think that they are quite ready for their new adventure.

    Her youngest son, Willie is a tech genius and a serial dater, never getting too serious. When he does find someone to become serious with, he shocks his entire family.

    Kate worries about all of her children, though she does her best to keep her thoughts to herself. She worries about both of her daughter’s marriages, as well as Justin and his partner. She worries about Willie settling down.

    She eventually learns that she will support them since she can’t protect them from making mistakes. Instead, she will be by their side every step of the way.

    This was a good book about a family who have each other’s backs, no matter what. No questions asked. You can’t go wrong with a Danielle Steel novel!

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

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    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • What Happens When A Family Loses the Glue That Holds Them Together?

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    When I realized Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah had a sequel, I just had to get it. But first, I had to re-read the first book in the series. If you haven’t had a chance to read my review, you can check it out right here.

    Tully Hart and the entire Ryan family have been hanging on since Kate passed away, and not very well. Tully promised Kate she would be there for her children, but she finds herself lost. She doesn’t know anything about taking care of someone other than herself.

    Marah Ryan was only sixteen when she lost her mom, and she doesn’t know how to grieve. Though her father, Johnny, wants to be there for her, he is lost in his grief, and Marah gets lost too! She falls in love with another young man dealing with his own grief. He quickly pulls her into his world, and Marah leaves home.

    Dorothy Hart is trying to do better. She is sober and making an honest living. She wants to do better for her daughter Tully, whom she has always abandoned. But Tully wants to know more about her, and Dorothy may have to share her past in order to win back her daughter.

    A single, tragic choice and a middle-of-the-night phone call will change everything, bringing Tully, her mother, and Marah back together in a way they all need. They are all lost and will need each other to get through the next stage in their lives.

    Though I loved Firefly Lane, I believe that of Fly Away by Kristin Hannah is even more powerful. I couldn’t wait to see what happens to Tully, Dorothy, and Marah as they navigate a difficult time in their lives.

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

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    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • The Book Behind the Netflix Series

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    I loved the Netflix series, so I just had to read the actual book. Actually, I read Firefly Lane once before, but when I found out there was a sequel, I had to read it all over again!

    In Hannah’s book, we meet Kate Mularkey, an eighth grader who is socially at the bottom of the totem pole. When the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend, she can’t believe that Tully Hart actually wants to be her friend.

    The two, who are complete opposites, bond in a way that only young girls can do. They make a pact to be friends forever, and from then on, they are TullyandKate and become inseparable.

    As they grow up and their lives diverge, the two continue to be best friends. Tully is always desperate to prove herself and is determined to be the best reporter in the world. Her ambition drives her life, and she finds herself with fame and success.

    Kate follows Tully into the news, but when she falls in love, she realizes she would rather stay home with her children. She wants to live an ordinary life, and takes pride in raising her children and doing everything she can to ensure they have a wonderful childhood.

    For thirty years, Tully and Kate stay friends, no matter what they are doing. They have periods of jealousy, anger, hurt, and resentment, but they always find their way back to each other. Until a single act of betrayal tears them apart and threatens their friendship in a way that it never has.

    If you are looking for a book about friendship (both the good and the bad), you definitely need to check out Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah.

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

    ***

    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • A Stroke Can Change Everything

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    The Frosts are a typical American family in Always the Last To Know by Kristan Higgins. Barb and John have been married for almost fifty years and are struggling with their relationship.

    Juliet is their firstborn daughter. She is happily married with two darling girls herself. She is a famous architect. Their second daughter, Sadie, is more free-spirited. She is a preschool teacher by day and works on her paintings in the evenings.

    Things were going fine until John had a stroke. Sadie puts her career on hold to move back home to help with her dad. Then, she finds herself face-to-face with the man who broke her heart. Juliet is struggling with panic attacks, even though her life seems perfect to many.

    Barb also faces a future in which she may have to take care of John for the rest of his life. She also discovers a secret that changes everything.

    While there are many changes for the Frost family, they all pull together to get through it. A good novel that you won’t want to put down, so you can see what happens!

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

    ***

    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • Nora Roberts’ First Novel Is a Hit

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    When Adelia Cunnane’s parents died, their family farm went to her aunt. After tending the farm together for years, her aunt passes, leaving her nothing in Ireland. She had to sell the farm to catch up with the taxes, and she knows that there is no reason to stick around.

    Lucky for her, she has an uncle Paddy who lives in America, who tells her just to come to America with him.

    When she gets to the Maryland horse farm where Paddy lives and works, she can’t believe her eyes! Then, she finds herself working at the farm too. She works as a groom and an exercise rider on the back of the fast racing horses.

    That being said, she has no idea what to think about her boss. Their relationship is tricky, and she doesn’t know what to expect from him.

    I never realized that this was Roberts’ first book. When I heard that, I just had to read it, and I am glad that I did. Now, I will have to read the rest of the books in the series to find out what happens to Dee and her handsome boss.

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

    ***

    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time! 

  • A Heartbreaking Read: When You Have A Child With Special Needs, What Happens to Your Other Child?

    Book Cover off of Amazon Website

    In The Favourite Child by Emma Robinson, you meet Erika. She has had a good life. She married a good man, they both worked hard, and then they started a family. They were delighted when they discovered that they were having twins. A boy and a girl, making their family complete.

    But then, as the twins grew, she noticed that Ben was having a lot of problems. He wasn’t developing as well as his sister Mollie. He was struggling with basic things that she picked up easily.

    So, she had to put Ben’s needs in front of Mollie, especially when he was diagnosed with autism. She even moved closer to Ben’s new school to help him adjust, even though that meant leaving Mollie at home with her dad.

    Now, Mollie is missing, and the couple have to work together to help her. For the first time in years, they have to find a way to communicate better to figure out what went wrong with their daughter. She had always been so good, a perfect daughter and student.

    And they have to admit that Erika spends more time making sure that Ben is doing as well as he can. Her husband really struggles with Ben, so it has been easier to do things the way that they have been doing them. Erika with Ben. Her husband with Mollie.

    Mollie may even feel like Ben is her favourite. Is that why she ran away? Can they find Mollie and get their family back on track? Is the marriage and family worth saving? Big choices have to be made, and they can change everything!

    I couldn’t put this book down! I just had to see if they found Mollie, what made her run, and if the family was able to get back together. Another spectacular read by Emma Robinson that you won’t be able to put down!

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    If you are interested in this book, you can grab it from Amazon right here!

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    Please note, this is an affiliate link, where I will receive compensation if you buy the product, without any extra cost to you.

    ***

    Stay tuned for my next book review.

    Til next time!