Review: Every Other Weekend by Margaret Klaw

About the Book

Forty-ish hipster dad Jake is happily settled down in the politically progressive, urban, and notably self-satisfied community of Greenwood, working at his not-so-interesting job, playing guitar with his band, and enjoying domestic life with his beautiful and accomplished wife Lisa, their two charming daughters, and the beloved family dog.

When Lisa rocks Jake's world by telling him she wants a divorce, their story unfolds from multiple points of view including those of other family members, Jake's self-absorbed divorce lawyer, the cranky family court judge who presides over his custody case, his polyamorous millennial girlfriend, and the eighteen-year-old babysitter who also happens to be his lawyer's daughter. Throughout Greenwood, in the coffee shop, the yoga studio, and the basketball court, lives intersect. Choruses of friends and neighbors gossip, dissect, and weigh in. A surprise witness upends Jake's custody trial. Things are not always as they seem, and there is no one truth about a marriage.

Review

Told through multiple perspectives, Every Other Weekend by Margaret Klaw delves into the complexities of divorce and the changes in families. It has relatable characters, insight into the challenges faced by divorced parents and has thought provoking moments and definitely puts the rawness of divorce during and after out there.

The story revolves around the family of Lisa and Jake. Both live in your typical upper class, progressive neighborhood, specifically in Philadelphia. They find themselves navigating the rough waters of their shared custody and trying to adjust to their new lives after divorce. The book captures the conflicts, tension and effects on everyone including the children transitioning between their homes. We not only get their perspective but also the impact of the judicial system in the mix.

With divorce so prevalent out there, I love how we experience the real and multi perspective of all involved through the process. At first, I thought Lisa was very shallow and her reasoning for asking for divorce left me feeling sympathy for Jake. Then after getting to know Jake, I understand why. Neither is perfect but when two people are on different pages, sometimes it’s best to stop the bleeding if one is willing to change. 

Something that stands out about Jake’s character that drove me insane was the lack of accountability no matter what he did or does, his impulse decisions had consequences beyond his comprehension. On the other hand, Lisa’s unrealistic expectations of someone who was very different from who she really wanted to be with, I often wonder about the fairness of evolved resentment.

Getting to the heart of these characters, giving insight into their thoughts and how they feel, allow you to understand their journey. They are flawed. So many similar people out there have qualities like them and with children involved makes it harder. Their journey gives you so much to think about because there’s so many other moving components that people don’t take into consideration and how they can impact all involved, especially the children.

The children were represented so well in the book. Their innocence and then getting to experience from their perspective and how it impacts their lives, emotions and behavior through adapting to the transitions was handled so well. The impact of the decisions their parents made and the courts involvement into their lives really spoke loudly. 

This will appeal to those who love emotional stories that will resonate with you. Evident through her law experience dealing with these types of cases, Klaw gives us an insightful and engaging read that takes us to the depth of divorce, family and the challenges everyone involved faces. 

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Review: Strawberry Lane by Jodi Thomas

Fans of Robyn Carr and Susan Mallery will adore this heartwarming new book from the beloved New York Times bestselling author. In a small Texas town where most families go back generations, four strangers meet and unite as they bury a father none of them has ever seen and begin slowly to piece together a bond that will not only change them, but the community for the better.

Starri Knight is a big believer in fate. How else to explain the compelling connection she feels to the stranger she pulls out of a wrecked car on the very same road where her parents died twenty years earlier? Alongside Auntie Ona-May, the only mother she’s ever known, Starri saves Rusty O’Sullivan’s life—just as Ona-May once did when Starri was an orphaned babe. But convincing Rusty he has something to live for is going to take all of Starri’s faith in miracles .

Like a wish he hadn’t even known to make, Starri landed in Rusty’s life, filling him with a longing for a family. . . . Then Jackson Landry, a new lawyer, turns up to present a surprise that will change the direction of his life: An inheritance from the father Rusty never knew—and the promise of the family he’d never had. It’s a lot for the hard-bitten loner to accept as love rushes into his life . . .

A sense of duty has Rusty heading to Honey Creek to deal with his father’s estate—and find his lost siblings. But having family is one thing, learning to love them is another. Good thing new friends are by his side to help him along the way.

Review

As they say, everything is bigger in Texas. No one seems to capture that big rural charm the way Jodi Thomas does. As with her Honey Creek series, the vulnerability of these rough around the edges characters, drawing a sensitivity and charm from them melts the pages. At the heart and soul of rural Texas, Strawberry Lane begins her new series, Someday Valley.

I really love how this begins the series. If you are a fan and have read the Honey Creek series then you know the heart and soul of those characters make that community. The sense of community and love for looking out for one another brings back a time that we can only reminisce about.

I’ve been anticipating reading this since I found out about it and so fulfilled to begin another wonderful journey. Someday Valley hits the emotions differently than Honey Creek. It really reached deep down and was so engaging. There’s so much to love with this book. What I loved was characters who were saved from being lost, finding friendship and love and how people come into your lives and change the trajectory beyond any expectation of hope or expectation.

Having faith in another day when life presents consistent obstacles, getting the chance for fate to come and showing the possibility of tomorrow and opening your heart to being loved really swept the pages.

The accident that is the catalyst that brings the characters life in the book leads their paths to something that will resonate with those who have experienced similar or pull at your empathy and compassion. They all have experienced loss but they find hope and love amongst each other that makes this a really nice read.

Another wonderful book taking us back to Honey Creek, Tx by way of Someday Valley. We get a little mini glimpse into the next book, The Wild Lavender Bookshop which is set to release in 2024. If you haven’t read the Honey Creek series, I’d recommend checking that out before starting this one. That was such a nice series that blends into this one that I wouldn’t want you to miss anything. If you are a fan, make sure you add this one to your reading list.

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Review: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Seven days to fall in love, fifteen years to forget, and seven days to get it all back again...

Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award‑winning novelist, who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York.

When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can't deny their chemistry—or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years.

Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect—but Eva's wary of the man who broke her heart, and wants him out of the city so her life can return to normal. Before Shane disappears though, she needs a few questions answered...

With its keen observations of creative life in America today, as well as the joys and complications of being a mother and a daughter, Seven Days in June is a hilarious, romantic, and sexy‑as‑hell story of two writers discovering their second chance at love.

Review

This book has left me completely speechless, and a sobbing mess. Not only was it beautiful, but it was so delicate and heartfelt. And it’s messy because these are real characters who are flawed and human. Oh, my gosh, I loved it. Top ten book of the year. Automatic five stars! I can’t say enough good things about this book.

Eva and Shane are both writers, who met each other when they were teenagers. Teenagers who were struggling in this cruel world, who had no guidance, who were screaming so loudly but no one heard them. They only knew each other for a short amount of time, but the impact they had on each other was huge. Flashforward 15 years later, they are still writers, but they still carry their heavy past on their back, and they still have the imprint of each other on their skins. They are fated to be together, but they are older, and more cautious now.

I adored both Shane and Eva and reading them as teenagers was an absolute dragger to the heart. They were in so much pain, and it made sense why they made some of the decisions they did when they were older. It was also interesting that both were writers, and it was so beautiful how they had influenced each other’s writers. Another thing that I enjoyed about this book is how it tackled fan culture in relation to books. It felt very realistic, and I enjoyed reading Eva’s POV about fan’s enjoying her books.

Final Thoughts

Seven Days in June is a beautiful, rich, emotional love story about second chances. The characters are outstanding. Andre is a breakout star, and I enjoyed her relationship with her mother, and how Eva was dedicated to giving her daughter the best life because of her upbringing. I loved Shane's journey, and how he wanted to mentor kids, and despite tragedy he still tried. Reading Seven Days in June was an experience, I was sucked in, and it felt like I was in their world. It was a spiritual journey. That’s the best way to describe it.

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Review: Liars Like Us by J.T. Geissinger

A young woman on the verge of bankruptcy.

A mysterious billionaire with an offer that will change her life.

An obsession so powerful, it could destroy them both.

Sex

Lies

Secrets

Passion

What Callum McCord wants, he takes.

No matter what he has to do to get it.

Review

I went into Liars Like Us expecting a big twist. And from the first few chapters, I was intrigued to how this story would take place. I enjoy marriage of conveniences, and the set up was appearing to be very juicy. Also, let’s not forget the banter between Callum and Emery. It was great.

Now that I finished it, I must say I’m a little bit disappointed. The “twist” was predictable. And although Callum and Emery had this amazing chemistry, I couldn’t fully get behind him. A second after they got married, Callum changed into this possessive person, and at times it was a major turn off. He doesn’t get a POV within this book, and I really think the book would have benefitted from having his POV. His secret and motives could still be a mystery; however, it would be great to get within his head. Especially given his obsession with Emory.

Final Thoughts

For all the issues I had with Liars Like Us, it’s still one of the highlights of the month of May for me. Some of the scenes still replay around in my mind. And I did really enjoy the setup to the marriage. 

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Review: Charlie, Love, and Cliches by Ella Maise

Six years ago at a random diner I met a stranger and he became the-one-who-got-away, or more correctly the-one-who-didn’t-show-up.

A small advice from me to you: if you haven’t dated, touched *or* kissed a guy in years and *years*…do not try to crawl away or hide from the-one-who-got-away. It’s not a good look.

William Carter, the stranger I’d met six years ago was the last person I’d imagine ever seeing at my dad’s firm where I work. While I panic and fight off the butterflies in my stomach and in general struggle to act normal, I realize he doesn’t even remember me. I’m not sure if I should feel relieved or heartbroken. Things get worse when I learn we’ll need to work in close quarters to each other, but at least I let him know that I don’t have a crush on him anymore right away. Just in case he gets any ideas.

While I’m in the process of writing lists and making serious changes in my life, because I decide I’m ready to be the heroine in my own story; having William just a breath away is not helping things. Especially when things shift between us and we start to make eye contact in meetings. Then he shows up in places I least expect him to…as in blind dates and sex clubs. He also gives me cheese because he knows how much I like it and there are secret notes he leaves in my office. If you were wondering, I still don’t have a crush on him though. Nope.

Even though I’d promised myself I’d never wait around for another guy and postpone my own life, I’m afraid William Carter who looks at me as if I’m his and was always supposed to be his might ruin my hopeful plans. And quite possibly me for any other guy since I’m craving his touch like I’ve never craved anything in my life before. But we both know we’re a losing game so we keep admitting that neither one of us has a crush on the other.

Not anymore. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

Review

One of the most embarrassing and upsetting things in the world is spending the majority of a book wishing it was over. To me Charlie, Love, and Cliches was utterly boring. For a book with cliché in the title I had braced myself to be subject to ridiculous but also entertaining cliches. I absolutely love Marriage for One by Ella Maise, and I have read two other books by her, and thought them to be good, nothing spectacular like Marriage for One. My expectations were over the top for this one.

For a quick summary— both Charlie and William live in New York, and one week six years ago they met at a diner and opened up to each other. Then one day, William doesn’t show up and they go back to being strangers. Years later, they both end up working at her father’s company, and he still impacts her just the same.

I think my real issue with this story for why I didn’t enjoy it as much and why I believe it to be boring-- hinges on the main characters. Both of them fell extremely flat to me. The easiest way to categorize them two is Charlie is someone who won’t stop talking and has a complicated relationship with her family. And William is recently divorced, makes bad decisions, and can’t trust women. I can’t tell you anything else about them. They just seemed severely lacking to me, which is disappointing for a story that is trying to sell a second chance romance.

Final Thoughts

Charlie, Love, and Cliches was just boring.

Review: Where Waters Meet by Zhang Ling

Where Waters Meet, the first novel Zhang Ling wrote in English, was breathtaking. For someone whose English is secondary, there’s not a moment that steered my interest away. This beautiful novel captures the extraordinary strength of a multigenerational point of view of women through some of the most tumultuous times in Chinese history.

Upon the death of her mother, deeply heart broken, she finds some mementos that leave her curious about the secret life of her mother. In a quest to fulfill her curiosity, Phoenix Yuan-Whyller boards a flight to China to connect with her mother’s sister, Mei. As her aunt Mei recounts her past, Phoenix discovers the secrets of a painful past that redefined everything she ever knew.

There are no words to describe how wonderful this book is. From the gorgeous cover that invites you in, the beautiful words that grace the pages, it was an experience that grips your emotions and doesn’t let go. There was something special in the sensitive simplicity of her words that left a heavy imprint on my consciousness. As a reader, being able to experience the events through her perspective was haunting and impactful.

What I loved the most about the book was the unique historical perspective coming from someone who represents the culture of the core of the narrative. Her perspective through many of the historical events in the book brought awareness to my interest having not heard of much that was spoken of. What these women endured through the atrocities of war but survived just gives me a new appreciation of life because they went through some things that I don’t know how anyone could have made it. The resilience of the inhumane physical and mental abuse and the fight to gain the courage to survive was remarkable.

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Summary:

A daughter discovers the dramatic history that shaped her mother’s secret life in an emotional and immersive novel written in English by Zhang Ling, the bestselling author of A SINGLE SWALLOW.

There was rarely a time when Phoenix Yuan-Whyller’s mother, Rain, didn’t live with her. Even when Phoenix got married, Rain, who followed her from China to Toronto, came to share Phoenix’s life. Now at the age of eighty-three, Rain’s unexpected death ushers in a heartrending separation.

Struggling with the loss, Phoenix comes across her mother’s suitcase—a memory box Rain had brought from home. Inside, Phoenix finds two old photographs and a decorative bottle holding a crystallized powder. Her auntie Mei tells her these missing pieces of her mother’s early life can only be explained when they meet, and so, clutching her mother’s ashes, Phoenix boards a plane for China. What at first seems like a daughter’s quest to uncover a mother’s secrets becomes a startling journey of self-discovery.

Told across decades and continents, Zhang Ling’s exquisite novel - her first to be written directly in English - is a tale of extraordinary courage and survival. It illuminates the resilience of humanity, the brutalities of life, the secrets we keep and those we share, and the driving forces it takes to survive.