Another day another review dump, am I right? Today features five books I’ve recently read and for the most part enjoyed.
At Home On Marigold Lane by Debbie Mason
I just really enjoy Debbie Mason‘s books. At Home On Marigold Lane is another entry into the Highland Falls series. Set during autumn, this book follows therapist Brianna MacLeod and trauma surgeon Dr. Caleb Scott. Brianna has come home to Highland Falls after leaving an abusive marriage and having a horrific life altering accident that left her fighting for her life at the hospital. This story follows the second chance love trope. Also, Caleb and his ex Raine are faking a marriage in hopes of raising funds for the hospital to open a level one trauma center. Oh and did I mention that Caleb’s sister is Brianna’s roommate – Em – who is dealing with some PTSD of her own.
As stated, I really like Debbie Mason and am so glad she wrote a fall book. Seriously, fall is my favorite season and I wish there were more stories of people falling in love against an autumnal backdrop. I flew through Debbie Mason’s At Home On Marigold Lane. It’s 350 pages and I read basically in a day. I was very invested in Caleb and Bri’s relationship – even when different barriers got in the way. Also, I loved that initially I didn’t like Raine, but she ended up really growing on me. Complex characters are something I really enjoy when reading — so I am glad that although Raine made her mistakes, she wasn’t a complete stereotype villain.
@aprilbooksandwine #Inverted #HavaianasLivreDeCliches What I read over the past week Books Mentioned: Game On edited by Laura Silverman TJ Powwar Has Something To Prove by Jasmeen Kaur Deo A Secret Princess by Margaret Stohl and Melissa De La Cruz The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith At Home On Marigold Lane by Debbie Mason #booktokover30 #momsofbooktok #librarytiktok #readingwrapup
♬ BORN FOR THIS – Foxxi
Stateless by Elizabeth Wein
Elizabeth Wein cemented her way into being one of my favorite authors with Code Name Verity. I also really loved the subsequent books I’ve read from her. Thus, I was so excited to get my hands on Stateless. And so, I made sure to dive into this book WAY before the release date. Stateless follows Stella North who is representing Britain in this air race during the pre-World War II era. Competing in the race are representatives from across Europe. Stella is the only young woman. On one of the first legs of the race, there is a dogfight and one of the young pilots dies. Stella witnesses this and now has no idea who to trust or if she will be sabotaged. And so, this book is all about Stella trying to find out who did it while also staying out of the crosshairs of the murderer.
I really had hoped to be more into Stateless than I was. Maybe it’s my currently stage of life as I had been really stressed during reading. I just didn’t feel as into this book as I normally would a book from Wein. Of course, this book is well written. It brings together different interesting elements — particularly the time period and the concept of giving up one’s citizenship. I liked the romance aspect too and how it was such a slow burn. However, the pacing was just not it for me. That’s okay though, I think I may try this again once I am in a less frenzied stage of life and hopefully will enjoy it much more.
@aprilbooksandwine November TBR featuring Stateless by Elizabeth Wein thank you so much @NOVL also 3 books published by @readforeverpub #booktokover30 #momsofbooktok #over30booktok #tbrlist #monthlytbr #Inverted
♬ original sound – April Books & Wine
The Time Of Your Life by Sandra Kitt
The Time Of Your Life by Sandra Kitt was a low stakes, low stress romance novel about a life changing inheritance. As the book opens, Eden is ensuring a memorial for her mentor Everett goes off without a hitch. In attendance is Everett’s stepson, Beck. When Beck sees Eden having a breakdown, he offers her a hug and sparks fly. Both are complete strangers, however. Anyways, it turns out Everett left Eden five million dollars and left Beck his business holdings and estate which total around 100 million in worth. However, both Beck and Eden still live their lives, work their regular jobs and don’t really go overboard splurging and spending. The book is a progression of their relationship and was sweet.
I liked that the cover of The Time Of Your Life had significance to the story — there are diamond earrings that feature front and center in the story too. Eden and Beck are a cute couple and both are ambitious as well has bonded in the losses they have experienced. I did find this a little slow and lacking in drama, but that’s fine. I think that this book would work really well for anyone looking for a comfort read and wanting a book that won’t stress you out. This may not have made my favorites, but it was an okay read. I am glad this book was published and really found the about the author at the end to be so interesting.
Spells For Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch
Spells For Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch kicked off my new year of reading. While I do wish I had dived into this during autumn, I did find it so enjoyable regardless. This story alternates between Willow and Mason. Willow’s mom has to go to Salem to settle the estate of her late twin sister — whom Willow had no idea existed. In fact, it turns out there may be a curse on Willow’s family and her mother has been hiding a lot. Mason is a foster kid with a fondness for astrophysics and stargazing. Mason has been placed in Salem with Emma who was his mother’s childhood best friend. However, Mason is desperate to be back with his mother who unfortunately has a very bad drug addiction. Mason and Willow’s paths cross and Mason begins helping Willow with her quest.
Although my summary probably makes Spells For Lost Things sound like a fantasy novel, it is not. This book is very much a young adult contemporary. It was a solid read that reminded me why I enjoy the genre so much. Willow and Mason both experience a coming of age and grow so much as characters. I also loved the chemistry between the two — it was sweet. And this book really made me want to take a trip to Salem — to the point that once we get back from Disney, I may be putting a bug in my husband’s ear about wanting to check Salem out.Oh and I am definitely picking up more from Jenna Evans Welch after reading this book.
On The Hook by Francisco X. Stork
Another day another book off the TBR. On The Hook by Francisco X. Stork is a young adult contemporary book released in 2021 about a boy who has some tough choices to make. Hector lives in El Paso in the projects with his older brother, younger sister and mother. He loves to play chess and is a smart kid. However, he along with his brother has caught the notices of Joey and Chavo who are ne’er do wells. Things come to head quite dramatically and Hector has to find his courage while also dealing with some trauma.
I do think that On The Hook read a little bit younger than I anticipated. It felt more like a middle grade — not so much in themes but in Hector’s maturity and how he acted. So, I would say this skews younger YA which is fine. I did think the portrayal of the reform school was interesting while also being surprisingly hopeful. Also, Hector experiences a good amount of character growth as the book resolves. But, I still found myself wanting something a bit more — maybe more depth. I just felt like I was really scratching the surface with the themes of this book and Hector’s character.
