Where the Road Bends

Norah King is desperate to keep the family farm. Her parents have died and the bank is wanting to seize the land. Out of desperation she agrees to marry Jake, he's older and very unlovable, but he is willing to save the farm and work it. It's not a love match, but Norah will do whatever she can to protect her family's legacy. When an injured man shows up on her property, she nurses him back to health. Quincey is on the brink of death and hopeless, his life has taken a turn for the worse and he is hopeless. Until that is, he meets Norah. Their lives will never be the same. Two years later the two meet again, only under drastically different circumstances. This historical romance is perfect for those that love inspirational fiction. The over arching theme is that everyone deserves a second chance, no matter how horrible their past is. 

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle

I was in the market for a good historical fiction novel and this WWII romance really hit the spot. In a small town in the countryside three women find themselves thrust together with a common goal - to mend an old wedding dress. Cressida is an affluent clothing designer who fled London when her house and boutique were bombed. While she sorts out her life she is staying with her niece and nephew in her family manor. Violet is her niece, she is vain and vapid, but underneath it all has a heart of gold. Grace is the vicar's daughter. She is grateful to have found a man interested in marrying her and it is her mother's wedding dress that needs mending. With the war on in England, clothing is rationed and you can't buy a wedding dress for all the money in the world. You have to make do and mend. These three women form the backbone of the towns little sewing circle and they have no idea just how much their lives will change. Chapters alternate between the three women as they navigate the war and their hearts. A charming and heartfelt novel. 

Part of Your World

I was in the mood for a rom com and this turned into the best summer read! I hated the cover art but I'm glad I picked up the book anyways because it was so much fun. It was like a Hallmark movie but way spicier and had lots more logic (you still had to suspend belief in a few parts, but it wasn't too bad. Alexis Montgomery is travelling home from a funeral when she gets stuck in a ditch in the middle of nowhere two miles from home. A rugged and handsome country boy pulls her out and one thing leads to another. She is horrified with herself, she never does one night stands and especially not with men ten years younger than her! She dashes out of his home first thing in the morning, but not before she steals one of his hoodies. In no time at all she is back at the hospital, grinding away in the ER as a doctor but she can't stop thinking about that country boy. Daniel for his part can't stop thinking about her either. When she calls him out of the blue to "return his hoodie" they strike up a romance that defies the odds. They will never fit in each other's lives... or will they? Witty, spicy, and cute - I loved all the characters!

True Biz

I was instantly enthralled with the characters and learning about deaf culture. Charlie has an implant - it was supposed to "cure" her of her deafness - but she is a teenager and is no better at speaking or hearing then when she was a kid. When her parents divorce she convinces her dad to take ASL classes with her and to enroll her into a deaf school. Trying to communicate shouldn't be so difficult, but the implant just made her life harder. At River Valley School for the Deaf she soon immerses herself in learning ASL and getting to interact with deaf peers - something completely knew to her. At first Charlie is overwhelmed with how fast and well everyone communicates, but she slowly catches up and starts making friends. Told from the perspectives of Charlie, one of her peers and school crushes Austin, and the headmistress who is hearing but fluent in ASL - it is also interspersed with deaf history, ASL signs and so much more. The variety of deafness and family life was really interesting and probably representative of the deaf population in the US. I learned a ton about a language and culture with which I was completely unfamiliar. 

Book Lovers

New York Times Bestselling author, Emily Henry (Beach Read, The People We Meet on Vacation) is back with an exciting new novel that readers will devour this summer. Literary agent, Nora Stephens, is cut throat but well loved by the authors she represents; Nora eats, drinks, and breathes books. When her pregnant sister convinces her to spend the summer at the backwoods setting of her favorite romance novel, Nora can't say no - she is desperate for more sister time. What she doesn't know is that the cocky Charlie Lastra, an editor from back in New York, will also be in Sunshine Falls. Talk about a plot twist that neither of them saw coming. Charlie and Nora find themselves repeatedly thrown together, whether it be looking for the town's only wifi, ordering drinks they hate to appease the scary bartender, or discussing bigfoot erotica. Enemies to lovers will be more than a trope in one of their manuscripts as they try to decide how important first impressions are. Brilliantly narrated by Julie Whelan, who infuses her signature humor and cadence into Emily Henry's characters.  Fans of small town romances, realistically flawed characters, and witty humor will eat up Emily Henry's best book to date! 

Useful Junk

I am not a huge poetry fan so feel free to not give this review much credence. Many of the poems in this collection were about hookups, blowjobs, bad decisions, and dick picks. I have no problem with any of those, I was just expecting to see a little more variety in this collection. Some poems resonated with me and others were a struggle to read. It was a total crapshoot. Some of the themes and poems felt relatable and powerful and others felt disjointed. Poetry hits everyone different - so I fully expect that others will love this collection, just personally not my cup of tea. 

Kaikeyi

I ended up really enjoying this! I wasn't sure what to expect and I'm not super familiar with Hindu beliefs, but I ended up getting really interested in Kaikeyi's story. Kaikeyi was the first born to royalty but as a twin and as a female, not much was expected of her. Her twin brother would one day take over the throne and get to make all the decisions. Thankfully she and her brother were close so he took her seriously and allowed her to train as a warrior and speak her mind. Even though she is a female she has warrior's s skill and a sharp mind. When she finds an old scroll that teaches her how to access the blinding plane - she discovers that she can exert her influence over others. When her brother agrees with her father about marrying her off to a neighboring kingdom she feels betrayed, even her new skill won't save her. She will have to start her way on the bottom as a third wife and find a way to use her skills to obtain power and use it to help other women. There are many rich layers to this story and it reads as an historical/fantasy/adventure drama. Very exciting.