Dog People

A quirky man destined to be single forever - stumbles upon a wonderful woman who likes him for who he is (a weirdo) and together they create a wonderful life, having 2 children together. In his retirement he decides to surprise his wife Tina with a dog, something she has wanted for years, but he has been reluctant to get because he's sure that dogs are not for him. Lo and behold their little rescue, Lady, wins him over and he becomes an instant dog person. She gets special kibble, long walks, doggie outfits, and all the treats she could ever want. He and Tina even create an elaborate backstory for Lady and give her a ridiculous voice. When Tina dies, what will happen to Lady? The ending is like something out of a Stephen King novel. Not unexpected, but extremely messed up. 

The Summer Place

A beachy read with lots of drama and forbidden romances. Told through a variety of viewpoints, this story centers on 22 year old, Ruby, and her upcoming wedding to her pandemic boyfriend, Gabe. Her stepmother is concerned that Ruby is rushing into it, but she is even more concerned that her husband Eli, is having an affair or something dastardly- he has completely checked out of their marriage. Nearly every character is trying to hide something, and damn near half of them involve some sort of affair. I'm not a big fan of cheating which is why this book is only 4 stars instead of 5. Pretty much everything comes to light though and gets tied up so it works out.

That Summer

Not as light and fluffy as I was hoping it would be (I can't believe I just said that!) but still a good beach read. That Summer centers on two Dianas - one who is struggling in her marriage and connecting to her fourteen year old daughter - the other who has a secret that could tear everything apart. When Daisy (real name Diana) keeps getting wrong emails intended for another Diana - she strikes up an email conversation with her email doppelganger. Since they aren't that far apart - they decide to meet up for drinks in New York City and strike up an instant friendship. It's so natural and easy going - both women have a hard time making friends and it's such a coincidence that they've found each other. But is it? Told alternately between both women's pasts - That Summer is a look at female friendships, duplicity, passion, and intrigue. The twist isn't super shocking if you're used to reading between the lines - but it is compulsively readable. Very timely. 

Big Summer

This would have gotten a 5 star from me but I was completely thrown by the *SPOILER ALERT* murder mystery portion in the second half of the novel. I really like Daphne and she seemed like a real well fleshed out (ha ha) character that I enjoyed. As a plus size lady myself she came across as authentic which doesn't always come across in books. Daphne is a plus size influencer who finally came to terms with her body about  6 or 7 years prior when her frenemy paid a man to flirt with her and then got mad when Daphne was upset. Once she cut out the frenemy (Drue) and came to terms with her body - doors opened up for her and she just landed a sweet new sponsorship for her instagram. Then out of the blue Drue comes crashing back into her life asking if Daphne will be her maid of honor because she doesn't really have any friends. Daphne gets sucked right back in because she is a sucker for a sob story and even though Drue has a mean streak - she just has that fun aura about her. First half of the book was great - second half was a little out there.

All Fall Down

This isn't the first book I've ever read on addiction, but for being a work of fiction, I thought it was one of the most honest I've ever read. Aubrey is a normal person. Granted her life is a little hectic, she's a mother to a very sensitive five year old, she spends about sixty hours a week blogging, has a father with alzeheimers, and is constantly wondering what is wrong with her marriage. Little by little these things start to add up and as they do the little pills her doctor gave her for medical problems start to multiply and take over her life. At first the pills start to make her feel better, to cope with the stress of her life. However, it doesn't take long for them to take over her mental and emotional state. What started as one or two pills a day has turned into 15 or 30 Oxycontins, Percocets, or Vicodins just to be able to function. Aubrey realizes that things are starting to get out of control and tells herself that once she's done dealing with all the stress she'll start to cut back. Inevitably, like the title suggests, all fall down. This is a story of addiction, denial, heartbreak, and the crushing truth that addiction comes in all forms and can affect ANYBODY.

A great story that anyone with questions about addiction or the ramifications caused by it, should read. Definitely Jennifer Weiner's best book to date.

Certain Girls

I read this in one day, but that doesn't necessarily mean I loved this book. I didn't find out until I went to post this review that this book is the second in a series. That being said I had no idea and had no problem following the storyline.

The story follows Cannie and her daughter, Joy, as they try to come to terms with Joy growing up. The alternating chapters really help illustrate the gap between mother and daughter. As Joy prepares for adulthood (she's thirteen), her mom wants to put her life on hold and keep her young forever. Witty, funny, this story emphasizes the complexities of mother and daughter relationships and the strength and understanding needed to stay sane.

Overall, this was alright but not earth shattering. Good read for those that like chick lit.

In Her Shoes

I won't lie, I wasn't expecting much out of this book. In fact, I didn't even want to read it, if it wasn't for my book club I never would have picked it up. I'm not big into chick-lit and the whole premise of this book sounded uninteresting. I'm glad to report that I was very wrong!

The story follows two sisters who can't be more dissimilar. Rose is the responsible older sister who went to college, landed a great job at a law firm, she has the brains. Maggie on the other hand is irresponsible, can't ever hold down a job, and has a learning disability. She may not have the brains but she has the amazing body that her frumpy sister always dreamed about. Maggie loses her job, gets evicted, and has to say with Rose until she can turn her luck around. Rose is at her wits end and finally snaps when she catches her freeloading sister having sex with her boyfriend. Rose unceremoniously kicks them both to the curb and tries to come to term with what happened. Maggie on the other hand has no place to go and sleeps from place to place until she ends up finding her long lost grandmother in Florida.

This story is about a sisters love and how much it can handle before it breaks. But does it ever truly go away? Is sister's bond for life?

Really not bad for chick lit. I look forward to watching the movie!