by Jasmyn | Sep 27, 2019 | Book Reviews, Contemporary Fiction, Readers
The Summer Seaside Kitchen series is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. The small island of Mure is anything but dull, and the people of the island, both generational residents and new, make the community a very interesting one.
The book continues its primary focus on Flora as she navigates her new-found love for her old home, but with new troubles brewing. Her former boss and current boyfriend, Joel, is away on business, and this starts a downward spiral for them. He refuses to open up to her, and she constantly wonders if she’s really enough for the hot-shot city lawyer.
But I was also introduced to two new storylines. Coltan, Flora’s brother’s boyfriend, has a secret – and it’s an awful one. He drags Joel into it, and it’s such a big secret that Joel can’t really handle it all. This mystery hovers over the story like a fog bank. It’s there, but most people don’t realize how thick it is. It plays out throughout the story, and when it’s all revealed, there’s a lot to take in. Jenny Colgan handles it all beautifully, showing that her characters have a depth and feeling that really brings them to life.
I was also introduced to Saif, the refugee that has found somewhat of a home as the island’s doctor. His story is another sad one, having been separated from his wife and two children in the war. He walks the beach just waiting for that miraculous moment when a boat shows up to reunite them. But after waiting for so long, he’s having a hard time hanging on to the hope.
Not all of these intricate storylines are entirely wrapped up at the end of the book. But they do seem to reach a natural position of concluded for now, but with more to tell. As I get to know more of the island’s residents, I fall in love all over again.
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Title: The Endless Beach (Summer Seaside Kitchen #2)
Author: Jenny Colgan
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
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When Flora MacKenzie traded her glum career in London for the remote Scottish island of Mure, she never dreamed that Joel—her difficult, adorable boss—would follow. Yet now, not only has Flora been reunited with her family and opened a charming café by the sea, but she and Joel are taking their first faltering steps into romance.
With Joel away on business in New York, Flora is preparing for the next stage in her life. And that would be…? Love? She’s feeling it. Security? In Joel’s arms, sure. Marriage? Not open to discussion.
In the meanwhile, Flora is finding pleasure in a magnificent sight: whales breaking waves off the beaches of Mure. But it also signals something less joyful. According to local superstition, it’s an omen—and a warning that Flora’s future could be as fleeting as the sea-spray…
A bracing season on the shore sets the stage for Jenny Colgan’s delightful novel that’s as funny, heartwarming, and unpredictable as love itself.
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by Jasmyn | Sep 26, 2019 | Book Reviews, Readers, Romance
Pinecraft, FL isn’t your typical Amish community. They are a little less strict, a little more outgoing, and a lot more involved with the Englisch world. But, they still hold all the basic beliefs of the Amish – love, charity, simple living.
Lovina moved to Pinecraft with her family because the air would help her father’s lung and breathing issues. But the area is so full of women, that Lovina’s mother has almost given up hope that her daughters will find a respectful eligible bachelor – but that’s OK with Lovina. She isn’t all that interested in finding a husband – she wants to open a pie shop.
There are several people in the community touched by Lovina’s dream. Lovina, her mother, the handsome Noah Yoder, a reporter. I would even say that the whole community learned a lesson on determination, following God’s will, and not judging others by watching this strong young woman. I really loved how she stuck to her Amish beliefs and found a way to work them into the world around her. Never compromising on the important issues, but also willing to listen to what others had to say.
But, on to the romance. Noah isn’t what most in the community would call an ideal candidate for a husband. Having caused some major trouble a few years back when he was younger, many in the community seem to shun him. Noah is trying so hard to find a place for himself and the teenagers (also having gotten into trouble) that he brought with him. He wants to teach them a skill and show them how wonderful the Amish community can be.
Made with Love was a really great story – and I loved that it was a lot different than most of the traditional Amish romances I’ve read. I’ve added the rest of the series to my TBR, and they sound amazing!
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
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Title: Made with Love (Pinecraft Pie Shop #1)
Author: Tricia Goyer, Sherry Gore
Genre: Inspirational Romance, Amish Romance
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A Dash of Love, a Pinch of Hope, and a Whole Lot of Good Cooking Lovina Miller should be thrilled. Pinecraft, Florida, has everything a young Amish woman could ask for: sun, sand, volleyball games, and evening singings in the park. But Pinecraft lacks the one thing Lovina desperately wants–a pie shop of her own. She longs for a place to gather with the community and serve the treat she loves.
A young carpenter named Noah Yoder strolls into her life and offers a way to make her dream come true. But before Noah and Lovina can build a shop–and a life–together, they must each face heartaches from the past. Is their new love stronger than their regrets? Find inspiration, romance, and authentic Amish recipes for everyone’s favorite food–pie!
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by Jasmyn | Sep 25, 2019 | Book Reviews, Readers, Romance
I love worlds where dragons are real in any shape or form, and the dragons in this world sound pretty nice to look at when they’re in their human shape. When Aoife finds out the handsome stranger in her life isn’t just a trick of her imagination, but real life dragon shifter, she has two reactions. 1) Extremely pissed off that no one believed her and they locked her up in a hospital, and 2) holy crap!!
Aoife was a very sarcastic woman with a lot of witty (but crazy) lines throughout the book. While I am all for a quirky character, sometimes she got just a tad annoying. Kostya, our dragon, is such an opposite to Aoife it made both their characteristics really stand out. Kostya was stubborn, grumpy, and determined to never talk about his previous mate or anything to do with mating every again.
Pair that with a very strange curse that makes Kostya’s dragon clan attack each other on sight, and you are set with quite an adventure. Throw in some fancy magic, a demon, and a handful of demon lords, and there is sooo much going on. But Katie MacAlister handled the craziness well. I never got lost or confused in the action, and the side characters all added their own important element to the story.
This was a great start to the series, with a really fun couple, a super romantic HEA, but several strings in the overall scheme of things that still need to be tied.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
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Title: Dragon Fall (Dragon Falls #1)
Author: Katie MacAlister
Genre: Paranormal Romance
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YOU FLIRT WITH FIRE…
For Aoife Dakar, seeing is believing—and she’s seen some extraordinary things. It’s too bad no one else believes that she witnessed a supernatural murder at an outdoor fair. Returning to the scene for proof, Aoife encounters a wise-cracking demon dog—and a gloriously naked man who can shift into a dragon and kiss like a god. Now thrust into a fantastical world that’s both exhilarating and terrifying, Aoife is about to learn just how hot a dragon’s fire burns.
WHEN YOU DATE A DRAGON
Kostya has no time for a human woman with endless questions, no matter how gorgeous or tempting she is. He must break the curse that has splintered the dragon clans before more of his kind die. But his powerful attraction to Aoife runs much deeper than the physical—and there may be more to her than even his sharp dragon eyes can see. To survive the coming battle for the fate of his race, he needs a mate of true heart and soul . . .
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