Someone to Remember- a highly awaited second chance love story

Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh- Westcott #7

So happy to have finally been able to read this book! Matilda Westcott has been a background character in all of the Westcott novels before this one. A fussy prim and proper “spinster”, Matilda nonetheless has had a sparked about her where you just knew there was something there.

 In the last book she shockingly went to a gentleman’s home to have him intervene in a court case involving his natural born son. That little episode was the first sign of who Matilda’s lost love might have been.

I just love a second chance romance and especially one that involves people of a certain age. When Matilda and Charles, Viscount Dirksen reunite it makes you just go ahh because she so deserves her HEA and it will be a fun life with a one-time rake who has loved her all these years.

My only quibble is it being a novella because I would have enjoyed a longer read. That said, it was very satisfying to read at long last.

5 stars

Erik by Sawyer Bennett- loved reading it and now listening to it!

Erik by Sawyer Bennett , Narrated by Jason Clarke & Ava Erickson

Erik, the enforcer for the Arizona Vengeance hockey team is attracted to Blue, the stewardess on their private team plane. Unfortunately for him she is definitely not interested in him. What Eric doesn’t remember is that several years before he actually had met Blue and they had a hot evening together and made plans to meet again the next day. At the time Eric was a 23-year-old professional athlete making millions of dollars, and feeling on top of the world. So, when Blue showed up to the party he had invited her to, he treated her like a hooker.

Things begin to change when Eric runs into Blue with her brother, Billy, who has Cerebral Palsy and needs to be in a wheelchair. Eric is intrigued by this side of Blue and is genuinely interested in Billy. This encounter is the beginning of Blue seeing Eric in a new light.

I enjoyed this book when I originally read it and now, listening to the story skillfully told by narrators Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson, I enjoyed it even more. I love the fact that Blue was able to finally see that Erik had matured and was capable of having a meaningful relationship. On the flipside, I liked that Erik realized the ramifications of his behavior and was willing to do what needed to be done to change Blue’s opinion of him.

As in the first book, the conversation between the players adds a fun aspect to the story, especially after the infamous waxing incident. Jason Clarke does a great job distinguishing the voices of the male leads and Ava gets across the full range of Blue’s emotions. The book is an enjoyable mix of sports, hot sex, and family dynamics with a little drama thrown in. There is also a pretty interesting set up for Legends story which is next in the series.



5 Stars 

The Bride Test Revisited 5 STARS

I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC of this book. I had absolutely loved The Kiss Quotient and couldn’t wait to read this one. However, for some reason I really didn’t like this book. I ended up not reviewing it . Recently I saw that the next book in the series was coming out and I decided to revisit this book but as an audiobook. I love this book!

Whatever strange mood I was in when I read this the first time has obviously gone because this is a great book. I enjoyed Khai as a character in the first book because his diagnosis of autism was a connection to Stella, the heroine of the book.

When Khai’s mom goes to Vietnam to find him a bride, she meets My in the ladies restroom of the hotel where she is interviewing potential brides. When My passes the initial bride test, she quickly finds her self on a plane heading to California to become Khai’s fiancé . Now known as Esmeralda, or Esme for short, My finds herself living with a handsome but aloof  and confusing man.

Author Hoang draws on her own spectrum experience to write about the difficulties of a couple dealing with cultural clashes, language issues, and each partner dealling with their own insecurities. I really enjoyed the way the relationship slowly unfurls because it seemed so realistic. Emotionally Esme is far ahead of Khai but feels the lack of education and sophistication. Khai has a great job and material things but he’s a baby when it comes to a relationship.

It was pretty wonderful when the man who thinks he has no feelings discovers that he does and the woman who thinks she has no value finds out she is truly a gem. The HEA is so satisfying because of the seeming impossibility at the beginning of the story.

Bring on Quan’s book, please!

The Goodbye Cafe by Mariah Stewart- 5 Hearts

This is the third book in a series about three sisters forced to relocate to a small Pennsylvania town to fulfill a stipulation in their fathers will. This book focuses on Allie whose life in LA has fallen apart. Divorced and unemployed, Allie is the prickliest of the sisters. She was very resentful at being coerced into coming and having to work on a dilapidated old theater in order to receive her inheritance. As time has passed, she has found peace with her situation and her new found family. The arrival of her daughter has made a big difference. The one major annoyance in her life has been local lawman Ben, who ticketed her the day she drove into town and the relationship has been downhill ever since.

Ally has been working on the restoration of the Sugarhill theater and re-discovering her love of art. When her eccentric aunt Barney buys the local café Ali finds her self working there as well. Given Allie’s cantankerous nature it’s a little rocky in the beginning especially as Ben is a regular customer. However, her time with her family has allowed Allie to discover some truths about herself and to see the positives she has in her life. Her contact with Ben gives her the opportunity to clear up misconceptions on both sides and develop a friendship . Friendship turns into something more as they both get to know each other. 

I enjoyed watching Ally grow and become less dependent on drinking and her anger. As she becomes closer to her sisters and her daughter she is able to find space for love in her life. She becomes stronger in her dealings with her ex-husband and is able to stand up and protect her daughter when his new relationship causes friction. Working at the café gives her a different perspective on her life and the opportunities and losses she has had.

There is an interesting twist in this story that leads into what I would presume is the next book in the series. As I have enjoyed all of the books in this storyline I’m glad to see that it might continue. Mrs. Stewart always does a great job creating a fictional town that has a multitude of interesting residents, storylines, and of course a happy ever after ending.

California Girls by Susan Mallery-5 Hearts

California Girls is the story of three sisters who experience major upheavals in their lives and how they handle their new normal.
 Finola is a TV host whose husband tells her that he is leaving her for another woman just as she is going on air to interview a young pop princess. Adding to the agony, said singer lets Finola know that she is the one that Finola’s husband is cheating with and makes snide remarks throughout the interview.

Ali works in a garage and is preparing for her wedding when her future brother-in-law, Daniel, comes to tell her that her fiancée Glen doesn’t want to marry her and is calling off the wedding. Daniel becomes Ali‘s support as she slogs through the process of calling off the arrangements and moving on.

 Zennie is content with her life as a surgical nurse and a single woman. She breaks up with Clark, a man she has been casually dating because there isn’t any spark. When her best friend asks her to be a surrogate for she and her husband, Zennie makes a life altering decision.

In most stories the three sisters would bond together and emerge with a sparkling new future. That is not how this story goes. Finola is too wrapped up in her own mess to offer support to her sisters. Ali makes choices that her sisters and mother have problems accepting and Zennie’s pregnancy really throws a curve into the family dynamics. Topping the dysfunctional pyramid is the sisters mother, Mary Jo, who never seems able to be understanding or empathic but who also surprises us every now and then.

To me, this book tells the story of how the people we love and the life we live is not guaranteed. Relationships are work and you can’t take love for granted. Each of the sisters learns things about themselves that they don’t like acknowledging but also find out what their strengths are and how they can move on either alone or with someone. This was an enjoyable and thoughtful read.