book club

Thanks to Heather & Katie!


This week I read:

Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman

Julie Charlton is at the breaking point. She’s overwhelmed and burned out, and in today’s unrelenting society, her kids are, too. When her sister-in-law Susan, a Martha Stewart-in-training, lands the chance to participate in a reality TV series promoting simple living, and needs another family to join her, it seems like the perfect opportunity.

The location is an idyllic farm outside an Amish community in Tennessee. Julie, with her two children, joins Susan and her teenage daughter for a summer adventure. Susan needs to succeed in order to become self-sufficient after an ugly divorce, Julie needs to slow down long enough to remember what her priorities are and regain a sense of purpose and meaning. It becomes clear from the start that “living simple” is no simple matter. With the camera watching every move, Susan’s drive for perfection feels a lot like what they left behind, while Julie suddenly finds herself needing to stand up for slowing down. With each new challenge, their season of “going Amish” gets more and more complicated, as each woman learns unexpected lessons about herself and her family.

(thanks to her website)

This book was not that great, I normally enjoy Kathryn's novels but this just never captured my interest fully. I felt like it was missing something exciting...a good overall message though. I hated the character of Susan and Julie was just all right. I give this a D.


Murder List by Julie Garwood

Alec Buchanan is about to leave his job on the Chicago police force to return to his roots in Boston. He has only three weeks left, but before he goes, he's given one last assignment - guard Regan Hamilton Madison, a member of a prominent Chicago family who owns a worldwide chain of hotels. Regan, it seems, attended a seminar where she participated in an exercise that required her to list all the negative people she'd eliminate from her life if she could - and now the people on her list are dying.
Alec resolves to put in his three weeks and move on, but he soon discovers that remaining detached when it comes to Regan is his toughest assignment of all.
(thanks to her website)

So hard to go wrong with mystery, romance and a fast-paced novel. Alec and Regan cracked me up and I love that opposites attract. A quick read;I give it a B.

Sizzle by Julie Garwood

Lyra Prescott, a Los Angeles film student, is closing in on graduation and facing important decisions about her future. She's already been offered a job at her hometown TV station, an opportunity that could ultimately launch her dream career as a film editor. 
But heading back home would also mean dealing with her overprotective brothers, social-climbing mother, and eccentric grandmother. Unsure of her future, Lyra dives into work on her final school assignment: a documentary transformed by a twist of fate into a real-life horror film. 
After she unwittingly captures a shocking crime on camera, a rash of mysterious, treacherous incidents convince Lyra that she's trapped in a sinister scenario headed for a violent ending.
Running scared, she turns to her best friend, Sidney Buchanan, whose connections bring dauntless and devilishly handsome FBI agent Sam Kincaid into Lyra's life. As the noose of deadly intrigue tightens and the feelings between them deepen, Lyra and Sam must place their faith in each other's hands—and stand together against the malevolent forces about to break loose.
(thanks to her website)

Adventure, mysteries and love all combine to make another enjoyable Garwood read. I loved the Scottish Sam and proper Lyra. I also like the usual Buchanan sibling connection and seeing how it all played out. Poor Lyra, I didn't see the one bad guy coming! I give it an A.

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Happy Friday!