book club

Thanks, Heather!

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Claire has everything she thinks she needs, until one day she wakes to find a stranger has moved in next door and a vine of ivy has crept into her garden... and her carefully tended life is about to run gloriously out of control.
(from her website)
I really enjoyed this book. The funny garden/tree didn't make me roll my eyes instead it made me laugh and like the whole story even more. It reminded me of the Disney movies I watched as a little girl. Claire drove me a little nuts at times because she was so stubborn but in the end she had a valid reason. I always love seeing justice served to the evil guys :) A warm and heat-filling story about sisters, family and the power of love. I give it a solid A.



Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent










“The summer I turned thirteen, I thought I killed a man.”

So begins the story of Jessilyn Lassiter, a young girl whose world is torn apart the summer of 1932. When Jessilyn’s best friend, Gemma, loses her parents in a tragic fire, Jessilyn’s father vows to care for her as his own, despite the fact that Gemma is black and prejudice is prevalent in their southern Virginia town.

It doesn’t take long for the Lassiters to attract the attention of a local band of Ku Klux Klan members, who make increasingly violent threats on Jessilyn and her family.

As she struggles to navigate a complex world of first crushes, loyalties, and betrayals, Jessilyn ultimately discovers what it takes to be a bright light in a dark world.

(from her website)

This is the first book in a three book series and I can't wait to read the next ones. Good characters, intense plot and it sends you back in time to the civil rights era. Sure Jessilyn is obnoxious sometimes but she is only thirteen so that is to be expected. I give it a solid B.

The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain

Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. He’s never regretted his decision: Bella is the light of his life. But after Travis loses his job and his home, the security he’s worked so hard to create for his daughter begins to crumble. When he receives a job offer, he thinks his troubles have come to an end . . . not realizing that they’ve only just begun.
(thanks to her website)
One of the better novels by Diane (I think) and it had me intrigued from the beginning. Sure there were some predictable parts but I was also surprised at times. I loved the character of Travis and how devoted he was to his daughter. A great Father's Day read :) I give it an A.


Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins

After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns—a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled…even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around a toolbox.
Having to fend for herself for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t the only thing that needs a little TLC…
(thanks to her website)

Another fun, light, enjoyable story by Kristan!  It had me laughing out loud and falling in love with these goofy yet serious (and secretive) characters. I love the setting of Maine and learning more about characters from Kristan's previous novels. A great read! I give it an A.