I personally love non-fiction books. Real-life is already so interesting! But novels provide a unique kind of fantasy getaway from real life. I’ve received 5 novels, and I think it’s time to just do a story on fiction. This small book review roundup of 5 books really is “novel” — because they’re all #novels.
How to Hate/Love Your Neighbor:
How to Hate/Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan is a feel-good story about what it means to find your “home.” the main characters are Grace Travis, who finds herself in a dream home. It’s a little house on the beach. Things are great until she meets Noah Jansen. He’s sexy and he’s a real estate developer. But the two are like oil and vinegar. Grace’s nasty mother adds more fuel to the fire. Can these neighbors work things out? Might there be a way to find something special brewing under the rooftops for Sophie and Noah? Read the book and find out. (st. Martins Griffin Trade Paperback & Ebook January 2022) .
West Side Love Story:
West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras is a trendy new take on the classic “West Side Story.” The Monteros and Capulets are feuding over a woman. The names are an obvious nod to Romeo and Juliet, as is the original West Side Story plot. It’s a story about forbidden love, sacrifice, and clashing clans. But it’s also about the love of family and pride of place. If you like the original you’ll like this novel, too. The paperback will be available in June 2022 so this is a sneak peek preview. (Montlake, June 2022)
Finding Grace:
Finding Grace by Gary Lee Miller with Adele Booysen is a novel about a young woman’s self-discovery. Judith Lee lived with her very poor grandmother in Nashville. Judith fights adversity and becomes a successful tech entrepreneur. Everything is fine until Grace gets a call from her old and dying grandmother. She wants Judith to come and visit her one last time. But grandma insists Judith come by bus. It is a long way back to Nashville from California by bus. She isn’t really happy about the journey, but she agrees to do it.
At first, Grace rejects the other passengers. But the bus ride gives Judith time to interact with various people on the bus and to consider her life choices. Did you ever want to just be pulled out of your routine and change your life? Read this book and take the road trip! (Morgan James Fiction March 2022).
Summer Nights With a Cowboy:
Do you love cowboy romances? Summer Nights With a Cowboy is going to be a must-have. As with so many of these novels, traveling nurse Janie Atwood finds herself back in a small town. She might hope to find a new place to settle down. However, the good-looking and “doesn’t believe in love” single sheriff in the town of Cold River considers Janie to be a potential threat to the town. This is book three of the Kittredge ranch series. We reviewed All Night Long With a Cowboy on advicesisters.com (St. Martins Paperbacks March 29, 2022)
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon:
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon by Sarah Steele is about Florence Connelly. Her grandmother has just died and her life is in tatters including her marriage. But the real focus in this book is Nancy Moon. She’s a mysterious relative that comes to light when Florence discovers a box of vintage 1960s dress patterns in her grandmother’s home. Inside each, there is a fabric swatch, a postcard from Europe, and a faded photograph of a young woman wearing the obviously handmade dress.
Florence knows how to sew and she wonders why her grandmother never mentioned Nancy. So, she decides to re-create each of the dresses and go to Europe to re-create each of the settings in the photographs. As you can imagine, it’s not easy to “Stitch together” the pieces to find out the truth. Will she be able to put her own life back together along with the truth about Nancy Moon? The book is interesting and beautifully descriptive of a time when women didn’t have as many options as they do today. (Mobius, August 2020)
