Susan's Review of The Pink House by Cindy Kirk-- GraceTown Series Book 1

Deep in the forest, on a sun-drenched patch of lush green grass, surrounded by lily-of-the-valley, sits a pink house. With turrets towering like neighboring trees, and a wide welcoming front porch, the old Victorian is impossible to miss. Except that everyone in town has—everyone but Hannah Danbury.

It’s been a year since Hannah’s husband, Brian, lost his battle with cancer, just days before his thirtieth birthday. Over and over again Hannah has been told it’s time to move on. Trouble is, she’s not sure how. When her company downsizes and Hannah finds herself out of work, she moves back home to GraceTown, Maryland.

Hannah isn’t sure exactly what she’s hoping to find in GraceTown, but a mysterious pink house no one but her has ever seen isn’t it. Nor does she expect the woman living in the house—someone unknown yet still familiar to Hannah--to present her with a gift: a handwritten letter from Brian.

Who is the woman in the pink house? How did she get the letter? What is Hannah meant to do with all it reveals?

Answering these questions will lead Hannah to places—and people—she never could have imagined.

Cindy Kirk’s The Pink House is a heartwarming, thoughtful story of second chances. The characters, the romance and the small town setting drew me into the story.

Hannah Danbury has had an emotional year; her husband passed, her father is relocating to Florida and she was laid off from her job. She’s decided to move back home to her home town to start over. Loved that Hannah was a strong heroine—even though she’s lost her mother, her husband and her job—she’s a survivor.

Loved that Cindy Kirk paired Hannah with Charlie Rogan, Hannah’s late husband’s friend. At first, I thought they were polar opposites. As the novel unfolded, it was apparent that Brian would do anything for Hannah—he truly care for her. Brian put Hannah’s feelings first and he believed in her.

The Pink House is a beautifully written story that I could not put down. The novel is filled with relatable characters; I emphasized with Hannah’s struggles to let go of the past and become her own person. The chemistry between Brian and Hannah surprised me and I loved seeing their relationship unfold. Cindy Kirk’s descriptive voice works perfectly in this story as she weaves in the themes of trust and new beginnings while weaving in the elements of magic and romance effortlessly.

Hannah was shown signs throughout the novel that it was time to move forward and let the past go. Loved Hannah’s journey and that she came to understand that her heart wasn’t broken—if she gave herself permission to fall in love and live her best life.

The Pink House has all of the small town warmth and charm of a Cindy Kirk novel plus a subtle magical element which added to my enjoyment of the story. Loved the conclusion to this heartfelt story as it is full of unexpected surprises.

Looking forward to The Love Token—the next book of the series!

Susan's Review of The Getaway By Emily March---Lake in the Clouds Book 1

After years of putting her family first, Genevieve Prentice is making a fresh start—but it’s never easy to leave the past behind.

Widowed young, Genevieve Prentice dedicated her life to raising her four children. Now, though, they’re all grown and scattered to the wind, and Genevieve is ready for a change. In a flash of inspiration, she puts her home on the market and heads to Lake in the Clouds, Colorado, to renovate a rustic waterfront lodge with her sister. But just as they begin, Genevieve gets the shock of a lifetime: the arrival of her son.

Jake Prentice built a career out of being dependable, one that left him perennially stressed and overworked. Finally heeding his mother’s words of wisdom, he’s quit his job and is ready to find out what truly makes him happy. And now, as he stands surrounded by open sky and fresh, pine-scented air, he’s got no regrets . . . until former colleague Tess Crenshaw appears at the lake, forcing him to reassess what—and who—he really wants.

As they work together to renovate the lodge, Genevieve and Jake embark on a heartfelt and inspiring journey to learn about themselves, each other, and the true meaning of family.

                            

I thoroughly enjoyed Emily March’s The Getaway! The novel is filled with relatable characters, romance and family drama. The bond between sisters Genevieve Prentice and Helen McDaniel plus the unspoken attraction between Jake Prentice and Tess Crenshaw drew me into the story.

Genevieve Prentice has had enough of the bickering between her four children. She realizes that she cannot fix their problem. However, she can put herself first and move forward. Genevieve is a strong woman and I enjoyed how she rediscovered herself, her passions—and all the possibilities in her new chapter.

Jake Prentice is a dynamic character— he’s the family fixer and a workaholic. He is overwhelmed with the constant cutbacks at work, the bickering between his brothers and sisters and feels guilty that he laid off one of the company’s rising stars; Tess Crenshaw. I enjoyed the pages where Jake finally understood that he is responsible for his own happiness. Jake travels to Colorado to visit his mom and aunt and take the time to figure things out.

Loved that the author chose to tell this story of family and new beginnings from three points of view. I related to Genevieve’s story as it’s difficult to put yourself first, not your family. Loved that she embraced her new community, made new friends and went on the Sound of Music trip with her sister—something they had talked about for years! Jake ignored his attraction towards Tess as he was her manager. Loved that Jake reached out to Tess and invited her to Colorado. The romance between the couple sizzled as they explored Lake in the Clouds. Loved that Jake put his relationship with Tess first and that she understood that Jake needed to embrace all of the new opportunities that life had to offer him.

Emily March is one of my favorite authors. Her novels are written from the heart, the characters are relatable and her stories are centered on families. The Getaway is a realistic portrayal of family life— love and laughter, sibling rivalry, forgiveness, understanding and a romance that will tug at your heartstrings. Love the community of Lake in the Clouds and the peace and serenity that surrounds it.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series—loved the sparks between Gage and Genevieve, intrigued that Willow and her children are returning to Lake in the Clouds and can’t wait to count Helen's cuckoo clocks in the Raindrop Inn!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the publisher

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - Audio Version

 The Librarian Spy

by Madeline Martin

Audio Version

The Librarian Spy is an interesting story

chock full of information and facts about 

the time surrounding WWII. 

The people in the background. The ones we

know very little about. People that put their 

lives on the line every day. Gave up love, 

a future, security and much more. 

But they willingly learned and worked and

starved and did without so much. 

They saved so many. Gave of themselves 

with the hope that it would work out. 

Madeline Martin has written a story after

doing so much research. In order to give the

reader so much detail. Madeline also found a

wonderful narrator. Saskia Maarleveld. 

Saskia has done narration on another book 

from Madeline Martin. The Last Bookshop

in London. Another story that will hit you 

in all the feels. 

One of the main characters begins the story

while working happily at the library of congress.

She left her dream job to help others in a much

bigger way as a spy. 

Review by Lisa Hutson