The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts off completely delightful with a great hook.  Sara arrives in small town USA to meet her elderly pen pal, Amy.  When Amy fails to show, Sara is taken to Amy's house where her wake is in progress.  Sara decides to stay at Amy's house, and inspired by her vast book collection, Sara opens a bookstore in the despondent town. 

My complaints about this book are that it gives away the ending for Jane Eyre, so if you haven't already read it, I would suggest doing so in place of this one, and that it was too long, it could've easily been 80-100 pages shorter to tighten up the story.  The story itself was interesting enough without all of the romantic subplots.  I was more interested in Sara’s personal journey, her discoveries about Amy and her immersion in Broken Wheel and the quirky collection of characters that call Broken Wheel home.  

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Allende's novel takes a closer look at relationships, family, and love.  Irina, an immigrant from Poland accepts a job at a retirement home where we are introduced to Alma.  Alma and Irina fall into an unexpected friendship that stems from Irina working as her assistant.  This is also how Irina meets Alma's grandson, Seth.  Irina and Seth bond over their mutual interest in Alma’s past which is slowly revealed through letters and mysterious flower deliveries.

Alma's backstory involves Ichimei, a boy she meets when her parents send her from Poland to the United States during the Nazis rise to power.  Ichimei and Alma are close friends until his family is sent to an internment camp.  The two initially exchanged letters but eventually lost contact when the government censors stopped forwarding mail.  They continue to be reunited over the years, their love a constant.  

The relationship of Alma and Ichimei is mirrored with Irina and Seth.  Alma and Irena, both immigrants and slaves to tradition and Ichimei and Seth bound by family.  I thought this was an unnecessary comparison, Alma's story was interesting enough to carry the book.  Overall, there was some really beautiful writing and lovely passages.  

The Dream Lover: A Novel of George Sand by Elizabeth Berg

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The reviews for this book are all over the map, and my opinion is much of the same. Some of it I really liked, while other parts I skimmed through. Berg writes in first person, alternating between Sand's childhood, and almost present day (the time she decides to leave her husband for a life in Paris). I don't think the alternating between past and present each chapter was effective in that it was confusing at times and I wasn't sure the purpose. Berg could have easily done the story in two separate parts. What was interesting to me was her search for love and acceptance, with remarkable insights into her heart and brilliant mind.

Days of Awe by Lauren Fox

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took a little time to get invested in the book.  There were some confusing bits at the beginning when the story switches between past and present. 

Meet Izzie, recently separated and mourning not only the death of her marriage, but the death of her best friend Josie who happens to be married to her childhood friend Mark.  Izzie is not always likable, in fact, I found her extremely immature at times, and if you are looking for a character you can root for, she may not be your girl.  In fact, I actually identified more with Chris' feeling towards Isabel and her dramatics.  “There is a peculiar kind of terror you feel when the person you are closest to — for better or worse — begins to formulate the idea of a life without you.”  

Fox is a really good writer, and there were many wonderful passages to linger over - she has a gift for capturing emotion.  That being said, I did find the the book a bit on the long-ish side and felt that her relationship with her mother and the mother's back story was just extra (it was interesting, but for me just added to the bulk of the book).  And if you are waiting for a big finish, the book just kind of fizzles out.   

A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like her fictional forebears Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as “wearing many hats” and wishes you wouldn’t, either). She is a mostly-happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in—and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up which promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers―an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life―seems suddenly within reach.

Despite the disapproval of her best friend, who owns the local bookstore, Alice is proud of her new “balancing act” (which is more like a three-ring circus) until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up and her work takes an unexpected turn. Readers will cheer as Alice realizes the question is not whether it’s possible to have it all, but what does she―Alice Pearse―really want?

By way of a story, there is nothing new, in fact, this type of story has been done time and time again.  Alice is struggling to do it all - she's part of the sandwich generation with demanding kids, a sick/elderly parent, and also a husband that not only loses his job, but develops a drinking problem.  She's likable enough, and it wasn't so much what she had to deal with (Egan really pours it on thick), but how she deals with things.  Readers may identify with her and find the book entertaining, or not relate to her and find the book a bit dull.  Or maybe readers will be too distracted by their own busy lives and feel guilty for indulging in reading when they should be doing other things.

What was interesting to me was Alice's professional journey, I also work in publishing, but it wasn't enough to really sell the story. 

Stand-Off by Andrew Smith

A special thank you to Goodreads First Reads and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As far as sequels go, this book was fantastic! I was really surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. Winger is still better, however Stand-Off was a great follow up.

As in life, tragedy doesn't slow things down for Ryan Dean. Smith's foray into grief has Ryan Dean dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy of his best friend. Smith's writing is honest, and raw. He captures Ryan Dean's grief, his struggle to process the tragedy, and emotion.

Much like Winger, the humour is present, juxtaposed against Ryan Dean's pain, and it pushes the story forward much like it is pushing the character forward to come out the other side of his grief.

“I’ll tell you what, Ryan Dean. If it makes a difference, and I believe it might, we won’t call you fly half. We’ll call you stand-off. I prefer the name for the number ten, anyway, because it really says what it is you do on the pitch–you stand off from the pack and you design the strategy for the squad to win.”