The Inn at Eagle Point (Sherryl Woods) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

30. The Inn at Eagle Point by Sheryl Woods
      Prompt: first book in a series you haven't read before

Synopsis:
It's been years since Abby O'Brien Winters set foot in Chesapeake Shores. The Maryland town her father built has too many sad memories and Abby too few spare moments, thanks to her demanding Wall Street career, the crumbling of her marriage and energetic twin daughters. Then one panicked phone call from her youngest sister brings her racing back home to protect Jess's dream of renovating the charming Inn at Eagle Point.
But saving the inn from foreclosure means dealing not only with her own fractured family, but also with Trace Riley, the man Abby left ten years ago. Trace can be a roadblock to her plans...or proof that second chances happen in the most unexpected ways.

My Review:

I decided to start reading this series because of the TV show, Chesapeake Shores, on the Hallmark Channel. The show is based on this book series by Sherryl Woods.

When Jess O'Brien runs into trouble trying to renovate the Inn at Eagle Point, her sister Abby comes to the rescue by returning back home. Abby is in for more than she realizes as she not only has to deal with problems at the inn and her dysfunctional family, but an old flame as well. When Abby left or essentially walked out on Trace years before, she never expected that he would be the one who can destroy Jess's plans (and Abby's measures to rescue the inn) to revitalize the inn. Will the inn be saved? Will Jess mess up yet again? Will Trace and Abby get back together? 

All these questions will be answered. I appreciated the backstory as it helped to explain why the O'Brien family was the way it was: dysfunctional and kind of broken. While I did say that, I want to take the time to point out that no family is perfect. Every family has its secrets or things that you necessarily don't want everyone to know about. Abby's mom left the family when Abby was around 11 if I remember correctly. As the oldest of five, Abby took on the role of mother and nurturer to her younger siblings. This is especially true as their father travelled for work a lot and they were left in the hands of their grandmother. Jess, as the youngest, was and has been known as the wild child who doesn't seem to take things seriously and has made lots of mistakes. In the midst of it all, Jess only wanted love, respect, and acceptance of her father. Her father had a tendency to only look at her faults and mistakes and not pay attention to her good qualities; she did/does have a good heart, but just struggled with the family's situation.

While the story was good in itself, I liked the supporting characters better than the three main characters of Abby, Jess, and Trace. All three managed to annoy me at times. I really enjoyed Trace's interactions with Abby's twins. My favorite person throughout the entire book was Nell, Abby's grandmother. Nell was the one who everyone could talk to and she would hold no judgment. She offered her advice, explained things in a calming and different way, but wasn't afraid to give some tough love at times either. Nell is a role model type of character and held the family together, even if members didn't speak to each other or whatever type of situation was going on.

I found myself comparing this to Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series, which also became a TV series for three seasons on Hallmark. Both of these series' are about similar things, but they do differ a bit. And when it comes down to it, I enjoyed Cedar Cove better. There was a better connection to the characters and the story just flowed better. With the first book of the Chesapeake Shores series, I couldn't get through it as easily, as it did drag a little. It was harder to pay attention to the characters, as some weren't as fully developed as I would have liked. I do plan to continuing the Chesapeake Shores series, though, as this book was still good; it was just a little underwhelming compared to Cedar Cove.

~Meg~

Thursdays at Coconuts (Beth Carter) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

29. Thursdays at Coconuts by Beth Carter
      Prompt: book with a month or day of the week in the title

Synopsis:As the go-to wedding planner, Suzy can’t find her own wedded bliss and has one shocker of a wedding day. It doesn’t help that she’s still pining for her high school sweetheart, the one who got away. Handling neurotic brides is the best part of Suzy’s day until her son brings home a bombshell from Europe.
Alexandra, a beautiful marketer with a “touch” of OCD, falls for a bad-boy cop who's married and possibly stalking her. But he sure is sexy. Alex tries to stay at arm’s length after she puts her job—and life—on the line for the officer who isn’t always a gentleman.
Hope hates her name, looks, and frizzy hair. As a high school counselor, she dishes out sage advice to students, yet can’t see she’s enabling her deadbeat, stuck-in-the-seventies hippie parents. After tragedy strikes, she reexamines their relationship and discovers a secret that almost went to the grave.
Friends since high school, the thirty-something women meet every Thursday at Coconuts for their own form of friendapy.

My Review:

One of the best books I read in 2017.

Three friends get together every Thursday at a bar/restaurant for "friendapy." They share the ups and downs of their lives, all the while dishing out advice and endless support for each other. This book is the perfect definition of friendship goals. The characters and their circumstances were well developed, even if it was a bit clichéd at time. Suzy, Alexandra, and Hope are all successful in their careers, but not necessarily successful in the romance category. There were funny times, crazy times, happy times, and sad times, but they were by each other through thick and thin. I appreciated how Beth decided to write from the perspective of all three, as I think it definitely aided in adding dimension to the story development. It also featured interesting side plots in the midst of the main theme involving the three friends.

I only have two more book reviews to post before doing my 2018 Book Awards.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Tara Road (Maeve Binchy) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

44. Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
      Theme/Topic: book from Oprah's Book Club

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Maeve Binchy has captured the hearts of millions with her unforgettable novels. Binchy's graceful storytelling and wise compassion have earned her the devotion of fans worldwide--and made her one of the most beloved authors of our time. Now she dazzles us once again with a new novel filled with her signature warmth, humor, and tender insight. A provocative tale of family heartbreak, friendship, and revelation,Tara Road explores every woman's fantasy: escape, into another place, another life. "What if..." Binchy asks, and answers in her most astonishing novel to date.

My Review:

This was the first book I read by Maeve Binchy and she has an eloquent writing style. Most of this book took place on Tara Road (hence the title) and the people who live there or nearby. In particular, Danny and Ria's house was featured the most because they had people over all the time, some even without invites. Whether it was for talking gossip, business or just spending quality time with friends, there was always something going on. When Danny admits he has been having an affair and they get divorced, Ria still maintains that social life except the ones over for business. Of course, then it becomes all girl talk with the support of family and friends. As the story goes on, you learn that Ria's so called friends aren't always what they seem, well a couple of them at least. Everyone you read about are an eclectic and diverse group of people. I had a love-hate relationship with all of them. I can't imagine the boom without even one of them, though.

Ria can't accept that Danny's leaving her for someone else and has had that affair for quite awhile. We, the readers, can figure that out before he brings it up and all along, Ria thought she was living a perfect marriage, despite all the signs being there. Marilyn, in New York, has been having a tough time coming to terms s with her son's death and separation from her husband. By chance, she just happens to have Danny's number and wants to exchange houses for two months. Ria agrees to the deal and before you know it, everything set up. Danny and Marilyn's husband are reluctant for them to do it, but realize that they're going to do it regardless. They each want the opportunity to get away from it all and their respective places. Both of them are very similar, except that Ria is social able and Marilyn is more drawn to herself. They have no idea that they're going somewhere opposite from what they're used to. For two months, they go on a journey of acceptance, growth, friendship, and so much more. Isn't it funny how escaping to another place makes it easier to come to terms with any situation you may be going through? Sometimes all we need is a break from reality to heal in what may be a sad or stressful (or anything really) time in our lives.

This was an enjoyable read. I do have to admit that it took me a little while to get into it. It's a powerful book about overcoming hard times and the power of friendship.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Forever Fredless (Suzy Turner) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

41. Forever Fredless by Suzy Turner

Synopsis:

Kate Robinson has spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found and then lost during a family holiday. Shortly after her twenty-eighth birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him after all this time?

My Review:

Kate is only twelve when she meets her soul mate while on vacation. They meet very briefly before they are whisked away from each other. Not even getting enough time to get to know his name, Kate decides to call him Fred. Nearly twenty years later, she's still searching for him and no other man will do. Kate inherits a fortune from Uncle Sam, a longtime family friend, causing her to gain fame overnight. She uses it to her advantage to see if she can find Fred at last. Kate finds it what it's like to have people follow you around all the time, but with girlfriends who stand by her and some other twists along the way, she gets through it. After awhile, she gets away from it all and her fame gets forgotten. Kate finally decides what to do and finds peace at not being able to find Fred. This story ends with a great twist and it makes everything Kate went through worth it. It has a bittersweet ending. Forever Fredless is a refreshing read and a good example of what a chick lit is supposed to be.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Confessions of an Ugly Girl Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

11. Confessions of an Ugly Girl by Alice Wasser

Synopsis:

Millie Glockenfeld will never fall in love. She will never get engaged. She will never get married. She will never live in a house with a white picket fence and 2.4 children. And all for one very simple reason: she is ugly. Fortunately, one thing Millie has learned over the years is that she doesn't need a man. She's got a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crazy but lovable cat lady who lives downstairs from her. What more does a girl need in life? But then one day Millie meets Sam Webber. He is adorably handsome and absolutely perfect (well, almost). And Sam thinks that Millie is beautiful. Now there's a chance that Millie might get the happy ending she's always secretly wanted... if only she can learn to look in the mirror and see what Sam sees.

My Review:

First of all, the story was told in a journaling format. In the beginning, Millie wants it to be about confessing what it's like to be single and ugly in her thirties. As the story develops, Millie winds up getting a boyfriend and it transforms into her confessing all about their relationship. Millie seems to be someone who has low self-esteem. I found her to be relatable as I think all females/women go through a period where they think they're not pretty enough to fall in love with someone. It was nice for a change to have the heroine be someone who wasn't necessarily skinny as society has made it out to be that the skinnier, the better. Millie seems to feel left out when her friends start marrying off and having kids and all that comes with it, as she doesn't feel that they can relate to her anymore. From personal experience, it can be hard to be in your late 20's or in your 30's when you're still single, not married and not having kids yet (as everyone else around you is doing that). The message that I'm getting to is that things may not always turn out the way you wanted them to by a certain time in your life and that's okay. I recently turned 29 and thought my life would be completely different than what it is now and that's not the case. However, I also realize that I'm not the only that feels that way and we're all doing great and that's all that matters. I just don't think some things are meant to be yet and I have to be patient.

Millie overstated the fact that she considered herself to be ugly. Even when a guy becomes interested in her, she still doesn't believe she's pretty enough. Fortunately for Millie, Sam comes into her life and sees her for who she really is. While Millie was relatable at times, I also found her to be extremely annoying as well. I liked Sam and it was different to get a glimpse into the life of someone who's quadriplegic. I couldn't believe how Millie's mom was, pressuring her to get married and not even giving Sam a chance, etc. I didn't particularly like the fact parts - it made Millie seem like a Debbie downer about everything. I did like how Sam made Millie see the bigger picture - that she is better looking than what she thinks she is and that size doesn't matter.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥