Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Release Date: October 10, 2017
Format: ebook
Pages: 352
Source: Author
Genre: Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
​Rating: 1 bookmark

Synopsis: Betting on the city of Detroit’s eventual comeback, cousins Addie and Samantha decide to risk it all on an affordable new house and a culinary career that starts with renovating a vintage diner in a depressed area of town. There’s just one little snag in their vision.

Angus, a weary, beloved local, is strongly opposed to his neighborhood’s gentrification—and his concerns reflect the suspicion of the community. Shocked by their reception, Addie and Samantha begin to have second thoughts.

As the long hours, problematic love interests, and underhanded pressures mount, the two women find themselves increasingly at odds, and soon their problems threaten everything they’ve worked for. If they are going to realize their dreams, Addie and Samantha must focus on rebuilding their relationship. But will the neighborhood open their hearts to welcome them home?

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for a honest review

I was really excited to begin The Welcome Home Diner because even though Addy and Sam are cousins, I have a very similar living and business relationship myself...with my sister. Of course I am a big fan and believer of beloved Detroit too. I wanted to have some fun in a book I could immensely relate to. I realize that the author attended University of Michigan so I was sure she would bring a fun perspective of fondness and attention to a special city.

I was hoping the book would bring Detroit to a good light but really it doesn't bring any light. I was hoping to hear about the cousins doing fun things at all the fun places of the city but small landmarks are brought in just for the sake of name dropping. One example the book makes is a character visiting the Heidelberg Project but only in passing as a character lists down the events of their own day, nothing more exciting than a routine trip to the grocery store. There is much talk of how things used to be in past eras. The book is full of extreme exaggerations and in depth detail of every single visible thing. It is distracting and overwhelming away from the story line.

Publisher: She Writes Press
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 275
Source: Publicist
Genre: Womens Fiction, Chick Lit
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Synopsis:Letting go after her abrupt break-up with Samson is harder than Julene thought it would be, especially since her ex has wasted no time in burying himself in the local dating scene. But during an extended visit to her parents overseas, Julene rediscovers her love of art, and a burgeoning career develops. Samson, on the other hand, after trying valiantly--and unsuccessfully--to forget Julene, has settled instead on his own new career. 

When Julene returns home to Australia, a coincidental meeting leads to an emotional reunion--but her love and patience will be tested when she finds out just how busy Samson has been in her absence. Yes, they have both made mistakes they can work through and move past--but when a specter from Samson's past looms, Julene wonders: Can she trust him again?

* This book was provided by BookSparks in exchange for an honest review.

Micayla Lally really knows how to draw you into her book! Told by back and forth perspectives of the two main characters, Julene and Samson, you get a great view of how their lives have shaped them post-breakup. The characters start out in a Yin and Yang-type fashion, one doing amazingly with a new, optimistic start to their life, and the other in a downward-spiral that made them a hard character to like. The juicy plot gets to a great start and I couldn’t put it down for the first few chapters.
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… However, that’s where my interest peaked. The next 150 pages were spent forcing myself through unrealistic character interaction, awkward dialogue and not too much actual plot development. The chapters started out with colorful detail, but quickly turned into choppy descriptions that read more like a list of their daily activities. There were so many opportunities to develop scenes, slow down the pace, and create compelling interaction with secondary characters; but every time Lally got close, it would cut to the next scene. The only thing keeping me going was the thought that “there HAS to be a climax coming at some point.” 

Publisher: Park Row Books
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Source: Publicist
Genre: Womens Fiction
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: Meg Pepper has a fulfilling career and a happy family. Most days she's able to keep it all together and glide through life. But then, in one unalterable moment, everything changes.

After school pickup one day, she stops her car to wave a teenage boy across the street…just as another car comes hurtling down the road and slams into him. 

Meg can't help but blame herself for her role in this horrific disaster. Full of remorse, she throws herself into helping the boy's family as he rehabs from his injuries. But the more Meg tries to absolve herself, the more she alienates her own family—and the more she finds herself being drawn to the boy's father, Andrew.

Soon Meg's picture-perfect life is unravelling before her eyes. As the painful secrets she's been burying bubble dangerously close to the surface, she will have to decide: Can she forgive herself, or will she risk losing everything she holds dear to her heart?

* This book was provided by BookSparks in exchange for an honest review.

​A working mom goes to pick her daughter up from school. A classmate is waiting to cross the street; Mom goes ahead and waves him across. In that one decision, lives will irrevocably change.

So begins the story of “In This Moment”, by Karma Brown. This is Ms. Brown’s third novel, the second I’ve read, and in my opinion, it’s her best one yet. The story is told from the viewpoint of Meg, the mother, who is just a normal working mom, trying to make all of the dots connect for her and her family in their work, school, and home lives. She makes the decision to take a couple of extra seconds to let the young man pass, and that one moment changes the lives of everyone in her orbit.