Susan Coventry's Blog, page 47

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty

I've read a few books by this author and I always enjoy her wit and quirky characters. In this story, Ellen is a certified hypnotist who falls for Patrick, a widowed father who is being stalked by his ex-girlfriend. Ironically, his stalker turns out to be one of Ellen's clients! Moriarty tells the story from two points of view; Ellen's and the stalker's. There are many humorous events along with some very touching moments. Overall, this book was great fun!

One in a Million by Jill Shalvis

This book is part of The Lucky Harbor series, of which I've read several.  Callie runs a wedding website, even though she no longer believes in the concept of true love.  Tanner runs a charter boat company along with his two hunky best friends, Sam and Cole.  Callie and Tanner have an instant attraction to each other so they agree on a "friends with benefits" arrangement, that eventually turns into (you guessed it) true love.  What I enjoy about this series is the humor and the heartwarming elements.  The characters are well-written and by the end of the book you feel like you know them.  These books don't really have to be read in order but there are frequent references to the characters that are featured in other books.  This author is my go-to for fun, sexy, lighthearted romance.

Welcome to my blog!

Hello,

If you're reading this, you're probably a book lover just like me!  For several years I've kept book journals which are filled with reviews of every book I've read.  My website was designed in correlation with the release of my self-published romance novel, See You Then.  I decided to combine my love of reading with my love of writing and document everything in one place!  I primarily read historical fiction, romance or a combination of both.  I hope that fans of these genres will find some good book recommendations through my website.  I read anywhere from 80-100 books per year, so this site will be updated regularly! I'm also busy writing my second novel which I plan to release by the fall of 2016.  Thanks for visiting my website and I hope you'll check back often.  In the meantime, happy reading!

Susan

 

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

This story takes place in New York City and at a seaside town in Rhode Island during the 1930's.  Lily and Budgie have been best friends since childhood, but that all changes after they meet Nick Greenwald, a handsome college football player.  Lily and Nick fall in love but her parents disapprove because of his Jewish ancestry.  They intend to elope but Lily's father has a stroke and their plans to marry are derailed. Seven years later, Lily and Nick are reunited as they summer in Rhode Island, however, Nick is now married to Budgie!  The story culminates when a hurricane sweeps through, leveling their summer homes and leaving several people dead.  I won't give away any more details but suffice it to say that there are a lot of twists to the story.  An interesting historical note--a devastating hurricane did hit the East coast in 1938, causing severe property damage and fatalities.

I enjoyed this story for its historical details and the unpredictable plot.  The book cover gives the illusion that this is a "light" summer read, but don't be fooled.  There are a lot of heavy topics within.

 

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Fallon was a popular teen actress until she was badly burned in a house fire at age 16.  She meets Ben, an aspiring author, exactly two years later on November 9, at a restaurant in L.A.  They experience an immediate connection, however, Fallon is set to move to New York City permanently. They decide to meet up on November 9 for the next five years so that each of them can pursue their goals.

There's a lot of angst in this story, which is indicative of Hoover's writing.  There's also a major twist toward the end that I didn't quite see coming.  That said, there are some very touching scenes about love, family and loss.  Hoover writes engaging stories in the "new adult" genre and this is one of my favorites.  If you don't mind a healthy dose of angst, I would recommend it.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Ever since Anna was born her body has been used to try and save her sister Kate, age 16, from dying of leukemia.  She has donated blood, bone marrow and is now being asked to donate a kidney.  Anna is tired of not having a say in what happens to her body and at age 13, she files a lawsuit against her parents for medical emancipation.  Even though Kate is dying, there's so much more to the story.  This is about a family, forced to make difficult decisions that effect all of them.  There are some interesting secondary characters as well; particularly Campbell, Anna's lawyer and Jesse, Anna's brother.  This is the fifth book I've read by Picoult and she tackles some tough topics in a very readable way.  If you're particularly sensitive to medical issues, it may not be right for you, but otherwise, I recommend it.

The Girl From the Train by Irma Joubert

Jakob, a 21 year-old Polish resistance fighter, finds 7 year-old Gretl, wandering alone through the woods, after she had jumped off a train bound for Auschwitz.  Jakob takes her to his family's farm where she lives until age 10.  When his family decides they can't afford to take care of Gretl any longer, he's forced to take her to an orphanage.  She ends up being adopted by a wealthy family in South Africa who she grows to love, although she often wonders what became of Jakob.  A series of events occur that result in Jakob moving to South Africa, where he reunites with Gretl, now in her college years.  Their bond of friendship turns into love, despite the disapproval of her family.

I'm drawn to WWII survival stories like this one.  It's amazing to think about all the hardships people faced during this time period and how they managed to survive.  The prose is very simple, but impactful.  I especially enjoyed the latter half of the book where Gretl and Jakob fall in love.