Tag: Good read

Posted in Bookish Babble

Book Review – One Italian Summer

Posted on by Mama

****Spoiler Alert****

Title: One Italian Summer


Author: Rebecca Serle


Genre: Romance, Fiction


Number of Pages: 245


My Rating: 💋💋💋


Book Summary:

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliff-sides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.


My Thoughts:

This was the first novel I’ve read by Rebecca Serle and I had to say it was interesting and enjoyable for the most part.

Katy goes through a great loss with her mother passing and she begins to question everything in her life. She ends up taking the trip to Italy, and SURPRISE her mother, Carol, appears in the flesh. But is it really her? Katy begins to enjoy life in Positano; eating, drinking, and living La Bella Vita!

The novel takes an a turn, but a mildly predictable one, when she encounters her mother in her younger years, live and in the flesh. And things begin to surface slowly but surely.

****SPOILER ALERT****

But the weird time travel or mental breakdown, that happened was never explained which was extremely annoying. The author left it up to you to decide what happened. Ultimately, this is the way that Katy finds out all these secrets about her mother’s life in Italy.

It was a strange twist and honestly one I could have done without. I would have much preferred if Katy and her mother had taken the trip together, Carol revealing her past and explaining herself and than informing her daughter of her illness. But that is neither here nor there. And I suppose that is probably a tale that has been told time and time again.

I will say, the descriptions of Italy’s coast were detailed and transported you to that moment, making your imagination run wild at just how breathtaking Italy really is. Ultimately, it was enjoyable for what it’s worth, but not something I’ll be keeping on my shelves to read again. So I will be passing this one along to one of my family members who enjoys reading.

Up next is The Perfect Neighbors by Sarah Pekkanen.

Hope you enjoyed the review!

Ciao!!

Posted in Bookish Babble

Book Review – Meet Me at the Lake

Posted on by Mama

Well finished this one early, pretty proud of myself to be honest. I guess my speed has increased a little, maybe mama is getting her reading groove back!

Title: Meet Me at the Lake

Author: Carley Fortune

Number of Pages: 306

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Adult

My Rating: 💋💋💋💋💋

Book Summary:

Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive and idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in the city. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet again one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.

At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s lakeside resort, something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend is the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.

She needs a plan – a lifeline. To her surprise, it come in the form of Will, who arrives nine years late, suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how can she possibly trust this expensive suit-wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago? Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.

But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him now?

My thoughts:

If you like heartfelt, cheesy romance this is the book for you! This is the first Carley Fortune novel I’ve read and I can say without a shadow of a doubt I enjoyed it immensely.

No spoilers, but I love how the author wrote it, using what I consider the beloved past and future writing. It makes the story have a bit more substance in my opinion, especially when the main characters already have history.

The main characters are lovable in their perspective ways, however Will is sometimes the typical frustrating male lead. Fern is a hard-working, determined and spirited female lead that you embrace almost instantly, I wanted to be her friend – if only she were real! She leaves her city life to come home to a place she really didn’t want to end up running. An unfortunate series of events leaves her with a life changing decision. You silently cheer for every move she makes as you turn the pages of this book. My only gripe with her, I don’t like the name Fern or Fernie as she is sometimes referred to. I don’t know why, it just doesn’t sit well with me. Otherwise a very lovable and relatable character.

Will on the other hand is a mystery at the start, but by the end he becomes this incredible complex work of art you just want to admire. See what I did there? He has his own trials and tribulations to contend with, but ultimately achieves exactly what he needs and wants in his life, especially with Fern.

I will say the intimacy portions in the book were tame and a bit boring at times, it could have used a little more spice for my liking. But it doesn’t take away from the over all story.

Ultimately the book is great and worth a read. It kept me engaged and wanting to keep the pages turning to find out the end result. It almost reminded me of Dirty Dancing, which is heavily referenced in the book. For good reason. This would be a great summer time read if you get the chance.

My next novel that I’ve already started is called The Island by Natasha Preston. She is a new author I discovered on my favourite site ever, Bookoutlet.ca, and it seems intriguing. Review to follow once I’ve finished!

Ciao!