Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Title: Great Big Beautiful Life Author: Emily Henry Series: n/a I could have been okay with the unbalanced narrative. But I hated the climax and resolution. I went into this book so arrogant, thinking I knew exactly how it would unfold. Alice and Hayden would “audition” for the first half, their attraction sparking as they slowly got to know one another as friendly rivals; the midway point would be a twist where instead of choosing one or the other, Margaret …

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Interview with Catherine Bybee (Maybe One Day)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Maybe One Day by Catherine Bybee is a home run like all her other books. Every time a reader picks up a Bybee book they take a heartfelt journey with the characters. Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. She is an adoring Italian mother and grandmother who absolutely lives for …

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Interview with C. M. Ewan (Strangers in the Car)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Strangers in the Car by C. M. Ewan will take readers on a roller coaster ride. The plot has Abi Foster and her boyfriend Ben Simmons driving home, having cut their weekend vacation in Cornwall short due to a crisis at Ben’s law firm. They are arguing about cutting the weekend short when Abi misses a turn in the foggy country roads. They spot a stranded family with a young baby whose car has …

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Interview with Melinda Curtis (The Christmas Cowboy)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Christmas Cowboy by Melinda Curtis is a delightful holiday read. There are some heavier subjects that are heartfelt and emotionally riveting. But the humor is a welcome relief, coming mostly from a five-year-old boy. Lily Smith has come to Clementine to act as a nanny for her newborn niece and five-year-old nephew, Ford. But there is another reason she is there. She has spent her whole life wondering why her father ignored her …

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Interview with Jean Meltzer (Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer is a great holiday read. Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights and this novel shows how the characters were brought out of their darkness and illuminated with light as they take their journey to reconnect. In the style of best-selling author Kristin Hannah, this novel is a heartfelt, sad, and heartbreaking story dealing with loss and trauma. But readers also will laugh with the …

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Interview with S. J. Bennett (The Queen Who Came in from the Cold)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Queen Who Came in from the Cold by S. J. Bennett features Queen Elizabeth II as the protagonist and her private secretary Joan McGraw. Fans of Peter James, who’s latest The Hawk Is Dead, involves the current Queen Camilla and King Charles might also like to read this story. This plot has Queen Elizabeth II and her personal secretary Joan involved with spies, lies, and treachery involving the KGB. The Queen, Prince Philip, …

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Interview with Pamela Fagan Hutchins (Her Cold Heart)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Her Cold Heart by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a tense atmospheric read where snow appears everywhere. The plot opens with Delaney and Leo on the ski slopes. As they are about to get on the ski lift a shot rings out and a young woman is shot and killed. Delaney and Leo know they must pursue whatever leads there are and jump on snowmobiles, hoping to catch the shooter. After they find out that …

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The King’s Ransom by Janet Evanovich

Title: The King’s Ransom Author: Janet Evanovich Series: Recovery Agent/Gabriela Rose #2 Much thanks to Janet Evanovich, Atria Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Ironically, I’m surprised it’s only been four years since Gabriela’s first book came out—it feels like longer. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes, but man; it changed release date several times, co-authors came and went. But here it finally is! And it’s okay. Released at …

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The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: The Lost Author: Sarah Beth Durst Series: not anymore PSA: If you’re furious about the ending and came looking for answers, check the copyright of the copy you just read. If it says 2014 and only 2014, find a copy of the updated 2025 version, stat! Read the last two or three chapters, then come back if you need to. 😉 —————– Initial Post: Wow. I haven’t felt fucked up by a book like this in a while. I …

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Interview with Suzanne Woods Fisher (A Hidden Hope)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Hidden Hope by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a fantastic read blending romance, hope, faith, intriguing medical facts, and doctors/nurses learning their craft under the supervision of a very wise doctor. Readers can revisit characters from the previous book and get to know some interesting new ones. The plot has Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus deciding to lessen her medical workload by taking into the practice two newly minted medical residents, Wren Baker and Charlie King, …

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