Every now and then you find a book that puts your life into perspective. The Girls of Good Fortune is one such book. I don’t care how hard I think my life is at times or was it will never be as hard as Celia’s life was in the late 1800s. 

Celia is half Chinese in 1888 Portland, Oregon and has passed as white in a time that being Chinese was considered threatening. After learning of her Chinese father’s gruesome and horrific death, Celia finds herself in a precarious situation. Does she ignore what she has learned about the massacre to protect her baby daughter or should she fight for justice for those who can’t? 

I found myself slowly working my way through this newest release of Kristina McMorris. I wanted to feel every emotion Celia experienced. Celia was not based on a true historical figure but the massacre and the Shanghai tunnels in Oregon was very real. McMorris has always found a way to bring a piece of history to my attention I knew nothing of. So much American history was not taught in any of my schooling. A shame. This is why I love books and authors who use their voice for good. 

As I have aged I have come to crave historical fiction that can teach me something. Historical fiction provides enough entertainment to keep me interested and teach me without realizing it. The Story She Left Behind was magical. I found myself transported to an exciting adventure every time I opened the book. PCH has a way with words that transform your world. 

The Story She Left Behind is a historical fiction book about a writer who publishes her first book at the mere age of twelve but disappears and is never heard from again at the age of 25. You start off in 1927 South Carolina and are quickly whisked away to the great smog event in 1950s England. Follow Clara and Wynnie as they unravel their family history while trying to stay alive. 

I had no idea about the true story of Barbara Newhall Follet and her tragic short life. There are many interesting tidbits of Beatrix Potter as well. 

It’s holiday and baby arrival time in Willow Creek, PA. Daisy is finding herself going in many directions but none as exciting as waiting for the arrival of her first grandbaby! 

In book five Daisy has been hired to host a tea for the local theater company. The hostess was a local girl who made it big in NYC acting. She has returned home but has not been as widely received as she thought. During the tea Daisy finds the host dead in the clotted cream. Can Daisy find out who is responsible for the actress’s demise or will Daisy follow and never meet her grandbaby?

This series is so good at balancing real life with the characters but not going so overboard the book is not the escape you wanted. Daisy is still working on her romantic relationship along with her tenuous relationship with her mom and sister. We get a glimpse of what has brought the discord between Daisy and her mom and sister. Daisy’s grandbaby makes a welcome debut but not without some new mommy struggles. I was pleased with how postpartum depression and antidepressants were discussed. A topic that can be triggering for some. 

My library only has audiobooks so I am not sure if the printed version has recipes. 

I have owned this book for a little over a year and have seen multiple good reviews on the series and am wondering why I waited so long to read the book. I love pizza so reading about it sure had made me hungry for a good one.

Delilah has returned to Lake Geneva with a fiancé, Butterball the cat, and a new restaurant. She is opening a pizza restaurant in the same place as a previous restaurant with a checkered past. Taking liberties with the history of the town and restaurant she decorates in a mob theme which may or may not have jinxed the opening. As the soft opening is winding down Delilah finds herself staring at a dead body and her elderly aunt holding the smoking gun. Can Delilah solve the case before ending up six feet deep herself?

The descriptions of the food and town have me craving a road trip. I’ve never been to Lake Geneva but it sounds like a place to add to my travel list. The mystery flows well and the characters are likable (except for one but he doesn’t stick around long).

A series I will definitely return to in the near future.

Another delicious visit to the Jersey shore.

Lucy has been learning all the aspects of running her family’s restaurant including catering. When a local high-society couple decide to wed they decide to hire Lucy’s family restaurant. All is going as planned until the best man is found skewered to death with none other than one of the restaurants kebab skewers. Lucy really wants to stay out of the investigation but finds it hard when the main suspect is her ex-boyfriend and head chef at the restaurant. Will Lucy find the real suspect before she is sleeping with the fishes?

A fast moving plot and mouthwatering food descriptions make this a delightful read. I plan on trying Azad’s Prized Shish Kebabs this summer.

This series is so comforting. If I lived in a cozy world I would want to live in Arborville, NJ and be friends with Pamela and Bettina. They live in a friendly walkable neighborhood with a to-die-for farmers market and co-op. Pamela seems extremely content with her life. I envy her ability to come up with tasty dinners at the drop of a hat.

In book twelve we join Pamela and Bettina as they try to solve the unfortunate death of a popular local fiber artist. There are plenty of suspects but only one is the real deal.

I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla through my local library. Unfortunately, it did not include the recipe or knitting tips.

This is my favorite of the three Bridgerton books I have read. I started with the first Bridgerton book and then realized there were prequels. I say start with the prequels. Billie’s story was fun but Edward’s was so romantic! It flowed fast and kept me wholly engaged.

Edward has been in the New World (USA) fighting for the British. He befriended another soldier and became attached the man’s sister through letters. Letters that took months to get back and forth. When the sister, Cecilia, learns her brother has been injured she makes a quick decision and finds herself across the pond in Manhattan. When she arrives she finds things are worse than she thought. Her brother is missing and his friend, Captain Edward Rokesby, is unconscious in the hospital. She pretends to be his wife in hopes to learn more about her brother. Read the book to learn what happens next.

These are the romances I grew up on. They will always hold a special place in my heart.

I found myself reading this book extremely slowly. It felt like a book that needed to savored and not gobbled. A book that was not only to read for enjoyment but one to teach as well. A book that every reader will find a message that was only for them. 

Mira was born and raised in a Chicago suburb by immigrant parents. One foot in each world. As she nears her wedding day she finds herself on a solo engagement trip to NYC. There she finds a ring on the ground that shakes up her entire life. Will Mira go on the journey that the ring promises?

Be prepared for an emotional journey as you follow Mira from the United States to India. You may be surprised and find yourself along the way. 

I am having a hard time reviewing this book. Usually when I finish a book I can jump right into a review. Especially since it is so fresh in my mind. I’m not saying it was a bad book. It was just a book I liked reading.

The storyline was very interesting. Young college graduate realizes her books publishing parents are struggling and have fallen prey to someone with a hidden agenda. In the process she learns a deep hidden family secret that changes everything she has ever thought about her family.

There is more of a family drama piece with no romance/romance-com. It fell flat. The main character was interesting but it took way too long for the AHA moment to occur and then bam end of book.

Would I suggest this book? Yes, but with care. Just understand it’s slow moving for the first 60/70% of the book. It’s definitely not my favorite by Viola Shipman.

A close friend has suggested Abby Jimenez books to me many times. I went in to this book blind with only the knowledge that it had a dementia story line. She warned I may not be ready for it but if I was, I would love this book. I will own this book one day and read it many times. It will look like my first Gone With the Wind book. Pages falling out and more tape than original binding glue. I have never connected with a book like I did this one.

Every emotion flowed through me while reading. It was the book I need right at this moment. I was a caregiver to my dad who had dementia and Alzheimer’s. Yes, they are two separate cruel diseases. I didn’t know that until it happened to my family. My dad was diagnosed with them the last 7 months of his life but he had it longer than we realized. He probably had beginning stages before my mom passed in 2020. They are cruel and unforgiving diseases. Your parent really does fade right before your eyes.

I understood what every character was feeling. The isolation you experience and feel when you are a primary caregiver. It’s so real. Your life becomes theirs. The heartbreak you experience daily as you see them decline. The anger and cruelty they can inflict because they are scared and don’t understand what is going on. The sundowning that worsens every day and goes on longer each night. It’s scary for you but imagine being trapped in that body and not understanding what is happening to you.

It was the hardest thing I have ever experienced but I wouldn’t change a thing. I was lucky to have a good network of support. My husband who watched me break down daily sometimes and continued to love and support me. A brother who did whatever he could whenever he could. A hired caregiver who became a family friend that sat with him two nights a week so I would sleep more than two hours at a time. Friends who checked me and were just there. Family and friends who understood the change in me. Caregiving is hard. It changes you. It becomes you. Asking for help is hard!

Thank you Abby for the perfect healing book. Thank you to my friends and family for being there for me like Xavier was there for Samantha.

❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹