Book ~ "Little Cruelties" (2020) Liz Nugent

From Goodreads ~ All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral.

But one of them was in the coffin.

William, Brian and Luke: three boys, born a year apart, trained from birth by their wily mother to compete for her attention. They play games, as brothers do ... yet even after the Drumms escape into the world beyond their windows, those games - those little cruelties - grow more sinister, more merciless and more dangerous. And with their lives entwined like the strands of a noose, only two of the brothers will survive.

This is a story about three brothers, Will, Brian and Luke, born a year apart. They grow up in the same dysfunctional family in Dublin but end up destroying each other in different ways. Will is a successful but arrogant film producer, Brian is a bitter school teacher (and later Luke's agent) and Luke is a sensitive pop star struggling with fame, addiction and his mental health. Their childhood was filled with favoritism and emotional manipulation, especially from their self-absorbed mother who was a performer, which sets the stage for a lifetime of jealousy, betrayal and resentment. 

Right away we know one of the brothers is dead but we don't know who and how it happened until the very end. The story is told from the points of view of the brothers ... Will first, then Brian and finally Luke. It jumps back and forth in timelines, slowly revealing just how toxic their relationships have become over the years. I usually don't mind when stories jump back and forth in time but I found this a tad annoying because the jumps were so extreme. For example, with Will, it started with 1994, then 1985, then 1992, then 1978 and so on. I found I had to keep going back to the previous chapter to see what year it had been. It was interesting to read the same experiences but from the different points of view.

None of the characters are likable. I didn't have any issue with the brother who had died but was a bit disappointed with how and why it happened and the ending in general. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The New Husband" (2020) D.J. Palmer

From Goodreads ~ What makes Simon Fitch so perfect?

- He knows all her favorite foods, music, and movies.
- Her son adores him. He was there when she needed him most.
- He anticipates her every need.
- He would never betray her like her first husband.

The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes.

The question is, why?

Nina Garrity learned the hard way that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But with Glen gone - presumably drowned while fishing on his boat - she couldn't confront him about the affair or find closure to the life he blew apart.

Now, a year and a half later, Nina has found love again and hopes she can put her shattered world back together. Simon, a widower still grieving the death of  his wife, thinks he has found his dream girl in Nina and his charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina's teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, while her friends see a different side to him and they aren't afraid to use the word obsession.

Nina works hard to bridge the divide that’s come between her daughter and Simon. She wants so badly to believe her life is finally getting back on track but she’ll soon discover that the greatest danger to herself and her children are the lies people tell themselves.

Nina’s husband, Glen, vanished two years ago without a trace. His boat turned up with some blood but no body. The police investigated but can't find out what happened to Glen ... did he drown or did he take off, leaving his family behind? Nina discovers Glen was cheating on her and left the family not very well off financially. 

A year and a half later, Nina has moved in with Simon,  a widower and a teacher at her daughter, Maggie's school. Connor, her teenage son, likes him but Maggie is waiting for her father to come back so doesn't accept Simon and thinks he is up to something. This causes friction within the family. Nina's friends think she has moved on too quickly but she disagrees and this puts distance between them. After all that Glen put her through, Simon seems perfect and wants to take care of her and her children.

This story was written in third person perspective from Nina's point of view and first person perspective in Maggie's voice. I was digging the story at first. Was Simon really scheming or not? Did Glen really abandon his family? Then everything started to be revealed and I found it unbelievable, which was disappointing. Nina was always taking Simon's side when Maggie made a fuss. She is a social worker and you'd think her first concern would have been (should have been!) her children, regardless of whether Simon was innocent or not. The ending was ridiculous.

Book ~ "The Girls Weekend" (2020) Jody Gehrman

From Goodreads ~ Their reunion just became a crime scene ...

June Moody, a thirty-something English professor, just wants to get away from her recent breakup and reunite with girlfriends over summer break. Her old friend and longtime nemesis, Sadie MacTavish, a mega-successful author, invites June and her college friends to a baby shower at her sprawling estate in the San Juan Islands. June is less than thrilled to spend time with Sadie - and her husband, June's former crush - but agrees to go.

The party gets off to a shaky start when old grudges resurface but when they wake the next morning, they find something worse: Sadie is missing, the house is in shambles and bloodstains mar the staircase. None of them has any memory of the night before; they wonder if they were drugged. Everyone's a suspect. Since June had a secret rendezvous with Sadie's husband, she has plenty of reason to suspect herself. Apparently, so do the cops.

June, Em, Kimi, Sadie and Amy have been friends for about 20 years. Some are closer to each other than others. When Sadie invites them to get together for Amy's baby shower, June begrudgingly goes since she and Sadie have always been frenemies. Sadie is a famous author, is married to June's ex-boyfriend and seems to have everything. Sadie isn't a nice person so there is tension right away between the five of them once they arrive at Sadie's. After a wild night of partying that no one remembers the next day, they discover that Sadie has disappeared and there is a wall covered in blood. The police are called and June becomes a suspect of harming Sadie because of her past history with Sadie's husband.

I've been away for many girls weekends and I'm glad they were never like this! I thought this story was okay. I liked the writing style and thought it moved at a good pace. It is written in first person perspective in June's voice. There were lots of twists and many possibilities on who may have wished Sadie harm and I found the ending believable. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Swap" (2020) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Low Morrison is not your average teen. You could blame her hippie parents or her looming height or her dreary, isolated hometown on an island in the Pacific Northwest. But whatever the reason, Low just doesn’t fit in - and neither does Freya, a once-famous social media influencer who now owns the pottery studio in town.

After signing up for a class, Low quickly falls under Freya’s spell. And Freya, buoyed by Low’s adoration, is compelled to share her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Finally, both feel a sense of belonging ... that is, until Jamie walks through the studio door. Desperate for a baby, she and her husband have moved to the island hoping that the healthy environment will result in a pregnancy. Freya and Jamie become fast friends, as do their husbands, leaving Low alone once again.

Then one night, after a boozy dinner party, Freya suggests swapping partners. It should have been a harmless fling between consenting adults, one night of debauchery that they would put behind them but when one of the women becomes pregnant, Low finds the perfect opportunity to unleash her growing resentment.

Low is a high school senior who will be graduating in a couple months. She is an awkward loner, lives with her polyamorous parents (and their partners) and her siblings on a farm and has no friends. When she sees a sign for pottery lessons, she signs up and becomes friends with Freya, the teacher. Freya and Max, her retired hockey player husband, recently moved to the isolated island after a controversy involving Max. Low is happy to finally have someone who seems to care about her. 

When Freya meets shop owner, Jamie, they become friends and Low is left out which pisses her off. Freya and Max started hanging out with Jamie and Brian, her husband, and one night they are partying and doing mushrooms. Some time during the night, they swap partners and one of the women becomes pregnant, possibly from that encounter. Low knows who the father of the baby is as she'd been watching the couples and uses this knowledge to her advantage.

I thought this story had an interesting premise and it turned out to be a crazy mess. Teenager Low and adult Jamie were lonely and desperate for company and Freya seemed to be the only one wanting to hang out with them ... but not together or at the same time. Freya was mean and rude to both but they still kept coming back for more. Freya didn't treat Max very well either but he felt like he deserved it. None of the characters were likeable. The ending was unbelievable and over the top and I wasn't buying it.

This story is written in third person perspective in Low, Max, Jamie and Brian's voices. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

Book ~ "Stay the Blazes Home" (2020) Len Wagg

From Goodreads ~ On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and life, at that moment, changed drastically for every Nova Scotian.

People were ordered to practice physical distancing. Everyday tasks like grocery shopping were suddenly fraught with challenges. Travellers scrambled to get home before the borders closed, and were then ordered to self-quarantine. Hospitals and health-care facilities prepared for a potential influx of critically ill patients. Through it all, Nova Scotians reacted with kindness and empathy, and came to recognize their everyday heroes - from grocery clerks to delivery drivers to the doctors and nurses on the front lines. But tales of some who flouted the rules arose. During a daily media briefing, Premier Stephen McNeil made the spirit of the order perfectly clear: "Stay the blazes home."

Through dozens of powerful stories that illuminate the generosity and ingenuity of Nova Scotians, "Stay the Blazes Home" captures the many ways Nova Scotians adapted to and embraced life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring photographs by author and award-winning photographer Len Wagg, in addition to submitted images from all over the province, "Stay the Blazes Home" serves as a record of the resilience and the spirit of Nova Scotians in a time of crisis. Portions of the proceeds from this book will be donated to local mental health initiatives.

This book was published in the fall of 2020, just after the world closed down because of COVID-19. Though it's only been four years, it seems like a lifetime ago. I think Nova Scotia (and the rest of of Atlantic Canada) stood out for the way they handled social distancing. They created family "bubbles", restricted travel from outside the provinces and the premier of Nova Scotia ordered everyone to "stay the blazes home".

There are many pictures and stories of how Nova Scotians reacted and supported each other. Because it was written during the first summer of COVID-19, these aren't memories or recollections ... these are the experiences of people at the time and their struggles to survive and adapt the best they could. The stories include how businesses pivoted, what people did to entertain themselves since we were all isolated, weddings, graduations, visiting eldering and sick loved ones and more.

I think the author did a good job in capturing the essence of the time and it's a good reminder of what we all had been through.

Book ~ "The Happy Ever After Playlist" (2020) Abby Jimenez

From Goodreads ~ Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a "take me home" look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker's owner reaches out. He's a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: he wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan's not about to give up her dog without a fight. As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can't deny a connection. There's no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: with his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

Sloan was out and about when a dog darts out in front of her car and jumps in through her sunroof. She takes Tucker, the dog, home and tries to contact the owner whose info in on Tucker's tag. Sloan's fiancé had been killed in a motorcycle accident two years ago and she is still grieving but having Tucker is helping her get back into her old life. 

Two weeks later Jason, Tucker's owner, finally contacts her and wants his dog back. He's been hiking in New Zealand and assumed a friend was taking good care of Tucker. He's going to be in Australia for another couple of weeks and Sloan offers to keep Tucker until he gets back. During that time, they text and talk on the phone and get to know each other. When Jason gets back home, they connect and can't deny there is an attraction and start to plan a life together.

I thought this story was just okay. It started off cute and light but then went downhill for me with so much drama. I found it hard to believe that Sloan has spent the last two years in mourning but snapped out of it pretty quickly when she meets Jason ... within a month or so they are in love, she has given up everything for him and they planning a future around him and his music. The dialog and actions was unrealistic and cheesy ... though they are almost thirty and have had life experiences, they talk and act like young teenage girls. The ending wrapped up way too cleanly ... everything and everyone was perfect.

It's written in first person perspective alternating in Sloan and Jason's voices (the chapters are labeled). As a head's up, there is swearing (I don't have an issue with swearing but there was an excessive amount) and adult activity.

Book ~ "Exit" (2020) Belinda Bauer

From Goodreads ~ It was never supposed to be murder ... 

Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it’s never too late ... for life to go horribly wrong.

When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he’s there to perform an act of kindness and charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath. But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police – after making the biggest mistake of his life.

Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover what went wrong, while staying one step ahead of the law.

Felix is a 75-year-old widower whose world is very small ... he has no friends or a life, just a dog named Mabel. He is volunteer Exiteer ... when people want to end their lives on their own terms, he keeps them company, which he has done many times. He's not allowed to help them in any way ... just give them peace and comfort that they aren't dying alone and take away any evidence. With his last assignment, Felix discovers the wrong person passed away as he and a new Exiteer sat with him. He wants to make it right and find out how this mistake could have happened.

I liked the writing style and the dark humour ... what an interesting and different angle for a story! It's a convoluted tale with lots of twists and turns but it was a fun ride. It's written in third person perspective with a focus on where the action is ... including with Felix, Calvin (one of the investigating police officers) and Reggie (the son of the deceased). It was interesting to see Felix go from just having Mabel as his companion to having to open up and include others. The author is English so there were terms I wasn't familiar with. There was also a gambling side story which went over my head as I don't gamble. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Halifax and Me" (2020) Harry Bruce

From Goodreads ~ Essays recounting Canadian author Harry Bruce's love affair with the fascinating, historic, quirky city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Though I've never lived in Halifax (my sister does), I'm originally from Nova Scotia and that's why this book caught my eye.

This a collection of essays written by Harry Bruce, who when he wrote the book, was living in Halifax again. He has moved around a lot across Canada in his almost 90 years and Halifax kept drawing him back. His paternal family had roots in Guysborough County so he had spent time there as a child.

The essays were interesting for the most part but rambling at times. He wrote about the history and people of Halifax and Nova Scotia, comparing it to the other places he's lived (the farthest he'd lived from there was in Vancouver), his family and work history, the people he's met over the years and more.

The book could have been edited better as there were typos and grammatical/spacing errors.

Book ~ "Dear Edward" (2020) Ann Napolitano

From Goodreads ~ One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them is a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured vet returning from Afghanistan, a septuagenarian business tycoon and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. And then, tragically, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor. 

Edward's story captures the attention of the nation but he struggles to find a place for himself in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a piece of him has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery - one that will lead him to the answers of some of life's most profound questions: When you've lost everything, how do find yourself? How do you discover your purpose? What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?

Eddie is 12 years old and he and his older brother, his mother and his father are flying from New York City to Los Angeles where his mother has a new job. During the flight, the plane crashes and Eddie is the only survivor. After his recovery, he goes to live with his mother's sister, Lacey, and her husband, John, in New Jersey. Once he is better physically, he struggles to recover emotionally and mentally. His next door neighbour, Shay, who is his age, becomes his only friend.

I thought this story was just okay. It starts when the plane is taking off and jumps back and forth in time from Edward's (as he know wants to be known) present time to the time on the plane leading up to the crash. We get to know handful of passengers ... Veronica, the flight attendant; Florida, a free-spirited woman who is living in her most recent reincarnated body; Linda, who just found out she is pregnant and is hoping the baby's father will be happy to see her; Benjamin, a gay injured soldier returning from Afghanistan; Mark, a Wall Street exec whose goal is to make money and show how good he is; and Crispin, a bitter old rich man whose health is failing. It's written in third person perspective in various voices (including Edward's, his parents, his brother and the passengers we've gotten to know) depending on where the focus was. I thought the writing style could have been tighter as I found it dragged at times. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Melting Season" (2020) Jami Attenberg

From Goodreads ~ Catherine Madison is headed west with a suitcase full of cash that isn't hers. She's just left the only home she's ever known, a small town in Nebraska, after the only man she had ever known, her husband, Thomas, deserted her. She's also left behind her deepest, most shameful secrets - among them a dysfunctional family she's never quite been able to escape and a marriage whose most intimate moments have plagued her with self-doubt. On the road, she was going to become a new person. Or so she thought.

But running away from the past isn't as easy as she had hoped. When Catherine reaches Las Vegas, she forms surprising new friendships that compel her to reveal what she had sworn she'd keep hidden and teach her what human connection really means. Armed with this new knowledge, she is finally emboldened to uncover the truth about her family, come to understand what destroyed her marriage and prevent her troubled sister from repeating her mistakes.

When the story begins, Catherine is driving west to get away from the small town in Nebraska where she is from. She has a suitcase with $178,000 which she has stolen from Thomas, her estranged husband. She ends up in Las Vegas where she is befriended by Valka, an older woman who is in Las Vegas to celebrate New Years Eve.

As the story unfolds, we find out why Catherine has run away. Her mother is a mean drunk, her father has tuned out and her younger sister is running wild. Marriage to Thomas hasn't turned out to be the love story she thought it would be.

Sounds like a dreary story, right?  Well, it was. The writing style for of the book was dark and depressing too. The only likeable character was Valka and I found her a bit over the top.  The story jumps back and forth in time as Catherine fills us and Valka in on what's been going on. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "What You Wish For" (2020) Katherine Center

From Goodreads ~ Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids and her school family with passion and joy for living. But she wasn’t always that way.

Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen. But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before - at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him - but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school - and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love - which is the riskiest move of all.

Four years ago Sam was working with Duncan, a fun loving teacher, who she had a crush on but he didn't know she existed. When rumours fly that he is going to propose to someone else, she knows it's time to quit and start her life over. 

She heads to Texas and settles into a cute town. She gets a job as a librarian at a private school and moves into the owners' carriage house and they treat her like family. When the school hires a new principal, Sam is shocked to discover that it's Duncan but even more shocked to discover that he is no longer the goofy teacher ... he is now strict and security conscious and wants to change the way the school operates. Sam, along with the rest of the staff, are determined to fight so they can keep the school as it is.

This was a cute story. I liked the writing style (it's a quick read) and it's written in first person perspective in Sam's voice. A thing that bugged me was there was a lot of nose flaring! And I can't imagine giving up my life and moving across the country to start over because my crush is supposedly getting married. As a head's up, there is a bit of swearing.

Book ~ "Miki" (2020) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ When his mom picks him up from cooking class, Charles is surprised to find Miki, an adorable Bichon Frise puppy, in tow. 

As the Petersons foster Miki, Charles discovers that she was taught by her old owners to "dance." Soon enough, Charles, Lizzie, and their friends join together to put on a musical act that's sure to find the superstar pup a new home.

Charles and Lizzie are in elementary school. Their family, the Petersons, have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

When Charles' mother picks him up after cooking class, he discovers she has a Miki, a Bichon Frise, puppy in the van. Apparently Miki's family were moving across the country and the apartment where they will be living doesn't allow dogs. Charles' mom agreed to foster Miki and find her a home.

Miki is a real cutie and can do lots of tricks and one she especially loves to do is dancing to music. Charles and Lizzy and Sammy, Charles' friend, decide to start busking with Miki at the farmers' market to raise funds for the local rescue but also to showcase Miki and find her the perfect home.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Miki's point of view. It is the 59th in the Puppy Place series.

Book ~ "Fluffy & Freckles" (2020) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles is so excited for his spring break trip to his dad's friend Steve's cozy cabin in Vermont. Especially once he spots Freckles, a shy, stray pup out alone on the snowy trail. Dad and Steve agree to foster the lonely pup. 

When they're joined by Fluffy, an undersized newborn lamb from a nearby farm, the baby animals become quick friends. Charles is going to have his hands full with these two little ones!

Charles is in elementary school. His family, the Petersons, have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Charles and his father are visiting his father's friend, Steve, who lives in the woods in Vermont. Every spring Steve taps maple syrup and Charles and his father will be there to help him this time. As they are snowshoeing, they see tracks and realize it must be a dog. They follow the tracks and find a puppy, who Charles names Freckles, finding shelter in a cave. They take the puppy back to Steve's to figure out what to do with him. Then one of Steve's friends asks him for temporary help with a baby lamb whose mother has rejected it. They take the lamb, who Charles names Fluffy, and Freckles and Fluffy become fast friends. Charles is determined, though, to find Freckles a furever home.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Freckle's point of view. It is the 58th in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Barney" (2020) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Lizzie Peterson is excited to watch her best friend, Maria, in an equestrian competition. As the horses get ready to compete, a curious dachshund races straight into the ring! 

When Lizzie finds that the puppy belongs to a family who is a bit overwhelmed, she decides to help them re-home Barney. But finding the perfect owners for this loud and peppy dog might not be so easy.

Lizzie is in elementary school. Her family, the Petersons, have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Lizzie's best friend, Maria, loves horses and Lizzie attends an equestrian competition that Maria is competing in. During it, Barney, a Dachshund puppy, runs into the ring barking at the horses. Barney's family includes a couple children and having rambunctious Barney is too much ... too much barking and too much energy. They make the difficult decision to let Lizzie and her family find him a new home.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Barney's point of view. It is the 57th in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up" (2020) Alexandra Potter

From Goodreads ~ Meet Nell. Her life is a mess.

When her business goes bust and her fiancé with it, Nell's happy ever after in California falls apart and she moves back to London to start over. But a lot has changed since she’s been gone. All her single friends are now married with children, a sky-high real estate market forces her to rent a room in a stranger’s house, and everyone has seemingly perfect Instagram-ready lives. Starting from scratch she feels like a f##k up ... a forty-something f##k up.

Landing a job writing obituaries, Nell meets the fabulous Cricket, an 80-something widow with challenges of her own. Together they begin to help each other heal their aching hearts, cope with the loss of the lives they had planned, and push each other into new adventures and joy. With Cricket’s help, Nell is determined to turn her life around. First, though, she has a confession.

Nell is 40-something. She had thought by now her life would have been settled. Instead, she has moved back home to live with her parents in England after spending five years living in California, eventually becoming engaged and then breaking up with Ethan and losing everything when their restaurant closed.

Nell is starting over, surviving thanks to a loan from her father and a freelance job writing obituaries. She is renting a room from Edward, a 40-something family man who goes to his country home on the weekends and expects Nell to take care of Arthur, his big hairy dog, when he's not there (in exchange for lower rent). All her friends have moved on and are married with children. She meets 80-something Cricket when she wrote her late husband's obituary and they become friends.

As an creative outlet, Nell starts a podcast that she assumes no one will listen to and is surprised when it starts gaining in popularity. Plus she daily keeps track of things she is grateful for.

I thought this was a cute book and liked it. It's written in first person perspective in Nell's voice. It takes place in London, England, so there were references to things I wasn't familiar with and sometimes Googled them. I liked Nell and Cricket and thought they were fun together. Given her age and circumstance, I liked Cricket's spirit. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "I Was Told It Would Get Easier" (2020) Abbi Waxman

From Goodreads ~ Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it's a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she's sure she even wants to go to college but let's ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. They have to, right?

For Jessica, it's a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn't even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn't sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers - and two familiar enemies - Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

Jessica is a busy partner in a law firm. She is also the single mother of Emily, her sixteen-year-old daughter. Jessica only wants what's best for Emily and that means going to college, getting an education so she can get a good job. Emily isn't sure what she wants to do with her life or even if she wants to go to university but doesn't know how to tell her mother. Jessica books them on an organized weeklong tour of eastern U.S. universities. Because of how busy she is, Jessica doesn't get to spend a lot of time with Emily, she's looking forward to their week together. Emily, though, is resentful and jealous of the time her mother spends with her work colleagues and isn't going to make it an easy week.

I wasn't crazy about this book. I found both Jessica and Emily annoying and unlikable. Jessica works a lot so has a nanny to take care of the household. As soon as her work phone rings, regardless of where she is, what she's doing or who she is with, she answers it. No wonder Emily feels neglected and is pissed at her. Jessica works hard as a single mother to provide the best for Emily ... private schools, the latest iPhone, apparently Uber on demand ... but Emily seemed unappreciative, a spoiled brat and disrespectful. Their constant bickering was tiresome.

It was written in first person perspective in Jessica and Emily's voices ... it switches back and forth often and is labeled. It was written during or after the college cheating scandal and this is included in the story, though I could have done with out it as I didn't think it added much.

Book ~ "The Choice" (2020) Alex Lake

From Goodreads ~ A kidnap ... Matt Westbrook only turned his back for a moment. But when he looks around, his car - with his three young children inside -  has vanished.

A ransom ... Panicked, Matt assumes a car thief has got more than he bargained for, but then he starts to receive text messages: This is a kidnap. If you want to see your children again, you will exchange them for your wife.

A choice ... Matt and his wife Annabelle are horrified. They can’t involve the police, or their children will be killed. Which means they have to choose: Annabelle, or their children. Either option is unthinkable. But one is inevitable. And they have only hours to make their decision.

Matt had stopped at a store to pick up a few things and left his three kids in the car as he assumes he'll be in and out quickly. When he came out, his car was gone along with his kids. He soon got texts that his kids had been kidnapped and his wife, Annabelle, was the ransom ... if he wanted his kids back, they can't call the police and Annabelle had to trade herself for them 24 hours later. She agreed but they put a plan in place that will get theirs kids back and save Annabelle.

Up until this point, it was an interesting story. Then it went downhill very fast.

When the "whodunnit" was revealed, it was ridiculous ... and the "why" was even more ridiculous. My thought at this point was "REALLY??!!". The last 20% or so of the story was mostly the interaction between the kidnapper and Annabelle and was so absurd and unbelievable and didn't fit with the first part of the book.

This book is written in third person perspective in various voices (Annabelle, Matt, the kidnapper, the police, etc.) depending on where the action was. The story jumps back and forth in time from when Annabelle and Matt met, through their courtship, marriage and having children (the chapters are labeled). Though there could have been a few people who kidnapped the kids to swap for Annabelle, it became clear who the "who" was but the "why" was so farfetched. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Kodiak" (2020) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Lizzie Peterson and her friends are heading to a cabin in the woods for a girls' weekend. On the way, they spot and rescue Kodiak, an energetic Malamute stray with a mind of his own. 

Can Lizzie and her friends tame the wild pup and find him a home?

Lizzie is in elementary school. Her family, the Petersons, have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Lizzie is spending the weekend with her best friend, Maria, and Maria's older cousin, Kamila, at Maria's family's cabin. As they arrive, they see a Malamute puppy through running the woods. They are able to catch him and call him Kodiak. Over the weekend, they all have fun with him. When no one at the nearby country store has heard of a missing dog, Lizzie takes him home so her family can foster him and find him a good furever home.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Kodiak's point of view. It is the fifty-sixth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 66 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "All the Lonely People" (2020) Mike Gayle

From Goodreads ~ Hubert Bird is not alone in being alone. He just needs to realise it.

In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship and fulfilment.

But Hubert Bird is lying. The truth is day after day drags by without him seeing a single soul.

Until, that is, he receives some good news - good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.

Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out. Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all.

Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?

Hubert is an 82-year-old widower who lives alone in England and doesn't go out much. In his weekly calls with his daughter, Rose, who lives in Australia, he has made up a wonderful active life so she doesn't worry. That works well until Rose tells him that she will be coming for a visit in six weeks ... now he has to hustle to create the life Rose thinks he has.

Hubert tries joining a seniors activity club but doesn't feel comfortable there. When Ashleigh, a friendly young single mother from Wales, moves in next door, he begrudgingly becomes her friend. Ashleigh feels there are too many lonely people in their community so convinces Hubert to help her start an initiative to get everyone together so no one is lonely.

This story is written in third person perspective usually with a focus on Hubert. The story bounces back and forth from present day to the past (the chapters are labeled), starting in 1957 when Hubert moved from Jamaica to England, hoping for a better life but encountering a lot of prejudice. Not long after he arrived, he met and fell in love with Joyce, a white co-worker. Despite her family disowning her when they discover Hubert is Black, Hubert and Joyce marry and started a family.

It's been a while since I've read a Mike Gayle book and I liked this one. There was a weird twist towards the end, though. I can see why it was there but I found it a bit farfetched and unbelievable.

Book ~ "The Last Flight" (2020) Julie Clark

From Goodreads ~ Claire Cook has a perfect life. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move. But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.

A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets - Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity and along with it the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.

Claire and Rory seem to have a rich fairy tale life. But Rory is actually a controlling and abusive husband and over the years, the physical abuse has gotten worse. Knowing no one would believe her if she spoke out and that she would be punished by Rory if she left, she devises a plan to escape and disappear and is counting down the hours. A last minute change in her travel plans, though, ruins everything.

Eve was raised in foster homes.  After getting kicked out of university 12 years ago, she did what she had to do to survive. But that's all closing in on her and she knows she has to run. She meets Claire in the airport bar, each telling their stories about wanting to disappear and decide to swap tickets ... Claire is going to head to Oakland and figure it out when she gets there and Eva was going to head to Puerto Rico and live on the money she banked in overseas accounts. Except the plane to Puerto Rico crashes and all aboard are killed ... and it's assumed that Claire is among them.  That suits Claire fine but with no money and no contacts, she heads to Eva's house and now has to deal with what Eva was running away from. Eva at the last minute decided to not get on the plane after all ... and Claire suspects she didn't.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it. The story was interesting and I liked the writing style. It jumps back and forth over six months and I was okay with this as it built up the back stories. It's written in first person perspective in Claire's and except for a couple chapters in third person perspective in Eva's voice (the chapters are labeled so you know who is the focus). I liked both Claire and Eva and was cheering for them. I was happy with the ending. It was farfetched at times but I went with it.