July reading was a reading success! I devoured six books!. True confession: one of those was consumed via Audible. But, reading is reading, right!?!
I’m excited to say that out of the six books I read, not a single one was a bypass! Three of them I liked and three I really, really enjoyed. If you read my June book review, I’m sure you’ve already figured out which one was my favorite. Let’s get into it!
Stealing Home & A Slice of Heaven – Sherryl Woods
After binging the Netflix show based on this series, I couldn’t wait to start reading the books. These books are the first two of Sherryl Woods’ Sweet Magnolias series, set in a sleepy, Southern small town in South Carolina. The books center around a trio of women, friends since they were young, and who also were called the Sweet Magnolias. The women are strong, independent and still very feminine. They have a fierce friendship and a desire to help others.
Each of the first three books focuses on one woman from the group, starting with Maddie, then Dana Sue and Helen. Full disclosure, I’m on the third book now and not sure what happens series-wise after. I love the characters, the storyline and the town of Serenity, South Carolina. Being a Southern girl myself, I see a lot of my own story in each of these women.
Stealing Home introduces us to Maddie. Fresh off of a divorce, she’s juggling getting back into the work world while raising three kids. Her story shows the importance of being able to co-parent well, the struggle of balancing work and home, and the “joy” that is small-town gossip.
A Slice of Heaven takes us deeper into the life of Dana Sue, single mom and owner of the highly-touted Sullivan’s restaurant. We journey with Dana Sue through her daughter’s eating disorder, unsettled feelings about her divorce and realizing her own health challenges.
If you haven’t watched the Netflix series, I highly recommend it, too. Two important things to know going in: 1) The books are different than the series, which I think is a good thing and 2) A second season is coming! I recommend borrowing or buying these books, as they are fairly inexpensive on Kindle, or you can read them for free on Hoopla. If you enjoy stories about strong women and friendship and that feel like a Hallmark movie, these books are for you!
The Jetsetters – Amanda Eyre Ward
I chose this book after it appeared on Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club list. Several years ago I read The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney and this book reminded me of it. Both books feature dysfunctional families, each member with something to hide. In The Jetsetters, mom Charlotte Perkins wins a European cruise through an essay contest. She takes her three grown children with her in hopes this trip will be the perfect time to become closer as a family. Not only does each character experience their own “growth” moments during the trip, the opposite of family bonding occurs. While I can’t say I fully liked the characters, the plotline was relatable and I did have empathy for Charlotte, as throughout the book she struggles with the recent loss of her best friend and trying to repair and strengthen relationships with her own children. I’d say borrow this one!
American Royals – Katharine McGee
If you love all things Royal Family, this is a book for you! I didn’t get up super early to watch either of the recent royal weddings, but I do love a story about a commoner getting involved with a member of the Royal Family. While nothing will be as good as my beloved The Royal We (spoiler: I’m reading the sequel this month), American Royals is a good read to follow it up or hold you over.
The plotline of this series of books is very fascinating. McGee’s Royal Family is actually the American Royal Family, assuming after winning the Revolutionary George Washington took a crown instead of a presidency. This book is the first of two and introduces you to the current-day Washington children, twins Samantha and Jefferson, and oldest Beatrice. When faced with the choice of the crown or marrying for love, what would Beatrice, the heir, do? Would Samantha and Jefferson find their way to make their own royal marks? I had this book on Audible for a while, but once I started listening I couldn’t stop. If you’re an Anglophile, this is a buy or a borrow for you!
What Happens in Paradise – Elin Hilderbrand
It’s a rare occasion when Hilderbrand takes readers off of Nantucket Island for a tale, but she does it so well in the Paradise series! Based mainly on St. John, Hilderbrand mixes the lines of love, mystery and family into one great read. This is the second of the Paradise series, having met Irene Steele and her sons Baker and Cash in Winter in Paradise. After discovering some pretty dark information about her husband and having to make a trip to St. John in the first book, we rejoin Irene and the boys moving forward with lives back on the island. Irene continues working to solve the mystery of her husband’s secret life while Baker tries living life as a single dad on the island and Cash takes a chance on a job change from working in the snow to on a boat. From the luscious scenery to the mouth-watering descriptions of the island fare to the plight of the Steele family, What Happens in Paradise will tempt you to keep turning pages and book a trip to the BVIs for yourself. This book is a BUY!
You have your whole life planned out. Specifically, your five-year plan is well underway. But imagine you have a dream where you’re five years ahead but nothing about it looks like where you’re going or what you have planned. That’s exactly what happens to Dannie Kohan. The dream, where she is living in a different apartment and with a man she’s never seen, is so astounding she can’t shake it. Imagine her surprise when she is introduced to the man from her dream and visits the apartment she woke up in her dream. This story follows Dannie’s life over the next five years, as she turns and changes from what she thought life would always be. This book will make you think about your own life plans and your flexibility with those as things change. Definitely a borrow!
Now it’s your turn. Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? I’m already three books into reading this month but would love your thoughts on what I should be sure to read.