Christmas in the Alps

Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Fiction / Christmas
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group, 2021
Pages: 176
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.

During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure. . . and so much more.

Review: I didn't realize this was a new release when I picked it up from the library. I enjoyed Melody Carlson's novel, and this was exactly what I come to expect from her. It was cute, and nice little escape. One thing is certain, I now want to visit the Alps.

The Christmas Light

Author: Donna VanLiere
Genre: Christmas / Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2014
Pages: 224
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: In the small town of Grandon, five very different people discover the true meaning of Christmas. Ryan and Jennifer are both single parents, struggling with their own losses and heartache as they attempt to move forward in the present while still holding onto the memories, joy, and heartache of the past. Sixteen-year-old Kaylee is faced with a life-changing situation that has affected her family. Stephen and Lily are happily married and ready to start a family. All of them are facing their own struggles, and all are finding their way through the dark. When they are brought together for a rather unconventional church Nativity, they will learn that with strength, courage, and love, there is always hope.

Review: What a sweet Christmas story. This was exactly what you expect from this genre, and I loved it. I would read more by this author.

Heard it in a Love Song

Author: Tracey Garvis Graves
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2021
Pages: 304
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Love doesn't always wait until you're ready.

Layla Hilding is thirty-five and recently divorced. Struggling to break free from the past - her glory days as the lead singer in a band and a ten-year marriage to a man who never put her first - Layla's newly found independence feels a lot like loneliness.

Then there's Josh, the single dad whose daughter attends the elementary school where Layla teaches music. Recently separated, he's still processing the end of his twenty-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. He chats with Layla every morning at school and finds himself thinking about her more and more.

Equally cautious and confused about dating in a world that favors apps over meeting organically, Layla and Josh decide to be friends with the potential for something more. Sounds sensible and way too simple - but when two people are on the rebound, is it heartbreak or happiness that's a love song away?

Review: I plucked Heard it in a Love Song off the "New Fiction" library display shelf. I loved the title. It's a break from the daughter/wife/sister trend publishers have embraced. Also, the cover of this book looked like November to me with the muted gold and fall bouquet. Don't be fooled; it's not just a pretty face.

This book was fantastic and for me, 100% relatable. 

I'm divorced.
I was a single mom.
I recovered from an unhealthy relationship.
I'm married to a music teacher.
Said music teacher has morning (drop-off) duty.

This book was written for me.

And secondly, for every reader who loved Daisy Jones and The Six. And, alos, for every reader who didn't becaus this has the same feel, but itsn't an interview format.

This author has written many books, but I've never heard of her until now. One of my reading goals now for 2022 is to read all of Tracey Garvis Graves' books.

St, Anthony's Chapel

Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: J. Pohl Associates
Pages: 82
Rating: Recommend

Review: My son attends CCD / Sunday School at Most Holy Name School located near St. Anthony's Chapel. While I've known about chapel and the relics it holds, I hadn't take the time to find it until now. It's a beautiful chapel, and I enjoyed reading its history in this little book that my mom picked up at the gift shop across the street.

The Pilot's Daughter

Author: Meredith Jaeger
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2021
Pages: 352
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: In the final months of World War II, San Francisco newspaper secretary Ellie Morgan should be planning her own wedding and subsequent exit from the newsroom into domestic life. Intsead, Ellie who harbors dreams of having her own column, is using all the skills she's learned as a would-be reporter to try to uncover any scrap of evidence that her missing pilot father is still alive. But when she discovers a stack of love letters from a woman who is not her mother in his possessions, her already fragile world goes into a tailspin, and she vows to find out the truth about the father she loves - and the woman who loved him back.

When Ellie arrives on her aunt Iris' doorstep, clutching a stack of letters and uttering a name Iris hasn't heard in decades, Iris is terrified. She's hidden her past as a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl from her family, and her experiences in New York City in the 1920s could reveal much more than the origin of her brother-in-law's alleged affair. Iris' heady deays in the spotlight weren't enough to outshine the darker underbelly of Jazz Age New York, and she's spent the past twenty years believing that her actions in those days led to murder.

Review: I loved this book. I loved the settings. I loved the characters. I loved the story. 

I was a little hesitant to read it because while I had enjoyed Boardwalk Summer immensely, I was disappointed that it was a rewrite of her debut novel, The Dressmaker's Dowry. The characters and time periods had changed, but the formula did not. 

I am happy to say, The Pilot's Wife is story unto itself. Thoroughly enjoyed. 

Buffalo Valley

Author: Debbie Macomber
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: MIRA Books, 2009
Pages: 400
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, has a willl to survive, to prosper. And the outside world has discovered Buffalo Valley. A large retail conglomerate plans to move in, which would surely destroy the independent businesses. . .and maybe the town.

It's a season of change for Vaughn Kyle. Just out of the army, he's looking for a life to live - and waits for his reluctant fiance to make up her mind. Vaughn decides to visit Buffalo Valley and Hassie Knight. He was named after Hassie's son who died in Vietnam and she thinks of him as a surrogate son. He arrives at her store one snowy day and finds not Hassie but a young woman named Carrie Hendrickson.

Will the season bring peace and joy - to Vaughn and to the town?

As he begins to love Carrie, Vaughn questions his feelings for the woman he thought he loved. He wants to stay in Buffalo Valley and fight for its way of life. A life that's all about friends and family. 

Review: I read the other books in these series awhile ago, and I'm not sure how I missed this book's existence. I enjoyed this as I enjoy all of Debbie Macomber's books. 

It's been awhile since I read the others in the series, but Macomber did a good job reacquainting me with the residents of Buffalo Valley. I believe this started out as a trilogy, and a fourth book was added, this one.

The Dakota Series:
1. Dakota Born
2. Dakota Home
3. Always Dakota
4. Buffalo Valley

Westward Hearts

Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers, 2012
Pages: 352
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Kentucky, 1854 - Elizabeth Martin has mourned her husband's death for three years, but now she feels ready to fulfill the dream they had shared - to take their two children west. The dream becomes reality when her middle-aged parents and bachelor brother surprise her with the news that they want to go as well.

After converting three of their best wagons to prairie schooners and thoroughly outfitting them, the little part travels from Kentucky to Kansas City, where they join a substantial wagon train. Elizabeth soon finds herself being drawn to the group's handsome guide, Eli Kincaide.

The long journal and deepening relationships challenge the travelers to their core, and Eli's mysterious past leaves Elizabeth with more questions than answers. She knows there's no turning back, but she wonders, "What have I gotten myself into?"

Review: I love reading Oregon Trail novels, and this was no exception. However, it is set in Melody Carlson's usual, everyone gets a happy ending tone. Probably not a realistic representation of life on the trail, but a good story and enjoyable novel. 

This is the first book in the Homeward on the Oregon Trail series, and I plan to continue reading.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Country

Author: William Anderson
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995
Pages: 120
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Laura Ingalls Wilder Country takes the millions of fans of the Little House books and the hit TV series on an enchanting tour of the real world of the well-loved author, visiting the people and places who inspired her classic books.

Review: Not my favorite biography about the Ingalls Family, but I did interesting information. I've been to her home at Rocky Ridge, Missouri so it was fun to read about that. I also knew Carrie Ingalls ended up in Keystone, SD since we happened upon the museum quite by accident.