Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

August 15, 2022

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

For years, Carrie Soto was the G.O.A.T. of women's tennis. But then a younger player came and knocked her off her pedestal by beating her record of tournament wins. At near-40 years old, Carrie decides to make a comeback to reclaim what she considers to be her rightful place. But it's harder than she thinks it will be - the younger players have new strategies and stronger bodies. Carrie's father Javier, a country club tennis pro who was her coach during her early years of competition, is along for the ride, is along for the ride, coaching both her and Carrie's playing partner and sometime boyfriend Bode.

I wanted to love this as much as I loved Daily Jones and the Six, or the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I didn't. Carrie and Bode are loosely based on Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors, two professional tennis players of the 1970's who also had a well-publicized dating relationship. Connors was famous for throwing his racquet and having tantrums on the court when he didn't agree with the umpire's call. Real-life Evert seemed to be more personable than Carrie is.

Too much about tennis matches and training for tennis and psyching out other tennis players - and well, I found myself skimming the sections about tennis, which meant I easily finished the book in one day. I thought the storyline was predictable. Another annoying thing was having Carrie and her father converse in Spanish most of the time. I know enough Spanish that this wasn't an issue for me but many readers are not going to want to stop and look up the words to figure out what the conversation is about.

Overall disappointing for me, although I think hardcore TJR fans will love it. Characters from previous books (such as Mick Riva and Broderick the surfer) are mentioned. I didn't also love her previous book Malibu Rising (about a super-beautiful super-model who is the super-surfer of the world). As least Carrie isn't drop-dead gorgeous - there is another tennis player who gets that title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

 August 30, 2020

Since they were children, Alina Dziak knew she was going to marry Tomascz Slaski because they were perfect for each other.  In 1938, when he turns 18, Tomascz leaves their small town to travel to Krakow to attend the university so that he can become a doctor like his father.  He and Alina become engaged before he leaves, and Tomascz vows he will always return to Alina.  But World War II is looming and the Nazis interrupt their plans when they invade Poland.  Seventy years later, Alina suffers a stroke and what may be her final wish is for her granddaughter Alice to go to Poland to find out what happened to Alina's family.

This is another one of those historical novels that has a historical narrative that alternates with a modern narrative.  It's more like a historical fiction/women's fiction hybrid, since the modern story is pure women's fiction.  This seems to be Kelly Rimmer's style, based on the other books she has written.  It took me a while to get into this one, mostly because I didn't like Alice, the main character in the modern storyline.  She was a bully and a know-it-all, even though she was remarkably stupid at times.  Her husband was almost perfect, like a guy out of a fantasy romance novel.  However, Alina and Tomascz's story redeemed the novel, and although I still disliked Alice, I stayed with the book because I wanted to find out about their story.

Readers who enjoyed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly, or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr should enjoy this one, although I thought those were all better books.  Women who like women's fiction will read it for the modern narrative.

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

June 18, 2020

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

Natalie Harper is a successful executive at a wine distribution company in northern California, until a horrendous tragedy upends her life.  She returns to San Francisco to care for her aging grandfather and try to figure out where her life is going.  On impulse, Natalie decides to quit her job (which she hates) and take over the family bookshop.  But the bookshop is in deep financial trouble, and she wonders if it is too late to rescue the store.

  

As I'm not a real fan of women's fiction or romance, I found the storyline somewhat predictable, as I pretty well figured out the rest of the story about 1/3 of the way through the book (who the love interest was, that Granddad was going to find buried treasure in the basement and save the bookshop, etc.).  There are too many coincidences that stretched credulity a little too far (a $12,000 military medal, a $19 million Tang dynasty vase, and a priceless set of original hand-colored Audubon bird books, all in the same building?  Which has frequent floods and earthquakes, yet all the artifacts are still in perfect condition?  The most famous children's author in America drops everything to do a reading for her little store?).  Unlike her previous novel (The Oysterville Sewing Circle) where the love interest shows up on the second page of the book, at least there was a little character development first.  This one really wasn't my style.

But if you are an avid romance reader or enjoy women's fiction, or want a happy ending where everything works out perfectly, you will enjoy Wiggs' latest novel, and to be fair, she is a very good writer, much better than many romance authors.  With all the upheaval and social unrest in the world right now, maybe a perfect happy ending isn't a bad thing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in return for a review.

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

November 16, 2019

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood loves everything about Christmas, but mostly the challenge of coming up with just the right Christmas gift for everyone.  Her mother always hosts the family Christmas dinner, but this year, Becky’s parents inform her that they are temporarily moving to a trendy London neighborhood, so Becky will be hosting Christmas in her new house.  Oh, and her vegan sister Jess and husband Tom will be visiting from South America, so Becky has to find a vegan turkey.  Then Becky’s college ex-boyfriend rock musician rents a cottage in the neighborhood which makes Becky question whether she is still cool and edgy. On the positive side, Becky has found the PERFECT present for her husband Luke (even if he insists he wants after shave lotion for Christmas), but to get it, she needs to find a way to join a billiards club that doesn’t accept women members.

The latest title in the Shopaholic series is just the thing for holiday reading and a wonderful antidote to holiday craziness.  Although Becky seems to complicate her life unnecessarily, she just wants to have perfect presents, and for everyone to be happy and enjoy the holiday.  She is so good-hearted that it’s impossible to dislike her.  Curl up with a plate of cookies and a cup or glass of something, and have a good laugh about Becky’s latest plans and schemes.

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

September 8, 2019

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

The British press called them "surplus women" - hundreds of thousands of women unlikely to marry due to the vast number of British men of their generation who were killed in World War I (over 2,000,000).  Violet Speedwell is one of these women, working to support herself as a typist and create a life for herself in the cathedral town of Winchester.  She accidentally comes upon a group of cathedral broderers, women who do needlepoint to cover the kneelers and cushions in Winchester Cathedral and bring comfort to the worshippers.  Violet's decision to join the group brings her friendship and the support of community, while ultimately changing the course of her life.

Historical fiction is like mental sorbet for me:  in between the heavier works of literary fiction and complex thrillers, historical fiction like this is gentle and understated, soothing in the troubled times we live in.  I especially enjoy historical fiction that focuses on largely unknown or hidden facets of history, in this case, the lives of the surplus women and the time between the two world wars.  I loved the cover of this book, with the embroidery border that you don't notice at first.  While I don't think this title is as strong as Girl With a Pearl Earring, it's a great choice for a rainy or snowy afternoon, to enjoy with a cup of tea and a plate of shortbread cookies (NOT the hated Garibaldi biscuits mentioned in the story, sort of a sticky current sandwich cookie, LOL).

  

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs

August 18, 2019

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs

Caroline Shelby always loved to sew and dreamed of being a fashion designer.  But in the cut-throat world of New York fashion, she is betrayed by her mentor who destroys her budding career.  When a close friend dies of an overdose, Caroline returns to her hometown and her family in Oysterville, WA, bringing her friend’s two orphaned children with her.  With her new responsibilities, she needs to start over and make a life for the three of them.  Caroline is certain that the scandal and shame she feels is the worst thing that could happen to anyone, but she quickly learns that many of the women she meets have secrets of their own.  Her evolution is eased by renewing her relationship with Will Jensen, a long-time friend.

I requested an e-ARC for this title since I am an avid sewer, but the “sewing circle” turned out to be a domestic abuse support group.  Some sewing happens but it's sort of a side plot.  The topic of domestic abuse and violence is hugely important and pulled right from the headlines.  Too many influential men have been permitted to bully and abuse women and children, their actions hidden by their positions.  My dad always said that it doesn't take a brave man to hit a woman, a child or a dog - to him, men like that were despicable.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of women’s fiction (a little too predictable), but Susan Wiggs is a popular women's fiction writer, and readers of both women’s fiction and romance should enjoy this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a review.

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins

July 25, 2019

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins

Emma London has made a good life for herself and her daughter Riley, living in a Chicago suburb, when she gets a telephone call from her cold but fabulously wealthy grandmother.  Genevieve has just learned that she is dying of brain cancer, and she wants Emma and Riley to come and stay with her in Connecticut for the summer.  The problem is that Emma hasn’t heard from Genevieve in almost 17 years, since she kicked Emma out when she found out she was pregnant.

Most of Emma’s childhood memories are of Genevieve's negative criticisms of her:  she didn’t care about her appearance, she didn’t stand up for herself, she squandered her opportunities, she was never good enough overall.  With plenty of misgivings, Emma decides that she and Riley both need a change.  She decides to return to Connecticut to find out why Genevieve has reached out to her. 

This is a warm, fuzzy, feel-good read, with a number of strong women characters.  The story is told from the perspective of several different characters.  My only issue is that things work out a little too neatly and predictably.  There are a few characters who are dead at the beginning of the novel, and they are all practically canonized in the course of the novel, with nary a bad memory about any of them (it’s hard to compete with the dead – living people are complicated and messy).  But readers who enjoy women’s fiction or are looking for a great vacation read, as well as fans of Higgins, will fall right into this story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in return for a review.