Genre: Fiction/Romance

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t doesn't matter how old/young you are, breaking up is definitely hard to do (thanks Neil Sedaka). Couples are used to doing "couples' activities" with joint friends, and when Marie realizes she must break up with her boyfriend, she also recognizes the predicament she is in. Her best friend, Grace, has a wonderful boyfriend, and Marie  is bumping into her own cheating ex-boyfriend around town, making her realize she needs a change.

When Grace and her boyfriend decide to move to the United States, Marie makes friends with an odd bunch of people in this light read set in England.  The reader enjoys the various predicaments she finds herself in and roots for her in the romance department.  Author Ellis has a way of making us relate to this young woman who just wants to connect with people.  

Although the book begins with Marie catching her boyfriend in bed with another woman, her resilience leaves little room for pity.  Even a pregnancy fear is handled with humor (trying to hide a pregnancy test from her Aunt in a drugstore almost lands her in jail) and her determination to enjoy a new crowd of people is admirable.

I enjoyed the quirky characters and easy-to-read plot as I read Friends Like These, and I was able to overlook some glaring editing errors while rooting for this adorable young woman in her search for friends and romance.  

- Beverly


Publisher - Hannah Ellis Publisher
Date of Publication - ​​​August 9, 2015

Genre: Humor/Romance

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Technical writer Kat Stevens is bored with her job.  She is annoyed with her boss and generally feeling restless when she gets a call from her estranged aunt's lawyer.  I seems that Aunt Abigail died and left her estate to Kat.  The estate consists of a run down home in Alpine Grove that comes with four dogs and five cats that need love and attention.  If she decides to stay, there is a nice sized bank account to go with it.  If she sells the house and gives away the animals, the bank account is dispersed to her aunt's favorite charities.  

Of course she stays, and she meets Joel, an unemployed techie with plenty of flaws.  He acts as her handyman, and things start falling into place as she builds affection for him and the menagerie of animals that populate her new home.  Reading this romantic mystery is a fun way to spend an afternoon whether you are an animal lover or not, but for those who love animals, you definitely are in for a treat.

This is the first Susan Daffron book that I have read, but her sarcastic sense of humor makes me want to read another.  The animals are funny and Daffron's descriptions of the  odd people of Alpine Grove make this book a comfortable one to get lost in.  Although there is mystery and drama in this book, I was hoping for just a bit more depth of character as far as Kat was concerned, and sometimes her reactions to events seemed a bit weak, but all in all this is a well written book that might entice you to get a pet or two of your own.

- Beverly


Publisher - Magic Fur Press
Date of Publication - Sept 23, 2013

Genre: Mystery/Romance

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Sandra Brown's books have always been the perfect summer beach read for me.  While her characters certainly have their tragic back stories, they are always interesting and vital enough to capture the reader without totally depressing him/her. Friction is no exception. Crawford Hunt lost his wife four years ago, in an accident for which he unfairly takes responsibility.  Depressed and unable to function, Texas Ranger Hunt allowed his in-laws temporary custody of Georgia, his five year old daughter. Although he now feels ready to resume raising her, his in-laws have a different idea.

A custody battle ends up in the courtroom of Judge Holly Spencer, but before she can render a decision, someone comes into the courtroom and attempts to kill her. Hunt takes immediate action and saves her, and the excitement and romance (after all, this is Sandra Brown) begins.The mystery becomes more complicated with the addition of a bitter father-in-law and a policeman with an ax to grind as the story progresses.

Brown makes the reader care about her characters, but sometimes they become a bit stereo typical for me. Their actions are somewhat unrealistic as the attraction between the judge and the man whose case she is judging builds, and I had to keep reminding myself that this is a light romantic mystery, and realism obviously wasn't a high priority.  She does build an interesting story with moments of surprise, and Sandra Brown fans should be happy with the newest of her novels.

- Beverly


Publisher - Central Publishing
Date of Publication - August 18, 2015