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    Withered

    Amy Miles

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    I always thought when the apocalypse finally began I would be swinging my baseball bat at the...

Comatose (Vixen Bluff #1)
Comatose (Vixen Bluff #1)
Catherine Black | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
128 of 200
Kindle
Comatose (Vixen Bluff book 1)
By Catherine Black

Shaye Robinson never questions her role as the tame, submissive sweetheart of Vixen Bluff's illustrious physician, Dr. Robert Baxter. At least, not until she finds his hands wrapped around her neck at the office Christmas party. Blinded by betrayal and more than ready to bid adieu to their loveless engagement, Shaye makes a devastating mistake that leaves her scarred and broken, and at the mercy of the one man she was trying to escape.
Nurse Alexander Mayes avoids temptation of any kind. Always. No exceptions. Living a mediocre, no-frills life is all that's kept him and his little brother fed, clothed, and off the streets since the untimely death of their parents. So when the blonde in room 301 emerges from a coma and immediately charms her way into Alex's heart, he has no other choice than to keep her at arm's length. Her smile may be as rare as her miraculous circumstances, and her eyes may hint at an uncontrollable fire just waiting to lay waste to those who have wronged her, but crossing that particular line would be career suicide.
As Shaye and Alex navigate the treacherous waters of her recovery, they discover everyone in Vixen Bluff has already deemed them 'meant to be', despite the clear conflict of interest. But just when Shaye thinks a happily-ever-after could be in the cards after all, a threat from her past makes his presence known, jeopardizing everything she's fought so hard to rebuild.




I’ve never read anything by this author and this was recommended. I’m so glad I picked it up it was just brilliant! I love the writing style and the story! What’s not to love? Romance isn’t usually a go to genre for me but I really loved this book.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Switch in Books

Jan 7, 2021  
The Switch
The Switch
Beth O'Leary | 2020 | Contemporary
9
9.1 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
A touching look at love and loss

Leena Cotton's way to deal with life is losing herself in her work. But when she's forced to take a two-month sabbatical, her usual focal point is gone. So Leena comes up with a plan: she'll escape to her grandmother Eileen's house, a beautiful little cottage in the lovely, quiet village of Hamleigh, and Eileen will come and stay in Leena's flat in London. To Leena, this sounds perfect; her grandmother, after all, though nearly eighty, is newly single and looking for another chance at love. Where better to find it than in bustling London? But switching places isn't as easy as it seems. In Hamleigh, Leena learns her grandmother's shoes are hard to fill, having to plan a local festival and deal with nosy neighbors. Meanwhile, in London, Eileen has to get up-to-speed with online dating and the hustle and bustle of a busy city. But, all may not be lost for the Cotton women.

Oh this book. It's just absolutely lovely. I wasn't sure if the idea of a "swapping places" book would come across as silly or trite, but in O'Leary's deft hands, it's perfect. She gives us a beautiful story about healing after grief (Leena's sabbatical comes because she blows a presentation as she's dealing with the grief of losing her sister; Eileen, obviously, has lost her granddaughter). But it's also funny, sweet, and romantic. The sadness is woven in with hope and beauty. It's one of those rare books that can make you both cry and laugh.

Eileen and Leena--what can I say about these characters? They are so real! I identified, of course, with workaholic Leena, and you just want to go into the book and save her (though she doesn't need it) as she struggles with her sister's death, feeling abandoned by her own grieving mother after the loss, and getting her life back on track. And Eileen? She's a total trip. Finally free to find love again, she's a wonderful and spunky woman that you cannot help but root for. The supporting cast is absolutely excellent--Leena's friends and flatmates, combined with the townspeople of Hamleigh, make for some of the most memorable supporting cast I can remember in quite some time. They all fit together perfectly in the story.

Overall, I defy you not to fall for this tale. Eileen's quest for love. Leena's quest to find herself again. O'Leary gives us a beautiful gift in THE SWITCH. One of my favorite reads of the year. 4.5+ stars.
  
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ClareR (5879 KP) rated Cunning Women in Books

May 15, 2021  
Cunning Women
Cunning Women
Elizabeth Lee | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cunning Women is everything I love about historical fiction.
I’m on a bit of a 17th century bender at the moment, and witches seem to crop up frequently. Basically, if you were female, didn’t have a man about the place (preferably one you were married to) and knew things other than washing, cleaning and popping out babies, you risked being accused of witchcraft. Add to that a birthmark, and/ or an opinion or two, AND not going to church regularly, then you might as well start picking your own stake out.

Sarah and her mother, brother and little sister, all live in a hamlet abandoned after all the inhabitants died of plague, known as the Plague Village. They have no money and little income after the death of Sarah’s father, and what money they do have comes from selling potions, small spells and begging. They’re outcasts, and there’s an atmosphere of dank, dark poverty in where they live and what they wear. They are avoided by pretty much everyone in the village - it seems to be a really lonely existence.

Then comes a spark of hope when Sarah meets the local farmer’s son, Daniel. He lives a very different life: one of open spaces, plenty of food, light and comfort. He’s treated poorly by his father and a farm hand, but he’s never hungry, and his living conditions are so much better than those of the Haworth family.

This is a story that feels so raw and real. You just know that it’s not going to be a happy ending. How can it? DOn’t get me wrong - I rather like endings that are unresolved or just plain unpleasant (weird, I know), but the youth of these protagonists had me hoping throughout for a better life for them.

Ahh, the 17th century - great to read about, but I’ve never been so glad to have been born in the 1970’s!

This is a really enjoyable, heartfelt historical fiction novel, and I’m so pleased that I got the chance to read it. Many thanks to Windmill Books for providing me with an e-arc through NetGalley.