Five Star Friday - August 2024

Five Star Friday is my version of the monthly wrap-up. On the first Friday of each month, I will share my five-star reads from the previous month. Fingers crossed, I have lots of books to tell you about.

This month, I was able to read 29 books, and I had  5 five-star reads. 

---

The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman
Published by Amazon Original Stories on August 1, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

n this star-crossed short story from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman, timing is everything as two sisters learn to let love follow its own path.

Isabel, the long-lost Gibson sister, is finally back home on Brinkley’s Island, Maine. With Sophie and Violet, her sister and her niece, she’s got the family bookstore—and with Johnny Lenox, she’s got something even more special.

But even as life settles, not everything is falling into place. Isabel and Johnny have set the date three times, baked three wedding cakes, invited the whole island to three parties, only to have each attempt at matrimony fall apart at the last minute. Disasters seem to be conspiring against their happy ending, and Isabel is starting to wonder if their love is meant to be.

When family history comes back to haunt the Gibson sisters, Isabel knows that if she wants to make it down the aisle with Johnny, first she and Sophie will have to face the pain of their past and their present, and decide what it means for their future.

Hoffman wowed me with The Bookstore Sisters. I mean, it was so impressive how much story and emotion she delivered in so few pages. Well, she did it once again with The Bookstore Wedding. It was a special treat to have the opportunity to return to this world and see what happened to the sisters after they found their way back to each other. I am happy to say, the focus was on their healing their hearts and finding love again. This is always something that delights me, and I was extremely pleased with the futures Hoffman set in motion for the sisters. I felt there was some groundwork being put down for a future visit. I can only hope! 

---

Miranda in Retrograde by Lauren Layne
Published by Gallery Books on August 13, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

After getting passed over for tenure and having her life upended in the process, a physics professor decides to throw caution to the wind and live by her horoscope predictions for a year in this effervescent rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Made in Manhattan .

As the youngest physics professor at her university, practical-minded Miranda Reed plans her life with minute precision. But that’s before she’s denied tenure and the promotion she thought was guaranteed. Suddenly, her tidy life is anything but constant.

Overdue for a sabbatical, Miranda takes some time to look towards the stars—only this time, she’s not looking for black holes. With her faith in science shaken, Miranda turns to a practice she’s long dismissed as astrology.

Determined to figure out why her life has suddenly gone sideways, Miranda commits to a year of letting her horoscope guide her. Put a down payment on a home? Not while Mercury’s in retrograde. Spontaneous dinner party invitation? Sorry, horoscope says Gemini Rising best stay in tonight. And as far as the intriguingly aloof artist living next door? Never. His Aries energy is all wrong. On the other hand, the charming father of her new tutoring pupil is Sagittarian perfection. Made for her...right?

As Miranda navigates life with new a perspective, she slowly discovers neither science nor the stars have all the answers. And that, when it comes to love, you sometimes just have to trust your heart.

There is a reason why I have read so many Lauren Layne books, and it is because her stories make me happy. There were so many fun elements in Miranda in Retrograde. The whole concept of letting the horoscope guide your life was a hoot while also being kind of interesting. I learned a bunch of things I never knew about this field along the way. I also adored the romantic pairing.  It started as a reluctant friendship which grew into something very real and meaningful. As always, Layne won me over with great characters, humor, wit, and a story that gave me the warm fuzzies. 

[review]

---

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin
Published by Harper Perennial on December 31, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

The author of the beloved international hit The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot returns with a funny, uplifting story about the power of friendship and finding love in unexpected places.

Eddie Winston is 90 years old. He has lived and loved, but he has never been kissed.

A true gentleman and incurable romantic, Eddie spends his days volunteering at a charity shop, where he sorts through the donations of the living and the dead, preserving letters and tokens of love. It is here that he meets Bella, a troubled young woman who, at 24 years old, has just lost the love of her life.

When Bella learns that Eddie is yet to have his first kiss, she resolves to help Eddie Winston finally find love, sparking an adventure that will take them to unexpected places and, they hope, bring Eddie Winston to the moment he has waited for all his life.

A tale of friendship and kindness that reminds us that those we love are never forgotten and it is never too late to try again.

So, I had the release date all wrong on this one, but I am glad I did. I am glad I didn't wait any longer to read this lovely book that simply made my day better. Like Cronin's previous work, this is a touching story that features a multigenerational friendship. Eddie may have been older than her grandparents, but there was a special connection between him and Bella. Eddie was so wonderful, and his tender heart overflowed with compassion for people who he knew were going through something. He saw that in Bella, and when he extended some unconditional support, an amazing friendship was born. As I learned about Eddie in the past and present, I couldn't help but root for him to find love and get that first kiss. I hope everyone takes a chances and gets to meet Eddie because he was definitely something special. 

---

Lowcountry Lost by T.I. Lowe
Published by Tyndale Fiction on September 3, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Sometimes what haunts you most is wondering what could have been . . . Avalee Elvis prides herself with being able to fix just about anything. . . except her past. Unable to put the puzzle of her life together, she pours heart and soul into making neglected places whole again. As the owner of Lowcountry Lost, Avalee spends her days in hot-pink Carhartt overalls and a tool belt reclaiming Lowcountry properties. Making them beautiful again releases the deep sigh that soothes the hurt she holds.

Avalee's latest project takes her to tiny Somewhere, South Carolina, a long-abandoned town. She ignores its ghostly folklore but can't miss the shock of hearing the familiar Irish brogue that materializes on the job site--the voice of the man she never wanted to see again.

Rowan Murray is a structural engineer hired by investors to oversee the redevelopment of the quaint downtown Avalee is bringing back to life. Once upon a time, he was also the man who knew Avalee better than anyone else--or so he thought. Turns out he was wrong. Neither of them was prepared for what happened between them six years ago. But as they work together to complete the rehabbing of Somewhere, their broken pieces and the pain that nearly consumed them begin to lose its grip, and both begin to wonder if it's not too late for a restoration of their own.

From the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias comes a story of loss and abandonment, forgiveness, and the beauty of undying love.

- Contemporary Southern romance with a second chance romance trope
- Special features include: discussion questions for book clubs, recipes, and a playlist inspired by Avalee and Rowan's love story
- Contains themes of loss and restoration
- For fans of HGTV shows like Fixer Upper, Home Town, and Good Bones

I had never read a book by Lowe, but the synopsis for Lowcountry Lost really pulled me in. I love the idea of revitalizing a ghost town, but the beauty of this story was how the project reunited Avalee and her ex husband and gave them a second chance at love. While they were rebuilding this town, they were rebuilding their hearts and their relationship with each other. There was a bunch of other heartwarming things that transpired in this tale that simply left me elated and uplifted. I am looking forward to reading more by Lowe. 

[review]

---

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
Published by Avon on September 24, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery

Goodreads

Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

What can I say, I have a thing for Ally Carter's fast paced stories which always have so much humor and warmth. From the very first page, my mouth spread into a grin, and I knew I was in for a special treat. Both Maggie and Ethan quickly won me over as they worked together to solve the mystery of the missing author. I have a wonderful time searching for the answers with their two as they untangled their pasts and moved forward together. 

---

Honorable Mention

August was packed with great reading. Here are my honorable mention books. All earned 4.5 stars.

• Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller
• The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor
• How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper
• Betrothal or Breakaway by Leah Brunner
• Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
• Once Upon a Puppy by Lizzie Shane
• Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb
• The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler
• The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
• The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers
• Business Casual by B.K. Borison
• The Beach Trees by Karen White

What were the best books you read last month?
Let us know in the comments!