#AmReading

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The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis
Published by Avon Books on June 13, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

What makes life sweet?

Freshly baked bread A cool lake on a hot summer day The comfort of a cozy bookstore Second chances and new beginnings

When Harper Shaw's life falls apart, she knows it's time for a change. She removes everything that doesn't spark joy--from her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making lists--and sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldn't feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery.

With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace she's never experienced since...well, forever.. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secrets...

When those secrets explode, it changes Harper's new world, and she'll learn, it's never too late to start over, it's never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, it's never too late to let yourself believe in love.

It's always a pleasure to read a Jill Shalvis book. Once again, she gave me a beautiful story of people trying to heal and find their place, and it was told with lots of humor and warmth.

Harper was looking to start over after being set aside by both her almost fiancé and her father. She packed her things and made her way to the last place she was truly happy - Sunrise Cove. There, she hoped for a fresh start and a life filled with things that sparked joy.

Bodie had suffered some devastating losses and had to heal both physically and mentally. He had been left for dead after an op went sideways, lost his partner, and around the same time, his father. He was lucky to have such an incredible family. They were so loving and supportive, watching out for him while also trying to help him move forward. They were a definite plus for me and added a lot of fun to this story.

The universe also brought Ivy to Sunrise Cove, and she had quite an agenda. She DID find what she was looking for, but she also found so much more. This storyline was unexpected, but Shalvis did a great job with it. 

Shalvis' books never fail to leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. I absolutely loved seeing these three bond, open their hearts, and become a family. They were in self-protective mode, but slowly, they learned to trust each other. And, I have to mention, that my heart EXPLODED during the epilogue. There are things I never tire of, and I was happy-dancing due to what was revealed in the final pages of this book.

I picked up this book because Jill Shalvis never disappoints me. Once again, I smiled my face off and adored my visit to Sunrise Cove.

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Save What's Left by Elizabeth Castellano
Published by Anchor Books on June 27, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

An outrageously funny debut novel about a woman who moves to a small beach town looking for peace, only to find herself in an all-out war with her neighbors.

When Kathleen Deane's husband, Tom, tells her he's no longer happy with his life and their marriage, Kathleen is confused. They live in Kansas. They've been married thirty years. Who said anything about being happy? But with Tom off finding himself, Kathleen starts to think about what she wants. And her thoughts lead her to a small beach community on the east coast, a town called Whitbey that has always looked lovely in the Christmas letters her childhood friend Josie sends every year.

It turns out, though, that life in Whitbey is nothing like Josie's letters. Kathleen's new neighbor, Rosemary, is cantankerous, and the town's supervisor won't return Kathleen's emails, but worst of all is the Sugar Cube, the monstrosity masquerading as a holiday home that Kathleen's absentee neighbors are building next door to her quaint (read: tiny) cottage. As Kathleen gets more and more involved in the fight against the Sugar Cube and town politics overall, she realizes that Whitbey may not be a fairytale, but it just might be exactly what she needed.

Save What's Left can best be described as the "un-beach read." It pulls back the curtain on life in a beach town, revealing the true cost of a pretty view. Told from the candid and irreverent perspective of a newcomer turned local, this is a story of forgiveness, fortitude, and second chances.

I think I would call this an anti-beach read. Kathleen packed up and relocateed her life to a beachfront home following her husband's departure. As soon as she arrived, Kathleen realized this was NOT going to be the idyllic life she was expecting.

I have to admit, this book was a lot of fun. It was quite a tale filled with lots of over the top antics, and I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. Kathleen's war with the construction crew and owners next door provided endless fodder which made me glad I never had to live through something like that.

Under all the humor was the story of a woman who found her life turned upside down. Her husband of thirty years suddenly decided he no longer wanted to be married. Here was Kathleen thinking she was with her mate for life. A bit adrift, she tried to find her place in this seaside town. There were some times that I really questioned Kathleen's sanity, but I was happy with where she ended up. She found a "home", she embraced a second chance, and she found herself.

Overall, this was quite a fun and farcical story peppered with some rather sweet moments, tons of hijinks, and some twists I did NOT anticipate. 

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

Have you ever lived in a beach town?
Let us know in the comments!