#AmReading

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Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Adams
Published by Lake Union Publishing on October 1, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

In this witty and heartfelt debut from author Brooke Abrams, a romance writer with a passion for astrology reluctantly travels home for Thanksgiving to make amends with her estranged family…and possibly manifest her own happily ever after.

Romance writer Penelope Banks can write the perfect love story, but when it comes to family, all she’s got is a rough draft. Penny shelved the idea of fitting in with her high-achieving family years ago, but when her new business venture—a romance bookstore—is at risk of closing before its doors have opened, she’s forced to ask for help from the one place she never expected. Home.

Penny’s prepared for the usual Thanksgiving lineup: her perfect sister, meddling nana, matchmaking mother, and workaholic father. The guest she didn’t anticipate? Her ex-husband, Smith. After an awkward rideshare with Smith leaves Penny questioning why the romance in her life exists only in her novels, Penny adds some fiction to reality and turns her father’s colleague into the perfect fake boyfriend.

With only four days to mend damaged relationships, and her bookstore’s future at stake, all the stars must align for Penny to finally write a happily ever after for herself and her family.

There's no place like home for the holidays, right? Penny had avoided invitations for the past decade, but this Thanksgiving, she was returning home and would be forced to confront her past.

Retrograde
· Directed or moving backward.
· Go back in position or time

I found these two definitions for the word retrograde, and both seem to fit this story. Penny lamented, time and time again, that she became her worst self every time she returned home. I would call that moving backward, but Penny was actually taking steps forward. This visit was chaotic and full of surprises, but it allowed Penny to gain a lot of insight regarding parts of her life she regretted. She came to terms with many aspects of her past while healing some hurts with her family and opening her heart to the future.

Penny's personal journey was very satisfying for me, but if I had to tell you my favorite thing about this book, I would have to say it was the humor. I laughed so hard and so much for almost every page of this book. Penny was witty and sarcastic, and she just seemed to keep finding herself in some outrageous situations.

For all its humor, the book also had some really sweet moments. I was touched by many events that transpired. I also really enjoyed the flashbacks which featured Thanksgiving celebrations that were important parts of Penny's personal history. They gave me a full picture while also allowing Penny to reflect and see these events through her older and wiser eyes.

Overall, I had a rollicking good time celebrating the holiday with Penny and her family, and I was excited for what the future held for her.

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The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allard
Published by Cerridwen Press on December 1, 2005
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

Sweet tea, corn bread, and soup beans—everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both of their lives forever.

Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick's abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer.

Suddenly, Nick is gone—leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick's abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she's starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she's content if not happy—until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He's back…and he's not alone.

Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. Only one thing might break the protective wall she's built around her emotions—the truth about Frank Anderson's death. But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal.

When I was looking for a book set in Arkansas for a reading challenge, Deanna from a Novel Glimpse suggested this one to me. I have zero regrets listening to her because I loved every second of this deeply emotional, sometimes frustrating, touching, and heartfelt rollercoaster ride.

I have a special place in my heart for stories that span long time periods, and here, I spent 26 years with Nick and Alix. It was something as simple as an invite to the church social and giving him books to read that turned into this love story which would take many years to be given the opportunity to grow.

I loved the French family and the way they never looked down on Nick due to his family circumstances. They claimed him as their own and gave him a safe space where he could grow. I regretted that in an effort to protect each other, Nick and Alix often caused more harm than good, but I never gave up hope.

These two suffered so much pain and loss, but the universe definitely wanted them together. Their paths kept crossing, and the love they had for each other never faded. Their lives may not have played out as they originally planned, but the final result was something wonderful.

I have a pet peeve with the synopsis because I feel it reveals too much, and I am grateful I hadn't read it prior to starting this book. I simply let myself get lost in this story. I let each event hit me with its full force, and I coasted on the waves of emotion. Overall, I was captivated by this tale and eagerly flipped those pages to learn the fate of Nick and Alix.

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