Five Star Friday - March 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  4 five-star reads. 

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After Annie by Anna Quindlen
Published by Random House on February 27, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children and her closest friend are left to struggle without the woman who centered their lives. Bill Brown finds himself overwhelmed, and Annie’s best friend Annemarie is lost to old bad habits without Annie’s support. It is Annie’s daughter, Ali, forced to try to care for her younger brothers and even her father, who manages to maintain some semblance of their former lives for them all, and who confronts the complicated truths of adulthood.

Yet over the course of the next year, while Annie looms large in their memories, all three are able to grow, to change, even to become stronger and more sure of themselves. The enduring power Annie gave to those who loved her is the power to love, and to go on without her.

Written in Quindlen’s emotionally resonant voice, and with her deep and generous understanding of people, After Annie is a story that ends with hope, a beautiful novel about how adversity can change us in profound ways.

"A wise and heartfelt novel of connection, of loss and love and the power of both."—Amy Bloom

Quindlen’s trademark wisdom on family, emotions, and the secrets of people in a small town are at the center of this novel about triumph over adversity and the power of love to transcend time, by the bestselling author of Alternate Side and Every Last One .

I cannot tell a lie. Many tears were shed as I read this book, but the sobbing at the end was due to how full my heart was for Annie's family. The story begins with Annie's death, and we follow her loved ones as they are forced to navigate their first year without her. The beauty of this book was in the way it made me feel. It was a study of humanity, love, and devotion and was just as much about life as it was death. Overall, my eyes are wet and my heart is full due to this beautiful and touching tale.

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Effie Olsen's Summer Special by Rochelle Bilow
Published by Berkeley on April 30, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

These childhood best friends swore they’d never speak again. But a surprise summer reunion changes everything when it gives them the chance to turn up the heat.

Effie Olsen thought she’d never live on the tiny Maine island where she grew up, but she’s returning from sixteen years as a professional chef in far-flung countries for one summer and one summer only. Her hometown boasts one of the best restaurants in the US, and lucky for her, Brown Butter needs a sous chef. Effie's eager for a chance at redemption after her last job went up in flames, but reluctant to set down roots in a place that reminds her of the ghosts of her past.

Until, that is, she runs into Ernie Callahan, her onetime best friend who now works in the very same restaurant. Early morning swims and late-night games of truth or dare with Ernie remind her of what she’s been missing while traveling the world. He knows her better than anyone, and it doesn’t hurt that his smile lights her up brighter than the lighthouses dotting the craggy coastline.

But their restaurant has a secret that’s bursting at the seams, and if Effie doesn’t keep it, her job will vanish into the foggy Maine air. As summer draws to a close, her dream job and the perfect guy are both within reach. Her salty seaside hometown might be the key to Effie’s sweet ending...if she can learn to let her heart lead the way in time.

From the very beginning, I knew this book was going to be a hit. I very much enjoyed Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year, but Effie blew that book out of the water. It had me laughing and swooning and hoping, and it was a delight from beginning to end. Overall, I adored Effie Olsen's Summer Special. The focus on family, friendship, and food plus a charming New England setting, a great romance, and Effie to root for made this a spectacular read for me.

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Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward
Published by Ballentine Books on May 14, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

Three wildly different sisters reunite for a destination wedding at an English castle in this heartfelt and rollicking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters.

Once upon a time, the Peacock sisters were little girls who combed each other’s tangled hair. But decades of secrets have led them to separate lives—and to telling lies, to themselves and to one another.

Sylvie is getting married. Again. A librarian and widow who soothes her grief by escaping into books (and shelving them perfectly), Sylvie has caught the attention of an unlikely match: Simon Rampling, a mysterious, wealthy man from Northern England. Sylvie allows herself to imagine a life beside him—one filled with the written word, kindness, and companionship. She’s ready to love again . . . or is she?

Cleo is the golden child. A successful criminal defense lawyer with the perfect boyfriend, she is immediately suspicious of Simon. Is he really who he says he is? Cleo heads to Mumberton Castle with a case of investigative files, telling herself she will expose Simon and save her sister from more heartbreak . . . but who is she really trying to save?

Emma is living a lie. She can’t afford this fancy trip—and she definitely can’t tell her husband and sons why. She once dreamt of a line of her own perfumes. Fragrances allowed her to speak in silence. Now, that tendency for silence only worsens her situation. Will she emerge with her dignity and family intact?

When their toxic mother shows up, the sisters assume the roles they fell into to survive their childhood . . . but they just might find the courage to make new choices.

Set over a spectacularly dramatic weekend, in the grand halls of a sprawling castle estate—amidst floor-to-ceiling libraries, falconry lessons, and medieval meals—Lovers and Liars is the unforgettable story of a family’s ability to forgive and to find joy in one another once again.

I had previously read The Lifeguards by Ward which really impressed me. When I saw this story about sisters, I could not resist! I absolutely adore books that focus on sibling relationships, and I thought Ward did a stupendous job exploring the bond between the Peacock sisters. A great setting, fleshed-out characters, and a focus on the relationship dynamics had me fully engaged in this story. I was fully invested from beginning to end and was utterly delighted with how Ward chose to end the story. It was a perfect way to top off this tale of sisterhood and healing.

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Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello
Published by Avon Books on May 21, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

HBO’s Hacks meets Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After in this hilarious and sweeping love story about a comedian forced to return to her Jersey Shore hometown and confront everything she left behind ten summers before—including the man who broke her heart.

Then. Delfina Silva-Miller wants one thing: to leave behind Evergreen, New Jersey and never look back. Despite her adoring grandmother’s best efforts, Del can’t bear to live another moment at the whims of her deadbeat dad (so cliché) and her ever-temperamental crush, Eddie Rodriguez (humiliating).

Now. If there’s one thing Del knows how to do, it’s spin her bad luck into a killer joke. After years of hard work, she’s finally landed a coveted spot at a huge comedy festival, molding the often tragic raw material of her life into comedic gold. But when Del loses her job, boyfriend, and apartment in the span of a few hours, she’s forced to pack her bags and return to the home she swore off at eighteen.

Del is determined not to let her history with Evergreen distract her. She has 45 days to perfect a new comedy set and march into her new life. Instead, she marches right into Eddie Rodriguez. But he’s nothing like the boy she left behind ten years ago.

As the festival draws closer, Del is faced with the terrifying possibility that everything she’s ever wanted isn’t as far away as it once seemed.

Vividly evoking the boardwalks and beaches of the Jersey Shore, Summertime Punchline is a hilarious, vulnerable, and sweeping love story celebrating the complicated relationships—romantic and not—that impact our lives, for better or worse.

These books featuring heroines going home, facing their past, and getting a second chance at romance seem to be hitting my TBR lately. I found Summertime Punchline to be one of my favorites in the bunch. Overall, I had a wonderful time in Evergreen and was left excited about what the future held for Del.

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Honorable Mention

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

• Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
• The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore
• Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce
• Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman
• Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
• The Kamagawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
• Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart
• The Guests on South Battery by Karen White
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
• Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young
• Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
• Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards 

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