Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.
This week I can't wait for
A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Published by Gallery Books on June 25, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Goodreads
A tender and touching novel about a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina.
Present Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south. Keaton’s grandparents died in a tragic car accident before she was born, so she’s eager to learn more about the family she never met. But even though she has help from her charming next-door-neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton soon finds that she has more questions than answers.
1976: After meeting her adoring husband Townsend, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James abandoned the life she knew and never looked back. Forty years later, she’s made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.
As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations. For fans of Summer of ‘69 and The Notebook , Last Summer on Sunset Lane explores the power of family, the bonds of friendship, and the boundless nature of love.
Harvey won me as a fan with The Summer of Songbirds. I adored the characters, the setting, and their personal journeys. When I saw this book, I immediately added it to my TBR. I am so curious to meet these two women and learning their stories. I love stories of fresh starts and am also eager to learn about Becks' past. I am sure it will be an engaging and heartwarming tale.
Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane
Published by Penguin Books on May 14, 2019
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Goodreads
Dry, witty, and unapologetic, May Attaway loves literature and her work as a botanist for the university in her hometown. More at home with plants than people, May begins to suspect she isn't very good at friendship and wonders if it's possible to improve with practice. Granted some leave from her job, she sets out on a journey to spend time with four long-neglected friends.
Smart, funny, and full of compassion, Rules for Visiting is the story of a search for friendship in the digital age, a singular look at the way we stay in touch. While May travels, she studies her friends' lives and begins to confront the pain of her own.
With simplicity and honesty, Jessica Francis Kane has crafted an exquisite story about a woman trying to find a new way to be in the world. This nourishing book, with its beautiful contemplation of travel, trees, family, and friendship, is the perfect antidote to our chaotic times.
I stumbled upon this book at the library. The odd cover made me stop and take a look, and I am so glad I did. I started and finished this book on Sunday. I loved it and gave it five out of five stars. It's an interesting story about the challenges of adult relationships, but it also deals with the grief the main character was carrying with her for so many years. It was interesting, lovely, amusing, relatable, and I simply devoured it.
Let us know in the comments!
I really need to start reading some non-romance contemporaries. 😂 A Happier Life sounds so touching. I hope it meets your expectations once you finally get to read it, Sam! <3
ReplyDeleteHarvey's books are great. They have a touch of romance, but are more "women's" fiction. Big focus on friendship and the main character's personal journey.
DeleteHa, I just prepped my post for A Happier Life for later this month! Sounds like it will be good.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed Harvey continues to delight us both
DeleteRules for Visiting definitely has an interesting cover. Hope you enjoy both of these!
ReplyDeleteThere is an alternate cover. The main character is a gardener and there is talk about trees, so it does make sense when you read the story. The book was fantastic for me.
DeleteWell Rule for Visiting had me taking a second look because of its cover too!
ReplyDeleteIt's a weird cover. The alternate cover is less odd, but it was a such a great story.
DeleteI've never heard of Rules for Visiting, it sounds like a hidden gem.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember hearing about this book when it came out but it was wonderful! I am so happy I took the time to check it out.
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