Five Star Friday - April 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 24 books, and I had  7 five-star reads. Maybe not my most productive reading month but a high quality one. 

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Just for Summer by Abby Jimenez
Published by Forever on April 2, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Seriously, I never have anything bad to say about Jimenez. Her books always make me laugh, cry, smile, swoon. They fill me with joy and I will never tire of them. The thing that brought these two together was amusing. They were the one before the one, but there was something keeping them from finding their forever love. Both characters had great personal journeys, I adored the romance, and there were some cute kids AND cameos from other Jimenez characters. Simply perfection. 

 

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Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
Published by Pamela Dorman Books on January 30, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

A huge-hearted, redemptive coming-of-old-age tale, a love story, and an ode to good food

Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes.

Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.

With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?

You all know I have a thing for books featuring older characters and Jenny was a great one. Learning about her past was a bit heartbreaking, but I found great solace in her finding her soulmate in Bernard. Their love story was a sweet one, but what I loved most was Jenny's desire to get on Britain Bakes. This idea that you are never too old to chase your dreams is a great one and made this such a fun and feel-good story. 

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This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
Published by Berkley on May 7, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

Fortune is another author who can do no wrong as far as I am concerned. She is my queen of the flashback, always using them so well in her stories. I hated the idea that Felix and Lucy had to resist acting on their feelings for each other for so many years. They were great together, but then, I also felt it was sort of beautiful that Lucy put her best friend's feelings above her own. This was a great twofer in that I had that fabulous romance, but there was also a big focus on the friendship between Lucy and Bridget. I am getting all choked up thinking about this one part where there is this huge declaration, and it's the type of friendship I could only wish for. Another amazing story from Fortune!

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One Last Summer by Kate Spencer
Published by Forever on June 11, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

From the cohost of the award-winning Forever35 podcast comes a dreamy, laugh-out-loud summer romance that asks: What do you do when the life you've planned isn't what you've dreamed?

Clara Millen’s life is spiraling out of control: her dream job is a nightmare, she’s resoundingly single, and it’s been years since she’s taken some time off. Thankfully, the last problem she can fix—this year she’ll join her friends on their annual summer vacation to their beloved childhood sleepover camp for a much-needed escape.

But when Clara arrives at Pine Lake Camp, she faces yet another unwelcome change: the owners are retiring and selling the property. The news turns her plans for revelry into a night of reminiscing . . . and prompts a surprise heart-to-heart between Clara and Mack, her old camp nemesis and constant competitor, who's still just as annoying (and annoyingly handsome).

Soon the campfires aren't all that's throwing off sparks. And when one wildly passionate night turns into two (then too many to count!), Clara begins to wonder if she and Mack could have a future together. But when Clara's boss finally offers her everything she's worked so hard for, Clara will need to decide if the life she's always wanted is the life that makes her feel truly alive.

I liked Spencer's debut. It was a lot of fun, and so was One Last Summer. Clara was forced to take a vacation and with the timing being right, she finally gets to reunite with her camp friends. The setting was a great one for showcasing shenanigans, but it was also a safe space for Clara. I love that being there with her oldest friends helped her reclaim pieces of herself that she had lost. Lots of laughs and feels topped off with a great ending made this a winner for me. 

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Seven Summer Weekends by Jane L. Rosen
Published by Berkley on June 4, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A woman inherits a beach house, along with a series of weekend guests, while butting heads with the irritable (and irritatingly handsome) man next door, in this sparkling new escape from Jane L. Rosen.

When a Zoom disaster upends Addison Irwin’s decade-long career at a posh Manhattan advertising agency, things look bleak for the thirty-something mid-western transplant. But an unexpected inheritance from an aunt she barely remembers—a property on Fire Island, complete with guest house and artist’s studio—changes everything.

While debating whether to stay or sell, Addison learns that she’s also inherited her aunt’s list of eclectic guests, tying her to the island for seven summer weekends. Eager to convince Addison to keep the house rather than let a new buyer build a monstrosity in its place, the neighbors welcome her to their laid-back community. Well, all except the moody guy next door, who seems intent on glowering his way through life.

Steadfast in her path since college, Addison is determined not to let this detour on Fire Island throw her off track. But soon, between the revolving door of weekend visitors and the up-and-down relationship with her neighbor (and his adorable dog), she finds herself in unfamiliar territory. Should she try to pick up where she left off—or embrace entirely new possibilities?

I never imagined I would get to return to the world of On Fire Island, but Rosen brought me there. Big thanks to her because I didn't realize how much I needed this. On Fire Island was so emotional as I watched how everyone dealt with the untimely death of their own. I did have hope for Ben, the widower, at the end, but I now I got to see where he was in his healing process. As much as this was a romance, it had a solid focus on Addison who had dedicated a lot of time and energy to a job that didn't love her back. It was beautiful seeing her get to learn about her estranged aunt and how it helped her find clarity to plan her next moves. This book was warm and delightful and it made me happy. 

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The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Published by St. Martin's Press on June 11, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone—much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script—it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter—even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules—and comes true?

Center is a favorite of mine because her books always make me happy. The Rom-Commers was a fun take on the genre with two writers attempting to rehab a bad script together and their interactions playing out in quite the rom-com fashion. I loved the characters so much in this book. My heart broke and burst as they went through their highs and lows, but because this is a Katherine Center book, you know my heart was left brimming with joy. 

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Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane
Published by Penguin Books on April 28, 2020
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. 

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Honorable Mention

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

• The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
• Savor It by Tarah Dewitt
• One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette
• Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt
• The Rule Book by Sarah Adams
• The Fellowship of Puzzle Makers by Samuel Burr

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