Sloth Goes Places - New York

 

Sloth Goes Places is a feature where I share books I have tracked from previous Literary Escapes reading challenge hosted by Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book.

Today we are looking at books set in ....

New York

I was born in New York, and it's always fun to read a book set there, to visit familiar places. There are no shortages of books set in New York. One of my favorites last wee, Seven Summer Weekends, was set on Fire Island. I have not been there, but I have been around there. Sloth has visited NY many times where he has had great food, seen great shows, and even met some broadway stars. 

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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?

After crying my way through On Fire Island, I never imaged that Jane Rosen would bring us back. You cannot imagine how much joy this book brought me. First, I love returning to worlds I adored, and second, learning how Ben was doing following his wife's death was such a treat. This story was fun and touching, and it made me so happy!

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Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino
Published by Atria Books on August 18, 2015
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

To the Green-eyed Lovebird:

We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.

You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.

We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.

Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…

I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.

After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?

M

I am always here for a second chance romance, and I loved this one. These two shared such a big love until their lives started moving in different directions. But the universe wanted them back together. Why else would Matt see Grace in a city of 8 million people. Going back and forth between then and now, the rise, fall, and rebuilding of their relationship played out. Maybe it was a bit predictable, but I loved seeing how it all worked out and learning the full story. 

[review]

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Love, Me by Jessica Saunders
Published by Union Square & Co. on January 16, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

A pitch-perfect exploration of modern married life, Jessica Saunders’s deliciously readable novel embraces the truth that some old flames can’t be snuffed out, no matter how many years go by.

Rachel Miller is a lawyer and mother of two who’s just as comfortable in a courtroom as she is on the sidelines of a soccer field. Sure, her marriage is on autopilot, her parents are overly involved, and the other suburban moms are just a little bit catty. But if you ask Rachel, life is good. That is until her world is upended when racy photos of her and her high school boyfriend, the famous actor Jack Bellow—along with his love letters to her—are published in a tabloid, unexpectedly thrusting Rachel into the spotlight. This newfound attention calls into question her marriage, her career, and her superstar ex. Betrayed by someone she trusted and reunited with the man she tried so hard to forget, Rachel must ask herself, “How did I get here? And what do I really want?”

Reminiscent of novels by Sophie Kinsella and Rebecca Serle, Love, Me is a sweet, honest foray into love, marriage, and the fantasy of a second-chance romance with the one that got away. Readers will find this lively debut romance book easy to devour and hard to put down.

This story had all the drama I anticipated. We all know how those Hollywood stories go, but it was deeper than that as well. Rachel was living out her existence as a suburban wife/mother/lawyer. Though things weren't perfect, she was satisfied with her life. All that changed with a blast from her past courtesy of the tabloids. Rehashing her teen years with Jack, her first love, had her reflecting on the current state of her marriage.There was something very positive about the entire ordeal, and that was how it helped Rachel discover so much about herself. I appreciated her personal journey and was quite happy with where it brought her.

[review]   

Have you read any books set in New York?
Let us know in the comments!