Five Star Friday - June 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 27 books, and I had  3 five-star reads. 

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I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
Published by William Morrow on May 21, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues’ private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job—a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you’ll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.

When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.

But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.

Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it.

As an office worker, I appreciated the satirical look into office culture. I laughed and nodded my head as I read this book, but what I loved most was how Jolene grew and healed during this whole fiasco. She was carrying a lot of pain for many years and it kept her from forming relationships. It was beautiful seeing her pay forward the kindness shown to her, and the way being able to see beyond the surface of her co-workers lives helped her to muster up empathy for them and a desire to lighten their loads. Funny and feel-good - two things I love. 

[review]

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Jenny James Is Not a Disaster by Debbie Johnson
Published by Harper Muse on July 9, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

Sometimes it takes life falling apart . . . to piece yourself back together.

Single mum Jenny is on the edge of disaster. Her job is downsizing, her car won't start, her son is a teenager (enough said) . . . and it just won't stop raining. So when her darling cottage on the Norfolk coast literally falls off a cliff, taking all of her son's baby photos, her beloved couch, and almost taking Jenny herself down with it, it's the ridiculously traumatic cherry on top of her ridiculously catastrophic week.

With no job, no home, and the painful stirring of memories from when Jenny was alone, broke, estranged from her family, and pregnant, she takes a drastic step to start new. She and her eighteen-year-old son, Charlie, join their nomadic neighbor, Luke, and his dachshund, Betty, in his campervan on a road trip around England. From hiking historical sites to riding rollercoasters at amusement parks, each new stop drives Jenny forward and reminds her of the dreams she gave up long ago.

But more than that, each new destination--pulled from a hat based on random prompts like "Brontë sisters" and favorite songs--brings Jenny closer to her son, and the painful past she tried to outrun. As old wounds and difficult reconciliations open Jenny's eyes to the mistakes of her past, she is able to navigate what, and who, she would like to be a part of her future.

Another feel-good story here with the benefit of a great road trip. Jenny James was not having the best kind of luck. She lost her job and home in the same day, but she was lucky enough to form a bond with vagabond Luke. They embarked on a fantastic road top which helped both Jenny and Luke gain clarity with respect to their lives and futures. Absolute heartwarming winner here! 

[review]

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How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
Published by Pamela Dorman Books on June 11, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

When age makes you invisible, secrets are easier to hide

Daphne knows that age is just a number. She also knows that society no longer pays her any attention – something she’s happy to exploit to help her hide a somewhat chequered past.

But finding herself alone on her 70th birthday, with only her plants to talk to and neighbours to stalk online, she decides she needs some friends. Joining a Senior Citizen's Social Club she’s horrified at the expectation she’ll spend her time enduring gentle crafting activities. Thankfully, the other members – including a failed actor addicted to shoplifting and a prolific yarn-bomber – agree.

After a tragic accident, the local council threaten to close the club – but they have underestimated the wrong group of pensioners...and with the help of a teenage dad and a geriatric, orphaned dog, the incongruous gang set out to prove it.

As long as their pasts don't catch up with them first…

This is Pooley doing what she does best - writing a fun and touching story about community and connection. I loved how all these character, young and old, became part of each others' world. I especially adored the older characters who were not written as old fuddy duddies. They were three dimensional and spunky, and well, they all seemed to have some secrets. Another stellar book from Pooley! 

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Honorable Mention

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

• Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon
• The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber
• Finding Mr. Write by Kelly Armstrong
• This Disaster Loves You by Richard Roper
• What's In a Kiss? by Lauren Kate
• Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage
• A Little Ray of Sunshine by Kristan Higgins
• Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins
• Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
• The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
• A Certain Kind of Starlight by Heather Webber

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