Now and Then Friends by Kate Hewitt

July 28, 2016 By Leave a Comment

FRIENDS
Now and Then Friends by Kate Hewitt
Publisher: New American Library
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (336 pgs)
Heat: Sweet
Rated: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poppy

Childhood best friends Rachel Campbell and Claire West have not only grown up, but after fifteen years, they’ve also grown apart…

After her father left, Rachel had to dedicate her life to managing her household: her two younger sisters, her disabled mother, and her three-year-old nephew. When Rachel’s not struggling to look after all of them, she makes her living cleaning the houses of wealthy families—inclulding the Wests, where a surprise now awaits her. . . .

A lifetime of drifting in other people’s currents has finally left Claire high and dry. First it was her parents, then the popular crowd in school, and finally her fiancé. Now she’s returned to Hartley-by-the-Sea to recover. But running into Rachel brings back memories of past mistakes, and Claire wonders if she now has the courage to make them right.

Soon Claire’s brother, Andrew, asks Rachel to keep an eye on Claire, which is the last thing either woman wants. But as their lives threaten to fall apart, both Claire and Rachel begin to realize what they need most is a friend. The kind of friend they once were to each other, and perhaps can be again. . . .

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I struggled with a rating for this book, and I’m struggling a bit with the review. It’s hard to categorize, exactly, why I enjoyed it and why I kept happily returning to it after I’d put it down for a moment. This isn’t an edge-of-your-seat thriller, or a heart- warming romance. It’s more, rather, a day (or a few weeks) in the life of two women whose lives are at a pivotal moment and how the choices they make, even little ones, may affect their total future.

Claire was my favorite of the two … oddly, she felt more human and actually stronger than Rachel, despite outward appearances. Rachel’s constant irritation with life in general wore on me a bit, and there were times I wondered why Claire and Andrew even wanted to be around her. She goes through changes as the book progresses, thankfully, and by the end I really enjoyed her.

Claire has been treated as if she is fragile and utterly breakable her entire life. She finds just a little spine when she leaves a stint in rehab that she didn’t even need, and goes against her parents’ wishes for her to live with them, instead returning to the home of her youth. It’s there her journey truly begins.

Rachel is trapped in a life she hates. Her mother is an invalid, her father left when she was just eighteen, and her sisters do little to help her with keeping them afloat. Home life is a constant battle, and it gets worse as time goes on. More, suddenly her friend from school, the same friend who up and dumped her without any warning, shows up in town again and acts as if nothing was wrong.

There’s a solid cast of secondary characters to back the girls up. Dan, Lily, Meghan, Mrs. Carwell, Andrew, and others make Hartley-by-the-Sea a real living, breathing place.

I admit to tripping over some British slang and phrasings (like A-Levels … I had to go find out what grade that was in reference to), but I’m sure the reverse is true with the folks from over the pond read books written in the US.

Thing is … nothing much happens in the story. I mean, stuff happens, but nothing earth shattering. It’s really just watching the girls figure out some things in their lives. I still, even after thinking about it more while writing this review, can’t put my finger on what made this book so charming. However, I really, really hope the author visits the town again. I can’t wait to see what’s happening with Claire, Dan, Rachel, Andrew, Lily and others. I’m really quite hooked!

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Some Women by Emily Liebert

April 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment

WOMEN
Some Women by Emily Liebert
Publisher: New American Library
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (294 pgs)
Heat: Sensual
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

An engrossing and thought provoking novel that examines the intricacies of marriage, friendship, and the power of unexpected connections…

Annabel Ford has everything under control, devoting her time to her twin five-year-old boys and to keeping her household running seamlessly. So when her husband of a decade announces that he’s leaving her, without warning, she’s blindsided. And suddenly her world begins to unravel.

Single mother Piper Whitley has always done her best to balance it all—raising her daughter Fern by herself and advancing her career as a crime reporter. Only now that she’s finally met the man of her dreams, Fern’s absentee father arrives on the scene and throws everything into a tailspin.
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Married to the heir of a thriving media conglomerate, Mackenzie Mead has many reasons to count her blessings. But with an imperious mother-in-law—who’s also her boss—and a husband with whom she can no longer seem to connect, something has to give.

On the surface, these three women may not have much in common. Yet when their lives are thrust together and unlikely friendships are formed—at a time when they all need someone to lean on—Annabel, Piper, and Mackenzie band together to help each navigate their new realities.

Realistic and filled with flawed, believable characters, Some Women was both incredibly difficult and a complete joy to read.

We follow the eventually intersecting lives of three women going through tumultuous times in their lives. Annabel’s husband very suddenly walks out and wants a divorce, single mom, Piper has just had her boyfriend move in with her and her (suddenly sullen) daughter and Mackenzie is struggling to find her place in life.

All the characters, from the main ones to secondary, are exceptionally drawn. They’re all unique and real. I really liked that everyone had flaws. I started out really not particularly liking Annabel, for example…she was so over-the-top driven and it was no wonder her husband decided to walk. He was a little bit of a jerk, too, but I could see both sides and understand them. And there were times I wanted to slap Piper’s daughter, Fern, but as time went on I understood where she was coming from.

Sometimes the actions the women took were laugh out loud funny and others just made me sigh and roll my eyes. Certain small things I found a little difficult to believe (for example, Annabel has twin boys and one has a peanut allergy, yet the other one “lives on” PB&J sandwiches … I have friends who have children with nut allergies and they don’t allow peanut butter anywhere near their homes since their kid could, yanno, die from it). but those things were minor and didn’t detract from my enjoyment once I’d scratched my head and moved on.

All-in-all a thoroughly enjoyable novel filled with drama, angst and a decent amount of humor as well as both HEA and HFN endings for the women. Those readers who enjoy women’s fiction would be well served to pick this one up. Recommended.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt

August 3, 2015 By Leave a Comment

SISTERS
Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt
Publisher: New American Library
Genre: Contemporary, Mainstream
Length: Full Length (368 pgs)
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Snapdragon

Welcome to Hartley-by-the-Sea in England’s beautiful Lake District, where two sisters who meet as strangers find small miracles tucked into the corners of every day….

When Lucy Bagshaw’s life in Boston falls apart, thanks to a scathing editorial written by her famous artist mother, she accepts her half sister Juliet’s invitation to stay with her in a charming seaside village in northern England. Lucy is expecting quaint cottages and cream teas, but instead finds that her sister is an aloof host, the weather is wet, windy, and cold, and her new boss, Alex Kincaid, is a disapproving widower who only hired her as a favor to Juliet.
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Despite the invitation she offered, Juliet is startled by the way Lucy catapults into her orderly life. As Juliet faces her own struggles with both her distant mother and her desire for a child, her sister’s irrepressible optimism begins to take hold. With the help of quirky villagers, these hesitant rainy day sisters begin to forge a new understanding…and find in each other the love of family that makes all the difference.

A cup of tea at the sea-side will surely solve all problems? Kate Hewitt’s buttery new novel, Rainy Day Sisters, revels in heartwarming and is decorated by (indeed, utterly awash) in the picturesque. The back cover blurb tells us almost too much about sisters Lucy and Juliet, about the principle problem and about finding what matters.

Impeccably written, this novel does absolutely transport the reader to Britain’s wonderful lake district. Its worth the read for the background alone–not only views, but the local activities (hikers/walkers abound) as well as the local food. In one place, Hewitt tells us the scene was ‘Like a painting by Constable come to life.’ One after another, scenes like this abound; visuals presented with beautiful words, making up beautiful scenes. A more descript writer cannot be imagined.

Lucy steps into a not-quite idyllic life and manages to run up against the new boss nearly straightaway, over nothing. Things do not automatically go her way, although this is hardly the start of her problems. She has our sympathy, although we wonder about her sister’s views…

Lucy’s views on art might well feed on the views before her. She might be forgiven for wishing things “syrupy and golden.” Although the storyline here is not predictable, its emotional ride sure is. Still, there is much lovely within.

Rainy Day Sisters delivers as promised; If you are in the mood for this, its rather overly precious approach to life will be welcome.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,