All Books Considered

Ghost Orchid by Dani Cessna Blurb from Goodreads : Deep in the swamps of Florida, a grieving park ranger forms a friendship with a mysterious recluse—and uncovers long-rumored secrets about a plant that raises the dead. Once ambitious and spontaneous, all park ranger Miranda wants after losing her best friend is stillness. Her new job at Everglades National Park and the rekindled connection with an old flame offer some stability and comfort. But everything changes after a rash decision brings her face-to-face with the so-called swamp witch. In Estelle, Miranda finds an unexpected friendship. The old woman is feisty, independent, and extraordinarily green-thumbed. Plants, Estelle tells her, have a language of their own. Miranda learns to listen to the whispers of peace lilies and desert roses, and witnesses their uncanny power to heal or reveal hidde...

First Famous Christmas by Carrie Wittmer Blurb from Goodreads : After rocketing to pop stardom practically overnight, all Marceline wants is a calm holiday at home. What she gets is a run-in with her bad-boy high-school crush, Lucas. Could this Ghost of Christmas Past also become her new muse? When Marceline Freeze went to Juilliard to study violin, she didn’t expect it to lead to a Best New Artist Grammy. Now, after a whirlwind tour and early-onset fame fatigue, she’s looking forward to a normal Christmas in her snowy North Carolina hometown. But all bets are off the second she walks into My Place, the coffee shop that was her refuge growing up. It’s gotten an infuriating Scandi-chic makeover courtesy of its new owner: Lucas North, the rebellious firestarter she worshipped from afar as a teenager. My Review: My love affair with 831 Stories continues, holiday version!  This was almost too cool for me but I wa...

The Gentleman's Dilemma by Jane Dunn Blurb from Goodreads : Ferdinand Shilton, the dandiest, most eligible bachelor of the ton, has decided it is time to abandon his carefree youth. Determined to resist the unruliness of romance however, he prepares to embark on a highly proper betrothal, trading his flamboyant fashions for a sensible, if passionless, life. Orphan Madeleine Rose survives on the reluctant charity of her aunt, while escaping her dreary reality by secretly penning a romantic novel. But when Madeleine discovers a mysterious foundling on Ferdinand Shilton’s doorstep, real life suddenly takes on the excitement of her fiction. When an astonishing twist transforms her from a poor relation into a woman of consequence, and with her fate now unexpectedly thrown together with Ferdy’s, everything Madeleine has accepted as her future is upended....

Beignets and Big Feelings by Leslie Gray Streeter Blurb from Goodreads : A grandma’s dying wish results in a weeklong scavenger hunt designed to reunite a family in a heartfelt and hilarious journey by the author of Family & Other Calamities. When Grandma Olivia Hollis passes away, her funeral reunites four generations of heirs, complete with a surprise will. Grandma has orchestrated a New Orleans scavenger hunt for her female relatives, determined to bring her family back together if it’s the last thing she does. Everyone game? If not, no one gets a dime. Of course, Grandma, bless her meddling heart, has other motives in mind for all of them. Especially for her guarded sister, Mona, who fled decades ago and never looked back. Following a preplanned itinerary for one revelatory week, the women find themselves on a Mississippi River jazz cruise, br...

Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak, Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker Blurb from Goodreads : Meet Penny Padgett, a twenty-seven-year-old cartoonist in Philadelphia who agrees to pet-sit a very peculiar cat named Godfrey in her home. At first, he’s a warm and affectionate companion who follows Penny all around the house and insists on sleeping by her side every night. But soon strange things are Penny is haunted by disturbing and violent nightmares. There’s a terrible insect infestation in her basement. Her cute cartoon illustrations turn dark and surreal, as if influenced by some invisible hand. And her health starts failing, as if her mind and body are under attack by a sinister, malevolent force. Penny may be a cat person, but she’s starting to think Godfrey is no ordinary cat. . . . n he trust himself to uncover the truth amid their gr...

Encore Performance by Leila Sales Blurb from Goodreads : Emmy Gold—frontwoman of an indie-sleaze breakout band who’s since gone solo—can write a hit song in her sleep. Now, while back on tour with her former collaborator and crush Bishop, she’s finding out if she can rewrite her past. Deja View, an iconic indie band that released one perfect album two decades ago, broke up after the lead singer, Emmy, slept with the bassist, Bishop—an affair that, for her, was the culmination of years of yearning and, for him, seemed to be just another Wednesday. Since then, Emmy has gone on to a successful career as a singer-songwriter, one who never revisits her past until an anniversary tour to support their drummer’s medical bills forces her to reckon with who she and Bishop once were, and who they have since become. My Review: I have (and will) read every 831 Stories romance!  They are all perfect for these modern times, ...

Engineering a Love Story by Kathleen Reidy Blurb from Goodreads : It's the year 2000—dot-coms, Bush v. Gore, and sky-high San Francisco rents. But while the country swoons with irrational exuberance, Chelsea Lefevre's life is collapsing faster than a tech bubble. She'd had everything she thought she was supposed to want: a house on Boston's North Shore, exquisite wedding china, a Waspy mother-in-law. A steady, safe marriage. But after a mortifying slip-up, Chelsea finds herself heading into the 21st century alone. Her lifeboat? A new job advising tech execs, taken to escape the misogyny she endured as a software engineer—only to discover she has a surprising knack for spotting the next hot thing. In this heady new world, Chelsea meets Seth Murphy, a magnetic sales executive at one of the country’s hottest startups. Professional boundar...

Nantucket Christmas Stroll by Nancy Thayer Blurb from Goodreads : During their annual Christmas celebrations, a Nantucket family faces surprising news and unexpected decisions in this warm and inviting holiday novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer. The Nantucket Christmas Stroll is the most wonderful time of year on the island, filled with holiday cheer and festive decorations. Excited holidaymakers crowd the streets, Santa arrives on a Coast Guard boat, carolers serenade with classic Christmas carols, and shop windows glitter with treasures, twinkling lights, and merry displays.  At the heart of this celebration is the Parsons family and the sparkling house party they host each year. Brick Parsons and his wife, Jane, eagerly anticipate the arrival of their three adult children, Lydia, Florence, and Lucas, who are all coming home for the holidays. Lydia, a successfu...

Dog Days of Planet Earth by Theresa Shea Blurb from Goodreads : Immediately upon his release from a 25-year prison sentence, former veterinarian Trevor Westmore gets his first surprise as a free man: A guard gives him a German shepherd puppy. While Trevor anxiously tries to build a new life, his dog, Libby, provides the routine and responsibility he needs to navigate his re-entry into society. All Trevor wants is to earn a living, to stay out of trouble, and to be left alone — until he meets and falls for local veterinarian Laura Fenway. But they both have their secrets. When she learns the truth of Trevor’s past will she consider a future together? And when he discovers the lengths she’ll go to rescue dogs, will he jeopardize his long-awaited freedom? Weaving together major environmental and political issues of the mid- to late-20th century that remain urgent today, Dog Days of Planet Earth asks what we’re willing to ...