Women’s Fiction | Book Chatter

A Good Measure
By Nan Rossiter
Harper Paperbacks, 9780063076242, April 12, 2022, 36pp.

The Short of It:

A heartfelt story about a family’s loss, their eagerness for happiness, and how their love for one another hold each other up.

The Rest of It:

I have reviewed many of Nan’s books. So many of them hold a special place in my heart. A Good Measure is book #3 in the Savannah Skies series and yet I don’t think you need to read the first two to really enjoy this one. But, you will still want to read them just to spend more time with this family.

Libby Tennyson’s husband Jack passed away less than a year ago and although her life has always been full, raising six sons into grown adults, her time alone in the farmhouse leaves her a little sad, and worried about what the future holds. Her son Chase has found the love of his life, but his relationship with Liam presents some challenges when Liam’s folks fail to show support for what they consider to be a non-traditional relationship.

Libby is surrounded by ladies her own age, ones who try repeatedly to get her to come out of her shell and join them for drinks and fellowship but Libby is reluctant. Her young grand-daughter, a vision of vitality and yes, energy, bridges the loneliness gap by providing much needed company and silliness. But can there really be more for Libby out there? At this age? Yes!

Pick up any Rossiter book and you will be regaled with food talk, a love for all animals, especially Labs and Goldens, and honestly just the love and friendship that result in close relationships. Reading her stories just FEEL good. Like a hug. These are the types of reads that you cozy up with and who doesn’t need that right now? I highly recommend her books. All of them.

The author has offered me a copy to giveaway! If you’d like a chance to win a copy, check out the details below.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of A Good Measure and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher/author. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on June 1, 2022 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

~~CLICK HERE TO ENTER!~~ GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED!

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher/author.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

The Husband’s Secret
By Liane Moriarty
Berkley, 9780451490049, 2017, 496pp.

The Short of It:

Liane Moriarty has become one of my favorite authors. I discovered her books during the pandemic. She knows how to grab my attention and The Husband’s Secret delivered just what I needed.

The Rest of It:

As with many of her books, Moriarty’s stories often incorporate many characters and story lines that come together nicely but there is usually a main thread to pull you in and in The Husband’s Secret, Cecilia finds an envelope that is addressed to her, written in her husband’s hand. The instructions on the envelope ask that it be opened in the event of his death. His death? She wants desperately to read it, but when she mentions the letter to her husband John-Paul, who is very much alive, he begs her not to. Inside of that envelope is a secret he’s been keeping that will forever change their lives.

What I really enjoy about these novels is that Moriarty always manages to include the neighborhood in the story. The other characters are neighbors or friends or people you see at the school drop off. Their lives seem on the surface to be pretty perfect, but they are presented with challenges and not-so-pretty moments. Definitely not the shiny, sparkly moments captured on say, Instagram.

In addition to Cecilia’s plight above, we have Tess and Will who are happily married, or so they thought, until Tess’s cousin admits to being in love with her husband. We also have Rachel, a women who has had to deal with the grief of her daughter’s murder. A murder that was never solved and now her only son is taking his wife and son out of the country and Rachel will be without the distraction of her darling grandson, Jacob. How will she cope?

The Husband’s Secret was a satisfying read. The characters are so well-drawn and as a reader, you get the feeling that you are listening to a private moment between two people and I just love that. I think I have about three Moriarty novels left for me to read but so far, this is one of my favorites.

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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