I've been eagerly awaiting a new book from Susan Gloss ever since I fell in love with her writing in Vintage.  The Curiosities definitely did not disappoint.  

Nell Parker, who has a PhD in Art History, has been undergoing multiple rounds of IVF trying to create the baby that she so desperately wants, desperately enough to charge most of the expenses to credit cards her husband is not aware of.  Now Nell finds herself without the hoped for baby, mounting credit card debt, a distant husband and no job in sight.  When she interviews for a position as director for a new non-profit artists colony, it might not be her dream come true, but at least it will begin to pay off some of the bills.  But is Nell prepared to handle all the diverse personalities and issues that come with dealing with budding artists while attempting to mend her broken heart over the failed IVF and patch up her struggling marriage.  

The Curiosities delves into some weighty topics with finesse.  I really enjoyed the way all the characters are so diverse and perfectly developed.  I would be interested in revisiting the same characters or even new artists to the artist's colony as well as learning how Nell's life has progressed in the future.  I very much enjoy the author's writing and while this book was very different from Vintage, the hallmarks of a great story are present in both.  Four stars!

I received this book courtesy of William Morrow through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  

The description of this book immediately appealed to me.  Doris, a 96 year old woman, lives alone in Stockholm and looks forward to her weekly Skype calls with her great niece and only relative Jenny in the US.  As Doris pages through her cherished red address book, she decides to write down her precious memories for Jenny so that someone will know her story when she is gone.  The colorful life Doris has led comes to light with each entry she writes.  She was truly a woman who stood strong in the face of adversity and played the game of life no matter the cards she was dealt.    

Our older generation has so much to teach us and each person has stories that are interesting and valuable.  The Red Address Book should be a reminder to all of us, if we would just stop and listen once in a while, we would be better for it.  

This book was a solid four star read for me and is one I remember for some time to come.  

I received this book courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  

I just discovered Lisa Jewell last year when our book club read Then She Was Gone and all I can say is, thank you to the book club member that recommended Lisa Jewell's books. Watching You is the perfect mix of suspense and what I like to call the dark and twisty parts.  

Joey Mullen and her newlywed husband have recently moved into Melville Heights to live with her brother and his pregnant wife Rebecca. While Joey's life seemed to be headed in one direction, she can't seem to get established now that she has moved back to England and can't stop herself from developing an infatuation with Tom Fitzwilliam, her married neighbor and school headmaster.

Melville Heights boasts an eclectic blend of characters, each adding their unique flavor to the cast - Tom Fitzwilliam's teenage son Freddie who likes to spy on the entire neighborhood as opposed to interacting with anyone individually; Jenna Tripp, a student at Tom Fitzwilliam's school, whose mother suffers from paranoid delusions and believes she is being targeted; Rebecca, Joey's sister-in-law, that is as detached as can be and has yet to develop any bond with Joey; Tom's wife Nicola who plays the perfect trophy wife.  While Joey keeps going deeper into murky waters with Tom Fitzwilliam, Freddie and Jenna begin to suspicion that there is more to Mr. Fitzwilliam's squeaky clean reputation that meets the eye. 

Watching You is like a spider web of storylines that keeps you guessing up to the very end.  This was a five star read with many twists and turns along the way.  Highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

I love how Juliet Blackwell transitions seamlessly between an engaging present day story with interesting yet flawed characters to two separate time periods with more unique personalities with their own stories to tell.  The Lost Carousel of Provence is just such a book.  

Cady Drake has lived a difficult life, devoid of much human attachment, outside of her dear friend Maxine, who has just recently passed away.  Cady's only other friend Olivia encourages Cady to travel to Paris and pursue a photography project involving carousels and to try and learn the story behind Gus, an antique carousel rabbit that belongs to Cady.  Cady's journey through France leads her to an aging chateau and its curmudgeonly resident Fabrice Clement.  As Cady's story develops, we also learn about how the carousel came to be at Chateau Clement and also about Fabrice's past.  

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me coming back to read more.  The descriptions of the carousel as well as the French countryside are so vivid that it truly created a picture in my mind.  I felt all three narratives were equally compelling and I very much enjoyed this book.  A solid four star read for me!  

I received an ARC courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.