Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County is Southern fiction at its best!  Set in 1964 in Collier County, Florida, we meet a most entertaining and diverse group of characters.  Dora Witherspoon was summoned by ex-stripper/alligator hunter Dolores Simpson to return immediately to Collier County to deal with Dora's ex-husband Darryl and his proposed development in the Collier County everglades.  Dora teams up with her other book club members to come up with the best way to stop Darryl in his tracks and many adventures ensue.  We also get the chance to see the characters struggle with how best to handle the civil rights movement and how the movement tracked through the South.  

I loved the characters in the book and have already put the first book Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society on my to-read list.  This book would make a wonderful film and I think book clubs would also enjoy it.  

I received this book from Atria Books through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Sorrow family legacy unfolds in The Witch of Bourbon Street by Suzanne Palmieri.  This multi-layered, multi-generational story immerses you deep into the Louisiana bayou and the voodoo and mysticism of New Orleans culture.  Frances Sorrow has tried for years to escape her past, but now realizes she must face up to her past in order to move beyond it.  But as you soon learn, Frances’s own past has been tangled with that of her ancestors and she must unravel all those ropes in order to find answers.  All of the characters, both living and dead, were brought to vivid life by the author and her descriptive writing really brought the entire landscape of the novel to life.  The setting is an integral part of the story and is almost its own character. 

I was very intrigued with this book and enjoyed it thoroughly.  I definitely plan to read Suzanne Palmieri’s other novels.   

Blend Jodi Picoult’s thought provoking writing with the magic of Danielle Steele’s romance novels, and you would have The Lives Between Us by Theresa Rizzo. 

Skylar “Skye” Kendall is an aspiring journalist who just lost her niece tragically to heart disease.  Skye holds Senator Edward Hastings responsible for her niece’s death since he has been such an outspoken opponent for stem cell research.  Skye has a chance encounter with Mark Dutton, who unbeknownst to Skye, just happens to be Senator Hastings’  best friend.  Will Skye’s relationship with Mark weather this storm or will she find out there is more to Senator Hastings stance on stem cell research.

Ms. Rizzo has done an excellent job developing a plot line with many twists and turns.  I learned a lot about stem cell research, both CBSC’s (cord blood stem cells) and ESCs (embryonic stem cells).  Stem cell research is certainly a hot button issue and The Lives Between Us presents both sides of the issue in a relatable and thought provoking way.  While I enjoyed the love story between Mark and Skye, some of the romance could have been dialed down a little for my taste but it was not disruptive to the storyline.  I especially enjoyed the ending of the book with the unexpected turn.    

I received this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  

A Window Opens is the story of Alice Pearse.  Alice has just been delivered the news that her husband will not be making partner at his law firm and she will need to take over the role of family breadwinner.  She leaves her part-time job with You magazine to take a position with new upstart company Scroll.  Scroll is promising to be the new haven for booklovers with first edition classic books for sale along with an e-book lounge.  Alice can’t wait to begin this new adventure, but she soon learns that her father’s cancer has returned and her husband is struggling to get his new law firm off the ground.  In addition, her three young children are having difficulties adjusting to Alice’s new devotion to her job.  Alice faces the same struggle many women face.  How can she have it all and does she really want it all?

A Window Opens is an very relatable story with authentic characters.  There were many passages in the book that completely mirrored my own emotions and thoughts in life.  Trying to be fully in the moment with work, home and family is something so many of us face.  Seeing how Alice managed with the same struggles made for enjoyable reading.  The author does a wonderful job creating characters and places that felt real to me.  I could envision The Blue Owl bookstore and wished I could take my children there to select books or that I could attend a book club night there.  If Book Lady parties were a reality, I’d be the first to sign up. 

I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books by Elisabeth Egan.

I received this book from Simon & Schuster through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  

"For as long as I can remember, I have always had the feeling of not quite fitting in, not being the same as everyone else."  So begins the story of Cat, who has more inner demons than most and a special relationship with vodka.  However, Cat is a relatable character and I found myself routing for her to win over her addictions.  Alternating between London and Nantucket, Cat's life unfolds and she is often overtaken by alcohol, only to awaken each day with new resolve to begin again.  Cat's mother reveals to her that the father she has always known is not in fact her real father.  This prompts a trip to Nantucket where Cat meets her real father and two half-sisters she didn't know existed.  Cat's bad choices during this visit deliver terrible consequences and Cat's life begins a deeper downward spiral.  

I wanted to keep reading Summer Secrets to see if Cat could pull her life together and what course it would take.  The characters are very realistic and the descriptions of Nantucket made me want to plan a trip there.  I enjoyed reading this book and will be adding more Jane Green books to my "to read" shelf.  

I received this book from BookSparks as part of their Summer Reading Challenge 2015 in exchange for an honest review.  

Circling the Sun brings us the story of Beryl Markham, a truly self made woman who was way ahead of her time.  Beryl had a rough and tumble childhood in the wilds of Africa with her mother abandoning her at an early age.  Her father was struggling to establish his farm and his reputation as a respected horse trainer.  Beryl learns much from her father about horses, but she receives little support or concern for her goals in life, as was most likely typical for woman in the 1920s.  Beryl finds herself trapped in a marriage and at odds with her spouse over the direction her life should take.  Throughout the course of the novel, Beryl struggles to find her footing and meets much adversity, some of her own making.  She shows great resilience and strength of character in all the trials she endures.  I did get the sense Beryl was a self-made woman since she had such little support in her life but yet she continued to push forward to meet and exceed whatever goals she set for herself.  While Beryl was a record setting aviator, the book focused more on her life prior to those high flying adventures.  Her pursuits on the race track and horse training along with her love and social life receive the greatest focus in the novel.  The vivid descriptions of race day make you feel as if you are watching the race unfold before you.  The author paints beautiful pictures of Africa with her words as well.    

Circling the Sun is a wonderful glimpse into life in 1920s Africa and the struggles that women faced at that time.  Beryl Markham was a very interesting character and I enjoyed this foray into her life and times.  

Circling the Sun would make an excellent choice for book clubs since there is so much to explore both in the book itself and the real life characters who inspired it.  

I received this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballatine Books through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.