Review: All Our Tomorrows by Catherine Bybee

In All Our Tomorrows, Catherine Bybee gives us a captivating story of family, power, and unexpected romance. The book centers on Chase Stone, a self-made man who suddenly inherits his estranged father's multibillion-dollar business, along with some dark family secrets. Paired with Piper Maddox, his father’s assistant, Chase faces not only the challenge of navigating his father’s business but also his growing feelings for Piper.

Chase, having put some distance between himself and his father, is thrown into a corporate world he never wanted to enter. The twist of finding a half-brother adds another layer of complexity, pushing Chase and his sister Alex into a time crunch before anyone with poor intentions makes them known. 

Piper, smart, fierce and independent, brings a captivating charm to the story. Her tough exterior and reluctance to be involved with another Stone family member, create interesting tension with Chase. The way their relationship develops in the book just has you hooked. As we get to know them, between their witty banter, letting their guards down and the many secrets that keep unraveling, they become more engaging to not want to keep reading.

The mystery of the third sibling, Max, creates a curiosity within its own storyline. I will say that leading up to his introduction, I feel a little robbed because the anticipation leading up to that moment had me on the edge needing to find out but I’m patient and will wait to see what’s to come in the next book. 

This book had me hooked and I didn’t want to stop reading. As a huge fan of Catheine Bybee, this was something different that I hadn’t experienced before and I love it. Her other books have a subtle, sweep you away feeling but this series has you engaged in a way that you want to keep reading and don’t stop. I feel like the characters in this book are bolder, fierce and grab your attention in a way that is different from the others. The plot twists and unravels will keep you invested until the end turning those pages. 

I’m excited to see where this series goes. The next book, The Forgotten One should ease on into our curiosity about Max. Look out for that book in November. I will say this was longer than I expected but definitely worth the read. If you haven’t read yet, add this to your list. If you are new to Catherine Bybee, make sure you check this out as well as her other books. 

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Review: Bringing Back Yesterday by L.S. Case

In the beautiful novel, Bringing Back Yesterday, we are introduced to the lovely Calli Everett. Navigating through the uncertainty of her life after losing her marriage and the career that she loved, we experience her introspective journey that parallels her quest for finding the purpose of reinventing her midlife transition and the treasures that occupy her at her volunteer position at the appropriately named, Second Chances.

Second Chances is more than a thrift shop. Not only does it give new life to treasured items, you never know who or what might change your life. When a mysterious man named “Sir” comes in one day and only seems to visit Calli, she finds herself intrigued by his visits. Often bringing unsolicited advice, wisdom that seems to come at the right time, she finds his presence comforting with helping her move forward. His lessons on life and love encourage the appreciation of the treasures of the past and blessings of the present. When a box of items come in that includes a sailboat and a picture by the lake that piques her curiosity, the mystery of it’s origin inspires her journey to Longacre Pines. What she quickly learns is how people are placed in your life for a reason and how the best lessons in life are unexpected.

Longacre Pines is more than just a small beautiful town. As we get swept away in in it’s simple beauty, going there searching for something, Calli finds herself enamored by the people and it’s charm, quenching a void that desperately needed to be filled. The transition from her life in the city to this beautiful small town, not only brings a welcome peace into her life but shifts the tone inviting the reader in more intimately. When an opportunity to fill in for a local doctor ignites a spark to do the thing she loves the most, she finds herself surrounded by the opportunity of hope of a new start, a renewed sense of self and the possibility of a second chance at life and love. 

Bringing Back Yesterday is a wonderful story that will resonate with anyone who finds themselves struggling to start over. What I love about Callie is her vulnerability and determination to be open to love and live life again. Her journey of finding her voice, receiving love and healing makes it one of the joyful takeaways of the book. This is a wonderful novel that not only swoons us with the idyllic charm of the small town romance but offers characters that will you will fall in love with. Character driven, moments that will make you laugh and feel good, look inward will remind you that no matter what obstacles you may have gone through, it’s never too late to start again. 

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Review: The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel

The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel, brings together a story of a young woman torn between self discovery and familial expectations. Tulsi Gupta desires a life beyond the traditional healing at her family’s spice shop in Salem. Raised by her mother and grandmother, the expectation is to continue the tradition but Tulsi has other plans.

When the discovery of a letter by her grandmother exposes secrets from the past, Tulsi uncovers information about her grandmother and mother that affect her own life choices. As she learns more and their secrets come to light, it inspires a sense of purpose and a determination to mend the past. 

I love the journey that begins with the discovery of the letter. Through her own exploration of her life, and learning about the past it helps shape the narrative of the impact of her culture and heritage in navigating her journey. That internal struggle between what she wants and her sense of duty to her famly will resonate with those who have faced similar experiences. Bringing the reader into their world, exposing us to a rich culture and allows us to connect to the characters on a more intimate level.

There’s an authenticity to their characters and the blend of generations gives a balance that allows us to live through their past, present and future.

On a lighter shift in the book, the love interest introduced into Tulsi’s life was everything she needed. The uncertainty of the possibility gives her a boost of confidence that contributes to her growth as a character and a person seeking her definitive path. 

The book was so lovely with all that it represents. There’s something special with multi generational books that are so engaging. When you have complex family relationships, cultural expectations and secrets that shackle healing and forgiveness, that journey to letting go and mending old wounds really make a good read. If you are inspired by journeys of self discovery, love, family and cultural inspirations, this would be wonderful book to dive into.

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Review: Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett

Barely Even Friends is a fresh, modern retelling of the beloved, Beauty and the Beast. This steamy frenemies to lover novel will have you swooning as sparks fly with a twist that will keep you engaged to the end. The novel blends the charm of a classic fairy tale with a Succession twist.

Bellamy Price, a determined female contractor is commissioned to restore the Killington Estate. An opportunity of a lifetime, she is determined to make a name for herself in hopes of landing her dream job. Upon review of the estate, unlike her other projects, she was surprised to encounter her grump occupant, Oliver Killington. After receiving a deadline that seemed near impossible, she was determined to not only get this done but not let anything or anyone get in her way.

Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington enterprise, became reclusive after a traumatic car accident that took the lives of his parents and left him injured. Feeling guilty, he took refuge and retreated to the deteriorating mansion as caretaker to spare himself from the world. Until one day, he got shaken up with an unwelcome guest that he was determined not to let her disturb his peace.

With the deadline fast approaching, Bellamy has to find a way to break down the walls between her and Oliver to get things done. After she finds out what lingers behind his standoffishness, they agree to find a way to work together to reach the intended goal. As the project progresses, the house isn’t the only thing that moves along. The only problem is with her heart so protected and closed, could he be the one to open it.

I loved everything about this book. The dynamic between Bellamy and Oliver was a love hate magnet from the start. The banter between them kept those pages turning. His initial resistance to her being there and her persistent ambition created a tense environment that made you want to see where they were going to lead to. As the story goes on, it was nice to see these two characters come together. The emotional walls that each of them held onto slowly coming down, their transition from hating each other to their growing chemistry, makes you want to root for them as compared with our favorite classic. The book is filled with funny, emotional and steamy moments that collectively keep it engaging to the last page. This wonderful debut blends the mesmerism of one of our fairy tales with a contemporary message that you will fall in love with. 

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Review: Pity Parade by Whitney Dineen

The Pity Parade, the latest book in the Pity series by Whitney Dineen, follows Trina Blackwell. If you’ve been following the series, then you know Trina is a tv show host for a matchmaker show that brought Tim and Paige together in the last book.

For those new to the series, Trina has been a matchmaker on a hit tv show for awhile but most importantly for everyone but herself. Almost lucky, she met a guy at a charity event that had great potential but to her disappointment, he didn’t want a relationship.

Due to the circumstances that led to her show being canceled, she was given an ultimatum for redemption by putting herself out there to be the center of attention of a new upcoming show for eligible men to potentially date her. The idea has her running for the hills. Trying to find a way to get out of this situation, she comes up with a plan to find a guy but little did she know that someone from her past would come back showing the hand of fate that would give them the second chance they both needed.

I honestly couldn’t stand Trina before but found myself keeping an open mind going into this book. Getting to know her and her journey kept me engaged and wanted to see what was to come with her potential love interest. This had some really fun moments, heartwarming reflections and she became someone to root for. It was wonderful seeing familiar faces that added to the charm and the importance of friendship and love that made the book wonderful.

The series will conclude this fall with the upcoming, Pity Present. There aren’t any details yet but from what I read, we can assume from the ending someone else will get their hea in this sweet town, Elk Lake. Another wonderful book in this series and I can’t wait to see what’s to come in the next.

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Review: Almost Family by Ann Bancroft

Almost Family, takes us through the emotional and transformative journey of Liz Millanova, a woman facing the reality of her life during stage 4 cancer. Haunted and coming to terms with the relationship that ended her marriage, an estranged daughter and finding hope among strangers, this book makes you appreciate the limited time we have and to surround it with people that will make it valuable.

With confirmation of her cancer returning, Liz was encouraged to join a support group so that she could find comfort and support with others who faced the same. Initially reluctant, Liz found herself unexpectedly connecting with two other members, Dave and Rhonda.Not feeling they were getting the support they needed, they decided to form a smaller group among them, not realizing how much it would change their lives.Hitting it off, deciding to meet on their own, they instantly formed a friendship, finding comfort and joy with the hope to give each other while they were still here. As their bond deepened, their determination to live despite their terminal diagnosis helped Liz confront her unresolved issues and find strength and support where she least expected it. Their time together also allowed them to support each other through facing the end on their terms and leaving this world with no loose ends. 

This book was a beautiful book that balanced humor and the complexity of the emotional toll of facing the end of life with a terminal illness. The balance of their personalities brought such an authentic, relatable narrative that makes them engaging and heartwarmed to invest in the last stages of their lives with them to live it out to its fullest. This was a testament to the power of friendship and the importance of finding joy in our most arduous moments and how the power of human connection can heal the souls.

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