REVIEW: Beside Herself by Elizabeth LaBan

Title: Beside Herself
Author: Elizabeth LaBan
Narrator: Erin Bennett
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: October 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When she finds out her husband cheated, Hannah Bent thinks her marriage is over. Isn’t that what happens after an affair? But she’s seen friends divorce, and it’s not pretty. Plus, she and Joel have kids and an otherwise happy life, and she still loves him, although begrudgingly.

Furious and feeling stuck, she suggests having her own affair to even the score. Joel, desperate for forgiveness, agrees. But does she really want to go through with it? And how exactly does a married mother of two get back in the dating pool? Many awkward dates follow until she finds a deep and unexpected connection where she was least looking for it.

Just as she thinks she’s made a decision, her journey to happiness is waylaid by storms of doubt. But the important thing is that she’s finally figuring out what she truly wants for herself, and she understands that whatever choice she makes must be hers and hers alone.

My Thoughts: Beside Herself by new‑to‑me author Elizabeth LaBan is a thought‑provoking exploration of the impossible choices a woman faces after discovering her husband’s infidelity. I usually hate the adultery trope, but what sets this story apart is the direction LaBan chooses. Instead of the predictable breakup‑to‑divorce trajectory, the author presents a marriage where the husband is immediately remorseful and desperate to repair the damage he’s caused.

One of the most compelling elements is the therapist’s blunt honesty: the marriage Hannah and Joel once had is gone. It’s over. If they want to stay together, they must build an entirely new marriage, acknowledging that they are now different people. That framing alone gives the story a fresh emotional angle.

As expected, Hannah is furious, hurt, and unsure whether she wants to salvage the relationship or walk away. Her internal struggle feels raw and believable. But when she tells Joel that before she can even consider starting over she wants to have her own affair to “even the score,” I found myself pulling back. For me, that suggestion felt like it would only compound the pain rather than heal it.

The pacing of the story was solid, and I appreciated that it didn’t get bogged down in excessive emotional drama that would have slowed the narrative. It moved steadily, giving the characters space to work through their situation without dragging the reader through unnecessary turmoil. I also paired the book with the audiobook and found Erin Bennett’s narration engaging and well matched to the tone of the story. Her performance added clarity and nuance, making the experience enjoyable.

My Final Verdict: In the end, Beside Herself offers an unusual and compelling look at what it means to rebuild trust after betrayal. While not all of Hannah’s choices resonated with me, LaBan’s willingness to explore the messy, uncomfortable parts of forgiveness makes the story stand out. It’s a thoughtful read for anyone interested in the complexities of marriage, healing, and starting over.

Thank you to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Dating Cary Grant by Emelle Gamble

Title: Dating Cary Grant
Author: Emelle Gamble
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Publication Date: April 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: A modern Manhattan fairy tale starring . . .

Tracy Connor, a New York City career woman who loves her job and classic movies.

Mike Connor, her estranged husband, a small-town Mayor who loves his wife but doesn’t seem to have enough time to see her.

The handsome stranger, Philip Adams, who lives downstairs from the small sublet Tracy has temporarily moved into. He’s charming, funny, and looks a lot like her very favorite screen icon, Cary Grant.

Dating Cary Grant is a romance all about New York city career woman Tracy Connor struggling with real issues with her real guy, her husband of six years, Mayor Mike Connor of Cukor, Connecticut. Tracy is a smart woman, but some of her problems with relationships are partially caused by her unrealistic expectations that real guys should—and can— behave like matinee idols. Mike’s problems are also caused by the fact that he’s such a great guy and overextends his heart, and his appointment calendar, to every constituent, friend, or stray animal who crosses his path.

Tracy is also being stressed by a TV reality show intent on showcasing Tracy and Mike’s personal life, as well as the imminent takeover of her employer, a small, private television station, by a billionaire with unlimited funds and no taste.

Dating Cary Grant considers just how selfless a man needs to be to meet his wife’s expectations, and just how honest a woman must be with herself about what she’s willing to give, and give-up. And Cary Grant is along to help prove that any woman’s search for ‘Mr. Perfect ‘ might take her to a surprising place to find him.

My Thoughts: This story was an interesting tale of a woman who is struggling with the issues she is facing in her marriage. She wants to live and work in New York City but her husband, Mike, is a mayor of a small town in Connecticut. They are both good people, committed and dedicated to their careers but neither one seems to be willing to make a compromise to keep the marriage intact. Though I understood and empathized with Tracy’s position, this really frustrated me. How can anyone expect to find a resolution to the problems in their marriage if they are living in separate states? Tracy says she needs time and space to think so she signs a six month lease without telling Mike. I understood Tracy is fed up with feeling like she comes second in Mike’s life with the demands being a mayor requires and though I understood, I didn’t feel like she was being flexible either.

Adding to the chaos in Tracy’s life is the news that the television station she works at is likely to be bought out and she will be out of a job before her lease runs out so I was quite perplexed at the logic behind her decision.

Tracy meets the downstairs neighbor, Phillip Adams, who is quite a charming individual and who is the spitting image of Cary Grant at the height of his fame. The interesting thing about this man is nobody else seems to actually see him besides Tracy. It got me thinking that he must be a figment of her imagination so I kept reading this book just so I could find out what is going on.

My Final Verdict: Dating Cary Grant was an intriguing read with an unusual premise, and the mystery surrounding Phillip Adams definitely kept me turning the pages. While I struggled with some of Tracy’s choices and found it frustrating that neither she nor Mike seemed willing to truly compromise, I still appreciated the story’s exploration of marriage, ambition, and expectations.

Overall, this was a thought-provoking contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy that will likely appeal to readers who enjoy relationship-driven stories with a slightly magical twist.

Thank you to the publisher, Soul Mate Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher

Title: The Orphan Witch
Author: Paige Crutcher
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 2021
Genre: Fantasy / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A deeper magic. A stronger curse. A family lost...and found.

Persephone May has been alone her entire life. Abandoned as an infant and dragged through the foster care system, she wants nothing more than to belong somewhere. To someone. However, Persephone is as strange as she is lonely. Unexplainable things happen when she’s around―changes in weather, inanimate objects taking flight―and those who seek to bring her into their family quickly cast her out. To cope, she never gets attached, never makes friends. And she certainly never dates. Working odd jobs and always keeping her suitcases half-packed, Persephone is used to moving around, leaving one town for another when curiosity over her eccentric behavior inevitably draws unwanted attention.

After an accidental and very public display of power, Persephone knows it’s time to move on once again. It’s lucky, then, when she receives an email from the one friend she’s managed to keep, inviting her to the elusive Wile Isle. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. However, upon arrival, Persephone quickly discovers that Wile is no ordinary island. In fact, it just might hold the very things she’s been searching for her entire life.

Answers. Family. Home.

And some things she did not want. Like 100-year-old curses and an even older family feud. With the clock running out, love might be the magic that saves them all.

My Thoughts: I very much enjoyed this debut novel by Paige Crutcher that introduces the reader to a young woman who just wants to belong and fit in somewhere, to find her people. Persephone is a witch and has had to learn the hard way to keep most parts of herself isolated from others as unusual and sometimes scary things happen when Persephone allows anyone to get close to her. While working at a coffee shop where a nearly disastrous and deadly event occurs, Persephone realizes her time there is at an end and it is time, once again, to move on. Persephone is used to moving on as she has bounced from foster family to foster family her entire life. Persephone accepts an invitation from a friend to come visit her at Wile Isle off the coast of North Carolina. When Persephone arrives, she realizes that she isn’t the only one with unusual gifts and learns that she is the key to breaking a curse that has torn her family apart. I did find it a little odd how quickly Persephone adapts to this news with a sense of full acceptance.

This story was really interesting and I was intrigued at the role Persephone plays in the island’s history. Meeting her cousins Hyacinth and Moira should have been just what Persephone was searching for, but it brought more questions and the revelation of more secrets. Additional characters Ariel and her sister Ellison were interesting as it gave me the feeling that there was much more to the island’s history that Persephone was told and I had a sense of not knowing who could be trusted.

I loved the magical world building that Crutcher creates in this story, not only the island but otherworldly locations, like the Library of the Lost that Persephone finds herself able to cross through worlds to enter. There, she meets the intriguing librarian, Dorian, who has plenty of his own secrets but is integral to Persephone’s success with breaking the curse.

My Final Verdict: The story moves at an exceptional pace and the audiobook narration performed by Saskia Maarleveld was captivating. I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s work. I highly recommend this book to readers who gravitate to paranormal themes. Readers who also relish the fantasy genre will find this story enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Second Chance Boutique by Louisa Leaman

Title: The Second Chance Boutique
Author: Louisa Leaman
Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: May 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A heartwarming story about the power of the perfect dress—and the perfect love—to change your life.

Francesca Delaney has a knack for matching a bride-to-be with the wedding dress of her dreams. Her shop, The Whispering Dress, is no ordinary bridal boutique. Every gown is vintage, and the wedding dresses seem to share their stories with Francesca, pointing to which woman needs them next.

Fran credits her success to two rules: never covet a dress and never sell a dress that led to a doomed marriage. But then she finds a beautiful 1950s couture floor-length gown, and her obsession threatens win out. The owner, however, would quite like the dark past of the dress to remain hidden forever...

My Thoughts: I quite enjoyed the premise of this story about a woman who has the unusual talent of matching vintage wedding gowns with the perfect bride. Francesca appears to have the ability to communicate with the garment, learn its story, its history and from that point her customers to the gown that seem to be made specifically for them.

When Francesca finds a dress at a house clearance, she is shocked that the patriarch of the family wants nothing to do with the dress, has no interest in passing the dress on to a family member who will marry next and appears hostile about learning of the dress’s story even though his deceased mother was the last bride to wear it. I found it intriguing that where Rafael appears repulsed by the dress, Francesa appears to be obsessed by it.

I liked Francesca immediately and was eager to get to know her and learn her background and the reasons behind her love of vintage wedding gowns. I was taken aback by Rafael’s abrupt manner, bordering on rude and socially unacceptable. I also enjoyed getting to know him and learning the reasons behind his icy shell.

The pacing of the story was fantastic. Observing the process Francesca employs to match a gown with the bride and some of the reactions the brides had about the gown chosen for them was fun to see as well as the change that comes over them once they try the gown on.

I highly recommend this heartwarming story to fans of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Readers who are in the market for a wedding gown may find this book useful to point them to the perfect dress, be it vintage or contemporary.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: California Girls by Susan Mallery

Title: California Girls
Author: Susan Mallery
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Publisher: Harlequin - Mira
Publication Date: February 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisters who get dumped in the same week…

Finola, a popular LA morning show host, is famously upbeat until she’s blindsided on live TV by news that her husband is sleeping with a young pop sensation who has set their affair to music. While avoiding the tabloids and pretending she’s just fine, she’s crumbling inside, desperate for him to come to his senses and for life to go back to normal.

Zennie’s breakup is no big loss. Although the world insists she pair up, she’d rather be surfing. So agreeing to be the surrogate for her best friend is a no-brainer—after all, she has an available womb and no other attachments to worry about. Except…when everyone else, including her big sister, thinks she’s making a huge mistake, being pregnant is a lot lonelier—and more complicated—than she imagined.

Never the tallest, thinnest or prettiest sister, Ali is used to being overlooked, but when her fiancé sends his disapproving brother to call off the wedding, it’s a new low. And yet Daniel continues to turn up “for support,” making Ali wonder if maybe—for once—someone sees her in a way no one ever has.

But side by side by side, these sisters will start over and rebuild their lives with all the affection, charm and laugh-out-loud humor that is classic Susan Mallery.

My Thoughts: After reading this book, I am perplexed how this book escaped my notice for so long and am wishing I had picked it up sooner. It was a thoroughly enjoyable story that captivated me immediately. I loved the premise of three sisters who all get dumped the same week in very different ways and how these women rebuild their lives in unexpected ways.

The sisters were all different but very likable. Finola is the oldest and is a typical go-getter personality. She’s very career driven and enjoys the fruits of her success with her equally successful plastic surgeon husband living the dream in Beverly Hills. Finding out her husband has been unfaithful is bad enough but having your private pain and embarrassment become local fodder for the tabloids is a nightmare.

Zennie is a surgical nurse who loves her career and doesn’t think being in a relationship is a big deal. She’s happy being single and independent and the guy she is dating is a really nice guy but realizes she isn’t into him so they have an amicable breakup. When Zennie’s best friend and cancer survivor approaches Zennie to ask her to be a surrogate, Zennie doesn’t hesitate. She isn’t planning on getting pregnant for herself anytime soon and if she can help her best friend become a mother, Zennie is more than happy to do it. She doesn’t count on the changes her body goes through, physically and hormonally and is shocked at the lack of support people around her are displaying.

Ali has lived in the shadow of her sisters all of her life but she doesn’t let it stop her even if she feels invisible most of the time. She’s engaged to be married and is neck deep in planning a wedding to occur in a few weeks. That is, until her future brother-in-law, Daniel, shows up on her doorstep to tell her that her fiancé is dumping her but doesn’t have the cajónes to do it himself.

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives from each sister and seeing how their individual situations played out. This book moved at a wonderful pace, keeping me engaged and invested in the story and the characters. This book made me laugh and I also got a little misty eyed at parts. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format and very much enjoyed the narration performed by Tanya Eby.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this story and look forward to reading more from this author. Readers who love women’s fiction or stories that are highly character driven will enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin - Mira, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Postscript by Cecelia Ahern

Title: Postscript
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Narrator: Amy Huberman
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Sixteen years after Cecelia Ahern's bestselling phenomenon PS, I Love You captured the hearts of millions, the long-awaited sequel follows Holly as she helps strangers leave their own messages behind for loved ones.

Seven years after her husband's death -- six since she read his final letter -- Holly Kennedy has moved on with her life. When Holly's sister asks her to tell the story of the "PS, I Love You" letters on her podcast -- to revisit the messages Gerry wrote before his death to read after his passing -- she does so reluctantly, not wanting to reopen old wounds.

But after the episode airs, people start reaching out to Holly, and they all have one thing in common: they're terminally ill and want to leave their own missives behind for loved ones. Suddenly, Holly finds herself drawn back into a world she's worked tirelessly to leave behind -- but one that leads her on another incredible, life-affirming journey.

With her trademark blend of romance, humor, and bittersweet life lessons, Postscript is the perfect follow-up to Ahern's beloved first novel.

My Thoughts: When I first learned this book had been published, I immediately knew it would break my heart as its predecessor, PS, I Love You, did. Even still knowing what lay ahead for me in this story, I was not deterred. I absolutely had to read this. I had to know how Holly has been faring in her life without Gerry. This book picks up the story seven years after Gerry’s passing and I was happy to see that Holly was doing well, working with her sister and in a relationship that was ready to take the next step of moving in together.

After Holly is invited to come on to her sister’s podcast and share her story, she is inundated by people seeking help. One group of terminally ill people have gone so far as forming a PS, I Love You club and they want Holly’s assistance drafting their own letters and creating memories for their loved ones to hold after they have gone. I was slightly surprised at Holly’s initial reluctance to participate in this endeavor as she feared it would mire her back into the bottomless grief and despair she lived through. I totally understood and empathized with Holly but this book is more about the lives her story touched and the hope they felt and the peace they sought. As Holly gets to know each member of the PS, I Love You club, the story begins to shift away from Holly and onto each of these individuals. As I got to know them, along with Holly, I was once again blind sighted by their bravery and determination as I was with Gerry.

I adore this author and continue to be amazed at the talent she possesses to create stories and characters that can so fully capture the heart of the reader. I find it impossible to be a passive reader when I read one of her books. I am completely entrenched in the story and the characters to varying degrees. It is so easy to get emotionally invested in these characters as they feel like close friends and family. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format and the narration by Amy Huberman was a delight. The Irish lilt made my ears happy. Though this book could be read as a standalone, you would be depriving yourself of a beautiful story with PS, I Love You so I highly encourage the reading of that one first.

I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Holly and even getting a few more glimpses of Gerry’s presence through Holly’s recollections as well as a few surprises that Holly hasn’t counted on. I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance and women’s fiction and readers who enjoy stories about strength, perseverance, bravery and embracing life.

Thank you to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Lucky Dress by Aimee Brown

Title: The Lucky Dress
Author: Aimee Brown
Publisher: Aria
Publication Date: August 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Emi Harrison hasn't been feeling particularly lucky lately. Ever since her ex-fiancée, Jack Cabot, successfully shattered her heart into a million pieces. She's managed to avoid him for a whole year, but all that's about to change at her brother Evan's wedding...

She will have to face Jack, Jack's sister, Jack's parents, and Jack's new girlfriend: a mean girl that just won't quit. What could possibly go wrong?

But with her lucky dress on, she might just find new love, life, and maybe even happiness at last!

My Thoughts: Though I am not a fan of the big misunderstanding trope, it was written very well in this story and played out beautifully. So many issues could have been resolved so quickly between Emi and Jack if they had just communicated and not let a whole year pass but hindsight is always 20/20 and carries a lot of could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.

I really enjoyed seeing it evolve and had a lot of anticipation of who Emi would end up with. I honestly expected them to end up with other people at this point but my old sappy heart was happy to see they still carried strong feelings for each other in spite of their painful breakup.

I loved the direction the author took with this story to make it feel unique and stand out, especially with the dual timeline between the past and the present. It gave me a better understanding of who Emi and Jack were and the lives they lived before. I felt all the feels and the empathy meter was running high for both Emi and Jack.

I loved this book and definitely want to read more from this author. Fans of contemporary romance, romantic comedies and women’s fiction will likely find this story appealing as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Aria, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.