Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

 

This is book #5 of the Amgash series and we again get to spend time with the delightful characters from the previous books, Lucy Barton, Bob Burgess and Olive Kitteridge, along with their associated spouses and friends.  Bob agrees to defend a man accused of murder. He also is struggling to define his relationship with Lucy. Is it love or just a deepening of their friendship?  On top of this, Bob is married and Lucy is living with her ex-husband William. Amidst all of this, Lucy is developing a new friendship with Olive.

Whew - did I get that all straight?  Ha!

This is written with the author’s typical wit and insight into human relationships. There is not one character to dislike. I felt my deepest connection with the acerbic Olive Kitteridge. The times she and Lucy spend telling each other stories about what they call people with “unrecorded lives” are some of the best parts of the book.

I’ve enjoyed each book in this series.  I received a copy of this from Random House Publishing via Netgalley.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

Marjorie Post was the daughter of C.W. Post, the founder of the Post Cereal Company.  The family amassed enormous wealth and the company eventually became General Foods.

Marjorie was a very smart businesswoman.  Unfortunately, her smartness did not crossover into her love life.  Forever the optimist about love, she was married and divorced four times.

At times I found it difficult to wrap my brain around her wealth.  Marjorie did a great job of spending it.  One of her redeeming qualities was her philanthropy.  

This was an interesting insight into the life of an ultra wealthy woman who worked hard at both business and enjoying life.

 

Berried at Sea
by Peg Cochran

It’s a marriage made in murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The long-awaited wedding of Monica and Greg is the highlight of the harvest season in Cranberry Cove, drawing friends from far and wide to help them celebrate. Among the guests are an old college friend of Monica’s and the woman’s boisterous new husband, a man with many enemies and more than a few bitter women in his past. When he turns up dead on a boat, the victim of a fatal stabbing, Monica steps in once again to unravel the mystery.

As she dredges up clues and wades through a long list of suspects, Monica’s sleuthing becomes all the more pressing when the local police are convinced that her friend did the deed. Monica will have to clear her name fast and track down the real culprit as the killer threatens to bring her sweet wedded bliss to a bitter end.

My Thoughts

Out protagonist is Monica Albertson.  When this story opens, Monica is getting ready to marry Greg.  The wedding goes off without a hitch until one of the wedding guests turns up dead the day after the ceremony.  Inquisitive Monica just can't help getting involved in trying to find out who committed the murder.

Monica is smart and comes across as a natural in asking questions and following clues.  I love that this is set in a small town on lake Michigan!  The story moved along quickly and there was never a dull moment.

This is book #4 of the Cranberry Cove Mystery series.  While it worked well as a stand alone, I think there is good cause to go back and read the other three books.  I also want to read future books in this fun cozy series.

I received this book from Beyond the Page Publishing via Netgalley.

The Family Gathering

by Robyn Carr

An exceptional storyteller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr beautifully captures the emotionally charged, complex dynamics that come with being part of any family. Readers will laugh and shed a few tears as they discover what it means to be loved, supported and accepted by the people who mean the most.

Having left the military, Dakota Jones is at a crossroads in his life. With his elder brother and youngest sister happily settled in Sullivan’s Crossing, he shows up hoping to clear his head before moving on to his next adventure. But, like every visitor to the Crossing, he’s immediately drawn to the down-to-earth people and the seemingly simple way of life.

Dakota is unprepared for how quickly things get complicated. As a newcomer, he is on everyone’s radar—especially the single women in town. While he enjoys the attention at first, he’s really only attracted to the one woman who isn’t interested. And spending quality time with his siblings is eye-opening. As he gets to know them, he also gets to know himself and what he truly wants.

When all the Jones siblings gather for a family wedding, the four adults are drawn together for the first time in a way they never were as children. As they struggle to accept each other, warts and all, the true nature and strength of their bond is tested. But all of them come to realize that your family are the people who see you for who you really are and love you anyway. And for Dakota, that truth allows him to find the home and family he’s always wanted.(Overview and book cover from Goodreads)

My Thoughts

After being absent for many years, Dakota Jones decides it is time to spend time with his siblings. He's not really sure where this will lead of if he will even want to stay around. He just knows that something is missing in his life. And so he comes to Sullivan's Crossing to be with his older brother and younger sister.

While this is the third book in the Sullivan's Crossing series, it is my first. I enjoyed spending time with Dakota and his family. Dakota is an interesting character who comes home with lots of emotional baggage. His family is not without their own personal struggles. But together, they support each other and work together.

This was a lovely story about redemption, perseverance and love. I liked all the characters, minus a few of the troublemakers. I thought this was a realistic portrayal of the difficulties that people encounter and what they do to overcome them.

I received this book from Harlequin via Netgalley