[58] Between the Pines (Black Springs Ranch #1) by Amber Palmer
Romance / Western, saw on Kindle U, Kindle
Synopsis: After Josie Hayes catches her boyfriend cheating on her, she flees Texas for Tennessee, to spend time at her family’s cabin. She never quite makes it to the cabin though—she stops at the bar in town and ends up having a spontaneous week-long fling with the bartender, Lincoln Carter. Despite her feelings for him, she can’t imagine how their relationship will ever work out geographically, so she leaves early one morning before he’s awake. A year later, she’s built a new life—only to find Lincoln back in it, working at her father’s summer horse training program.
Review: I really liked how this book broke from the typical slow-burn romance formula and dove right into a passionate connection between the characters (similar to Sawyer, another cowboy romance I read LOL), and I didn’t even roll my eyes at Lincoln showing back up in her life. But after that, it felt so predictable, ho hum, and obvious. I think this is the book that finally got me off my cowboy romance kick. They’re all starting to blend together!
Recommend? No
[59] Swan Song (Nantucket #4) by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction / Women, 4th in series, Audio
Synopsis: Just days from retirement, longtime Nantucket police chief Ed Kapenash is pulled back into duty when a $22 million home goes up in flames, and the homeowners’ personal concierge mysteriously vanishes. With personal ties to the missing woman and the flashy newcomers behind the chaos, Ed must delay his exit and piece together the tangled lives of island residents.
Review: This was peak rich-people-behaving-badly—think over-the-top parties, fake charity pledges, and petty drama on the pickleball court. It was entertaining, and I loved seeing familiar characters from past books (though you don’t need to have read them to enjoy/understand this one). I was really into it, until the ending, which was so cheesy it took it from a 5-star to 4-star read.
Recommend? Sure
[60] The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin
Fiction / Women, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Audio
TW: Suicide, death of a parent
Synopsis: Lainey, Tyson, Summer, and Hannah meet their freshman year of college and form a deep bond that lasts throughout college. After the heartbreaking loss of Summer to suicide at the end of their senior year, Lainey, Tyson, and Hannah make a pact to always be there for one another. A decade later, when Hannah’s life is upended, they reunite, each facing personal struggles of their own. They decide to take a trip together—each choosing a meaningful destination—as a way to escape, reconnect, and honor Summer’s memory.
Review: Ha, this book is so ridiculous and bad, I had to stick with it to see what the hell happened and if it made ANY sense (spoiler: no). The characters are all unlikable, and despite being out of college for ten years, they’re very immature and have poor decision making skills. Hannah is devastated her fiancé cheated on her (understandable) and that she may never start a family. Lainey has daddy issues she deals with by acting wild, drinking too much, and sleeping with random men. And then there’s Tyson… who seems to be a standup guy but dumps his girlfriend and quits his job to go on this trip?! Without spoiling too much, the ending makes NO sense. The plot makes NO SENSE. This book is just a big ole NO.
Oh! Almost forgot. I really disliked the way the narrators did the other characters’ voices. For example, Lainey’s narrator made Hannah sound extremely whiny, and the women did a horrible job with the man and vice versa.
Recommend? No
