why does it have to end?!

Business Casual by B.K. Borison

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Genre: romance

Review: I am so glad that I discovered Lovelight Farms and the town of Inglewild, and I hope that Borison changes her mind and writes more stories about other characters in the small town.  Borison's characters grow and change over the four books, but remain true to themselves, even when the focus has moved on to another couple.  My only complaint about this last installment is that Nova and Charlie's story is a bit too similar to Luka and Stella's story, but, again, it's Borison's characterizations that make this story a success.  Even if Nova and Charlie's path is similar to Luka and Stella's, they are very different characters, and that makes all the difference.  Borison has given us another warm and fuzzy (and steamy) love story.  You probably won't want to have to leave Inglewild either.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

permanent tattoo

Jobs for Girls with Artistic Flair by June Gervais

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Genre: fiction

Review: Gina's older brother, Dominic, is giving her an ultimatum: once she turns 18 (next week), she has to figure out what she's going to do, and that doesn't include continuing to hang around his tattoo shop making herself useful.  The problem is that Gina doesn't want to go anywhere else.  Abanonded by their father, and faced with a mentally unstable mother, Gina and Dominic rely on each other, and Gina doesn't want to do anywhere or do anything but apprentice with Dominc and become a tattooist in his shop.  But this is the 1980s and a small town on Long Island, so women tattoo artists aren't really a thing.  But Gina is determined, and eventually Dominic agrees to train her, thinking that she'll inevitably give up.  What follows is Gina's story of learning how to stick to it and find support in unexpected places.

Gina is an engaging character who readers will root for.  Many of the supporting characters are also well-drawn   I struggled with Dominic, though.  At the beginning of the book he seemed like a very strong character, who always had Gina's back and was pushing her out of a concern for her best interests.  As the book went on, he came to seem kind of like a weak-willed jerk who really just couldn't be bothered with his little sister anymore.  Since the book is told through Gina's eyes, that may have been the point, as she matures and comes to see Dominic more clearly, and I, like Gina just became somewhat disappointed in him.  If so, I applaud Gervais for her subtle but effective rendering of a realistic brother-sister relationship.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

not your grandmother's romance

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Genre: romance

Review: On the one hand, this is a standard romance novel.  Boy meets girl and there is instant attraction, but things are complicated, a few hijinks ensue, and finally everything gets worked out and they all live happily ever after.  That's all true, and it's a very sweet, fun read.

But there's more going on here.  Ruthie is very buttoned-up, and scared to leave her comfort zone.  Teddy gives off louche, rich-kid vibe, and everyone tries to convince Ruthie that he's going to break her heart.  Ruthie's not convinced though, and what Thorne does very well is give us a sense of the dichotomy between other people's perceptions of Teddy, and even his own actions, and the real Teddy, without ever shifting to Teddy's actual perspective, but through narrative descriptions of his body language.

Second First Impressions is not your grandmother's romance novel.  With robust characters and writing that avoids cliché, this is a romance for anyone who wants to good story.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

how to relate to your teenage daughter

Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Genre: fiction, historical fiction

Review: It's not often that one wishes a book were longer than it is, but I almost wish there was just a little bit more to this one. After her teenage daughter storms out of the house, Laura sets about writing her a letter in which she hopes to explain that she really does understand what it's like to be a teenager. Bishop manages to pack a lot of emotional depth into this story, while keeping the prose very direct and free of frills.

But I do wish the story had been extended just a bit. It's evident that Laura manages to salvage some kind of relationship with her parents; how did that come about? What happened after Laura graduated high school? How did she meet the man we know only as "your father," who is clearly not the boyfriend of Laura's teenage years, but with whom she seems to have a good marriage? It is one thing to let your daughter in on the secret that you were once a teenager too and can understand what she’s going through, but this story might have benefited if Laura were also able to let her daughter see the light at the end of the teenager-tunnel.

FTC disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.