5 Star Reads!
Are you having a sizzling summer? You will if you curl up with any or all of these funny, spunky and endearing young woman and read their entertaining stories. I found each of these books to be nonputdownable and worthy of a 5 star review. Enjoy a little bit of cozy mystery, chick lit, and good lit.
Haunting Me
If a friend ever asks you, “Why do you read Cozy Mysteries?”- hand them this book! They will love this read and be hooked! HAUNTING ME (Haunting Me Series Book 1) features two enchanting and likeable characters. Phoebe, her Mom calls her Jitterbug, is smart, perky, cute and is a friendly and loyal gal.
When the story begins, Phoebe is pursuing her dream attorney job, and dream boyfriend, although both her goals are derailed by a runaway hot dog cart. As a result of her accident with the cart, Phoebe meets Edie, the second wonderful character in this book. Edie is an older society lady, but plenty of mystery surrounds her- mainly because Edie is a ghost, and a ghost with legal issues. You will bond with these two characters and root for them as they do their best to solve Edie’s problems. You will want to be best friends with Phoebe and Edie.
There are many twists and turns- a wedding, and an estate sale were among the many well-written and hilarious scenes. Add in the cast of Phoebe’s friends and relatives, their well-styled clothes and delectable food, plus a secret staircase, and you will not be able to put this fast paced story down. This is a fresh and contemporary mystery that will leave you feeling entertained.
You will be happy that the ending turns out as it does. Some of the solution was predictable, but in a good way- you will be rooting for the characters and want things to turn out as they did. But don’t worry- there are some twists and turns in the plot. And the best part of the ending- the phrase, “To be continued.”
Pronouncing Enzo
by Aimee Bealer
The back cover blurb about PRONOUNCING ENZO intrigued me. Could an author create a modern day My Fair Lady that was culturally sensitive? Yes! I can still sing the entire score to My Fair Lady, and this retelling is “loverly”! Author Bealer has created two of the most loveable, endearing and memorable characters since Eliza Doolitlle and Henry Higgins discussed the rain in Spain. The story begins when Hester Hastings’ friend dares her to take on a “nice, juicy project”- transform an ex-con into a refined, upper crust English gentleman. Heather is a Hollywood Dialect Coach. Has she met her match with a guy from Watts who says, “Cause my last name be Diaz, people always axing me where I from.”? Read this delightful, well-written charmer to find out! Both the student and the coach change and grow and by the end of the book, we see their passion blossom as well. Bonus points to Ms. Bealer for creating an older Mother character who is warm, kind and fun! Extra bonus points for giving the main characters the same initials as the My Fair Lady players. (I liked the cover of the book, too!) Highly recommend!
Plan Bea
Take this book to the beach! Do you like fascinating characters that you can bond with, that are like real people? Do you like romance, with a dash of chick lit and a dab of suspense? Meet Annabel (Anna), and her Mother, Beatrice. Anna and her socialite mother have clashed for years. Says Anna: “No matter how old you are, you always want your mother’s love and acceptance.” Bea replies: “Oh, Annabel, don’t be so dramatic.” As the story of Annabelle and her mother unfolds, we learn that each has kept their feelings and lives hidden from each other. I liked that Anna’s husband and best friend held Anna accountable for her part of the relationship problems with her Mother. “I finally understood what they were trying to tell me- I was my own worst enemy.” The book ends with a twist, that I didn’t see coming at all, but the surprise ending was true to the book and very fun and romantic. Plan Bea is a fast-paced, easy read.
How Many Wrongs Make a Mister Right?
“Sparkling self, here I come.” For me, the story of Melissa is hard to classify by genre. It’s the story of a young woman coming of age to adulthood, but it’s not zany or madcap like chick lit. And it’s more focused on Melissa’s inner life, rather than a simple boy meets girl romance. I would classify this story as a good read. When we meet Melissa, and be warned, you will bond with her as this is a first person POV, she is a young woman searching for love, independence, and her place in the world, after she has suffered the loss of her father. She lives in the Lake District of England with her mother, and we are treated to pleasant descriptions of the area. Melissa is an endearing character with many perceptive quips: “What a social life; between church and folk sessions, I am twenty-three going on fifty-three.” “Sarcasm is so hard to pull off in a market town.” “It’s a great ego booster, going to church; you are classed as a ‘young person’ much longer than anywhere else.”
Melissa realizes she needs to change and she also learns that she can change. “I need to reform my entire mating system.” “Some of the old confidence I can barely remember has returned.”
Melissa leaves her part-time pub job and moves to Edinburgh to live with friends. The move ends up being what Melissa needs to move forward. This is a quiet, thoughtful, moving read, captivating and hard to put down. I empathized with Melissa as she strives to be, as she puts it, “mature”. The book is well-written and well-edited and I highly recommend it.
About the Author
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