Three Books I Highly Recommend

Kitchen Canary by Joanne C. Parsons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You may recall that after the potato famine in Ireland, many Irish immigrated to the United States and Boston became home for many of them. But what was it really like to come over as a young person and make one’s way in the land of opportunity?
This book brings the history and the immigrant story to life, in an engaging and captivating way.

Moira immigrated first and then arranged for Katie to come too, and work in the same wealthy household in Boston as a nanny. Katie loved Ireland and didn’t want to leave, but it was the only way for her to support her family. The ship voyage was a misery, and life in the Brennan house turned out to be horrible, too. How Moira and Katie coped with their new lives made for a fascinating read.

The vivid characters, with interesting backstories, fascinated me. The author avoids stereotypes by digging deeper into the characters’ motivations. Some of the story is told in the third-person and some in the first person.

The author took an even-handed approach to the history of the times and her characters. Yes, the immigrant story wasn’t as rosy as we might want it to be, but the book shows that with love, hope and God’s grace, people can triumph. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. I gave an honest review.

View all my reviews

Beginning French by Les Americains
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever had “le reve” of living or vacationing in France? This story of Les Americans is one of the most entertaining reads in the non-fiction travel genre. It’s perfect for armchair travelers like myself who want to experience the charm without personally going through all the problems. Les Americains, husband wife, daughter, keep their story of how they came to acquire a cottage in Dordogne light and witty. While there are house rehab problems and cultural difficulties, they enjoyed their neighbors and daily life when they visited each summer.

Each chapter is a vignette. I especially liked to hear about life in the villages. The night markets with the food trucks sounded amazing. There are plenty of recipes and descriptions of meals, again presented in a pleasing way, with just enough detail. Games of petanque in the village, and the attempt to take dance classes were delightful, too.
I agree with the authors that it’s the love of family and shared experiences that makes one’s life a rich one. And it’s probably also true that “No one ever said being French would be easy.” Highly recommend

Thanks to netGalley and the publisher for an ARC. I gave an honest review.

View all my reviews

One Way Ticket: A romantic comedy by Melissa Baldwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Picture yourself at a busy airport, standing at the departure board, checking to see if your flight to Fargo is on time. After double-checking your gate number, your eye drifts down- Fresno, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vega, New Orleans, New York. Don’t you feel exhilarated and hopeful just thinking momentarily about ditching your business trip and flying somewhere fabulous?

Now picture yourself at a busy airport, double checking that you have your boarding pass when you hear laughs and cheers and you see something white-ish dashing by. It’s a runaway bride! What if you met up with her in the bathroom and chatted with her? Then WHAT IF YOU SWITCHED LIVES WITH HER?

This is the premise of this adorable, fun and creative Romantic Comedy. Sabrina is the runaway bride from San Francisco, who ditched her groom at the altar in Dallas. She is helped in her time of need at the Dallas airport by Addison, Addi for short. Addi moved from New Zealand to Orlando because of a boyfriend who then ended up dumping her. She is not keen on her current life sitch. When Sabrina and Addi realize that they are both florists- then snap- why not switch lives to get a new perspective! Addi goes to San Fran and Sabrina heads to Orlando. They both look for new lives and end up finding new loves.

“The idea of being able to escape my life, trying something new in a new city had felt exciting.” A fun and charming read- what I liked best were the scenes from each city, the views of SF Bay, the restaurants in Orlando. Addi and Sabrina were likeable and the guys they meet are well-rounded and loveable, too. And I adored the whole concept of the story. What I wasn’t as keen on- that the older ladies in the book were all kinda cranky and one-dimensional.

I have loved the writing of both authors- having them join forces to create this fresh story made me happy ever after! Watch out who you meet in the airport. This is a pleasant and light-hearted read and I recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. I gave an honest review.

View all my reviews