Today I am so excited to tell you about some awesome books. (Be sure to scroll all the way down for the second one!) The first book had a unique premise for me, three parts of a novel, by three different authors, all revolving around The Fortune Cafe. And they are three of my favorite authors, so it was a double bonus!
The first part of the novel was about Emma, a waitress, who meets up with her best guy friend from high school and boy has he changed. He's there with a girl, though, and while Emma is trying to keep from staring at him, his date has a meltdown and starts throwing food. It was seriously one of the highlights of the story, so funny. But even though Emma might be interested in possibly reconnecting, she's got a few secrets of her own that might send Harrison running in the other direction. A great story with lots of depth and fantastic characters.
The second part of the book is about Lucy, who is meeting with her fiance's parents for some final wedding preparations---but her lucky jade necklace breaks during the lunch. After that, everything in her life seems to go downhill. She reaches her lowest point, crying on the stairs of her apartment building, when Carter, the guy who shares an apartment balcony with her, shows up and starts to show her how being unlucky can be a good thing. I really enjoyed the story between these two. Very down-to-earth and relatable characters.
The third part of the novel is about Stella, who meets a divorced man and his little girl. She's taking care of her sick mother, though, and doesn't really have time for anyone in her life---or so she thinks. Evan is a chef and would really love to get to know Stella more, but is worried about how he could manage a dating life and a child. Lots of nuances in this story and some great dialogue. The dishes he cooked sounded delicious, too! (Yeah, I wanted some of the cheesecake to munch on while I was eating. It seriously sounded incredible. *le sigh*)
I really enjoyed all three stories and hope the authors will do another compilation like this in the future. Two thumbs up!
Here's the back copy:
The Fortune Café
a novel in three parts
LOVE, NOT LUCK: Lucy has always been lucky . . . until her parents meet her fiancé’s parents at a disastrous lunch at The Fortune Café, and she breaks her lucky jade necklace. Even worse, her fortune cookie reveals that “True love is for the brave, not the lucky.” How is she supposed to read that? She’s always considered it lucky how she met her fiancé. But after breaking her necklace, Lucy’s luck takes a dive. And when her fiancé dumps her, the only person she can turn to is Carter, the unluckiest guy she knows.
TAKEOUT: Stella is content in her new life of taking over her mom’s jewelry shop. No more boyfriend to worry about, and as long as she stays busy, she doesn’t have to dwell on her non-existent love life. When Evan comes into the shop with his young daughter, Stella is charmed. But she is reluctant to complicate her straightforward life, so when she reads her fortune after ordering takeout from The Fortune Café, she completely ignores it. After all, how can a fortune as vague as “Do the thing you fear and love is certain,” apply to her?
About the Authors Julie Wright started her first book when she was fifteen. She’s written over a dozen books since then, is a Whitney Award winner, and feels she’s finally getting the hang of this writing gig. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating writing, hiking, playing on the beach with her kids, and snuggling with her husband to watch movies. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make dinner. She hates mayonnaise, but has a healthy respect for ice cream.
Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a sometime blogger who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies and pines after beautiful shoes.
Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical thrillers under the pen name H.B. Moore, her latest is Finding Sheba. Under Heather B. Moore she writes romance and women’s fiction. She’s the co-author of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. Other women’s novels include Heart of the Ocean, The Fortune Café, the Aliso Creek Series, and the Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology Series.
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The second book I wanted to tell you about today is the third installment of the Ripple Effect Romance series, Righting a Wrong. This one is about Jace, the guy from the last novella that seemed to get the short end of the stick. I loved his character so much more in this novel than the last one, since we could delve into his feelings a bit more. Jace has always wondered about Cambri, the "one who got away" from him after high school. They'd been best friends in high school, he wanted more and kissed her, and then she ran away to go to college and seemed like she never looked back. But now she's returned to take care of her sick father and since the town is so small they are bumping into each other wherever they go.
Cambri regrets how she left Jace and wants to explain, but doesn't know where to start. She's also dealing with family issues that bleed over into her insecurity about whether she was right to leave or not. Lots of emotion in this story and I liked that they already had a history to build on. A nice addition to the series.
Here's the back copy:
Author Rachael Anderson A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.
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2 comments:
Oh! My! Heck! I waaaaaant all of theses!!!!!
Thank you, Julie! I'm 2/3 the way through The Fortune Cafe and loving it as well. Thanks for taking the time to read and give such thorough reviews. You're the best!
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