What's in the (e)mail...plus a book giveaway

All (or most) of these books can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Apple, Kobo, etc.

NG = NetGalley

Melissa:
How Freaking Romantic by Emily Harding from Gallery (NG)
Sisters of Fortune by Esther Chehebar from Random House (print)
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison from St. Martin's Press (NG)
Perfect Modern Wife by Kristen Van Nest from Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse (ebook)
Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery from Harlequin (NG)

The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn from Random House (print)
Lucky Break by Jaclyn Westlake from HarperCollins (print)
Dog Person by Camille Pagan from Ballantine (NG)
Hemlock Lane by Marshall Fine from Lake Union (NG)

Vagabond by Tim Curry from Grand Central (NG)

Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away by by Reyna Marder Gentin from Caitlin Hamilton Marketing (NG)

As Long as You're Mine by Nekesa Afia from Kathleen Carter Communications (print)

The Underdog by Sagit Schwartz from Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse (ebook)

Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon from Simon & Schuster (NG)

Ghosted at Christmas by Holly Whitmore from Transworld (ebook)

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict from St. Martin's Press (NG)

The Patchwork Players by Jennifer Chiaverini from William Morrow (NG)

The Fourth Daughter by Lynn Liao Butler from Lake Union (NG)

The Woman From Book Club by Carrie Hughes from Hera (NG)

Sara:
Under a Spanish Sky by T.A. Williams from Rachel's Random Resources (NG)

Jami:

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White from Berkley (NG)

Allyson:
Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey from Berkley (NG)

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page from Berkley (NG)

What could be in YOUR mail:

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair

Everything Is Probably Fine by Julia London

Thanks to HarperCollins, we have one copy of each book to share with a lucky reader!

If All Else Sails:

When Josie arrives at a rundown cottage in Virginia for her brother’s so-called Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, she finds no extravaganza—just Wyatt, a grumpy, injured hockey player she loathes (and who happens to be her brother’s best friend and client). Tasked with helping him recover, Josie begrudgingly agrees—for the right price—even if it means sharing what she dubs the “murder cottage.” As they clash and coexist, Josie unexpectedly volunteers to join Wyatt on a sailing trip to scatter his uncle’s ashes, and the journey forces them to confront old grudges, buried truths, and a growing attraction that might just change everything.

Everything Is Probably Fine:

Lorna Lott has always prioritized results over relationships, earning her a reputation for being intense—and not particularly likeable. But when a career-jeopardizing mistake lands her in a mandatory thirty-day wellness program, Lorna must confront her buried grief, lingering rage, and the unresolved fallout from her sister’s addiction. With her promotion, her future, and even her childhood home on the line, Lorna embarks on a reluctant journey of healing—helped along by an unexpectedly sweet neighbor kid and his charming father—as she learns that the hardest thing to change might be herself.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends August 6th at midnight EST. 

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Book Review: The Love We Found

By Melissa Amster

Nearly a decade after her life was upended, Lucy discovers a small slip of paper tucked into a box of old photos—an address in Rome. The mystery pulls her across the ocean on a spontaneous trip that feels both reckless and necessary. Italy was never part of her plan, but something about this clue won’t let her go.

There, Lucy meets Dr. Dax Armstrong, a compassionate New Yorker working with a local NGO. His quiet strength and watchful eyes stir something long dormant in her, awakening a part of herself she thought she’d lost.

As Lucy is drawn deeper into the puzzle—and her connection with Dax—she’s forced to confront the life she left behind and the impossible choices ahead. Some truths are heavy with consequence. And the heart, no matter how wounded, doesn’t always wait for perfect timing. (Synopsis adapted from Amazon.)

I am so glad Jill Santopolo wrote a sequel to The Light We Lost (reviewed here), so that we can revisit with some memorable characters. The Love We Found is a heartfelt and rewarding story and I actually loved it more than its predecessor. Moving the story ten years ahead reminded me of when TV shows get a big time jump and then have to fill in all the blanks. I liked the back and forth trajectory. I also liked Lucy a lot more in this story. 

Trust me, this novel is just really good! It helps to read The Light We Lost first (as there are a lot of spoilers in this follow up), but my mom was able to read this one on its own and follow along. (She then read The Light We Lost, but she doesn't mind spoilers.) While this one gives a lot of context about the past, it's still helpful to know who the characters were back then and what their relationships were like.

My only concern was that it felt like there was too much projecting to the future instead of staying in the moment. I can't explain it without spoiling things, but it just felt like Lucy was constantly focused on what was around the next corner.

This was a comforting read overall and it also shows the consequences of one decision made a long time ago and the effects it has on the lives of everyone involved. That was done really well and made for some interesting and thought-provoking dialogue. I recommend picking it up, but be sure that you have nothing else going on because you will get absorbed!

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Lucy: Odette Annable
Darren: Jason Ritter
Kate: Beth Behrs

Dax: Devon Sawa

Eva: Christina Pickles

Violet: Cailey Fleming

Courtney: Alison Pill

Thanks to Putnam for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Jill Santopolo:

Everything After

Stars in an Italian Sky

More than Words

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TW: Loss of child (off page), infidelity (off page), death of significant other (referred to a lot), learning about parentage