Bookish & Boozy

  Synopsis: Growing up, Cassie Carter and her sisters, Karen and Nichole, were incredibly close—until one fateful event drove them apart. After high school, Cassie ran away from home to marry the wrong man, throwing away a college scholarship and breaking her parents’ hearts. To make matters worse, Cassie had always been their father’s favorite—a sentiment that weighed heavily on her sisters and made Cassie’s actions even harder to bear. Now thirty-one, Cassie is back in Washington, living in Seattle with her daughter and hoping to leave her past behind. After ending a difficult marriage, Cassie is back on her own two feet, the pieces of her life slowly but surely coming together. Despite the strides Cassie’s made, she hasn’t been able to make peace with her sisters. Karen, the oldest, is a busy wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her two children. And Nichole, the youngest, is a stay-at-home mom whose husband indulges her every whim. Then one day, Cassie receives a ...

  Synopsis : I haven't been home for Thanksgiving in six years. A couple days before I leave to head home, I am informed that my brother's best friend, and also my huge, obnoxious adolescent crush, will be there as well. So among a shaky work situation, a newfound potato chip addiction, and the usual stress of heading home for the holidays, I have a sudden urge to prove that I was no longer the mumbling, bumbling girl in Hogwarts robes and her nose in a book. Not that anything was going to happen between us. Those hopes had died around the time I headed off to college. But maybe.... ** This is a quick romance full of sweet moments and enough steam to keep you turning the pages. I really enjoyed this short novel more than I thought I would. I enjoyed the spice (obviously). I wish there was bit more to the story plot wise…everything felt like it happened so fast. The build up was a bit quick…although they did have feelings for each other before hand, I felt like it moved a little...

  Synopsis: Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two. That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all. Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to ...

Synopsis: When irrepressibly romantic Lucy Gray is ditched at said wedding by her date in front of her whole family, the promises of a psychic seem better than her pity-riddled reality. The psychic's advice seems insightful: stop ignoring fate's signs - fate will lead you to love. But when "fate" leads Lucy to London, she finds herself tangled in a web of lies. In a story about finding independence and taking chances, Lucy learns that leaving everything up to fate can be dangerous - and jeopardize her chances at happily ever after. Honeymoon Alone is a very cute and fun read. Definitely more of a nice cozy chic-lit than a romance to me. Lucy is a teacher that isn't too lucky in the love department. Takes a spontaneous trip to London. Falls in love...maybe? I like that their was a little teeny tiny bit of mystery added in. Overall it was a nice, easy, enjoyable read. -  See all the books I have rated!  -

Synopsis: THE DUPLEX is a novel about four gay friends and lovers living in 1950s Los Angeles. Dealing with harsh conditions including fear of arrest, possible job loss, and stifling expectations of conformity, the group comes up with a brilliant and highly unusual scheme to live freely and avoid harassment. Their unique idea works well at first but ultimately leads to unexpected complexities and issues, dovetailing into valuable lessons about the high cost of blending in—or not. The Duplex follows the lives of four gay friends and lovers living in Los Angeles in the 1950s, They deal with so much while just trying to live life.  "I don't know. Maybe I'm sick. I must be. Even the Psychiatric Association says so. These are doctors. Trained professionals, after all." The book is written in a way you understand each individuals life personally because they each tell their story in first person. I loved the way it was written and I learned so muc...