The Midnight Dance

By: Nikki Katz
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Pages: 320

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When the music stops, the dance begins.

Seventeen-year-old Penny is a lead dancer at the Grande Teatro, a finishing school where she and eleven other young women are training to become the finest ballerinas in Italy. Tucked deep into the woods, the school is overseen by the mysterious and handsome young Master who keeps the girls ensconced in the estate – and in the only life Penny has never known.

But when flashes of memories, memories of a life very different from the one she thinks she’s been leading, start to appear, Penny begins to question the Grand Teatro and the motivations of the Master. With a kind and attractive kitchen boy, Cricket, at her side, Penny vows to escape the confines of her school and the strict rules that dictate every step she takes. But at every turn, the Master finds a way to stop her, and Penny must find a way to escape the school and uncover the secrets of her past before it’s too late.

First Impressions

A dance book! Woohoo! Dance books tend to go immediately to the top of my TBR list. Add to the fact that it counts toward the Debut Author Challenge that I’ve been failing with this year, and it jumped even higher.

What I thought

This book was super weird.

Set in France in the late 1800s, Penny lives in an estate for ballerinas. All the girls do is dance and learn about topics that are helpful for talking to Lord-like people at events. The whole estate is run by Master and all of the girls are meant to follow everything he says and wants. Penny starts to realize that things aren’t right and she finds out that nothing is what it seems.

This book is sort of a cross between dystopian and science fiction and, like I said, was just a bit too weird for me. There was a lot of science fiction stuff that didn’t feel fully thought out to me and left me confused and with a lot of questions.

Unfortunately, because I was questioning a lot of what was going on, I couldn’t get into the story. I liked the relationship between Cricket and Penny, but everything else was half-developed. It seemed like every time there was a problem, a solution was created instead of being formed from parts of the story that was already there.  

I also spent the final half of the book worried that things weren’t getting wrapped up ad that the book was going to end on a cliffhanger and result in a series. I don’t quite understand why all YA books that aren’t contemporary HAVE to be at least two books, so I was going to be very annoyed if that was the case. While the ending was left a bit open in case of a sequel, it concluded enough to be a standalone. But as a result, the ending felt very rushed and thrown together.

I will say that as a dancer, I was impressed with the dance knowledge in this book. I wish there had been a bit more dance and not as much of this sciencey manipulation storyline. I picked up this book because I love dance stories, and it was a very minor part of the storyline. It setup a reason for the girls to be in the estate but that was about it.

This is a bit of a 2.5 star read for me. I think that if this genre is up your alley you might like it. And like I said, I appreciated the bit of dance knowledge that was in there. Overall, it just didn’t click with me. I was over halfway through and debated giving u on the book because I started not to t care what happened to these characters. I also was so convinced the book was going to end in a cliffhanger that I was willing to just stop reading rather than spend time finishing the book only to be left unsatisfied. Don’t let the cover drag you in like I allowed it to do to me. If the summary doesn’t appeal to you, I’d definitely give this one a pass.

8 Books I'm Most Excited for in 2018

Until I started blogging, I was never really aware of upcoming books, with the exception of books that were a part of a series. Now, I hear about books decently far in advance, so there is definitely a list of those that I start to look forward to. I do love the anticipation of a book I’m excited for, so let me share that excitement with you! I did try to find 10 that I was looking forward to, but I only got to 8. Whoops! At least 8 is my lucky number.

8. The Elizas- Sara Shephard- This is an adult debut of Shephard’s who is the author of Pretty Little Liars. It sounds like an interesting mystery and I did enjoy the first few books of the PLL series (even though I never watched the TV show). I only recently heard about this one which is why it’s a little lower on my list. Publishing in April 2018

7. My Oxford Year- Julia Whelan- I am a sucker for books about studying abroad, especially ones in England. It also seems like it had a hate to love relationship which I am also a sucker for. This is a debut and it is described as being for fans of Nicholas Sparks and JoJo Moyes. While they’re not my favorite authors, I do love the movies based off of both Sparks’ and Moyes’ books, so I’m hoping this one will be fun. It’s also already been purchased to be made into a movie, so it’ll be fun to be ahead of the game for this one. Publishing in April 2018

6. The Way You Make Me Feel- Maureen Goo- This book popped up on my twitter feed and the cover totally sucked me in. It’s about a girl who is sentenced to working on her dad’s food truck for the summer alongside a classmate that she doesn’t like. Remember how I mentioned I’m a sucker for hate to love tropes? Add in summer romance and I am all in! The hate to love is a bit different in this one as it’s with a female classmate, so it’ll be a bit more of a friendship love, but I’m always looking for a good friendship story! Publishing May 2018

5. By The Book- Julia Sonneborn- A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Anne Corey is working towards tenure until Adam Martinez (her first love and ex-fiance) shows up as the new president of the college where she works. Books, love, and a Jane Austen retelling. Can I ask for more? Publishing February 2018

4. The Wedding Date- Jasmine Guillory- “Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do.”- That right there is why I’m excited for this book. It sounds exactly like the beginning to a cheesy Hallmark movie and that makes me so excited. It’s another debut, so I’m hoping that it will add a new author to my list of ones I love. Publishing January 2018

3. The Queen of Hearts- Kimmery Martin- This book was actually brought to my attention when I was asked to review it. It’s about two woman who became best friends in medical school. They’re now married and enjoying their lives until a secret is unearthed from their past. Friendship plus a little bit of mystery just sounds intriguing. And for some reason, even though I have a decent amount of review for the beginning of the year, this is the one I’m most looking forward to. Publishing February 2018

2. The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hynotik- David Arnold- I have greatly enjoyed two of Arnold’s previous novels (Mosquitoland and The Kids of Appetite) so this was added to me list before looking at the summary. Then I read an interview he gave about the book and was hooked. It sounds so different from anything that I’ve ever read and I don’t think Arnold will disappoint. Publishing May 2018

1. Save the Date- Morgan Matson- Yay!!! A new Morgan Matson book! She is one of my favorite authors and I was beyond excited to see she was coming out with a new one in 2018. It’s about a wedding that is pretty much pure chaos. Honestly, I don’t care what it’s about. It’s by Matson so I know I will love it! Publishing June 2018

That’s my list of books I’m looking forward to for next year! Anything that you’re looking forward to? Are any of these books on your list?

Play! By Sephora December 2017

Play! By Sephora is a monthly subscription box by Sephora. It costs $10 a month and you received 5 beauty and skincare samples plus a perfume sample each month. Previously, you needed to put yourself onto a wait-list and wait to receive an email before you could subscribe, as they were rolling it out to limited quantities.

In addition to the products, Sephora includes a booklet that includes information about the product, the brand, and then tips of how to use the products. Also at the back of the book is a Play! PASS. This Pass gives you a complimentary one-on-one session with a Sephora artist as well as an extra 50 Beauty Insider points when you scan the pass at the register with any purchase. If you have the Sephora app, you can also scan the images of the products to learn more about them.

When the subscription first started, it seemed as though everyone received the same box. Now, it seems as though they have a handful of box varieties that everyone receives based on the survey you fill out at the beginning and their theme. This month’s theme is Glam Straight.

Smashbox Cover Shot Eye Shadow Duo in Golden Hour (Full-size $29)

This is a sample of two eyeshadows that come in their Cover Shot Golden Hour eye shadow palette. I LOVE Smashbox eyeshadows, so I was very excited to get these. Smashbox is one of the brands that first got me into higher quality makeup and I still think it’s hard to beat the quality of their shadows. These ones are beautiful and go together perfectly. The first color is a beautiful pinky/gold (think eye shadow version of NARS Orgasm blush) and the second is a purple/brown. I don’t often buy palettes as I feel like I can’t justify the price, but these are relatively inexpensive and still contain 8 shadows!

Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick in Rose Wood (Full-size $22)

A beautiful nude pink, this soft lipstick is perfect for the holiday season if you’re not into bold lips. I haven’t tried it on my lips (yet) but it feels like it will be moisturizing. It’s definitely a “your lips but better” type of color. I’m hoping to try it soon (maybe on Christmas day) and see how it holds up to the wear and tear of the holiday meals!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (Full-size $23)

This mascara is one of those that you hear a lot about in the beauty community. A lot of people LOVE it, but I have yet to try it. One beauty guru that I trust has tried it and isn’t crazy about it, which is why I haven’t been too tempted in the past. I am excited to try it out though, sine I never would’ve spent the money on it. Now, do I really need another mascara sample? Definitely not, but at least it’s one I haven’t tried before!

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Volume Hairspray (Full-size $29)

A bit pricey for a hairspray in my opinion. This is meant to lift your hair and make it appear full and voluminous. While also keeping your hair in place. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll play around with it for sure. My hair does tend to fall a little flat right at the roots so we’ll see. If not, I know some people who would love this!

IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Transforming Moisturizing Super Cream (Full-size $48)

So this cream claims to do a lot of things. Sephora says that it was developed with plastic surgeons and contains ingredients meant to moisturize, reduce the look of pores, discoloration, and signs of aging. It also claims that the concentrate is activated upon contact with the skin. The main ingredients listed are collagen, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and ceramides. The only one I’m super familiar with is hyaluronic acid which is a super moisturizer. The collagen is meant to support skin elasticity, the peptides to reduce appearance of wrinkles, and the ceramides to restore the skin barrier. If this product does what it claims, it is a great deal! $48 for 2oz of a good moisturizer is not bad at all. Fingers crossed this will be a holy grail product! Only downside is there is no SPF involved.

Dior Miss Dior (Full-size $94)

This fragrance is described as having top notes of bergamot, middle motes of grasse rose and may rose, and base notes of rosewood and pink peppercorn. I (surprisingly) have never actually smelled Miss Dior before. It’s really not bad! I like the mixture of floral and spice.

Overall, a great box to end the year on! I’m honestly excited to try every product in this box and hopefully won’t be giving anything away.

The Deal of a Lifetime

Before getting into my review, just wanted to apologize for the few days of silence. The holidays always throw me off a bit with blogging. You'd think by now I'd have the hang of it, but somehow they still always sneak up on me and I don't have anything prepared. Plus, I figure most people are spending time with those they love and not reading blogs :) Anyway, on to the slightly festive mini-review!

By: Frederik Backman
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 65

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): It all begins with a father telling a story to his son on Christmas Eve. But this isn’t your typical Christmas story. The father admits to his son that he’s taken a life but he won’t say whose—not yet.

One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. She’s a smart kid—smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it.

As the man tells his son about this plucky little girl, he slowly reveals more about himself: while he may be a successful businessman, idolized by the media and his peers, he knows he failed as a parent. Overwhelmed by the responsibility of fatherhood, he took the easy way out and left his wife and little boy twenty years ago to pursue professional success. Now he is left wondering if it’s too late to forge a relationship with his son, who seems to be his opposite in every way—prizing happiness over money, surrounded by loving friends in a cozy town where he feels right at home.

Face to face with the idea that something is missing, the man is given the unexpected chance to do something selfless that could change the destiny of the little girl in the hospital bed. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he needs to find out what his own life has actually been worth in the eyes of his son. And so, he seeks him out and tells him this story…

First Impressions

A short Christmas story by Fredrik Backman? I’m in! I love the cover too, so I was in without even reading the summary.

What I thought

This was kind of a weird, depressing story.

Backman starts the book with a letter to readers, almost warning us that this is going to be a bit weird. It’s a short story he wrote about life and death and what it would mean to have never existed.

Unlike Backman’s full-length novels, this one has illustrations. There are beautiful pictures every few pages that add perfectly to the story. Considering this novella is only about 60 pages, I don’t have much of a review. I don’t know if I would recommend this as a Christmas story, but it’s an interesting perspective that I thin would make for some great discussion amongst friends.

If you like stories that can cause an existential crisis and you like Backman’s writing, you should read his latest novella. Maybe wait until after the holidays, but it’s worth a quick read. I don’t often recommend what type of format you should read in, but I’d recommend reading this in physical book format and not e-reader. The pictures are just too beautiful to not see in color.

Book Club December 2017

Final Book Club of the Year! This month, Stephanie picked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

By: Gail Honeyman
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Viking- Pamela Dorman Books
Pages: 327

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Meet Eleanor Oliphant. She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully time-tabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. 

Then everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living--and it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

What I thought

Honestly, I had heard about this book throughout the year and it never caught my eye. The name and the cover just didn’t do it for me. I don’t think I ever even read the summary, so when Steph picked it for book club, I was curious.

The tone of this book reminded me of Frederick Backman’s books, specifically A Man Called Ove. Considering how much I’ve loved his books, I was immediately drawn into this one.

Eleanor isn’t initially a likable character. She’s odd, a bit of a recluse, and a bit of an alcoholic. She is grumpy and judgmental of everyone around her and has no friends. I’ve learned over time though, that a lot of the time with characters such as these, they typically have a reason as to why they are acting they way they do.

Eleanor’s life is slowly changed when she’s leaving work with her coworker Raymond. Now, I’ll clarify that she was not leaving with him as a choice. They left at the same time and he happened to be going the same direction and started talking with her. While they were leaving, an older man fainted across the street. While Eleanor assumed he was a drunkard and was going to leave him, Raymond ran to help him and brought Eleanor along with him. After this interaction, Eleanor finds herself with two friends and isn’t quite sure what to do with herself.

There were a few moments in this book that I wanted to hit Eleanor upside the head because I would think to myself “there’s no way someone could be this stupid,” but the best part was, she often realized that herself after a short amount of time! I really appreciated that, as a lot of the times characters don’t realize when they’re being stupid and need another character to point it out to them.

Raymond is a nice balance to Eleanor. While a bit awkward (at least according to Eleanor), he is just a truly good and kind person. It was so refreshing to read a story with a character like Raymond. He was never cruel to Eleanor and never had any ulterior motives. He was just nice.

This book also tackles some mental health issues and I feel that it does it in a good way. Some of it seems a bit exaggerated or too quick, but for the sake of the story it works. The only issue I had with the book was the ending. It seemed like it ended very quickly. I think I would’ve liked either a few more chapters or an epilogue.

If this book has been on your radar, I'd recommend it. It's a delightful, easy, read that I think a lot of people would enjoy.

What Book Club Thought

General consensus was that this was a good choice! It took a few of us to get into it a little more than others, but in the end we all really enjoyed it. It was also fun to talk about a lot of the funny moments as well as those that bothered us a bit. We didn't get into a hugely deep discussion about this one, but we did throw it back since Reese Witherspoon's production company has purchased the rights for this book. We discussed which actors we could picture as Eleanor and Raymond. We agreed that we would like Eleanor to be played by an unknown (someone mousy and unassuming) but that Raymound would be played by someone better known. Stephanie came up with someone who was similar to Jack Black when he was in The Holiday and we all agreed that would be perfect. 

Series Summary- Jackaby

I recently finished the Jacakby series, which consists of 4 novels. Instead of writing individual reviews for each book, I figured I would just do a round up of my feelings on the series as a whole. I often find that there are series (trilogies especially) that I LOVE after the first book but then my feelings wane as the series goes on. Sometimes even to the point that while I couldn’t recommend the first book enough, I no longer recommend the series itself.

I've included the summary for the first book below, followed by my summary.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre

Back to my summary :)

The Jackaby series follows Abigail Rook and R.F Jackaby. Rook is a young woman from England who has come to the US to find adventure. Jackaby is Sherlock-Holmes-esque in that he is a quirky private detective. However, he has the added bonus of being a Seer, someone who can see auras and supernatural creatures. As a result, the cases he investigates are the ones that are more than what they seem. Shortly after arriving in the US, Rook takes on the job of becoming Jackaby’s assistant, so the series follows them on their adventures.

The first two books I flew through. I loved getting to know the characters and the way that they saw the supernatural world. I also liked that they were a bit simpler in that they are kind of procedural. I enjoy crime procedurals, so I liked following Jackaby and Rook as they solved their crimes with a bit of a twist.

Every character in this series is so much fun. Jackaby is odd, but loveable, Rook is strong and curious, and every other character that gets introduced (that isn’t evil) is just loveable. I also wasn’t able to figure out a lot the twists because of the supernatural elements, so that was fun.

The second two books take on a bit more of an overarching story that involves battels between good and evil. I tend to struggle with books that are the searching kind of adventure. Sort of like The Hobbit, where it’s just a long story about trying to get to the final destination. I also don’t do well reading battles. I find that I get bored with all of the descriptions and confusion and I just want to know who lives and who dies and who wins in the end.

While the third book was still a quick read for me, the fourth one took me a long time. It wasn’t because it was bad, it was just not a book that I could read for long periods of time. The final book was also a bit more supernatural heavy than the first three, so I think that made it a bit harder to read as well. I did like the way that the series ended and am sad to say goodbye to these characters.

If you’re someone who likes a bit of supernatural and enjoys procedural stories, I think you’ll like this series. Just beware that the last two books get to be a bit heavier. I still enjoyed them, but I just preferred the style of the first two books in the series a bit more. I honestly could’ve had a series of 10 books in the style of the first two. I get why the second two books went the way they did, and like I said, I’m happy with the ending, but I still would’ve liked more of the procedural side with characters I loved. I would also gladly read a prequel with Jackaby and even a check-in with Rook later.

The Boy is Back

By: Meg Cabot
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Sometimes to move forward, you have to go back…

One post. That’s all it took to destroy the care free, glamorous life of pro golfer Reed Stewart. One tiny post on the Internet. 

Then again, it’s not like Reed’s been winning many tournaments lately, and his uncle isn’t the only one who says it’s because of the unfinished business he left behind back home in Bloomville, Indiana—namely Reed’s father, the Honorable Judge Richard P. Stewart, and the only girl Reed ever loved, Becky Flowers.

But Reed hasn’t spoken to either his father or Becky in over a decade. 

Until that post on the Internet. Suddenly, Reed’s family has become a national laughingstock, his publicist won’t stop calling, his siblings are begging for help, and Reed realizes he has no other choice: He’s got to go home to face his past . . . the Judge and the girl he left behind.

Becky’s worked hard to build her successful senior relocation business, but she’s worked even harder to forget Reed Stewart ever existed—which hasn’t been easy, considering he’s their hometown’s golden boy, and all anyone ever talks about. It was fine while they were thousands of miles apart, but now he’s back in Bloomville. She has absolutely no intention of seeing him—until his family hires her to help save his parents.

Now Reed and Becky can’t avoid one another…or the memories of that one fateful night.

Can the quirky residents of Bloomville bring these two young people back together, or will Reed and Becky continue to allow their pasts to deny them the future they deserve?

First Impressions

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors, so when I found out that she was adding another book to the Boy series, I was beyond excited. Two series extensions from Cabot in one year? I couldn’t wait. As these books are written in emails and letters and so forth, I was curious how that would change in the current time.

What I thought

This book was almost as cute as the others!

Becky lives in her hometown and works at the family business. Reed is a pro-golfer who lives in LA. Neither of them have talked since their prom night 10 years ago. When Reed’s parents start having money troubles, his family finally convinces him to come home and help out.

I enjoyed the family aspect of the novel. Reed’s sister-in-law was probably one of my favorite characters with all of her meddling. I liked seeing the family come back together and Reed dealing with his parents. What I didn’t like as much was the romance between Becky and Reed. Something about it just didn’t click for me. I think my biggest issue with it was there wasn’t a lot of buildup. Reed came back and instantly he and Becky were in love again.

I liked their banter and I think I felt on his end some of the pining which made me understand how he was immediately in love with her again. He had never had a serious girlfriend in the past ten years. Becky on the other hand is currently in a (seemingly) serious relationship when Reed comes back to town. As soon as she sees him again it’s like the other guy ceases to exist. I tend to dislike storylines like that because I can’t personally relate to/understand how that can happen.

Cabot manages the email/text communication really well and it makes for an easy read. There were a few journal entries from Becky and I do wish there had been more of that. I feel like if there had been then maybe I would have connected with her a little more. We get a lot more insight from Reed’s side of the family which maybe allowed for more understanding of his feelings for Becky.

I vaguely remember that some of the other books connected through various characters, but since I haven’t read them in a while, I couldn’t remember if this story connected too. I would be curious to read this one again after re-reading the others.

I know this was a short review, but I don’t have much to say about it. It’s a cute but predictable story that was a fun read. It has the same feeling as the previous books in the series and was enjoyable. I would probably re-read it again in succession with  the other novels in the series, but I don’t think I’d purchase it. It’s a cute book and maybe I have high standards for Cabot. I did really like it, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. If you like cute fiction with a bit of romance, I would highly recommend checking out this book as well as the previous ones.

Winter Solstice

By: Elin Hiderbrand
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Pages: 262

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Raise one last glass with the Quinn Family at the Winter Street Inn. 

It's been too long since the entire Quinn family has been able to celebrate the holidays under the same roof, but that's about to change. With Bart back safe and sound from Afghanistan, the Quinns are preparing for a holiday more joyous than any they've experienced in years. And Bart's safe return isn't the family's only good news: Kevin is enjoying married life with Isabelle; Patrick is getting back on his feet after paying his debt to society; Ava thinks she's finally found the love of her life; and Kelly is thrilled to see his family reunited at last. But it just wouldn't be a Quinn family gathering if things went smoothly.

First Impressions

This is book 4 in the Winter series, so I was super excited (and surprised) when I saw this cover. I honestly thought that the series was going to be over after book three, so book four was a bit of a pleasant surprise. It’s a cute cover that would’ve caught my eye, but the first two are still my favoties.

What I thought

As a warning, this is the 4th book in this series. There will be spoilers, as it’s a bit difficult to review this book without any.

As with the previous books, this one picks up a year after the last one left off. Bart has been found and is back home, Ava is in New York with her new boyfriend, Kevin and Isabelle are married with a second baby, Patrick and Jennifer are still maneuvering life after jail and addiction, and Kelley is dying of brain cancer.

It was the first of the novels to have everyone in the Quinn family home. I also believe that it was the earliest starting novel of the series. Winter Solstice starts right before Halloween and actually ends on Christmas day. The story centers around Bart, Kelley, Ava, and Jennifer most of the time. We do get a check-in with Mitzi and Margaret as well, but Kevin is pretty non-existent, along with Patrick.

Ava is in New York with her new boyfriend and is on the edge of realize whether or not he is the one she wants to be with for the rest of her life. Bart is home and struggling with being a civilian again. He also has a severe case of survivors guilt. Mitzi is, obviously, dealing with Kelley’s cancer, and Kelley has some chapters from his perspective which was heart warming.

There’s also a character new to this series, Eddie Pancik, who is apparently from another of Hilderbrand’s novels, The Rumor. I haven’t read that book, so it’s a bit confusing to begin with when this new character with an already established background is thrown in, but I think Hilderbrand does a decent job of making it understandable without having read The Rumor.

I think the biggest question is whether or not a fourth book was necessary. I did like having more time with the Quinn family and finding out what had happened in their lives. I liked watching Bart and Jennifer tackle their demons. However, I liked not knowing exactly what happened with Kelley, but I think that’s just because it’s a heartbreaker.

If you are a fan of the series, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. This is not a series that will make sense if you read them out of order. There’s a lot that happens from year to year and the stories build on that and the relationships. It’s not as Christmas-y as the previous ones, as it ends on Christmas day, but it’s a good book to read in the months leading up to Christmas to help you get in the mood.