Book Club September 2019- Beyond the Poind

By: Claire Gibson
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 528

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Duty. Honor. Country. That’s West Point’s motto, and every cadet who passes through its stone gates vows to live it. But on the eve of 9/11, as Dani, Hannah and Avery face four grueling years ahead, they realize they’ll only survive if they do it together.

Everyone knows Dani is going places. With athletic talent and a brilliant mind, she navigates West Point’s predominantly male environment with wit and confidence, breaking stereotypes and embracing new friends.

Hannah’s grandfather, a legendary Army general, offers a stark warning about the dangers that lie ahead, but she moves forward anyway, letting faith guide her path. When she meets her soul mate at West Point, the future looks perfect, just as planned.

Wild child Avery moves fast and doesn’t mind breaking a few rules (and hearts) along the way. But she can’t outpace her self-doubt, and the harder she tries, the further it leads her down a treacherous path.

The world—of business, of love, and of war—awaits Dani, Hannah, and Avery beyond the gates of West Point. These three women know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But soon, that adage no longer rings true—for their future, or their friendship. As they’re pulled in different directions, will their hard-forged bond prevail or shatter?

Beyond the Point is a heartfelt look at how our closest friends can become our fiercest battle buddies. After all, the greatest battles we fight rarely require a uniform.

What We Thought

Beyond the Point follows Hannah, Dani, and Avery from their decisions to attend West Point through their years following through parts of their service. At West Point, Hannah Dani and Avery are all on the basketball team and as women, are in the minority of the population. Because of these two commonalities, they become close friends.

It was fascinating to read about their college experience and how it differed from my own. I loved learning about their training and the different years of school and how they worked. This was also where Dani, Hannah, and Avery’s friendship was born and I loved watching that bloom. In fact, one for the parts I was disappointed by the most was how short this portion of the book was. I would’ve gladly had this be 75% of the book. Unfortunately, we were only privy to their first two years and it got cut off right at a big cliffhanger. The rest of the book I felt like I had missed important information and missed some of their bonding. I would’ve appreciated the full four year.

One of the issues with the book that Meghan mentioned was how a chapter would end with a cliffhanger, not pick up until 5 chapters later, and then it wouldn’t even really pick up where it left off. Instead, leaving the reader to find out what happened through flashbacks even more chapters later. This happens a few times and did get a little bit irritating. Not so much that it ruined the book for me, but I know that it frustrated a few of the other book club members

I enjoyed the friendship aspect of this book a lot. I liked that each of the girls had their own problems and they were envious of how perfectly they felt their friends’ lives were. There were times when Avery talked down her issues because Hannah was dealing with something a lot worse and I could really relate to that. There are so many times when we don’t tell our friends about our issues because we worry that they’re insignificant. It was nice to not feel alone in doing this as it is something I find myself doing a lot. I haven’t read a lot of stories in which that is so openly shared and discussed.

Considering that this is Gibson’s debut novel, I was very impressed. I felt like the story moved quickly and taught me a lot. I haven’t ever read a story about West Point and to have it from an insider’s perspective it was fascinating. It definitely piqued a curiosity in me and I would love to learn more about what it’s like to go there as well as the other military colleges.

The overall consensus was that everyone enjoyed the book. We each found different aspects fascinating and it sparked some interesting conversation. There were bits and pieces that each of us weren’t crazy about, but not enough so to ruin the book for any of us. For example, I found the bits about religion and Faith to be mostly unnecessary and out of place, but they were so excessive that I couldn’t deal with them.

If you like historic war novels or novels about friendship, I would recommend checking this out. I know it’s not historic, as it takes place in the early 2000s, but it has that vibe to it, so I think people who enjoy those types of novels would enjoy this as well.  

Book Club August 2019- Red, White, & Royal Blue

By: Casey McQuistion
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 423

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through?

Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic.

What I thought

This is one of those books that has been making the rounds of the internet. I had read many good things about this book. Anyone that read it was raving about how good it was. Seeing that politics and LGBTQ centered books are not typically my style, I shied away from it, even though I do love royal dramas. I was a little nervous when Logan picked this for her book club book, but was pleasantly surprised.

Alex is the son of the first female President of the United States. Henry is the youngest Prince of England. Alex hates Henry until he is forced to pretend to be his best friend to avoid political scandal. Alex and Henry end up falling in love.

That’s pretty much the gist of this book. And while my summary is short and sweet, that’s because I want you to read and enjoy this book for yourself and not give anything away. The writing in this book was so solid. It was the perfect balance between smart and funny.

The interesting thing about this book is that it is advertised as a Young Adult novel, but I don’t think I would classify it as that. In fact, I think the bubblegum pink cartoon cover doesn’t do this book justice. But, I do appreciate that this book is targeted towards a young audience because I feel like it’s one that can positively influence so many people who might not pick it up if it was geared toward an older audience.

I was a bit surprised by exactly how political this book got. I expected it to be heavy on the romance and not as heavy on the politics. That’s why I said that this book is smart. McQuiston does a great job at not dumbing anything down and making it believable that this is a family deep into the political world. I loved some of the parallels to the real world.

Alex and Henry were both a lot of fun to read. Alex is unlike any character I have ever read and I enjoyed him. I liked reading about his personal struggles and he doesn’t become whiney. Henry was a lot of fun too. I think I appreciated Alex a little more than Henry, but I think that’s because the story wasn’t told from his perspective. I did like the insight into Henry’s life in the palace and would’ve loved to learn more about his life and his sister’s life.

This book also made me laugh. The emails were so much fun and there were some great one-liners. Again, I didn’t expect this book to be as funny as it was. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I have drank the Kool-aid. I will gladly push this book onto everyone and can’t wait to discuss it at book club.

How the Light Gets In Blog Tour + Giveaway

By: Katy Upperman
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Pages: 336

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become.

When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.

But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?

First Impressions

Oooooo! Summery! This would be a perfect book to read at the cabin! Pretty much exactly what went through my mind when I saw the cover. I was excited to get the opportunity to participate in the book tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. If you are interested in checking out other stops on the tour, you can see the entire tour schedule here.

What I thought

Not what I expected, but ended up really enjoying it!

Callie is sentenced to spend the summer helping renovate her Aunt’s new Bed & Breakfast after a year of getting high and failing school. Last summer, she and her younger sister were at her Aunt’s together, until her sister died. While there, Callie unexpectedly connects with a boy named Tucker, and with her sister Chloe’s ghost.

I think I must’ve tuned out of the synopsis before getting to the paranormal portion. I was a bit surprised when I started reading that there was a ghost storyline and that it was a pretty significant portion of the book. At first, it irritated me because I had been expecting a sweet contemporary YA romance, but then it grew on me. I started to like the mystery aspect of not knowing the full story behind how Callie’s sister Chloe died and learning about it through their interactions.

Tucker, of course, was great. He had his own issues he was dealing with, but I loved that they didn’t stop him from connecting with Callie and from being there for her. I was a bit surprised by how quickly he seems to open up to her emotionally, but it was nice to see. I think I’m used to seeing young male characters be a bit stand-offish in their expression of their feelings and it was nice to see that he didn’t bullshit or play games.

I also liked the slow growth that Callie had. It was a nice balance seeing her fight with her guilt and her grief and seeing her start to get back to her old self. I also liked seeing the contrast between her interactions with her Aunt Lucy versus her interactions with Tucker.

Another aspect I appreciated was that every character in this story had flaws, both the adults and the teenagers. One of the things that I think a lot of adults forget is that young readers need to have adult characters that have flaws and can work on them. I think as a teen I would have appreciated seeing that her parents had issues too and that they started to work on them, not just that they wanted Callie to work on her issues.

I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought it would. I think I my rating for this one actually leans a little bit more towards the 3.5 star rating, but because I don’t know if it’s one I would re-read, I rounded down to a 3. I appreciated the mystery aspects to it even though it wasn’t what I originally thought I was getting myself into. I enjoyed Upperman’s writing and really liked the characters. Tucker and Callie were sweet together and, even though I’m repeating myself, I enjoyed watching their growth. While I didn’t end up getting to read this book at the cabin, I think it’s the perfect vacation read. It has a little bit of everything and I think anyone can find something to enjoy in this book.

Also, the blog tour that I’m a part of has been generous enough to offer a Giveaway for a copy of How the Light Gets in! If you’re interested, you can enter by clicking here.

Things You Save in a Fire

By: Katherine Center
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 320

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I received  copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because she doesn't fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don't date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

First Impressions

Yay! Another Katherine Center book! I read How to Walk Away by Center last year and LOVED it. I finished it in January and it stuck as one of my favorite books of 2018, so I was very excited to see another book out so soon. I also love the bright and colorful cover. It is very me and it would grab my eye immediately.

What I thought

I devoured this book! Finished it in 24 hours, 2 ½ of which were on a plane ride home. I could not put this book down and loved it from beginning to end.

Cassie is a rising star firefighter in Austin, Texas. When her mom, who abandoned her on her 16th birthday, calls and asks her to move to Boston to help her out for the next year it’s the last thing she wants to do. Until a conflict forces her hand. All of a sudden, closed off all work Cassie is thrown into a new firehouse with a firefighter who makes her feel things she’s never felt before.

Cassie is a strong, independent, female character and I loved her. She is easily someone that other women could look up to and an example that things can happen to you and they can mold who you become but that you can change and continue to grow. Who you are is not set in stone and I loved that message.

There is a lot that goes on in this book but it never felt overwhelming. There were some slow reveals that I think only once I got irritated and wanted to have the reveal already, but for the most part it wasn’t annoyingly dragged out.

All of the characters were my favorites. Cassie, like I said, was great. Her mom was a lot of fun and even though she was greatly flawed she had so much to teach. The Rookie (I cannot refer to him as anything else) is 100% swoon-worthy. And the rest of the firehouse is handled so well. I don’t personally know much about firefighters besides what I’ve learned from watching Chicago Fire, but this made it so easy to picture and to understand.

While the main plot points aren’t necessarily mind-blowingly unique, I have never read a story about a female firefighter or a story that mostly takes place in a firehouse. Also, without giving too much away, I was very thankful that something I was scared was going to happen did not, so thank you for that!

I mean, what else can I give a book that I couldn’t put down? I loved this book. There is no other way to say it. If you are a fan of Chicago Fire, get your hands on this book now. If you’re a fan of Center’s previous novels, why aren’t you already reading this? If you’re just looking for a good book to read, I recommend this one. I for sure will be recommending this book left and right over the next few weeks and I hope that you will pick it up!

The Flatshare

By: Beth O’Leary
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 325

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you've never met.

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

First Impressions

I was scrolling through Twitter when the UK cover came across my feed. The cover sucked me in immediately and then when I read the summary I knew I was hooked. I actually picked this book as my book club pick, but unfortunately it didn’t come out in time for my month. Suffice to say, this book made a solid first impression.

What I thought

Some books don’t live up to their hype. Luckily, this was not one of those books. This one was great!

Tiffy has just broken up with her boyfriend and needs to find a new, cheap place to live. In central London, she doesn’t have many options. Leon needs some extra cash and since he works as a third shift palliative care nurse, he doesn’t spend nights in his flat anyway. He posts an offer to share his flat, and his bed with a roommate, who ends up being Tiffy. She gets the flat from 6pm-8am and he gets the flat from 9am-5pm. Their paths never cross, but they do start to communicate via post-it notes throughout the flat and become fast friends.

The idea of this book is so me. But what surprised me was that this wasn’t just a fluffy romance. There is so much real life in this book and I ate it up. Sometimes when there are heavier subjects it can feel heavy or exhausting when you read them. O’Leary manages these topics wonderfully. She doesn’t shy away from the difficulties but they aren’t overwritten either. It’s a perfect balance that brings a perfect depth to this story.

I also love Leon and Tiffy. Leon is a quiet, shy, unassuming guy who is a genuinely nice, good guy. The only thing that threw me is that in addition to the story being told in alternating perspectives, the voices of the characters are distinct. Leon’s voice took me a while to get used to and, at first, it annoyed me. Luckily, it didn’t take me too long to get used to and didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book at all.

The relationship between Tiffy and Leon was so much fun. I loved seeing it grow over the post-its and I loved the differences between the two characters. I also liked the different types of friendships and all of the secondary side characters. Even the characters who had minimal lines came to life in this book and I felt like I knew each and every one.

I don’t want to share too much about this book because I want everyone to experience it in their own way. I didn’t know much about this book other than what the synopsis told me and that everyone who read it loved it. The cover states that she could be the new Jojo Moyes, so that could kind of give you an idea of the type of book this becomes, but Flatshare isn’t nearly as tragic as I feel all of Moyes books are.

I finished this book in 2 days. I loved every moment of it and couldn’t put it down. It says a lot about a book when I choose it over watching TV and find time on a weeknight to read it. This book is so much more than a love story, but that aspect of it is wonderfully done as well. I have already recommended this book to 6 people, so that should say it all.

After the End

By: Clare Mackintosh
Published Year: 2019
Pages: 384
Publisher: Sphere

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They're best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can't agree. They each want a different future for their son.

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

First Impressions

I read Mackintosh’s previous 3 thriller/mystery novels and enjoyed them. I was very excited to see her branch out into something different. The subject matter sounded a bit intense but it still piqued my curiosity. The cover didn’t make a great first impressions but I do like the bright yellow of it.

What I thought

You know those books that are just so woah when you read them you feel like you have to just sit and stare at the wall after you finish? This was that kind of book.

Pip and Max are parents to their 2 year old son Dylan who is in the hospital for treatment of a medulloblastoma. When the original treatment plan doesn’t work the way they expected, Max and Pip are faced with the terrible decision of how they want their son’s future to play out. When they both decide they want a different outcome, how do they move forward?

This book is intense. The subject matter is heavy and serious but also heartwarming. It felt to me like it has Me Before You potential. A serious story that’s not going to be easy to read, but will resonate with a lot of people.

One of the reasons I think this book was and will be so successful is that Mackintosh lived through something similar herself. She shared that the reason she wrote a story that was different from her previous three novels is because she felt a story like this needed to be shared. Mackintosh lost her son years ago, and she wondered what it would have been like if she and her husband hadn’t agreed on courses of treatment and even worse, if their choices had been played out in the public eye.

The story is told mostly between alternating perspectives of Max and Pip, but there are also chapters told from the perspective of Dylan’s doctor. The first half of the story I struggled with slightly. It’s just a lot to deal with and I felt like I was not in the mood to read such serious subject matter. This was even with Mackintosh pacing the story so well. Then the second half hit and bam! I flew through it.

I don’t want to say there was a twist at the second half, because I feel like when you say that you read a story waiting for the author to pull the wool over your eyes and then you start reading into a million details and not enjoying the story. but I will say that there is a major shift in the story about halfway through that I did not expect. From that point forward I was completely sucked into the story.

Without sharing too much, the way that the story flows throughout this book is so well done. It had a lot of subtle life lessons in it that I appreciated. I liked that with what happened in the story there were certain things that happened no matter the path that got them there. As someone who is going through a lot of life changes, it was reassuring to read. That comfort of your life is meant to go a certain way and will end up there regardless is one I appreciate.

I gave this book a bit more of a 4.5 stars than a true 5, but it was one I would rather round up with than round down because it was so well written. The reason I don’t feel it’s a full 5 is because it can be a difficult book to get through at times and is not one I could see myself re-reading. I think this book would be a great book club choice and I could see this story finding a lot of success. If you liked Me Before You or other similar novels, I would highly recommend checking this one out.

Bookish Life of Nina Hill

By: Abbi Waxman
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): he only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

First Impressions

I read Waxman’s first novel Garden of Small Beginnings and loved it. This cover is also so much fun and is 100% one I would pick up off of the shelf to find out more. I’m a sucker for main characters that like to read and, when done well, I enjoy quirkiness. I was very excited to read this book.

What I thought

I really loved this book. It was so much fun and definitely grabbed me. I finished it in like 3 days and most of that was on day 1.

Nina works for a bookstore and is a massive introvert. She has her people that she is connected to and that she loves, but for the majority of humans she doesn’t feel the need to interact. All of a sudden, Nina, who has one mom, non dad and no siblings, is given an entire family. A lawyer finds her to tell her that the father she never knew has died and she has a whole clan of brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

I think this book was advertised as being for people enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant and The Rosie Project. I was a bit wary reading a story about another person with Autism or on the spectrum, but I liked how this was done. To me, if she is on the spectrum, she is very very mildly on the spectrum. She has her quirks with anxieties and some social awkwardness, but she is a flexible human being and knows how to interact with people when she does. She has her core group of friends and finds love pretty easily.

I really liked Nina’s found family and do wish there had been a little bit more with them. I think maybe I wish the book had been a little bit longer to include more family interactions and growth, but I did love the interactions that we got. I also liked how unique the situation was and I appreciated how Waxman took something that could’ve been very confusing but made it very clear and easy to follow.

I also loved how Waxman handled the bookish-ness of Nina. She was nerdy and into books but it was never over the top. Like, her nerdiness seemed realistic and not irritating. I also greatly enjoyed her trivia knowledge. While that did seem a bit unrealistic, with the amount of random knowledge she had, I still enjoyed it.

One of my only irritants with this book, which is super random, was how many characters had “L” names. Her store manager had a name that started with “L”, two of her triva teammates had “L” names, and I think at least one of her family members did too? Plus, the friend of her love interest. It just made it a little hard to keep track of who was who since they were all secondary. Like I said, this is a random and probably very personal irritant, but it still bugged me.

This book was so much fun. It was the perfect vacation read because it was engaging enough to hold my attention, fast paced, but also didn’t require too much focus or thinking. This book has definitely cemented Waxman as an author for me, and I look forward to going back and reading her second book (which I somehow missed). If you enjoy contemporary fiction with quirky characters, I would recommend checking this one out. It’s a lot of fun and I think anyone would like it!

The Last Collection

By: Jeanne Mackn
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Paris, 1938. Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli are fighting for recognition as the most successful and influential fashion designer in France, and their rivalry is already legendary. They oppose each other at every turn, in both their politics and their designs: Chanel's are classic, elegant, and practical; Schiaparelli's bold, experimental, and surreal.

When Lily Sutter, a recently widowed young American teacher, visits her brother, Charlie, in Paris, he insists on buying her a couture dress--a Chanel. Lily, however, prefers a Schiaparelli. Charlie's beautiful and socially prominent girlfriend soon begins wearing Schiaparelli's designs as well, and much of Paris follows in her footsteps.

Schiaparelli offers budding artist Lily a job at her store, and Lily finds herself increasingly involved with Schiaparelli and Chanel's personal war. Their fierce competition reaches new and dangerous heights as the Nazis and the looming threat of World War II bear down on Paris.

First Impressions

I received an offer for to review this book shortly after I finished (and loved) Park Avenue Summer. Because of that, I was a lot more open and excited for the more modern historical romances such as this one and Park Avenue Summer. I will say, that if I hadn’t just read PAS, I don’t think I would’ve accepted this book. The cover doesn’t speak to me at all. I don’t think I would’ve picked it up based on cover alone. So overall, not the best first impression, but decent.

What I thought

This book moved a little slow for my taste. It also was a lot more tied to art than I expected it to be, and seeing as that’s not an area I know a lot about or follow a lot, it wasn’t exactly the book for me.

Lilly is an aspiring artist who recently lost her husband. Her brother invites her to Paris for the summer where she meet design powerhouses, Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli (AKA Schiap, pronounced Scap). Coco and Schiap are sworn enemies. Lilly ends up working for Schiap and doing some recon with Chanel, all while trying to find her way in Paris during the verge of WW2.

This book is told in three parts and each part is a color that ties into the part of the story. Seeing as that used to be my least favorite type of symbolism when reading books in high school, I was a little irritated initially. However, I was able to move past it and ignore it and just enjoy the story without reading too much into the colors. I will say, that at the beginning of the book the discussion of art and colors was a lot and I worried I wouldn’t be able to get past it. Luckily, it toned down as the book continued.

While I did enjoy the story and enjoyed learning about Chanel and Schiap and how their lives intertwined, the book moved too slowly for me. it took me a while to get through it, and even when traveling it wasn’t one that I wanted to pick up in every down moment. This became even more evident when I was reading my next book and finished it within 24 hours, whereas this one took me 10 days.

It’s definitely one of those stories that nothing much really happens. It’s just a story about Lilly’s life in Paris pre-WW2. There’s a little love, a little mystery, but it isn’t one big plot point that the reader is trying to follow. The saving grace of this story are the characters. They were fun to read about and that was why I was able to keep going with this book.

This book was fine. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t terrible. I think if I was more into Chanel, Schiaparelli, or art I would have enjoyed it more. The writing style wasn’t one of my favorites, so I don’t think this is an author I’ll seek out more in the future, but again, it wasn’t bad. I finished this book while on my Alaskan cruise and there was an area for people to leave (or take) books on the boat. Because I didn’t connect with this book, it made me excited to be able to leave it behind in hopes that it would travel and find someone that would love it.