2 Fun Books to Read This Weekend

by Susan Roberts

The two books that I'm reviewing are light reads that are full of quirky characters and have a relaxing plot that will make you feel good.

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Stuck in Manistique by Dennis Cuesta

October 2018; Celestial Eyes Press
978-1732410909; ebook, print (360 pages)
literary, humor

I grew up in Michigan and am always attracted to books about my home state. Choosing a book based on location is probably not the best way to pick a book and I have read some pretty bad books set in Michigan and some fantastic ones. Luckily, this book is one of the good ones. The descriptions of the UP of Michigan are so well done that you feel like you're there driving down the highway with nothing to see but trees and more trees. The plot is well done with lots of surprises and the book is full of quirky characters that will keep you laughing.

Mark goes to Manistique from Chicago to close his aunt's estate and sell her house. He had no idea that her house was really a bed and breakfast until Emily rings the doorbell and asks to stay there while her car is being fixed. She was on her way to Chicago for her medical residency when she hit a deer that broke her windshield. After Mark agrees, several more guests show up and even though he planned to leave in a few days, he stays longer to help out the funny bunch of people who stay in the b&b.  While he is at his aunt's, he learns things about her past that make him question his own life.

This wonderful book is about the often unseen connections between people and it's about family and love. This enduring debut novel has me looking forward to future books by this author.

Buy Stuck in Manistique at Amazon

Christmas at the Lakeside Resort (The Lakeside Resort #1) by Susan Schild

October 2018; Longleaf Pine Press
978-1732824911; ebook, print (212 pages)
romance, holiday

This was a wonderfully written heartwarming novel about achieving your dreams no matter how impossible they seem. No matter how daunting the task, love and friendship will ease the stress.

Jenny's in a rut. Her boyfriend cancelled their planned Christmas wedding right before the 'save the date' cards went out and even though she doesn't love him anymore, seeing him with his new girlfriend in their small town really hurts. When she finds out that her dad - mostly an absentee dad during her growing up years - has left her land on a beautiful lake and the beginning of a lake resort, Jenny decides that building those cabins and making a home at the lake are what she wants to do with her life. Despite the fact, that it's almost impossible, she decides that she wants it ready for renters by Christmas. She hires Luke, a good looking man who is also re-thinking his life and Luke's sister to help her make her dreams come true. Will she be able to open her resort by Christmas and will Luke stay by her side?

This is a fun book with a great bunch of characters in a beautiful setting. I am thrilled that this is the first book of a series and we can read more about this group of characters in the future.

Buy Christmas at the Lakeside Resort at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter.

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