Three New Books to Read Before Summer is Over

by Susan Roberts

 

Most people tend to read lighter books during the summer.  Today I have reviews of three new books that are perfect for the long summer days at the beach or the pool.

 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free Books were provided for honest reviews.

 

Crazy To Leave You by Marilyn Simon Rothstein

May 2022; Lake Union; 978-1542034487
audio, ebook, print (301 pages); women's fiction

"I searched five states for six months looking for the perfect wedding gown. I was so full of pride to finally fit into a size 12, I would’ve worn the tag down the aisle instead of the actual dress.”

You need to try to read Marilyn Simon Rothstein's books in the privacy of your own home where no one will look at you funny when you burst into laughter.  Not only does she write a humorous book but she also provides a great storyline and wonderfully written characters who are facing obstacles in their lives.  She provides her readers with some laughs, an important life lesson, and characters that you feel like you know in real life.

Forty-one-year-old Lauren Leo is finally getting married.  She's starved herself to fit into a size 12 dress and can't wait to show her new figure off in her bridal gown.  Until...her boyfriend calls off the wedding with a text to her sister.  She's totally humiliated and her dysfunctional family isn't a lot of help.  Her two sisters are supportive but she has a mom who has no filter on what comes out of her mouth. She decides that her only choice is to return to her successful advertising job as soon as possible.  After she's in an accident, her boss hires a driver to take her to meetings.  Rudy becomes the voice of reason in Lauren's chaotic life.   She begins to wonder if she was really in love with her fiancé or in love with the idea of getting married because all of her friends were married.  It was fantastic to see the changes in Lauren throughout the book as she learned to accept herself, her weight issues, and gains the courage to look for the next step in her life that will make her happy.  Lauren is a great character and I was cheering for her to get a second chance at happiness and a fulfilled life.

See my reviews for Lift and Separate and Husbands and Other Sharp Objects.

Buy Crazy to Leave You at Amazon

(Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read the ebook for FREE)

The Best is Yet to Come by Debbie Macomber

July 2022; Ballantine Books; 978-1984818843
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); women's fiction

When a woman alone in the world bravely chooses to open her heart, two lost souls have a new chance at belonging.

When I open a Debbie Macomber book, I always know that I have several hours of a great story, a romance, and characters that are very relatable. She started her career writing romance novels and has developed to writing books that have some romance but they are also about struggles that people have in life and character growth toward understanding their lives and challenges.

Hope moved to a small town in Washington State after her brother was killed in action. She is distraught but knows that she needs to learn to live a life without her brother in it. She teaches at the local high school and starts to get involved in the community. Her landlord suggests that she volunteer at the animal shelter. While there, she bonds with Shadow, a dog that has been mistreated and doesn't trust anyone. As she begins to spend more time with Shadow, she meets Cade, another volunteer. He is brusque and unfriendly but as they begin to spend more time together, they become friends...just friends. Cade is hiding that he is a wounded vet from the rest of the world but as he and Hope become friends, he begins to share his past with her. Can their friendship turn into love or do they both have too much baggage to be able to trust each other and help each other heal? This is a beautifully written book about two lost people who try to heal their hearts while helping someone else. It's a story of love and forgiveness and learning to look toward the future instead of the past.

Buy The Best is Yet to Come at Amazon

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery

May 2022; MIRA; 978-0778333296
audio, ebook, print (432 pages); women's fiction

A story of friends who become family, giving each other courage to start over…

Bree, Mikki, and Ashley were strangers when they met while looking for a place to open their own business.  They had each found the retail shop on the California boardwalk but it was too large for one business so they decided to set up their separate business and share the lease.  They quickly became friends and tried to help each other through their problems with life and love.

Bree owns the bookshop.  She had parents who ignored her growing up and a husband who betrayed her so she guards her heart and doesn't want to get involved with anyone.  When she meets Ashley's brother, an author, at her bookstore, she begins to change even though she is fighting against having a relationship.  Harding is patient and loving and begins to break down the walls she's put up around her heart.

Mikki owns the gift shop.  She's happily divorced and wants to stay that way until she meets a man who wants to change her life.

Ashley owns the bakery.  Her goal in life is to be a bride and live happily ever after.  Her live-in boyfriend wants to remain a couple but he is adamantly opposed to marriage.  She has to decide if she can live with that or if it's a deal breaker to their future.

Can the friendship that these three women have help them overcome their pasts and find a brighter and happier future?  This is a book about friendship and love and three women who have only begun to realize how strong and resilient they really are.

Buy The Boardwalk Bookshop at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is two hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.  You can connect with her on Facebook.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.