Verity by Colleen Hoover

Hello everyone.

Hope you had a nice holiday season so far. My whole family ended up being sick. We didn't have Christmas dinner until the 27th. Still, things could always be worse, we were all safe and warm and I am very grateful.  I am also grateful for so many wonderful writers.

Knowing how many great writers are out there and how difficult it is to get published, doesn't it make you wonder what we, as readers, are missing? You see people on those talent shows on tv that walk on stage and sing better than any popular commercial singers. Just because writers haven't scored a big publishing contract doesn't mean they are not a fantastic author. I read an article arguing that because writers get paid so much more when independently publishing, that many are choosing to go that route. Hey, if you can make the same money selling a couple hundred books as you can selling a couple of thousand, why wouldn't you? Yet, I still purchase many, MANY, traditionally published books. It's kind of a weird time for book selling and purchasing. A fun time, for certain, with so many choices.

Recently I read my first book by Colleen Hoover. Collen writes young adult romance for traditional publishers but she independently published an adult thriller. I knew she was beloved for her romance but I resisted. As the buzz over her thriller grew, I knew I would have to read it. Verity by Colleen Hoover is about a woman, Lowen, who takes a job as a ghost writer.  Jeremy Crawford hires Lowen to complete a contract for his well known author wife, Verity, who has been permanently injured and physically unable to write. Lowen must stay at the Crawford home for a few days of research, but her living arrangements become extended as her relationship with Jeremy changes to something a bit more "friendly." Lowen is unsure about this disrespectful interest in Verity's husband especially after she swears she sees movement in the woman who she knows is physically unable.

This book is a quick read, definitely a page turner. I felt like I was constantly changing between like and dislike for each character as the book progressed, not always approving of their choices. Finally this story comes to a shocking end that I doubt you'll see coming. A solid thriller here, you'll likely not soon forget.

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Hello everyone.

I hope you are enjoying your holiday season, no matter what you celebrate. To quote the magician in Frosty, things here are "busy, busy, busy" as I suspect they are for you.  For the rest of the year, I'll try to hold back on the jibber jabber and get on with thoughts about books instead of housewife stuff. I know your time is extra valuable this time of year!

A few months ago I read The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda. I delayed writing any reviews on this book as I wasn't sure how I felt about it.  Finishing this story I felt ....blah....on the other hand I was satisfied.

This is the story of woman, Avery, who lives in a coastal town in Maine. Avery handles vacation rentals in this paradise for the wealthy. Suddenly, Avery's friend Sadie is found dead. The police insist Sadie's death is a suicide but Avery is not so sure. The story is easy to read, engaging from the very beginning and all around pleasant as far as who-dun-its go.  I really liked it. Yet when I completed The Last House Guest, I was underwhelmed. Since I knew the story was good, I couldn't figure out why. I think the issue for me is that this book is listed as a thriller. I actually googled the genre "thriller". This certainly qualifies. For me, though, a thriller is when I can't stop flipping pages; when my heart is beating fast because someone is running for their life or is hiding in a closet about to be found out. Something quick and tense. This book is not like that. For me, this is a really good story with a big old mystery at the heart. Once over the lack of adrenaline rush, I realized I really did like this book.

If you want a great mystery, this is definitely a book to check out. If you want your heart pounding so fast you almost faint, take a look at my kitchen after holiday cookie baking....it's the worst kind of thriller!

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

Hello everyone.

Christmas prep is in full swing here. Three trees are up (of six), with lights and a grand total of ten ornaments. Yeah, I'm a bit behind in the tree decorating department. It may seem like it is a lot of trees, okay let's be honest, six is insane. That being said, we are the Scrooge of the neighborhood. In an area of old houses, people tend to really dress them up for the holidays. In fact, I was shocked when we first moved to this area. One of the larger historic houses has been turned into a small inn. They have breakfast with Santa, a tree lighting party, etc. One year when we had lots of snow they were taking their guests of horse drawn sleigh rides right past our house. Not something you see everyday.

I recently read Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes. This second chance romance is full of holiday cheer. Set in an inn in Vermont, two old flames meet once again, still detecting the original spark. (Get it, flames....spark....)  Emma and Fletcher are faced with problems, like Fletcher's fiance who is also staying at the inn, along with his daughter from a previous marriage. Then there is the troubled inn keeper, who is quite endearing and serves as a delightful side story. This book, while slightly over 300 pages, is a quick read. There is a bit of turmoil in the romance but the story is sweet and Christmassy.  This book is perfect for taking your mind off an ever expanding holiday "to do" list, leaving you in the mood for some fluffy snowflakes to float past your windows.

While you might not want to give a holiday book as a Christmas gift, this would be such a kind and timely gift for someone under stress or a "love you" present at a festive lunch.  After giving this a read, you'll be more in the mood to tackle those trees.

Heartfelt Thank You - no book

Hello everyone.

I hope you have recovered from your turkey slumber. Did you see the weather? Wow, hope none of you got caught in that snow storm. I know my sisters are getting snow that can be measured in feet not inches. Seems kind of early for that but I remember trick-or-treating one year with snow on the ground. When we were first married, hubby and I went to upstate NY for a visit in June and my dad had a fire in the fireplace. Another time we went in early summer, I brought no socks just slip on sneakers and pedal pushers. The temperature dropped into the 40's and I froze. Of course, the weather is wacky here too only with the addition of intense humidity and hurricanes. Silly, talking about weather, but it has been all over the news this past weekend. Anyway, hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and are safe and sound.

In case you don't live in the USA, Thanksgiving is a holiday spent feasting, reflecting on the things we are grateful for and catching up with family and friends. It has also turned into a time for shopping, people will sell their first born child for a cheap set of high thread count sheets. Anyway, I was thinking about this blog. If you haven't been here from the beginning you might not know that I started this because I was driving my husband nuts telling him about each great book I had just read. His eyes would glaze over and I could hear him thinking, "please don't let this be about another book." So I started writing just a few thoughts down to avoid pestering him and thus saving my marriage. The Fictional Housewife name came about because I often read to avoid cleaning, which is a typical duty of a housewife. I love a clean house but dislike cleaning. Frankly, I never thought anyone would pay attention to my rambling.

I am so surprised by the number of people that are reading this and where they are from. Readers have come from what seems like every country out there, many people from Ukraine, Ireland, Russia, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Czechia, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands, the USA and many more. I am so grateful to all of you. So often stories on the news about events in other countries, or my own, are terrible and bring tears to my eyes. I so wish the world was a better place, that we could learn to live with kindness and love. We all want the same things, to have a happy life with our family, that doesn't change regardless of what government you live under or what geography you occupy. To think that someone on the other side of the planet is reading what a housewife has to say about a book is so.....nothing...given the events of any day in the world and the events in any day of your life. I am shocked and moved and profoundly grateful.

Now that I've been all sappy and almost made myself cry, I will cut this off as I don't want to take too much of your time. I just wanted to tell you each Thank You.

An Everlasting Christmas by Mandy M. Roth

Hello everyone.

I hope you are having a good week. In the US we are getting ready for Thanksgiving which is next Thursday. It seems impossible to be at the end of November already. Am I the only person that is experiencing time moving way too quickly? Not only do I have family commitments but I have a huge stack of untouched books I swore I would get to this year. I need to read much faster or borrow that time-turner gizmo from Hermione Granger!

I recently read An Everlasting Christmas by Mandy M. Roth.  This is book seven in a seven book Everlasting series, written by several authors.  I have not read any of the others and had no problem enjoying this novel, in fact the series promotes that it can be read in any order.  I am guessing that each books take place in the town of Everlasting, Maine. Perhaps each story follows a different person, in this case an antique store owner. This short little "cozy" is part mystery, part romance, with a bit of paranormal and Christmas thrown in, to hit all the bases. There is a secret admirer, a second chance romance and, of course, holiday cheer. I don't want to tell you much, the book is around one hundred and fifty pages long so I kind of feel like I need to leave any description very open so that you'll have lots to discover while reading. This fun, cute, book provides plenty of entertainment.

If you like serious nonfiction or intense thrillers, this book may not be for you. If you like cozy mysteries, this quick holiday title may be the relief your cookie baking stress is begging for.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Hello everyone.

I hope you have been having a good week. If you are in the US you are likely braving some really cold weather. Usually cold for this time of year. We've even had snow in coastal North Carolina.. At least we made it until November before turning on the heat. Yes, I know, I am a miser, but hey I need book buying money! Did you see the clouds in the sky part earlier this week? See rays of angelic light shine down in my direction? No, well you missed it! Our hurricane Dorian damage is finally fixed and first floor roofs are complete. Naturally, we are supposed to have a nor'easter today with hurricane force winds again but I'm ignoring it and basking in the end of construction! I was nervous about the whole thing, I can tell because when I am nervous I read more. This week I received and read (in three days, fast for me) a great book.

I just read The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I really loved it. I've read several books by this author and have enjoyed them all but this is my favorite, by far. If you read the jacket description, you'll be easily drawn in. This book takes place in three settings and, of course, they all become tied together. A woman, Libby, inherits a house from her birth parents. She knows nothing about them or her early beginnings but is shocked when the house is very valuable despite being in disrepair. At the same time, the reader follows Lucy and her small children, who are all homeless. We learn that Lucy also has ties to the same house. Hmmmm, unusual, an empty mansion and someone that is homeless. Odd.  Lastly, the story travels to more than twenty-five years in the past, told from the perspective of Henry, one of the boys living in the mansion. As the timelines and people move toward each other, mysteries abound.

This book grabs you from the beginning. It features short chapters, which I love. If one area of the story is slower, building details, another will be rocketing forward to leave you on a cliff hanger, a writing trick that keeps me reading. While I would not really consider this a high action thriller, it is very much a page turner. I think you will find it a very quick read. The characters are interesting, likable and are able to really carry this story although The Family Upstairs is chock full of atmosphere. Every time I had a question, thinking I caught the author with a problem, that question was immediately answered as Lisa Jewell well anticipated my concerns. In addition, each time I thought I had the whole novel figured out I was quickly proven wrong. I declared my theory so many times to hubby, holding the book high in the air, he thinks I'm playing King Arthur wielding my sword. I was wrong, pleasantly so. I was left guessing until the last page. I love that, it makes me feel like I am squeezing every penny from my reading dollar.

If you want an action packed thriller, this may not be for you. If you like mysteries or just generally interesting stories this does not disappoint. While nothing like it, this book is so rich in atmosphere it kind of reminds me of Ruth Ware's The Death of Mrs. Westaway. If you are not a Ruth Ware fan, rest assured these books are not even similar in writing style or tale, just creepy vibe.

As a friendly reminder, the holidays are coming and books are super easy to wrap. The Family Upstairs would make a great gift, unless you're about to inherit a boarded up creepy mansion, in that case...happy shopping.

Secret Santa and All He Wants For Christmas by Kati Wilde

Hello everyone.

I have to give you an update on the housewife front. We are still dealing with damage from hurricane Dorian. We finally have a contractor, but he is also re-shingling our four porch roofs at the same time. In this small town, getting a contractor to work on your house is like hitting a huge vein of gold in your front yard. Next to impossible. We have a shortage of plumbers, roofers, siding experts, electricians, and general contractors. I hope these are not becoming dying arts. Despite being near the beach and a huge metropolitan area, we have very few of these talented people. So, when you get someone, you have to put up with a lot, jump through some hoops. Our contractor is in the middle of doing the first floor roofs, two are over porches, two are over bump-outs. First it starts to rain, and the water comes in.  ARRRGH.  Now he is sick and it poured again!  We are supposed to have terrible wind, quite possibly tearing off more of the siding, which was our original damage from the hurricane that remains unfixed.  To say this is frustrating is an understatement!

Lest this get too depressing, I have something positive to report. When I talk about housewife stuff I often discuss my beloved dishwasher that cleaned perfectly but kept breaking. I fought to save it but eventually had to replace my pal since it was fourteen years old. I am happy to say the new dishwasher cleans just as well. It only uses a couple of gallons of water and is some type of super energy saver. Unlike any other dishwasher I've ever had this one is silent. Honestly, you could sleep next to it....or read.  Given the roof and hurricane damage, I've been doing a lot of reading these days, obviously my form of escape.

I recently read two books by the same author, Kati Wilde. I read All He Wants For Christmas and Secret Santa. I had never heard of this author but suddenly kept seeing her name everywhere. Maybe everybody has roof trouble. These books are short, quick hit, romance novels. They certainly follow the romance formula; a couple meet, fall in love, find trouble in paradise, then work things out for a happy ending. Who doesn't like a happy ending? Okay, I admit, I kind of like an evil ending in thrillers but that is just the kind of chicken baking, vacuum avoiding, book reading person I am, consider yourself warned.

Secret Santa is about a wood working company, a poor girl and well off man. All He Wants for Christmas is about a well off girl and a policeman assigned to watch out for her. One thing these books both have in common is sex. I don't mean a sex act within a larger story. That doesn't sound right, these books have a clearly defined story. If you want an elaborate plot, you won't find it here. These books are pretty straight forward. The sex, instead of being a passing part of the story, takes center stage. There are many sexual acts and they are very graphic. If you are shy, these books will make you blush. If you take these on a plane fully expect the person sitting next to you to be reading over your shoulder. Still these novels are light and fun. They are a unique break from heavier reads.

A few things in both these stories got on my nerves. First, the man always has a pet name for the woman and uses it endlessly, baby or angel. It was so prevalent it made me think of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry couldn't remember his girlfriend's name. Also, both women were virgins and men were well endowed. Kati Wilde has written several books, maybe I just happen to pick up books that featured these topics. Perhaps more "research" is necessary.

I think I'll leave these books sitting out, Red Ryder BB gun style, and see what Santa delivers this Christmas.