Monday, February 19, 2018

Starting Now


I read Starting Now by Debbie Macomber three years ago and I can't remember much of the story. Lydia is a recently laid off lawyer and she is trying to figure her life out. She ends up on Blossom Street and forms a friendship with the shop owner. She also meets a doctor and begins a relationship.

Not being able to remember the story is probably true for many of Debbie Macomber's stories. I have read most of the Blossom Street series and only a few of the stories stand out in my memory and one in particular affected me. But many of Debbie Macomber's stories are fluffy romances and this story is apparently one of them. At the time I read this, it filled a need for a light read.

Book Rating: 3 stars because the story was forgettable.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Suzanne's diary for Nicholas


Katie Wilkinson thinks she may have found the perfect man. But he is distant and reluctant to take their relationship very far. He leaves her a journal written by his wife for their son Nicholas. Katie reads about Suzanne's romance, hope for her marriage and her son. Will Katie be able to bridge the grief and loss of her new love?

This is one of those books that I read after watching the movie. I liked the movie well enough but expected the book to be better. In reality, the two are fairly similar. I read the book a while ago and I can't remember there being any large differences between the two.

I think this book is a bit unusual because James Patterson has written only a few romances. He does ok with this story, though it does get a bit sentimental. Some aspects of the story feel a bit contrived. As the story unfolds, you can understand why Suzanne's husband is reluctant to enter a new relationship after so much loss. But to have the story told by a third party to the potentially new girlfriend seems a bit manipulative for the reader.

I enjoyed the story enough to finish it, but it is a bit over wrought.

Book Rating: 4 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.