Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly

*I received a digital copy from the publisher. I was not compensated in any way.

author: Marie Bostwick

publisher: William Morrow

release date: May 30, 2023

    Having lost her job and her marriage, Esme Cahill returns to the lake resort where she was raised by her grandparents. Her grandmother, Adele, had asked Esme to return to Last Lake just before she passed away. Now Esme finds her grandfather, George, and her estranged mother, Robyn struggling to keep the resort out of financial ruin. Not only are the finances shaky, but the resort itself is run down as well. On top of that, George has hired a mysterious (handsome) new chef that lives out of a van.

    In a storage room, along with Adele's beautiful quilts, sits a box of items Adele left for Esme. As she goes through the box, Esme slowly unravels her grandmother's secret past and a beautiful love story.

. I think that one of the things I enjoyed so much about the story is that it adds a few touches of the unexpected. There are quite a few "stories within the story". Esme's relationship with her mother is strained at best since Esme was taken from her care as a child and placed in her grandparents' custody. Both Robyn and Esme have their share of regrets, and Robyn has a few secrets of her own.

Esme's story is interspersed with chapters of Adele's. As Esme finally learns what brought Esme to Asheville and why she decided to stay, she has to take a long look at herself and her own life choices. This is a book about our dreams and the decisions we make to follow them, or let them go.

Read this book if...

...you love southern fiction

... you love stories of coming home

... you love books about family.

The Thing About Home by: Rhonda McKnight

 The Thing About Home

Author: Rhonda McKnight

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publish Date: May 9, 2023

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Casey Black is known worldwide as @YourGirlCaseyB, a famous influencer. However, when her life falls apart in front of millions of followers, she is humiliated and doesn't know where to turn. Her overbearing mother/ manager is too much to handle. Her husband wants a divorce.

Casey leaves New York City for the Lowcountry of South Carolina searching for her father's family. Her mother has never allowed her to meet them or even know about them. 

Arriving in South Carolina, she finds the family she never knew. Through her Great-grandmother's journals, she learns the history of her family and their 300-acre farm in Georgetown. The slow-paced lifestyle, delicious food, and love of a family bring healing to her heart and soul. 

As old family secrets come out and she learns the truth about her life, Casey has to make some choices. This is her story.

I truly enjoyed reading this book! I love the South Carolina Lowcountry. The Gullah-Geechee culture is fascinating and beautiful The food is amazing. McKnight truly captures the beauty of the region and the people who call it home. The characters are well-rounded. I could see the people, the land, and the food. 

I don't read many books with romance as a key player. However, this one was a joy to read. I look forward to reading more books by Rhonda Mcknight. She brings the beauty of the region and its people to all of us through her words.

Read this book if...

...you love southern fiction

...you love stories about the South Carolina Lowcountry

...you love feel-good stories

...you are interested in the Gulla-Geechee culture

...you love romance

...you love starting-over stories

Hey Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing

 Hey Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and Other Lies Behind Multi-Level Marketing

Author:Emily Lynn Paulson

Publisher: Row House

Release Date: May 30, 2023

*I received my digital copy from Netgalley. I was not compensated in any way.

Emily Lynn Paulson was an upper middle- class stay at home mom when she was recruited into an MLM cosmetics company and rose to the top. She was making tens of thousands per month, traveling extensively, and showered with designer handbags and other perks. It took years for her to realize the truth about the company she worked for. She got involved with the company to make friends, earn a little "me time" and travel. What she got was exhaustion, a drinking problem, and hardly any time for her children or husband. In this, her second book, Emily Paulson comes clean about MLMs, who they prey on, and how they operate.

I chose this book because I have fallen for the MLM recruitment lines more than once. (Much more than once.) It took me learning the hard way that MLMs are a quick path to financial ruin. Why did I get involved? I needed extra money. MLMs look so exciting to women like me What kind of woman is that? Paulson describes in detail who gets targeted, and why.

I literally could not put this book down. I saw so much of myself and my friends who have fallen time and again for the idea of making money from home in our spare time. How do MLMs draw women in and how do they brainwash them into staying? Paulsen explains this as well as how MLMs use control tactics to brainwash their consultants (or whatever term they use for the people who sign up and pay money for a "starter kit"). Paulson explains how MLMs work and why they remain legal. 

 Thanks to this book, I now understand why MLMs set people like me up for failure. It all makes sense now. Paulson's writing style makes for easy reading and understandability. This is a fascinating book. I highly recommend it. Thank you Row House for allowing me to read this!

Read this book if...

... you have ever been involved in an MLM

... someone you care about is involved in an MLM

... you are being pressured into joining an MLM

...you are curious about "pyramid schemes" and MLMs

Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones (A Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mystery)

 Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones

by: Heather Weidner

Publisher: Level Best Books

I received this Kindle version from Netgalley.

    Jade Hicks and her French Bulldog, Chloe reside in a cottage in the beach village of Mermaid Bay, Virginia. Jade inherited the cottage, as well as "Tis the Season", (a Christmas-themed shop) from her grandparents. Jade and her fellow Mermaid Bay residents are preparing for their annual Christmas in July celebration when a jogger on the beach trips over a suitcase. Unfortunately, the suitcase contains bones! Soon, Jade and her Mermaid Bay neighbors are receiving threatening letters and even a few voodoo dolls. Who is threatening the residents of Mermaid Bay-- and why?

Being more familiar with mysteries than cozy mysteries, it took me a bit to get into this one. Without including spoilers, I will say that it got off to a slow start. However, a few chapters into the book, I became more engrossed in the mystery. The story is a little slower-paced than other mysteries that I have read. The characters are likable, although they could've used a little more fleshing out. I was confused about how a person is flattered at being asked out by one man and then, minutes later confirms her relationship with another. It wasn't a deal breaker, but I found it odd. I also noticed that the main character, and a few others, communicate by scrunching their noses a good bit. This is something I haven't encountered before. It does not, however, detract from the mystery. Lastly, the "developers vs. landowners" theme is not a favorite of mine. This is personal. I happen to live in an area where this is constantly an issue. Lastly, I found the use of Voodoo dolls strange, since there were no characters involved in the religion. I found the ending a surprise, although I am not sure how believable. 

 As a cozy mystery, there are no expletives and very little violence. This is a "feel good " story, great for a beach visit or travel. Don't expect page-turning action. Do expect likable characters in an adorable village by the sea. I would definitely visit Mermaid Bay myself. 

Read this story if.....

...you love cozy mysteries.

... you love stories that take place at the beach.

... you love small-town stories.

... you love stories that take place in the south.

Dark Secrets of the Old Oak Tree

 Dark Secrets Of the Old Oak Tree (Southern Tree Series)

by: Delores J. Wilson

Publisher: Medalion Press

Pages: 350

Publish date: 2010

From Amazon:

Following the end of her 15-year marriage to a high-powered attorney, Evie Carson returns to her small hometown in Georgia only to stumble upon a horrible secret. She is stunned into silence as she watches a mentally-challenged member of the community carry the nude, lifeless body of her childhood friend. The authorities are sure that once the man is arrested, the town's nightmare will be over. But when he turns up dead and Evie's home becomes the center of bizarre events, she and an investigating state trooper fear she may be the next victim. With his help, Evie wages a battle to save her life against the secrets of the oak tree. Soon, she begins to wonder if she is safe from anyone in her hometown, including the state trooper.

My thoughts:

(No spoilers!)

    This is one of the best murder mysteries I have read in a long, long time. I literally could not put it down. There are all sorts of twists and turns, and the murderer is completely unexpected. This is a real page-turner. I thought I knew the culprit several times and was wrong every single time.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It will not be the last! If you read this blog, you know I love Southern Fiction. This story takes place in a small southern town. The setting and characters are very believable. 

This is a great book to cozy up with on a dreary winter day (or rainy night). I highly recommend it. You won't be able to put it down.

Read this book if...

    *you love murder mysteries

    *you love southern fiction

    *you love small-town stories

    *you have plenty of time to read (because you will not want to put it down)