Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (Book Review)

Book Review

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: June 14, 2022

Format: Hardcover - 368 pages

Paperback - 416 pages

AudioBook - 12 Hours 27 Minutes

Kindle - 667 KB

Nook - 619 KB

ISBN (HC): 978-0316258678

ISBN (PB): 978-0316258982

ASIN (Audiobook): B09S84QH24

ASIN (Kindle): B09Q32BBW4

BNID: 978-0316259088

Genre: Women's Fiction

Buy The Book:

Amazon

Audiobook

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Disclaimer: I purchased a hardcover copy of the book from Book Of The Month and Literati monthly book club memberships.

Book Description:

After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it's purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling. Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around. They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel's bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won't stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.

Filled with the emotional tension and multiple points of view that characterize Elin's books (The Blue Bistro, Golden Girl) as well as an added touch of historical reality, Hotel Nantucket offers something for everyone in this summer drama for the ages.

My Book Review:

In The Hotel Nantucket, author Elin Hilderbrand transports the reader to the tranquil island of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The long-ago gilded Hotel Nantucket has sat as an abandoned eyesore for years, that was until Xavier Darling, a London billionaire businessman, bought the hotel and is going to renovate and open it by the upcoming summer season. Can this once elegant hotel overcome it's bad reputation and restore it's rightful place on the island?

In The Hotel Nantucket, author Elin Hilderbrand easily captivates her readers' attention with this beautifully written tale through a seamless and flowing storyline, a wonderful description of a tranquil island setting, and characters who draw you into their lives with a strong emotional pull, along with their complexities, flaws and secrets.

The Hotel Nantucket is an intricate story of interweaving friendships, life events, and deeply held secrets and drama. It is a wonderful story that introduces the reader to hotel general manager Lizbet Keaton and her hotel staff: front desk manager Alessandra Powell and front desk clerk Edie Robbins; night auditor Richie Decameron; bellmen Zeke English and married couple Adam and Raoul Wasserman-Ramirez; housekeeping director Magda English and housekeeping staff Octavia, Neves, Bibi Evans, and Chad Winslow. Each of the hotel staff members have their own story and secrets that unfold, while they try to get The Hotel Nantucket up and running during the summer season.

Hotel owner Xavier Darling tells Lizbet that he wants her and the staff to accomplish one thing: get the elusive five-key review from Hotel Confidential Instagram blogger Shelly Carpenter; and that he bought the hotel for a special mystery woman. Oh and there is a special person in residence at the hotel, nineteen year old ghost Grace Hadley, the hotel chambermaid who died in a fire at the hotel one hundred years ago in 1922. Grace wants the truth of her death to come to light, she claims she was murdered! So can the hotel regain it's prominence, it's staff overcome their individual dramas, and one ghost get justice?

The author keeps the reader engaged as Lizbet and her staff work to get the hotel up and running for the summer season, with the help of a little ghost haunting by Grace, and her story brought to light by a eight year old hotel guest Wanda Marsh. The hotel staff work hard to earn the prestigous five-key review from the elusive blogger Shelly Carpenter, never knowing when she would show up as she checks in under a pseudonym. So come along with The Hotel Nantucket staff as the Nantucket summer season unfolds with drama and the hope for success and second chances!

RATING: 5 STARS

About The Author

Elin Hilderbrand is the author of twenty-eight novels, including the forthcoming The Hotel Nantucket (Publication Date: June 14, 2022). She is a proud 1991 graduate of Johns Hopkins University where she majored in Writing Seminars. In her senior year at Hopkins, Elin had her first short story, "Misdirection," accepted for publication in Seventeen Magazine.

After a short stint working in publishing and teaching in New York City, she moved to Nantucket permanently in 1994. She attended the University of Iowa writers workshop and earned her MFA in 1998, and published her first novel, The Beach Club, in the summer of 2000. Her 2019 novel, Summer Of '69 was her first novel to debut at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the mother of three children and loves riding the Peloton, cooking, and going to the beach. She will retire with her summer of 2024 book and plans on becoming a book influencer.

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Weekly Book Mail: 6/5-11/2022

This Week's Book Mail

June - Literati Book Club

May - Authentic Books

June - Books & Treasures

May - Once Upon A Book Club

Monday, June 6, 2022

Home To Cypress Bayou by Susan Sands (Book Review)

Home To Cypress Bayou by Susan Sands

Book 1: The Louisiana Series

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Publication Date: May 31, 2022

Format: Paperback - 298 pages

Kindle - 4539 KB

Nook - 593 KB

ISBN: 978-1956387810
ASIN: B09DRB41TZ
BNID: 2940162407898

Genre: Southern Women's Fiction

Buy The Book:

Amazon

Buy The Series: The Louisiana Series

Book 1: Home To Cypress Bayou

Book 2: Secrets In Cypress Bayou (Pub Date: Aug 2022)

Book 3: A Bayou Christmas (Pub Date: Nov 2022)

Amazon

Book Description:

It’s not true that you can’t go home again, but do you want to?

Paris gallery owner Leah Bertrand returns to her historic, moss-draped Louisiana hometown to fulfill a deathbed promise to her friend and mentor. She’s been matched as a bone marrow donor to a stranger, yet the match is so close that doctors suspect a family relationship. But how? Leah’s family has always seethed with drama, but this visit home promises secrets as deep, dark, and mysterious as the water in Cypress Bayou. And then her ex arrives, and Leah realizes the feelings and secrets she buried years ago have come back to haunt her.

Dr. Jake Carmichael returns to Cypress Bayou after years away and is shocked to see Leah, his childhood sweetheart and first love, back in town and on his patient roster. The sparks still burn, but when he tries to discuss what went wrong and perhaps rebuild their relationship, Leah refuses.

Jake’s not ready to give up on their future together. But Leah fears she has even more to lose this time…

Book Excerpt: https://a.co/1MpXkHO

My Book Review:

In Home To Cypress Bayou, the first book in The Louisiana Series, author Susan Sands weaves a wonderful Southern Women's Fiction story of letting go of the past, coming home, moving forward, and second chances.

Leah Bertrand is the owner of La Toile art gallery in Paris. She inherited the art gallery from her boss, Alaine, who passed away from blood cancer. After Alaine's death, she signed up for the bone marrow registry. She received a call from the bone marrow registry, and is told that she is a match for a bone marrow donation in Louisiana. It's been two years since she's gone home to Cypress Bayou, Louisiana, and this visit home is sure to be stressful between family drama, an ex-boyfriend, and the bone marrow donation procedure.

Dr. Jake Carmichael is an infectious disease specialist who travels throughout Louisiana to different hospitals with his team to handle challenging cases. Jake recently decided to come back home to Cypress Bayou and put down roots, but there is one thing missing in his life, his ex-girlfriend Leah, and when he hears that she is coming home to be a bone marrow donor, he has mixed emotions about seeing her again.

Set in Cypress Bayou, Louisiana, the reader follows Leah and Jake's story as their shared past filled with hidden secrets, omissions, and internal struggles resurface with their unexpected reunion. The chemistry between Leah and Jake is still undeniable, but can they overcome the past and find their way back to each other? And if that isn't enough, Leah has to deal with mama drama and a deep family secret revolving around the bone marrow recipient that makes Leah's visit home that much more intense.

As a fan of Southern Women's Fiction, Home To Cypress Bayou is a beautifully written story that is filled with an abundance of Southern charm, hospitality, wit, drama, humor, and romance, that left me smiling and pleasantly satisfied. I really enjoyed following Leah and Jake's story. I was intrigued by the mystery behind the secret of who the bone marrow recipient is to Leah's family, and when you add in the emotional baggage and still undeniable love between Leah and Jake, there was no denying that this story easily kept me engaged and turning the pages. I loved the connection and witty banter between Leah and Jake; the rich description and essence of the southern town settings of Cypress Bayou and New Orleans; a host of engaging secondary characters; and all the drama, intrigue, and romance that easily made Home To Cypress Bayou an enjoyable story that left me wanting more.

I look forward to reading Secrets In Cypress Bayou, the second book in The Louisiana Series.

RATING: 5 STARS

About The Author

A self-described late bloomer, Susan Sands began writing her first novel at age forty. She compares her challenging journey to publication as “raising another child—a difficult one.”

Susan has published five southern, contemporary women’s fiction novels set in Alabama. She describes her humorous small-town stories as fun, romantic, and filled with big family love. Susan also writes authentic place-as-a-character southern fiction with a humorous voice in addition to her Alabama series.

Susan has three grown children and lives with her dentist husband in Roswell, GA. She has a degree in elementary education, is a member of the Georgia Romance Writers, the Romance Writers of America, the Atlanta Writer’s Club, Womens Fiction Writers of America (WFWA), and the Broadleaf Writers Association. She participates in book festivals, book clubs, and writer’s conferences around the South. Susan is the recipient of the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year award for romance.

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Saturday, June 4, 2022

Weekly Book Mail: 5/29-6/4/2022

This Week's Book Mail

June - Bookcase Club

June - Harlequin Love Inspired Romance & Suspense Collection

May - Down The Rabbit Hole Book Box

May - Once Upon A Book Club - YA Book Box

June - Book Of The Month Club

Friday, June 3, 2022

What They Don't Know by Susan Furlong (VBT: Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

Book Review

What They Don't Know by Susan Furlong

Publisher: Seventh Street Books

Publication Date: May 17, 2022

Format: Paperback - 286 pages

Kindle - 530 KB

Nook - 681 KB

ISBN: 978-1645060406
ASIN: B09JPKJT9S
BNID: 978-1645060413

Genre: Psychological Thriller / Domestic Thriller

Buy The Book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Book Decsription:

A picture-perfect suburban life fractures. . . and a darker reality bubbles beneath the surface.

Mona Ellison’s life is as perfect as the porcelain dolls lined up on her shelves. She has a successful husband, a loving son, a beautiful home, and a supportive group of girlfriends ever ready for their weekly wine night.

But when Mona’s son gets entangled with the wrong crowd and runs away from home, her blissful suburban world begins to unravel. She tells her friends that boys will be boys, that he’ll be back as soon as his money runs dry . . . but deep down she knows there’s something else going on.

Then the police show up at Mona’s door. A young girl has turned up dead in their quiet town, and her missing son is the prime suspect.

Determined to reunite with her son and prove his innocence, Mona follows an increasingly cryptic trail of clues on social media, uncovering a sinister side of suburbia and unveiling lies and betrayal from those she trusted most. And as Mona spirals further from her once cozy reality, a devastating revelation shatters everything she thought she knew. Now the only thing she’s sure of is that she can’t trust anyone . . . not even herself.

With unrelenting psychological suspense and a wicked twist, What They Don’t Know marries small-town thriller and domestic mystery—suburban paranoia at its best.

Praise For - What They Don’t Know:

“Part domestic thriller, part small-town mystery, What They Don’t Know is everything suspense fans want: characters who’ll make you think twice, a subversive plot, and pages that seemingly turn themselves the deeper you get into the story. In this portrait of suburban life tinged with malice and intrigue, paranoia lurks just around the corner. Read it at night. Don’t plan on sleep.” (Tosca Lee, NYT bestselling author of The Line Between)

Book Excerpt:

It was the last Tuesday of the month, our normal book club night, and we were gathered at my house—Selma, Alice, Tara, and me—settled in the living room, Moroccan rug plush beneath us, immersed in the decor’s eclectic mix of whimsy and Old-World aesthetic. This would be our last book club meeting, but it was more than that, really. It was a pulled thread in the carefully woven tapestry of our friendships that had begun in college and endured careers, weddings, our first-borns, and remained constant through affairs, divorces, and much worse …

***

My Book Review:

In What They Don't Know, author Susan Furlong weaves a riveting domestic psychological thriller that will captivate the reader's attention from beginning to end.

The reader follows the story of Mona Ellison, a fifty-two year old married woman who had the perfect life: husband Ben, a successful child psychiatrist, and Gus, their eighteen year-old son. But all isn't what it seems in the Ellison household: Gus has run away and is a person of interest in the murder of seventeen year-old homeless girl named Mia Jones. Mona is determined to find Gus and prove his innocence, but there is a darker side that simmers underneath the surface, and Mona spirals dangerously down the black hole of madness, barely holding on but determined to seek the truth at all costs.

What They Don't Know is a slow-building, multi-layered, gripping, and complex story set in Belington, Illinois, that has a great mixture of intrigue, secrets, deceit, manipulation, paranoia, dark pasts, suspenseful twists and turns, and enough tension and drama that will keep the reader thoroughly engaged and riveted until the surprising conclusion.

You can't help but feel for Mona, and worry if she is unstable and spiraling down the black hole towards a mental breakdown as she searches for Gus and the truth. And if you think that's bad, just add in the creepy obsession with her Madame Alexander doll collection, her paranoia with her husband and friends, and this story will keep you turning the pages and wondering what will eventually happen, because it isn't what it seems!

You can't help but feel Mona's angst as you follow her traumatic story. As you turn the pages of this very harrowing and dark story, the intensity of the story grows until the unexpected surprise ending that will simply leave you stunned and at a loss for words.

RATING: 4 STARS

About The Author

Susan Furlong is the author of eleven novels including Shattered Justice, a New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year. She also contributes, under a pen name, to the New York Times bestselling Novel Idea series. Her most recent novel, What They Don't Know, has been praised by reviewers as an engrossing and delightfully creepy read. She resides in Illinois with her husband and children.