The Lantern of Lost Memories – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Lantern of Lost Memories

Author:- Sanaka Hiiragi

Translated by Jesse Kirkwood Iragi

Date published:- will be publihed on 22nd August 2024

No. of pages:- 208 pages

Genre:- Japanese Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

From acclaimed Japanese author Sanaka Hiigari comes a heartwarming, life-affirming novel about a magical photo studio, where people go after they die to view key moments from their life—and relive one precious memory before they pass into the afterlife.

The hands and pendulum of the old wooden clock on the wall were motionless. Hirasaka cocked his head to listen, but the silence inside the photo studio was almost deafening. His leather shoes sank softly into the aging red carpet as he strode over to the arrangement of flowers on the counter and carefully adjusted the angle of the petals…

This is the story of the peculiar and magical photo studio owned by Mr. Hirasaki, a collector of antique cameras. In the dimly lit interior, a paper background is pulled down in front of a wall, and in front of it stands a single, luxurious chair with an armrest on one side. On a stand is a large bellows camera. On the left is the main studio; photos can also be taken in the courtyard.

Beyond its straightforward interior, however, is a secret. The studio is, in fact, the door to the afterlife, the place between life and death where those who have departed have a chance—one last time—to see their entire life flash before their eyes via Mr. Hirasaki’s “spinning lantern of memories.”

We meet Hatsue, a ninety-two year old woman who worked as a nursery teacher, the rowdy Waniguchi, a yakuza overseer in his life who is also capable of great compassion, and finally Mitsuru, a young girl who has died tragically young at the hands of abusive parents. 

Sorting through the many photos of their lives, Mr. Hirasaki also offers guests one guests a second a chance to travel back in time to take a photo of one particular moment in their lives that they wish to cherish in a special way.

Full of charm and whimsy, The Lantern of Lost Memories will sweep you away to a world of nostalgia, laughter, and love.

This is a short and quick to read, and heartwarming, heartbreaking and emotional story.

Mr. Hirasaki owns a peculiar photo studio–the studio is a different one and serves as a place between life and death and a door to afterlife. The studio will help the people, who have already died to recount their stories by flashing pictures of their lives, during their lifetime. We meet an eighty year old woman named Hatsue who worked as a nursery teacher, Wanaguichi who is a rowdy yakuza overseer and a young girl named Mitsuri who tragically died at the hands of abusive parents.

This is an unusual concept and plot of the story. You die and before you enter into he afterlife, you get final glimpses of your own life before heading off to afterlife. It’s emotional and kind of sad as well. I am particularly sad at Mitsuri’s life story, as she died so young compared to the other two characters. The story itself if very unique and the writing was also engaging as well. You get glimpses of what these three character’s lives were, their experiences, their life overall, before they died.

Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to read more from this author. Worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Sanaka Hiiragi (JP: 柊サナカ) is a writer, novelist, born in Kagawa, raised in Hyogo, and lives in Tokyo. In 2013, she debuted as the secret winner of the “KONOMYS Award”. A series of short stories set in a long-established classic camera store in Yanaka, and a camera mystery novel, “Yanaka retoro kamera ten no nazo biyori (Mystery Days at Yanaka Retro Camera Shop” in three volumes (Takarajima-sha), led to her writing for photography and camera magazines. She has also written “Jinsei shashinkan no kiseki (Miracles in the Photo Studio After Life” (Takarajima-sha), a story about a special photo studio that takes running lantern photos. On February 17, 2022, “Tengoku kara no takkyubin (Home Delivery from Heaven)” (Futabasha) was released. There is an episode about a photography club and cameras in chapter 4 of the novel. A humorous mystery novel about three girls at a photography school and a large format camera is scheduled to be released around July. Photo & Culture, Tokyo PCT “Sanaka Hiiragi no kamera numa (Hiiragi Sanaka’s Cameras No Way Out)” is being published weekly

When in Rome – Book Review

Title:- When in Rome

Author:- Sarah Adams

Date published:- September 20th 2022

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance from the author of the TikTok sensationThe Cheat Sheet.

Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more.

Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.

At first, when I saw the title, When in Rome, I thought the story was based in Rome, Italy. Little did I know that the story is based in Rome, Kentucky.

Amelia is a famous singer, known around the world as Rae. Amelia wanted to get away from the life and being a fan of Audrey Hepburn, and trying to reenact the movie Roman Holiday, she drives to Rome Kentucky. She ended up stopping in front of Noah’s house. Noah is a pie shop owner. While her car is in repair, Noah has no choice but to allow Amelia stay in his house. The two start getting to know each other and start to fall in love. But both of them know that falling in love with each other is the worst thing they could ever do.

I actually loved the story. I loved the chemistry between Amelia and Noah. The story is well written and is engaging. The story is told in the POVs of Amelia and Noah. Of course the ending was predictable, but nonetheless, I actually enjoyed reading this romance book. I love how Noah is the grumpy sunshine and how he actually takes care of Amelia whenever she is in need. The story also talks a lot about Amelia’s fame, how her fame actually strained her relationship with her mother. I also like the close friendship between Noah’s sisters and Amelia.

This is the first book of the When in Rome series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall worth 4 stars.

My Daughter’s Revenge – ARC Book Review

Title:- My daughter’s revenge

Author:- Natali Simmons

Date published:- 14th August 2024

No. of pages:- 368 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:-Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

My first mistake was raising my daughter to be just like me…

His death is reported on the morning news. The man my daughter’s been dating. Dead. Gone…

I blink slowly – once, twice, three times. The hair on the back of my neck rises as I grip my coffee harder. My breath comes in short bursts.

I didn’t even know he existed until recently. Leah doesn’t tell me anything anymore. But I found the letters she hid. I know she fell head over heels for him. That he broke her heart.

And that he’s dead now.

I wish more than anything that the news is only shocking because of who it is, and what’s happened to him.

But I know my daughter too well for that.

My first mistake was raising my daughter to be just like me.

My second mistake might be what I do to protect her…

This was actually an intense psychological thriller book that will make you think about life choices…a lot.

Leah and Jules are mother and daughter and they both seemed to be having strained relationship. Leah goes to a music festival and meets a man named Dylan with who she has rendezvous. Little did she know soon that the man she slept with was actually her art teacher in school. Dylan has no interest in pursuing a relationship with Leah but Leah starts getting obsessed with Dylan…meanwhile Jules believes that her husband Adam is cheating behind her back and start chatting to a mysterious stranger online.

The story mainly talks about lies, cheating and deceit within the family. Jules and Leah doesn’t seem to be having a good mother-daughter relationship and Leah’s obsession towards her own art teacher makes the whole story interesting. The story was fast paced and as you read further in the book, you realize how both the main characters can be disturbing and unreliable. The writing was great and the author did a good job of getting the reader into the story. The ending was completely unexpected and twisted. The story is told in the perspective of both Jules and Leah so as a reader you will get to know what they really think of each other. Leah is portrayed as a disturbed teenager in the book while Jules was portrayed as a wife who doesn’t seem to be satisfied with the marriage.

The story was brilliantly written and is unputdownable and fast paced thriller–worth 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Mystery Guest – Book Review

Title:- The Mystery Guest

Author:- Nita Prose

Date published:- November 28th 2023

No. of pages:- 293 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it’s up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth, no matter how dirty—in a standalone novel featuring Molly Gray, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick.

Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.

When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to know who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?

As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer’s identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there’s one thing Molly knows for sure, it’s that dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever…

If you haven’t read the Maid yet, which is the first book of the Molly the maid series, read the first book before reading the next one. Although, you can read this book as a standalone, in my opinion, the Maid was better than the Mystery Guest.

With that ado, let’s begin my review.

Molly is now the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. The hotel is hosting an event of a very famous author named JM Grimthorpe who wrote dozens of bestselling novels. Molly and the new maid Lily is in charge of tea and food at the event. While the event is going on, Grimthorpe tells the audience that he has a secret that he wanted to share with the audience. But he never got to share with the audience as he falls dead on the stage. When investigated, Grimthorpe died from poisoning. How, he drank tea arranged by Lily, making her the possible suspect.

The story divides between past and present, though told in Molly’s POV. In the past, Molly was a ten year old girl whose grandmother was working at the Grimthorpe mansion at the time. We get snippets of what working with Grimthorpes was like and at the same time Molly getting to know most of the characters. The story was funny in someway but at the same time, this was slightly fast paced and entertaining. Molly is a likable and entertaining character and in the end you will realize how the past events have some sort of connection with the murder of Grimthorpes.

This book wasn’t great as the first but one Molly is as I said a likable character that will make you enjoy the story more. I am not sure if there is going to be a third book in the maid series but this second book in the series was OK. Overall worth 3.5 stars.

NITA PROSE is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery Guest and The Maid, which has sold more than two million copies worldwide. A Good Morning America Book Club pick, The Maid won the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction, the Fingerprint Award for Debut Book of the Year, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the Barry Award for Best First Mystery. The Maid was also an Edgar Award finalist for Best Novel. Visit Nita at nitaprose.com or on Instagram and X @NitaProse.

The Assistant – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Assistant

Author:- Nicole Trope

Date published:- will be published on 12th August 2024

No. of pages:- 334 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

She knows everything about you… but can you trust her?

I walk in to my interview with Ava Green and carefully hand over my application. It’s all made up, of course, but Ava doesn’t have to know that.

There is so much worry in her blue eyes. Her phone pings with constant messages and a small stain marks her crisp shirt. Breakfast with her two little girls before heading out to this high-flying job every morning can’t be easy.

Ava needs me, I think. More than anything.

The interview goes perfectly, because I have made myself into the perfect assistant. Now I just hope Ava never finds out why I’m really here. Not before she lets me into her home, and I meet her charming husband, and get to babysit her children.

Because I have plans for Ava. She just has to trust me…

A completely addictive psychological thriller that will have you gasping at the final twist. Fans of Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell and The Perfect Marriage will be reading late into the night.

I love reading Nicole Trope’s books and this book is no exception–one of the best psychological thrillers I have read.

Ava Green interviews and hires Grace as her assistant. What Ava didn’t know is that the Grace’s resume was fake. Grace on the other hand as plans for Ava and soon she gets into Ava’s life to the point of meeting Ava’s husband and children. Grace would do anything for Ava although Ava didn’t know that Grace was doing all these things for Ava.

This was an intense page turning psychological thriller. The story shifts into a past, then divides the POVs between Grace and Ava. The story is also quiet unpredictable which makes this book overall a good thriller. There was tension in the book, the ending was quiet unpredictable particularly the epilogue of the book. The writing was great overall and the author manage to get the reader into the story. There were some twists and turns in the whole story, many of them are quiet unexpected.

The Assistant is a unputdownable psychological thriller that will keep you up all night–worth 4.5 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Once Upon a Broken Heart – OUBH series #1 – Book Review

Title:- Once Upon a Broken Heart

Author:- Stephanie Garber

Date published:- September 28th 2021

No. of pages:- 416 pages

Genre:- Fantasy/Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after.

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings… until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game ― and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy.

I enjoyed Caraval series although I am still yet to read the last book of the Caraval series. Once Upon a Broken Heart follows right after Finale in the Caraval series and this time, we see Evangeline Fox as the main character.

Evangeline Fox is heartbroken–her boyfriend Luc is going to get married to her stepsister Marisol . She makes a deal with a Fate named Jack known as the Prince of Hearts and whose kiss will be fatal to many. And just like that her life changes drastically to the point when she was going to get married to a Prince named Prince Appollo and at the same time Evangeline Fox must work with Jacks even though they couldn’t stand each other.

I actually did enjoy reading this book. It was twisty and I actually liked the chemistry between Jack and Evangeline even though they cannot stand each other. The only flaw in Evangeline’s character is she tend to be naive at some situations but other than that, the story as a whole was great and unputdownable. I enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t wait to read the next book in the series. Is it better than Caraval? I think in my opinion Caraval is better but I liked the book. Overall worth 4 stars.

Never Lie – Book Review

Title:- Never Lie

Author:- Freida McFadden

Date published:- September 19th 2022

No. of pages:- 286 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.

But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.

In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance.

Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels.

And then Tricia reaches the final cassette.

The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth

This might be my 6th (or 7th I lost track) Freida McFadden book I have read and my target is to read as much Freida McFadden books as possible so I can rate which books are her best and worst!

Never Lie follows the story of the newlyweds Tricia and Ethan who drives through in the middle of the storm for a house viewing. They get stuck in the storm and they then start spending the night at the house they have been viewing. Tricia was having bad feelings about the house–she found a light flashing on the second flood, even though both she and Ethan checked every room of the house, not to mention the food in the refrigerator. The house belonged to a psychiatrist named Adrienne Hale, who mysteriously disappeared three years ago and Dr. Hale’s boyfriend Luke was the main suspect. Then Tricia discovers a secret room filled with tapes of Dr. Hale’s sessions. As soon as she starts listening to the tapes, she realized the worst mistake…not to mention that there might be someone in the house.

The story was fast paced and a page turner. But despite that, I thought this wasn’t as great as her other books but it wasn’t bad either. The story is told in the POVs of Tricia and Adrienne and you can see that both the characters are kind on unreliable. No to mention the fact that you feel a horror element in the background of this book. However, the ending is the one that got me. The ending was so twisted and unexpected that I literally had to take a breather!

I will soon be doing a blog post on which Freida McFadden’s books are the best, so stay tuned!

This book worth 4 stars.

Behind Every Good Man – Book Review

Title;- Behind Every Good Man

Author:- Sara Goodman Confino

Date published:- 6th August 2024

No. of pages:- 347 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/ Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

A wronged wife goes toe to toe with her cheating husband at the polls in this hilarious and heart-lifting novel by the bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write.

It’s a doozy of a bad day for Beverly Diamond when she catches her husband, Larry, in a compromising position with his secretary. What’s a DC suburban wife to do with a soon-to-be ex, two young kids, and no degree or financial support in 1962? Beat the louse at his own game, that’s what.

Larry runs the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate projected to win against his younger underdog opponent, Michael Landau. But Beverly has the pluck, political savvy, and sheer drive to push Landau’s campaign in a successful new direction, even if he already has a campaign manager who is less than pleased she has inserted herself into the race.

Now it’s rival against rival. She and Michael do make a great team…maybe in more ways than one. But with the election heating up, she needs to focus on one thing at a time. If Bev can convince Michael to go modern, pay attention to women’s issues, and learn how to dress himself properly, maybe she can show Larry exactly how much he has underestimated her their entire marriage—and make her own dreams come true in the process.

Beverly Diamond’s life changes when she finds her husband Larry cheating behind her back. Beverly has two children, no degree and she knows that her husband is going to divorce her soon. So in order to support herself, she enrolls to support Michael Landau, a young and upcoming politician who is running against her ex-husband. Beverly with her experience in politics starts using her knowledge to help Michael with his own campaign that will hopefully beat her ex- husband’s campaign.

I love Sara Goodman Confino’s book and I was excited to get my hands on this book. If you are into women empowerment, 1960’s setting, and the era when women hardly got into politics, then this book is one for you. Beverly is a very likable character and I like her overall courage and enthusiasm and her hardworking attitude to help Michael win the election. Not only that, I also like her relationship with her own mother and I like how the whole novel is based on how behind every good man there is a woman who will support you no matter what.

Overall this book worth 4.5 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Sara Goodman Confino teaches high school English and journalism in Montgomery County, Maryland, where she lives with her husband, two sons, and miniature schnauzers, Sandy and Gracie. When she’s not writing or working out, she can be found on the beach or at a Bruce Springsteen show, sometimes even dancing onstage. For more information visit http://www.saraconfino.com.

The Bear and the Nightingale – Book Review

Title:- The Bea and the Nightingale

Author:- Katherine Arden

Date published:- January 10th 2017

No. of pages:- 430 pages

Genre:- Fantasy

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind–she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed–this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

This book has been in TBR list for a long time and when I got the hands on the all three books of the Winternight Trilogy.

This book overall is beautifully and poetically written. The book takes us to Russia in the 13th or 14th century setting with a fantasy setting as the background. The story follows a girl named Vasilisa who lives in the edge of the Russian wilderness and loves hearing the stories from her nurse about the frost demon who the everyone fears. Pytor, Vasilisa’s father goes to Moscow to look for a bride after the death of Vasilisa’s mother. When he brings the new bride and a new father, things in their small village starts changing. Vasilisa must protect her village and her family before it is late.

As I mentioned earlier, the story is well written and I could picture what Russia was like in the 13th and 14th century. I like how the author uses certain Russian words which I learned. Vasilisa is a very likable character and brave young girl. This book feels like an enchanting fairy tale story. I finished the first book and couldn’t wait to read the next one.

Overall this book worth 4 stars.

A note to everyone who trips and falls upon my Goodreads page. First, welcome. Let us read and discuss all the books together. I review books I’ve read, everything gets five stars, if I didn’t like it I don’t put it up.

Second, Goodreads is wondrous, but contacting me through my Goodreads DMs is a good way to ensure a long wait for a reply. Your best bet is Twitter or Instagram (arden_katherine) on both.

Happy reading.

Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury College. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, among other places. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she wrote much of The Bear and the Nightingale. She currently lives in Vermont.

All Rhodes Lead Here – Book Review

Title:- All Rhodes Lead Here

Author:- Mariana Zapata

Date published:- April 1st 2021

No. of pages:- 608 pages

Genre:- Romance/Contemporary Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

New York Times bestselling author and the Queen of Slow Burn Romance Mariana Zapata’s fan favorite All Rhodes Lead Here, a story about finding love when you least expect it—now with new exclusive content!

The people we lose take a part of us with them…but they leave a part of themselves with us too.

Aurora De La Torre, or Ora to her friends, knows moving back to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a place that was once home and is now full of bittersweet memories of her late mother, isn’t going to be easy. Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be.

But after breaking up with her longtime famous musician boyfriend, hiding out in a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart. And checking out her landlord who lives across the driveway just might cure it, too.

Only Tobias Rhodes didn’t rent out the apartment to her, rather it was his teenage son, Amos. Fiercely protective of his family and distrusting of strangers, gruff and grumpy Rhodes initially keeps little miss sunshine Ora at a distance. But over days and weeks, long hikes and fireside chats, Aurora breaks down his walls and soon an unbreakable friendship blossoms into a once-in-a-lifetime love.

I did not expect this book to be really good and I was surprised that it was actually good and unputdownable!

Aurora De La Torre has broken up with her super famous boyfriend and returned to her childhood hometown, Pagasa Falls in Colorado where she has fond memories of her own mother who disappeared while she was hiking many years ago. Her main goal is to reset her life. Aurora meets the broody and handsome Tobias Rhodes and his son Amos. At first, Tobias didn’t really welcome Aurora. But as Aurora starts getting used to her new life in the small town, she and Tobias who is known as Rhodes also start to get along as well.

This is not really a typical romance novel–it was emotional, heartbreaking and a tear-jerker book. Not to mention the fact that Aurora wants to carry out all the hikes taken by her own mother and revisit those days. I also like the friendship Aurora has with everyone in the town, including how Rhodes always seem to be there for her whenever she gets into trouble. The story is a page turner, well written and there were both the funny parts as well as those emotional moments where you want to cry. Overall, the writing in general is great- quiet moving and touching. Not to mention, in this book, I like all the characters, my favorite of course is Rhodes!

The only issue I had with this book was I felt it was a bit too long, but that was the only negative thing I found in the book. Otherwise, this is an engaging and emotional roller-coaster ride and you certainly wouldn’t want to put this book down. Overall, the book worth 4.5 star rating!

Mariana is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Amazon best-selling author and reached #7 on Amazon’s Author Ranking in 2016. Her book The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was a #1 Amazon Overall Best Seller, and was chosen as a 2016 Goodreads Choice Award nominee and also included on Amazon’s Best Books of 2016 for Romance. Wait for It reached #2 on the Amazon Overall Best Seller list and stayed in the top 100 for six weeks; it was chosen as a 2017 Goodreads Choice Award nominee in the Romance category. Dear Aaron was a top 10 Amazon Overall Best Seller and stayed in the top 100 for six weeks. From Lukov with Love was a top 10 Amazon Overall Best Seller and a finalist in the romance category for the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards. Luna and the Lie became a #1 Amazon Overall Best Seller. The Best Thing was a top 10 Amazon Overall Best Seller and a 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee in romance. Her latest novel, Hands Down, was also a top 10 Amazon Overall Best Seller.

Mariana Zapata began writing love stories soon after she learned how to spell. She probably shouldn’t admit that she started sneaking romance novels from her aunt’s bookshelves way before she was old enough to even understand what it meant when a man flipped up a woman’s skirt. (Don’t tell her mom.)

Mariana is a native Texan living in a small town in Colorado with her husband and two beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Danes, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not pretending to write, she’s reading. You can usually find her burning somewhat edible experiments in the kitchen or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.

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