Most of my reading for August consists of listening to audiobooks. I did read a few things in print here and there and I’m working on a book in print now, but none of it has resulted in completing a book I can review.
Dress to Look Your Best: Fashion Secrets the Experts Don’t Share by Deborah Lynn Darling 4 stars
This is a Kindle Unlimited book I read for some blog research. Most style books are very generic and repeat the same things, but I found some very helpful tips in this one that I had not seen before. This book contains some great information on dressing your body in a flattering way.
Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews 4 stars
I listened to this one on Scribd. The narrator is a narrator that I enjoy listening to. Sometimes I look up books by narrator just to see if they have narrated another book I would enjoy.
Drue Campbell finds herself without a job following her mother’s death. Her estranged father, a hot shot attorney, shows up at the funeral to inform her she has inherited her grandparents beach house and to offer her a job. The job isn’t appealing, especially once she discovers he is now married to an old friend of hers turned enemy. But without prospects, and with the allure of the beach house, she takes the job screening calls to the firms personal injury firm. Drue finds herself sucked into a suspicious death case and sets out to investigate on her own. Her investigation leads her to corruption in the firm.
There is also a side story/mystery into her father’s past being told as the story moves along. This was a fun read/listen with the quirky character typical of Andrews that gets in way over her head.
I also picked back up with the Sweet Magnolias series. I had read four of the books in the past. I love the way Woods builds on characters from book to book with the same core group but with the addition of newcomers.
The Netflix series shares the characters but has its own story lines so the books differ greatly from the series.
These stories are all full of underdogs, heroes, romance, and a sense of small town pride and community.
I listened to all of these on Scribd and would be into #11 right now if Scribd hadn’t made it unavailable until the next billing cycle. That’s an annoying quirk of Scribd.
The narrator of this series is also a favorite narrator.
Home in Carolina (Sweet Magnolias #5) Sherryl Woods 4 stars
This book picks back up with Ty and Annie who started a romance in high school. The relationship didn’t last college and Ty’s baseball career because of poor choices Ty made. Both are back home in Serenity. Ty is home to heal an injury and to win Annie back. Annie has to decide if she can forgive his cheating and live with the constant reminder, the son has now has from his affair.
Sweet Tea at Sunrise ( Sweet Magnolias #6) Sherryl Woods 4 stars
One of Annie’s friends, Sarah Price returns to Serenity in the process of divorce from a belittling and emotionally abusive husband. Travis McDonald is new to town and wants to start a radio station and a romance with Sarah. Will he win her over?
Honeysuckle Summer (Sweet Magnolias #7) Sherryl Woods 4 stars
Another of Annie’s friends, Raylene, comes home after a divorce from a physically abusive husband. Sarah takes her into her home. The trauma has left her unable to go out into the world and confined to the home.
Carter Rollins, a deputy who responds when one of Sarah’s kids wanders away from Raylene’s watch, finds himself falling for this woman who he initially judged as irresponsible. He begins to bring the outside world to her.
Carter has his own issues. He is rearing his two younger sisters after their parents die and the older one is on a slippery slope with anorexia.
Midnight Promises (Sweet Magnolias #8) Sherryl Woods 4 stars
We revisit Karen and Elliott in this book who became romantically involved in an earlier book. Now financial decisions threaten their marriage. We also meet more of Elliott’s family and his sister who is having marriage problems of her own. Karen and Raylene are woven together into a friendship in this edition also.
Catching Fireflies (Sweet Magnolias #9) Sherryl Woods 4 stars
At this point in the series, little Katie Townsend is in high school and her best friend is being bullied in the worst way. Her dad’s medical partner, pediatrician J.C. Fullerton, becomes involved when Misty goes to him for an excuse for missing school. A desire to help Misty and stop school bullying bring together Fullerton and teacher Laura Reed, both who have secret painful pasts that give them both more passion for this cause, and for each other.
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