Mothers and Daughters - Rae Meadows

Summary from B&N: A rich and luminous novel about three generations of women in one family: the love they share, the dreams they refuse to surrender, and the secrets they hold.


And they sure do hold a lot of secrets. It was amazing how little these three women – grandmother, mother, daughter – know of each other. It makes me think about how well the people “close” to me really know (or don’t know) me.

The chapters alternate between Violet (grandma), Iris (mother), and Samantha (now adult daughter and mother herself) and their stories. Although I would say that Samantha is the true main character. We learn more about her…and about the others through her.

The story was engaging…my only disappointment was that I wanted it to continue so that I could learn more about the three generations.

Always Something There to Remind Me - Beth Harbison

Synopsis from Barnes&Noble: Can you ever really know if love is true? And if it is, should you stop at anything to get it?



Two decades ago, Erin Edwards was sure she’d already found the love of her life: Nate Lawson. Her first love. The one with whom she shared everything—dreams of the future, of children, plans for forever. The one she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Until one terrible night when Erin made a mistake Nate could not forgive and left her to mourn the relationship she could never forget or get over.

Always Something There to Remind Me is a story that will resonate with any woman who has ever thought of that one first love and wondered, “Where is he?” and “What if…?” Filled with Beth Harbison’s trademark nostalgia humor and heart, it will transport you, and inspire you to believe in the power of first love.

I enjoyed the story itself. It flowed nicely. The characters were dynamic, and I grew to really like some of them (and dislike others). This was a quick read. And the topic, I believe, really does appeal to women and those of us who play the “what if” game.

I could have done without the more intimate details.

One Day - David Nicholls

Synopsis from B&N: It’s 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley have only just met. But after only one day together, they cannot stop thinking about one another. Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day—July 15th—of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself.


I don’t know why it still surprises me that so much modern fiction is fully of swearing and sex…but it does.

I heard about this book when I saw a preview for the movie. While I enjoyed the book, I think I’ll be skipping the movie due to the above issues.

All that being said, I think that the format the book took was quite clever. To cover two decades of the relationship between Dexter and Emma by highlighting the same date (coninciding with the day they met), was a unique way to share their story. And, quite frankly, I didn’t feel like I had missed out on anything by the book not covering the other 364 days of each of those years. Nicholls did an excellent job with that aspect.

I didn’t ever grow attached to either Dexter or Emma…or any of the subsidiary characters. I mean, it was an interesting story, but I didn’t feel like I could related to any of the characters.

The ending (well, not the very end but the end of the second to last part) did come as quite a shock to me. I hadn’t seen it coming at all…which I always appreciate.

I have a horrible tendency to pick up the second or third book in a series, thinking it’s a standalone, and read it first. That was the case with this book. Publishers really need to label those things better!


I had been doing some heavier reading and went to the library in search of some “fluffy fiction.” Family Treasures fit the bill.

Caitlin McBride is an image consultant. When a teenager nominates her father, Caitlin gets wrapped up in more than just revamping Devon Walsh’s physical appearance.

It was a satisfying, predictable book. Just what I needed.