Book Review: These Summer Storms

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publisher’s description for these summer storms, by sarah maclean:

“Alice Storm hasn’t been welcome at her family’s magnificent private island off the Rhode Island coast in five years—not since she was cast out and built her life beyond the Storm name, influence, and untold billions. But the shocking death of her larger-than-life father changes everything.

Alice plans to keep her head down, pay her final respects (such as they are), and leave the minute the funeral is over. Unfortunately, her father had other plans. The eccentric, manipulative patriarch left his family a final challenge—an inheritance game designed to upend their world. The rules are clear: spend one week on the island, complete their assigned tasks, and receive the inheritance.

But a whole week on Storm Island is no easy task for Alice. Every corner of the sprawling old house is bursting with chaos: Her older sister’s secret love affair. Her brother’s unyielding arrogance. Her younger sister’s constant analysis of the vibes. Her mother’s cold judgment. And all under the stern, watchful gaze of Jack Dean, her father’s intriguing and too-handsome second-in-command. It will be a miracle if Alice manages to escape unscathed.

A smart and tender story about the transformative power of grief, love, and family, this luscious novel explores past secrets, present truths, and futures forged in the wake of wild summer storms.”

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Review:

Woooooow. Wow. Okay, so. One billion(aire) stars. Infinity stars for These Summer Storms. I loved this so so much and couldn't put it down, and not just because it's set in Rhode Island (which no books ever are), where I grew up.

The Westing Game meets the Last Great American Dynasty meets Pineapple Street meets romcom. This was both character-driven and plot-driven in a way I don't recall encountering before. It was interesting and twisty and had all the trappings of complicated family dynamics (which I always love) and also a slightly steamy little romance kind of out of nowhere. What a combo.

This is an absolutely perfect summer read, but it’s also a perfect anytime read. An engrossing book no matter how you slice it. This was my first Sarah MacLean and absolutely not my last. Excited to dive into her backlist now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the advance copy for review—I can’t wait to force everyone I know to read this, so good job you.

Book Review: Georgie All Along

Publisher’s description for Georgie All Along, by Kate Clayborn:

“Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.  
 
But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.  
 
Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back. 
 
Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .”
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Kate Clayborn does such a lovely job of character development and scene settings. I love her world building and her familiar yet unusual romances. I also really enjoyed her novels Love Lettering and Love At First. They're great distractions, fluff without being total fluff—and this is no exception. She tackles some serious stuff and is respectful of it, while also writing a story that's at its heart a romance. And a homecoming, to Georgie's hometown as well as to herself. I would even argue that in some ways it's a romance with herself as well as her love interest. I appreciate that while the story setup and arc are what I want in a romance, there's more here to sink your teeth into. It's what Kate Clayborn is so good at. (I will say I could go the rest of my life without hearing "expansive" used as a personality trait, but that's on me.)

4/5 because at times it was a little slow for me and a few things (see: expansive) felt forced or overdone. But overall, very enjoyable. And I now want a soap-opera-worthy dressing gown.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC!

Book Review: Man's Search for Meaning

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Publisher’s description on Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl:

Based on his experiences in Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz, from 1942 to 1945, Frankl's timeless memoir and meditation on finding meaning in the midst of suffering argues that man cannot avoid suffering but can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.

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OOF. Oof. This should frankly be required reading. A psychiatrist examines his experience of life in Nazi concentration camps. The stunningly clinical yet emotionally raw way he relates his experience in Auschwitz and other camps is remarkable. This is one of those books that I will always remember reading. It’s brutal and necessary. At times you almost can’t quite believe what you’re hearing—how could humans do this to each other?—but you look around and you know they can. This book is full of both trauma and hope. Evil and resilience. I got a little lost in the last part of the book that goes over the clinical theory, but otherwise, truly, I can’t recommend this enough. It made me think a lot about resilience, our place in the world, and how we keep moving forward. It is somehow both a hard and easy read. You can’t look away—and you shouldn’t.

I listened to this on Audible, and I recommend it. I found it easier to hear this as someone’s story than I think I would have trying to get through it on the page. The narrator does an excellent job.