Chelsey’s November Reads
I started the month finishing a lingering book from October then choosing way too heavy of books for the season. Once I set those larger, bulkier titles (have no fear, they are back on my TBD for another time!), I picked up all the fall vibes and was delighted with *most* of the reads I got through this month!
Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey, (2.5 stars) - What started as an intriguing read drug onto just hoping the book would finish. The plot started strong enough with several parallel universes to try to sift through, but as the story continued I started questioning “how many lives can one possibly have, even in a work of fiction?” While I did finish it, it was not one I’d recommend .
Fall I Want by Lyra Parish, (3 stars) - I really just wanted a cozy fall read. The storyline was sweet enough, even if the millionaire-heir is not my favorite trope. The characters had decent depth but about halfway through the sexual tension got a bit too descriptive for the storyline in my opinion. I wasn’t even going to give this book the dignity of my review, until a friend's teenage daughter read it because she saw me reading it.
The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn by Valerie Bowman (4 stars) - Another cozy fall read complete! This was a sweet story of childhood friends reconnecting after years of miscommunication to no communication to suddenly sharing very close quarters. The characters were loveable and the storyline was easy to follow. Some intimate scenes were descriptive, but overall the plot was not consumed by them.
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore (4 stars) - An easy read to snuggle up with! The story was set in a cute small town in New England where Jeanie was given a small town cafe to restart her life. The sly little mystery plot had me invested as did her on-again-off-again friendship with the local grumpy romantic. Steamy scenes didn’t happen until late in the book and were very easy to spot in advance and skip over. I appreciated that while a relationship was at the center of the story, the intimate scenes were not overly prevalent or seemingly carrying the plot. It was overall an enjoyable read.
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore (3.5 stars) - If I thought The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, book one in the Dream Harbor series was sweet with a little spice, book two did not waste any time getting there! The plot wasn’t my favorite, and the storyline was more summer than fall (even though the cover looked very clearly fall). It was an enjoyable read even with skimming several (very) open door scenes. The story of Hazel and Noah follows them through their dreamy New England coastal town, Dream Harbor, with secret clues in marked up books at the bookstore. Hazel takes it as a sign to live the life she thinks she forgot to live on her own. With the help of her adventurous partner, Hazel discovers that maybe she isn’t missing out of life after all.
I have already cracked open and finished a cozy, winter-themed book that just hit the mark. I have several other Hallmark-style books lined up next - bring on all the winter evenings!