Jencey's Corner

I think it is time for a little summer in December.   As I write this review there is a winter weather watch just northeast from here.   Everyone is out getting their groceries to prepare for hazardous conditions in Georgia.    So one item that should be included in with those groceries is Here’s To Us by Elin Hilderbrand.   Facebook     Twitter    Instagram “Laurel Thorpe, Belinda Rowe, and Scarlett Oliver share only two things; a love for the man they all married, Deacon Thorpe--a celebrity chef with an insatiable appetite for life--and a passionate dislike of one another. All three are remarkable, spirited women, but they couldn't be more different. Laurel: Deacon's high school sweetheart and an effortlessly beautiful social worker; Belinda: a high-maintenance Hollywood diva; and Scarlett: a sexy southern belle floating by on her family money and her fabulous looks. But their fragile detente threatens to come crashing down a...

Let’s take a trip to the beach!   Today I want to take a step back to one of Elin’s first novel Summer People .   Pull up a chair for some rich relationships and great beach scenery.   What would a town like Nantucket have to offer a grieving family? Facebook    Twitter    Instagram “Every summer the Newton family retreats to their beloved home on Nantucket for three months of sunshine, cookouts, and bonfires on the beach. But this summer will not be like any other. When Arch Newton, a prominent New York attorney, dies in a plane crash on his way home from a business trip, his beautiful widow, Beth, can barely keep things together. Above all, though, she decides that she must continue the family tradition of going to Nantucket, and at the same time fulfill a promise that Arch made before he died. Beth invites Marcus, the son of Arch's final and most challenging client, to spend the summer with her and her teenage twins, Winnie and Garrett...

Thank you to Sally Kilpatrick and Kensington Press for a copy of Oh My Stars .   I was given this copy in exchange for an honest review. We are back in the town of Ellery Tennessee for one of their traditional festivities their live nativity located in the Dollar General’s parking lot.   It is not your typical nativity.   Mary is a chain smoker.   Joseph is a reluctant doctor.   Oh and did I mention that Joseph also does farm work with one of the wise men.   Facebook         Twitter     Instagram “Like most things in Ellery, Tennessee, this year’s Drive Thru Nativity is a little unconventional. The Dollar General parking lot doubles as a Bethlehem stable, and widowed writer Ivy Long, who’s been roped into playing Mary, sure as heck isn’t a virgin. But then comes an unexpected development: a genuine, real-life baby left in the manger, with only a brief note. And somehow, in the kerfuffle that follows, Ivy find...

Ever try to find the perfect gift for your favorite book enthusiast and not find anything you like? Or Literary Book Gifts is a new company that specializes in just that. With tees and tote bags from popular titles such as Pride and Prejudice as well as from lesser known works such as Howards End there is something for everyone in the collection! perhaps you hoped to find a special bookish treat for yourself? I started the online store as a way to bring people together over their shared love of literature. Novels are meant to be not only read, but shared. Book covers, and book related artwork is an amazing platform to do just that. I'll talk little about a couple of the designs in the collection. This Don Quixote T-Shirt t-shirt for men comes in a cream print on eleven different color choices to choose from. I like this design because it captures the energy of the novel. And of course, the windmills! This Little Women Tote Bag makes a perfect give for any Louisa May A...

Thank you to Tandem Literary and St. Martins Press for a copy of Rush by Lisa Patton.   I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Have you ever wanted to know what it is like to be a member of a sorority?   Or what kind of experiences one might have? I did not experience being involved with sororities, when I was in school.   So what better setting than a SEC school such as Ole Miss.   So settle down and relax for a story steeped in tradition and history. Facebook     Twitter     Instagram Synopsis: “Cali Watkins possesses all the qualities sororities are looking for in a potential new member. She’s kind and intelligent, makes friends easily, even plans to someday run for governor. But her resume lacks a vital ingredient. Pedigree. Without family money Cali's chances of sorority membership are already thin, but she has an even bigger problem. If anyone discovers the dark family secrets she's hiding, ...

How much experience do you have with working in a family business?   Have you ever felt like you play a role in this business or are you happy to pass it onto someone else to take care of?   The story that I am sharing today is about two sisters and the family business they are the heir apparent to; in Sarah Creech’s The Season of the Dragonflies .   Which sister will take over the business? Facebook   Website Synopsis: For generations, the Lenore women have manufactured a perfume unlike any other, and guarded the unique and mysterious ingredients. Their perfumery, hidden in the quiet rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, creates one special elixir that secretly sells for millions of dollars to the world’s most powerful—movie stars, politicians, artists, and CEOs. The Lenore’s signature perfume is actually the key to their success. Willow, the coolly elegant Lenore family matriarch, is the brains behind the company. Her gorgeous, golden-haired ...

Another summer delight from one of my favorite authors Elin Hilderbrand in her novel  The Identicals .   In this story a set of twins is separated by two different settings one is in Nantucket while the other is in Martha’s Vineyard.   I personally have not been to either but would love the chance to go to both.   Are the twins really the same or different? Elin Hilderbrand Facebook  Twitter    Instagram Synopsis: Nantucket is only eleven miles away from Martha's Vineyard. But they may as well be worlds apart for estranged twin sisters Harper and Tabitha Frost. After not speaking for more than a decade, Harper and Tabitha switch islands-and lives-to save what's left of their splintered family. But the twins quickly discover that the secrets, lies, and gossip they thought they'd outrun can travel between islands just as easily as they can. Will Harper and Tabitha be able to bury the hatchet and end their sibling rivalry once and...

My first book in the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge is How to Walk Away by Katherine Center.   She is a new author to me but is very popular in the world of Women’s fiction and circulates well where I work, at the Dunwoody library.   In her latest book, she tackles the issues of rehabilitation and how does one recover?   Who does it impact the most? Where does the support come from in a difficult time such as this? Katherine Center   Website     Instagram Synopsis: Margaret Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she's worked for so hard and so long: a new dream job, a fiancé she adores, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in a brief, tumultuous moment. In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Maggie must confront the unth...

Thank you to Goodreads and Gallery books for a copy of The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel.   I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is the first time that I have had the opportunity to read   a book by Kristin Harmel.   I had heard many good recommendations about her books, in the past.   I love a good historical fiction book that includes mystery and intrigue or more specifically the resistance during World War II in Paris.   Can she make this as exciting as the Nightingale by Kristin Hannah? Kristin Harmel Facebook     Twitter     Instagram Synopsis: When newlywed Ruby Henderson Benoit arrives in Paris in 1939 with her French husband Marcel, she imagines strolling arm in arm along the grand boulevards, awash in the golden afternoon light. But war is looming on the horizon, and as France falls to the Nazis, her marriage begins to splinter, too. Charlotte Dacher is ele...

With permission from Karen White. Today I am posting an excerpt from The House on Tradd Street , which is the first book in the TraddStreet series written by Karen White.  I have this excerpt to celebrate the upcoming paperback release of  The Guests on South Battery.  So read along and catch up with me, and don't forget to get your copy of  The Guests on South Battery which was also reviewed here.   Excerpt. Chapter 1 Pewter reflections of scarlet hibiscus colored the dirt-smudged windows of the old house, like happy memories of youth trapped inside the shell of an old man. The broken pediments over the windows gave the house a permanent frown, yet the leaf-filtered sun against the chipped Tower-of-the-Winds columns lining the side piazzas painted the house with hope. It was almost, I thought, as if the house were merely waiting for a miracle. I studied the house, my Realtor’s mind trying to see past the wreckage. It was a characteristic Charlesto...

When I think of Summer I think of all the places I would like to go.   My dream trips would be to visit Europe more specifically London England, Paris France, and Venice Italy.    I of course would want to take friends with me and visit these sites.   In All SummerLong by Dorothea Benton Frank Nick and Olivia are granted this opportunity through one of Olivia’s clients.   Is this opportunity everything they would hope? Dorothea Benton Frank: Facebook  Twitter    Pinterest Synopsis:   All Summer Long follows one charming New York couple – prominent interior designer Olivia Ritchie and her husband Nicholas Seymour, an English professor and true southern gentleman.   They are seemingly polar opposites, yet magnetically drawn together and in love for more than fourteen years. As they prepare to relocate to Charleston, S.C., Olivia, the ultimate New Yorker, has reservations about the promise she made to retire in ...

I met Lisa Wingate a couple of years ago when she stopped by FoxTale Book Shoppe on tour for The StoryKeeper.   I loved Before We Were Yours and could not wait to dive into this one.    Will this be one to check out at the beach? Synopsis:   Successful New York editor, Jen Gibbs, is at the top of her game with her new position at Vida House Publishing -- until a mysterious manuscript from an old slush pile appears on her desk. Turning the pages, Jen finds herself drawn into the life of Sarra, a mixed-race Melungeon girl trapped by dangerous men in the turn of the century Appalachia. A risky hunch may lead to The Story Keeper 's hidden origins and its unknown author, but when the trail turns toward the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a place Jen thought she'd left behind forever, the price of a blockbuster next book deal may be higher than she's willing to pay. (amazon) My Thoughts:   I enjoyed the story of The Storykeeper.   ...

Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions and Lisa Becker for a copy of Clutch the audiobook.   I was given this copy in exchange for an honest review. Lisa Becker brings us a coming of age tale in her 2015 release of Clutch .   Today we celebrate the release on Audible of the audiobook of Clutch .    The main character is Caroline Johnson who is on a journey of sorts which is totally inspired by her Aunt Mimi. Have you ever had a family member that inspires you?   What would you do with the opportunities that come your way? Synopsis: Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer who compares her unsuccessful romantic relationships to styles of  handbags – the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. With her best friend, bar owner Mike by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks a lot of Chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors and finds the courag...

Thank you to Gallery Books and Mary Alice Monroe for sending me a copy of Beach House Reunion .   I was given this copy in exchange for an honest review. The perfect way to begin the summer is to make another trip to the beach house.   It is three years after the events of the previous book Beach House for Rent which has been reviewed here .   Also I hope that everyone has seen the Beach House movie that so perfectly introduced readers to Lovie’s family and many of the characters we will see in this book. Synopsis: Cara Rutledge returns to her Southern home on the idyllic Isle of Palms. Everything is comfortingly the same, yet each detail is rife with painful memories. Only through reconnecting with family, friends, and the rhythms of the lowcountry can Cara release the hold of the past and open herself to the possibility of a new love, career, and hope for the future. Meanwhile, her niece Linnea, a recent college graduate who doesn’t know where her lif...