Jencey's Writer's Corner

Please welcome Milly Johnson to Writer's Corner. Today I am featuring her latest novel The MAGNIFICENT MRS. MAYHEW.  It should also be considered for your next summer read.  I have an excerpt below of this novel.    Here are what others have said about her work.  "Milly Johnson, the Queen of Feel-Good Fiction and  The   Sunday Times  bestselling author, is back with a "glorious, heartfelt novel" (Rowan Coleman,  New York Times  bestselling author) about a woman trying to find her own place in the world, who through love, loss, and the kindness of strangers, discovers everything she needs in a village by the sea. " Purchase a copy of The MAGNIFICENT MRS. MAYHEW here.    Chapter 1 DOORSTEPGATE, 11 A.M. As Sophie stood in the middle of them all, the moment strangely crystalized for her, as if time had frozen solid and she was able to study everything at leisure, appreciate how odd it was to be surrounded by ...

It is that time of year again when Mary Alice Monroe sends out a new story into the world.  This year her story is The Summer Guest .  You will see some familiar characters and some new ones.  The story focuses this year on animals escaping a hurricane, or more specifically horses.   Pull up a chair and sit back with a glass of tea and escape to  North Carolina.  Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast—the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. A perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a threat: it’s also peak hurricane season. When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North Carolina: the Phillips’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug an...

Wait for Morning is the first book in the Forever Faithful series by Karen Kingsbury.   I would classify Karen’s writing as being the Christian version of Jodi Picoult.   She can convey through her writing stories ripped from the headlines well.   This book tackles the topic of drunk driving and how it impacts those around us.   Synopsis: Hannah is waiting for her husband Tom to come back from camping trip with their two daughters Jenny and Alicia. As their arrival becomes, later and later she begins to wonder if something has happened.   On the other side of town Brian has just lost his job although he has been sober, and trying to recover from Alcoholism.   He can’t fight the craving to stop at a bar for a few drinks to drown his sorrows.   He promised his family he would not drink anymore.   Brian leaves the bar and gets behind the wheel his life and three others change forever when he crashes into a family vehicle.   Once Hanna...

Thank you to Book Trib for a copy of Love Story by Karen Kingsbury.  She  is a new author to me, but also familiar to many who read her religiously.   My grandma is a huge fan of her writing and gets every novel of hers from the library.   Love Story shares the story of two couples John and Elizabeth Baxter and Andi Ellison and Cody Coleman.   It is a story of new beginnings for one and an origins story for the other. Synopsis:   John Baxter is the patriarch of the Baxter family and is married to Elaine.   They married after the death of Elizabeth Baxter.   His grandson Cole wants to know about the story of him and his first wife Elizabeth’s story of how they met, and became the family that they are today.     What is his story and will he feel comfortable sharing this story? Cole attends each session with his mother Ashley and has a desire to know his parent’s story as well.   Ashley is reluctant to share because her pa...

Who Do YouLove is the most recent novel by @JenniferWeiner . She has more recently published her memoir and a children’s book.  Have you ever had friends that just stick with you through thick and thin?  Rachel and Andy’s story is just that.  A great read for over the holidays! Synopsis: Rachel was born with a congenital heart problem which keeps her in and out of the hospital.  One night in the hospital she makes her way to the emergency room and meets Andy.  He is there for a broken arm that occurred while on vacation.   They enjoy one another’s  company.   They both grow up in different places but are reunited on a mission’s trip to Atlanta.  Once there a passion grows but will it be enough to unit their differences?  Rachel becomes a social worker and Andy becomes a famous track star.  Will fate end up bringing them together again? My Thoughts: I liked the story.  It was not a favorite like ...

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for a copy of Under a Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn.  I was given this copy in exchange for an honest review.  Who likes vacations?  I know I do.  I would also say cancer sufferers love vacations even morel.  What would be your favorite destination?  I know that I have been wanting to travel out west again. This time I plan to visit Maui.  So I invite you to come with us to Maui! Synopsis: Carissa is an office manager for a busy medical practice in Portland Oregon.  One morning she walks into work to find that a meeting has occurred.  What did the doctors meet about?  It does not take long for her to find out.  Dr. Walters comes to see her and lets her know that she is let go from her job.  He hands her a key and says that he will fill her in on what the key is for tomorrow after she finishes packing up her office.  Once home she is also having conflict with her husband Richard...

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Gallery books sending me a copy  of Summer Wind for review.  This book is given in exchange for an honest review.  Now to the second book of the Summer Girls series.  When we last left the Summer Girls:  Delphine was headed to the hospital with Carson.  Dora and Harper stayed behind at the house with Mamaw.  Synopsis:  Dora is prepared to move forward with her divorce. She has so much to do until her body tells her otherwise.  Dora winds up in the hospital diagnosed with Broken Heart syndrome.  Her husband Cal soon to be ex-husband wants to bring her back to his condo but without out their son. Dora is determined to do what is right for her autistic son.   She continues to work on getting her life back together.  She decides to let Mamaw and her cousins’ help.  Will she be able to let go of control and relax and take care of herself?  What will happen when a special fr...

Lynn Cullen has come out with her latest novel Twain’s End .    She focuses on the relationship between Mark Twain and Isabel Lyons.   I grew up with the stories of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn which are still read today.   I even toured the city of Hannibal Missouri.    I learned somethings that I didn’t know about Mark Twain in this novel. Synopsis:   Isabel Lyon came from a prosperous family but has suddenly lost all of her wealth.   She enters the world of the domestic help as a governess.   During her job as a governess she meets Samuel Clemens at the Friday night card matches.   Isabel quickly becomes a regular until Mrs. Whitmore the wife of the current position sends her to another family.   Years later she interviews for a job with Samuel Clemens wife as her secretary.   Little did she know that she would be doing more work for Mr. Clemens than his wife?   What will happen in the relationship between Isab...

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and TJ Brownn for a copy of Summerset Abbey .   I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.   Summerset Abbey is the first in the series based on the experiences of Rowena, Victoria, and Prudence Buxton.   If you like Downton Abbey then you might find this novel interesting! Synopsis: Rowena, Victoria, and Prudence must mourn the loss of their father Sir Phillip.   His death has created some changes for the women.   Rowena is involved in the suffragettes along with her sister and Prudence.   Once the wake is over in London their Uncle says they must come to Summerset Abbey to live because he would be in control of their finances.   Prudence is not included in this arrangement.   Although she grew up with both Rowena and Victoria she was the daughter of the governess.   So why did Sir Phillip treat her just like his daughters?   Why is his brother and his wife trying to ...