Reading Ahead: June 2015, part 4

It has been quite a list, but here we are wrapping up the highlights of June's fiction list. Keep in mind, though, that I've been saving some for my Meg's Picks posts, so tune in next week to see what else I've got to share with you. In the meantime, these beach reads should tide you over.

A New Hope, by Robin Carr. Need a paperback to throw in your bag this summer? Consider Carr's new novel, A New Hope, a story full of inspiration and moving forward. After losing her child, Ginger Dysart was lost in grief. But since moving to Thunder Point, a small town on the Oregon coast, Ginger is finally moving forward. Her job at the flower shop is peaceful and fulfilling, and she's excited to be assisting with the Lacoumette wedding. Her pleasure is spoiled by a moment of embarrassment and poor timing, only to have that inauspicious beginning bloom into what might just be her happy ending.

Summer Secrets, by Jane Green. When a shocking family secret is revealed, twenty-something journalist Cat Coombs finds herself falling into a dark spiral. Wild nights out in London and hangovers the next day become her norm, leading to a terrible mistake one night while visiting family in America, on the island of Nantucket. When she returns home, she confronts the unavoidable reality of her life and knows it's time to grow up. As the years pass, Cat grows into her forties, a struggling single mother, coping with a new-found sobriety and determined to finally make amends. Traveling back to her past, to the family she left behind on Nantucket all those years ago, she may be able to earn their forgiveness, but in doing so she may risk losing the very people she loves the most. Green's latest will be on the bestseller's list this summer, make no mistake.

Kiss Me, by Susan Mallery. Need another paperback romance to peruse poolside? Why not! Part of Mallery's long-running Fool's Gold series, this latest novel After Phoebe Kitzke's kind heart gets her suspended from her job in LA, she swears off doing favors—until her best friend begs for help on the family ranch in Fool's Gold. Unfortunately, sexy cowboy Zane Nicholson isn't exactly thrilled by the city girl's arrival. Thanks to his brother's latest scheme, Zane has been roped into taking tourists on a cattle drive. What Phoebe knows about ranching wouldn't fill his hat, but her laughter is so captivating that even his animals fall for her. One slip of his legendary control leads to a passionate kiss that convinces him she's exactly the kind of woman a single-minded loner needs to avoid. Mallery is popular and prolific, sure to please with some easy reading.

Ever After, by Jude Deveraux.The final installment in Deveraux's Nantucket Brides trilogy (following True Love and For All Time) introduces Hallie Hartley, a young physical therapist who has given up nearly everything—even her love life—for her beautiful blonde stepsister, Shelly. Though Shelly’s acting career has never taken off, she has certainly perfected the crocodile tears to get what she wants—which all too often means Hallie’s boyfriends. When Hallie arrives home early from work one fateful day, she makes two startling discoveries that will turn her life upside down: Not only has a mysterious relative left Hallie a house on Nantucket, but Shelly has been trying to steal it. Desperate to put her troubles behind her, Hallie impulsively flies to Nantucket. New trouble, however, has already settled into Hallie’s guest room in the form of her newest client. Hallie is told that wealthy, young James Taggert has injured his leg in a skiing accident. Assuming that the devastatingly handsome man has led a charmed life, Hallie is surprised by Jamie at every turn throughout his recovery. His attentions draw her out of her shell—but he has a dark secret, and is tormented by nightmares that only her presence can keep at bay. Deveraux has been a bestselling romance novelist for several decades, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

Country, by Danielle Steel. Stephanie Adams has stayed in a loveless marriage for years for the sake of her children, until her husband dies suddenly while on a ski trip, and all bets are off. Despite her children’s grief, and her own conflicting emotions and loneliness, Stephanie tries to move on, but struggles to find herself as an independent individual after years of giving up her life for everyone else. A spur-of-the-moment road trip and fork in the road lead her to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and a chance meeting—and her whole life changes forever.

Blueprints, by Barbara Delinsky.  Talented carpenter Caroline MacAfee has always enjoyed hosting the family's home construction TV show Gut It!, so she's crushed when the network wants to replace her with daughter Jamie. Then Jamie's father and his new wife die in a car crash, creating new challenges for both mother and daughter as they struggle with upheavals personally and professionally.