November Book Review

I love to read.  It is one of my favorite things to do and I read EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT before bed.  Sometimes its 10 minutes and sometimes its hours.  Last year I started keeping track of the books I read and ranking them. This started when I asked a friend for a book recommendation, and she sent me her list.  I loved the idea, so I started as well. I keep track in the notes section on my phone.  This list is also helpful to remember authors that I like.  I try and check my library frequently to see if they have new books out. I would also recommend following your favorite authors on Facebook.  They always post upcoming new releases.  Some authors will also post what they are reading or make recommendation.  It's a great way to find new authors!

Here is my November book review:

Cafe at Sugar Sands Inn (Book 3)  By: Leigh Duncan  

My Rating: 4/5

This is a great, easy to read series.  However, I would recommend reading the books in order.  I love the characters in this series and how the stories build on each other.  Each book tends to highlight one character but all characters play a huge part in every book.

Back of book:  

At forty-five, Chef Nina has all but given up on her dream of having a kitchen of her very own. Once hailed as the fresh, new face on the restaurant scene, she saw her hopes for the future fall like an overbaked soufflé after the man she loved betrayed her and destroyed her reputation. For ten years, Nina has worked hard at regaining the trust of the top chefs in the DC area. But opening a restaurant of her own? That dream went up in a puff of smoke a long time ago.

Or she thought it had…until, thanks to the best friends a girl could ever want, Nina gets one more chance to make her dreams come true. While Michelle, Reggie and Erin concentrate on converting a run-down beach house into an inn, Nina tests out new dishes and recipes for the soon-to-be-opened Cafe at Sugar Sand Inn. But when rumors of Nina’s past threaten the Cafe, will diners and guests patronize the beautiful restaurant she’s always wanted? Or will history repeat itself?

November 9 By: Colleen Hoover 

My rating: 4.8/5

I absolutely loved it!  I couldn't put it down, and I have recommended this book to anyone that will listen to me since I finished.  A friend recommended it and I am so glad she did.  I have tried to read other Colleen Hoover books before, but I couldn't get into them. Maybe it was my mindset at the time, but I would stop after a few chapters.  Even though my friend recommended this book, I wasn't overly excited about starting it since I haven't had luck with this author before. In all fairness, when someone recommends a book, I typically don't read the back of the book.  I just take the recommendation and dive in.  I am so glad I dove in on this one.  I read it in 48 hours and I couldn't put it down. Just a great story and concept.  So far this is my favorite book this year!

Back of book:

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in Los Angeles together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?

The Reunion at Sugar Sands Inn (Book 4) By: Leigh Duncan 

My rating: 4/5

Back of book:

Forty-five year old Erin has grown restless with her life. Which is odd because she’s spent the past twenty years roaming the globe. Between summers in Alaska and winters in the Florida keys, she’s climbed the steps of Machu Picchu, hiked long sections of the Great Wall of China, and kayaked down the Amazon. Lately, though, Erin has felt the urge to put down roots, strengthen her neglected relationship with her sister, Reggie, and reconnect with her two best friends, Michelle and Nina.

When Michelle inherits a run-down beach house in sleepy Sugar Sand Beach and invites her friends to help convert it into an inn, Erin jumps at the chance to settle down with the best friends a girl could ever hope to have.

But now that Reggie’s garden is flourishing, customers crowd the tables in the Cafe, and the first of the Inn’s guests are due any day, a figure from Erin’s past makes a surprising appearance. When he threatens the bonds of friendship that have deepened over the summer, Erin must choose. Will she return to her nomadic way of life? Or will she put down forever roots in Sugar Sand Beach?

Christmas at Sugar Sands Inn (Book 5)  By: Leigh Duncan

My rating: 4/5

I loved the characters in this entire series, but this book didn't have much of a story as the others.  I am glad I read it to see how the story ended but it seemed like the author was tired of writing the series.  This series was the first I read of this author. I will definitely read more.

Back of book:

Welcome to Christmas at the Sugar Sand Inn! Michelle and her friends have replaced the welcome sign on the front gate with one that reads “Closed for the Holidays.” The four women deserve a little break after spending the summer working non-stop to convert the house Michelle inherited from her birth mother into an inn. The past three months they’ve definitely been thrilled—and maybe a little overwhelmed—by the influx of guests who have alternately charmed and confounded them. Now with a wedding in the works, it’s no wonder the four friends need some time to kick back, help themselves to a glass of the inn’s signature cocktail and enjoy the warm winter breezes that blow off the Gulf.

Of course, no holiday would be complete without a few problems. A tight housing market makes it difficult for Erin and her fiancé to find a house to rent. Meanwhile Michelle, Reggie and Nina prepare a very special surprise for the newlyweds. Unexpected arrivals complicate matters, and soon every room of the “closed” inn is filled to overflowing. Despite the problems, laughter rings throughout the halls, and good smells drift from the kitchen where Chef Nina and her team whip up holiday treats and one very special wedding cake.

Check back the first Wednesday of January where I will post all the books I read in 2023, and list my top 3!

What have you been reading this month? I would love suggestions!