Friday 5ive- July 2, 2021

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post featuring five things that caught my attention this week. I took last week off because we were in Florida with friends, having a wonderful time. The weather was perfect, sunshine and warmth. We return to NYC and it was 95+ degrees for four days! Here now, the Florida edition of the Friday 5ive:

1) Numerous people have told us that the Beach Bistro restaurant on Anna Maria Island is a fabulous restaurant. We decided to celebrate our anniversary there, and it was everything we were told it would be. They gave us a lovely table right by the window, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It's more than a dinner, it is an experience. They started us with a shooter vodka cocktail and a small scoop of vanilla praline ice cream. There are four courses after that, the most interesting was Roberto's Farm Salad, pictured below. It came with mixed greens, roasted vegetables (the butternut squash was so tender and delicious), grilled fruit (strawberries, blueberries), a small ball of mozzarella drizzled with balsamic glaze, and topped with a scoop of lemon sorbet. You may think this combination sounds strange, but it worked so well together. We will be returning soon.

2) We replanted a firecracker bush two years at our Florida house and this is the first time we have been there to see it in full bloom. It's so pretty!

3)  We took the boat out for a sunset dinner cruise with pizza from Venezia restaurant and a bottle of Caymus Cabernet. It was gorgeous evening, and there were dolphins following alongside the boat. They must have heard how good the pizza was. 

4)  While the guys golfed, the ladies headed to the Longboat Key Resort beach club. The water was so warm, and the rum punch was so refreshing. My friend took this great photo of the beach club.

5) I didn't do a lot of reading, just two books. The first was Emilie Richards' novel, The House Guests (my full review is here), about Cassie, a woman who invites a stranger, Amber, and Amber's teenage son to move in to her home with her and her teenage stepdaughter. The two woman slowly form a friendship and we learn that Amber is on the run from someone and Cassie's deceased husband spent all of their money and was involved in something she knew nothing about. It's such a great book, wonderful characters with an intriguing storyline. 

I continued with Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series of spy novels set in England during the Napoleonic War with The Temptation of the Night Jasmine. Once again we have swashbuckling action, spies, and a romance between Robert, a Duke just returned from India wanting to avenge the murder of his superior officer by a comrade, and Charlotte, a bookworm who loves romance novels. One of the most interesting plot points involves King George III, who, if you only know him from Hamilton, is a somewhat different person here. I am so enjoying these delightful novels and the monthly Facebook Live discussions with Lauren Willig and special guests.

I hope you all have a very enjoyable 4th of July holiday!

The House Guests by Emilie Richards

The House Guests by Emilie Richards

Published by MIRA ISBN 9780778331865

Trade paperback, $16.99, 544 pages

Although Emilie Richards has written over 70 books,  The House Guests is the first one I have read. After finishing this wonderful novel, I will be reading more of them.

Savannah is a 15 year-old girl who is angry that her stepmother Cassie moved her from New York City to Tarpon Springs, Florida following the drowning death of her father. She blames Cassie for his death because she overheard them arguing before he left and went sailing in a storm and died.

Amber is a single mom raising her 16 year-old son Will in Cassie's hometown of Tarpon Springs. They have moved frequently because Amber is on the run from someone. She works as a waitress at a restaurant, and money is tight. 

When Amber loses a small money pouch filled with her rent money, she and Will are evicted from their apartment. Savannah finds the money pouch, and in a bid to make new friends, throws a party at her stepmom's new home. The partygoers trash the home, and Cassie is at her wits' end what to do with Savannah.

Cassie discovers that Amber and Will have been evicted, and offers for them to move into her home. Amber is wary at first, but Will is a good student and athlete, and she wants to give him some stability after years of constantly being on the move.

Cassie and Amber become friendly, although Savannah is less than kind to Will. Cassie confides in Amber that her husband lied to her about many things, and spent most of their money with no explanation. The two women find strength and companionship in each other.

I really enjoyed the Greek restaurant that Cassie's family owned. As someone with previous restaurant experience, that setting, and her boisterous Greek family, were so interesting to me. Richards details there were so well drawn that I could see the restaurant in my mind's eye.

The House Guests drew me in from page one with characters I grew to care deeply about. Every good story has secrets (why is Amber on the run, and what was Cassie's husband hiding), and this had more than enough to keep me turning the pages to find the answers.

I highly recommend this moving story of female friendship and the family you create. I read it in one day because I did not want to put it down. I also did not want it to end. Maybe we'll meet Amber, Will, Cassie and Savannah in Tarpon Springs again. (Pretty please, Emilie Richards?)

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Summer 2021 Mystery/Thriller Blogger Tour.