Friday 5ive- March 25, 2022

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly-ish blog post about five things that caught my attention this week. You know it's spring when the weather whipsaws from 72 one day to 42 the next.

1) I attended my first in-person book event since February of 2020 at the book launch for John Searles' fantastic novel, Her Last Affair. (My review is here.) Held at Symphony Space in NYC, the evening began with actress Amy Ryan reading from the first chapter of the book. Can I just say that I would like to request that Amy Ryan read to me every night before I go to sleep? She and John then had a fantastic discussion that included stories about the summer he traveled with his Dad (who was a cross-country trucker), the year he and his husband lived out of hotel rooms and in friends' guest bedrooms after their apartment was destroyed in a fire caused by the couple next door who constantly fought, and the importance of making sure your Skype app is turned off before your book club starts talking about the author after the session ends, among other topics. Oh yeah, and the book was discussed too, which I highly recommend. It's the story of three people who try to connect with old loves, secrets, and how Searles connects these three people is a twist that left me gasping. The setting is an abandoned drive-in movie theater which adds to the creepiness factor. We even got popcorn to take home!

John Searles and Amy Ryan

2) I finally finished my virtual Route 66 ride through Conqueror Virtual Challenge. It took me 244 days to  ride the 2280.3 miles. This one was my longest journey yet and it felt great to complete it. Doing these virtual challenges keeps me on track on my Peloton rides. My next ride is a short 500 miles along the North Coast of Scotland.

3) We had a birthday party at the Book Cellar, the used book store located in the Webster branch of the New York Public Library where I volunteer, this week. We had a lovely luncheon, with flowers, balloons and a birthday cake made by one of the volunteers. It was a delicious vanilla cake made with mandarin oranges. The festive sprinkles on top actually matched the cake plates. It feels good to celebrate birthdays once again as a group.  Here is a classic recipe for the cake.

4) I've been watching a lot of old sitcoms as you know, and I just stumbled upon one I haven't ever seen before- Reba, starring country superstar Reba McEntire. She stars in this 2001-2007 sitcom where she plays a divorced mom who lives with her three children. Her oldest daughter (played by Joanna Garcia Swisher) is 17 and finds herself pregnant by her high school boyfriend (played by Steve Howey from Shameless). They marry, have the baby, and live with Reba and her 13 year-old daughter and 8 year-old son. Reba's ex-husband (Christopher Rich) married his ditzy dental assistant (Melissa Peterman) and they all try to live and let live. Reba McEntire is a fantastic comedic actress, I had no idea! I'm really enjoying watching the early morning reruns of the show on the Hallmark Channel. 

5) I read three books, including Susan Mallery's The Summer Getaway (my full review here) about a forty-ish divorced mom who leaves her Florida home, her ex-husband, ex-boyfriend, adult children and all their issues behind to help her great-aunt in California. She meets a handsome ex-Marine and begins a hot affair only to have her entire family bring their problems to her in California. 

 

Annie Ward's The Lying Club (my review is here) is for fans of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. The book begins with a dead body lying on a high school gym floor, and a woman who blacked out and can't remember what happened. Throw in a wealthy community with a mom who will stop at nothing to make sure her lacrosse star daughter gets into a good college, teens running amok, a high school coach who wields too much power in the community, and you've got a suspenseful story.

 

I also read an amazing novel by Melissa Fu titled Peach Blossom Spring. The story begins in 1938 China, with Meilin and her young son Renshu on the run from Japanese bombers who are destroying their town. Meilin and Renshu do what they can to survive, and finally settle in Taiwan as refugees. (Reading this resonates so much with what is happening in the Ukraine now.)  As Renshu grows up, he is an excellent student and gets the opportunity to study in America. Here his life diverges from his mother's and we see the difficult life of an immigrant in the United States contrasted with Meilin's life working as a maid and seamstress in Taiwan. It's a heartrending story about mothers and sons, written with such empathy for the characters.  Peach Blossom Spring will be one of my top books of the year.  

Have a safe week everyone.

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

Published by Harlequin ISBN 978133547990

Hardcover, $27.99, 416 pages

I enjoy getting lost in a good story, and Susan Mallery's books never steer me wrong. (I always look forward to a new addition to her Happily, Inc. series.) Her latest novel is a terrific stand-alone, The Summer Getaway.

Robyn is a forty-something woman, divorced from her husband and mother to daughter Harlow, who is engaged and in full-on wedding planning. Harlow works for her dad in his charter boat service as a captain and has designs on getting her dad to buy a kayak rental business for her to run.

Son Austin is out of high school and working for his dad too. Robyn would prefer Austin went to college first before settling on working for his father, but Austin chose not to do that. Harlow has her heart set on getting married at the house she grew up in, where Robyn lives now. But in her divorce agreement, Robyn has to either sell her house and split the proceeds with her ex, or buy him out. She only has a part-time job, so buying him out is not feasible.

Harlow is furious with her mother for ruining her wedding plans, and Robyn's ex's choice of current girlfriend is too much for Robyn to deal with. When Robyn's current boyfriend says something disrepectful to her, she travels to Santa Barbara to visit with her great-aunt Lillian, who at the age of 94 is preparing for the future.

Lillian asks Robyn to come and catalogue all of her massive home's furnishings and art works for donation to museums and for sale. She will leave the entire contents of the house to Robyn when she passes away. The actual house will go to her husband's distant cousin, Mason, who has been invited to come and live with Lillian.

Mason never knew his cousin Leo and is surprised to find out he will inherit this oceanside mansion. He is a twenty-year veteran of the army and a military historian, and immediately he is attracted to Robyn. The attraction is mutual and Robyn surprises herself with her actions.

Austin decides to travel to Santa Barbara to visit his mom, and Harlow tags along, now angry at her father. Robyn's friend shows up having blown up her own marriage, and then Robyn's ex-husband show up. Pretty soon an entire clown car of people (including her ex-boyfriend) have made the trip from Florida to Santa Barbara seeking Robyn's guidance, and her summer getaway has gone off the rails.

It seems that every character is at a crossroads in his or her own life, and expect Robyn to help them fix it. Robyn is like so many women who are always there to take care of family and friends. I bet some women will be able to relate. (Although most of us won't inherit the contents of our great-aunt's mansion.)

It's refreshing to see a mature couple like Mason and Robyn have a hot physical relationship, instead of the usual 20 or 30-something characters in novels. Can they overcome all the obstacles thrown in their way by Robyn's family and friends?

The Summer Getaway has something for everyone, and the characters and some of the issues they face are relatable (we are all concerned about our children, no matter how old they are). I loved the beautiful setting of an oceanside mansion that I could see in my mind's eye (and want to visit.) Escape your life for a few hours with Susan Mallery's delightful The Summer Getway. 

Thansk to Harlequin for putting me on Susan Mallery's tour.

An excerpt from Susan Mallery's upcoming novel The Summer Getaway

Nothing says spring like a good book from perennial favorite Susan Mallery. (Her Happily, Inc. series is one of my must-reads.) Her upcoming novel, The Summer Getaway, takes us on a trip to Santa Barbara, California, as Robyn Caldwell seeks an escape from her family who are driving her crazy with all their issues. What Robyn finds is that no matter how far you travel, your family is always with you.

Enjoy this excerpt from The Summer Getaway. My full review will publish on March 16th.

ONE

“I’m going to sleep with Dimitri.”

Robyn Caldwell picked up her glass of white wine and briefly thought about swallowing the entire contents in one gulp. Mindy’s statement was certainly gulp-worthy. But she knew pacing herself through lunch was the responsible thing to do. A lesson her friend had yet to learn.

“You are not,” Robyn murmured, because shrieking wasn’t attractive. Especially at “the club,” where their friends and frenemies were also enjoying Thursday’s lobster salad. The dining room was filled with forty or so women, all dressed in Florida chic—diamonds sparkling, gold or platinum charm bracelets clinking, necklaces resting on tanned and toned skin.

“I might,” Mindy Krause said, picking up her champagne. “He’s gorgeous.”

“Of course. He’s a thirty-year-old tennis pro. What else would he be?”

Mindy, a petite brunette who was six months from turning forty, sighed. “I need a Dimitri in my life.”

“You have a great husband. Payne loves you and the kids, and never has eyes for another woman. Why would you screw that up?”

“Payne would never know.”

“There aren’t any secrets in this town. Not in our social circle.”

Something Robyn had learned the hard way herself. She’d been blissfully unaware of her ex-husband’s affairs until a “friend” had oh-so-sweetly informed her.

“Maybe just some kissing,” Mindy mused. “I want a little Dimitri action. The fantasies make me happy, so imagine what the real thing would do.”

“The fantasies are safe. The real thing could destroy everything you have. Knowing you’ve cheated would devastate Payne.”

Mindy’s mouth formed a pout. “I never see him anymore. All he does is work.”

Robyn stared at her friend-slash-boss. “You two talked about how that promotion would be more work for him but that it would be worth it. You wanted this for him.”

“I didn’t know how much he’d be gone.”

The unreasonable statement grated nearly as much as Mindy’s whine. “This isn’t a good look for you,” Robyn murmured. “You’re changing the rules without telling your husband. That never ends well.”

Mindy dismissed the warning with a quick shake of her head. “I’m not worried. Besides, if he does find out, I can just move in with you.” She laughed. “You’ll soon have that big house all to yourself.”

“You have four kids,” Robyn pointed out. “If things go south in your marriage, I’d rather have Payne move in.”

“Well, that would get people talking.” Mindy held up her empty glass to the server. “More, please.”

The server obliged.

Mindy took another sip. “My sister called, swears she found a Thomas Pister chest in a tiny shop in Wales. It’s dirt cheap, so I’m afraid it’s a fake. She’s looking for someone to prove authenticity. Wouldn’t that be a find?”

“It would. I’d love to see it.”

Thomas Pister had built beautiful chests and cabinets in the late 1600s and early 1700s. His intricate designs with stunning inlays sold quickly and for huge amounts. Depending on the condition and the materials, a good-sized chest of drawers could go for sixty or eighty thousand dollars.

Excerpted from The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery, Copyright © 2022 by Susan Mallery, Inc.. Published by HQN Books.