Better in the Morning

Veronica Buccino has a plan: marry John DelMonico and quit her soul-sucking job as a lawyer. And when he tells her he has big news, she’s certain he’ll pop the question. But instead of proposing, John informs her that he’s moving to London.

Heartbroken, Veronica feels lost. Salvatore and Antoinette, her dead grandparents, begin to visit her dreams in an attempt to steer her in the right direction. At their suggestion, Veronica takes a news reporting class, which leads to a challenging freelance assignment covering a conspiracy trial. She also begins dating an unlikely suitor: creative Syd Blackman.

Just when her love life and career are looking up, Veronica is tossed back to square one by an event that makes her question all her new choices.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Another girl who listens to her dreams! Better in the Morning by Fern Ronay was a beautiful story about a woman who's stuck in a job she hates with a boyfriend who doesn't really get her. But things are about to change. Really change. With the help of her deceased grandparents, who speak to her in her dreams, Veronica's life is about to undergo a serious make-over for the better. The process may not be easy but it is definitely entertaining. 

Veronica is ready for real love that lasts a lifetime and she thinks that John will give that to her. But suddenly, he's moving across the globe and she's left with nothing but a job where she is treated like crap. Given, she doesn't love the job so she doesn't really put in the work it would take to succeed. Regardless, her boss and co-worker are a combination of cruel and cold. Veronica is a woman who believes. She has an abundant amount of faith that guides her through life. She may be a little judgmental but she's loving and hopeful. Readers will relate to her career struggles, her fear, and her hopes. She has bills to pay and it's hard to take a leap changing job fields, but she hopes for the best. With humor and dream sequences, Veronica will make it through this. 

My favorite parts of the book were the dream chapters. In these, Veronica gets to hang out with her deceased grandparents who are full of love and laughter. I think these sequences are where readers will really connect with Veronica. They get to read her thoughts by living her dreams with her. The dreams are intimate and important situations that lead Veronica to happiness while helping her leap over the obstacles. 

The plot of Better in the Morning begins with Veronica and her boyfriend breaking up because he's moving to London. She thought he was going to propose and is absolutely heartbroken. Not all readers have been in that exact situation but the experience of a relationship ending is easy to relate to. However, this loss turns into a little push for Veronica. She starts a news-reporting class and even goes on a few dates. Things are looking up until they all fall apart again. Veronica has to fight for her happy ending and readers will enjoy watching her climb out of the chaos. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

A New Hope (Thunder Point #8)

After losing her child, Ginger Dysart was lost in grief. But since moving to Thunder Point, a small town on the Oregon coast, and with the help of her cousin Ray Anne, Ginger is finally moving forward. Her job at the flower shop is peaceful and fulfilling, and she's excited to start her first big assignment, assisting with the Lacoumette wedding.

In spite of her lasting heartache, Ginger finds herself swept up in the pleasure of the occasion. But the beauty of the Lacoumette farm and the joy of the gregarious family are ruined by an unfortunate encounter with the bride's brother, Matt. Struggling with painful memories of his own recent divorce, Matt makes a drunken spectacle of himself and Ginger when he tries to make a pass at her, forcing Ginger to flee the scene in embarrassment.

But when Matt shows up at the flower shop determined to make amends, what started out as a humiliating first meeting blossoms into something much deeper than either of them expected. Discovering they have a lot in common, they form a solid friendship, though everyone around them worries that Ginger will end up with a broken heart yet again. But if Ginger has the courage to embrace the future, and if Matt can finally learn to let go of the past, there may still be hope for a happy ending.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Every once in a while, readers need a book that is just a feel good story. A story that will lighten the mood, bring a smile, maybe even spark a little inspiration. Robyn Carr delivers exactly that in her the eighth installment of the Thunder Point series, A New Hope.

 

Two main characters, two similar stories of heartache, two dreams of moving on to the future. Ginger is the nicest woman you've ever met or will ever meet. She loves helping people whatever it may entail. She made the mistake of marrying the wrong man when she was a bit younger and heartbreakingly lost a baby to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Though she's lived through the darkest of depressions, Ginger is starting to rediscover herself and her hope for the future. Readers will enjoy her honesty, her goodness, and her open-hearted nature. She's a character that is easy to connect to and easy to understand.

 

Matt is a little more difficult to understand but he's still rather relatable. He also married the wrong woman when he was younger. And it was awful. An aspiring model doesn't exactly fit in on the farm and his wife never did, but the main reason he divorced her is a secret. A secret that's eating at him. A secret that he has never told anyone. Matt is a little worse off than Ginger, as she has had a bit more time to let go of her misfortunes. But they both still struggle. They dream of a life full of love and family. A life that seems, at times, unobtainable. Readers will come to care for the brooding farmer as he attempts to sweep Ginger off her feet, but if he can't let go of his anger then there will be no happy future.

 

The story line is a nice and easy tale of falling in love and choosing that love over hate. Matt and Ginger meet at his sister's wedding and when Matt realizes that he made a complete fool out of himself to a beautiful woman, he must track her down and apologize, over dinner. Thus begins a friendship that inspires new hope for the future, together. Readers will certainly be entertained by the couple's banter, decisions to overcome their obstacles, and let go of their darkness. Oh, and a little romance. Wonderful, quick, easy read.

 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups