To Charm a Lady - Review

To Charm a Lady (The Cartwells, # 2)

By: Joanna Barker

Publication: June 6, 2024 by Rose Petal Press

294 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance, Regency

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Cora Atherton wants nothing more than to finally fall in love—real love, not the unrequited sort. When she is invited to attend a house party without her disapproving, overbearing mother, Cora leaps at the chance, desperate to make a match of her own. That is, until she finds that Oliver Cartwell is also attending the party. Oliver, the boy she has loved since she was a girl and the man she is determined to forget.

A house party in the country is just what Oliver needs to distract himself from the shadows of his past. When he discovers that Cora, his sister’s best friend, is in need of a little matchmaking, he resolves to help her in her search for a husband. He quickly learns that no man is good enough for her, least of all himself. Why, then, does he find himself fighting his attraction to gentle, beautiful Cora at every step?

As the two draw closer together, Cora is forced to confront the feelings that have tortured her for years. With her future on the line and a deadline fast approaching, can she trust that flirtatious Oliver has changed for the better—or will he leave her heart in pieces once again?

Cora and Oliver's story was setup in A Game of Hearts. Oliver was in a flirtatious relationship with Cora and Marigold's friend, Sylvia, until she chose not to support Marigold when her reputation suffered a small blow before she and Tristan got engaged. Sylvia never did choose to reconcile with Marigold. Thus Oliver and Cora both cut ties with her. Oliver has been a party boy, not taking life or his responsibilities too seriously. 

Cora has loved Oliver since she was about ten. But her mother is overbearing and refuses to say anything nice about Oliver. She doesn't view him as a serious young man and assumes he will make a terrible husband no matter who he marries. When Cora's mother injures her leg and cannot attend a house party as Cora's chaperone, Cora jumps at the chance for Lady Englefield to play chaperone for her. Cora wants so badly to find love from without the heavy burden of her mother's disapproval. 

I think what I liked most about this book was that there were few truly awful characters. Of course, there's Oliver's friend and the married lady continually hitting on Oliver, but other than that, all of the other characters just felt normal and human and mostly "good". Oliver's parents, although loving, still said something hurtful that he overheard, and has affected him deeply. Cora unintentionally leads on Lord Stanton. Lord Stanton and Oliver have a history from their school days, but even now, he seems to have matured and doesn't take offense to plenty of things he could have. Oliver has made poor choices in his youth but finally sees his need to change. Lady Englefield wasn't as attentive of a chaperone as she should have been, but her overall goodness shines through. Cora's mother is only tainted by her own experiences and hurts and mostly wants her daughter not to be hurt by an irresponsible rake. I could go on, but I think I've made my point. The characters were not perfect, but you could see goodness shining through most of the time.

The only quote I highlighted:

-"You are too easily deceived, Cora," Mother said. "You know so little of this world, of what people can truly be like." "Perhaps," I said. "But I do not think I will ever regret being generous with my good opinion. I would much rather be kind than indifferent."

I barely touched on Cora and Oliver's relationship or their journey to each other. I haven't even touched on what each must overcome. But I will tell you that it was worth the journey. It was enjoyable every step of the way. Most of us can relate to having unrequited feelings for someone else at some point. And that makes this story one that anyone can relate to. To Charm a Lady gets 4 Stars. I can't wait to see who gets a story next. Have you read To Charm a Lady? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 09/15/24

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was a normal school day. Monday night, Big Girl had her first fall softball game. She played first base and did well, but I could tell she had a little nerves. We got home really late because they decided to play an extra inning with 5 minutes left on our time limit. Big Boy went to martial arts that night. Tuesday, we had a lazy morning which was much needed with running in two directions balancing two extracurriculars. We did do my grocery pickup, and I let the kids go swimming after lunch. They didn't stay in long because the water temperature is so cold. I did a little weeding and yard cleaning while they swam. Tuesday night, Big Girl had another game. She mostly played outfield in that game, but they won that one. Husband took her to that while I took Big Boy to martial arts. Belt testing is this week so we're trying to squeeze in as much extra practice as possible. Wednesday was a normal day if I remember correctly. There were no evening activities to run to that night. Thursday, we have co-op and it rained all day. Big Boy baseball game was cancelled due to rain so both big kids went to martial arts. Friday, we had a good school day. The weather was overcast but also really beautiful and windy. No evening activities for Friday night either and so I worked in the garage a bit. Husband is still renovating his friend's house that was trashed by renters. Saturday, my plan was to be lazy. I need some downtime. Between running to all the extras and teaching school and just being mom...my battery was running a little low this week. Thankfully, belt testing is Tuesday, and we'll be able to go back to one extracurricular activity for the next month and a half.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of A Game of Hearts (The Cartwells, # 1) by Joanna Barker (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Thirteenth Child by Erin A Craig
Friday: Homeschool Friday - I Know Mad

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of To Charm a Lady (The Cartwells, # 2) by Joanna Barker
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday?
Friday: Homeschool Friday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2024 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

NEW BOOKS:

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - I Know Mad

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

I Know Mad (We Find Feeling Clues)

By: Lindsay N. Giroux

Illustrated By: Alicia Teba Godoy

Publication: September 3, 2024 by Free Spirit Publishing

36 pages

Genre: Children's, Emotions

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Children learn to recognize and cope with feeling mad, frustrated, and jealous.

A young feelings detective looks for clues, both physical and emotional, to identify anger, frustration, and jealousy in themselves and in others. The child uses a special notebook to draw their feelings and identify how they feel. By noticing the clues, the feelings detective is able to find a new plan to overcome feeling jealous and even help their mom when she is feeling frustrated.

We Find Feelings Clues

Increase children's emotion vocabulary and boost their emotional literacy. This series helps children learn how to find, notice, and use a variety of clues to identify and name their emotions and those of others. Clues are found in facial expressions and body language, sensations within the body, and knowledge of past experiences. After identifying an emotion, children also learn how they can feel better when their emotions are overwhelming. Each book features a child using the tool of the feelings detective notebook to record their feelings through drawings and words. Additional information and strategies on recognizing and dealing with feelings are included at the back of each book.

I Know Mad helps in the important task of teaching children how to label their emotions. The book guides them through a variety of situations, facial expressions, and ways their bodies might feel during the emotions of anger, frustration, and jealousy. I know there's a limit to the amount of information you can include in a children's book, but I wish that anger being a secondary emotion would have been discussed. Anger (or as the book describes "mad") happens after another emotion like sadness, fear, loneliness, or hurt. Understanding our emotions is crucial to having good mental health as well as healthy relationships.

I Know Mad did focus on coping strategies. The idea of a "feel better basket" is one that I might incorporate into my own home. Suggestions were even made about what to include in this type of basket. Asking for help from an adult and talking things out with someone else were both strategies used. Most of all, empathy towards others who might be feeling similar strong emotions is a great inclusion to this topic. The last page of the book shows the word "calm" on the artwork that a child created for his emotional artwork. Calmness is the goal. I recently heard the saying "All emotions are welcome, but not all behavior is welcome." And I think even though calmness is the goal, teaching children that some emotions are negative lends to some shame around feeling those emotions when they do arise, which they inevitably will.

I read I Know Mad with my six-year-old son who struggles with regulating his emotions and frequently falls into anger and frustration. I think the ideal age for this book is a little younger than my son. But I asked him when we were done reading it if he thought it would help children understand and work through their anger. He said he thought so. Now, is this a book that he wants to read again? Not really, unfortunately. I can see where my younger son might benefit from this book even more, I just haven't had an opportunity to read it with him since it's on my computer instead of my phone or a physical copy.

I Know Mad is a great introduction to helping young kids understand, label, and process their emotions of mad, frustration, and jealousy. I do wish there were a few things that were added or different. Overall, I think I Know Mad gets 4 Stars. Have you read I Know Mad? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The Thirteenth Child

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The Thirteenth Child

By: Erin A. Craig

Expected Publication: September 24, 2024 by Delacorte Press

512 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Gothic, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.

All gifts come with a price.

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

A Game of Hearts - Review

A Game of Hearts (The Cartwells, # 1)

By: Joanna Barker

Publication: October 6, 2022 by Rose Petal Press

321 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance, Regency

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--If you can't join them, beat them.

Marigold Cartwell has only one to defeat her long-time rival on the archery field. She knows she can outshoot irritating, cynical Tristan Gates, but the local bowmen’s society—the one he belongs to—refuses to allow women to compete. Spurred on by their rejection, Marigold decides to start a new society. Naturally, it has only one no men.

Tristan Gates is used to Marigold Cartwell always getting her way, so he is far from surprised when she forms her own society. He knows how relentless she can be, something he learned firsthand facing her at the targets. But Tristan has enough worries of his own, what with his bachelor uncle falling in love with a fortune hunter. He has no time to entertain Marigold’s ambitions.

However, after a visit to the seashore ends in disaster—and scandal—Marigold and Tristan soon realize how little they know about each other. The strained tension between them quickly turns to simmering attraction, but an important archery competition looms ahead. Lines are drawn all around them, with Marigold and Tristan on opposite sides, and neither can afford to lose. Yet winning might be the very thing to tear them apart.

Joanna Barker is a sneaky author in that I often don't see much marketing for her books before they are released. Some I have found on NetGalley, but often not. Some of her books slip up on me even though I regularly check my repeat authors for upcoming books. A Game of Hearts snuck up on me. I would have loved to have read this one back when it was published, but here we are.

A Game of Hearts reminded me of Highcliffe House by Megan Walker. Marigold and Tristan have an antagonistic relationship. Marigold thinks Tristan thinks he's a better archer than her, but he generally annoys her. Tristan thinks Marigold is spoiled and used to getting what she wants. He thinks that no matter the rules of society or the situation, she will steamroll ahead until she gets whatever she wants. Often, enemies-to-lovers stories have hints of flirting, but the interactions between Marigold and Tristan weren't backed by romantic tension at first. That is until the trip to the seashore alluded to in the description.

But let's back up. Marigold is the 2nd child. She has a sizable dowry. Yet her parents were a love match, and she hopes for the same. She had one season in London and came back with an interested suitor who is likely to propose soon if given more time in her company. But most of all, Marigold has a passion for archery. And she's good. She practices constantly. Her goal has been to be accepted into a local archery club that only allows men since only clubs are allowed to compete in prize tournaments. When she sees that this isn't happening, she creates a women's club for archery and has a surprising turnout.

Tristan is the heir to his uncle's estate. His uncle is widowed, but he's young enough yet to remarry. Tristan has been living with his uncle since his parents passed away. And he's worried that his uncle is being led into a relationship with a potential fortune hunter. Tristan loves archery too, but he has more on his plate than archery at the same time. But that's easy to say when he's allowed into the club and the prize tournaments because he's male. Marigold is often an annoyance to him, but he finds himself trapped in a position of doing the honorable thing or not.

I liked that Marigold and Tristan didn't have a typical start. Both were opposed to marriage to each other at first. But circumstances pushed these two together, and I liked the work they had to put in to come out on the other side stronger. But hey, I'm a sucker for forced marriage storylines.

A Game of Hearts was a solid, enjoyable book. I liked that Tristan and Marigold mostly misunderstood each other, and were opposed to any relationship at first. I like to see what couples are forced to go through to make things go from nonexistent to allies to team to happily married. A Game of Hearts gets 4 Stars. Have you read A Game of Hearts? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 09/08/24

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was Labor Day, of course. The kids and I went over to Husband's Mom's house. We hung out and had lunch. The kids went swimming after lunch. We came back home for nap and then went back over for dinner. (She lives two houses down from us.) Tuesday morning, I had an eye doctor appointment so my mom hung out with the kiddos. They went swimming when I got home, and we went to pickup groceries after lunch. The kiddos had martial arts and then Big Girl had batting practice. Wedensday we were back to our normal school schedule. Wednesday evening Grammy hung out with Big Girl and Little Boy while I took Big Boy to see Despicable Me 4 for a reward for his reading over the summer. Thursday, we had co-op. That was our second meeting and all went well there. Thursday evening the kids had martial arts and Big Girl had softball practice again. Friday was another normal school day and Big Boy had baseball practice. Saturday, we went to Georgia to our nephew's 5th birthday party. We had a blast.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: No blog post - Happy Labor Day (US)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit
Thursday: Review of A Provincial Peer (Georgian Gentlemen, # 6) by Sian Ann Bessey (4 Stars)
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of A Game of Hearts (The Cartwells, # 1) by Joanna Barker
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday?
Friday: Homeschool Friday?

Don’t forget to link up for the 2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2024 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

NEW BOOKS:

ADHD is Awesome

By: Penn & Kim Holderness

Expected Publication: April 30, 2024 by Harper Horizon

292 pages

Genre: Adult, Nonfiction, Parenting, Self-Help, Psychology, Mental Health

Source: Borrowed from the e-Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Hi, friend! Welcome to the ADHD club.

You're here because, like me, you've been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—which, by the way, just might be the worst name for a condition ever—and you're trying to figure out how to make your life a little more manageable. Or because, like my wife, Kim, you love, teach, or work with someone who has ADHD, and you're trying to figure out how to best support them.

The world isn't built for ADHDers, and navigating it can wear us down. But we'll let you in on a little secret: having ADHD doesn't have to be a burden. It can actually be a superpower that propels you to creative heights and allows you to achieve more than you ever thought possible.

We want to give you a new perspective on ADHD, whether it's your own brain or a friend or family member's that you're trying to understand. We hope you come away with strategies you can employ to make things a little easier. (We also hope you laugh out loud, at least once or twice.)

Most of all, we want you to silence that voice that whispers that you're broken or a mess or a failure. None of that is true. You have ADHD—and that makes you awesome.

—Penn Holderness

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words (Step Into Reading, Level 1)

By: Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook

Publication: May 27, 2003 by Random House Books for Young Readers

32 pages

Genre: Children's, My First Reader, Early Reading, Level 1 Readers

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Mouse makes word play fun!Readers will delight in finding small word hidden within bigger words; for example, when Mouse trips, his pants rip! Silly Mouse! A Step 1 book.

Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words is a fun rhyming book. Anytime you can add in a little game to the reading process, it helps liven the spirits of my reluctant readers. However, I do wish the words were a little more actually hidden on the page so my son could actually search for them. They were way too obvious to be considered real hide-and-seek, and I think that bummed him out alittle. In the beginning, he read the sentences and then re-read the words that were "hidden." But by the end of Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words he'd given up on re-reading the "hidden" words. He thought a couple of the illustrations and sentences were funny. Even though most pages only included one short sentence, it still felt like it took us forever to get through this book. That isn't a reflection of the book or my son's reading level. It's a reflection of him being easily distracted.

Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words uses rhyming words to build phonetic fluency and mastery. The concept of hide-and-seek made my son more excited to read as he loves to conquer a game. However, the game was entirely too easy as the words aren't actually hidden at all. Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words? What did you think? Let me know!

A Provincial Peer - Review

A Provincial Peer (Georgian Gentlemen, # 6)

By: Sian Ann Bessey

Publication: May 7, 2024 by Covenant Communications

248 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Georgian

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Lord Benning is no ordinary nobleman. The heir to an earldom, he feels more at home working on the farm at his country estate than socializing in the ballrooms of London. So when a mysterious, veiled woman mistakes him for a farmhand, he takes the assumption in stride. And though he is not offended, he is intrigued.

Following a devastating outbreak of smallpox, Caroline Granger and her young daughter, Meg, retreat to Caroline’s childhood home in the village of Leyfield in Gloucestershire. Left widowed and weakened by the ravages of the disease, Caroline wears a veil to hide her facial scars and to prevent the inevitable gasps of horror or murmurs of pity others offer in response to her altered appearance.

Caroline is mortified when she learns of her error in addressing Lord Benning—or Benedict, as she called him during their growing-up years—as a farmhand. But shared childhood memories and a precocious four-year-old inevitably draw Benedict and Caroline together, and it’s not long before Caroline realizes that Benedict accepts every part of her—including her scars. With newfound courage and a growing love for Benedict, Caroline feels the first stirrings of hope. But when the disease that took so much from Caroline finds its way to Leyfield, she stands to lose more than she can bear, and Benedict must decide exactly how much he is willing to risk for a chance at love.

I've had an up and down relationship with the Georgian Gentlemen series. Overall, my biggest complaint has been that the mysteries can take over the plot. But that wasn't the case with A Provincial Peer, and I'm so happy that the series ends with this book.

Benedict is the leading male in this story. He is the big brother to Henry who was the leading male character of the previous book, The Unassuming Curator. He is the heir to the estate and title of Lord Farwell. He likes being active on the estate with the cows and wheat. I liked that his father was an active character in the story. Often, the main male character is already the head of the estate and property, even though Benedict is very involved in the estate, his father is still the head of the house, property, and family. His father was needed for necessary estate business, but he was also a source of wisdom and advice for Benedict.

Caroline is the daughter of the local vicar. Her husband recently died of smallpox and Caroline suffered from the illness as well, but thankfully lived. Caroline and her young daughter Meg have moved back into the vicarage with her father. Caroline is still regaining her strength from her illness, but Meg is an active young girl and wanders onto the earl's property which reintroduces Caroline to Benedict. Of course, they've known each other since their youth. Caroline and Henry were close friends growing up. 

I enjoyed the slow build between Caroline and Benedict. They had history, but not enough to have any hurdles to overcome with past traumas. Caroline was the sweetest character. She wanted only to help those around her and never seemed to think of herself too highly. She couldn't consider Benedict as even in the realm of possibility because of the differences in their station as well as her scarring from the illness. Benedict has no lack of humility. And he also is working hard to help all of the tenants and villagers. 

The mystery in this book wasn't so much about some robbers or kidnappers. And the story was layered in a way that you could easily feel for all of the characters involved. That's all I'll say about that so I don't spoil anything.

Favorite quotes:

-"It has been my observation that those who find beauty and joy in their current circumstances will find it anywhere they may go; whereas those who always yen to be somewhere else will find those same feelings resurfacing no matter where they find themselves."

-"It is remarkable how God works within the confines of the most trying circumstances to help us improve ourselves. I would not wish the hardships you have experienced upon you or anyone else, but I see the strength and wisdom you have developed because of them."

-"Everyone deserves kindness. It should be at the foundation of every act and every conversation. I only wish that those who refuse to accept so simple a truth would understand that when all is said and done, thoughtless or cruel behavior ultimately causes more damage to the giver than the receiver."

-Frustration was a poor companion, and he knew full well that he would be better off without it, but that did not make relinquishing it easy.

-"But that is what it means to love completely and to live to its fullest, is it not? We willingly set aside our fears and take a step into the unknown--a leap of faith, if you will--so that we might experience true joy."

Side note, I appreciate how Meg wasn't dumbed down. Often times when an author isn't immediately around children of a specific age that they're writing, it can be easy to write a 4-year-old in a way that a 2-year-old might act. This is easy to understand the confusion, but as a parent of young children (my youngest is 3), it can be a pet peeve at the same time.

A Provincial Peer was such an encouraging story about a trying time in history. Smallpox was so deadly. Caroline and Benedict had a sweet journey. And I loved Meg and Benedict's relationship with her. The mystery was just enough for me that it didn't take over the rest of the plot, but it enhanced instead of taking away from the plot. A Provincial Peer gets 4 Stars. Have you read A Provincial Peer? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Sunshine and Spice

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Sunshine and Spice

By: Aurora Palit

Expected Publication: September 10, 2024 by Berkley

336 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--When two complete opposites agree to fake date in order to solve their cultural dilemmas, they find the only force more powerful than an immigrant mother’s matchmaking schemes might just be true love.

Naomi Kelly will do anything to make her new brand consulting business a success. When she lands a career saving contract to rebrand the Mukherjee family’s failing local bazaar, she knows there can be no mistakes. But as the “oops” baby of a free-spirited Bengali mother, Naomi’s lack of connection to her roots represents everything Gia Mukherjee disdains.

Enter, Dev Mukherjee.

Dev knows everything his mother wants…including her wish for him to get married, like, yesterday. When Gia hires a matchmaker (without, you know, asking him), Dev vows to do whatever it takes to avoid ending up in a cold, loveless marriage. When a potential match assumes Naomi is his girlfriend, the solution to both their problems becomes clear: Naomi will pretend to date Dev in order to sabotage his mother’s matchmaking efforts in exchange for lessons in Bengali culture. Flawless plan, right?

But as Naomi and Dev bond over awful dancing at Garba, couples cooking classes, and tackling the rebrand as a team, they start to realize while their relationship may be fake, their feelings for each other are starting to become very real. As the line between reality and rumor blurs, Naomi and Dev must confront what it means to fit the mold, and decide how much they’re willing to risk for love.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 09/01/24

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday, Big Boy ended up running a fever and complaining of a sore throat. Tuesday he was feeling better, but I noticed Little Boy started coughing. Thursday, our homeschool co-op began. It was a good day, and a good start. I was pretty exhausted though once we got home. School has gone well most days. Friday was a rough behavior day for one of my children. Those happen. We balanced softball/baseball and martial arts as best as we could between the two activities and the illnesses making the rounds. Friday night, Big Girl ran fever and started having a sore throat. Her fever was gone Saturday, but she still had a sore throat. The kids went swimming, and I worked in the yard. This isn't the best time to be clearing out weeds, but I can't stand them being there any longer. This was the first Saturday this month that I didn't have plans of some sort. So I spent it loving on my kiddos and cleaning house. We played Guess in 10 and another card game we got in a kid's meal from Chickfila a while back. We had a huge tickle fight where at least one kid almost peed their pants. As Little Boy is getting older (he's 3.5), I'm finally seeing the bigger two include him more in their play. They all three played very well together on Saturday.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of (Boneyard Key, # 1) by Jen DeLuca (3.5 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Say Cheese!
Saturday: August 2024 EOM Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: No blog post - Happy Labor Day (US)
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday?
Thursday: Review of A Provinvial Peer (Georgian Gentlemen, # 6)
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words

Don’t forget to link up for the 2024 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2024 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

NEW BOOKS:

Twisted Knight (Tangled Hearts, # 1)

By: K. Bromberg

Expected Publication: September 24, 2024 by Bramble

416 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Kings of Sin meets It Ends With Us in a gritty, heated romance from New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg.

Holden
They thought they’d managed to get rid of me once and for all. They thought I’d just forget what they did to my brother. But I’m going to make sure that they never forget. If only I can stop thinking about her.

Rowan
No one sees me. Behind my brother, I’m a ghost, managing the family business that he claims to run. But I’m tired of second fiddle. I’m tired of pretending. I’m going to take what’s mine. The only problem? Well, he just came back to town.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!