Hi, hello Bookmates, welcome (and welcome back) to Book Club! That's a wrap on summer! 

Join us as we discuss our August Book Club Selection and the Goodreads Choice Award winner of 2021: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

It is said to be "a sparkling novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations." We more or less concur! This was a fun, cute read, and surpassed expectations. Perfect way to cap off the summer!

Synopsis:

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows without a doubt it was on that ill-fated final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

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Hi, hello Bookmates! Join us, and our Bookmate Bestie Rose, as we discuss our 

July Book Club selection: One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle.

Described as "a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters", this book had us shaking our heads. We found the mother/daughter dynamic quite toxic, and we had ALOT of feelings about Katy as a character... 

What did you think of One Italian Summer? Was it a rant or a rave for you? What were your thoughts on Katy and Carol's relationship? Katy's treatment of Eric?Comment and let us know! 

It's Book Club. We want your tea, even if we don't agree!

Synopsis:

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

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Happy June Bookmates! Join us as we discuss our Book Club Selection for this month: Anxious People by Fredrick Backman

We absolutely fell in love with this book, and the beautiful way Backman has of making every sentence count in this humorous, compassionate, wise, and ingeniously constructed story executed to damn near perfection.

What did Anxious People make you feel? Did you love it? Hate it? Comment and let us know!

It's Book Club. We want your tea, even if we don't agree!

Synopsis:

Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next. 

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Hi, hello Bookmates! It's officially been 1 year since we released our first episode, so we thought we'd have a quick chat!

Thank you all for your love and support of our show, it means alot to us, and we're so grateful to have made such lovely bookish friends along the way.

Cheers to 1 year, and cheers to the next! Keep reading with us!

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Hi, hello Bookmates! Join us as wrap up our May Freida McFadden Double-Feature

and dive head-on into: The Crash

Described as "A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations". 

"Disappointing" would be another. This latest McFadden adventure just didn't land for us . . . but as always, we had a blast talking about all of our feelings! 

What did you think of The Crash? Was it a rant or a rave for you? What were your thoughts on the "twist"? Comment and let us know! 

It's Book Club. We want your tea, even if we don't agree!

Synopsis:

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn't realize she's heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she's made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle occurs: she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn't right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn't what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.  

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself―and her unborn child.

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Welcome Bookmates to the first episode of our May Freida McFadden 

Double-Feature! Join us as we discuss our first selection: The Boyfriend

 A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love.

We had some mixed feelings about this one, but we had just the most fun talking about it! It's a really fun time. What did you think about The Boyfriend?

Did you guess the ending?! Did you LIKE the ending?! Comment and let us know!

It's Book Club. We want your tea, even if we don't agree!

Synopsis:

Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...

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Hi, hello Bookmates! Join us as we discuss our April Book Selection Contest Winner: 

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Chosen by BooksInTandem, and we can't thank them enough! We really loved this book- the Viking vibes, the story, the lore, bad ass Freya, sexy Bjorn, and that cliffhanger ending... knocks it out of the park!

What did you think of A Fate Inked in Blood? Worth the hype? Did you call the ending?! Are you salivating for the sequel like we are?! We want to know!

Synopsis:

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

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Welcome Bookmates! We're Double Booked for April!

Join us as we discuss 2024's Goodreads Choice Award Winner and Book of the Year Finalist: 

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

 Does it earn its title? 

Though this was very different than we expected, we really enjoyed it! Thought provoking, funny, while poignant. This book sure made for some deep thoughts and fun conversations! 

What did you think of The Wedding People? Do you agree with our take? What was your biggest takeaway from this book? We want to know!

Synopsis:

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.
 
In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

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The time has come, Bookmates! We definitely have a HOT TAKE on this book... we might be in the minority here, but we have a lot of feelings!

Join us as we discuss our March Book Club Selection: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Comment and let us know if you agree or disagree with our take! What did you think of Onyx Storm?? We want to know!!

SPOILER ALERT is in effect!  

Synopsis:

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

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This book has A LOT of hype! But does it live up to it? Join us as we discuss our February Book Club Selection: Phantasma by Kaylie Smith. Comment and let us know if you agree or disagree with our take, and how you thought it measured up to it's BookTok fanfare!

This is also a free sampling episode of what you can expect on our upcoming Patroen series: Bookmates After Dark!

CONTENT WARNING is in effect! This book delves into some potentially triggering topics including mental health struggles, OCD, and sexual content. 

Synopsis:

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother has died, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.
 
The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don’t overtake her first.
 
When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.
 
Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.

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