A Hodge Podge of Reviews - What I've Been Reading #4

The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart - I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this author.  Sometimes I really enjoy her books and sometimes I find them horribly dull at best.  This was one I enjoyed.  Ellie's father and fiance got busted in a Bernie Madoff style investment scheme and everything in her life exploded around her.  Suddenly she found herself jobless, homeless, and a social pariah all at the same time.  The only thing she can do is return to a beach house owned by her late mother and left to her.  I do love a good life exploded/time to rebuild type story and this did not disappoint!  Ellie is likable and easy to sympathize with.  Cameron is a touch too perfect but in a nice way.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching them together as they got to know each other, restored the old house, and Ellie discovered a family she didn't even know she had.  Rating: Very Good

Suddenly One Summer by Julie James - I've been hearing raves about this series and finally decided it was time to give it a read.  I was a bit confused by how exactly this one fit into the whole FBI/US Attorney series since the characters are a reporter and a divorce attorney but I still enjoyed the series.  This is a couple who has some serious baggage when it comes to relationships but I liked watching them get to know each other even though the first portion of that included annoying each other.  I liked the characters and enjoyed the book but I don't really feel like anything really stood out about it.  However, I'm definitely looking forward to continuing this series and maybe getting an FBI agent or two in the mix!  Rating:  Good

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan - Colgan's books have proven to be the bookish equivalent of a warm cozy blanket on a dreary day and this one was no different.  At the beginning of the book Issy, while very nice and sweet, is a bit of a stepping stone.  She's not happy with her life but not fully aware of it.  When she's unexpectedly laid off she takes a giant leap of faith and opens the Cupcake Cafe.  Things aren't always smooth in the land of business running but there are a whole host of characters that form unlikely friends and were (almost) all people I loved seeing on the page.   This was an absolute delight and made me remember just why Colgan has become a favorite in the last year or two.  Rating: Very Good