Home or Away by Kathleen West {Publication Day Blog Tour!}

March 29, 2022March 29, 2022 ~ Genevieve

{Berkley Publishing #Partner. Thank you for my gifted copy of Home or Away and for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour. }

Home or Away by Kathleen West

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣

I was first introduced to author Kathleen West’s writing style when I read her 2020 novel Minor Dramas and Catastrophes. One of the sub-genres of #ContemporaryFiction I have come to so enjoy is #ParentingFiction. 🙌⁣

Maybe it is because I am smack dab in this stage, but I love books that take on the intricacies to a season of life. The worries, the relationships and the daily struggles that we all can relate to, even if our stories look really different from the outside. And this book takes on competitive youth sports, in particular, hockey! 🏒⁣

Book Synopsis:

Two friends, one Olympic dream, and the choice that stood in the way.

Once Leigh and Susy were close friends and teammates bound for Olympic hockey gold, but when Leigh’s sure-fire plan to make the final roster backfired, she left everything behind to start over, including the one person who knew her secret.

Two decades later, Leigh’s a successful investment banker, happily married, and the mom of a hockey prodigy, so when a career opportunity lands the family back in Minnesota, Leigh takes the shot for her kid. Back in the ultra-competitive world she left behind, the move puts her in Susy’s orbit, a daily reminder of how Leigh watched from the sidelines as her former teammate went on to Olympic glory.

Despite the coldness between them, Susy can’t help but hope that Leigh might lace up her skates and join her in the coaches’ box – after all Leigh knows better than anyone how hard it is to be a woman in this world. Susy knows soon her daughter, Georgie, will be seen as a “girl athlete,” relegated to the B team, with less support and opportunity to advance.

But Leigh believes keeping Susy at arms’ length is the only way to hide her history with her former coach Jeff Carlson. When he hints of new favors in exchange for her son’s ice time, Leigh is caught in the ultimate bind: Come clean about what happened when she was an Olympic hopeful and risk her marriage or play Jeff’s game. In a moment of desperation, Leigh realizes the one person she thought was her biggest competitor – her former teammate – might turn out to be her biggest ally.”

You can purchase your copy HERE. (affiliate link)

Growing up, I was on the swim team, played field hockey and participated in track and field. And while I was not particularly great at any of them (and also, you didn’t have to be then…🙃) I do have the best memories of being a part of these teams. 👯‍♀️⁣

⁣And one of the most unexpected joys of this stage of parenting is being a part of these communities once again…I may just be counting down the days until baseball season officially begins! But as we have progressed further into these sports (our oldest is in middle school) there also comes the very real competitive edge, and the lengths families (parents?) go to to be “the best”…🏆🤯⁣

⁣”Told with Kathleen West’s trademark wit and compassion, Home or Away is a story about overcoming our pasts, confronting our futures, and the sustaining bonds of female friendship.”

Book Club Recommendation!

⁣West shines at character building and sharing the gray areas of life..which also means this book would make for a great #BookClubRead! This book packs a punch and also kept me turning the pages until the very end. This title hits book store shelves today (3.29.22!) and highly recommend adding this book to your spring reading list!

Disclosure: Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!

In A New York Minute by Kate Spencer {New Book Release 3.15.22!}

March 15, 2022March 29, 2022 ~ Genevieve

{Thank you to Forever, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for my review copies.}

In A New York Minute by Kate Spencer

Have Your Reading Choices Shifted At All During The Last Two Years?

While some things have stayed the same, I have found I am less likely to pick up a historical fiction book and much more excited about contemporary romance reads! This was a big shift for me and I am really enjoying it!

You see, I live with both feet firmly planted in reality, and I think I was a little “judgey” about the contemporary romance genre as a whole. But really, what I didn’t realize was that you just have to find your type!

This Is What I Like…

I love when women support other women, when they are just as much about finding themselves as a partner, and when real life issues intersect within the more “Happily Ever After” plot-line. And there are so many of those titles!!

And one of the ones I really enjoyed is In A New York Minute by the absolutely delightful Forever 35 podcast host and author @KateSpencer and it publishes TODAY! And how adorable is this amazing book mail?! {thank you @readforeverpub!!}

{You can use my affiliate link to order your copy HERE.}

My Thoughts…

I had the pleasure of both reading this and listening to it on #audiobook and it was an absolutely perfect rom-com! I loved the main characters, Franny and Hayes, who after an awkward meeting on the subway go viral on the internet together. This book was perfectly predictable, adorable, and entertaining and I loved the focus on friendship as well.

I appreciated that the characters felt real and authentic and the sub stories and smaller characters were equally cute and relatable, and added some laughs throughout. This isn’t a super steamy read but this meet-cute storyline was just delightful and endearing.

Author Kate Spencer has such an engaging writing style that kept me turning the pages until the very end. For anyone looking for a perfect weekend read, this is a great and super charming choice!

I discussed this book and topic more over on my @genthebookworm Instagram feed and I would love it if you joined in on the conversation!

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen {Book Thoughts & Trailer!}

March 1, 2022 ~ Genevieve

{Thank you to @stmartinspress and @librofm for my gifted review copies}⁣ The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Sometimes all you need is a 20 minute reset and that is how I get a lot of my reading these days…and #DomesticThrillers are most definitely my favorite brain candy kind of read.

The Golden Couple {affiliate link} s by the amazing author duo @sarahpekkanen & @greerhendricks, who know how to write a book that has dynamic and multifaceted characters and a slow build that keeps those pages turning from start to finish. 👏⁣

⁣I had the pleasure of alternating reading and listening to this upcoming book release and I had a hard time putting it down. 🎧📚⁣

The Golden Couple Book Trailer:

So, we all know one of those “Golden Couples”, the ones that look like they have it all figured out but when you pull back the shiny curtain, they are normal and flawed, just like everyone else! Pekkanen and Hendricks take us there…enter Marissa and Matthew. We also meet Avery, a therapist who definitely isn’t’ following the rules, but desperate times call for desperate measures! 🤯⁣

⁣Not only are Avery’s techniques on the “unconventional side” but she is also quite the detective! This story is unpredictable, clever and full of all kinds of juicy secrets. This one publishes on March 8th, and I highly recommend adding it to your late winter reading list! you can grab your copy HERE.

⁣✨Have you read any books by Pekkanen and Hendricks? Is this one on your list? I am discussing this over on @genthebookworm and I would love it if you joined in on there conversation there!