New to Me Author

 

It’s All Relative by Rachel Magee

Helena is a high school teacher who considers it a good day if she arrives at school early enough to review her lesson plans for the day.  Her best friend Landon is a history teacher and soccer coach at the same school.  She wrangles him into tagging along as her plus-one on a wedding week celebration for her mom and her new step father.  The ground work is laid for lots of comedy and some surprises.

The narrator makes this story zing!  I really enjoyed listening to it.  The plot twists, although not unexpected were fun.  I loved how the characters developed over the course of the story.  The epilogue answered many of my questions and gave the story closure.

Even though this was published by Thomas Nelson, the content was not explicitly Christian, but was very clean and enjoyable, even for teen readers.  It was the kind of story that I was comfortable reading without having to filter any content.

I am grateful to Thomas Nelson for this very enjoyable audio book in return for this, my honest review.

Between the Sound and Sea by Amanda Cox

 Between the Sound and Sea by Amanda Cox

Josephina runs her own event planning business in a small town that has snubbed her because of an issue with her father’s construction company which has sullied her family’s reputation.  She has been dumped by her boyfriend and needs a change, so she takes a job as a project manager for an elderly gentleman who has bought an island to refurbish the lighthouse.

The setting immerses the reader in the outer banks of North Carolina.  Small towns and marshes and the sea provide the backdrop for the mystery that sweeps up Joey, Finn, the grandson, and Walt, the grandfather.

The characters are interesting and revealed slowly by the author.  I especially enjoyed Joey.  Although all of them have their flaws, they grow and learn and give each other second chances. 

There is a bit of romance laced throughout the story, both in the past and the present, but not too much for a reader like me who prefers just a little of it.

This was a captivating story and I am grateful to the publisher for the opportunity to read it in exchange for this, my honest review.