Fiction Book Reviews

This time around, I received three books to read and review. I read two of the three and really enjoyed them!
The first one I read was The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y'Barbo. This book is set in the 1880's with a debutante girl from back east desperately searching for a wild west adventure. She is a young lady reading a series of books about a female character who takes on bad guys and other adventures out west!

An opportunity comes up for Eugenia, Gennie, to become a nanny (sight unseen) to a single father out west! She gets a bit more adventure than she bargained for when starting out, but in the end she gets it! This was a good book to read!

Kathleen Y'Barbo's Bio:

Best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty novels, novellas, and young adult books, with more than a half-million in print. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she is currently a publicist with Books & Such literary agency.

The second book I read was Rose House by Tina Ann Forkner. This book centers around a house surrounded by roses and each person that visits receives something different from the house: inspiration, peace, tranquility, etc. On her visit Lillian is mourning the loss of her husband and children in a tragic accident. She leaves the house in confusion though as she feels there is someone following her. Four years later she is back at the house and sees a painting in a local gallery of her as she was on her first visit. The story evolves as she seeks to find out who painted the picture, why/how her family died and how to get past her grief. Even though I don't normally read these types of books I found this one hard to put down!

Tina Ann Forkner Bio:

Is the author of Ruby Among Us. Originally from Oklahoma, she now lives with her husband and three children in Wyoming, where she serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation’s board of directors.

The third book I received was The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Patillo. Book summary:

Once a month, the six women of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society
gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently wedded bliss group leader, Eugenie chooses "Great Love Stories in Literature" as the them for the year's reading list--a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.

As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’t sure she’s ready for the trials of first love. Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.

Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennessee, love isn’t easy. The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community–and especially in each other.

Beth Pattillo Author Bio:

RITA Award-winning Beth Patillo combines her love of knitting and books in her engaging Sweetgum series. Pattillo served churches in Missouri and Tennessee before founding Faith Leader, a spiritual leadership development program.