Finding Grace | Book Review & Tour Stop

Finding Grace

Maren Cooper

Publisher: She Writes Press

Pub Date: 7.19.2022 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘰𝘰𝘯!

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Thank you for @booksparks and @shewritespress for an invitation to this #summerpopup Tour for 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞.

When Charles Booker meets and falls in love with Caroline, a brilliant ornithologist, he feels like the luckiest man in the world. After convincing Caroline that marriage won’t stop her from pursuing her career in any way, the two marry. But soon, Charles is shocked to learn Caroline never intends to have children; her career will always come first.

When Caroline finds herself pregnant, Charles promises he will do the primary parenting so that Caroline can continue to focus on work and travel as she desires.

Set near the shores of Lake Superior, this is a complex and emotional family drama. At first, it seems like Caroline is just a career-driven woman. But when Grace is born, it is apparent that something is at play here; she is completely detached. Charlie is an incredibly supportive dad, but I felt he was blind to the effects of Caroline’s actions. As Grace grows, we see her struggles with abandonment issues, as well as mental health issues.

I appreciated hearing from all three family members’ POVs. The author does a beautiful yet gentle job of showing the thoughts of these characters. It was hard to like some of them and their decisions, but I think that makes this so thought-provoking.

Sorrow and Bliss | Book Review

Sorrow and Bliss

Meg Mason

Publisher: Harper Books

Pub Date: 2.9.2021

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This is about Martha, she is now forty, and she has been depressed since her teenage years. But her mental illness goes beyond depression, and it is largely undiagnosed, save for some medications and therapies. Martha grew up with a cold, alcoholic, artsy mother, a wannabe poet father, and sister Ingrid.

Martha herself is a writer, she is witty and clever, but she can be rude, abrasive, and hurtful to those who care about her. She knows something is wrong but doesn’t know how to fix it or what “it” is exactly. 

What makes this an extraordinary read is that we see how Martha struggles, but we also see how those who love her struggle too – how they try to help but must dance around Martha’s ever-changing emotions and actions. And then, sadly, some just turn a blind eye to it all. 

 [I will interject here and say that I wish that her illness was diagnosed at some point].

But Patrick, dear Patrick, has loved Martha since he was fourteen, and after her failed first marriage, Martha marries Patrick.   

Here we see the “Sorrow and Bliss” of their marriage, as Patrick is patient and understanding with Martha even in her cruelest of moments. But as her true feelings about motherhood and the future come out, Patrick moves out. 

While this is undoubtedly a book that sheds light on mental illness, it is also a story about relationships: marriage, sisters, family, and even self-discovery. This isn’t a feel-good read, it does get a little bleak, but Mason does a great job at pulling in all the emotions on the spectrum, even humor, and sarcasm. 

💚 May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you or someone you know is struggling – please reach out, talk, share, and get help. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK

A Brush With Love | Audiobook Review

A Brush With Love

Mazey Eddings

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Pub Date: 3/1/2022

🎉HAPPY PUB DAY!🎉

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🦷 𝔹𝕖 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥, 𝕕𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕕𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕪? 𝕀 𝕥𝕣𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕒 𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕜 – 𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕡𝕠𝕡𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕟.

This may be one of my new favorite rom-coms. 

Not only was it interesting to hear about the world of dental school, I truly appreciated how Mazey Eddings captured the crushing and crippling effect that anxiety and unreal expectations can have on a person.

Harper and Dan are both dental students, but each is in it for different reasons, and the pressure upon them is suffocating. Harper feels she must achieve perfect grades to obtain that top oral surgery residency spot when she graduates in a few months. Dentistry is not Dan’s first love, but he is doing it out of family obligations, and it’s wearing him down.

There is obvious chemistry when Harper and Dan meet, but Harper wants to keep it in the friend zone as she will be graduating in a few short months. But they can’t deny what they’re feeling; Harper can’t let herself get distracted. She fears failure, and she fears letting someone get too close.  

𝐀 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 is a sweet romance, but it explores how anxiety unchecked can overtake your life. If you have suffered from the loss of a loved one, anxiety, and/or panic attacks, this may be 1). difficult to read or 2). very relatable, and you’ll be nodding your head a lot. 

Besides Dan and Harper being a super cute couple, what I especially loved was Harper’s friends – they were hilarious, sometimes self-absorbed, but honest and always there for Harper.

Thank you to @librofm for this gifted audiobook.