Tomorrow's Path by Anna Jacobs

A prolific English author who divides her time between England and Australia and whose body of work includes over twenty novels and a collection of short stories.

The setting for this novel is Australia. Many cities are mentioned in this story and I found myself looking them up to get a sense of where the characters were. Among those mentioned were Melbourne, Perth, The Blue Glass Mountains, St.Paul's Cathedral and The Yarra River among several others. Jessica, an aspiring novelist meets Jivan, an accomplished author and they form an unlikely partnership. Jivan is quite aloof and might be seen as overly proud of his accomplishments while Jessica is struggling in the profession.

A truly light-hearted romance, the setting enchances the story.

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The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer

This author is probably most well known for her novel The Dive from Clausen's Pier, which received many honors.

In this new novel we meet the Blair family. Bill is the patriarch of the family and newly discharged veteran when the story opens. He has just purchased a plot of land in California in what will be termed Silicon Valley in the future. He goes to school,becomes a doctor, marries and has a family.

The Blair family saga takes us through the years to the present. We become intertwined in the lives of each family member until we realize how intricately their lives are balanced against each other. Ms. Packer's attention to detail pervades her storyline. Her characters are believable and well-developed. In spite of the pitfalls that occur within the family, we can still see the steadfast strength that draws them together.

A well-written novel that continues to present Ms. Packer's talents beautifully.

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Under the Influence by Joyce Manard

While sharing coffee the other day, a few friends and I were discussing the merits of this author. Some had read her previous novels, while others had read about her in the NYT book review. All came away with
mixed feelings. This is my first read of this author.

Helen, a single mother, has recently lost custody of her only son due to her own negligence. She keeps busy by maintaining two occupations. While working as a caterer, she becomes acquainted with entrepreneus Ava and Swift who take her under their wings. Helen is given a great deal of encouragement and other incentives to make her living arrangements better. Helen latches on to this new friendship in hopes that she will be able to regain total custody of her son.

This story poses a different take on "the kindness of strangers". Early on Helen's fiance Elliott suspects that there is more to the generous disposition of Ava and Swift than meets the eye. Helen is totally unprepared for the twist and turns that take place. However, Helen becomes aware of something that has totally escaped everyone's eye and in the end justice prevails.

This is a good read.

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The Friends we Keep by Susan Malllery

This author is very familiar to me. I have read several of her previous books including The Girls of Mischief Bay, Three Sisters, and Barefoot Season among many others. This is definitely a "chick lit" book. It tells the story of three girlfriends and how their lives intertwine. Readers are privy to the inner workings of a beautiful friendship set in Mischief Bay.

We are introduced to Gabby Schaefer, second wife of Andrew, stepmother to Nicole and mother to twin girls. She has retained some weight from the pregnancy and as the story opens she is feeling less than attractive. Trying to make everything work takes all the energy Gabby can muster.

Next is the character of Hayley Batchelor who has spent a great deal of time tring to get pregnant only to miscarry time and again. She and her husband are consumed with the process and Hayley feels she was born to be a mom.

The third character is Nicole Lord who is newly divorced and a single mother. A new man has entered her life and she is afraid to trust her heart.

The storyline is light and easy to follow. The writing reminds me of another author, Mary Kay Andrews, whose work also focuses on women. If this were summertime, I'd say this is a good beach read. In lieu of that, it's a good read for a sunny day in the spring.

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Thicker than Water by Sally Spencer

I've read this author's Sam Blackstone's series before but this is the first one for me in the Monika Paniatowski Mysteries. In this novel DCI Monika Paniatowski takes on a nightmare of a case. The murder victim is the mother of three small children and is married to a wealthy politician. DCI Paniatowski is being scrutinized by her superiors and she is experiencing a great deal of added stress having just returned from a maternity leave.
She has zeroed in on a respectable member of the community who is also friends with her Chief Constable.

The DCI must utilize all of her innumerable talents to prove the connection between the perpetrator and the victim. Readers are taken through twists and turns as the detective leads us to the final apprehension. A well
constructed mystery that may motivate you to read the entire collection.

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A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber

In the past i've always used this author's books as a go-to for those people who want to read a light-hearted romance. Although this story is very contemporary, I did not feel it measured up to some of my favorites such as the Rose Harbor Inn series or Last One Home.

This is the story of two women who are going through divorce at the same time. Leanne(mother-in-law to Nichole) and Nichole find strength in each other as they face the disappointments and heartache that divorce brings. Each lived with the infidelities of their mates and each garnered strength to face the future. Each woman finds love and friendship in unexpected circumstances and in doing so begins to realize their own self-worth.

I suspect that this author has known a few strong women in her own life experience and draws upon them for her character development.

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A Few of the Girls by Maeve Binchy

This is a collection of short stories by a wonderful author who passed away in 2012. This is the second collection of short stories to be released. Having read all of this author's work, I was more than pleased to discover this new collection

There are thirty-six stories in this collection and some of my favorites are Audrey and The Mirror. While some of the stories were lukewarm, many had that marvelous quality that makes you want to read more about the characters that have been presented in four or five pages. All in all, the collection gives new readers of this author a broad overview of her work. If you should choose to read more of Ms. Binchy's work, please read Circle of Friends and Tara Road

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