Welcome to Thursday, a day that once seemed lost, with nothing exciting happening anywhere. But then that changed, and today I am celebrating a couple of the bookish events around the blogosphere, like Lexxie’s Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts; and Christine’s Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts.
Today, I’m featuring a book I’m currently reading: The Life She Wants, by Robyn Carr.
In the aftermath of her financier husband’s suicide, Emma Shay Compton’s dream life is shattered. Richard Compton stole his clients’ life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband’s crimes. She is left with nothing.
Only one friend stands by her, a friend she’s known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn’t easy, and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too. And people she’d rather not face, especially Riley Kerrigan.
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In our excerpt, Emma has just arrived in Sebastopol, where her friend Lyle has arranged for her to stay in the guest house belonging to his elderly friend, Penelope Pennington. Lyle and Penny have put together a small repast in Penny’s house next door:
Lyle went off to a nearby market to get dinner, bringing Penny and Emma a huge Greek salad, some hummus, flatbread and a bottle of wine. They had their dinner at Penny’s, sitting around her little dining table, and Emma loved her at once.
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Simple, but perfect. I would love starting over like this!
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- The week has sped by, and here we are again, our lovely Thursday, a time to share.
- Do you ever have weeks in which you can’t point to much of anything you’ve done, but you know you’ve been busy? Well, that was this week. I can point to three books read and reviewed, however:
Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty, by Diane Keaton (click for review)
Spelling It Like It Is, by Tori Spelling (click!)
The Kept Woman, by Karin Slaughter
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- Here’s a photo of me having lunch at home, with my second read. A change of pace: eating and reading at home on my comfy couch (and I just wanted to show off my new purple eyeglasses…lol).
- So…I was up late last night, finishing the review on the third book, and trying to decide what to read next; I picked up the book you see featured at the top of the post. I’m loving it, a nice change of pace from the other three books.
- Yesterday was a relaxing day at my daughter’s salon…after she had postponed my appointment TWICE (yes, remember the last two weeks I had appointments the “next day”?). Well, we finally had our “styling and chatting time.”
- We had a nice talk, I saw photos of her wedding dress. On the weekend, she and her fiance drove over to the coast and set up the venue for their wedding on April 1. Yes, no fooling….
- It will be a small and simple event at the hotel on the beach, with the reception the next day, back at the home of her fiance’s brother.
- Their honeymoon to Europe will be in a few months, but they are planning to utilize my eldest son as their tour guide. (He lives in Prague, for those who haven’t been following my blogs). Here are Heather and David. This shot (below) was taken when they were on their Mexican cruise earlier in the year.
- So…that’s about all I have today.
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Enjoy your week, with reading or whatever. Come on by…and let’s chat.
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Sounds like a lovely visit with your daughter and how exciting about all the plans! I have the Robyn Carr but haven’t made time for it yet. I just love the premise of this one.
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Thanks, Katherine, it was a delightful and relaxing afternoon. I always look forward to these sessions, not just for the hair, but the chats. I hope you enjoy the Robyn Carr as much as I do.
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I do like the sound of The Life She Wants Laurel, a good synopsis. So pleased to hear you had such a good time with your daughter.
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Thanks, Cleo, the book is a nice change of pace from thrillers….and there are still some good secrets to keep me guessing. I always love spending time with my daughter, and hope to have more time this weekend for my birthday brunch. Thanks for visiting.
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Nice photo of Heather & David. & that’s exciting news about your daughter’s wedding on April 1. Wow it’ll be here in no time.
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Thanks, Susan, and now that they’ve been together for a while, I’m almost ready to think he’s good enough for her…lol. Actually, his actions have been saying that for ages, but she’s my only daughter and my baby.
The wedding on the beach sounds lovely. Can’t wait!
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I always say that dips and bread make a perfect meal 🙂
A beach wedding followed by a European honeymoon? Sounds ideal. Hope they enjoy the planning.
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Thanks, Kate, and I do find myself choosing “starters” for my meal, more often than not. Especially in restaurants, where the portions are often HUGE.
I am looking forward to their beach wedding…and their honeymoon does sound wonderful, doesn’t it? Thanks for stopping by.
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