#FitReaders Weekly Check-in and a review: Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis

#FitReaders is hosted by  Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About.

This view is on my neighborhood walk – it was quite foggy a couple of days last week

FitBit Steps:

• Fri      3656
• Sat    11843
• Sun   10967
• Mon  13027
• Tue     5674  – I took it easy and celebrated my birthday 🙂
• Wed  13400
• Thu   13704

Read on the treadmill:

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• Title:  Second Chance Summer
• Series:  Cedar Ridge #1
• Author:  Jill Shalvis
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Narrator:  Karen White
• Published:  June 2015 –  Hachette Audio
• Source:  Publisher

Description: Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it’s the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there’s an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile . . .

The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance . . . (publisher)

My take:  In her new series Jill Shalvis introduces the Kincaid family of siblings. Second Chance Summer focuses on Aidan and his chance at reconnecting with Lily Danville – a girl from his past.

Lily is back in town and working at a local hair salon while waiting for a better job opportunity (preferably out-of-town). She left Cedar Ridge with heartbreak several years ago and wants to keep a low profile for the short time she expects to be in town. Not possible in a small Colorado mountain town. She runs into the one guy she wanted to avoid – Aidan. He has his own issues not the least being that he feels completely responsible for his family (mother and siblings). And now he hopes for a second chance with Lily.

I’ve come to expect humor, drama and, of course, romance in a Jill Shalvis novel and they are present throughout Second Chance Summer culminating in an exciting last chapter and enjoyable epilogue.

As always, Karen White’s narration is perfect for this genre and especially books by Jill Shalvis.

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Goodreads synopsis: From New York Times bestseller Elin Hilderbrand, a new novel set on Tuckernuck, a tiny island off the coast of Nantucket. Four women-a mother, her sister, two grown daughters-head to Tuckernuck for a retreat, hoping to escape their troubles. Intead, they find only drama, secrets, and life-changing revelations.

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My review: Listening to The Island was like taking a vacation.  Elin Hilderbrand’s novels usually take place on Nantucket but this time she takes us to the nearby island of Tuckernuck.

I found the relationships explored in the novel interesting.  There are two sets of sisters: Birdie and her sister India are in their 50s; Birdie’s daughters Chess and Tate are in their early 30s.  The dynamics are realistic and quite believable.  The story is told from all four points of view which always gives the reader a fuller understanding of the characters.

Birdie, recently divorced, planned a beautiful wedding for her daughter Chess and her fiancé only to have Chess call the whole thing off a few months before the event was to take place.  India, a widow, has recently experienced a personal relationship that made her uneasy. Chess called off her wedding and then received shocking news. Easy-going but workaholic Tate  is overdue for a vacation. They all decide to head to the Tuckernuck summer house that’s been in Birdie and India’s family for generations.  It has been thirteen years since the last visit but it is just as they remembered.

It was fun reading (listening) as they revisited favorite places on Tuckernuck, met friends who meant so much, and reminisced about past family trips to the island. Hilderbrand’s pace is good.  I liked how Chess’s story was revealed slowly through her journaling.  Most of the characters are enjoyable but  Tate wore a little thin at times.  I thought she was quite immature for a thirty year old woman but perhaps it was because she was back in the role of the younger sister/daughter of the group. There are a few twists along the way which make the story even more interesting. I can’t complain about the lack of an epilogue.  There is a lengthy one in which the author ties up all the loose ends.

Narrator Denice Hicks did a fine job.  Her lilting voice made listening a pleasant experience. The Island would be a great vacation read – exactly the kind of book I want when I’m going to the beach or at home wishing I was at the beach.

Review Audiobook from Hachette Book Group

Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup

I listened to the audiobook read by the author. Kate Braestrup’s gentle, reassuring voice tells the story of her first marriage and what happened after.

Near the end of the book Braestrup repeats something her father once told her:

If an experience is good, it’s good. If an experience is bad, it’ll make a terrific story.

That’s what this memoir is. We hear the good but also the bad and how Braestrup came through the experiences. She is now a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service where she is called upon to help people at the time of injury or death of a loved one, a job she’s well-suited for since she was on the receiving end when her first husband, a Maine state trooper, was killed in a car crash while on duty.

I appreciated Braestrup’s discussions of caritas and where God is when tragedy strikes. A lot to think about, a lot to strive for. This would be a wonderful selection for a book club.

Audiobook was a giveaway win from all about {n}

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

From the back of the audiobook: Tim Farnsworth is a handsome, healthy man, aging with the grace of a matinee idol.

His wife, Jane, still loves him, and for all its quiet trials, their marriage is still stronger than most. Despite long hours at the office, he remains passionate about his work, and his partnership at a prestigious Manhattan law firm means that the work he does is important. And even as his daughter, Becka, retreats behind her guitar, her dreadlocks, and her puppy fat, he offers her every one of a father’s honest lies about her being the most beautiful girl in the world.

He loves his wife, his family, his work, his home.

And then one day he stands up and walks out. And keeps walking.

* * * * * * *

My thoughts: The Unnamed is a book that I couldn’t stop reading, or rather, listening to. I was lucky enough to get an audiobook. According to the interview at the end this is the first time Joshua Ferris has narrated one of his books – I think he should always narrate his books. His voice is perfect and I felt I was experiencing The Unnamed the way he intended.

The Unnamed is a story about a man with an illness. The illness hasn’t been diagnosed specifically because it can’t be confirmed as either a disease of the mind or the body. You get an idea, early on, what the disease could be. This is also the story of a marriage and what happens when those easily repeated wedding vows come into play. The whole “for better or worse, in sickness and in health” is put to the test. Tim and Jane give it their all and we get to see how it plays out.

Another aspect of The Unnamed is the subject of mental illness. At what point does one lose his tether to a stable life? At what point does one begin to drift? A lot to think about and maybe rethink.

This is not an easy novel. I’m so glad I listened to it. One thing I want to mention about the audiobook is the music composed by Brendan Feeney. It is hypnotic and beautiful and perfect for the book.

Audiobook from Hachette Audio