June Read: The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley

 

Bookshop, summer, beach...yes, I'm a sucker for it! I've read Ms. Kelley's Nantucket Restaurant series so I knew I would enjoy this summer read that takes place on Cape Cod. It's a place I've had on my travel radar for a long time. For now, I'll have to do armchair travel.

Jess is married to Parker and they're both lawyers in a thriving firm in Charleston. Their daughter Caitlin still lives with them as she bounces from job to job, unsuccessfully trying to find a career path. She's a hard worker, but never a "good fit".

All is not great in the marriage; Jess has noticed they're more friends than partners after 30 years of marriage. Before she can bring up divorce, she discovers her husband's been unfaithful with his secretary and now is expecting another child. Jess is DONE. She decides to return to her hometown of Chatham on Cape Cod for the summer to visit her mother and think about what she wants to do, and Caitlin decides to come along. It's a life changing trip for both of them. 

Jess' best friend Alison still lives in Chatham and works for a magazine that is in financial trouble. She's looking for a part-time job and finds out the local bookshop, which has been a staple in Chatham for decades, may be for sale. It's been her dream to own a bookshop and here's her chance, if she can pull the finances together. 

Along comes Jess with time on her hands, an impending divorce, and the means to invest in the bookshop and become co-owner with Alison. Soon Caitlin has taken over managing a defunct coffee shop next door to the bookshop, and the summer really kicks in! Plenty of characters are introduced and smaller plot lines run alongside the main bookshop/divorce storyline. 

All three women are going through life changes--all involving career changes as well as romantic. Although Jess and Caitlin have set October as a deadline to return to Charleston, will they stay in Chatham for good?

This is what I call a gentle novel. What makes a novel gentle (to me) is when there are no big plot twists; characters are all likable, and the story moves along at a gentle pace. Everyone is likable and the setting is a place that's perfectly perfect. No big surprises, but a satisfying read. 

I enjoyed this read, mostly because it was a relaxing one. My only slight beef was Caitlin expressing over and over how she was going to return to Charleston. It got old after a bit, especially when you, as a reader, knew there was nothing in Charleston to return to except shallow friends and temp jobs. It took her a bit too long to figure it out. 

Romantic interests for all, delicious food descriptions, and a seaside town that sounds like a dreamy place to live. And of course we can't forget the bookshop. I can't think of a more satisfying career than to own a bookshop in a seaside town. 

Rating: 4/6 for a perfectly enjoyable summertime read. Women enjoying their friendships, figuring out life, and realizing that you can go home again. And--you can love the ocean and not swim in it!

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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June Read: The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley

June Read: The House on Prytania (a Royal Street novel) by Karen White

 

I don't know who creates the cover art for Karen White's novels; they are beautiful and I've decided I'd like to live in every house on every cover. Just gorgeous!

This was another highly anticipated read for me. I started it on my flight home from vacation, got busy, and just finished it up the last few days. This is the follow up to The Shop on Royal Street, which introduced us to Nola and her move to New Orleans from Charleston. 

Nola is the daughter of Jack and Melanie Trenholm, the two main characters from Ms. White's previous Tradd Street Series. I adored that series for many reasons: the setting of Charleston, the paranormal plots, and the ever evolving relationship between Jack and Melanie. Now Nola is grown up, settling in New Orleans to work in the historic preservation field as a consultant. 

As a second novel in the series, the characters felt much more familiar to me and it was interesting to see relationships evolve. I especially love Nola's roommate and perfect Southern Belle, Jolene. I wish I had half her energy and cooking talent. She is the calm in the middle of chaos. Nola's first romance, Cooper, moves to New Orleans and there's a spark again, and a sense of familiarity between the two which will be interesting to see develop. He's a solid guy who understands Nola and her sense of comfort around him bodes well for a possible romance in the future. 

Nola's biggest problem, of course, is the evil spirit that still haunts her home. She thought they'd sent him onto the light in the first novel, but it appears Antoine Broussard isn't ready to leave, and he wants to protect his awful secrets at any cost. Nola and Beau have to work together to defeat Antoine and figure out why Antoine continues to stay and terrify not only Nola, but others who sense and see his horrible presence. 

Ah, Beau. Nola and Beau. This is my big frustration with this series. Nola and Beau are a hot mess. It's obvious they love each other, but Beau has a girlfriend in spite of his very deep feelings for Nola. I just can't get why they both have to make it so complicated. The tension between the two is not good romantic tension; it's just too darn stressful to enjoy. I feel like any chance of a long lasting romance between them is not going to happen. I'd rather Nola end up with Cooper. I like both Beau and Nola, but especially Nola's decision making (or lack of) can be frustrating. Get out of your own way, Nola!

There are other things that happen in this novel, especially involving Beau's family, which is one of the backbones of this series. Some questions were answered, but of course the ending scene set us up for more to follow in the next book. I'll be waiting  patiently for that!

Do not start this series without reading the Tradd Street series first. You just won't get a lot of the back story for this series and you'll miss so much! Plus, you get to see Nola's story from the beginning, which is very interesting. She's a great character, but her stubbornness can get a bit old. 

Rating: 5/6 for a series continuation that starts right from the end of the first novel. I like that very much. Some character development that was good, some lack of development that was annoying. However, I love Ms. White's paranormal novels and eagerly read each and every one. Fans of contemporary fiction mixed with history and the paranormal will gleefully dive right in. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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June Read: The House on Prytania (a Royal Street novel) by Karen White

The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White

 

There aren't many series that I start and read all the way through to the last book. However, The Tradd Street Series by Karen White is one that I have loved from the first novel published in 2008: The House on Tradd Street. 

I was so excited to read this novel I purposely bought a backpack purse large enough to fit a hardcover and took it on the plane with me when I went on vacation last week. I promptly buckled myself into my seat, opened my book, and read for the next three hours of my flight. 

So, no, do not start with this book if you've never read the series. This really is a series that needs to be read in order so you aren't confused because BIG things happen over the course of the series. So, for a quick recap: Melanie is a realtor selling historical homes in her hometown of Charleston. She's called to a home on Tradd Street to talk to the owner about listing it. However, the owner has something else in mind, and dies, leaving the home to Melanie. 

A gorgeous, stately home, it needs a heck of a lot of work--and as an extra bonus, comes with a few mysteries and ghosts. Melanie has psychic gifts (which she tries to ignore) and gets sucked into not only falling in love with the house, but begins to dive into the history of the house and the previous owners. Along comes author Jack Trenholm, a hot looking man who is also interested in the mysteries attached to the home--and interested in Melanie, as well. 

I won't give anything away that will surprise anyone, but here at the end of the series, Jack and Melanie are married with twin toddlers and Jack's teenage daughter all living in the house on Tradd street. Relationships have formed, strengthened, and have had quite a few tough spots. Melanie is still coming to grips with her transition from an independent go-getter to a mother of three and a wife to a man who continues to challenge her every day. And the spirits that inhabit her home, as well as the others who inhabit homes around Charleston are still calling on Melanie to solve mysteries and murders of the past. Will she finally embrace her gifts and use them to solve one last legendary mystery at her home? 

I can't tell you how much I love this series. It has everything in it I adore in a good book: a bit of romance, paranormal mysteries, history, historical restoration, and evolving relationships. Humor, quirky characters, and realistic relationships keep this series from becoming stale. One day I will visit Charleston! 

Here is the series in order of publication:

The House on Tradd Street

The Girl on Legare Street

The Strangers on Montagu Street

Return to Tradd Street

The Guests on South Battery

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street

The Attic on Queen Street

Thank you, thank you Karen White for such a wonderful series. I looked forward to every new novel in this series, and am happy to report while Jack and Melanie's story has come to an end, a new series will begin in 2022 featuring Jack's daughter Nola in New Orleans. The title is The Shop on Royal Street. To say I'm giddy with excitement is an understatement. You can bet I'll be reading and reviewing it!

Rating: 5/6 for a satisfying conclusion to the Tradd Street Series. While I was sad to turn the last page, I did so with a big sigh of happiness-characters got their just rewards.

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White

The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

 

Click here to order from Amazon

This was another book I saw at B&N and the cover grabbed me right away. It didn't look like a romantic comedy (it isn't), and when I read the blurb on the back cover, well, seeing it was set in Charleston had me adding it to my stack of books. I left B&N that day with a hefty bag of books and zero regret. Which, to be honest, is how I always leave B&N. 

I'll be honest again and say I started reading it and thought, uh oh, I don't think I'm prepared to read a novel about a woman who is seeking to adopt a baby. It just wasn't what I was looking to read about. However, I kept reading (it was a welcome break from The Sanatorium!) and sure enough I got past the first 50 pages and settled into a charming novel about creating a family and finding a new beginning when it seems that all is lost. 

Celia Fairchild is newly divorced and working in New York City as the popular newspaper advice columnist Dear Calpurnia. She's decided the only way to have the family she desires is to adopt a baby on her own. Marching into her boss' office, she's prepared to ask for a raise in order to help finance a new place to live-a place to raise a baby. 

However, Celia finds herself unemployed and devastated by the sudden turn of events. Soon after, she receives a phone call from a lawyer in Charleston, telling her she is the sole heir to her Aunt Calpurnia's home and she must come down to take care of it. Celia hadn't spoken to her Aunt in years, and feels horrible Calpurnia died without Celia making her peace. With no job on the horizon, she heads to Charleston.

What Celia finds is a big surprise, and the beginning of a brand new life-one that Celia isn't sure she wants. However, she's a potential match for a baby, and has twelve weeks to get the house in shape for a visit by the birth mother. And the house is a DISASTER. A host of characters enter the picture-neighbors, an ex-con contractor, a delightfully sunny young man who works at a local coffee shop; even an old high school friend. And yes, the lawyer who wears ill-fitting suits even shows up to help Celia. Little does Celia know it, but her family is taking shape and changing her life. 

As I said before, this was a charming novel. I am always up for a novel where people are starting over, changing their life in big and small ways, and discovering what makes them truly happy. Time and time again, what we think we want and what we actually need are usually two different things-and it can take big changes to recognize the difference. For Celia, it's a big change in both her attitude and her idea of a picture perfect life that generate her happily ever after. 

There are some interesting issues throughout this book: most importantly, the issues of loneliness and isolation. Family, forgiveness, doing what's right versus doing what society thinks is proper. Understanding we have a family we are born into, and a family we create from those around us who support, nurture, and love us through all the crap. 

If you're looking for a gentle read, this is it. Marie Bostwick has written many other novels, and I suspect they are also gentle reads, too. There is a letter from the author in the back, as well as reading group questions. This is the kind of novel you finish at night before you go to bed, smile, then get a good night's sleep. 

Available in paperback and ebook. 

Rating: 4/6 for a novel that surprised me with the many lively characters and their back stories, the evolution of Celia's life plans, and the happily ever after that was not a big blow out, but a soft, gentle, satisfying conclusion. Oh-there is knitting, too! 

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The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street by Karen White

It's safe to say I'm a HUGE Karen White fan, and especially of her Tradd Street series. I eagerly await the next in the series, and dang it all-- I found out there's going to be just one more in the series. I'm glad, because this one ends with a bit of a cliffhanger that absolutely must be resolved. 

I don't want to give a lot away, since this is the sixth in the series. But the basics of the series I can certainly share: Melanie is a real estate agent in her hometown of Charleston. She sells a lot of old historic homes, and she loathes them, mostly because she can see and hear the dead. A town with the history of Charleston has spirits everywhere, and Melanie isn't a fan of her talent, inherited from her opera singing mother. 

Melanie's home on Tradd Street was inherited from an old man who enjoyed Melanie's company, and knew of her talents. He was convinced his home would be safe in her hands. And through this series, it is safe in her hands after she reluctantly takes ownership and begins restoration work. Of course, there are spirits, both helpful and malevolent hanging around, and Melanie has to solve the historical mysteries before someone gets hurt. Through it all is Jack Trenholm, a dashingly handsome author of historical novels, who is intrigued with Melanie's home and the possibility of writing a new novel based on the history of her home. Jack is, of course, interested in Melanie, too. The attraction between the two moves through all six of the books, and I guess I'm not giving anything away when you see that by this novel, they're happily married, with toddler twins. But the course of love and marriage doesn't run smooth, mostly because Melanie's upbringing left her with some trust issues. Those trust issues drive the plot toward an ending that had me anxious for Melanie, and completely irritated at her, too. 

This sixth novel finds Melanie again dealing with some really unhappy spirits who seem to have been stirred up by the excavation of an old cistern in her back yard. She sees a man with no eyes, a bloody shirt, and some pretty serious anger issues hanging around upstairs, and she just knows trouble is around the corner. Juggling her family, her job, her marriage, and her insecurities, along with the latest threat from Marc Longo, a total jerk who is out to take Melanie's home away from her...well, it's all a big pot that will boil over, with unexpected consequences. 

I rarely, if ever, finish a series. They tend to "jump the shark" about half-way through and I lose interest. This is one series I will read until the end. I absolutely love it. Melanie has come a long way, but she still has moments of annoyance that make me want to shake her! I love the full cast of characters--her parents, her sister, her friends, and yes, even her enemy Marc. Jack is pretty yummy, too. I love the blend of history and paranormal, and of course Charleston is on my list of places to visit. It all combines to make a series that will remain one of my favorites. I don't know how I'm going to wait for the final book in the series! 

And yes, I would recommend reading the series in order, because so much of what happens develops over time, and it will make more sense if you follow the books in order--especially to see the developing relationship between Melanie and Jack, and Melanie and her mother. 

Rating 5/6 for an interesting historical plot about a Revolutionary War spy ring, ghosts, clues, and a race to put it all together. A satisfying addition to the Tradd Street series. Loved it! 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street by Karen White

Christmas at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer and I'm Done With Christmas Reads!

I've made a pretty good dent in my month of Christmas reads, but I decided today that I just can't read anymore holiday themed novels.  I'm ready to get back to my regular reading.  So much so that I've already put so many books on my mental January reads list that it's impossible for me to read them all.  I'm afraid to sit and actually write down what I'm planning on reading for January. The bone chilling cold that has visited Iowa in the past few days (and not leaving any time soon) has me yearning (and yes, I do mean yearning) to plant my tush on the couch and read for days.  Those are my plans for this coming weekend, so I hope they become reality.

I bought this novel last month while perusing the holiday reads at B&N.  I hadn't read a holiday romance since last year, and when I read the back cover, I had to buy it. Anything that is set in Charleston has me won over.  I've never been to Charleston, but it's on my travel list as a must see. I'm halfway in serious like with a city I've never been to, but someday I'll get there.

After my unhappy reading experience with Christmas in London, I was ready for a romance with some heat, and Deacon Banks, hailing from New York City, was just the ticket.  He's in Charleston for the month of December to help his Aunt Fran settle into her winter condo and make her entrance into Charleston society.  A famous talk show host, she's retired and wanted to make a change, so Charleston was her change.  She wants Deacon to settle down, so he's reluctantly promised her he'll date a few women while he's in Charleston, just to make his Aunt happy.  Enter Two Love Lane, where Macy Frost and her two friends run a matchmaking service.  They've got the magic touch, and are well known as matchmakers who help folks find their true love.  Deacon just wants a few dates with no strings attached, but the first time he lays eyes on Macy, it's lust.  Macy tries to keep it professional, but she feels the pull of attraction, too.  

Macy is a matchmaker who believes in love, but not for herself.  That, and Deacon's unwillingness to admit that it's more than lust with Macy make the road to happily ever after a bit bumpy. As they spend the December social scene  together, and get to know one another, it's clear this is a love match.  Clear to everyone but the two of them.  I got a little lost in some of the finer details as to why they just couldn't admit to their deeper feelings; it seemed to take way too long, even after they did sleep together.  I think the story could have been shortened by about 50 pages by cutting out some of that dragging plot.  But, that was about all I had to complain about.  The sparks between Macy and Deacon were hot, they were cute and funny together, and the secondary characters were delightful.  I can't imagine that Charleston is as small town as it appears to be in this novel--everyone knows everyone, and everything is in walking distance--but that is part of the charm of the setting. I'm willing to overlook it. 

There is a sequel coming out next week, called Wedding at Two Love Lane.  It is the story of one of Macy's partners, and it looks like fun, too.  I'll probably be reading it just to see how things turn out.  I suspect there will be a third, to round out the trio of ladies who own Two Love Lane.  

So, I am ending my Christmas reads with this novel.  I have a few that I didn't get to, or gave up on, and I'll have a roundup of those in a later post. I'll say goodbye until next year to my holiday reads.  I'll be ready to tackle another pile of them come December 1, 2018.  

Rating:  3/6 for an entertaining romance set in Charleston in December.  The chemistry between the two main characters is palpable, and the secondary characters are pretty fantastic. Available in mass market, and ebook. I'll read the sequel coming out next week.   

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Christmas at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer and I'm Done With Christmas Reads!

A Quick Review of The Guests on South Battery by Karen White AND Books for February

January sped by and now I'm staring February in the face.  Of course all the books I've asked for through the library are now rolling in, so I've got a glut to read.  Gee, twist my arm.  😉  But before I get to what I'm reading for February, I've got a quick review of The Guests on South Battery by Karen White.

I'll tell you right now that I absolutely adore this series.  This is fifth book in the series, so please don't start with this one, but start at the beginning with The House on Tradd Street.  You'll be a bit lost, and darn it, come into the story after all the really good stuff happens between Melanie and Jack.  **Warning:  spoiler alert**

Melanie is returning to work as a realtor specializing in historic homes in her hometown of Charleston, SC.  Work continues on her home, as do the odd paranormal events that come with her home.  Jack is working on a book, and having twin babies means they need a nanny.  Melanie's latest client has inherited a historic home on South Battery Street, and Jayne is eager to sell it.  Very eager to sell it.  It's obvious Jayne is very uneasy around the house, and will do anything to avoid stepping foot in it.  Lucky for Melanie, Jayne is a nanny looking for a job while the house is looked at by a team of historical renovation experts, restored, and all of the valuable antiques are evaluated and sold.  Jayne is a perfect fit for Melanie's household, and her twins Sarah and JJ (both adorable 10 month olds) take to her instantly.  

Meanwhile, lots of recent rainfall has caused part of Melanie's back yard to sink in, exposing a cistern that requires archaeologists from the local college to excavate it, as it's clearly from the early days of Charleston and may be of historical significance.  Only bad thing about it is that something dark and evil has been released and has taken root in Melanie's home.  Also, touring Jayne's home has given Melanie a sense that not only are there spirits around, but one isn't very nice.  Reluctant to embrace her gifts, but frustrated that during her pregnancy they seemed to be blocked, Melanie knows she's being called on to solve another mystery haunting historical Charleston.  But, in doing so, both her and Jack uncover a whole lot more that has repercussions for Melanie and her family.  

I dived right into this novel, and was happy to read the continuation of Melanie and Jack's story.  Here they are happily married, and new parents.  Melanie still suffers from moments of "I can't believe this guy is my husband!" and fresh off of a difficult pregnancy, she doesn't feel her most attractive.  Being a first time mom in her early 40's has given her great joy, but also a bit of a confidence issue.  This is a big part of the story, and while I understand completely, there were times I wanted to shake her!  Just goes to show that marriages always need work, and communication is so important between partners.  I liked the paranormal plot a lot, but I figured it all out pretty quickly so there weren't any surprises.  Still very enjoyable.   I give it a 6/10; it's available in hardcover, e-book, and audio.  If you're a fan of the South, and like a bit of paranormal, family drama, history, and romance, pick up this series.  Can't wait for the next one!

Now, onto my February reads.  I've got a plateful, for sure. 

Moms and drama at a school in small town England

John Wilkes Booth.  Should be interesting

Epistolary novel set during the Civil War

Sequel to the Lace Reader.  I'm giving her another chance

Publisher review.  Thriller. 

 And I'm going to try and squeeze in a romantic read...after all it is the month of love! 
 

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A Quick Review of The Guests on South Battery by Karen White AND Books for February

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

This book has been on my "gotta read" list for over a year.  I finally got the chance to read it, thanks to Rebecca at Penguin-Random House books.  I'll admit I had a vague idea of what this book was about, and that drove me to read it.  But what I thought it was about and what is actually was about ended up being different, and much more than I expected.

This novel is based on two women who had the guts to stand up against slavery and the lack of rights for women in the 1820's.  A hundred years before women got the right to vote.  Sometimes a loud roar starts off with a quiet growl.  Sarah and Nina Grimke form two parts of an amazing trio of women; the third woman, Handful, was Sarah's slave.  Sarah's mother gives Handful to Sarah on her 11th birthday.  Sarah is a pretty smart kid.  She reads books from her father's library (he's a judge, wealthy, slave owner, and lives in Charleston) and dreams of one day becoming a lawyer.  She is horrified at the gift her mother gives her, and refuses to become the owner of Handful.  She even writes out a statement freeing Handful and leaves it for her father, sure he'll abide by her wishes.  Instead, the statement is ripped up and left outside her bedroom door.  She is Handful's mistress whether she likes it or not.  Thus begins a 30 year journey between two woman: one black, one white, one free, one enslaved. 

We come to know Handful and her mother, Charlotte, the family's seamstress.  Charlotte is feisty and determined to one day be free.  She quilts her family's history and sneaks out to make extra money to one day buy her and Handful's freedom.  And yes, you guessed it--things don't go so well.  The brutality and downright wrongness of slavery makes blatant appearances to Handful and Charlotte, as well as Nina  and Sarah.  The relationship between Sarah and Handful was a complex one; I expected more of a novel about a close relationship between the women, but that didn't happen.  Sarah is haunted by Charlotte's demand that one day Sarah free Handful.  Sarah finds it much harder to do this than she ever imagines; can she ever grant this wish and free Handful?   Sarah's life as a privileged upper-class white woman in Charleston has left her in a prison created by society's rigid rules and regulations regarding women.  While Nina became the more famous of the Grimke sisters, it is Sarah's story that is the focus of this novel.

The novel is told in alternating chapters between Sarah and Handful.  It took me a bit to get into the story, and I think this was because I kept getting distracted from the book.  The ending is one that made me tear up.  It comes full circle.  Knowing some background of the Grimke sisters certainly helped me have a good framework before I got too deep into the story, and I would certainly read the author's notes in the back of the book before you begin the novel.  

A powerful novel about the horror of slavery, friendship in all of it's complications, and amazing women who were afraid but stepped forward and fought anyway.  

Available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audio.  

Thank you to Rebecca from Penguin/Random House for a copy of the book!  

Rating:  8/10 for a novel about women who saw wrong and fought hard to change it, sometimes at great cost to themselves.  

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The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch

I read Sarah-Kate Lynch's Blessed are the Cheesemakers a few years ago and fell in love with her writing style.  I can't get enough of what most people call "magical realism".  I firmly believe life is full of magical moments, people, and things and any book that includes this belief of mine is destined to find its way into my home and on my bookshelves.

So goes The Wedding Bees.  It has actually given me an idea for a paper I have to write for school.  I have a cousin who lives in the 'burbs of Chicago who is raising his own bees;  the combination of this book and Steve's beginning phase of "suburban farmer" have peaked my interest in all things bees and honey.  

Sugar Wallace is a young woman who travels around the US with her bees.  Her queen bee, Elizabeth the 6th, is placed on a map and wherever she stops, that's where Sugar moves to for exactly one year.  Then she pulls out the map and moves again.  This time she's landed in New York City, in the Alphabet City area known for it's quirkiness.  She lives in the top floor of an apartment building filled with people who are all doing what Sugar does:  hiding from what they could be and should be.  This group of people are wonderful and you'll fall in love with each one of them and want to live in this apartment building.  And there's Theo, the Scottish lawyer who meets Sugar on her first day in New York City and immediately knows they are meant for one another.  But the path to love and happiness is not easy, and Sugar struggles with her attraction to Theo and her reasons for being on the run from Charleston for 15 years.  Thankfully, Theo is not one to give up.  

I adored this novel.  I love the South; so combine that with some interesting tidbits about bees, beekeeping, honey, and a colorful, vibrant city, and I've got a novel that made me smile.  

Highly recommend this sweet novel.  Yep,  I said it.  Sweet.  Sweet as honey.

Rating:  8/10 for a great setting, colorful characters, and just enough information about bees and beekeeping to make it all interesting.  

Available in paperback and e-book.

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The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch