Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer

I have heard many different opinions regarding this book. I decided to take the plunge and read it myself however it did sit in my to be read pile for months before I took a chance at it.

I was clearly aware that the book is essentially Twilight, with gender roles reversed and a few minor differences what I wasn't expecting was how difficult it would be to get my mind to adjust to these differences. I spent way to much time trying to figure out who was who, with the exception of Beau and Edythe. Aspects of some characters no longer make any sense and some of the characters that used to be strong are now weak and vice versa. 

I felt rather annoyed but forced myself to continue reading and  half way through the book I got the hang of the reversed roles and started to see minor differences in the story line. I wasn't terribly impressed with the story re-imagined but found the ending to be satisfactory. 

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

The Dating Charade is a cute book, a decent read and I wanted to love it but it just felt flat and a bit unrealistic.

Jett and Cassie are great characters and I would have loved for the book to have been about them but sadly it's more about the situation they are put into when they each find themselves raising other people's children and trying not to let one another known in fear that they other wouldn't want to be with them.

The chemistry between the two characters is great and I wish the focus had been on their relationship. I don't really care to read about raising children and the chaos that ensues as they each attempt to  navigate parenthood. I also find it hard to believe that two people would each suddenly find themselves in a situation from having no kids to have kids overnight. It's too large of a coincidence. 

There is way too much focus on the kids and not on the relationship which makes the entire relationship seem farfetched. I kept waiting for the Rom-Com to happen but it never did or at least that was the case for me.

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman

Audrey has terminal cancer and more than anything in the world, she wants her two estranged daughters to reunite. It's been 28 long years since Jess stopped talking to Lily. Childhood trauma and secrets have ripped the family apart.

Audrey's granddaughters have never met. Lily doesn't know why Jess hates her and Audrey wants her family to heal before she passes away. Time is running out and it's up to Audrey to uncover the secret of why Jess won't talk to Lily.

The story is an emotional read and well written. It is told through alternating voices, Jess is an unlikable character and the book is slightly predictable but worth the read.

Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Summer of '69 centers around the Foley/Levin family. Every summer they leave heat of Boston and head out to their grandmother's home in Nantucket for three months. The  summer of '69 proves to be a bit different from previous summers.

Kate is the mother of 4 children. Her only son, Tiger has been shipped off to Vietnam. Her eldest daughter, Blair is pregnant with her first child, stuck in Boston for the summer with her workaholic husband and finds herself bored, lonely and suspicious of her husband. Kirby is the middle child and has decided to spend her summer working at Martha's Vineyard rather than spend time with her family in Nantucket. Jessie is the youngest and only 13 years old. She isn't looking forward to the summer with her grandmother and aunt but it turns out to be more interesting than she would have ever imagined.

There is a lot of drama making for an exciting read however the relationship between Jessie and her brother, Tiger is by far the most interesting one. Tiger, sends her letters from Vietnam and in return she shares her secrets with him.

This is an interesting read in which all the characters grow and I was able to surprisingly relate to all of them with the exception of the grandmother.

This is a perfect author for fans of Jane Green's work. I will be putting more of Hilderbrand's books on my to be read pile.