One of the great things about September is lots of book clubs are starting up again after a summer hiatus. The Sanity Seekers, my book club, will be meeting this Friday. Yay!
We’re starting this season off with Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer.
The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.
As the weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhoods, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?
Oh my gosh, you guys! This book broke my heart, but don’t let that deter you from reading it. It was also SO good. It’s a heart wrenching look at addiction and relationships and loss. One of the discussion questions at the back of the book ask which sister you relate to most? The answer for me is Lexie. I’m a control freak. And a fixer. I’m more than willing to step in and ‘help’. But this book makes clear, for me at least, that is not always what is needed.
I love books that make me think or that leave me with a sense of having learned something about myself. And that is pretty much any book. I’m always stepping into the shoes of the main characters when I pick up a book.
Or listen to a book. I’m very much enjoying For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale. It’s narrated by Nicholas Boulton, who is so, so very good! In fact, I picked the book because of the narrator, as Laura Kinsale is a new-to-me author. But enjoying the medieval romances right now. I’m loving the heroine in this book because she’s not always likeable. Who else is a fan of unlikeable heroines? But she’s definitely a survivor. And she’s wicked smart.
With Princess Melanthe di Monteverde widowed, a political marriage would tip the balance of power to any kingdom that possessed her. Determined to return to England alive and unwed, she hides behind a mask of witchery.
Protecting her is Ruck d’Angleterre, a chivalrous knight who never wavers—and the only man Melanthe wishes could lift the veil of her disguise. He once desired her, but now his gaze reveals distrust. As they flee her enemies, Melanthe’s impossible love for the Green Knight grows.
Ruck has remained chaste for thirteen miserable years, since his wife entered a nunnery, continuing to honor their marital vows. In that dark hour, when the church stripped him of his spouse and his possessions, the princess secretly came to his aid with two emeralds. Her safety is his duty, yet his heart is not pure. Each time he gazes upon Melanthe’s sable hair and twilight eyes, he wants more.
Until next time…
Whatever September is bringing you, I hope it involves a good book or two! What is everyone else reading?