It doesn’t feel like spring today but a few of the books I review below would be perfect to take on a spring break trip or will at least get you in a sunnier mood. I’ve read 34 books since the beginning of the year. I only ever review four books a month on this blog but I do rate each book I read over on my Instagram page (@planningforkeeps) if you are interested in even more book reviews/ratings.

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Tom Lake

Tom Lake is a book meant for me. The setting is a Midwest cherry orchard and the story involves summer regional theater. This is who I am at my core.

It’s a perfect book to bring on a beach vacation because you can easily set it down and pick it back up. You won’t feel the need to stay up all night because you’re dying to know what happens next. This steady book has a very satisfying ending.

A young woman spontaneously tries out for a local production of Our Town in which her grandmother is helping with the costumes. She gets the role of Emily which ends up jump starting a waterfall of events that changes her whole life.

In college, Lara plays the role of Emily again and gets scouted for a Hollywood movie. As she awaits the movie’s release Lara goes to Tom Lake in Michigan. There she will be doing summer stock theater playing Emily again because the previous actress had to suddenly drop out of the production.

Lara tells this history of her life to her three college-aged daughters because they are all home helping with the cherry orchard during the pandemic. The girls want to know more about their mom’s love life with a famous movie star. Tom Lake is where she met him.

Lara tells her daughters about the whole summer (mostly) and how their relationship began and ended. More importantly, she tells of how that summer led to other areas of her life including her husband and their orchard.

I very much enjoyed this book. BUT what is up with the cover art? Why are there no cherries? Says the person who took engagement photos in a cherry orchard!!

The Teacher

As predictable as the majority of The Teacher was the very last twist (I’m talking last page) got me!

A new school year is starting. Addie is not excited because she was the center of a scandal last year involving a math teacher resulting in him having to resign. Now Addie is in the math class of a strict female teacher. The math teacher is married to the hottest male teacher in school. Addie also happens to have said hot teacher for English (her best subject).

The girl is completely ostracized from her classmates. Nate (the male English teacher) sees her talent and suggests Addie join the school’s poetry magazine. Their relationship starts to get close. Is it a teacher preying on a troubled girl or a troubled girl taking down male teachers?

It should be noted that the marriage between the two teachers isn’t great. It’s hard to make a baby when you only have sex once a month.

The book is a lot of bad people doing bad things. The characters aren’t likeable. It felt like elementary writing to me but that last twist is a good one.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

What I thought was going to be fluff because of a ridiculous premise ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

In The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, Lolly is 32 and a found journal from her early teens helps her realize that she hasn’t accomplished any of her major goals in life.

Since her mother unexpectedly died 10 years ago Lolly put her life on hold. She’s helped her dad raise her younger sister and keep the family’s diner running. Lolly even carries on the tradition of making her mother’s secret recipe for lemon meringue pie – yes a recipe is included in the back of the book.

Now her great aunt approaches her with an opportunity. She gives Lolly three lemon drops that will show Lolly what her life would be like if she had made different choices in her life. Lolly gets to spend one day living that life to see if that life leads to bliss.

The reader gets the back story of Lolly’s first love, her dream career, and what life would be like if her mother lived.

It makes you think about what choices you have made in your own life and how your life could have turned out drastically differently. I think this would be a great pick for a book club.

The Serpent & The Wings of Night

I will absolutely be reading the followup book to The Serpent and the Wings of Night because this was good! My only complaint is that I wish there were more sexy scenes.

Oraya is a human adopted by the vampire Nightborn king. She’s about to enter a competition in which the sole remaining competitor gets their wish granted.

The challenges are filled with physical and psychological tests. No one is betting on a human to do well against constant attacks but she has been training for this for a long time. Nonetheless, Oraya finds herself needing to form an alliance with a vampire.

Will Raihn help her get to the end or will he be Oraya’s ultimate downfall?

During the competition war impacts the world around them. What Oraya knew of her past and of her adopted father might not be as black and white anymore.

For those who like The Hunger Games and From Blood and Ash I think you should give this book a shot.

For more book reviews check out my February book reviews!