The Three Ws are:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
If you read the description for this book and you have followed my blog for any time, you are probably wondering why in the world I chose this one, and I don’t have any earthly idea. I got this one a while back, and I am a bit perplexed why I chose it. Other than it was set in the 80s and I’m a child of the 80s. I’m going to give it a go, though, starting today. If it’s too gratuitous, I will have to DNF it, but I’m sure St. Martin’s Press will understand. It has good reviews though, so I’m hoping that I will enjoy this story and love the fact that is so different from other books that I read.
Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy
- Genre: Chick Lit
- Print Length: 336 pgs
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
- Publication Date: July 6, 2021
The small town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is an unlikely location for a Playboy Resort, and nineteen-year old Sherri Taylor is an unlikely bunny. Growing up in neighboring East Troy, Sherri plays the organ at the local church and has never felt comfortable in her own skin. But when her parents die in quick succession, she leaves the only home she’s ever known for the chance to be part of a glamorous slice of history. In the winter of 1981, in a costume two sizes too small, her toes pinched by towering stilettos, Sherri joins the daughters of dairy farmers and factory workers for the defining experience of her life.
Living in the “bunny hutch”—Playboy’s version of a college dorm, surrounded by a twelve-foot high barbed-wire fence (to keep the men out, and the girls in)—Sherri gets her education in the joys of sisterhood, the thrill of financial independence, the magic of first love, and the heady effects of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But as spring gives way to summer, Sherri finds herself caught up in a romantic triangle––and the tragedy that ensues will haunt her for the next forty years of her life.
Shoulder Season follows Sherri from her fledgling days as a bunny, when she tries to reinvent herself before she even knows who she is, to the woman she becomes years later. From the Midwestern prairie to the California desert, from Wisconsin lakes to the Pacific Ocean, this is a story of what happens when small town life is sprinkled with stardust, and what we lose—and gain—when we leave home. It’s about the brief but intoxicating experiences of our youth, and how they have the power to shape the rest of our lives. With a heroine to root for and a narrative to get lost in, Shoulder Season is a sexy, evocative tale, drenched in longing and desire, that captures a fleeting moment in American history with nostalgia and heart.
My review will be out next week on Six Crimson Cranes but just let me say, I absolutely love, love, loved this fantasy story!
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
- Genre: YA Fantasy
- Print Length: 464 pgs
- Publisher: Knopf
- Publication: July 6, 2021
Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.
Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.
Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.
Back to another thriller, and I absolutely love the cover of this one. Something about the description reminds me of Desperate Housewives but even if it is nothing like that crazy tv show, I still am looking forward to reading it.
The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives
- Genre: Psychological Thriller
- Print Length: 288 pgs
- Publisher: Ballantine Books
- Publication Date: July 20, 2021
Mystery writer Brooke Davies is the new wife on the block. Her tech-billionaire husband, Jack, twenty-two years her senior, whisked her to the Bay Area via private jet and purchased a modest mansion on the same day. He demands perfection, and before now, Brooke has had no problem playing the role of a doting housewife. But as she befriends other wives on the street and spends considerable time away from Jack, he worries if he doesn’t control Brooke’s every move, she will reveal the truth behind their “perfect” marriage.
Erin King, famed news anchor and chair of the community board, is no stranger to maintaining an image–though being married to a plastic surgeon helps. But the skyrocketing success of her career has worn her love life thin, and her professional ambitions have pushed Mason away. Quitting her job is a Hail Mary attempt at keeping him interested, to steer him away from finding a young trophy wife. But is it enough, and is Mason truly the man she thought he was?
Georgia St. Claire allegedly cashed in on the deaths of her first two husbands, earning her the nickname “Black Widow”–and the stares and whispers of her curious neighbors. Rumored to have murdered both men for their fortunes, she claims to have found true love in her third marriage, yet her mysterious, captivating allure keeps everyone guessing. Then a tragic accident forces the residents of Presidio Terrace to ask: Has Georgia struck again? And what is she really capable of doing to protect her secrets?
What are you reading this week? Anything that you’re particularly excited about?
Tessa Talks Books 
Of course Trophy Wives sparked my interest. Cranes kind of sounds good, too. And maybe it’s the 80s, because it certainly isn’t my preferred genre, but I am kind of intrigued by Shoulders. I know; I’m surprised, too.
I just finished a thriller by Anne Frasier called Tell Me. It was good. I didn’t realize it was part of a series (it didn’t matter) and now I want to go back and read the earlier book or books.
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I love it when a book in a series is so good that I want to read the whole series!
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Oh yes I see what you mean about Shoulder Season, hope it’s a good read and not as bad as you anticipate!
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I hope so too. I just realized I read the author’s first book – a much different story – and loved it, so I guess I was sent the widget for it by St. Martin’s Press. If this book is like her first, it actually should be a good story.
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Trophy Wives was a fun beach read. I just finished Nanny Needed and it was a real page flipper! Not sure what’s next. I received a couple of July ARCs so most likely one of those!
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You definitely want to get on those July ARCs ☺️. Hope you have some good ones!
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Trophy Wives is calling me, so I’ll be looking for your review on that one. Right now, I’m reading Nanny Needed. I’m at the 62% mark, and wow is it good!
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Your the second person today who has mentioned Nanny Needed. Good ratings, two reliable recommendations – now, if I only had time in my schedule. I’ll have to pick it up when it come out. ❤️
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I hope the 80s setting is so good that you end up enjoying Shoulder Season. I’ve done similar before now in buying a book or requesting an ARC because my eye is drawn to one element of the plot and I completely miss what else is mentioned. I’m sure the publisher will understand if this one isn’t for you though.
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I’m sure they will too. I haven’t had any issues the few times I’ve done that. I always mention that I’d hate to give it a bad rating just because it’s not my cup of tea. I figure they would rather I not review it in that case too ❤️
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The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives sounds excellent. Shoulder Season isn’t one I’d ever pick up, so I’m excited to see how it turns out for you. Happy reading, Tessa!
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The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives does sound good, doesn’t it? I can’t wait to read it ☺️
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This week I read ‘If We Had Known’. It is another Indie Author, as I felt I would scroll through posts with no intention of buying. My aim is to buy at least two a month (When I get paid). I enjoyed reading this book and managed to read it in a whole weekend. I’m now reading ‘Only the Innocent’. by Rachel Abbott. I still don’t know who the murderer is, but I’m enjoying her writing.
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These sound very good. Happy reading!
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The Shoulder Season looks very good. I’ve always been interested in the Playboy bunnies, what makes women go and become bunnies, and what their lives are really like. I just finished the audiobook of Daisy Jones and the Six, it was wonderful.
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I heard good things about Daisy Jones. Glad you liked it ❤️
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