Today I am reviewing All Booked Up by Melody Carlson out next Tuesday.
Book Description:
Empty nester and widow Riva Owen lives in the Victorian house that’s been in her family for three generations, but finances have become a challenge she can no longer ignore. Her daughter is pushing her to move, and after considering all her options, Riva knows selling would be the smartest course. But she just can’t bring herself to leave years of memories–and her cherished library filled with hundreds of books.
When she pursues an alternative–opening her home to women like her who have been forced to make lifestyle changes and need a room to rent–Riva is unprepared for the mix of personalities and peculiarities of her new housemates. She is even more unprepared for Marcus, the handsome and handy older brother of one of her new tenants. The possibility of finding love again feels overwhelming, even as her tenants seem to have romantic schemes of their own.
Warm your heart with a contemporary romance story of found family, booklovers, new beginnings, and an unexpected second chance at love in Melody Carlson’s delightful signature style.
My Review:
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.
What can I say Melody Carlson does it again. Another great book. The starts with Riva and her daughter talking about her large library of books. Kenzie would like her to get rid of the books even burning them and Riva can’t she loves books. Riva is a widow and the cost of upkeep for her house is becoming too much. She may need to move but can she part with her books.
Through circumstances she decides to rent rooms in her house to other women. This leads to a house with five very different women all single due to different circumstances. One of the women has a older brother who is a handyman and helping is sister and her friend with moving. With five different personalities there is bound to be teething issues. We see this fairly early on especially with one lady. She is trying and at times I would have liked to knock some sense into her. However, this does lead to a good book. Seeing how Melody would deal with the issues and what resolution would happen.
This book deals with grief and the different stages and how little things can bring up memories and feelings the characters have to deal with. It also has healing. One of the early scenes is Riva attending a grief support group and it is a recurring theme. We learn early that Riva’s husband Paul died of cancer and Riva was his carer. This in itself adds a layer to grief. If you are in this situation or just recently widowed, you may find this book difficult at times. I also think for those a little into the grief journey would find this book helpful. Showing how grief is normal and it doesn’t just go away and there is no time limit.
Overall, I loved the ending, but I would love to read more of these characters. There is so many more stories that could from this scenario and would make a great series. I know this probably won’t happen but I can hope.
If you enjoy books with real situations dealing with real issues and strong characters give this book a go.
Check out Narelle Atkins review here.
Pre-order at Baker Book House: