Sara and Melissa Talk About...Life in the 90s

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now into our seventh year!

This month, we were inspired by those posts where people shared pictures of themselves in the 90s. However, we had done a post similar to that a few years ago, before it was trendy. So instead we are talking about what life was like in the 90s. (And just for fun, we're using our retro pictures in this post.) I'm sure a lot of you can relate to 90s memories, but for those who were toddlers in the late 90s or not born until after 2000, this post is also for you.

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. 😊 We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.

Sara Steven:

I had a lot of fun watching the “What were you like in the 90s” trends that hit social media not so long ago. Most of it was focused on celebrities, but it made me think about the 90s in general and what that decade was like for me.

There was a lot of freedom–the expectation was to rely on myself for mostly everything. I had to walk a mile to get to the closest city bus stop to get to school, then walk another half a mile once I’d been dropped off. The cycle repeated itself when school let out. Since I had a city bus pass, I’d often run around and take various bus routes to visit friends or see family, or I’d hang out in the downtown area and walk around the mall. There were no cell phones to check in with anyone. I’d have to scrounge up a quarter and use a pay phone and that was only for extreme emergencies.  

Wow. Look at that old school computer screen.

When I was fifteen, my grandparents (who I lived with off and on during my teen years) started traveling and going on week-long vacations, leaving me alone to keep an eye on things. Family members would check in on me from time to time, but it was up to me to get myself to school, keep the house clean, feed myself, and during summer breaks, they’d leave their dogs with me, too, so I had to ensure that all of us were alive and well when they’d return. It was scary, but it also made me feel highly independent and capable.

My best friend and I loved ordering free samples of things from magazines; you’d have to call the toll-free number on the bottom of an advertisement or write in to request the item. We received free feminine products, perfume samples, skincare, and makeup. The anticipation of waiting for our samples in the mail was part of the fun of it, too. You never knew what you’d find when you opened the mailbox that day. That same concept pertained to receiving anything in the mail. Correspondence would take days, or weeks, depending. But that sweet feeling when you’d find something with your name on it was well worth the wait.

Me and my best friend at Christmastime circa 1995 - we're still extremely close

I wore baggy, boot cut jeans–I’m so glad they’re available and back in fashion now. I borrowed 70s-style clothing from those who still had corduroy skirts and bell bottom pants from that decade, and when I’d wear dresses, I always paired them with my Converse chucks. It’s so funny to me how the 90s style is making a comeback right now, and when I lived the 90s, we were trying to get back to the 60s and 70s.

I remember listening to Madonna’s Erotica album on the radio when it first came out in 1992. The station we listened to on our boomboxes actually released the music–so, we did what any self-respecting 90s teen would do, and recorded the whole thing on a blank cassette tape. I remember making a lot of mix tapes for myself, for friends, for those I was romantically linked with. Nothing said love like a mix tape. Of course, once CDs entered the scene, burning music onto CDs was the new thing. The same excitement applied to VHS tapes. Once, I pulled an all-nighter recording various music videos from MTV–I still have that VHS tape. 

At a work event

I’ll be honest–I sometimes miss the simplicity of my life and how I grew up in the 90s. Of course, I was enthralled when I first heard the sounds of dial-up internet, and my first cell phone (2000) was a huge turning point in my life. But I liked filling my days with less technology and more outdoor exploring. I don’t recall ever feeling bored with my life. There was always something to do, someone to see, or somewhere to be, a sweet nostalgia that I wouldn’t trade for anything.   

Melissa Amster:

I was recently talking to my son about the stuff I brought with me to college and mentioned how I had a lot of videos and cassette tapes. He made a comment about how much has changed since then. (Way to make me feel old...)

In any case, life in the 90s was definitely a lot more simple. While we had the Internet, it was in early phases and there was no social media. If you wanted to communicate with your friends, you could just email a big group of them. I had a website, thanks to the guy I was dating at the time. He helped me set it up. I think it's long gone now! (I even had a V.C. Andrews club website.) Eventually, I joined these chat groups and became friends with some people with whom I am still in contact today. We also accessed the internet through a dial-up modem. We had to share that with the phone line. So yes, there were some drawbacks. 

I liked going to the mall a lot more in the 90s. The stores were more fun, instead of the tacky and pointless ones I see in malls today. The malls even had bookstores! Obviously my favorite reason for going to the mall. 

Courtesy of WKYC.com

The music was really good in the 90s. I prefer to listen to 90s music now instead of whatever is currently on the radio. That is, when I'm not listening to showtunes. Alanis was just starting out and I listened to her Jagged Little Pill cassette constantly. I also listened to Toad the Wet Sprocket a lot. 

I went to the movies all the time because they were actually reasonably priced. The most I usually paid was four dollars for a ticket. There were a lot of second-run dollar theaters around too, so that made it even easier to see movies more than once in the theater. I also didn't mind spending on candy at the theater because it was a lot less expensive. Maybe a dollar for a box of Raisinets. 

My favorite theater chain in the 90s
(Photo courtesy of YouTube)

There were a lot less options for TV, even with cable. We didn't have all the streaming channels, so it was basically whatever was on any given TV channel on any given day of the week. I had my shows that I watched regularly and sometimes had to record them on the VCR if I was going to be away. I think my first real binge-watch was Party of Five, when Lifetime started showing episodes every night in the late 90s.

Rent was huge for me in the 90s. I still love Rent and it will always be my top favorite musical, but there's something about how it felt to see it in the 90s that just added something extra. (Also, "What You Own" is different when we're 26 years after the end of the millenium. Still one of the best songs though!) My sister, a friend, and I spent all day waiting outside in the cold for $20 front row seats when it came to Chicago. I'm currently listening to Anthony Rapp's memoir, Without You, and it's bringing back all the feels from the early days of Rent.

At the end of an amazing day (March 10, 1998)

If you took photos, you did not receive them automatically. You had to go to a store and have the film developed, which took a few days. Then you'd get a packet with your photos printed out. There were also disposable cameras that you could bring to the store to have developed, but the camera was done after that.

A roll of film. (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

We didn't have cell phones and usually had to use a pay phone to call our parents if we needed a ride home from school. Before cell phones came about, we had phones that connected to the car in order to activate. I had one and of course got in trouble the one day I forgot to call my parents when I got to school. I'm receiving my karma now though! 

With my first car.

Things felt safer back in the 90s. I could just go all over the place on bike rides or drive into the city late at night without feeling like there would be any problems. Nowadays, there have been acts of violence all over the place (just recently a bunch of teens were causing a huge ruckus inside a DC Chipotle and then I heard about a kid being stabbed at a local carnival) and it makes me just want to stay home all the time and constantly worry about my kids, who like to go out a lot. 

I wouldn't mind time traveling back to the 90s, to enjoy when life was easier in some ways, even with the lack of today's technology. I will leave you with this post that I wrote at my personal blog back in 2015, but it still epitomizes how I feel about the 90s.

What were the 90s like for you?

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Book Review: Safari Murder Party

By Sara Steven

Fletcher Spence is dying for a promotion. And her colleagues are more than happy to oblige.

After three years working seventy-hour weeks as assistant to the most terrifying CEO in the magazine world, Fletcher finally finagled a spot on Cartwright Media’s annual corporate retreat—a famously luxurious week on the Cartwrights’ private island, where promotions are handed out like party favors. And her plan to snag her dream job as a travel magazine photographer was going great...until her boss’s dramatic death reveals his last will and testament: Whoever survives the week will inherit the company.

So now she’s stuck on her billionaire boss’s safari park island, surrounded by wild animals and on the run from coworkers who’ve swapped coffee cups for machetes and briefcases for hunting rifles.

To Fletcher’s dismay, her only ally might be her boss’s insufferably gorgeous son, Waylon Cartwright. Despite their hostile history, Fletcher is at least 80 percent sure he won’t try to kill her this week. Plus, his experience on the island might come in handy while they fend off lions and tigers and...marketing executives? Oh my.

While Fletcher battles her own ambitions and her unexpected attraction to Waylon, her power-hungry, bloodthirsty colleagues will do anything to stop them from escaping with their lives. Everyone knows the media industry is cutthroat, but in this safari party, it’s never been more true. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I didn’t read the synopsis before reading Safari Murder Party, so I had no clue as to what might be in store for Fletcher. One minute, she’s fighting for her job and a much-needed promotion. The next, she was fighting for her life in some of the craziest ways imaginable. 

Initially, Fletcher wasn’t meant to be part of the annual corporate retreat. She’s seen as Cartwright’s beck and call girl, not someone who would ever be considered for a job that doesn’t include doing anything and everything for one the meanest bosses to ever exist on the page–right up there with Miranda Priestley. She knows how everyone views her, her boss included, so she makes a last-minute decision to force her way into the retreat.

It could end up being the very choice that could get her killed, and that’s no exaggeration. The private island becomes a free for all, potential death around every corner. All Fletcher has is her wits and her astounding ability to know the tiny minutiae details about her coworkers, with plenty of scenes lending into close calls and self-preservation. It was action packed and exciting! I had no idea what would happen for her, or for her coworkers. Much like Fletcher’s internal dialogue, I often wondered if the chaos was really happening. Did her boss seriously orchestrate a Hunger Games-like death match until the one last standing gets the reward? 

Despite the fiction, it felt real. Fletcher encounters her coworkers gone wild, and the actual wild, with monkeys and tigers and everything in between. Waylon, the one man she loathes but secretly lusts for, becomes her go-to, which only further proves just how insane her world has become. Does he really mean it when he says he wants to see her survive, or is he only bringing her along until the end is near? And, maybe Fletcher has some tricks up her own sleeves, too. Safari Murder Party was the most insanely wild reading experience and I was there for it, every step of the way! A true five-star experience!

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Also by Rachel Moore:
The Library of Shadows
Us in Ruins

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Spotlight: The Burning Side

When April and Leo’s house burns in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. They retreat to April’s childhood home in Dallas, where her spirited parents and siblings provide both comfort and complication.

As the family reckons with the aftermath—grief, guilt, logistics, and memories scorched and intact—the fire exposes the cracks already forming in April and Leo’s marriage. The novel unfolds in alternating perspectives: from April, who feels the crushing weight of motherhood, marriage, and self-blame; from Leo, a high school history teacher shaped by a lonely, fractured childhood; from Deb, April’s generous and no-nonsense mother who has to contend with her husband’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis; and from flashbacks that trace April and Leo’s relationship from its earliest days of connection to the devastating decisions that led them here.

A family saga suffused with humor, longing, and heartbreak, The Burning Side is about what we inherit and what we choose, about forgiveness and the ache of being known. It is, above all, about the meaning of home and the costs of long love.

Purchase The Burning Side

"Following the breakout success of her debut, The Bright Years, Damoff continues to explore the interplay of the many relationships that make up a family with rare sensitivity."
—Oprah Daily

“Sarah Damoff has a rare gift for creating endearing characters who are recognizable human beings, flawed people striving to do their best for those they love.”
—Dallas Morning News

Photo by Kaylynn Krieg

Sarah Damoff is the best-selling author of The Bright Years. Her writing has appeared in Oprah Daily, Porter House Review, Ruminate Magazine, and Open Global Rights, among other publications. She lives with her husband and children in Texas, where she has been a social worker. Visit Sarah at her website and on Instagram. 

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Book Review and Giveaway: The Shippers

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wingman. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Allyson Bales:

I am a BIG Katherine Center fan. 

I read Happiness For Beginners in 2015 and immediately fell in love with her writing and her imperfect and lovable characters. Ever since then her books always end up on my favorites list of the year. 

The Shippers is no exception and dare I say in my top three favorites of Center's. 

I ship this book and all its characters so hard! I knew immediately that I was going to love JoJo. She’s quirky,  teaches math and is just that heroine you root for. I found myself laughing out loud at so much that she did in this story. She has such awkward moments but Center writes them in such a relatable way that I found myself thinking of myself or my best friend in so many of the story's hilarious moments. I also really really loved so many of her family members.  Her sister stole my heart pretty early on but so does another family member as the story progresses. You’ll know exactly who I’m talking about. 

You also get to meet Cooper, JoJo’s childhood bestie and he really steals the show. 

I loved the cruise ship setting, the way Center explores deeper, more vulnerable topics, and the heartfelt messages so many of characters represent along the way. 

I was lucky enough thanks to Macmillan Audio to get to listen to this one as well and if you can, I really REALLY recommend the audio. Patti Murin narrates and she does an amazing job of bringing JoJo and the whole amazing story to life! 

This will definitely be one of THE rom-coms of the summer! 

Melissa Amster:

I adore Katherine Center's novels. They are fun and uplifting and her main characters have conversations with us, like they are inviting us into their world. Her latest rom-com, The Shippers, is so entertaining and enjoyable. You will want Cooper as a book boyfriend by the time you get to the middle of the story. 😍 

This story is basically a virtual vacation on a cruise. I felt like I was on the ship with JoJo and her family the entire time. Such a fun adventure! 

I loved the banter between JoJo and Cooper. You could tell there was chemistry between them but it was such a "will they, won't they" type of situation. Especially since Cooper was supposed to be JoJo's wingman to help her get together with Finn, who barely acknowledged her presence.

Cleithrophobia is mentioned in this novel. I had never heard this word before but it is definitely a phobia of mine. It's also the reason I gave up on a show I was watching for a long time. Look it up. I'll wait...

One part of the story felt a bit far-fetched for me (it has to do with the trigger warning), but it wasn't a huge issue in the grand scheme of things and it didn't take away from my enjoyment one bit. 

This delightful novel will be available tomorrow and it's perfect for kicking off your summer reading. Katherine loves love, and it truly shows in her writing!

Movie casting suggestions:
JoJo: Lisa Gilroy
Cooper: Tyler Courtad
Finn: Hunter Parrish 
Ashley: Julianne Hough
Harmony: Taylor Ortega

(Trigger warning below.)

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have one copy to give away!

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends May 25th at midnight EST.

More by Katherine Center:

The Bodyguard

Things You Save in a Fire

Hello Stranger

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TW: Someone gets trapped someplace while trying to escape a dangerous situation.

Book Review: The One Day You Were My Husband

By Sara Steven

2010. Carrie and Johan, madly in love, marry on the beach in Thailand, five months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, knows she’s being uncharacteristically impulsive but is too happy to care. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, armed men swarm the beach and arrest Johan for crimes unknown. In police custody, Johan refuses to see or speak to Carrie. She never sees him again.

2022. Carrie is settled in the English countryside with her husband, Robin, and their six-year-old twins. After a difficult entry into motherhood, Carrie has given up her career as a physician and has convinced herself that life as a mother and wife is enough. Until she stumbles across an online post that makes her realize Johan is out of prison—has been out for years. As the memories of their intense, passionate relationship return to her, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened on that beach all those years ago—even if that means putting her marriage and family in jeopardy.

And just when Carrie thinks she knows what she must do, a shocking twist confirms the truth found in every Rosie Walsh novel: Everyone has something to hide. The One Day You Were My Husband asks listeners what—and whom—they would give up to return to a first love, and to the people they once were. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

One of the aspects I loved most about The One Day You Were My Husband is how caught up the reader gets in Carrie’s perplexities. I felt just as blindsided by Johan’s arrest, and felt just in the dark as to why it even happened. Carrie can’t believe the stories and knows deep in her core that he is truly innocent, but when Johan cuts off all ties with her, she’s forced to move past the man who is her first love and continue on in life.

When Carrie discovers Johan is free and has also moved on with his own life, I trusted in her pain and introspection. It changes everything. There is a lot of struggle in trying to decide what is best for herself, and what is best for her family. Over chapters we get to see what really happened with Johan, why he made the choices he did, and the ultimate truth behind a time in Carrie’s life when she thought she knew where she stood. I fully supported her decisions and could understand why she had to gain more clarity on the most difficult time in her life. I think it would have driven her mad otherwise.

There is a major twist that I did not see coming! The points of view from Carrie, with the past bleeding into the present, really set the tone and set up the twist so effortlessly, my mouth literally dropped open. The biggest question becomes: Where does Carrie go from there? And really, I had no clue what she would do. It is such a difficult situation and there is no easy answer for her going forward. The twist created such a fast-paced thrilling moment into obscurity. 

Ultimately, I really liked what she decided to do in the aftermath. Some of it was expected, but I can’t see it ending any other way than how it did, and it felt right. The One Day You Were My Husband could be a miniseries or made-for-TV movie, and if that ever really happens I am there for it. It was a five-star experience!   

Thanks to Viking for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Rosie Walsh:
Ghosted
The Love of My Life

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Love at first chapter with Katie Holt...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Leah Holt

We're excited to have Katie Holt visiting us today to talk about her latest novel, The Last Page. This indie bookstore romance is sure to have readers swooning. We loved chatting with Katie and her answers to our questions are so much fun to read. Thanks to Alcove Press, we have TWO copies to give away!

Katie Holt is a New York City resident but a Tennessee native. She studied English with a concentration in creative writing at NYU and fought with every professor to prove that romance novels were worthy of their time. She’s a Nora Ephron fanatic, Swiftie, and warm chocolate chip cookie enthusiast. Katie is also the author of her highly-acclaimed debut Not in My Book.

Visit Katie online:
Website * Instagram * TikTok

Synopsis:
Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.

Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.

But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Holt expertly injects their romance with humor while crafting a love letter to book lovers and New York City. This is a charmer.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Holt’s novel has so much to savor: a large cast of lively characters, laugh-out-loud banter, a whimsical bookshop setting, an excellently executed slow-burn enemies-to-lovers storyline, and a bustling backdrop. Recommended for fans of emotional, steamy, bookish romances with strong Latine leads.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“A cute literary-themed romance.”
—Kirkus 

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
This is honestly hard to narrow down! I love when people tell me they've laughed out loud in certain scenes or cried. Or that New York City felt like a character. But, I had one reader send me a DM on Instagram gushing over Not in My Book. She told me she'd always felt too much and that the kind of love she wanted didn't seem to exist, but Rosie and Aiden changed her mind. That's exactly what I wanted to get across with Not in My Book--that your romantic standards aren't too high, you're just not meeting the right partners yet, and that you are never too much for the right person. That one lingered for days. 

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing The Last Page?
This one was definitely challenging to write in a lot of ways!! I felt a lot of pressure after Not in My Book and hoping I could somewhat live up to my debut. But, this is a larger cast of characters and a wayyyy slower burn. It was honestly challenging to write a relationship where friendship really needed to be the base. The biggest reward has been readers' responses so far, though! I try my best not to look at reviews...but somehow I always get too curious and poke around online. This is a romance, obviously, but there's a lot of discussion on grief here! To see that resonated with people and again, that people saw themselves in Ella. 

If The Last Page were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
This question is always so hard!! I try not to imagine actors/actresses when I write (though this is based off of Leslie Knope x Ben Wyatt) and I feel like I never know any celebrities when I'm asked this question. A lot of people fancast Isabela Merced as Rosie (for Not in My Book), but she's wayyy more Ella to me! I think she nails that sickly sweet and deadpan line really well. For Henry, I imagined a young Adam Scott (if he was a football player), but Leo Woodall comes to mind!!

What is your go-to independent bookstore?
My girl The Strand!!! So much of this book was based on my time as a bookseller there. I absolutely loved working there and often return to wander around. It's a reader's paradise. But, when I'm home, I love going to Good Girl Books in Knoxville, TN. I would've done anything to have a romance only bookstore when I was growing up and I love that romance readers have a space to connect!

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
HA I love this question!! Tina Fey came to mind immediately! She has such a sharp mind and I think she'd give me the kind of brutal honesty that John McEnroe gave Devi in Never Have I Ever. 

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
There's so much to do in New York! I feel like I'd have to take you to get some Peruvian food. Pio Pio and Don Ceviche are wonderful choices. I've been obsessed with this game bar in the West Village, Cellar Dog, recently. There's live jazz and ping pong tables, shuffle boards, pool tables, and game boards. And Little Island! I love walking along the West Side Highway and meandering around there. And, naturally, a trip to the Strand!

Thanks to Katie for chatting with us and to Alcove Press for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends May 19th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The May House

By Melissa Amster

No matter what’s going on in the May sisters’ lives, the one thing they can rely upon is seeing each other for one week in May at their grandmother’s beachside home in gorgeous Coronado. As adults, Julia, Emily, and Nora aren’t particularly close, their homes spread out across the country and the sisters busy with careers, relationships, and the minutiae of life, but their promise to return each year keeps them anchored together.

Until one May when Julia, the oldest and most dependable sister, doesn’t show. Suddenly Nora and Emily start to question how much they truly know about their sister’s life. Told in alternating points of view, spanning from their time together with Grandma Vera as kids into their adult lives, The May House explores how a decades-long family secret has unknowingly shaped each sister and, ultimately, how it brings them closer together.

Funny, poignant, and brimming with heart, The May House is an irresistible story about the special bond between sisters who are figuring out what matters most in life, in all its ups and downs. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I have read and enjoyed many of Jillian Cantor's historical and contemporary novels. Her latest, The May House, is different from her previous writing, but still wonderful in so many ways. 

I loved getting to know Julia, Emily, and Nora over the many years this story takes place. The annual setting in Coronado was cozy and beautiful. I also liked seeing what was happening for them outside of their yearly gathering. During an author chat on Facebook last week, I had asked Jillian what influenced her to pivot from her darker novels to one of a lighter nature. She said that The May House has some darkness too. I see where she's coming from in terms of certain aspects (see the trigger warnings), but her previous novels went from historical to suspense. This one is more of a cozy read following the lives of three women, but they do face their share of sadness. 

This was an enjoyable story overall and I like this new direction Jillian has ventured into with her writing. I was engaged the entire time, wondering what would happen for the sisters. All three have interesting lives that include problems to resolve. There's even a small mystery to figure out, when Julia doesn't show up for the annual week at the house.

The May House is now available and it's perfect for your summer reading list! (Be sure to have all the fixings for s'mores available, as you'll be craving them.) Fans of 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand will especially enjoy this novel.

Movie casting suggestions (the book spans many years, so I just focused on the present):

Julia: Sarah Chalke

Emily: Clea DuVall

Nora: Autumn Reeser

Nate: Scott Foley

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Jillian Cantor:
Beautiful Little Fools
In Another Time
The Fiction Writer

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TW: Death of parent, death at childbirth, death of grandparent, cancer, divorce, parental abandonment, infidelity, miscarriage