A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

HELLO, SUMMER Book Review

Who else pounces on a new Mary Kay Andrews book the minute it comes out? My copy of Hello, Summer arrived a few days before Memorial Day Weekend, and it made me so excited to kick off the summer season. I'd devoured another beach read last MDW, and I figured a book titled "Hello, Summer" would be a shoo-in to invoke the easy, beachy, summertime vibes. Um, no. Hello, Summer combines two things that I couldn't give two hoots about: politics and...

THE PRINTED LETTER BOOKSHOP Book Review

I picked up The Printed Letter Bookshop after tossing aside four #DNFs in a row. Mercifully, this charming women's fiction story by Katherine Reay was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my reading slump.   What's The Printed Letter Bookshop about? The Printed Letter Bookshop follows three women -- Madeline, Janet, and Claire -- who are all lost in some way or another. One is searching for what she wants to become; one...

SUMMER RENTAL Book Review

Um, who's about ready for a beach vacation? THIS GIRL. While we may not be taking actual vacations anytime soon, I'm here to tell you that you can take a vicarious one with Summer Rental.  I feel like this novel could've easily been called "Summer of Secrets," because that's pretty much the sitch in this easy, breezy, beach read from Mary Kay Andrews. It's admittedly an older book from this popular author, but it's a goodie. I loved Andrews'...

AUNT DIMITY AND THE KING’S RANSOM Book Review

Aunt Dimity and The King's Ransom is cozy AF. I know, probably not how you expected me to begin this book review. Especially with the name "Aunt Dimity" in the title. But, "cozy AF" is the best way to describe this light, cute, and almost wholesome mystery. It begins with a cozy family living in a cozy Cotswold village. *swoon*  Main character Lori is overstressed, so her too-perfect-to-be-true husband books them a romantic weekend away at a...

Quick Look Books: Modern Love Stories (February 2020)

Love is in the air, Tartlets! Happy Valentine's Day! I originally wasn't planning to post anything today, but after scrolling through Instagram last week, I saw lots of "Literary Love Stories" and "Love Story Lists" being posted by book bloggers. I loved the idea and decided to jump on the bandwagon. This month's Quick Look Books list features modern love stories. We all know the great, classic love stories, like Wuthering Heights *swoon* and...

THE LOST FOR WORDS BOOKSHOP Book Review

Introverted bibliophiles, this one’s for you. Loveday Cardew from The Lost for Words Bookshop is your mascot, your spirit animal, your kindred spirit. She is all of us who prefer books to people, solitary reading time to in-person socialization. And, you will love her. Eventually.   What's The Lost for Words Bookshop about? This novel introduce us to Loveday, who works in a bookstore. The bookstore is her safe haven, where she can...

ONE DAY IN DECEMBER Book Review

I received a copy of One Day in December from my library one day in March. This novel made serious waves throughout the book blogosphere when it published in late 2018, aided largely in part by being the December 2018 pick for Reese’s Book Club. Given my love for Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella, and Jenny Colgan, I eagerly anticipated a new chick lit book set in England. I read all of One Day in December, but, honestly, I’m not sure what all...

THE CITY BAKER’S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING Book Review

Words can’t express how much I loved The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living. I actually put off writing this book review because I honestly didn’t know how to capture how delightful the story is.   What's The City Baker's Guide to Country Living about? The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living is all about leaving your comfort zone – or, what you think is your comfort zone ­– and embracing changes and...

THE HOCUS POCUS MAGIC SHOP Book Review

Looking for a fun and spooky-but-not-too-scary book to put you in the Halloween mood? Well, The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop has you covered. I simply adored this wonderful novel by Abigail Drake. It's a delightfully saucy romp filled with enchanting magic and a deliciously satisfying romance. There's also a lovable cast of charismatic characters and a steady stream of mounting mystery. That's right, folks. This one's got it all.  ...

THE BOOKSHOP ON THE SHORE (DNF Book Review)

Did anyone else feel the earth move?  Sorry, that was because of me. I just added a Jenny Colgan novel – The Bookshop on the Shore -- to my DNF pile. *Gulp* It’s no secret that I adore Colgan’s novels. The Bookshop on the Corner (or, The Book Shop of Happy Ever After, if you’re in the U.K.) was my first foray into the wonderful world of Jenny Colgan. Although I didn’t love it, I liked it enough to read The Little Beach Street Bakery,...