If you are an avid reader of my blog. You will have noticed I haven't been posting as many reviews as of late.
This is not due to lack of reading material, but a series of bad luck and bad health that has been plaguing my house. (DARK CLOUD BE GONE!) Up until a few weeks ago it was hard to get a chance to read, let alone write.
At the end of it all, I needed emergency surgery due to an irritating re-occurring medical issue. Needless to say I have been dealing with bed rest (more like house arrest) for the past few weeks while I heal. (What fun!) I spent the first week or so in haze watching trash tv and sleeping, while my wonderful mother and husband ran the fort!
If there is anything I have learned it is I am not meant to lay around, unless it is on a beach, cold drink and novel in hand. (Trip to the Caribbean anyone?)
In any case, Once the fog started lifting, I started tackling my mountain of books for review. I decided I was in the mood for a 'feel good' novel, so I looked at my review selection. 'Second Chance Grill' by Christine Nolfi sounded perfect.
Let me tell you, it was a fantastic choice for someone cooped up at home, and I could not put it down!
Here is the summary:
Dr. Mary Chance needs a sabbatical from medicine to grieve
the loss of her closest friend. But when she inherits a struggling restaurant
in Liberty, Ohio she isn’t prepared for Blossom Perini. Mary can’t resist
falling for the precocious preteen—or the girl’s father. The bond they forge
will transform all their lives and set in motion an outpouring of love that
spreads across America.
Welcome back to Liberty, where the women surrounding the
town’s only restaurant are as charming as they are eccentric.
My Take:
This is such a wonderful 'feel good' novel. The kind of book that reads like a Lifetime movie or blockbuster chick flick. (I could see Reese Witherspoon playing Dr. Mary Chance....just sayin')
The way author Christine Nofli writes makes it easy to picture the quaint town of Liberty and it's colorful, feisty inhabitants.
Dr. Mary Chance is a character looking to keep her cool under pressure and prove that she can make her new restaurant succeed, no matter what the locals think of her. (And the locals are not shy when it comes to sharing their opinions of the outsider!) Things start picking up when Mary meets Blossom, a clever young girl who is determined to play Cupid.
Mary meets Blossoms handsome father Anthony and sparks ignite.
Anthony Perini was very young when his daughter was born. He immediately fell into the role of dutiful parent and would do anything for his little girl. He's a hardworking, down to earth man from a large Italian Family. A single father for most of Blossom's life, he has had to endure one of the hardest things a parent could ever go through, having a child diagnosed with cancer.
Both adults are attracted to one another, but Mary doesn't want to take the risk of falling in love when she plans to return to her medical career in the city after the restaurant is up and running. She's caught between a rock and a hard place. Does she choose an unknown, possibly wonderful future in Liberty, or her sense of duty in the big city?
This book is packed with story lines such as the budding romance, a story of cancer survival, difficult career choices. One of the things I loved about this novel it illustrates just how far good people will go to help those who need it most. (On a side note, have you gone out of your way to help someone lately?)
The author has also thrown into the mix some humor, and quirky characters you will love such as Finney, Ethel Lynn and Theodora. (I hope to be a crotchety old lady like Theodora one day)
With all that is going on in the story, you will not put this book down.
One word of advice, do not read without a box of tissues handy! There are some very emotional parts of this book that will have you weeping. (If you don't cry while reading it you are dead inside, DEAD I say!)
So, my verdict? As it stands, I HIGHLY recommend this book to women (men too, let's not be sexist!) who are looking for a feel good, romantic, heartwarming tale. Second Chance Grill captures that wholesome small town 'Americana' feel to a T!
I have also added Christine Nolfi's book Treasure Me to my 'To Be Read' pile! It is actually the first installment of the Liberty series!
Here is a synopsis of Treasure Me compliments of Amazon!
Petty thief Birdie Kaminsky has arrived in Liberty, Ohio to steal a treasure hidden since the Civil War. She's in possession of a charming clue: Liberty safeguards the cherished heart. The beautiful thief wants to go straight. She secretly admires the clue's author, freedwoman Justice Postell, who left South Carolina at the dawn of the Civil War and carried untold riches on her journey north. As Birdie searches for the treasure, will she discover a history more precious than gems, a tradition of love richer than she could imagine?
Christine Nolfi and her books are receiving rave reviews (mine included) and it's no wonder!
Are you interested in owning your very own copy? You are in luck! Check out the awesome giveaway compliments of author Christine Nolfi!!
**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED**
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