dear mr. hemingway’s 2020 holiday books & pairings
Sand Between Toes & Rudolph’s Red Nose
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (Atria Books)
Big Summer is women’s fiction at its finest. This time around, Weiner manages to blend her signature wit and charm with a mystery to be solved. Friendship, family, and tons of drama fill the pages of this highly entertaining read. With a loveable protagonist and a story that aims to please, Big Summer is the perfect holiday beach read and visit to Cape Cod… all in one!
From the publisher: “Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.
Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.”
P.S. Mark the pages of this fantastic escape with a jeweled bookmark from Book Art Book Mark.
Even though I missed out on my Key West vacation this year, I still got to feel the heat and “steam” of the Florida Keys while reading Oliveras’ new book. A splash of family drama and some romance with some HEAT worked for me on every level. The Island Affair is a heartfelt and juicy read for any holiday beachgoer.
From the publisher: “Sought-after social media influencer Sara Vance, in recovery from an eating disorder, is coming into her own, with a potential career expansion on the horizon. Despite the good news, her successful siblings (and their perfect spouses) have a way of making her feel like the odd one out. So, when her unreliable boyfriend is a no-show for a Florida family vacation, Sara recruits Luis Navarro—a firefighter paramedic and dive captain willing to play the part of her smitten fiancé…
Luis’s big Cuban familia has been in Key West for generations, and his quiet strength feeds off the island’s laidback style. Though guarded after a deep betrayal, he’ll always help someone in need—especially a spunky beauty with a surprising knowledge of Spanish curse words. Soon, he and Sara have memorized their “how we met” story and are immersed in family dinners, bike tours, private snorkeling trips…sharing secrets, and slow, melting kisses. But when it’s time for Sara to return home, will their fake relationship fade like the stunning sunset . . . or blossom into something beautiful?”
P.S. Slide this getaway book into a gorgeous booksleeve from Sew Happy Stitch Happy. Any size small will fit this book.
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown, & Company)
I always end up declaring every new Hilderbrand book my favorite. I think this one really is though. 28 Summers literally gave me all the feels. Revisiting what was going on in the world during each of the 28 summers was beyond nostalgic. The luscious and charming island of Nantucket and all who dwell there in Hilderbrand’s books, work for me EVERY SINGLE TIME! Enjoy this island treat.
From the publishers: “When Mallory Blessing’s son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he’s not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer. It’s the late spring of 2020 and Jake’s wife, Ursula DeGournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election.
There must be a mistake, Link thinks. How do Mallory and Jake know each other? Flashback to the sweet summer of 1993: Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother’s bachelor party. Cooper’s friend from college, Jake McCloud, attends, and Jake and Mallory form a bond that will persevere—through marriage, children, and Ursula’s stratospheric political rise—until Mallory learns she’s dying. Based on the classic film Same Time Next Year (which Mallory and Jake watch every summer), 28 Summers explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches their lives, and the lives of the people they love.”
P.S. Keep Calm and Read Elin Hilderbrand by drinking your coffee from this mug by Tiny Baker. The best combo ever!
Dear Mr. Hemingway’s 2020 Holiday Books & Pairings
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