Must-read women’s fiction: ‘Limelight,’ ‘Best Beach Ever,’ ‘How to Walk Away’ and ‘The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go’


By: Leigh Davis | May 17, 2018 12:00 am


May, the harbinger of summer, is as busy a month as June, July and August, filled with graduations, parties, gardening, lawn work and planning for summer activities. But don’t let all these events derail your reading, because there are some great May novels that you won’t want to miss. Plus, you deserve to reward yourself after sitting through 500 names being called for just that one special one.

Here are some perfect books for your well-deserved “me” time …

Limelight by Amy Poeppel

What it’s about:

In a smart and funny new novel by the author of the critically acclaimed, “big-hearted, charming” (The Washington Post) Small Admissions, a family’s move to New York City brings surprises and humor as their lives merge with the captivating world of Broadway.

Allison Brinkley—wife, mother, and former unflappable optimist—discovers that a carefully weighed decision to pack up and move her family from suburban Dallas to the glittery chaos of Manhattan may have been more complicated than she and her husband initially thought.

Allison learns that New York is unruly and bewildering, defying the notions she developed from romantic movies and a memorable childhood visit. After a humiliating call from the principal’s office and the loss of the job she was counting on, Allison begins to accept that New York may not suit her after all.

When Allison has a fender-bender, witnessed by a flock of mothers at her son’s new school, she is led to the penthouse apartment of a luxurious Central Park West building and encounters a spoiled, hungover, unsupervised teenager who looks familiar. It doesn’t take long to recognize him as Carter Reid—a famous pop star who has been cast in a new Broadway musical. Through this brush with stardom, Allison embraces a unique and unexpected opportunity that helps her find her way in the heart of Manhattan.

Why you should read this: There is no doubt — Amy Poeppel is an exceptional storyteller. Her first book, Small Admissions, was simply charming, as is this one. Allison, a former teacher and mother of three, uses her experience, intuition and training to attempt to manage bad boy Carter Reid as she also deals with helping her children adjust to the move from Texas to New York City. Poeppel’s story of domestic life is filled with humor, outrageous scenarios, genuine family relationships, while avoiding clichés. Her biggest strength is bringing the characters to life and making you care about them, so much so that you just hope that there might be a glimpse of them again in future stories.

Best Beach Ever by Wendy Wax

What it’s about:

Forced to rent out or lose their beloved Bella Flora after the loss of their renovation-turned-reality-TV show Do Over, Maddie, Nikki, Avery, Kyra, and Bitsy move into cottages at the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club believing the worst is over. Only to discover just how uncertain their futures really are.

Maddie struggles with the challenges of dating a rock star whose career has come roaring back to life while Nikki faces the daunting realities of mothering twins at forty-seven. Avery buries herself in a tiny home build in an attempt to dodge commitment issues, and Kyra battles to protect her son from the Hollywood world she once dreamed of joining. And Bitsy is about to find out whether the rewards of seeking revenge will outweigh the risks.

Luckily, when the going gets tough, the ladies of Ten Beach Road know that their friendship—tried and tested—can chase away the darkest clouds and let the sun shine in…

Why you should read this: Don’t you just eagerly await the next installment in the Ten Beach Road Series? From the very first book, this cast of characters captured our attention. In this newest release, Kyra faces her biggest challenge, allowing her son to act in a movie, directed by his married father and his wife. The joy of the book is that we catch up with all the characters and the new challenges that they face. Wax has the talented ability to give her characters their happy ending, but still show the realistic challenges facing them as they move forward. And don’t you just love the wonderful sense of karma running throughout the book?

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

What it’s about:

Margaret Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she’s worked for so hard and so long: a new dream job, a fiancé she adores, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in a brief, tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Maggie must confront the unthinkable. First there is her fiancé, Chip, who wallows in self-pity while simultaneously expecting to be forgiven. Then, there’s her sister Kit, who shows up after pulling a three-year vanishing act. Finally, there’s Ian, her physical therapist, the one the nurses said was too tough for her. Ian, who won’t let her give in to her pity, and who sees her like no one has seen her before. Sometimes the last thing you want is the one thing you need. Sometimes we all need someone to catch us when we fall. And sometimes love can find us in the least likely place we would ever expect.

Why you should read this: Katherine Center writes amazing heartwarming stories. If you haven’t read her, you’ll be excited to discover that she has a backlist. While she definitely puts her characters through the wringer — this story is filled with a tragic scenario — in Center’s expert hands, it becomes more about family and less about loss. A marvelous example of acceptance and healing and a celebration of family — warts and all. (See an interview on HEA with Katherine.)

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert

What it’s about:

Gina Zoberski wants to make it through one day without her fastidious mother, Lorraine, cataloguing all her faults, and her sullen teenage daughter, May, snubbing her. Too bad there’s no chance of that. Her relentlessly sunny disposition annoys them both, no matter how hard she tries. Instead, Gina finds order and comfort in obsessive list-making and her work at Grilled G’s, the gourmet grilled cheese food truck built by her late husband.

But when Lorraine suffers a sudden stroke, Gina stumbles upon a family secret Lorraine’s kept hidden for forty years. In the face of her mother’s failing health and her daughter’s rebellion, this optimist might find that piecing together the truth is the push she needs to let go…

Why you should read this: The parent-child/mother-daughter bond is one of the most complex relationships there is. And when a parent has rigid expectations, the child either gives in or rebels. Amy E. Reichert wonderfully explores multigeneration mother-daughter relationships in her latest book. Lorraine, the distant, disapproving mother, is difficult to like, but Reichert brilliantly peels back the layers to show that she, too, had to deal with parental interference. Not only will you be entertained, but also in the end have a better sense of the limited options that women had in the past and a new appreciation for challenges that they faced. (See an excerpt on HEA from The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go.)

Happy reading!

Leigh Davis is a former contributor to Heroes and Heartbreakers. When she is not reading, she’s usually outside throwing balls to her insatiable dogs. She loves hearing and talking about great books. You can connect with her on Twitter and Goodreads.








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Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food according to Gina, one of the main characters in Amy E. Reichert's The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go, and much like the comfort of a grilled cheese sandwich, this novel allowed me to escape my life and relax. I loved this novel from start to finish and was sad when it ended. The characters were so complex---flawed yet relatable. I loved learning about multiple generations of women and the hardships they endured, and the varying perspectives added interest and complexity. Loved this book!

Really hits home! I found this to be a very credible fiction of female familial relationships. It was a bit scary to recognize so many characters. Really good read! I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I loved this book filled with the secrets of three generations of family.
Gina Zoberski is working at the grilled-cheese food truck she and her late husband began. Dealing with her teenage daughter May isn’t a piece of cake, either.
Her mother, Lorraine, suffers a stroke, so Victoria, Gina’s sister, comes to town and the pair of them try to go through paperwork to find needed documents since Lorraine is unable to communicate. They learn lots of things they didn’t know: Gina finds a copy of her birth certificate, but it’s not the one she has seen. It has another man’s name listed as the father. She has more questions than answers.
But we have a lot of the answers through flashbacks as some of the story is told through Lorraine. And we also learn that much of May’s attitude is because she misses her father and wants to grow more of a connection to her mother, who is still trying to mourn in her own way.
Reichart has a nice way with words.

When I started reading the book, I was not immediately drawn in, yet by chapter four I became invested. The first few chapters were confusing as the characters and their back stories were introduced, but it does become clear fairly quickly. The family matriarch suffers a stroke and as a result, her daughters and granddaughter are forced to face realities, both known and to be discovered. One of the daughters is a widow who has disconnected from life and her teenage daughter, after her husband unexpectedly passes; the other daughter appears to have the perfect life, which we learn is of course, is less than perfect in reality. The grandmother has her own secrets which she didn’t want to reveal, but after her illness, they come to light. That backstory winds up changing the way the women in her life see themselves and how they approach their futures.

I liked this book because it addresses how secrets can form and derail one’s life at the same time. We are also reminded that no one is who we really believe them to be and that appearances are often deceptive. The story reminds us to not take stuff at face value, to get to really know our family, and that moving on is inevitable, even in times of sadness and strife. The book is fairly reflective of real life, and though the ending does not wrap up neatly with a bow, it is still satisfying with thoughts for the future. If you are looking for a good family and relationship oriented story, this is one to consider.

I received a complimentary copy of The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go and have written an objective review.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I had read Simplicity of Cider by this author last year and I just loved it. And while this book wasn't quite as much of a home run as that book was, I did still really enjoy it. This author has a way of really reaching in and grasping around your heart and squeezing. And while this book did have somewhat of a happy ending, I would classify it more as bittersweet than anything. There was such sadness in this novel and such struggle in each of the characters' lives. I especially didn't like the conflict between Gina and her daughter, May. While it was probably pretty accurate for human emotions that result from the situation they were going through, it was still so unbearably sad to see how May was continually lashing out at her already grief-stricken mother. I especially liked the descriptions of the different grilled cheese and brownie variations that Gina and May would come up with, they all sounded so good! This book, while sad, was still really good and I would recommend it.

I am a fan of the author's previous works and was delighted to read this new release..Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.
This is a emotional story of three generations of women and how they cope with grief. Grief is the theme throughout as they struggle to move on with their lives amidst their grief. it is a sad book and not uplifting but definitely a well told story worth reading.
Lorraine is the Mother in the story and terribly abusive and dysfunctional. .She is rude, critical and leaves little to like about her character. I did not like reading about her at all. She has little to offer as a Mother and has deep emotional problems.
Gina owns a food truck that sells gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. She is always coming up with new recipes and loves her work and serving people. May excels at baking brownies with some unique issues of her own. This author’s stories always have a food element involved and in this case it gave the story a more lighthearted side to enjoy.
All in all a enjoyable read albeit a bit heavy with the grief aspect which is difficult to read if your in grief at this time. I love the way the author builds her charcters into the theme of her books.

I have to confess that it took me a long time to read this book. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the book because I did; I think the best way to describe it would be like a friend who is there waiting for you even when you need to step away.

Ms. Reichert introduces us to Gina, her mother Lorraine, and her daughter May. Gina is the apex of the triangle of the story, but Lorraine and May are key players as well. Using well blended present day story telling and flashbacks we see how much alike these three seemingly different people really are - and how much history repeats itself.

Gina was a character that I could relate to and I appreciated seeing her emotional growth and development. I especially liked how as the story unfolded she not learned more about her mother, but took lessons from the past and used them to make things better for her own little family going forward.

This is a story that definitely had elements of "make you think" and I believe it will especially hit home for people who fall into the "sandwich" of having older parents and children at home. There are lessons about grief, tolerance, communication, and finding happiness. While I most closely identified with Gina, I also grew to like Lorraine, May, and the rest of the cast. With this group, Ms Reichert has delivered a well rounded cast and compelling story.

Three and a half stars - rounded up.

I connected with May, having myself lost my father. Feeling like he is there one day, and then just gone. I also connected with her mother Gina, as someone who loves her endless to-do lists. I can't imagine having to move on after losing a husband but that is what she is expected to do. She doesn't always get it right, but she is trying so hard for her daughter's sake. Her sister Vicki also provides some comic relief and support.

You also see her mother's struggle with losing her first love and marrying the next time for security. It leaves her bitter, cold, and detached. This takes you on a journey of their grief, how they move on with each other by their sides.

possibly 3.5, but not enough to round up - sorry.

i really, really, really liked the coincidence of coconut cake. it was adorable. i own another one of this author's books but haven't gotten to it yet. i saw this on netgalley and requested without really reading about it. it's really not like the coconut cake book as in it's not a romance. so there's that.

i did like this one for the most part - it was super emotional and i got really sad reading about people dying and whatnot. that felt very realistic and i had lots of feelings. my mum had a stroke last year so that part was quite hard to read about, even though it's in the synopsis and i was prepared for it.

i struggled with a few things in this book - the writing didn't seem to flow as well as the coconut cake book, i didn't understand lorraine's actions especially towards her eldest daughter, and i didn't really believe her sudden about face after her stroke.

it was a fine enough book though i was a teensy bit disappointed after loving coconut cake. but it passed the time and i'll continue to read this authors books, but i might stick to the romance ones.

Engaging story of relationships between mothers and daughters,. They were warm smart characters who keep you interested right to the end. Great summer read

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Gina Zoberski is trying to adjust to life without her husband, May misses her dad like crazy and thinks her mom doesn’t miss her dad enough. Gina’s mom, Lorraine continues to find fault in everything Gina says and does. When Lorraine has a debilitating stroke her real story comes to light and it is surprising.

I know all too well that dealing with the loss of a loved one is hard. You need to find that balance of grieving in public and in private. My heart ached for Gina and May. Gina put on a brave face and a smile every day as she tried to move forward. Lorraine still took her to task about everything. May had closed herself off from her friends, even those willing to be there for her no matter what.

Amy Reichert has penned an emotional story but it is filled with light moments too. Gina owns a food truck, Grilled G’s, that sells gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. She is always coming up with new recipes and she has a customer that brings her unusual ingredients to try. May also has culinary skills, she excels at baking brownies with some unique twists of her own. This author’s stories always have a food element and I love that!

The author handles the family dynamic very well. I enjoyed how the story unfolded. A big secret is revealed that shines everything that has happened in an entirely new light. I became invested in these characters and that made me very emotional and even had me reaching for a tissue at the end of the story.

Set not far from where I live, Milwaukee and Wauwatosa, I loved all the references to places I knew. She mentions just one of the many Milwaukee festivals, Polish Fest too, but you don’t have to be from Wisconsin to enjoy the book. Her words create the imagery to bring you right here.

This is a wonderful story about mothers and their daughters. Moving and genuine with strong female characters. An absolutely “perfect escape”.

I am so glad I found this Wisconsin author. I have enjoyed her previous books, Love, Life and Lemon Pie, and The Simplicity of Cider. In fact, The Simplicity of Cider was one of my Best Reads of 2017. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is waiting not so patiently on my Kindle.

I received an advanced reader copy of The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go in exchange for an honest review.

General Expectations: I have not read Amy Reichert before, but her books always seem so delightful and sweet. This book met those expectations so much as a book dealing with grief can.

What it’s About: Three generations of women and one big secret. Gina is a widow running a food truck and trying to connect with her teenaged daughter, Mae, and not disappoint her mother. Then her mother, Lorraine, suffers a stroke and a long kept secret is uncovered.

What I Loved: I loved the story. I loved how Lorraine and Gina’s stories were so similar but they were most at odds with another. Without spoiling the book, Lorraine’s back-story overlaps with Gina’s, but Gina has no idea. This is a beautiful portion of the novel where you realize how alike these two are and watch some of the bitterness disappear. I also found the loss of a father to be very well developed and relatable. Mae feels alone because it seems to her she’s the only one struggling with the loss of her dad. This is really accurate description of dealing with loss of a parent how the world seems to continue, but not for you.

What I Didn’t Love: There wasn’t a part that I was really annoyed by. I think the two weaknesses of the book might be a bit of the predictability. I thought the ending was a bit cheesy but that is okay. I also found some aspects of the food-truck subplot unclear, but this isn’t a major problem so it did not trouble me to much.

Who Will Love it: If you love a good mother/daughter story this book is for you.

Final Thoughts: This book was about grief and mothers and daughters. This book also focused on a mother’s strategy for providing and protecting their daughter, even if that is not what their daughter really needs. I found this to be a realistic take on grief and an entertaining book with love stories as well as mother-daughter relationships. A really great book.

I love books about the relationship between mothers and daughters so this book has the extra treat of a grandmother - mother - daughter. There are misunderstandings between the mothers and daughters in both generations and the question is whether love will solve all of their misunderstandings with each other

Regina's husband Drew has been dead for two years. Instead of grieving with her daughter, May, it has added to the normal problems mom's have with their teenage daughters. Regina's mom, Lorraine, never approved of Drew and was always quick to criticize her daughter, so there are problems there too. Gina who runs a food truck that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches uses her work and the lists that she obsessively makes to help her deal with the problems in her life. When Lorainne has a stroke and secrets come to light, it will either strengthen the bonds between mothers and daughters or make them impossible to repair.

This is a lovely book full of love and problems within a family and how love is really an unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters. To make it even better, there are food descriptions that will make you want to go make a grilled cheese sandwich to eat while you are reading it.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lorraine suffers a stroke, and her daughters join together to care for her. In the process, they discover Lorraine's long held secrets.

I enjoyed the book. Great mother-daughters story.

Wow! This book was a wonderful read. I found myself flipping through the pages and enjoying the story of Gina. No matter what Gina experienced, she tried to find the positive side of things. If we could all do that, I think the world would be a better place.

But when a medical emergency unleashes a hidden secret, Gina and her sister have to come to grips with a shocking discovery. However, at the same time, Gina and daughter have to learn how to connect with each other and share the love they each feel for the husband and father they both loved.

Such a poignant story of life, family relationships, acceptance, love, and loss. The way each character deals with their individual crises reflects the type of personality they possess and yet they are influenced by the relationships and dynamics of their family.

I really enjoyed this book and will make sure to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest opinion.

This was a slow read at the beginning. I had a hard time feeling connected to the characters but I plodded along despite the lack of interest. I’m glad I did, though, because the last 75 pages or so were much more engaging and I enjoyed the characters more.

It's always a special experience to read a story set in a familiar location. The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go takes place in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa and features mentions of well-known spots, including Kopp's and Polish Fest. It also smiled at the brief mention of cider from Door County--a slight nod to another story from Amy E. Reichert.

The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go did not immediately sweep me away. Rather, I found the story to be quietly insistent, wrapping me up with each detail and luring me to read further and unravel the secrets in each woman's story line. I liked the way Amy Reichert wove together the lives and experiences of three generations of women. There is a lot of love between those women and the reader can feel that love on every page. A moving and memorable read.

The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert was such a gem to read. I read it in a day and a half. The novel follows Gina Zoberski a business owner and mother of one. The novel then introduces the reader to her mother Lorraine and sister Vicki. Gina’s mother is described as traditional and solemn while Vicki is burdened by pressures of motherhood as well as strain on her marriage. Gina’s husband of many years has died recently and is experiencing emotional issues with her mother and daughter. Each of these women is dealing with grief in a different way. What I enjoyed was learning their process understanding their grief and making sense of it while their respective worlds were being impacted. What sets the story into motion is the fact that after having a stroke does Gina and Vicki come together to learn the history of their mother and the choices she made to survive. The novel was one that brought tears to my eyes and was a joy to read. I rated it four out of five stars. Thank you Net galley for giving me this copy to review! I will highly recommend this novel to friends and family.

I am one of those people who reads only one book at a time. I find that if I switch off that one book will get lost somewhere along the line. I am currently reading four books. This is not good. I think that it indicates that I am not sold on any of them but that I might keep trying. They may be destined to the “never to be read” pile.

Into this book fiasco, enters Memorial Day weekend. There is more time to read but what to read? The answer is to pick up yet another book. No, that should not be the correct answer but it is the route that I took. BUT I did finish the book that I picked up. And before I forget, I was given an advanced reader copy of the book with the hopes that I would read and review the book. I hate to admit it but it is a bit of a crapshoot hoping that I will read and review (especially in a timely fashion) a book. I am like the preverbal kid in the candy shop with books.

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go did catch and keep my attention. The story centers on three generations of women. The grandmother, Lorraine Price, is the model society woman. She has strict standards and expects her daughters to meet those standards. When her daughter, Gina, often falls short, Lorraine does not hesitate to let her know. And Lorraine is picky. She still remembers that Gina brought the wrong flowers to her once. Tisk Tisk.

Most of the story is told by Gina Zoberski. Gina is a young widow. Her beloved husband, Drew died two years before the story begins and Gina is floundering. She compulsively makes lists to try and keep her head above water. She is the owner of Grilled G’s a gourmet grilled cheese food truck.

Gina has a daughter, May. Gina has no idea what she is doing with May. May and Drew were very close and Gina frequently feels that May has turned into a different person since Drew’s death. Gina doesn’t know how to reach her. From May’s perspective, Gina doesn’t seem to care. Gina doesn’t talk about Drew to May and therefore May thinks Gina wants to forget about him. Both are suffering but don’t know how to reach each other.

After sending out an email to her daughters telling them why their Chrismas gifts to her fell short of the mark, Lorraine suffers a massive stroke. The stroke causes Lorraine to re-think her decision to not tell her daughters (Gina and her sister Vicky) a secret that she has kept from them. This is not a “where I hid my ring” secret but a secret that truly affects their lives. In going through her mother’s paperwork, Gina stumbles upon her birth certificate and has questions. Since Lorraine cannot speak because of the stroke, Gina turns to Roza, her old nanny and her mother’s closest friend. Roza claims no knowledge of the birth certificate discrepancy but Gina doesn’t believe her.

While I would categorize this as a family saga, it isn’t heavy as many in that classification tend to be. This is a story that leaves some questions but resolves the most important issues. It was a pleasant read and the story moved along quickly. The biggest surprise to me is that the story takes place in Milwaukee. I don’t know if I have read another book that takes place in Milwaukee. Since I live in that area, it was fun.

If you are looking for a light summer read, I think you might enjoy this story. There is enough suspense and story to keep you reading.

Thanks for reading!