I didn't plan on reading back-to-back romances. Not because I'm not a big fan of romances, because I am. But because I try to not read the same genre for two books in a row. So did I not enjoy the 2nd one as much as I normally would because of that?...absolutely not! I loved both of these books. And other than both of them being in the same genre, they couldn't have been more different. Let me explain.
The first one is A Summer to Remember, by Erika Montgomery. This is her 1st book, from 2021. She has written a second one, that came out in 2023, called A Place on the Island. I will be sure to get my hands on that one too.
But what about AStR? The story revolves around 30-year old Frankie Mason, who owns a movie memorabilia store in Hollywood. Her mother, who opened the store years earlier, has recently passed away and, evidently, hid a lot of stuff from Frankie, including who her father is. Well, a package is delivered to Frankie that includes a picture of her mother with a very famous actress and actor taken over 30 years ago. And she learns that the movie festival this actress started is still going strong. So Frankie travels to where the festival takes place to learn more about her mother and, maybe, who her father is. I can't even begin to tell you all the secrets her mother kept from Frankie. Oh, did I tell you that this is a romance? Let's not forget about that. The only other thing I will tell you is that there is a moment late in the book where I got chills. Never mind the tears that I usually shed. These were bona fide chills!
The second book is from an author that I've read a number of times and have always liked. Her name is Katherine Center, and the book is called Hello Stranger. This is Katherine's 10th book and, I think, my 4th. And, man, did I enjoy this. One of the reasons that it's so different from Erika's book is that it's really funny. I laughed out loud a whole bunch of times. But it also has a unique storyline. The protagonist, Sadie, is an artist. And she has made the final 10 out of 2000 entries for an art contest that features portraits! She can't wait to put all of her time and energy into winning the contest. It will be the break she needs to become a well-paid artist. But, then, something happens as she's crossing a street. And when she wakes up, she finds out that she prosopagnosia, aka face-blindness. This is a condition in which you see faces, but they are in a jumble of pieces. It's likened to reading a book that is upside down. How is she going to draw portraits? You will obviously have to read Hello Stranger to find out. And, just like A Summer to Remember, this is a romance. How does that play into it?
I had a lot of reactions to this book. One time I said out loud "Ooh." Another time, I rolled my eyes at one of the characters. There were also a few tears...here and there. But what I want to really tell you about is Katherine's Author's Note. She explains what a romance is. We all know that the two main characters will end up together. But Katherine calls that anticipation, NOT predictability. She says...I'm going to stop here. This is something you will want to read. I know you will enjoy the book. You couldn't not (is that usable English?!). But make sure you read her Author's Note. Because I think, like me, that you will start looking at romances differently.
