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tommycanyouhearmeAlright, folks. Here is my book review for the month of July. I've just got the one this month again. Still got lots going on, still don't have a lot of money. Might have a huge gap in reviews for the next couple of months depending on how things go. I've started the Ron Chernow Hamilton biography (that inspired the musical!). Also, sorry this is coming so late in the month again. Anyway. Let's dive in.
Books listened to in July 2024:
1. Left Behind by Sharon Sala
Another delightful book in Sharon Sala's series about the Pope/Cauley/Glass family in Jubilee, KY. This one centers around the third brother, Wiley Pope, and his love interest, Lynnie Elgin, the local nurse. We finally get some answers on what exactly the deal was with the "three ladies Wiley has on speed dial." Spoiler alert: it's not like that. Not surprising, I knew there had to be an explanation, because Shirley raised her boys right. Lynnie and Wiley finally get some closure on what happened with their date gone horribly wrong a year ago when the other two ladies "on speed dial," angry that Wiley turned them down for Lynnie and wasn't interested to pursue them further, callously crash their date and embarrass both Wiley and Lynnie, and decide to start again and give it a chance. Meanwhile, as is always the case in Jubilee, KY, there's been a crime!! Wiley (and Lynnie) save lives at the bank after shots are fired. Meanwhile, somewhere near Bowling Green, a young woman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, bears witness to the sounds of her brother's murder from the garage, where he tells her to hide, on a quick visit to ask him for help with pain medication for her injured fiance, a lineman who fell while working on a powerline. The two are very close, but she didn't know he used to be caught up in a bad crowd. She takes off, but her brother's assailant takes off after her on a long drive into, you guessed it, Jubilee, in the middle of a storm. Her trip up Pope Mountain and into the woods lands her in the ICU when she's attacked, and now the Jubilee PD want answers. Wiley becomes a part of the case, as well as guarding the young woman's unit at the hospital. As he is beginning to reconnect with Lynette, a woman shows up at the Jubilee PD accusing Aaron, the oldest Pope brother, of getting her pregnant and splitting to avoid paying child support. Turns out, Aaron or Wiley (I forget which), recognizes her as one of their felon father's mistresses, and deduce that her little girl, Ava, must be their father's daughter with Karina, and their half-sister. Karina's plan to get money and get rid of her kid (yeah, she's awful) is rapidly backfiring, but thinking quickly on his feet, Wiley is willing to not file charges against her for child abuse/neglect and abandonment, and false accusations against Aaron, if she'll sign over custody of Ava to him, and never be heard from once the court proceedings are over. Karina complies, and Wiley sets out on the adventure of making sure Ava feels safe and loved. She takes instantly to him, calling him her "Bubba," since he's not her dad and is her brother. The whole Pope family, and Lynette, immediately fall in love with sweet little Ava, and she is often overcome with how many brothers/sisters-in-law, and her new Gammy (Shirley, who loves her dearly with no matter that she was Clyde's daughter), love her so much. Lynette and Wiley eventually decide to move in together so that they can start to meld as a family with Ava together, as she is more than all-in at this point anyway and calls herself his "almost wife" ♥, and they are now engaged. Sadly, Aunt Ella dies in this book, the one who has "the sight," and connected with Amalie, Sean's wife, who also has it. But her available house becomes a plot device for Wiley, Lynnie and Ava. *sigh* I'm only letting this go because she was in her 90s and the whole PCG family is infamous for their generosity and taking care of their own.
Sharon Sala's stories are pretty formulaic and predictable, but in a good way. The bad guy(s) get caught and get their comeuppance, justice is served, one of the brothers gets married, all who were wronged have their lives righted again. But there's just enough struggle and suspense to make it worth it. My only real criticism, and I'm no expert on child psychology, but I feel like Ava's transition into living with Wiley and integrating into his family was a bit too unrealistic after 7 years of abuse and trauma that Sala doesn't even fully go into detail on, she honestly kind of glosses over it, probably because it's a TW and this is a fluff kind of book. But I feel like as sweet and adorable as that poor little girl is, she would have had SO many more behavioral issues for at least MONTHS as she adjusted, and having Danni as a sister-in-law and one of the teachers at her school wouldn't be this magical cure-all. But ah well. And also... the whole Mikey/Ava thing was just gross. I know they're just kids and it's just a maybe crush, but Mikey is Cameron's son, and Cameron is Shirley's cousin. Even though Ava isn't blood-related to Shirley, Cameron or Mikey, only the boys through their father, she's still for all intents and purposes, Mikey's cousin of sorts. It's weird. And it's weird the little aside Mikey had with Cameron at age 7 about "just knowing" or some such thing. It was a little unnecessary. I just hate this need to pair *literally everybody* up. Also, Lynette's dad was a biiiit much with the protective dad bit, but good on her mom for reigning him in and giving him a talking to before the big family get together to meet and greet, LMAO. I still loved the book. I hope she's going to at least do one more book for BJ, so he can get his happy ending, too.
Books listened to in July 2024:
1. Left Behind by Sharon Sala
Another delightful book in Sharon Sala's series about the Pope/Cauley/Glass family in Jubilee, KY. This one centers around the third brother, Wiley Pope, and his love interest, Lynnie Elgin, the local nurse. We finally get some answers on what exactly the deal was with the "three ladies Wiley has on speed dial." Spoiler alert: it's not like that. Not surprising, I knew there had to be an explanation, because Shirley raised her boys right. Lynnie and Wiley finally get some closure on what happened with their date gone horribly wrong a year ago when the other two ladies "on speed dial," angry that Wiley turned them down for Lynnie and wasn't interested to pursue them further, callously crash their date and embarrass both Wiley and Lynnie, and decide to start again and give it a chance. Meanwhile, as is always the case in Jubilee, KY, there's been a crime!! Wiley (and Lynnie) save lives at the bank after shots are fired. Meanwhile, somewhere near Bowling Green, a young woman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, bears witness to the sounds of her brother's murder from the garage, where he tells her to hide, on a quick visit to ask him for help with pain medication for her injured fiance, a lineman who fell while working on a powerline. The two are very close, but she didn't know he used to be caught up in a bad crowd. She takes off, but her brother's assailant takes off after her on a long drive into, you guessed it, Jubilee, in the middle of a storm. Her trip up Pope Mountain and into the woods lands her in the ICU when she's attacked, and now the Jubilee PD want answers. Wiley becomes a part of the case, as well as guarding the young woman's unit at the hospital. As he is beginning to reconnect with Lynette, a woman shows up at the Jubilee PD accusing Aaron, the oldest Pope brother, of getting her pregnant and splitting to avoid paying child support. Turns out, Aaron or Wiley (I forget which), recognizes her as one of their felon father's mistresses, and deduce that her little girl, Ava, must be their father's daughter with Karina, and their half-sister. Karina's plan to get money and get rid of her kid (yeah, she's awful) is rapidly backfiring, but thinking quickly on his feet, Wiley is willing to not file charges against her for child abuse/neglect and abandonment, and false accusations against Aaron, if she'll sign over custody of Ava to him, and never be heard from once the court proceedings are over. Karina complies, and Wiley sets out on the adventure of making sure Ava feels safe and loved. She takes instantly to him, calling him her "Bubba," since he's not her dad and is her brother. The whole Pope family, and Lynette, immediately fall in love with sweet little Ava, and she is often overcome with how many brothers/sisters-in-law, and her new Gammy (Shirley, who loves her dearly with no matter that she was Clyde's daughter), love her so much. Lynette and Wiley eventually decide to move in together so that they can start to meld as a family with Ava together, as she is more than all-in at this point anyway and calls herself his "almost wife" ♥, and they are now engaged. Sadly, Aunt Ella dies in this book, the one who has "the sight," and connected with Amalie, Sean's wife, who also has it. But her available house becomes a plot device for Wiley, Lynnie and Ava. *sigh* I'm only letting this go because she was in her 90s and the whole PCG family is infamous for their generosity and taking care of their own.
Sharon Sala's stories are pretty formulaic and predictable, but in a good way. The bad guy(s) get caught and get their comeuppance, justice is served, one of the brothers gets married, all who were wronged have their lives righted again. But there's just enough struggle and suspense to make it worth it. My only real criticism, and I'm no expert on child psychology, but I feel like Ava's transition into living with Wiley and integrating into his family was a bit too unrealistic after 7 years of abuse and trauma that Sala doesn't even fully go into detail on, she honestly kind of glosses over it, probably because it's a TW and this is a fluff kind of book. But I feel like as sweet and adorable as that poor little girl is, she would have had SO many more behavioral issues for at least MONTHS as she adjusted, and having Danni as a sister-in-law and one of the teachers at her school wouldn't be this magical cure-all. But ah well. And also... the whole Mikey/Ava thing was just gross. I know they're just kids and it's just a maybe crush, but Mikey is Cameron's son, and Cameron is Shirley's cousin. Even though Ava isn't blood-related to Shirley, Cameron or Mikey, only the boys through their father, she's still for all intents and purposes, Mikey's cousin of sorts. It's weird. And it's weird the little aside Mikey had with Cameron at age 7 about "just knowing" or some such thing. It was a little unnecessary. I just hate this need to pair *literally everybody* up. Also, Lynette's dad was a biiiit much with the protective dad bit, but good on her mom for reigning him in and giving him a talking to before the big family get together to meet and greet, LMAO. I still loved the book. I hope she's going to at least do one more book for BJ, so he can get his happy ending, too.
