Three Great Beach Reads #ourgoodlifebooklist

I've been so busy reading that I haven't taken the time to do the reviews.  I want to catch up a bit and tell you about these incredible reads.  Please note:  I received these books for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Golden Bride by Kimberly Woodhouse

This was my first read in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, but now I want to read more. The Golden Bride is set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush.   Olivia Brighton, the main character, becomes widowed while traveling to San Francisco to work for her brother.  When she arrives, she finds herself in a complete hellhole. San Francisco is not the city she imagined when deciding to take a wagon to get there.  Riddled with crime, and the lack of women create citizens that are crude and dangerous.  Olivia finds herself in danger more than a few times.  I enjoyed this book as there is a love interest that blossoms in this otherwise nasty place.  Seeing that develop and bearing fruit was a lovely thing in this story.  I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

If you want to read the others in the series, here they are:

More in the Daughters of the Mayflower series:
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (February 2018)
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (April 2018)
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War (June 2018)
The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia (August 2018)
The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road (October 2018)
The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore (December 2018)
The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo - set 1836 Battle of the Alamo (February 2019)

City of Flickering Light by Juliette Fay

This has to be my favorite read so far in 2019.  Set in old world Hollywood,  Irene, Milly, and Henry jump off a moving train in order to escape their underhanded and unscrupulous boss.  They make it to Hollywood, but find it a difficult place to get a break. This book is about true friendship, the rocky road that has us breaking the hearts of our best friends, but through forgiveness and unconditional love, find ourselves back in their arms again.  The history, the Hollywood glamour, the friendships, this book had me reading until the wee hours of the night.  A summer must read.

Cape May by Chip Cheek

Another fabulous summer read!  This one deviates from my normal selections.  Set in Cape May in New Jersey in 1957, two newlyweds find themselves honeymooning in a nearly deserted town until they meet up with some New England socialites.  The book explores the sexuality of the 1950s with the more sophisticated socialites.  The book has some sexual scenes and some rather far-out ideas that the couples think of to do, but overall the storyline was interesting and compelling.  As you are reading you are kept wondering if the newlyweds can survive this encounter or will their honeymoon turn into the scandal of a one-week marriage.  I got caught up in the glamour of 1950s life: the gin, the yachts, the dresses, the food... it all came together for me as a glimpse into the 50s we don't see often. I would consider this a psychodrama, exploring themes of lust, betrayal, and manipulation.

I hope you find a good beach read in one of these three books.  As always, I am very appreciative of all who purchase the book from me using one of the Amazon links above.  I will make a small commission but the price stays the same for you.