Shipped by Angie Hockman

 

For most of us here in Canada it's now been years since vacations were possible because of Covid.  If your stuck in another cold winter with no warm vacations in sight Shipped is the perfect book to take you away.  

Henley and Graham are two employees working for a cruise ship company.  Spending all their days working on social media and marketing they've never even set foot on a cruise ship.  When they are told they are competing for a new management position their boss decides it's time they get on a cruise.

It sounds like a beautiful 10 days sailing around the Galapagos islands but Henley is determined to spend the entire cruise working on her management proposal presentation.  Henley also hates Graham so when not working on her presentation she's trying to avoid him - but he's everywhere.  Worse yet - she didn't realise he was so good looking - like really good looking.  She needs to stay focused.

Cruising is my favourite way to travel and I've never been to Galapagos.  Shipped had me planning my next cruise for someday when things look better.  But for now it was a perfect escape from January on a cold winter day.

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

Sunday Brennan has been living in California for 5 years.  Her brother Denny gets a call in New York that she's in the hospital after a drunk driving crash.  That's not like Sunday and he knows it's time he paid her a visit in California himself.

Somehow Denny convinces her to come back to New York to heal.  The Brennan clan couldn't be happier to have her back.  She left quite suddenly five years ago and they were worried for a bit but overtime they worried about her less.  They figured things were going good for her.  But maybe they were wrong.

The craziest part about her leaving is that she left her high school sweet heart, Kale, behind.  Who also happened to be Denny's best friend and co-owner of the local pub Brennans.  He was absolutely heart broken for a bit but eventually he married Vivianne who Denny said seemed all wrong for him.

Denny's got some problems of his own.  Kale and him are opening a new pub across town and things aren't going well.  The new pub was his idea and so he's trying to hide some unexpected payments from Kale.

Jackie, another one of Sunday's brother has also been in some trouble lately.  His parole dictates he's not allowed to work in the pub - the only job he ever really loved. 

All the Brennan's seem to have secrets including their father who is at the beginning stages of Alzheimers.  Sweet Shane, the last Brennan brother, is the only one with nothing to hide.  No matter the secrets this is an Irish clan that sticks together.  But once the secrets start unraveling will they be able to stick together.

We Are the Brennans is one of the best books I've read in awhile.  I got it as a Christmas book from my husband.  Tracey Lange manages to twist the story so you really don't know how it's all going to come together.  It's definitely a book you won't want to put down.  I give it 5 stars!