Mary SimsesReseñas

Well... the first chapter was ridiculous and believability went downhill from there. I had the entire thing figured out before I even finished chapter one, but decided just to roll with it.

It definitely gets worse before it gets better but about page 120, things start to become more interesting than laughable…slightly.

There were way too many silly coincidences but the story did end up endearing itself to me and the fact that it lacked both a raunchy sex scene AND an obligatory but expendable gay character made it one of the better of the chick-lits I’ve read lately.

The signature on this email account is a quote by J.W. Eagan: "Never judge a book by its movie"
I never thought I would say this, but that quote doesn't apply to this book. The Hallmark movie is SO MUCH better and I couldn't reconcile the two while reading it. The sexual tension was palpable in the movie; not so much in this book. The choice of karaoke song was so wrong in the book. It really could have used a deeper edit.
It is just so-so; not even beach worthy.

Any movie with Marc Blucas and Alison Sweeny together is a win for us. Fantastic chemistry and the karoke is not to be missed !

I just finished the book this movie was based on and I have to say that the movie is a thousand times better than the book. I never thought I would say that but the two actors make the movie come alive and the sexual tension is very apparent in the movie but missing in the book. You have to see this movie

I was a little disappointed in this book. As one who is irked by grammar mistakes in life (TV is the worse,) I thought there would be more of that. Grace's competitive spirit with Regan seemed a bit immature, but I guess that's what some people are like. I enjoyed the overall theme of a small town living in a coastal town.

I liked the story in general, but was a bit disappointed to find that the café mentioned in the title was long gone until the epilogue. I thought Ellen a bit whiny and spoiled, but she was brought up that way.½

*This book was given to me by the publisher*

I really enjoyed this. Perfect summer reading. Fun, with heart. Definitely good for anyone who cares about grammar, and anyone who is into bicycles. There are multiple hot men to choose from. Personally, I was hoping she would get together with the movie star. He was the one who was actually always nice to her! I liked the parents and really enjoyed reading about her mother's work and I loved the idea of the "shrines." I would read a whole book about that story.

Malgré une couverture magnifique et un titre intriguant, cette romance n'évite pas les longueurs et elle a m'a un peu déçu. Cependant même si je n'ai pas accroché avec l'humour de l'auteur j'ai tout de même trouvé l'histoire rafraichissante.

This could have been an interesting story but it was so poorly written. Not worth the time.

Va bene che sia una lettura leggera, ma avrei decisamente dovuto interrompere il romanzo alla descrizione del salvataggio in mare, così confusa che non si capiva cosa stesse succedendo.
Il mistero più grande rimane irrisolto, ed è stato l'unico motivo che mi ha fatto arrivare alla fine.
Il finale è di una banalità disarmante, con la protagonista che si improvvisa in un nuovo mestiere, senza alcun motivo plausibile - non dico altro per non spoilerare eccessivamente.

Grace has just lost her job, her boyfriend broke up with her and now the apartment upstairs has had a leak that just happened to flow right into her apartment. Now, she's back home living with her parents for who knows how long.

Things aren't always going right for Grace and they continue that way after she returns back to her hometown. Lots of things and people from her past keep coming up, sometimes good and sometime bad.

This was a cute story, I did have trouble with the protagonist though. She irked me quite a bit, however, she did have some reasons and past issues which helped to make her into the person she had become. And, while she irked me, she wasn't even close to being the worst character I've come upon. She had her faults and once you discovered some things in her past, you could see how she would be that way.

All in all, I enjoyed the story with a lot of sympathy for Grace.

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Definitely a rainy day, Saturday read. Enjoyed the characters, the premise and the storyline. Worth kicking back with your favorite beverage.

Fulfilling a promise she made to her dying grandmother, Ellen finds herself searching for an old beau that her grandmother left decades ago. In the small town where her grandmother grew up, Ellen discovers connections to the way of life there that do not fit her current life as a high-powered attorney. She also meets a handsome carpenter, which complicates her life, since she is scheduled to be married to another attorney in three months. What was a busy life on a narrow path has become a complicated life in a rural town. Likable characters, even in this predictable plot, made this an enjoyable and quick read.

The Rules of Love & Grammar by Mary Simses
Have read other works by the author and loved the read.
Like how at the start of each chapter there's a note about a part of the language and then it's used in a sentence.
Book starts out with Grace and she's got 3 strikes: lost her job, her boyfriend and her apartment needs to be repaired for several weeks. She's back in CT with her parents and her mom is planning her father's 65th birthday party. She meets up with her long time girl friend, Cluny and they run into some of the guys they went to school with. Partying and spending too much money on clothes, that she doesn't really have.... to impress the director, Peter who she once dated.
She uncovers her dead sister's bike in the garage and wants to get it restored-it'd cost a fortune! She feels guilty that it's rusty.
Love hearing of the work her mother does as she discovers things in houses that she designed, technical bike things, and how to make a movie. Such treasures! Her father is the poet and everybody knows him in town.
She blames herself for her sister's death and for things said before she left the house. She feels she's living in her shoes...she needs to move on but then so much more goes wrong in her life. Surprise ending!
Like hearing all about the town's 375th anniversary as our town has just celebrated for a whole year our anniversary. All the events are so New England. Will she be able to compete in the bike race, will she confess all to her parents...she has a lot of tough decisions to make.
This story is about pain, suffering, loss and moving forward to find love. Love how the cover really tells the story and what it signifies.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review

Just before attorney Ellen Brandford's grandmother died, she asked Ellen to deliver a letter to a man in Beacon, Maine, apologizing for leaving him in their youth. Since it was her grandmother's final request, Ellen decides to leave Manhattan and her fiance, Hayden, for what she believes will be a quick one-day trip to Maine.

After checking into her hotel, Ellen can't resist walking out on a nearby dock to take a photo. She falls through and almost drowns. She's saved by a handsome and witty carpenter named Roy and becomes a local celebrity known as “The Swimmer”. As Ellen searches for her grandmother's former lover, Ellen begins to discover things about her family and herself, she never knew. Her one-day trip turns into several and when Hayden and her mother arrive in town, things begin to fall apart in some funny ways.

This is a very cute but predictable chick-lit story that will appeal to hopeless romantics. It was a fast easy read and fulfilled my challenge of reading a book set in Maine.

This book was sweet and fairly predictable, with the only major surprise coming on behalf of the main character's grandmother 3/4 of the way through the novel. I don't always need to "like" the main character of a book, but in a romance novel it helps - if I don't like you, why do I care if you wind up happy? The biggest problem here, for me, was how long it took me to find Ellen anything but annoying. Her self-centeredness in every possibly situation made me wonder why anyone put up with her, frankly, and it wasn't until her (possibly even more self-centered) fiance' and mother showed up that she started to seem sympathetic in comparison.

That said, I was genuinely interested in finding out the secrets of her Grandmother's life - in fact, I would have loved much more of her grandmother's story. Reading how much she loved her Gran made me see the first glimpses of a woman I could root for, so I was thankful for those moments.

Overall, I thought the story was sort of boring, but it's really well-written. Worth finishing.

I really wanted to love this book - a review on the cover says if I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (which I did) I would love this too. I did not. These characters were not complete for me, they seemed very stereotypically one dimensional. The whole story form start to finish takes place in a week and as much as I believe in true love I don't believe this story.

Wow, what a fabulous debut novel! I found The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café to be totally divine! It was so much more than a romantic chick lit—it included the depth of a charming historical fiction novel, blending the old and new seamlessly with generations past.

If you are a fan of authors Nicholas Sparks, Mary Kay Andrews, Elin Hilderbrand, Beth Hoffman, Nancy Thayer, Susan Rebecca White, and Mary Ellen Taylor- this book is for you!

I was delighted to discover this author (especially since I live in South Florida where Mary Simses currently resides). Being a former lawyer, Mary definitely knows the dynamics of her characters, and oh, is so able to capture the essence of each setting—to the point you could almost smell the flowers and taste the food--and image yourself alongside the characters.

This e-book was witty, and kept me smiling – what a beautiful love story – Ruth/Chet and Ellen/Roy. The scenes at the Antler were hilarious! I hated for the book to end as was so engaging. Hopefully there will be a sequel – (as possibly more about Ellen’s mother – seems as she may have some skeletons in her closet and could let loose as well, more about Chet’s background, possibly the owner of the B&B, and of course the continuation of Roy/Ellen saga and this town of colorful characters (at least a few more books in the series).

I related to this book in so many ways (as a former publisher, having spent years in the commercial real estate business, as well as a fan of small historic and quaint towns, art, B&Bs, coffee and tea shops, architecture, history, gourmet food, and photography. (Of course the smart and sexy hunk was a huge draw as well as the inviting front cover.--love finding secrets of past generations.)

A compelling and well written novel, set in beautiful Maine, this book will transport you from the sophisticated life of Manhattan to the simple pleasures of small town living, good food, and friends as a special granddaughter carries out her much loved grandmother’s wishes and the life and love she left behind.

I look forward to reading more from this talented author and following her!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Many early reviews mentioned their disappointment in James Patterson comparing this title to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows that was published in 2008. Perhaps marketing listened as the paperback edition that I read has the quote by James Patterson on the front cover that says, "If you like Nicholas Sparks novels, you will devour this book." I am in agreement with this comparison for it would definitely be in my classification of a great summer beach book.
The only thing that I don't understand is leaving a position as a high-powered attorney to become an entrepreneur of a bakeshop and cafe. When did Ellen learn to bake? You don't become an awesome baker overnight with only old family recipes in hand. Throughout the entire novel, Ellen has remembrances of her love of photography and the words of wisdom that her grandmother shared with her about looking through the viewfinder. I knew that somehow Ellen and Roy would wind up on the farm and growing blueberries too but somehow I envisioned Ellen using her artistic talent for photography and creating an incredible gallery not a bakeshop even though the title leads to that definite conclusion. It's a beautifully written story and I'm anxious to read her next novel selection. But this book had other possibilities too that could have been explored and perhaps even been a great cliff-hanger for a sequel so I leave Beacon, ME with a touch of disappointment.

Review first published on fefferbooks.com.

After a long spate of YA novels these last few weeks, I was rather excited to get my hands on The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe, a general fiction novel I put on hold a couple of months before it was published, back in July.

Blueberry is a nice little book. It’s a predictable little love story, incorporating a little bit of family history and a charming coastal Maine setting. I enjoyed reading it, mostly, but did find myself struggling, at first, to acclimate to the novel’s protagonist, Ellen. Initially, she’s so stubborn and such a “city girl” as to be cold and mildly offensive, and though I believe author Mary Simses intends for us to feel this way so we can see the change in Ellen, I really struggled with the beginning of the book, and thought about quitting it. I stuck with it, though, because I really wanted to hear about that cafe that’s so beautifully pictured on the cover.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much mention of the cafe–it’s long gone by the time Ellen arrives in town. The town, though, is marvelously described, and, in my opinion, the strongpoint of the book. Simses has a gift for writing vivid settings without being overly (boringly!) descriptive, as some authors can be. She simply paints lovely pictures.

The story, itself, is fairly typical chick-lit: a love triangle formed by an engaged couple from the city and the new, perfect, rough-around-the-edges gentleman who sweeps the girl off her feet. After a few predictable plot developments, the two right people get together. It’s a little cheesy and a little trite, but it was still fairly enjoyable. I give Simses major props for pulling it off without any swearing or smut. If this kind of book is your thing, it would be a great book-club choice.

Not amazing, but not bad. 3 solid stars for the charming setting.

First novel, borrowed it from the library because of James Patterson's endorsement. Not my usual read. Very quick read, predictable, typical romance novel. While searching for her Grandmother's background, Ellen a stubborn, successful, beautiful, snobby, driven, materialistic Manhattan woman leaves her old life and falls into a new life and love in rural Maine. She discovers "truths" about herself and about her grandmother. Very, simple predictable plot, but carefully written. First time author has talent, I'm sure there is a market for this type of novel; another reader would probably give it more stars. Oh, and Ellen can bake the best blueberry muffins.

I was excited about this book after reading a couple reviews. However, I just gave up on it after 100 pages. The story didn't seem to be going anywhere. Everything seemed to need some editing from the slow pace, inconsistent characterization, the stilted narrative and dialogue, and abounding cliches. I do read boilerplate genre fiction, but this read like a bad romance novel masquerading a literature.½

I loved this book! It started out a little sad since Ellen’s grandmother had recently died, but the story from then on was anything but sad. The trip her grandmother sent her on was full of ups and downs, laughs and surprises.

The descriptions of the town and the people she met were wonderful. I could almost see the town and the ocean, and by the end of the book I felt as if I knew these people. I loved following Ellen and discovering bits about her grandmother and her past. I loved seeing her become a person she thought she’d never be and liking a town and enjoying it’s people that she never thought she’d like.

I liked that in the end, she decided to be the person she wanted to be and not what her mother wanted her to be.

If you’re looking for a light read, give this book a chance. It’s a fun read that will make you smile, and maybe even laugh here and there.

The irresistible blueberry bakeshop & cafe by Mary Simses
What a very nice surprise. The cover is why I wanted to read this book. Once I got into the book the story line was something very appealing to me on many counts.
The locale of Maine, photography and exploring into the past.
Helen starts out on a journey for her now dead grandmother-to deliver a letter to Mr. Cummings in Maine. When she arrives she ends up falling through a dock and she is rescued by Roy.
She tracks down numerous things along the way about her grandmothers past. Her fiance gets concerned when she doesn't make it back to NYC so he shows up there, and so does her mother for a photography shoot for their upcoming wedding.
Problem is she has choices now-and little does she realize the reason why she was sent here, rather than just mailing the letter sinks in and gives her advice she may follow.
Hoping to find more from this author as I really totally was enthralled reading this.
Before I listened to this via NLS I had bought the hard bound book. Was hoping for a recipe...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
5 stars!

Too fluffy and predictable for me. For being a lawyer, she sure was an airhead!