Hey friends,

If you’ve been here for a minute, you know that I am illogically obsessed with Newport, Rhode Island. In fact, my husband and I usually spend the last week of August there every summer.

However, this summer, we were unable to go on our annual trip, and so I had to find a different creative way to get my Newport fix.

Enter: My Books that Take Place in Newport Read-a-Thon.

The books in my stack were: Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams, Polite Calamities by Jennifer Gold, Ariabella: The First by N.A. Straight, To Marry an English Lord by Carol McD. Wallace and Gail MacColl, Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell, and The Wedding People by Alison Espach.

While I enjoyed all the books, I definitely enjoyed some more than others. But there were two that stood out as 5 star reads for me.

Historical Cozy Mystery

Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell

I will never get tired of reading these books. Murder at Vinland is the 12th book in the Gilded Newport Mystery series, and for those of you who love a cozy mystery, I highly HIGHLY recommend this series. You can read this as a stand alone, but of course, you will enjoy it more if you read the other stories that come before you to know the background of the characters. However, Maxwell does a great job of giving you the information you need so you’re not lost in the dark. This novel follows our heroine, Emma Cross, as she investigates the suspicious murder and poisoning of members of the 400 after an Audubon Society meeting at her distant Vanderbilt relative’s home, Vinland. Come for the cozy mystery, stay for the delicious descriptions of Newport. There is such a sense of place in these books that you’ll feel immersed in the world of Emma Cross. It’s like a warm hug. I can’t get enough!

Dark Comedy

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

*Trigger Warnings: Discussions of Suicide, Miscarriage, and Infertility.

What a treat this book was. Laugh out loud funny and bittersweet with a touch of romance. The novel follows, Phoebe, who goes to the Cornwall Inn in Newport to commit suicide. However, when she arrives, there’s a wedding party in attendance. During an elevator ride with the bride, Lila, she reveals her plan, and Lila makes it her mission to stop Phoebe from carrying out her final act as it will ruin her big day. What I loved most about this book was the message about letting go and living life to the fullest. There were so many poignant quotes and passages from the novel that I found myself rereading because they were so profound. This is definitely a book to read if you are in need of a little inspiration or need a reminder of the beauties of life. The descriptions of Newport were lovely. But mostly, I enjoyed Phoebe’s realization about life, love, and how to rise after your darkest hour.

A Quick Review of The Other Books

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)

Split timelines: 1950’s Cairo; 2008 and current day New England. Two women connected by a family secret that’s uncovered after a sudden tragedy.

Ariabella: The First by N.A. Straight (Literary Fiction)

A young woman returns home to come to terms with her life and the memory of her first friend after she died in a plane crash. This book was so hard to follow. There’s really no plot, just meandering memories. But the descriptions of Hammersmith Farm were interesting. N.A. Straight is the stepsister of Jackie Kennedy.

Polite Calamities by Jennifer Gold (Historical Fiction)

The novel head hops between three women, each with a different agenda, whose lives converge one summer to help show them who they really are and how they want to live. I enjoyed this one, especially Winifred’s and June’s storylines. I wasn’t so keen on Maria. But overall this was a great book.

To Marry and English Lord by Carol McD. Wallace and Gail MacColl (Non-Fiction)

An informative look into the world of the “dollar princesses” of the late 18 and early 1900’s. I enjoyed this book for its photographs and vignettes into the lives of the American women who married into the English peerage.

Final Thoughts

That’s it for now, friends!

What are you reading? Leave a comment to let me know. I love to expand my TBR!

Until next time. Wishing you a week of 5 star reads!