Title: The Cottage on Juniper Ridge
Author: Sheila Roberts
Series: Life in Icicle Falls, #4
Published: February 2014, Harlequin MIRA
Format: ARC e-copy, 384 pages
Source: Netgalley
How to Change Your Life…
Can a book change your life? Yes, when it’s Simplicity,
Muriel Sterling’s guide to plain living. In fact, it inspires Jen Heath
to leave her stressful, overcommitted life in Seattle and move to
Icicle Falls, where she rents a lovely little cottage on Juniper Ridge.
And where she can enjoy simple pleasures—like joining the local book
club—and complicated ones, like falling in love with her sexy landlord, Garrett Armstrong.Her
sister Toni is ready for a change, too. She’s got a teenage daughter
who’s constantly texting her friends, a husband who’s more involved with
his computer than he is with her, and a son who’s consumed by video
games. Toni wants her family to grow closer—to return to a simpler way
of life.Other women in town, like Stacy Thomas, are also inspired to unload their excess stuff and some of the extra responsibilities they’ve taken on.
But as they all discover, sometimes life simply happens. It doesn’t always happen simply!
My thoughts: Sometimes you read a book that seems to hit you at just the right time. That was this book, the latest installment of Sheila Roberts’ Life in Icicle Falls series and boy oh boy did I love the message that was carried through this book – Simplicity is the way to go!
One of the things I love about Sheila Roberts’ books is that she always has such great messages woven into her stories – messages that aren’t preachy or shoved down our thoughts, but rather just little tidbits to think about. In this case, the message was all about living a more simple life – do we really need all the “stuff” we have accumulated in our lives, whether it be material things or even all the high-tech gadgets we have.
The story follows a book club who has decided to pick Icicle Fall’s own author Muriel Sterling’s new book on how to simplify your life. As they read the book, we see each of the characters trying to put some of the advice they learn into action. Each chapter starts with a snippet from Muriel’s book – an idea I really appreciated. I wish this were a real book – would love to read it!
I love the relationships that Sheila Roberts creates between her characters. There are the relationships between the women in the book club who really come together when one needs something to the sisterly bond we see between Jen and Toni. And of course, we can’t forget the romance that occurs.
This book really made me think about all the “stuff” I have in my house. I definitely plan on taking some of the advice from this book and putting it into action, much like the ladies of the book club – and trying to live a more simple life.
What about you? Is there a book out there that has really resonated with you when you read it?
Books in this series:
.5 Welcome to Icicle Falls
1. Better Than Chocolate
2. Merry Ex-Mas
3. What She Wants
4. The Cottage on Juniper Ridge
5. The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane – due out Jun 2014
6. The Lodge on Holly Road – due out Oct 2014
Now and then a book just has a message that makes me think it has an extra special message for me, although can't think of it at the moment. However I do think I want to read this series, so will probably have to order from Book Dep. Thanks for the review, it appeals!