The Brave by Nicholas Evans

This book had a different feel for me than Nicholas Evan's other books. Usually his settings are in the great outdoors - on a ranch, in the woods. This book's main focus was Hollywood - in the early days. I liked the book, but it had a layer of sadness running throughout. Just about all of the main characters had to live with decisions they had made in the past, which may or may not have been the best decisions. There were certainly some significant repercussions regardless.

I liked Tommy as a boy - and as a man eventually. He felt so out-of-tune with his "parents". This was curious to me. First of all, they were his grandparents, so you would think they would have loved him deeply and showed it, like many grandparents. Secondly, they wanted another child and could never have one. Here was an opportunity to "have" another child. I guess I just didn't understand their "distance" from Tommy. But then, when Diane tells Tommy that she is actually his mother, instead of his sister, Diane's mom reportedly dies from a broken heart. Really? She just didn't seem that invested in Diane or Tommy. I am so glad that Tommy had Cal after Diane was gone, but apparently Cal's love wasn't enough for Tom to carry on with life without feeling the heavy weight of what happened. I get that. He killed to protect his mother - and his mother took the blame. The whole thing was very sad.

I really liked Diane. She was obviously talented and beautiful. As Tom says late in the book, her life could have been so different if she had met Cal first (before Ray). Oh, what might have been.... Many of these characters would have led a very different life most likely, had that happened.

I am happy that Tom reunited with Danny - and developed a relationship of peace with Gina & Dutch. I also liked that he ended up with Karen's mom and not Karen herself! Despite the "happy ending" however, I finished the book feeling sad for Tom, losing his mother - and his guilt associated with that; for Cal - for losing Diane too; for Danny - who will now have to live his life with innocent blood on his hands. It was a melancholy read for me.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

I enjoy a good summer read. Elin Hilderbrand's books always take place in a nice setting. I really don't know anything about Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, so it was interesting to read about the rivalry between the two islands - and how people prefer one over the other - even though they are only eleven miles apart. I would like to visit both and form my own opinion one day!

I had an issue with Tabitha blaming Harper for the death of Julian. Why on earth would Tabitha waste 14 years blaming her sister for her premature son's death when all Harper did was come to help? As far as splitting up the twins, that didn't bother me as much because people split up their children, twins or not, all the time for various reasons. Tabitha's REAL issue with Harper was that she "got to go" with their father while she was "forced to stay" with their mother. The odd thing about that is that I don't think Tabitha would have been happier with Billy. But maybe she wouldn't have been so uptight about everything if she had stayed with Billy more often. It's kind of ridiculous that they didn't spend more time with the opposite parent anyway, considering they were only miles a part. This is especially puzzling after we find out that Eleanor & Billy were getting it on anyway! I didn't really like Tabitha at all for most of the book. Instead of making changes to be happier, she just blamed other people for her unhappiness. Fortunately, Ainsley got a much needed break from her at a critical moment in her life.

I wasn't really sure who would end up with whom. Usually the woman doesn't end up with the married man, so that was a surprise. Maybe I wouldn't have been as surprised if I had known earlier that Sadie was such a witch - and in love with someone else anyway! It was a happy ending, with a few sad things along the way. I was sad about Billy dying in the first place. I was sad about Brendan. I was happy that Harper and Tabitha each had a chance to put a positive spin on the other's life: Harper taking over the store and making the necessary changes to turn a profit; Tabitha remodeling Billy's home. Both of these projects were too overwhelming for the sister that was mired in them.

All's well that ends well!

Wendy's Rating: ****