A January Bride. Deborah Raney. 2013. 99 pages. Zondervan. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] As part of a “A Year of Weddings,” I read A January Bride. The second book in the series, this novella tells the story of author Madeline and widower Arthur as their friend, a spry octogenarian affectionately known as Ginny, plays matchmaker. Madeline’s house is being renovated, which doesn’t suit her need for peace and quiet while she’s writing. Arthur has a bed & breakfast that sits largely empty while he works as an English professor. When Ginny calls on Arthur to let Madeline use his house while she recuperates from a sprained ankle and tries to beat a publishing deadline. Competing schedules keep the two from meeting, but they exchange almost daily notes, getting to know one another from afar. The only catch is they’re both greatly misinformed about the other – they both think they’re talking to someone Ginny’s age, when the reality is that they’re both barely middle-aged. Even more complicated is that they’ve actually met one another and didn’t even realize it.

Outbreak: The Zombie Apolocalypse. 2015. 236 pages. Pants on Fire Press. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of Library Thing Early Reviewers Program.] I’ll cut to the chase – I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of “doomsday” literature, but this one grabbed me and had me on the edge of my seat for the entire time. I was admittedly wary of reading this because it’s about a zombie apocalypse. They’re kind of all the same, whether in film or book, right? Not so much. I appreciated this one because you get a first-person perspective about how someone copes with being in the midst of such a terrifying situation. You see first-hand the fear, the contemplation, the desperation … the entire range of emotions one must feel while staring at what could be the end of days.

The Good Enough Husband. Sylvie Fox. [ARC provided courtesy of LibraryThing Member Giveaway.] Sometimes you just have get away. Pack some things, get in your car, and drive. That’s exactly what Hannah Keesling does when she finds herself contemplating whether to walk away from her marriage to her husband Michael. She’s trapped in what she considers a passionless marriage with someone who doesn’t understand her. Her getaway is supposed to give her a chance to really think about what she wants, not just with her marriage, but also with her life, with solitude. However, a carsick dog puts her squarely in the path of veterinarian Ben Cooper in a small town in Oregon – just a pit stop on her path. For her dog’s benefit, she’s forced to spend her down time in the coastal town and has an unlikely opportunity to get closer to the doctor.

Only With You. Lauren Layne. 2014. 369 pages. Forever. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] Only With You sucked me in and stole my entire day and I loved every second. It explores the complicated relationship between law student-turned cocktail waitress Sophie Dalton and Gray Wyatt, a stoic businessman, that results from a brief encounter while trapped in a Las Vegas hotel’s elevator. When the Sophie and Gray formally meet a few weeks later, it’s obviously shocking for them, but sets in motion a chain of events that leave the two at each others’ throats and hearts. Although their reintroduction is a bit of a cliche, Layne weaves together a solid story.

Best Kind of Broken. Chelsea Fine.  Best Kind of Broken is something like an emotional roller-coaster. The kind that starts off by hurtling you into the air at 75mph before throwing you through 360 degree loops. In this case, that means the first intro you get to the characters is when Sarah/”Pixie” is threatening to suffocate her next door neighbor, Levi, who is working on her aunt’s ranch for the summer. The two have a history together — one that is incredibly tormenting and which neither have properly come to terms with. I found this to be an easy read, but also one that had me emotionally invested in its main characters. Pixie and Levi are incredibly broken, likely a result of their ineffective (read: nonexistent) ways of coping. The two were practically raised together – Levi’s wholesome family was a safe haven from Pixie’s emotionally traumatizing mother. While being together could ease their pain, simply being around each other is a constant, painful reminder of how good their lives used to be.