The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska by Eileen Curtright

The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska by Eileen Curtright is a humorous take on life, love, parenting, and domestic life and follows a single mom, microbiologist Rebecca Meer, who is a partner in the local fertility clinic. As someone who has survived life as a single parent, there’s nothing Rebecca can’t handle. Or so she thought. But once things started spiraling out of control, there little she could do.

The floodgate opened with her partner Dr. Thad Sorensons. His destructive behavior is a major cause of concern as it could ruin their business. Her 10-year-old fifth-grade son Mitchell gets a new teacher in the form of her ex-boyfriend Kevin Holts. Rebecca can’t understand why in the world would Kevin return to Ward after starting such a successful tech business in California, and what prompted Mitchell’s principal Calvin Chester to engage him. Mitchell is expelled from the school on flimsy grounds, and Rebecca messed up the annual food drive that her sister entrusted her.

Even worse, she is prone to making poor romantic decisions that will result in embarrassing outcomes. Full of interesting and well-conceived characters, The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska by Eileen Curtright is the story of a woman who wants to live a well-constructed life but makes a mess of everything. It is an engrossing read, and you will find much delight in it from start to finish if what you want is a story that is full of social commentary but sparkling with wit and energy.

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Apricot Kisses by Claudia Winter

Hanna Philip is restaurant critic from Berlin, and her latest review of a restaurant in a peaceful village tucked away in the apricot grove of Tuscan in Italy set off a chain of events which transformed her life. The owner of Tre Camini restaurant, Giuseppa Camini, dies of a fatal heart attack after reading the disparaging and contemptuous review. When Camini’s grandson Fabrizio Camini filed a lawsuit accusing Hanna and the magazine she works for of causing the death of his grandmother, it is left to Hanna to convince him to drop the case or she will be left without a job. Reluctantly Hanna set off and soon the half-hearted steps turned into a wholehearted adventure of a lifetime, full of love and hope.

What immediately attracts one to the story and the setting is the beautiful way in which the fictional village of Montesimo in Italy is portrayed. Claudia Winter leaves nothing to chance and her vivid imagery and description of the place makes you want to go there on a vacation. The description of the apricot fields, the sunrises and sunsets makes the place come alive in your mind. This fictional village is representative of all the little Italian villages where one finds the hope that everyone yearns for in our hearts. Hanna’s character is also finely drawn without holding anything back. She’s downright clumsy and unlucky, and worst suffers from kleptomania.

The story is written in alternating chapters from the perspective of Hanna Philip and Fabrizio which enables the reader to gain more insights about the two main characters. Readers will enjoy the drama, complications and the flowering romance between Hanna and Fabrizio. You will be moved to tears as Apricot Kisses by Claudia Winter is a book that goes to the heart and stays there. Claudia Winter’s protagonists are characters with endearing weaknesses but formed with the ability to outgrow in the course of their stories. Hanna and Fabrizio’s story is a lesson about life and love, and how to go about it. You can’t always take yourself too seriously. Sometimes you need to go with the flow of life. Open your hearts, close your eyes, raise your arms and you’ll grow wings to fly. A most delightful and charming book, I strongly recommend Apricot Kisses by Claudia Winter if you have a heart for romance and adventure.

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