Inner Voice Choice: Homeward Sound

It's always fun to visit the whimsical world of Ashley Poston.  With just four novels, her name has become synonymous with otherworldly love stories.  And her latest, Sounds Like Love, may be the most magical yet.

Joni Lark has music in her soul.  She grew up at the Revelry, her parents' music hall on the Outer Banks, and her mother used to sing for a famous band.  So after college, she moved to Los Angeles to make it as a songwriter.  Nearly a decade later, she's penned songs for some of the biggest names in the business.  But a bout of writer's block has her wondering if her career is over.  Also, her mom, with whom she's very close, has early onset dementia.  When she goes home for the summer, it's bittersweet.

Then she starts hearing a voice in her head and doesn't know what to do.  Suddenly, she's privy to a strange man's thoughts -- and he's privy to hers.  Before she knows it, they're forging a connection, all set to mysterious music.  Yet as scary as this seems, it's just what Joni needs.  Because getting acquainted with Sasha sends her on a journey through her mom's past, forcing her to reexamine her present and what it means to come home.

Written in lush, lyrical prose, Sounds Like Love is unforgettably poignant.  Poston crafts Joni's world with care and intention, evoking our own what-ifs in this beautiful tale of romantic and familial love.

If you heart love and fancifulness, then Sounds Like Love hits the right notes.

Summer, Brightly So

Dress: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney; Top: Nine West, Kohl's

Shoes: New York & Company

Bag: Mix No. 6, DSW

Top: IZ Buyer, Kohl's; Skirt: Trixxi, Kohl's

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Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohls

Bag: Betseyville, ROSS

One of my old school jewels.  You can tell because of the toggle.

I don't have to tell you that summer means even more color.  So I was excited to pull out my psychedelic-print L'Amour by Nanette Lepore dress.  I've had it for more than twelve years -- I know because I wore it to my bridal shower.  And in that time, I've worn it alone, under cardigans, and over blouses of every print and color.  But I like it best over this black and white, diagonal striped, Nine West button-down.  The combo is curated chaos -- which is just my style.

And life. 😏

Purple Hair, Don't Care: The Bully in the Library

As I work through Jenn McKinlay's Library Lovers mystery series, I'm happy to find that each book is better than the last.  Still, I particularly enjoyed my most recent read, Death in the Stacks.

A plot twist turns Briar Creek Library into high school when Olive Boyle takes over as board president.  Intent on making a name for herself, Olive undermines the staff with her masterful manipulations.  Not only does she threaten to replace library director Lindsey Norris, she persecutes purple-haired newbie Paula to the point of tears.  Lindsey goes into protective mode, refusing to believe Olive's accusations that Paula is dangerous.  But things worsen when the middle-aged mean girl meets her end -- and Paula is caught with the knife.

Despite her vow to stop playing sleuth after nearly getting killed, Lindsey has no choice but to save one of her own.  But as she investigates, she ends up with more questions than answers, the most niggling of which is this: Did the queen bee have secrets?

That said, McKinlay's Olive is spot on, the kind of prissy and power-hungry tormentor that we've all run up against, if not in high school, then at some watershed.  Indeed, it's Olive's evilness that makes Lindsey's loyalty to Paula all the more meaningful.  I was very invested in clearing Paula's name, even if I couldn't discover whodunit due to the clever plot.

As chilling as it is charming, Death in the Stacks is more than worth checking out.

A Nod to Noir: Cherries in Black and White

Blouse: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Blouse: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Circus by Sam Edelman, Kohl's

Bow: Wild Fable, Target

Black and Bright Necklace

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

You know I heart fruit fashion.  So when I found this cherry-print dress and blouse from -- where else? -- Kohl's, I had to have them.  I love how the print is kind of retro and pops on the black and white.  It makes me think of black and white movies and the seriously stylish -- and stylishly serious -- ladies who starred in them.  Maybe that's why I look so perturbed in the fit with the yellow blouse.  Like some fedora-sporting PI just mansplained double indemnity to me.

Of course, we all know how that story ends.  

And it's the pits for Mr. Fedora.

Love Island: Money Doesn't Grow on Palm Trees

My last Target run wasn't complete without a copy of Christina Lauren's latest, The Paradise Problem.  Once home, I opened the beautiful cover to embark upon what was sure to be another great romcom.  Spoiler alert: I wasn't disappointed.

Things couldn't be worse for starving artist Anna Green.  No one is buying her paintings, she just got fired from her convenience store gig, and she caught her roommate doing the dance with no pants on her couch.  So when her in-name-only husband, Liam Weston, offers her a fortune to attend his sister's wedding, she accepts.  All she has to do is play the part of his adoring wife on an island for two weeks.  Then he gets his inheritance, and her problems go away.

Yet despite being draped in Chanel and Dior, Anna sticks out like a sore thumb.  Her pink hair and blue humor clash spectacularly with the Westons' reserve.  Still, despite -- or perhaps because of -- this tension, Anna and Liam become allies, getting to know each other for the first time.  What follows is a modern -- albeit, to paraphrase Anna, an Indecent Proposal-esque -- fairy tale with a villainous patriarch, a gorgeous setting, and the promise of love conquering all.

Funny, romantic, and surprisingly shrewd, The Paradise Problem questions the cost of being born with a silver spoon.  Because even paradise loses some of its charm when you're tap dancing to the tune of millions.

So, yeah.  The Paradise Problem was just the distraction I needed.  And I have to say, it made me feel  very lucky to not be a one-percenter.

Apple of My Sky: Pineapples and Rainbows . . .

Dress: Candie's, Kohl's

The bright stuff.

Bag: Kelly & Katie, DSW

Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's

Fruit and Foliage Necklace

Top: New York & Company

More momlife minutiae. 

Bag: Mellow World, Kohl's

License plate: Amazon

. . . are two of my favorite things.  And both happen to hail from Hawaii.  At least they do per the state license plate, especially the rainbow.  Anyway, feasting on this most golden of fruits beneath bands of color seems magical.  So that's the mood I'm going for.

That said, I made the Fruit and Foliage Necklace entirely from bits and baubles in my supply stash.  Initially, the pineapple charms seemed doomed due to their chipped crowns.  But I added crystals, making them, in my humble opinion, even more royal.  Because you know what they say.  Necessity is the mother of invention.

Just as rain is the mother of rainbows.

More LC to See: Pumps and Posies and Rosies

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Stickers: Amazon

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Florals up close and personal.

Just out of frame game.

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Socks: Mix No 6, DSW

Skirt and shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

My emotional support poster.

Bag: Sugar Thrillz, Dolls Kill

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

As promised, I'm back with more pairs of forgiving LC Lauren Conrad shoes.  Because a promise is a promise and comfort is queen.  At least until I tumble from my throne and skulk back to my stilettos.  

Anyhoo, I'm also sporting LC threads.  Which I teamed with the Sugar Thrillz princess purse I debated buying.  Around Y2K, when princess merch became popular, I was put off by it.  But more than twenty years later, I think it's fun, especially with a preppy fit.       

That said, The Golden Girls have crashed the royal court that's somehow become this post.  Because they're the best in TV and everything. 

Even if they never hawked shoes.

Romeo Revisited: No-Show and Tell Spell

It's been awhile since I read a book that made me want to review it.  But as soon as I started Beth O' Leary's The No-Show, I couldn't wait to get started.

Three very different women are stood up by the same man on Valentine's Day.  And by all accounts, Joseph Carter fits the bill of the loathsome Lothario.  Hiding behind the guise of a bumbling nice guy, he makes and breaks plans with Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane.  Each woman is likeable and sympathetic, and I didn't want any of them to end up in Carter's clutches.  That said, the premise is romcom gold, giving us a classic player who needs only the love of a good woman -- and perhaps a makeover montage -- to see the error of his ways.  But The No-Show isn't that story.  The characters are complex and flawed, and the deceptively simple plot sparkles with twists and pockets of darkness.  If I didn't have a job and a baby, then I would've read it through without stopping.  Because there are few things that intrigue me quite like the mystery of a romantic what-if.

Especially when the guy known as the no-show keeps popping up everywhere.

Red, White, and Rainbow: When Stripes are the Stars

Tee: Arizona Jeans, JCPenney

Allie Avocado Necklace

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Fun with flags.

Hat: On 34th, Macy's

The wheel deal.

Top: Wild Fable, Target

Bag: INC, Macy's

The husband's shirt: IZOD, Kohl's

Whenever I try to wear red, white, and blue, I always end up overpowering the white with yellow.  Because, as I once said to a fellow (bewildered) preschooler, no drawing is complete without sunshine.  And what's an outfit, after all, if not a 3D illustration?  So, I added a shot of vitamin D -- and C! -- to my Fourth of July fits.  I carried my lemon wedge bag to Smithville on the actual holiday, then my rainbow-chain, yellow bag to the family BBQ later that weekend.  It definitely boosted my mood.  Even if I did drop a dollop of sunscreen on the lemon on its inaugural outing.

Still, safety first, am I right?  Because despite being cheerful, the sun will burn you to a crisp. 😏🌞

Having Your Cake and Feeting it Too: Going Fourth With Cute, Comfy Footwear

Top and skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Madden Girl, Kohl's

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Socks: Zulily

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Skirt and shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Amazon

Scarlet Stuff Necklace

Bow: A New Day, Target

Forget flag cakes and fireworks (but not really -- you know how I feel about cake.)  This Fourth of July, I'm declaring my independence from uncomfortable footwear.  Which is why I started wearing my memory foam-padded LC Lauren Conrad pumps and sandals to work this week.  Now, before I go on, please know that this isn't a paid partnership post.  Although if you're listening, Lauren-slash-Kohl's, then I wouldn't be at all opposed to such an arrangement.  Because your shoes really are cute and comfy, even the heels, and I had a splendid time wearing them.  I'd be lying if I said that I'm not excited about a new category of things to wear and collect.

That said, Fourth of July may be over soon, but the weekend's just getting started.  So I'll be back with reports of more festive fits.  

And hopefully star-spangled cake.