Together at the Table: A Novel of Lost Love and Second Helpings by Hillary Manton Lodge

Together at the Table is the third book in Hillary Manton Lodges's Two Blue Door series. I have read (and reviewed) all three and very much enjoyed all three. The main character in each book, Juliette D'Alisa is back again.  She and her brother, Nico, have successfully launched a new restaurant, Two Blue Doors--hence the series title.  She loves her job as restaurant manager and is dating the restaurant's sous-chef, Adrian.  Life is mostly good, although she is still mourning the loss of her mother to cancer.

[spoiler alert] Things are turned upside down however when Juliette and Adrian run into Juliette's ex boyfriend, Neil, in the park.  It is obvious to Adrian that Neil still loves Juliette and he questions Juliette's feelings for Neil. Adrian panics and asks Juliette to marry him in front of her entire family at her birthday party.  Unprepared and unsure of her own heart, Juliette refuses and not long after the two break up.  Juliette soon admits that Neil does still hold a place in her heart and they start their relationship anew. When a fire damages Two Blue Doors and Juliette's apartment above the restaurant, Juliette comes to see that she is in love with Neil and the two elope just before a family trip to Italy.

I like the fact that things are nicely wrapped up in this third book.. It's good to see Juliette happy and in love. In the first book of the Two Blue Door series, A Table by the Window, Juliette had discovered love letters written by her grandmother.  They revealed a family mystery that Juliette is determined to solve.  She makes a trip to her family's chateau in Italy in each book, attempting to put the pieces together.  In this book, the truth is finally uncovered. I think the series could continue, but I was pleased that the author didn't string us along with either Juliette's love life or the family mystery. 

My only complaint with Together at the Table is that I really wouldn't classify it as Christian fiction.  Juliette goes to church a handful of times and is married by clergy, but that's about it.  It is clean fiction and has good lessons in it about the value of family and sacrificial love, but barely any reference to God and none to Scripture.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink

The five days that author Sheri Fink writes about in Five Days at Memorial were five VERY long days.  At first the book was interesting, but after a while it really started to drag for me.  I found myself looking to see how many more pages I had to read.  Honestly, I might not have finished it if not for my commitment to read and honestly review it for Blogging for Books. I will also say that I'm glad I received it for free in exchange for that honest review.

Except for a few main characters, it was very difficult to keep the various doctors, nurses, and patients straight.  There were so many of them, on top of relatives of the staff, families of the patients, law enforcement, government officials, helicopter pilots, lawyers and prosecutors, etc. etc. The names became a blur rather quickly.

I did appreciate the questions that the book raised: which patients should be prioritized (during a catastrophic emergency) and can health professionals ever be excused for hastening death?  These questions may seem very black and white under ordinary circumstances, but in the midst of a disaster such as a hurricane they become much more gray.  Faced with oppressive heat, loss of electricity, the stench of overflowing toilets, the threat of looting and other criminal misbehavior, lack of sleep, water and food shortages, fear and even panic, what would you do?  How would I act?

I found that I could see things from both sides.  I could imagine how overwhelming it must have been for the hospital staff who undertook the care of so many critically ill patients in such dire conditions.  I could also empathize with the families who wanted answers as to how and why their loved ones died. I think the author did a decent job of trying to present circumstances from both groups.