If Not For You/ Debbie Macomber/ 384 p

Beth Prudhomme, in a desperate attempt to get out from under her mother's thumb, moves from Chicago to Portland, Oregon. There she reconnects with her mother's sister, Sunshine, who is the opposite of Beth's strict, conservative mother. Through a work friend, Beth is fixed up with a man her mother would never approve of and one who is not Beth's usual type at all. When Sam Carney is introduced to Beth, he wonders what his friend's wife was thinking.  He's a long haired, tattooed mechanic and Beth is a classy music teacher. But when Sam witnesses Beth's car accident, he can't help but want to be there for her. This begins an unlikely friendship that soon develops into a romance that brings Beth's tiger mother running and Beth finally finds out what caused the rift between the two sisters. 

A Million Little Things/ Susan Mallery/ 368 pages

This is book 3 in the Mischief Bay Series. This book centers around Zoe, her friend Jen and Jen's mom, Pam, who became a widow in the first book of the series. Zoe is tired of the rut she is in since she left a going-nowhere relationship but she isn't sure what to do. Her friend, Jen, is obsessed with her toddler and worried because he isn't talking. So Zoe turns to Pam, who seems to have it all together. She gets more than advice from Pam. But there's complications along the way -- as there always is. Fans of Susan Mallery will enjoy this latest installment of the series.

Only Enchanting/Mary Balogh/ 400 pp

In this latest installment of the Survivor’s Club series, Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, meets his match.  While visiting a fellow survivor he meets Agnes Keeping -- a young widow, who is average in every way.  Flavian is wary of love because his fiance broke her engagement with him and married his best friend when he came home from the war with brain injuries.  Now he deals with a stutter, difficulties with his memory and debilitating headaches when he tries to remember what he has lost.  Agnes is immediately taken with the viscount but she too is wary of passion.

Balogh fans will enjoy this deeper look into the life of a character that has been introduced in earlier books.  Although I liked both main characters, I didn’t find their story to be as satisfying as previous stories.  He wanted to marry her because he felt “safe” with her and she was in love with him after one waltz but didn't want more than memories of that dance. If you have read the previous books in the series, you will want to read this one as well.

Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA's Record-Setting Frequent Flyer/ Jerry L. Ross/ 274 pp

Jerry Ross decided he wanted to be an astronaut from an early age.  His book takes us from his childhood in Indiana to his retirement from NASA.  Along the way, he goes into space on the shuttle seven times and out on space walks nine times.

I loved this book. It gives the reader a peek into the space program and what it is like to be an astronaut.  He writes with such humor and seems so humble and grateful for what he has been able to do.  This book isn't just for those who have ever dreamed of being an astronaut but also for anyone who has ever had a dream. It is a testament of someone who was willing to dream big, work hard and keep going when there are setbacks along the way.