Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels

From Goodreads: Atlanta homicide detective Patrick 'Tick' Kelly turned his back on the world the day his wife and children were murdered. Abandoning his city and his career, he holed up in a beach house on Mango Key, Florida, and drowned his grief in Jack Daniels. Now sober and a bestselling author, Tick would gladly stay a recluse forever if his brother Pete didn't keep trying to drag him back to the land of the living. After years of sacrificing her personal life in favour of her DEA job, special agent Kate Rush resigned and moved back to her native Miami. But the unofficial assignment that has just come her way is too intriguing to pass up. She and a fellow ex-agent are relocated to Mango Key to keep an eye on an imposing, mysterious fortress believed to be at the centre of a human trafficking ring. At first, the Kelly brothers are suspected of involvement, but Kate is sure Tick poses no danger - except for the slow-burning gaze that makes her breath catch and her heart race. Tick finds himself fascinated by Kate's investigation - and by her inviting mix of courage and kindness. Teaming up, they uncover a web of betrayal, blackmail, and ruthless greed. And as danger mounts, Tick realizes how far he'll go to protect the rare and surprising gift that's come his way: a second chance at a happy ending

This was good, not great, but good. It was clean, it was somewhat predictable, but it moved along at a good clip and held my attention. The predictable part was not so much plot but the characters - they were kind of stock - the jaded cop, the blowhard administrator so as things unfolded they acted pretty much exactly like I expected them to act. The dialogue was kind of cheesy, occasionally it was so bad it would distract me from the story as I thought, "People do not actually talk like this!" I liked the setting, would love to visit the Keys someday and lay on the beach, swim in the water, and drink in the bars! This would be a great book to take on vacation.

I received this book from the Goodreads First reads program. It counts for these challenges...

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe

From Goodreads: Four very different women embark on a transformational journey that follows the migrating monarchs across the United States to Mexico. The story begins when Luz Avila's grandmother, the local butterfly lady, purchases an old, orange VW bug for a road trip home to Mexico. When she unexpectedly dies, Luz is inspired to take her grandmother's ashes home. In the manner of the Aztec myth of the goddess who brings light to the world, Luz attracts a collection of lost women, each seeking change in their lives. The Mexican people believe the monarchs are the spirits of the recently departed and Luz taps into ancient rituals and myths as she follows the spectacular, glittering river of orange monarchs in the sky to home.
I really enjoyed this one. I was excited to win it as a First Reads pick expecting the Southern fiction I love. Mary Alice Monroe is for me linked to the South Carolina coast but this book took me out of that comfort zone on a journey from Wisconsin to Mexico. I loved how fully Monroe was able to immerse me in the Mexican-American culture with her descriptions. I liked that the characters were multi-faceted, it wasn't a rosy, carefree "girls on the loose" ride to Mexico; the main character, Luz, faced some gritty challenges and it was empowering to feel her grow stronger as she traveled. I liked the bittersweet ending - not everything turns out like a fairy tale. A few of the minor characters were so interesting, that I am hoping they have spin-off potential!

You'll Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon

From Goodreads: In Fort Hood housing, like all army housing, you get used to hearing through the walls... You learn too much. And you learn to move quietly through your own small domain. You also know when the men are gone. No more boots stomping above, no more football games turned up too high, and, best of all, no more front doors slamming before dawn as they trudge out for their early formation, sneakers on metal stairs, cars starting, shouts to the windows above to throw them down their gloves on cold desert mornings. Babies still cry, telephones ring, Saturday morning cartoons screech, but without the men, there is a sense of muted silence, a sense of muted life.

Too short...I started reading and was just unable to put the book down and then dismayed when it ended. I wanted it to go on and on and, of course, part of me was rooting for the happy ending; the ending that hasn't happened yet for these characters or for our service members and their families. Because Siobhan captures the situation with such intimacy and detail, I felt like a peeping tom reading about real people despite knowing that it is a work of fiction. I read so fast the first time through that I didn't pick up on the connections between the stories right away. I had to go back a second time, with a fresh box of Kleenex, and read more slowly. I was eager to read this one because my husband was a Marine for 23 years until he retired and I continue to work for the Navy helping families of Marines and Sailors. Fort Hood is Army but these experiences are universal throughout the branches and Siobhan's voice is authentic; these wars have been hard on the families. I was delighted to read good reviews from readers outside of the military community, I would hate to see such a moving work be a niche book, it deserves a wide audience.

I read this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program.