Here We Lie Review & Giveaway

With each book Paula writes, she keeps getting better.  I really enjoyed the hook in last year’s The Drowning Girls.  But with Here We Lie, I couldn’t stop reading this timely novel.

As the book starts off, we have one woman attending the press conference of another.  So as not to give the story away, Paula then moves back in time to the childhood home of Megan, a high school student in Kansas trying to deal with the soon-to-be loss of her father.  Then we meet Lauren, the youngest from a well-to-do family in Connecticut.  All the reader knows is something happened 14 years ago that changed everything.

Most of this book takes place while the girls are away at college.  Since their college years coincided with mine, I really related to the circumstances and experiences.  Bits of the story reminded me of Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore and Forks, Knives and Spoons by Leah DeCesare.

I love an author who can make me feel for the characters on page 1 and Paula did that here.  I was emotionally invested in the story and its outcome that I was plowing through 100 pages at a time.  If you’re intrigued by stories with female friendships, especially those with an underlying mystery, be sure to pick this one up.

My thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Paula Treick DeBoard lives with her husband Will and their four-legged brood in Modesto, CA. She received a BA in English from Dordt College, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine and a practical education from countless students in her English classes over the years. She is the author of The Mourning Hours, The Fragile World and The Drowning Girls.

Thanks to the author, I have one signed copy to give away to a lucky reader.  U.S. only, please.  Enter on the Rafflecopter.
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Oliver Loving Review & Giveaway

I tend to avoid a lot of literary fiction because I am a reader who prefers a fast-paced story with a plot that moves and characters that leap off the page.  This is not that story.  However, it is beautifully done and patiently unravels the truth behind a small town tragedy.

It is wordy.  I will be the first to admit that.  But underneath lies this compelling tale of a family, one trying to piece together the broken fragments of their past so they can become whole.

Oliver Loving was a high school student when he became a victim of a school shooting.  He has been in a coma for the past 10 years, while his family has struggled to come to terms with their survival, as one of their own is incapacitated.  Father Jed is an alcoholic.  Mother Eve is a shoplifter and no longer parents her other son, Charlie, a struggling writer trying to survive in Brooklyn.  The story takes turns being  told from everyone’s point of view, including Oliver, which I felt was a unique approach.

For those interested in neurological science, there are scenes from this book that are utterly fascinating, as everyone is trying to communicate with Oliver.  Each character is fleshed out so well that I felt like I knew the Lovings personally and was spending time with them.  The setting has a Friday Night Lights feel, small town Texas where everyone knows everyone.

Usually when you read about a tragic event, you read a story about that event.  I really loved how this book was the aftermath of that and how everyone was coping (or not).  It takes a talented writer to keep a reader interested when a story is so much about its characters.  Block proved he is that talent.

My thanks to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Stefan Merrill Block grew up in Texas. His first novel, The Story of Forgetting, won Best First Fiction at the Rome International Festival of Literature, the 2008 Merck Serono Literature Prize and the 2009 Fiction Award from The Writers’ League of Texas. The Story of Forgetting was also a finalist for the debut fiction awards from IndieBound, Salon du Livre and The Center for Fiction. The Storm at the Door is his second novel. He lives in Brooklyn.

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy to give away to a lucky reader.  U.S. only, please.  Enter on the Rafflecopter.
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At Wave’s End Review & Giveaway

Seeing how the weather has been nothing but frigid in Chicago these past couple weeks, it was a nice escape to head to the beach town of Wave’s End on the Jersey shore in Patricia Donovan’s newest novel.  While a hurricane displaces homes and people, New York City-based chef Faith and her mother, Connie, step in to do what they can to provide food and shelter at their inn, The Mermaid’s Purse.

Relationships between many are broken apart, forged tighter, and even discovered in this women’s fiction novel.  I loved following the different storylines of all the characters that ended up at The Mermaid’s Purse.  Since they all come from different backgrounds and phases of life, you will easily relate to one or more.

And for those looking for hidden secrets, I can promise you a surprise here and there.  One of the best parts of this novel was the food and cooking descriptions as Faith prepared meals at the inn.  Don’t read while hungry because you’ll be constantly licking your lips and wishing the book came with a taste.

While the hurricane left a path of destruction in the town, this sweet story of a town banding together is sure to warm your heart and put a smile on your face.  A great read to start 2018 off right.

My thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Patricia Perry Donovan is an American journalist who writes about healthcare. Her fiction has appeared at Gravel Literary, Flash Fiction Magazine, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable and in other literary journals. The mother of two grown daughters, she lives at the Jersey shore with her husband, with whom she has fond memories of raising their young family abroad in France.  Learn more at www.patriciaperrydonovan.com

Thanks to the author, I have one signed copy to give away to a lucky reader. U.S. only, please.  Enter on the Rafflecopter.
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Perfect Imperfections Review & Giveaway

If you’re looking for a sweet story wrapped up in white paper with a red bow and sprig of lavender (read it and you’ll see what I mean) to get you through the holiday season, you’ll want to pick up this debut.

It’s the story of Sarah Lewis, who after a crisis, flies back to her hometown in South Africa to room with her best bud, Katy.  We don’t know what caused Sarah to leave everything in London and move, but Katy and her brother, Edward, are there to comfort her with open arms.

As we discover much later on what triggered Sarah’s move, I ached for a happy ending for her given what she had so recently suffered.  Even so, this delightful story reads quickly and is light enough with just a touch of romance and adventure to be the perfect read to wind down the year.

I loved how the setting for this novel was South Africa.  It is such a unique spot and one I rarely read about so it was wonderful reading the descriptions and just built up my wanderlust to try to visit it one day.

My one grievance with this book was sometimes I’d be reading a chapter and all of a sudden the point of view changed to a different character in the middle of a page and then back again.  It threw me for a loop given that it came on without warning.  The whole story is narrated by Sarah but then we’d get one paragraph of another character’s feelings as explained by that character.  I wish we were given that in a new chapter or with a new heading so it didn’t disturb my thought process.  I also found the ending to be a bit rushed given Sarah’s feelings throughout the book but appreciated that we want her to have her happy ending.

My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:  I write novels that have a mixture of Love, Mystery, Adventure and overcoming adversity. My influencers include writers such as Karen Swan, Sidney Sheldon & Enid Blyton.

I love hearing from readers and I always respond. I can be contacted in the following ways:

Twitter   Instagram   Facebook

I live in South Africa, with my Husband, Son and two Cocker Spaniels .

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy to give away to a lucky reader.  U.S. only, please.  Enter on the Rafflecopter.
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Best Books of 2017

It has been such an amazing year for books that I decided to do a little something different this year.  Instead of my short list, I am separating my favorites into categories.  This way, if you’re looking for a specific type of book or want to give a gift, it’s easier to sort through the choices.  I wish I had time to read everything, but these are my favorites from what I did read.

You can click directly on the book images to get to their Amazon page.

LITERATURE & FICTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MYSTERY & THRILLER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HISTORICAL FICTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NONFICTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these if you read them and your favorites of 2017.  Leave me a comment.  Here’s to a healthy 2018 filled with loads of good reading!

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Hanna Who Fell From the Sky

From the back cover:

A magical, provocative tale of forbidden love and one girl’s struggle for liberation

Hanna has never been outside her secluded community of Clearhaven. She has never questioned why her father has four wives or why she has fourteen brothers and sisters. And in only one week, on her eighteenth birthday, Hanna will follow tradition and become the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age.

But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. And when her mother reveals a secret—one that could grant her the freedom she’s known only in her dreams—Hanna is forced to decide whether she was really meant for something greater than the claustrophobic world of Clearhaven. But can she abandon her beloved younger sister and the only home she’s ever known? Or is there another option—one too fantastical to believe?

With lush, evocative prose, award-winning author Christopher Meades takes readers on an emotional journey into a fascinating, unknown world—and, along the way, brilliantly illuminates complexities of faith, identity and how our origins shape who we are.

About the author:

Christopher Meades is the author of three previous novels, including THE LAST HICCUP, which won the 2013 Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction. In addition, Meades’s work has appeared in several literary journals including The Potomac Review and The Fiddlehead. He lives in British Columbia, Canada, with his family.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher, I have one copy to give away to a lucky reader.  U.S. only, please.  Enter on the Rafflecopter.
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Mothers and Other Strangers Review & Giveaway

This book grips you with its first sentence and never lets go: “My father proposed to my mother at gunpoint when she was nineteen, and knowing that she was already pregnant with a dead man’s child, she accepted.”

As the book continues, we are on Elspeth’s journey with her, as she comes to terms with her mother’s death and all the family secrets that are ready to bubble to the surface.  She most eagerly is trying to figure out her mother’s connection to the Seekers, a cult-like religion that is reminiscent of Scientology.

This novel does not let you off easy.  We are dealing with rape, murder, betrayal, and family dysfunction in such a way you will be extremely thankful for your own mother.  In fact, it’s easy to think this could be a memoir in the way the timeline is handled and how real these characters act.

Sorell writes beautifully, but it’s not a case where you will get bogged down in the language.  It’s a fast read, and you’ll want to race through to reach its conclusion.

Sign me up for any future books from Sorell.  I know the prose will be fluid and the story convincing, if it is anything like her debut.  My thanks to Goldberg McDuffie and Prospect Park Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Born in South Africa and raised in Canada, Gina Sorell now resides in Toronto, and lives in a world of words. Some of those words are: writer, namer, creative director, artist, daughter, sister, wife and mother.
After two decades as a working actor of stage and screen in NYC, LA, and Toronto, Gina decided to return to her first love–writing, and graduated with distinction from UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. Gina likes to balance out the long solitary hours of novel writing, with her work as a Creative Director of Eat My Words, a SF based branding firm, where she collaborates all day long with innovators and entrepreneurs whose identity she establishes with only one word, their name.

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy to give away to a lucky reader.  U.S. only, please.  Enter on the Rafflecopter.
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Eden Review & Giveaway

I was delighted to get a chance to read Eden, a story many of my blogger friends were raving about.  I didn’t know much before reading, but if you are a fan of the family saga, keep reading.

Eden tells the story of Becca Fitzpatrick, matriarch of her extended family and living in Eden, the beach house her father, Bunny Meister, built at the beginning of the century.  Her daughter lives with her currently, along with her granddaughter Sarah who shows up to announce her pregnancy.  When Becca finds out her deceased husband has misspent all of their savings, she’s despondent that it might be her last summer at Eden, so she works to get the family together one last time.

The book alternates between the present, leading up to the family weekend, and the past, long before Becca is even born.  It is a story of four generations.  And while there are lots of family members, it is easy to follow their stories and connections.  If you do have trouble, the author included an easy-to-follow family tree in the beginning for reference.  I loved traveling back in the past and learning about how Eden came to be along with all the historical events like the Stock Market crash and the 1938 New England hurricane.

There is something about a family saga that is so endearing.  You quickly become attached to characters since you follow them throughout their lives.  The Meister family experienced many hardships and they all made choices I did not agree with.  But I was eager to see how they played out.  And I love that the Eden house became its own character in the novel, one that also endured many ups and downs.  I look forward to what Jeanne writes next.

My thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Jeanne Blasberg is a voracious observer of human nature and has kept a journal since childhood. After graduating from Smith College, she surprised everyone who knew her by embarking on a career in finance, making stops on Wall Street, Macy’s and Harvard Business School, where she wrote case studies and business articles. A firm believer that you are never too old to change course, Jeanne enrolled at Grub Street, one of the country’s pre-eminent creative writing centers, where she turned her attention to memoir and later fiction. Eden is her debut novel. Jeanne and her husband split their time between Boston and Westerly, RI. When not writing, she can be found playing squash, skiing, or taking in the sunset over Little Narragansett Bay. For book group questions and to learn more, please visit www.jeanneblasberg.com.

Thanks to the author, I have one signed copy to give away to a lucky reader.  U.S. only, please.  Enter on the Rafflecopter.
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Something Like Happy Review

Do you ever have a day where everything seems to be going wrong?  You overslept, can’t find matching socks, car won’t start, you spill your coffee on your lap?  The list goes on and on.  That is how Annie Hebden is when we first meet her.  Except her day is her life.  She can’t catch a break and she is just miserable.

Polly Leonard is the opposite.  She is full of so much personality that she can barely contain it in her body.  She swoops in to rescue Annie from herself and is determined to make her happy.  And she sets a goal of 100 days to do it.  Why?  Because Polly only has 100 days to live.

I went through every emotion while reading this book.  I laughed.  I cried.  (I did.)  I got angry.  The author really fills the book with a cast of vibrant characters that will have you giggling one second and aching the next.

And while their friendship lasted only a short bit of time, I completely bought in to it.  I’m sure we all have experiences of meeting someone new and heading full bore into a new relationship, whether it’s a friendship or something more.  It’s so easy to get attached quickly.

Fans of Sally Hepworth’s The Things We Keep will find a lot to love in this story.  And if you enjoyed Allie & Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde ($1.99 as of this post), I was reminded of a similar personality clash between the two friends as started off in that book.

This book is being published by new imprint Graydon House.  It is their first release, one of four for this year, that Harlequin is aiming to work as book club selections.  And it is full of discussion in each character’s choices, motivations, and how they interact with others.

My thanks to Little Bird Publicity for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: 

Eva Woods was born in Ireland but now resides in London and has published two women’s fiction novels with Mira UK and also writes crime fiction for Hodder UK as Claire McGowan. In addition to writing novels, she teaches creative writing and has written for Glamour, You magazine, the Guardian, the Dublin Herald, and more. Something like Happy marks her North American debut.

The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky Review

What a delight this was!  Sure, it sounded funny but I didn’t expect much.  And I often use the term laugh out loud without actually laughing out loud.  More like a light chuckle or smiles while reading.  You guys, I actually laughed out loud.  Enough to cause my husband to ask what I was reading.

The characters come to life in Summer Heacock’s debut.  The main focus is on Kat, a baker who is going through a bit of a dry spell in the, ahem, sex department.  She’s been with her boyfriend for years but has fallen into a rut when her lady bits start causing her trouble.  She starts feeling guilty and tells her boyfriend he can go look for sex elsewhere while she tries therapy on her own.

As I was reading, I kept imagining what a great romantic comedy this would make on the big screen.  The dialogue is so witty that it wouldn’t take much to start the screenplay.  (Dear Hollywood, I’m interested in playing Shannon, okay?). When you add in Kat’s three coworkers to the mix of advice, gossip, and all things vaginas, hilarity ensues.

I raced through this book in a day.  The chapters are short and sweet and the story flies.  Definitely pick this up if you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up or beach read.  It was such a refreshing break from watching the news and those heavy, emotional books.

My thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to follow the tour for more reviews and Q & As with the author.

About the author:

Summer Heacock is an author of contemporary women’s fiction, and prances through life like a Disney cartoon that says the “F” word a lot. She lives in a teeny Indiana town where she’s a stay-at-home-mom to two scampy tots, wife to an amazingly understanding husband, herder of a rescue critter menagerie, and collector of life-size celebrity cardboard cutouts. When not writing or hoarding jellybeans, she’s a member of the Midwest Writers planning committee, and a cohost of PubTalkTV. She can be found at www.Fizzygrrl.com, and on Twitter as @Fizzygrrl. Her follow-up novel, FINDER’S FEE, is due July 2018, from MIRA/Harlequin.