Sometimes all you can do is fly away home . . . When Sylvie Serfer met Richard Woodruff in law school, she had wild curls, wide hips, and lots of opinions. Decades later, Sylvie has remade herself as the ideal politician’s wife—her hair dyed and straightened, her hippie-chick wardrobe replaced by tailored knit suits. At fifty-seven, she ruefully acknowledges that her job is staying twenty pounds thinner than she was in her twenties and tending to her husband, the senator. Lizzie, the Woodruffs’ younger daughter, is at twenty-four a recovering addict, whose mantra HALT (Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired?) helps her keep her life under control. Still, trouble always seems to find her. Her older sister, Diana, an emergency room physician, has everything Lizzie failed to achieve—a husband, a young son, the perfect home—and yet she’s trapped in a loveless marriage. With temptation waiting in one of the ER’s exam rooms, she finds herself craving more. After Richard’s extramarital affair makes headlines, the three women are drawn into the painful glare of the national spotlight. Once the press conference is over, each is forced to reconsider her life, who she is and who she is meant to be. Written with an irresistible blend of heartbreak and hilarity, Fly Away Home is an unforgettable story of a mother and two daughters who after a lifetime of distance finally learn to find refuge in one another. I have one copy of this excellent Jennifer Weiner novel to give away! Comment on this post, RT on Twitter, or comment on Facebook to win your copy! The winner will be chosen Tuesday July 20th.
Tilly Farmer believes she has a great life. At 32 years old, she is still living in her hometown of Westlake, is employed as the guidance counselor at the high school, and married to her high school sweetheart. Her mother may have passed away at a young age, and her father is a recovering alcoholic, but Tilly still firmly believes she possess a fantastic life. The only thing she needs now is a baby. Her and her husband, Tyler, have been having trouble conceiving a child of their own, and now their marriage seems a bit rocky. But Tilly is convinced if they could just have a child, everything would be better. When Tilly runs into an old childhood friend at a fair, things begin to change. Ashley, now a psychic, gives Tilly the gift of “clarity” regarding her future. Tilly begins having flashes of the future, showing her father having a relapse, her husband leaving her for a better job, and her little sister trying to take her own life. These visions frighten her at first, but after some time, Tilly begins to appreciate her new gift, and realizes the major life changes she is now facing. The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch is a beautifully written story about woman whose perfect life begins to unravel faster than she can control. I thought the visions the heroine started receiving actually heightened the story instead of hindering the plot. The “hocus pocus” part makes the story a little less relatable to a real life story, but I enjoy the way the author went about it. As I was reading, I found myself asking a lot of the same questions Tilly was asking herself, and in that sense I think I took away a lot from this story, making The One That I Want be added to my Favorites list. Rating: 4/5
I was looking forward to reading back to back chick lit mysteries. After finishing up the Lacy Fields novels from Janice Kaplan, I moved on to the Haley Randolph series from Dorothy Howell. The first, Handbags and Homicide, sounded like it could provide enough entertainment, but it definitely fell flat with me. The heroine Haley reminded me of Sophie Kinsella’s shopaholic, Rebecca Bloomwood, but without the likeability. She’s in massive debt, has an addiction to designer handbags, and working at a minimum wage position in a low scale retail store. Instead of finding some sort of work ethic and paying off debts, she continues to slouch through life, racking up extreme credit card purchases and showing no sign of changing. That alone put me off, but then comes the mystery part. When Haley finds the retail store’s assistant manager dead in the stockroom, she becomes a suspect in the crime. She sets off her own half-assed investigation, which I found to be pointless and overly long-winded, and eventually the real killer was uncovered and I could finally stop reading this book. I knew right away I wasn’t going to like this story when Haley finds her deceased boss, then walks away from him and decides she needs to buy another purse. What?? The supporting characters were not well written, most times I couldn’t decipher between characters or couldn’t remember who they were and why they were being talked about. I couldn’t finish this novel fast enough, and have zero interest looking into any of the other Haley Randolph books.
Author Name: Allison Winn Scotch Website: http://www.allisonwinn.com/ Bio: Allison Winn Scotch graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Honors History and Concentration in Marketing from the Wharton School of Business. After working in the PR, marketing and internet worlds, she discovered that there's nothing finer than working for yourself, working from home and getting paid to write full-time. She worked as a freelance magazine scribe for magazines such as Glamour, Self, Shape, Redbook, Men's Health, Women's Health, Family Circle, InStyle Weddings, Bride's, Cooking Light, Parents, American Baby. More currently, Allison primarily focuses on celebrity interviews and profiles. Titles: The Department of Lost and Found, Time of My Life, The One That I Want.
Lacy Fields is back in Janice Kaplan’s follow-up, A Job to Kill For. Lacy finds herself thrust in the middle of a murder once again when she is with trophy wife Cassie Crawford as she mysteriously dies. When police begin their investigation, Lacy is devastated to learn that her own best friend, Molly Archer, has been cast as the lead suspect. Molly’s prints are all over the bottle of tea that contained the poison killing Cassie, and Molly has been recently canoodling with Cassie’s uber-rich husband. Lacy knows that Molly couldn’t have possibly committed the crime, and sets out to clear her friend’s name. But while trying to track down the real killer, Lacy finds herself suddenly being the prime suspect. Now it’s not just about clearing Molly’s name- but also her own. A Job to Kill For was as excellent as the first Lacy Fields mystery, Looks to Die For. The mystery tied in with the glamorous lives the heroine and her friends lead makes this a fun read for chick lit fans. Kaplan, a veteran in the entertainment industry, enjoys name dropping and showcasing designer brands along the way. Her writing is fast and witty, and each supporting character has a well constructed back story that makes them as memorable as the heroine. Once I hit just over the halfway mark and the mystery started to intensify, I had to keep reading to find out just who committed the crime.
Best selling author Jennifer Weiner showcases her talents with her latest page turner Fly Away Home. Tackling infidelity goes a step further with her newest characters, Sylvie and Richard Woodruff. Both in their late fifties, Sylvie and Richard seem to have a fantastic marriage- he is the senator of New York and she is his lovingly doting wife. Sylvie has gotten accustomed to standing beside her husband, attending workouts with her personal trainer, and always wearing the right outfits to public events. But when Sylvie learns that her husband has been cheating- with his much younger intern- her world starts spinning out of control. Sylvie and Richard’s daughters are also struggling to cope with the news of their father’s infidelity. Diana, an emergency room physician, finds herself in a similar position. Though it appears she has everything- a career, a husband, son- she has strayed outside her marriage with a medical student. Lizzie, the younger sister, is a recovering addict trying desperately to stay clean. When yet another pollical scandal hits the national media, all three women are thrust into the unwanted spotlight. Fly Away Home is written from three different perspectives- Sylvie, Diana, and Lizzie. I loved that Weiner took on a topic that has been so popular as of lately- the cheating politicians and the wives that do or don’t stay with them. Getting inside the head of the wife and trying to work through her dissolving marriage made me unable to put this book down. An added bonus was hearing from the daughters, and I enjoyed that both girls were struggling with even bigger problems in their personal lives. I think all women will enjoy this book that revolves around empowering the female, love, and above all, family. Rating: 4/5
Author Name: Dorothy Howell Website: http://www.dorothyhowellnovels.com/books.html Bio: Dorothy Howell is the author of 26 novels. She’s written for three major New York publishing houses. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages, with sales approaching 3 million copies worldwide. Dorothy currently writes for two publishing houses, in two genres, under two names. Dorothy also writes historical romance novels under the pen name Judith Stacy. Her titles include Harlequin Historical’s Top Seller of the Year, a No.1 on the Barnes & Noble historical list, and a RITA Award Finalist. More information is available at www.JudithStacy.com. Dorothy is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America. She’s a requested speaker at writing, civic, and women’s organizations, and has appeared on television and radio promoting her work. Tiles: Handbags and Homicide, Purses and Poison, and Should Bags and Shootings. Currently: Dorothy currently lives in Southern California.
Q: How did you choose a career in writing? A: I’ve wanted this for as long as I can remember but for years I thought it was an unrealistic ambition. I just didn’t know how to go about it or whether I was producing anything any one would ever want to read! But you don’t know what you can do until you try, which is an obvious thing to say but still worth saying. Whatever your ambition is, give it a go (providing it is legal!). Q: Where do you find the inspiration for your novels? A: Life sparks my imagination but I never write biographies of individuals or try to reproduce people I know; my friends are saved that indignity. My characters are an amalgamation of a number of people I’ve met, watched or heard about plus a great big dose of ‘but what if…?’. The question ‘but what if...?’ is the one that kindles my imagination. Q: You have many books in print. Is there one in particular that you really enjoyed writing or doing the research for? A: I have ten novels in print. I’ve written ten novels in ten years which surprises me every time I think of it. I love all my babies but I can, hand on heart, say that my latest Men I’ve Loved Before is one of my favourites possibly my absolute favourite. There are some really meaty issues in there. It’s my sister’s favourite and she’s quite a tough judge! Q: If you weren’t a writer, what do you think you would be doing for a career? A: I might be a photographer. I love capturing who and what we are. People are infinitely splendid and stupid – that’s what’s so great about us. If not a photographer then maybe a Time Lord; I’m big into Dr Who Q: How did you celebrate your first novel being published? A: I got pregnant! Q: How do you spend any free time you can get? A: With my family. I’m married with one son. We’re a tiny unit but we adore each other. I’m very lucky and before I know it my son will be a teenager and his hormones will declare war on me so I’m enjoying as much time with him now as I possibly can. Q: What is one personal or professional goal you have yet to achieve? A: There are lots of things I’ve yet to achieve. It would be lovely to see one of my books made into a film or TV series. I’m always drifting in and out of options but nothing has gone into production yet. I think it’s good to have a dream though… I’d also really love to learn to stand on my head or do a cartwheel. I was a chubby kid and didn’t shine at anything remotely athletic; I’m now going to yoga classes and dream of standing on my head. Q: Are you currently working on a novel? A: Yes, I’m always currently working on a novel. I’m just putting the finishing touches to 2011’s novel, which is about friendship. Q: What would be your advice to writers? A: 1. Read. Novels, articles, newspapers - anything you can get your hands on. If you are not familiar (in fact in love) with the written word, you’ll never be a decent writer. 2. Write. Seriously, it astonishes me how many people tell me they want to be a writer but then confess they never write anything more elaborate than a shopping list. Write everyday even if it’s only for 20 minutes. Discipline is key. 3. Develop a thick skin, you’ll almost certainly get a few knock backs along the way. Pick yourself up brush yourself down and start all over again. Talent will break through. 4. Consider going on a course/join an online support group. I did a degree in English Literature and Language, I’m not suggesting you have to do the same but a weekend creative writing course may help with understanding the tools of the trade such as structure, plot and characterisation. You’ll also meet other would be writers and they can offer support. 5. Listen. Be inspired by everything that is going on around you. Q: I’ve read that you’ve done quite a bit of traveling. What was your favorite place to visit? A: The next place.
Anna is desperate to get married. So desperate in fact, she hires two guys to help get that shiny ring on her finger. Jeff and Dave, two commitment phobic friends, overhear Anna and her boyfriend getting in an argument during dinner, and tell her their idea to help speed up the engagement process. Anna eagerly pays them, and within weeks- she’s engaged! The three decide to take up a business together- helping women (and men!) get engaged. It’s an easy way to make cash, but before too long, the business starts to get too personal. Dave is being targeted to propose to his girlfriend, and Jeff starts having feelings- for the newly engaged Anna. Hook, Line, and Sink Him, the debut novel by Jackie Pilossoph, will hook readers from the beginning! This novel was a breath of fresh air for me, letting me laugh out loud, connect with each character, and offer a little something different from the usual chick lit novels- a male’s perspective. The entire novel is written from Jeff’s point of view, and it was unusual to get inside the guy’s head for once and see how he viewed love and relationships. I loved seeing how his love for Anna changed him from a downright player with a different lady every night, to a dog-sitting love puppy. I am putting this on my Favorites list! Rating: 4.5/5
