Book Review: Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill
Reviewer: Sandy “She’s wearing pink lace underwear, small lumps of flesh spilling over her knickers, the inner edges of her thighs close to touching. #727…
Book Review: All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner
I received a copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician’s office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder…Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class…or if your husband ignores you?
The pills help her manage the realities of her good-looking life: that her husband is distant, that her daughter is acting out, that her father’s Alzheimer’s is worsening and her mother is barely managing to cope. She tells herself that they let her make it through her days…but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that’s becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?
With a sparkling comedic touch and a cast of unforgettable characters, this remarkable story of a woman’s slide into addiction and struggle to find her way back up again is Jennifer Weiner’s most masterful work yet.
Review:
I always enjoy Jennifer Weiner books. I think they’re thought-provoking and emotional and fun to read novels. But this – this one was different. Yes, it was thought-provoking and emotional and fun to read, but on a different level. I’d been hearing talk that this was a new path for Weiner, I can definitely see that. We get to go deep with this book, as we follow Allison succumb to pain killer addiction. We watch her life slowly unravel – her marriage coming apart at the seams, her parents relying more on her, and her struggles with motherhood – until it all falls apart. Hard to put down, this book engaging me from the beginning and didn’t let me go. I loved the title, the cover, and this by far my favorite Jennifer Weiner book. You don’t want to miss this book this summer. I highly recommend.
5 stars
Book Review: The Stories We Tell by Patti Callahan Henry
Reviewer: Allie One late night, a policeman shows up at Eve Morrison’s door to deliver some terrible news. Eve’s husband Copper and her sister Willa…
Book Review: The Widow Waltz by Sally Koslow
Reviewer: Annie I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review This is my first review for Chick Lit Plus, so;…
Book Review: Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews
Reviewer: Allie Cara Kryzik is a newly divorced florist living in Savannah who’s trying to rebuild her life – and her business. Being a Yankee,…
Book Review: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
Reviewer: Kate I received a copy of Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Can anyone be…
Book Review: Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Summary:
Teddi Overman loves her family and the simple life they share on their Kentucky farm, but when high school graduation nears and her mother pushes her towards secretarial school, Teddi knows it’s time to strike out on her own and pursue her dream of working with antiques. Gifted at refurbishing furniture and possessing an uncanny knack for uncovering the beauty and history in what other people discard, Teddi leaves Kentucky in the middle of the night and makes her way to Charleston, South Carolina. There, Teddi builds a new life for herself, and makes her dream come true in a small antiques shop frequented by a cast of quirky customers and friends. But each time Teddi, now thirty-six years old, leaves Charleston and visits the farm of her youth, she’s drawn to the mysterious beauty of Red River Gorge, where her brother went missing at the age of seventeen. Though everyone believes that her beloved brother is dead, Teddi never gives up hope of finding him. When circumstances lead her to clean out the old barn, Teddi makes a discovery that challenges her in ways she never could have imagined. And while trying to fit together the pieces of her family’s shattered past, Teddi unwittingly finds herself among the ruins.
Review:
This was a fantastic page turner. The characters were complex and well defined. Beth’s writing was so descriptive that I felt like I was in Kentucky and Charleston and maybe I could refinish some antiques myself!
Teddi Overton met some wonderful people during her journey as an antique dealer. Her family members were intriguing as well, although, I couldn’t relate to them as much as the Charleston friends.
Each person’s story unfolds at just the right time and I was eager to learn everything about them as well as the family secrets that are pieced together.
My favorite line from the book was from Grammy – “Sometimes it’s not what we hold onto that shapes our lives – it’s what we’re willing to let go of”. This line touched me personally and I plan to practice Grammy’s words of wisdom.
Beth Hoffman did a fantastic job with this novel. I have not read Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt, but it is definitely on my TBR list now.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a complex and touching story that will stick with you for quite a while.
5 stars!
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Dangled Carat by Hilary Grossman
Hilary Grossman is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Dangled Carat
Summary:
Hilary had gotten used to dating the commitment-phobic Marc, thirteen years her senior. They had a great relationship–why rush into things? She saw no need to pressure him for marriage, believing that when the time was right, he would propose. But after they had been together for four years, their friends decided to take matters into their own hands, pushing Marc to propose and making Hilary realize how much she really did want to marry the man that she loved. Unfortunately, Marc still wasn’t ready–and their friends’ meddling in the form of a faux engagement party led to a disastrous New Year’s Eve that brought their relationship to an inevitable turning point.
Review:
I’ve been seeing a lot about this book, and I was so excited when I realized it was next in my to-read pile. Talk about a book living up to my expectations! I knew this story was a memoir, and I was curious how Grossman would write real life into a book. Let’s face it – a lot of our lives wouldn’t make a good novel, no matter how exciting or unique we think they are. But when you have a talented and dedicated author at the helm, it creates perfection. Grossman would leave us hanging throughout the book, skipping around time frames and scenarios, and that worked to keep my interest piqued throughout the entire read. At the end, my jaw actually dropped at one point – but I won’t tell you why or even if I was happy or sad about it, because I want you to read this book. Like right now. Loved it!
5 stars
Book Review: Bring Me Sunshine by Janet Gover
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Summary:
Sometimes, you’ve just got to take the plunge …
When marine biologist, Jenny Payne, agrees to spend Christmas working on the Cape Adare cruise ship to escape a disastrous love affair, she envisions a few weeks of sunny climes, cocktails and bronzed men …
What she gets is an Antarctic expedition, extreme weather, and a couple of close shaves with death. And then there’s her fellow passengers; Vera, the eccentric, elderly crime writer and Lian, a young runaway in pursuit of forbidden love …
There’s also Kit Walker; the mysterious and handsome man who is renting the most luxurious cabin on the ship, but who nobody ever sees.
As the expedition progresses, Jenny finds herself becoming increasingly obsessed with the enigmatic Kit and the secrets he hides. Will she crack the code before the return journey or is she bound for another disappointment?
Review:
What a refreshing read! In the beginning, Jenny finds out that her relationship wasn’t the happily ever after she thought it would be. Then she agrees to spend time away on a cruise, which again, wasn’t the sunny, delightful getaway she imagined but it was quite an adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the array characters. I was pleasantly surprised that I was completely engrossed by the first chapter.
I would recommend this light quick read to almost anyone.
5 stars
