Book Review: Grim edited by Christine Johnson
Reviewer: Andrea I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The Summary: Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Unwell by Marie Chow
Marie Chow is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Unwell
Summary:
How do you tell your child that you won’t be there when they grow up? UNWELL is the raw, honest story of a mother who writes to her unborn child, sharing her decision of choosing not to be a mother. She doesn’t choose abortion. Nor does she consider adoption. Instead, she decides to give her child a fighting chance in life, without the angst and drama that’s shaped her own bittersweet life.
With a poignant lack of emotion, the young mother shares her life story. As the child of Asian parents who moved to America early in her life, the mother shares how her life disintegrated after her parents’ divorce. From upper middle class suburban to sharing her mean aunt’s house to a one bedroom apartment in a shabby neighborhood, this mother endures the indignity that comes with the change of status. From her father’s absence to her mother becoming a married man’s mistress, her story reads like a tragic Victorian novel set in the 21st century, but that’s where the similarity ends—she is definitely not a shy country miss and she certainly did not take the easy way out.
This amazing story chronicles the life of a woman who fought for everything she got, faced her demons and made the hard choices. Her fortitude and candor are disarming, her avant-garde views strangely endearing. You’ve never read a book like this and probably never will again. Get your copy today and take the literary journey of a lifetime. Through this glimpse into the life of a woman of integrity, sacrifice and love, you’ll feel her pain, live her failures and cheer for the meager joys that come her way. But the one thing you’ll never do… is forget her. Or her story.
Review:
When I first started reading Unwell, I was trying to figure out just where the book would take us. Was this a suicide note? Was it being written to a baby who wouldn’t make it after birth? Did the mom plan on putting it up for adoption or just walking away from the family? That air of mystery drove this story from beginning to end, where it all comes together in a beautiful resolution to the book, and made me close with my Kindle with feeling after I read the last word. It’s a very touching, realistic and raw story, and quite captivating throughout.
4 stars
Book Review: A Bride’s Guide to Getting Married by …
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Crushed by a sudden break up with her slick advertising executive boyfriend, real estate journalist Emily Novat feels like she is the only single girl in a world of happy couples.
At 32, Emily wonders if she will ever get her own happy ending.
Things start looking up however, when a tipsy Emily unwittingly enters and wins the prestigious Glam Bride magazine Dream Wedding Contest.
The only catch is, Emily must blog about her experiences in the lead up to her ”wedding day.”
With prizes including a Tiffany’s Bridal Shower, a High Tea Party – plus presents – at a posh hotel, and a wild Bachelorette party, Emily won’t let a little matter such as not having a groom stand in the way of enjoying the high life for a just little while.
After all the heartbreak she been through, Emily deserves a little fun. And it’s bonus if it makes her ex-boyfriend jealous.
As the popularity of her blog – A Bride’s Guide to Getting Married – sky-rockets, Emily finds herself becoming the IT girl about town,
A blossoming friendship with Glam Bride’s gorgeous nice-guy photographer Luke, assigned to capture the lead up to her big day makes it all the more fun.
As the big day draws nearer though, the guilt starts eating at Emily, who starts to finds extracting herself from her Dream Wedding is not as easy as she first thought it would be…
Review:
Since I’m a newlywed and also currently writing a book based around a wedding, I’m always eager to read a story about a bride-to-be, especially a good chick lit one. While Emily isn’t exactly a bride-to-be, she is the big winner in a Dream Bride contest, and fakes an engagement while reaping the crazy amazing benefits such as a Tiffany’s diamond engagement ring, front row at fashion shows, and rubbing elbows with celebrities and the elite. All of this is happening without anyone actually confirming she is engaged, which seemed pretty unlikely given the magnitude of prizes being handed out. If you forget that idea, the story is pretty cute and I was able to enjoy it. I would have liked it more if the editing had been much tighter – not nearly enough contractions in the dialogue to make it sound realistic was my biggest issue – and the formatting was a little strange to me. New paragraphs started seemingly all the time, so I get getting flustered by who was speaking and why a new paragraph was consistently happening. A good idea for a novel, but the execution wasn’t quite fully there.
3 stars
Book Review: Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Anita Hughes’ Monarch Beach is an absorbing debut novel about one woman’s journey back to happiness after an affair splinters her perfect marriage and life—what it means to be loved, betrayed and to love again.
When Amanda Blick, a young mother and kindhearted San Francisco heiress, finds her gorgeous French chef husband wrapped around his sous-chef, she knows she must flee her life in order to rebuild it. The opportunity falls into her lap when her (very lovable) mother suggests Amanda and her young son, Max, spend the summer with her at the St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach. With the waves right outside her windows and nothing more to worry about than finding the next relaxing thing to do, Amanda should be having the time of her life—and escaping the drama. But instead, she finds herself faced with a kind, older divorcee who showers her with attention… and she discovers that the road to healing is never simple. This is the sometimes funny, sometimes bitter, but always moving story about the mistakes and discoveries a woman makes when her perfect world is turned upside down.
Review:
What a terrific book! I’m a big fan of Anita Hughes, and this book had me hooked from the beginning. I felt so terrible for Amanda after she realizes who the man she married really is, and it was great to follow her journey back to happiness. One of the characters that I found the most appealing was her mother. Her scenes were some of my highlights in the book. The writing is incredibly vivid and pulls you right into the story. I loved being transported to such a different life than my own and feeling so included in the characters’ lives. One I highly recommend!
4.5 stars
Book Review: Pressed Pennies by Steven Manchester
Reviewer: Andrea I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The summary: Rick and Abby grew up together, became best…
Book Review: The Blonde by Anna Godbersen
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
It’s early spring 1959, and the word desire is synonymous with America’s most famous blonde: Marilyn Monroe. She’s at the height of her fame, the object of a whole world’s worth of want and projection. Being desired is her drug, her kryptonite, the very definition of who she is. It’s so much a part of her identity that her own wants and needs have become fleeting at best, as if she’s seen herself through others’ eyes so often that she’s forgotten what she looks like through her own. But the deepest needs always surface, and there is one thing Marilyn wishes for beyond all else—to meet her real father.
That’s the part you already know, the legend—but here’s the part that’s never been told.
Ten years earlier a man named Alexei Lazarey met Marilyn before she was Marilyn, starving and alone at Schwab’s in Los Angeles. Before the day was out, he got her signed to the William Morris Agency and eventually transformed her from a poor, failed actress to America’s most famous sex symbol.
Now that Marilyn has reached her pinnacle, Alexei comes back for his repayment. When she hesitates, he plays his trump card: pulling out a photo of her estranged father with a promise to reunite them. The next day, Marilyn’s on a plane to Chicago with Alexei’s instructions ringing in her ear: John F. Kennedy is the favorite for next year’s Democratic presidential nomination. Find out something about him that no one else knows.
At first, Marilyn is almost bored by the thought of yet again using a man’s attraction to get what she needs. But once she meets the magnetic Jack Kennedy for the first time, she has a feeling that this isn’t going to be a simple game—for her or Alexei. As she gets herself in deeper and deeper Marilyn discovers that there’s something much more sinister at play. What started as the simple desire to meet her father now has grave consequences for her, for the bright young Kennedy, and for the entire nation.
Part biography, part spy thriller, and part love story, THE BLONDE is a whip-smart reimagining of history that reads like a chillingly true account. With a voice that explodes off the page, this novel is a massive ice cream sundae of American celebrity, sex, love, violence, power, and paranoia.
Review:
I was really interested in reading The Blonde, as I love Marilyn Monroe and all the theories out there about her. I thought it was an intriguing and unique concept, and was eager to see how this book would play out. Unfortunately, it didn’t really work for me. The beginning was too slow and by the time anything interesting was happening, I was pretty bored and felt like the book would never come to an end. The plot became tedious and quite far-fetched at times, and the last few chapters were really the only parts I was interested in. Interesting idea, but a flat delivery for me.
2 stars
Book Review: Cure For the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as “the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup.” Home to the Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single.
Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant.
Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn’t be kissing him. She definitelyshouldn’t be falling in love.
After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything….
Summary:
Okay, am I the only one who wishes Black Dog Bay was a real place, and close to my hometown? Not that my newlywed self needs it, but hey – in college it could have come in handy for a nice vacation spot when suddenly myself and four of my girlfriends all found ourselves single. I loved the concept of this book, and Kendrick was the perfect writer for this novel. There is snappy dialogue, tons of charm and wit throughout the pages, and a sassy heroine who constantly had me in giggles. A perfect beach read for the upcoming summer months, and chick lit fans should snap this one up!
5 stars
Book Review: Love on Location by Claire Baxter
Reviewer: Leah I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review Love on Location, by Claire Baxter, is a novella that…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Diamonds in the Sky by …
Reviewer: Samantha MA Harper is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Diamonds in the Sky Summary: DIAMONDS, LOVE, AND UFOS… When struggling artist/shoe…
