Book Review: The Quick by Lauren Owen
Reviewer: Andrea I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The Summary: London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet…
Book Review: Tempting Fate by Jane Green
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
From Jane Green, the New York Times bestselling author of such beloved novels as Jemima J, The Beach House, Another Piece of My Heart, comes an enthralling and emotional story about how much we really understand the temptations that can threaten even the most idyllic of relationships….
Gabby and Elliott have been happily married for eighteen years. They have two teenaged daughters. They have built a life together. Forty-three year old Gabby is the last person to have an affair. She can’t relate to the way her friends desperately try to cling to the beauty and allure of their younger years…And yet, she too knows her youth is quickly slipping away. She could never imagine how good it would feel to have a handsome younger man show interest in her—until the night it happens. Matt makes Gabby feel sparkling, fascinating, alive—something she hasn’t felt in years. What begins as a long-distance friendship soon develops into an emotional affair as Gabby discovers her limits and boundaries are not where she expects them to be. Intoxicated, Gabby has no choice but to step ever deeper into the allure of attraction and attention, never foreseeing the life-changing consequences that lie ahead. If she makes one wrong move she could lose everything—and find out what really matters most.
A heartfelt and complex story, Tempting Fate will have readers gripped until they reach the very last page, and thinking about the characters long after they put the book down.
Review:
Get ready for an emotional read! This book gave me a range of feelings, from anger to disgust and sadness to hope. I often struggle to read books where there is an affair, most likely because I am a newlywed, and this was no exception. I think Green did an excellent job building up why Gabby let herself go down a dangerous path with Matt, and showed that she didn’t just throw respect for her husband and her vows away without any thought. But there was still times where I wanted to scream at Gabby, because her life really did seem so great. Why do it? Why risk it? There is a plot twist that I don’t want to give away because my jaw dropped when I read it, and it gives the book a whole other dimension and a lot more depth to just being a story about a wandering wife. A little on the long side, it will take you some time to read, but it’s a good and complex story that you can’t help but get lost in. I’ve been a fan of Jane Green for many years now, and her latest didn’t disappoint.
4 stars
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Paper Phoenix by Michaela Thompson
Michaela Thompson is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Paper Phoenix
Summary:
First comes divorce, then comes murder…
…or at least sweet thoughts of murder. Maggie Longstreet has plenty of them after slimy, ambitious Richard trades her in for a more recent model. She’s so depressed she can barely get out of bed when Larry Hawkins, a seemingly not-at-all depressed acquaintance, commits suicide out of the blue. Suddenly Maggie goes on high alert, remembering something her evil ex said about Larry—something highly suspicious.
And from there, it’s just a short segué to a bracing new development:
“When some women get divorced they go back to school, I thought. Some do volunteer work at the hospital, or join communes and learn to birth calves. Some have affairs with inappropriate men. My new interest is burglary. Maggie Longstreet, former wife and mother, past president of the Museum Guild, now starting a career as a second-story woman.”
Fortunately, Maggie isn’t alone in her adventure—a very attractive, much younger man proves a lot more fun than Richard ever was. In fact, the real delight of this witty, sly mystery is seeing Maggie come alive again after a suffocating marriage. Set in the’70s, it has a bit of that Mad Men feel of women on the brink of something big. And completely unexpected.
You know Maggie’s going to be okay when she says: “I’d rather have had one of those cute little guns with a mother-of-pearl handle, but this (diamond pin) would have to do. I concealed it in my hand. At least now I was armed—or pinned.”
Review:
I’ve been reading a lot of mystery books lately, and I can’t say I’m sad about it. I really enjoy them, so I was eager to pick up Paper Phoenix, as it would be my first from author Michaela Thompson. The beginning started off a little slow for me, but as the chapters progressed I got more and more interested in the story. It’s a quick read without too many possible suspects to keep track of, but I was still a little surprised when the identity of the killer was revealed. There wasn’t a big bang about it, and it almost ended too quietly for my liking. An interesting read still, and if you like mystery I think you could enjoy this one.
4 stars
Book Review: To Catch a Creeper by Ellie Campbell
To Catch a Creeper by Ellie Campbell is the sequel to Looking for La La. Most of the crazy gang from the original story are back. Cathy, after being applauded for the Looking For La La campaign, is now an account executive at a London advertising firm. She’s trying to get her footing as a career woman, while also juggling the care of her family and household. To add to her complications, she’s also agreed to find the “Creeper”/burglar who’s terrorizing the neighborhood. Throw in a pregnant best friend, a depressed and out of work husband, difficult neighbors and a couple of transvestites and you’ve got yourself a unique mystery. Fasten your seatbelts.
This is the third Ellie Campbell book I’ve read in the last year and the author is consistent with her writing style. The book has very interesting characters who at first don’t seem real, yet by the end of the story, you actually begin to relate to them. The plot is very convoluted, but again, at the end of the story, everything falls into place. The dialogue is sharp and witty. All the elements of a good book are there, so I’m not sure why this one didn’t resonate with me like the others. In the first book, Cathy stumbled into the mystery and had a personal stake in the outcome – but this time around, a friend asked Cathy to investigate. Then it seemed as if everyone was involved and although entertaining, it required quite a bit of suspended belief. That said, it’s a fun ride and I do recommend the book to readers who enjoy British humor, zany people and a good mystery.
4 Stars
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: The Seduction of Miriam Cross …
Reviewer: Samantha WA Tyson is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and The Seduction of Miriam Cross Summary: Can Delilah Percy Powers figure out…
Book Review: The Au Pair by Janey Fraser
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Apparently anyone can set up an au pair agency around their kitchen table. So when money gets tight, Jilly does exactly that. But she hadn’t reckoned on Marie-France, a sparky French girl, signing up in the hope of finding her father, twenty years after her own mother had been an au pair in the same town. Then there’s Matthew, a confused widower whose daughter has driven away a string of au pairs. Can Jilly ever find him the perfect match? And let’s not forget the rest of the au pair mafia, including Heidi, Fatima, and Antoinette, who “likes children but not very much.” The Au Pair is an hilarious but truthful romp through the world of au pairs and their unsuspecting families.
Review:
This book was pretty standard British chick lit for me- a lot to read with several characters. There were many aspects that I found interesting – particularly Marie-France and her quest for her father, and Matthew’s story with his daughter. If the book would have been just a touch shorter and maybe cut out about three characters and their sub-plots, I think my attention could have been held much better. But I found myself starting to flip through the pages quickly just to find the resolution. If you’re a fan of British chick lit I think you’ll like this one, just not totally my cup of tea.
3 stars
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Envelope: Red by K Baskett
Reviewer: Samantha K Baskett is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Envelope: Red Summary: Unemployed with no prospects, Dorian Wells is a young…
Book Review: The Baby and the Bride by Laura Barnard
Reviewer: Terry I was a given this book in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Poppy and Jazz’s lives sound perfect on paper. Jazz has…
Book Review: Pulled Beneath by Marni Mann
Reviewer: Samantha I was given a copy of this book from BookTrope Publishing Summary: What happens when you uncover years of secrets and find out…
