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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: Goodnight June by Sarah Jio

Reviewer: Samantha I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Summary: The New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter…

Book Review: The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell

Reviewer: Samantha I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Still grieving the death of her prematurely delivered infant,…

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: Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
From the internationally bestselling author of four books, including The Opposite of Me, a vibrant, compulsively readable novel about two married couples who pursue a dream to open a bed-and-breakfast in small-town Vermont.

In her previous works including The Best of Us, “rising star” (Library Journal) Sarah Pekkanen captivated readers by penning “refreshingly introspective, sharply realistic, and tenderly humorous” novels (Booklist) that had readers “flying through the pages” (Hoda Kotb, Today show). Now, in Catching Air, Pekkanen turns an unflinching eye on the tangled relationships of two pairs of thirty-somethings.

A chance to run a B&B in snowy, remote Vermont—it’s an offer Kira Danner can’t resist after six soul-crushing years of working as a lawyer in Florida. As Kira and her husband, Peter, step into a brand new life, she quells her fears about living with the B&B’s co-owners: Peter’s sexy, irresponsible brother Rand, and Rand’s wife, Alyssa…who is essentially a stranger.

For her part, Alyssa sees taking over the B&B as the latest in a string of adventures. Plus, a quiet place might help her recover from the news that she can’t bear children. But the idyllic town proves to be anything but serene: Within weeks, the sisters-in-law are scrambling to prepare for their first big booking—a winter wedding—and soon a shy, mysterious woman comes to work for them. Dawn Zukoski is hiding something; that much is clear. But what the sisters-in-law don’t realize is that Dawn is also hiding from someone…

Relatable and dynamic, Catching Air delves deeply into the vital relationships that give shape to women’s lives.
Review:
I became a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen right off the bat, and I’m so happy I loved her latest offering! Readers take note – don’t miss this one! This story is so complex with different characters and their issues, but Pekkanen writes with such an ease that I simply flowed along from page to page, feeling all the issues and emotions the characters do while being transported to their B&B in Vermont. From Dawn being on the run to Alyssa and her baby story to Kira and her unsettled past, I loved this book from page one till the end. A definite 5 star read!
5 stars

Book Review: On Grace by Susie Orman Schnall

Reviewer: Samantha I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Meet Grace, who is actually excited about turning 40 in a…

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: Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

Reviewer: Samantha
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award winning author Lisa Scottoline is loved by millions of readers for her suspenseful novels about family and justice. Scottoline delivers once again with Keep Quiet, an emotionally gripping and complex story about one man’s split-second decision to protect his son – and the devastating consequences that follow. Jake Buckman’s relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater.  On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan’s entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all. Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have readers and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.
Review:
What an incredibly difficult book to put down! Scottoline delivers another bookish gem with her latest offering, having me questioning my friends and family with the “what would you do” question after giving them the awful scenario the Buckman family finds themselves in. This novel is full of secrets, twists and turns, and gripping suspense as you frantically read, hoping for a happy conclusion but knowing there is no happy ending in this case. I was on the edge of my seat at the end, and happily recommend this book. Just be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions!
5 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…