Book Review: Field of Schemes by Jennifer Coburn
I received a copy of FIELD OF SCHEMES by Jennifer Coburn in exchange for an honest review. Field of Schemes follows newly widowed Claire Emmett…
Book Review: The Witch of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri
I received a copy of The Witch of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
In Suzanne Palmieri’s charming debut, The Witch of Little Italy, you will be bewitched by the Amore women. When young Eleanor Amore finds herself pregnant, she returns home to her estranged family in the Bronx, called by “The Sight” they share now growing strong within her. She has only been back once before when she was ten years old during a wonder-filled summer of sun-drenched beaches, laughter and cartwheels. But everyone remembers that summer except her. Eleanor can’t remember anything from before she left the house on her last day there. With her past now coming back to her in flashes, she becomes obsessed with recapturing those memories. Aided by her childhood sweetheart, she learns the secrets still haunting her magical family, secrets buried so deep they no longer know how they began. And, in the process, unlocks a mystery over fifty years old—The Day the Amores Died—and reveals, once and for all, a truth that will either heal or shatter the Amore clan.
Review:
Ooh, a good magic story – right up my alley! I’ll admit that it took me a few chapters to ease into the Amore women and their history, but just short of halfway through the book I really started to become hooked. The mystery aspect of the Day the Amores Died was interesting, and a bit of a heartbreak to read about once it was finally time for that to be revealed. Sometimes I felt that the scenes were a bit over my head and I struggled to connect, but overall this was a really fun story filled with shaky family dynamics, the bond between mother and daughter, and the power of magic. An intriguing debut from Palmieri¸ and I hope to read more from her!
4 stars
Blog Tour Sign Up: Adventure to Love by Bethany Ramos
Bethany will be on tour in July/August with her chick lit novel Adventure to Love. I am looking for book bloggers to post reviews, guest…
On Tour: Appetites by Karen Frankola
When Sarah suddenly hears from Harry, the Brit she almost married twenty years ago, she decides now is the time to change her life. Sarah has a great job in Manhattan, but she considers herself too fat to have a boyfriend. Harry is visiting New York in four months and she wants to turn back into the girl he fell in love with. Since she can never stick to a diet, she comes up with a drastic solution.
Sarah asks her sister Max to lock her up in her basement and feed her nothing but healthy meals. Max, a struggling waitress, agrees begrudgingly. She’s skinny, but has her own set of appetites—for drink, drugs, and great-looking losers.
Sarah thinks a summer in Max’s basement will give her a new body, a chance to reconnect with Harry, and the friendship she’s long craved from her sister. But things quickly go wrong. Max’s drinking leads her to neglect Sarah, who figures out how to get out of the basement. Sarah develops an obsession with Max’s boyfriend and manages to fulfill a sexual fantasy by pretending to be something she’s not.
Can Sarah turn back time with Harry or will she and Max kill each other first? Can either sister ever learn to say no?
Book Review: I Should Be So Lucky by Judy Astley
At the age of 39- poor Viola has already had her fair share of bad turns with life. From two wrong marriages, to now having to have her and her daughter, Rachel, live with her mum, Viola feels like her life is stuck in a pit. After a party with friends and an unwanted meeting with her siblings, Viola realizes it’s time to take charge of her own life. Time for her and Rachel to move out on their own, and even better, for a new man to step in. Cue up Greg Fabian… a stranger she meets in the night, who’s carrying shovels in the middle of nowhere. With a little unexpected help from her outgoing mum, to her gay ex-husband and his sister, begins the journey of finding the life she was always supposed to live.
This is my first time reading a book by Judy Astley… someone I am definitely going to check out more of. (Having almost 20 more books, I think I have some good reading ahead of me.) I was timid at first about this book, as it was a little slow to start. But after only a few chapters, I found myself caught up in not only a wonderful love story, but mini-adventures with some of the minor characters. I especially loved Rachel and her trials of just trying to grow up. Some may say that parts of the story are a little predictable, but to me, that’s what made it so comfortable. It was fun and real at the same time. Sometimes knowing the outcome makes life a little easier to go through.
Book Review: When Girlfriends Make Choices by Savannah Page
I received a copy of WHEN GIRLFRIENDS MAKE CHOICES by Savannah Page in exchange for an honest review.
Having also read When Girlfriends Step Up by the same author, I was so excited to get back into the series with these wonderful characters and hopefully get to know Lara a little better. Lara is a successful ad executive and works long hours and although she is really into her work, it appears that she is also into something else a little more – a co-worker. Turns out that she has been having an affair with a male co-worker for quite some time and it turns out that he is married and has two kids. Now, in her defense, she didn’t know all of this going into the relationship but now that she is already in it, it is hard to step away. In a way she becomes obsessed with Paul even though she knows that it is wrong and her girlfriends don’t waste anytime letting her know that she is in the wrong. Will she finally come to her senses? Or at what cost is she willing to go to finally get her happy ever after?
Like I said, I am already a fan of Savannah Page and although I really enjoyed the writing, I felt conflicted reading about an affair that involves a man with a wife and two kids. As a new mom myself, it definitely hurt my heart but I had to tell myself to not take the book seriously. Once I did that, I was ok with everything and actually really found the writing really interesting. All too often we are told stories of affairs and infidelity from the victims perspective, but not here. She had the wool pulled over her eyes early on and once she finally found out the truth, she was already in too deep. So, I definitely felt for her in that aspect because it was really unfair. Once again, I loved all of the girlfriends and their relationship and all of their input. Overall, this book is really honest and is a good read.
Rating: 4 stars
Future Tour: Cocktail Hour by Tara McTiernan
Tara will be on tour July 1-22 with her women’s fiction/chick lit novel Cocktail Hour What if your friend – someone admired, envied, and fervently…
CLP Blog Tours Novel Spotlight: Swan Story by Priya Narendran
Priya Narendran is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Swan Story Soon to be married Daniel Macgregor meets mysterious beauty Sarah Mitchell on…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Reckless Abandon by Jenn Flynn-Shon
Jenn Flynn-Shon is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Reckless Abandon. While I’m not normally a huge fan on novellas, I have to…
