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Blog Tour Sign Up: Somewhere Between Black and White by …

Romance, humor, family drama, with a touch of Buddhism. Sound interesting?

When approaching life’s problems, Sophie sees in black and white. That is, when they’re someone else’s problems. So when it comes to her sister, Sophie is sure she has all the answers, and offers them without hesitation. If only her sister would listen.

Then, through a series of chance encounters, she meets Sam, who is witty, kind, and downright unflappable. Sophie has the overwhelming sense that she’s known him before, and as a relationship builds between them, odd visions invade her mind. Though she tries to dismiss them, their persistence will not allow it.

As someone who is quick to judge others, she is intrigued by Sam’s ability to accept people as they are. She begins to see him as a role model, but try as she may, his accepting nature is difficult to emulate.

Will Sophie ever be able to put her hasty judgments aside and realize not every problem has a simple solution?

Book Review: An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone …

I received a copy of AN INQUIRY INTO LOVE AND DEATH by Simone St. James in exchange for an honest review.

Oxford student Jillian Leigh works day and night in hopes of keeping up her grades and excelling in school. She finds out one day that her uncle Toby, a renowned ghost hunter, is killed and reluctantly, she must leave at the beginning of the school term in order to head to Rothewell to pack up his belongings. Almost immediately eerie things start to take place and they gradually worsen until they reach a terrifying new level. Jillian becomes convinced that an evil spirit is trying to enter the house … and is it relevant to her uncle’s death? She begins to wonder if he possibly uncovered something that he shouldn’t have. But, just as she begins to dig in deep into investigating, the handsome Scotland Yard inspector, Drew Merriken, leaves her with more questions than answers – and a little something else, too. Will she ever track down the answers and uncover the truth?

I really, really enjoyed this book and definitely appreciated the historical aspect and feel of an era that is unlike today. An Inquiry Into Love and Death is reminiscent of an old timey ghost story, filled with ghosts, secrets, suspense, conspiracy and heart stopping romance. Simone does a great job at creating really great characters that jump off the page and I was a fan of Jillian from the get go. Now, I have to be honest and say that I am not a fan of scary stuff in the slightest and thought that this book would be too much for me, but I was pleasantly surprise to see how much I enjoyed it. The details and the scenery are vivid and I loved the suspense/mystery factor. Overall, this book was a very enjoyable read that I think most people would enjoy. I definitely think you should give it a try.
Review: 4.5 stars

Book Review: Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift by Kathleen …

I received a copy of Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift by Kathleen Anderson & Susan Jones in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Embrace your inner Jane and find a new way of life in thrift!

Jane Austen knew that wealth and grandeur had little to do with happiness, and that fashionable new dresses and reticules to impress Mr. Darcy simply were not the path to fulfillment—especially when one accrues debt in the process. It’s as true today as it was then . . .

Whether you have a fortune or not, you’re well advised to make the most of your income—and save for your future. Now, using the timeless wisdom and example of Jane Austen’s memorable heroines, this book offers everything the modern lady needs to know about:

*Clever investing
*Keeping up appearances on a budget
*Giving and receiving graciously
*Finding treasures at flea markets and church rummage sales
*Planning a party that only looks extravagant
*And more

Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift shows how to make your circumstances significantly less reduced, and how to live a life of elegant economy and joyful generosity—whether you’ve as much as Emma Woodhouse or as little as Miss Bates.
Review:
I was looking forward to the book, thinking it might be a fun twist on self-help or how-to books, but unfortunately I found it a little dull. I couldn’t stay interested and really struggled to stay focused on the tips. My favorite sections were probably the wedding and hosting categories, but all the others just kind of blended into one. I like the concept of the book, but the delivery just wasn’t there for me.
2 stars

On Tour: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn …

Kathy will be on tour April 8-22 with her novel A Good Kind of Knowing Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas,…

Future Tour: Unexpecting by Lori Verni Fogarsi

Lori will be on tour April 29-May 13 with her novel Unexpecting Shelley and David are a couple of almost-empty-nesters preparing to embark on the…

CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Elly in Bloom by Colleen …

Colleen Oakes is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Elly in Bloom. Elly Jordan makes a new life for herself after catching her husband in bed with another woman. She flees from Georgia and ends up in St. Louis, where she finally stops running and decides to stay. Along with the help of new friend Kim she opens her own flower shop, as flowers and creating masterpieces from them has always been her passion. Two years later Elly and her shop Poises is thriving, and she thinks she might be finally moving on from her past. But when she takes on a wedding that would not only allow her to pay off her apartment but boost her business exponentially, Elly comes face-to-face with the people she was trying so hard to forget.
I really enjoyed Elly in Bloom, and just loved the writing and the crisp descriptions that made me feel like I was a part of Elly’s world. Elly is a pretty comical character, who has a knack for being klutzy and talking too much. But she is very loveable, someone whose past clearly left a huge mark on her, and I commend her for uprooting herself like she did and trying to start over and stand on her own two feet. I imagine that could not be easy! There is a romance in the story between Elly and Isaac that left me in stitches from time to time. Their whole relationship was just awkward, but it made it that more funny to read about. Snarky Teenager was actually one of my favorite characters because of her spunk, and Kim was such a good friend to Elly that is was impossible not to love her. A very cute read with such an adorable cover, and I recommend!
4 stars

Book Review: Cut and Run by Traci Hohenstein

I received a copy of Cut and Run by Traci Hohenstein in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:

When Matt O’Malley turns up at a truck stop with a nasty concussion and no recollection of what happened to him or his family, investigator Rachel Scott knows she and the Florida Omni Search team have to act fast. Whoever attacked him still has his wife and children, and a gruesome piece of evidence points to deadly possibilities.

While Matt sweats under the scrutiny of the FBI, his shattered memory slowly pieces together disturbing details. Afraid to trust even his brother with this new information, he turns to Rachel, who scours southern Louisiana for clues. Along with retired police detective Red Cooper, Rachel searches everywhere from a voodoo parlor to an eerie Houma swamp, unearthing troubling secrets about the O’Malleys…and a shocking truth behind the disappearance of Rachel’s own daughter.

Traci Hohenstein picks up her suspenseful Rachel Scott series with its third entry, Cut and Run—a gripping thriller that captures the haunting spirit and intoxicating mystery of New Orleans.
Review:

This is the third installment in the Rachel Scott adventure series and although I haven’t read the first two books in the series, I feel confident in saying that you can pick up this book solo and enjoy it without the other two. You find out pretty early on that the underlying subject of the novels is the search for Rachel’s daughter, Mallory, who has been missing for over five years. Ironically, her life revolves around searching for missing people – and when she isn’t occupied in the pursuit of a stranger, she spends every moment looking for her daughter. I really admired her go-get-them attitude and thought that Rachel was fairly determined in her pursuit. I often times put myself in her shoes as a mother and thought about what I would do if I were in the same situation. I thought she handled the situation well and to be honest, I was really rooting for her to find Mallory. This book is filled with tons of secrets and hidden clues and that made me enjoy the story even more. Cut and Run was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspenseful read.
Rating: 4.5 stars

Blog Tour Sign Up: The Blasphemy Box by Mandy Behbehani

“You know that nightmare you’ve always had? The one where you wake up one day to find yourself fat, frumpy, fifty and alone? I’m living it.”
Maddy Nelson has an idyllic existence: a handsome husband, great kids, a comfortable, affluent lifestyle. One morning soon after she turns fifty, however, she wakes up in her San Francisco home to find her husband Steven announcing that he’s leaving her for a woman half her age. And a third of her size.
Ouch!
Feeling totally unmoored and grieving for her married life and husband, Maddy finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar and uncomfortable world of middle-aged singledom. There, she must come to terms with her situation and embark on her new life: divorce proceedings, single parenting, internet dating, and trying to earn a living. It’s enough to drive her over the brink. To help her cope, she shares her struggles in a smart, wry blog named The Blasphemy Box, after her ex-husband’s obnoxious habit of having her drop a quarter into a wooden box every time she said something off color. Her madcap middle-aged adventures find her devoted readers who identify with her challenges.
In time, Maddy recreates herself and finds happiness in the arms of a good man, and a fulfilling new career as a novelist.

Author Profile: Rachael O’Bryan

Author Name: Rachael O’Bryan
Website: http://rachaelsnewyork.blogspot.com/
Bio: Rachael O’Bryan grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended college at Temple University. After college she pursued her law degree, starting off at Tulane University and then graduating at American University. Rachael is a lawyer, but pursues writing in her free time. Besides writing Unlocked, she keeps a blog at http://rachaelsnewyork.blogspot.com. Also, on June 1st she launched her own business – an online women’s magazine. The magazine is operated under Rachael Magazine LLC. The self-titled magazine is geared towards professional women in their 20s and 30s that want it all. You can subscribe at http://rachaelmagazine.com. When Rachael isn’t working, writing, or running her own business she enjoys reading, traveling, watching The New York Mets. and following the University of Louisville basketball team. She currently resides in New York City.
Visit Rachael’s tour page!
Buy the Book!
http://www.lulu.com/shop/rachael-obryan/unlocked/paperback/product-13586269.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/rachael-obryan/unlocked/ebook/product-15916883.html (ePub)
http://www.lulu.com/shop/rachael-obryan/unlocked/ebook/product-17376606.html (pdf)
http://www.amazon.com/Unlocked-Rachael-OBryan/dp/0557839092/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338979337&sr=8-1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unlocked-rachael-obryan/1105699443?ean=9781257326341 (Nook)

Connect with Rachael!
Blog:
http://rachaelsnewyork.blogspot.com/
Magazine:
http://rachaelmagazine.com/