Mad World: Epidemic by Samaire Provost
I received a copy of Mad World: Epidemic from CLP Blog Tours as an active blog participant. Mad World: Epidemic by Samaire Provost begins with…
Book Review: How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue
I received a copy of How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clairs’ housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls oblivious to class differences could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.
A decade later, Annie bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death, and a painful secret jeopardizes Julia’s engagement to the man she loves. A chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, but when a mysterious saboteur opens up old wounds, they must finally face the truth about their past or risk losing everything.
Review:
What a home run of a book! It gives me chills when I find a book that I find irresistible from page one, and this exactly what happened with How to Eat a Cupcake. The dynamic between Annie and Julia was tense, loving, troubled, and supportive –all wrapped into one. These characters really leapt off the pages and made this impossible to put down. I loved the mystery surrounding the death of Annie’s mother and also with the cupcakery break-ins. I think I could go on and on about how much I loved this novel, but I’ll just say go read it – and grab yourself a cupcake!
Rating: 5 stars
On Tour: I Kill Me: Tales of A Jilted Hypochondriac …
Tracy will be on tour January 14 – February 4 with her novel I Kill Me: Tales of A Jilted Hypochondriac
I Kill Me was a semifinalist (top 20!) in the Humor Category for the Goodreads Choice Awards!
Christine Bacon has a fatal attraction. To all things fatal. A veteran hypochondriac, her near-death experiences are exacerbated when her husband proposes they have a menage a trois with Eleanor, his busty British massage therapist, to “shake things up.” Christine reluctantly agrees (although she is more wholesome than threesome), never expecting just how much she’d be rattled. As her marriage to Richard, a/k/a “Dick,” falls apart, so, too, does Christine, whose fear of her own demise causes her to research every freckle, blemish, cough, bump, lump, tingle and hiccup. She isn’t a doctor, but she plays one on the internet.
There is solace for Christine: in raising daughters Lily and Carli, leaning on her friends, and wearing out the shower massager. In order to heal, she struggles to become her own person and to view her symptoms (and ex-husband) as less malignant, while searching for that special someone who will love her–despite her grave condition.
Please visit CLP Blog Tours for all the tour stops!
tracy tuckerAuthor Bio:
Tracy H. Tucker is first and foremost the mother of three of the best people on Earth. She has a Master’s in Literacy from the University of Maine and has inspired the youth of America for seventeen years. She’s an avid animal lover and would like to publicly thank her husband for putting up with the pet hair, the dogs in the bed, the things the cats hack up and the repeated requests for goats. It’s a wonderful life.
Connect with Tracy!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tracy-H-Tucker/445365385497413
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15758840-i-kill-me
Blog: http://tracyhtucker.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/THTucker
Buy the Book!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-H.-Tucker/e/B008KZ50OS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_3
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/205124
I Kill Me was selected as the Best Indie Book for 2012 by Chick Lit Cafe!
I Kill Me Button
In My Mailbox: Week of January 13
In Samantha’s Mailbox:
fashion victimTitle: Fashion Victim
Author: GT Herren
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: To hear her buddy Chanse McLeod tell it, Paige Tourneur is rotund, cute as a button, a truly bad driver, and the best friend a gay P.I. could possibly have.
Now Paige gets a chance to tell it herself in her own witty and worldly-wise way. Please! Is that really her name? Seems like she has quite a past and in FASHION VICTIM, it’s starting to haunt her.
Since his first novel, Greg Herren’s fans have been begging him to spin off their favorite character, the hard-drinking, hard-bitten, smart-mouthed red-headed reporter with the heart of gold and the unlikely name.
In her first solo outing, she’s long since left the Times-Picayune, played out a stint on television, and has now landed a job at Crescent City Magazine, which sends her out to do a personality piece on bitchy fashion designer Marigny Mercereau. Only Marigny ends up dead fifteen minutes before her fifteen minutes of fame.
Twisting through Marigny’s creepy past, Paige is accompanied, as always, by best friend Chanse, her cop buddies Venus Casanova and Blaine Tujague, and ( finally!) by the perfect man: her new boy friend, Blaine’s brother Ryan. So what happens when a woman meets the perfect man and her past comes calling?
FASHION VICTIM is the first in a series of interconnected novellas in Paige’s MISSING HUSBAND SERIES. This spring: watch for THE DEAD HOUSEWIVES OF NEW ORLEANS.
wedlockedTitle: Wedlocked
Author: Bonnie Trachtenberg
Received: From Bonnie Trachtenberg
Synopsis: On what should be the happiest day of her life, Rebecca Ross is panic Stricken. Rebecca has just wed Craig Jacobs, but she realizes she put more thought into choosing her florist than she did in choosing the man she’s just pledged to love for the rest of her life.
Before Craig, Rebecca, a talented Long Island girl, dreamed of following in her grandmother’s footsteps with an acting career. Unfortunately, she was cut down to size by years of disappointment, and by her first love, a Hollywood director. She returned to Long Island a lost and broken woman, and ended up in the last place she ever wanted: her old bedroom at her parents’ house.
But Rebecca’s mother, an overzealous convert to Judaism, has a long held dream too: marry off her three daughters to Jewish men. So no one is more thrilled than her when Rebecca meets and marries bon vivant Craig Jacobs, the man who has won over the whole family. Too bad they’re all about to discover that underneath his charismatic shell, this Prince Charming is anything but!
This unputdownable romantic comedy will amuse and enthrall you from angst-ridden start to glorious finish.
Neurotically yoursTitle: Neurotically Yours
Author: Bonnie Trachtenberg
Received: From Bonnie Trachtenberg
Synopsis: Smart, attractive, and ambitious, thirty-seven-year-old Dara Harrison is, nonetheless, still single, and on sabbatical from dating. Ironically Los Angeles’ most renowned relationship advice columnist, Dara has become a Southland sensation with her “tell-it-like-it-is” approach to the mating game.
Parlaying her success into a new business, Dara launches a revolutionary dating service geared for the perennially single and romantically challenged. Its no-holds-barred theme soon makes the company a roaring success, even catapulting Dara onto the national talk show scene, until, of course, it all backfires.
With her company under threat and a publicity stunt gone haywire, Dara is forced to join the ranks of her lonely heart clientele, and suddenly realizes that saving the business she cherishes, means facing her lifelong fears, and maybe even falling in love again.
Witty, poignant, and immensely engaging, this romantic comedy from the bestselling author of Wedlocked: A Novel features sparkling dialogue, colorful characters, and a story that pulls you in and never lets you go.
amy and zachTitle: Amy & Zach
Author: Sarah Louise Smith
Received: From Sarah Louise Smith
Synopsis: Meet Amy & Zach
Flying home to the UK from the US for her sister Libby’s wedding, Amy has some major issues with her homecoming.
She is furious with Zach, who should have been travelling with her, but after he dropped a bombshell the day before she left, she hid his passport and flew alone.
Now, can she act normal when she meets Libby’s fiance Tim?
After he finds his passport, Zach heads for the UK to surprise Amy. He wants to apologise to her and finally meet her family. He has kept his secret for way too long and knows he has a lot of explaining to do.
So, how did Amy and Zach get to this point? What is Zach hiding anyway? And what’s going on between Amy and Tim?
How well do Amy and Zach really know each other?
why can’t i be youTitle: Why Can’t I Be You?
Author: Allie Larkin
Received: From Penguin Group
Synopsis: At one time or another, everyone has wished they could be someone else. Exploring this universal longing, Allie Larkin follows up the success of her debut novel, Stay, with a moving portrait of friendship and identity.
When Jenny Shaw hears someone shout “Jessie!” across a hotel lobby, she impulsively answers. All her life, Jenny has toed the line, but something propels her to seize the opportunity to become Jessie Morgan, a woman to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. Lonely in her own life, Jenny is embraced by Jessie’s warm circle of friends—and finds unexpected romance. But when she delves into Jessie’s past, Jenny discovers a secret that spurs her to take another leap into the unknown.
In Sara’s Mailbox:
lustTitle: Three Stages of Love: Lust
Author: T.C. Anthony
Received: unsolicted
Synopsis: Evangeline Chase is standing at the edge of a crossroad. After choosing to be blissfully ignorant for far too long and willfully ignoring what her life has been lacking, fate is about to intervene. When Alexander Mason, a striking and powerful venture capitalist, is introduced as her new boss, Eva is overwhelmed by an intoxicating cocktail of hormones and lust that leaves her struggling to maintain her composure and more importantly, control of her life. With an undeniable urge to dominate her new boss, her own lust-filled fantasies lead to a transformation that shakes her to her core. But when Alexander challenges Eva to satisfy her carnal urges, she is forced to choose between her career, her desires, and an unconventional and lustful relationship. Consumed by fear and forced to maintain control at all costs, Eva must decide if having it all is worth risking her career, her world, and possibly, love. Three Stages of Love: Lust is the first book in a suspenseful new erotic romance series that explores the questions that young women have while embarking on their journey through life and love. Eva’s transformation from prim and proper to fun and dominating proves to be one of the most erotically intriguing personal makeovers around. Her passion for her career and life goals ultimately gives way to uninhibited encounters that leave her intoxicated and yearning for more. Eva’s emotional battle between her heart and mind leave her juggling with a desire to have it all and a profound fear of losing everything. Written to illustrate the average, driven woman’s point of view, Three Stages of Love: Lust tackles the everyday fears and desires that young women have in an intoxicatingly erotic way. A gripping, palpitation-inducing romance full of underlying themes that are extraordinarily relevant to modern women, this enthralling erotic novel by T. C. Anthony is a must-read for women of all backgrounds.
Blog Tour Sign Up: Eighty-Eight Keys by Catherine Lavender
Leah is a young woman who is trying to break free from a strict religious background
and pursue her dream as a pianist in the world of show business. While trying to find
her independence her heart is held captive by Jason Rowe a local basketball star who
established an organization to help troubled youth. When Jason is found murdered in
his home, Leah is determined to get answers from a closed investigation. During her
state of emotional turmoil, Leah finds comfort not only in the melody of her music, but in
the arms of a married man named Calvin. With her dreams at her fingertips, Leah is
tangled in a web of lies and deceit. Despite the fear of learning the truth, Leah has to
realize that only the truth can set her free.
A dead lover, with a trail of broken hearts…
A married man, with a double-life…
A dream chaser, with a killer at her heels…
A piano, with eighty-eight keys…
Beauty Review: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
It was the lovely Sara Palacios that first turned my eye on BB Cream, something I actually had not heard of yet at the time. While on a makeup run, I saw Maybelline was having a buy one/get one half off sale, so I grabbed my trusty eyeliner pencil and then saw this nice looking BB Cream next to it. I thought why not – and have not looked back since! This has become a new staple in my makeup bag. Maybelline is one of my favorite cosmetic carries, from their lip gloss to mascara, so I was more than willing to give a new product a try on their line. The BB cream is an “8-in-1 skin perfector” including evening your skin tone, brightening your skin, and hiding imperfections. It did all that for me and I instantly noticed a difference once I applied it. I also like that it is super light weight. I have another moisturizer/cream that feels heavy and I have all but thrown that one away after buying this. I also bought a shade darker so I use it as a bit of a self-tanner as well and I love the results. A new favorite!
Rating: 5
Torn Together by Emlyn Chand
I received a copy of TORN TOGETHER by Emlyn Chand in exchange for an honest review.
Daly has issues with trust and it’s understandable why. Whether it stems from her cheating boyfriend, her dead father or her judgemental mother, no one has ever come through for her when she needed them to. But, that all begins to melt away when she meets Kashi, a charmer who wants more for Daly than she wants for herself. Their romance blossoms and what ensues is an uplifting love that carries Daly into a positive place in her life … the only catch is that she must go to India and get the seal of approval from Kashi’s family. Meanwhile, in another world, her mother, Laine has become a widow and is struggling to cope. She attempts to flee from her life but finds her way back. Will the two find a way to mend their broken relationship? Or is it already too far gone?
This heartbreaking story about a broken relationship between a mother and her daughter is beautifully written. Although hard to summarize into words, Emlyn does a really great job developing characters and allowing them to define themselves through her writing. I loved watching the story unfold and I was really curious to see how everything would end up … and I was not disappointed. Overall, this story is a really good read. A ton of heart and I was definitely smitten with Kashi from the get go. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.
Rating: 4.5
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: A State of Jane by …
Meredith Schorr is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and A State of Jane. Meredith quickly made it on my Authors to Watch list, and is someone I can even credit with being a “virtual” friend. I was very much looking forward to reading A State of Jane and sure enough – it did not disappoint! Our MC is Jane Frank, someone I easily connected with right off the bat. It helps we are around the same age (twenties) and that I could understand easily what Jane was going through in her dating life. She feels like she should be settled down already, but she just can’t seem to hold on to a guy long enough to get that far. The novel follows her through her dating disasters, the flakes of New York City, and Jane trying to date like a guy.
I laughed my way through this novel. Schorr brings some fabulous comedy to the pages, but she also brings an element of empathy to her characters. I liked that Jane was not perfect, and even got a little mad at her myself while reading. But that is what makes her a real character, and I think this book will be very relatable to a lot of readers. A must-read from Meredith Schorr!
[Rating: 4.5]
On Tour: Baby! Baby? Baby!? by Holly Kerr
Holly will be on tour January 14-February 4 with her novel Baby? Baby! Baby!? Thirty-five-year old kindergarten teacher Casey Samms has always dreamed about having…
