Future Tour: Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh
Trisha will be on tour December 10-17 with her novel Whispers in Autumn In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity…
Touchable Love by Becky Due
I received a copy of Touchable Love in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Christy has dreams of becoming a successful photographer, but she has lived fast and wild, and fears she has contracted HIV. In an attempt to get her life back on track, she starts working for Paul, a successful, gay photographer who is dying of AIDS. He wants her to photograph his journey to death for a book to help others avoid his mistakes and encourage them to get tested.
And so begins the untraditional love story of Christy and Paul. Experiencing real love for the first time in her life, she secretly fights to keep him alive against his unflinching decision to refuse treatment for his condition. As Paul’s health deteriorates, Brian, Paul’s nurse, enters their lives—and falls in love with Christy.
Christy becomes deeply depressed and isolates herself from everyone, including Brian. The months pass until one day she sees Paul’s publisher and lawyer on TV promoting Paul’s book. She realizes that she wants to make a difference—she wants to finish what Paul and she started.
So Christy begins the work of taking her life back. She reconnects with Brian, connects with other women, and searches for the courage to face her past and get tested. HIV positive or not, she wants to begin her new life.
My Review:
I have previously reviewed another novel by Becky Due, The Dumpster, and it was not for me. I did really appreciate the author emailing me thanking me for giving her a try, and she did offer to send me another title for my thoughts. I thought this was great, because I have been blasted by authors for more favorable reviews, which is really disheartening as a book blogger. So I did appreciate Due and even though I was a bit apprehensive, I gave Touchable Love a go. I again just couldn’t get into the book. It took me almost to the end to connect with the characters, and even though there was a nice little twist ending that I caught, it was hard for me to really get into it because I struggled throughout the majority of the book. I’m bummed that it didn’t work out for me, but again, I commend Becky Due for her professionalism in this industry.
On Tour: The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall
Emma will be on tour January 7-28 with her novel The Darling Girls.
Three women in love with the same man meet for the first time at his funeral. Can they separate the truth from the lies and learn to trust – and even love – again?
When world famous music conductor Leo Bruck dies suddenly, he leaves behind three grieving women and a mass of unanswered questions.
Did the man who juggled these simultaneous relationships while thrilling audiences around the globe, direct The Darling Girls like an orchestra?
Victoria, his partner of twenty years and mother of two of his children, regards herself as his rightful widow and keeper of his legacy. However, a series of shocking discoveries forces her to re-examine the man she thought she knew and query the very foundation of their relationship.
Maddy, mother of Leo’s daughter Phoebe, has a high-powered job and seems independent and sorted. But events take a sinister turn when Maddy becomes involved with Victoria’s troubled teenage son, and her safe world starts to go awry.
Finally there’s Cat who, at just 24, is Leo’s youngest lover. Coping with a sick mother and battling demons from her childhood, she is finding it increasingly hard to hold it together. Will grief, anger and bitterness blind her to the possibility of ever finding happiness, career fulfilment – and even, perhaps, new love?
The Darling Girls is a moving story of love, loss, and the prevailing power of female friendship. Can these three very different women, whose lives become inextricably bound, break free from the masterful control Leo exerts – even from the grave – once and for all?
Please visit CLP Blog Tours for all the tour stops! **Everyone who leaves a comment on Emma’s tour page will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of The Darling Girls before January 28 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
November Surprise by Laurel Osterkamp
I am reviewing November Surprise by Laurel Osterkamp for CLP Blog Tours. Clearly, this blog tour comes at the perfect time – election fever! The story talks a lot of presidential elections over the course of twenty years, each section given its own headline from that time on which election is happening. I was just a touched worried that the book was simply going to focus on politics, because while I follow the elections every four years, I don’t have a lot of knowledge in politics, and I know that it’s not always polite to talk politics (or post 8 million Facebook status on the subject!). But I quickly realized I had no need to worry – I was so focused on the love story/triangle that MC Lucy Jones has found herself in. I loved the angle between brothers Jack and Monty, one that Lucy dated back in the day, and one that Lucy thinks she could fall in love with in present time. There is also a companion book to November Surprise which is Campaign Promises, which is free on Amazon and can be read in any order.
I thought the concept and execution of this novel was spot-on. I loved the headlines of each section and how it moved from this year to that year to this year flawlessly. I think it had the danger of feeling jumpy since it was skipping four years at a time, but I have to give major kudos to Osterkamp for making me barley blink from section to section. The last few chapters had me a bit miffed with Lucy and her indecisiveness and almost self-inflicted pain, but she redeemed herself for me! I would say even if you aren’t into politics don’t be afraid to grab this book, as it’s a lovely romance read. Lucy is a democrat and her views are clearly shown, but I didn’t feel at any point I was trying to be swayed any which way politic-wise. Fab book!
Novel Spotlight: Dewitched by EL Sarnoff
After serving time for Snow White’s attempted murder, the Evil Queen is about to get a makeover. Just not the kind she expected. Thinking she’s…
Perfect Is Overrated by Karen Bergreen
Perfect Is Overrated by Karen Bergreen follows Kate Alger. After a few years of suffering with post-partum depression, Kate believes that she finally has found the cure – a few gruesome homicides. When someone starts offing the uppity moms at her daughters preschool, she dusts off her old Assistant DA skills and puts them to the test. Will she be able to find out who is behind all of the recent killings? Only time will tell, but in the mean time, we catch a glimpse into Kate’s hilarious and slightly twisted life and see what her life as a mom is really like. We also catch a glimpse into the wickedly insane and over-the-top parents at the Hawthorne Preschool.
I was a really big fan of Karen’s first book, so when she contacted me to read/review her second, I jumped at the opportunity. She strikes gold again! Karen writes a mystery that should be considered a comedy. I stayed up way past my bed time (which is quite early these days- thank you very much) to finish this one because I couldn’t put it down. The characters are hilarious cleverly crafted. The story is believable, especially since I am new into the world of extreme moms and daycares. If you don’t have experience in that arena, consider yourself lucky. The story has great flow and moves along very quickly. There are quite a few twists and turns throughout, so make sure that you pay attention. Overall, a really fun read! I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun time!
On Tour: To Catch a Bad Guy by Marie Astor
Marie will be on tour November 5-19 with her novel To Catch a Bad Guy Janet Maple’s stellar career ended with a layoff and her…
October Author of the Month: Emily Shaffer
Chick Lit Plus is pleased to announce the Author of the Month for October is Emily Shaffer, author of That Time of the Month! What…
The Saint’s Devilish Deal by Kristina Knight
I am kicking off Kristina Knight’s tour with CLP Blog Tours and her contemporary romance novel The Saint’s Devilish Deal. This book follows Esmerelda Quinn and Santiago Cruz, two stubborn individuals who continue to fight against their love. Esme and Santiago (or Saint) find themselves sharing ownership of her Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, while Constance takes extended leave. Being forced to work together brings out the tension, even though both Esme and Santiago are fighting their true feelings for one another. But is Saint the man that Esme thinks he finally is, someone she can be with, or is she about to get played?
I really enjoyed this book. I’m a big travel lover, and so I always find books set in the non-usual places interesting. I liked hearing about the villa and the plans to try to make it a booming establishment. The connection between Esme and Santiago was just plain hot. They’ve know each other for years, had a relationship in the past, but Saint has the issue of picking up and leaving at less than a moment’s notice, and Esme isn’t sure she wants to take a risk with him again. I liked watching their new relationship develop along the chapters. The Saint’s Devilish Deal is a fairly quick read, and even though some plot points could have been expanded on to bring more depth to the story, I didn’t think it was truly necessary. I just caught myself sometimes thinking I would have liked to know more about a certain situation, but it didn’t take away from my reading. This book is about romance, and those areas are a-plenty! This is a book I would recommend!
[Rating: 4]
