On Tour: The Blasphemy Box by Mandy Behbehani
Mandy will be on tour June 10-July 1 with her novel The Blasphemy Box “You know that nightmare you’ve always had? The one where you…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Still Life in Brunswick Stew …
Larissa Reinhart is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Still Life in Brunswick Stew
Summary:
Cherry Tucker’s in a stew. Art commissions dried up after her nemesis became president of the County Arts Council. Desperate and broke, Cherry and her friend, Eloise, spend a sultry summer weekend hawking their art at the Sidewinder Annual Brunswick Stew Cook-Off. When a bad case of food poisoning breaks out and Eloise dies, the police brush off her death as accidental. However, Cherry suspects someone spiked the stew and killed her friend. As Cherry calls on cook-off competitors, bitter rivals, and crooked judges, the police get steamed while the killer prepares to cook Cherry’s goose.
Review:
What a fun read! The only disappointment I had with this book is that I hadn’t yet read first one – not that hindered my experience – but I loved Cherry from the first page and know I now I need to get my hands on Portrait of a Dead Guy, the first in this series. This novel is fun, fast-paced, suspenseful, and just an all-around good time. Even though it is the second in a series, I never felt like I was missing information or was lacking anything, I just jumped right into Cherry’s life and had a blast. I enjoyed the bit of a cliff-hanger between her, Luke, and Todd, and would love to see who she ends up with, because I truly have no idea! I always enjoy a bit of mystery in my reads, and this one should land on your to-read list!
4.5 stars
In My Mailbox: Week of June 2
le: Between Friends
Author: Amanda Cowen
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: The only way to have a friend is to be one…especially between the sheets…
When neurotically challenged and unlucky in love Megan Daniels is propositioned by her life-long friend Ben Romano with a coin toss (heads, they sleep together, tails, they don’t) the night before they are about to attend a destination wedding, she drunkenly accepts his challenge. But when Megan wakes up the next morning with a bad hang-over and Ben in her bed, she is more than mortified. It isn’t until the tropical heat begins to ignite emotions Megan never believed or thought she could possibly have, when she starts to question if risking their friendship is the answer to finding true love.
A cute and contemporary debut novel, BETWEEN FRIENDS faces one girl’s struggle between the fine lines of friendship and love and the risk of opening up her heart to the possibility of forever.
pastors wivesTitle: Pastors’ Wives
Author: Lisa Takeuchi Cullen
Received: Penguin Group
Synopsis: Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s debut novel Pastors’ Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves. Inspired by Cullen’s reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine, Pastors’ Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.
love storyTitle: The Hypnotist’s Love Story
Author: Liane Moriarty
Received: Penguin Group
Synopsis: Ellen O’Farrell has grown tired of the lack of respect her profession is afforded by others—especially her critical physician mother. She is proud to be a hypnotherapist and has found her niche. Unfortunately, she has not been as lucky in love. That is, until she meets Patrick Scott. A handsome young widower she met through an online dating service, Patrick seems too good to be true. So when he one day announces that he has something to tell her, Ellen braces for the worst. His confession: he is being stalked by a former girlfriend. That’s okay, Ellen assures him, and inwardly she has to admit that she finds the situation kind of intriguing. Thrilling, even.
Ellen would love to learn everything she can about the woman—Saskia—but she refrains from pumping Patrick for details because it clearly upsets him. Indeed, Ellen would love to get inside this woman’s head. What she doesn’t realize is that she already knows her. The obsessed Saskia, under an assumed name, has become one of Ellen’s hypnotherapy clients intent on getting as close as possible to her perceived rival.
As Ellen and Patrick grow deeper in love, Saskia grows even more fixated on her former lover. What Patrick failed to see is Saskia’s deep attachment to his young son, Jack, whom she nurtured in the wake of his mother’s death. Meanwhile, Ellen gets some news that could forever change her life and could either solidify or jeopardize her relationship with Patrick. Could Saskia exploit this new development to further her own calculated motives?
Future Tour: Geoducks Are for Lovers by Daisy Prescott
Daisy will be on tour June 10-17 with her contemporary romance/women’s fiction novel Geoducks Are for Lovers Food writer Maggie Marrion is just getting back…
Book Review: Rock My World by Sharisse Coulter
Disclaimer: I received a copy of ROCK MY WORLD by Sharisse Coulter in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
Jenna Jax-Anders hit rock bottom in high school. Or so she thought. From rock star heiress to knocked-up has been, she turned it all around, marrying the punk rock baby daddy love of her life. The perfect Hollywood fairytale. Until the day she walked in on him kissing her best friend. As she struggles to find herself and redefine the world around her, she faces the challenges of raising her over-achieving teenage daughter, the heartbreak of losing her best friend (backstabbing aside), and emerging from the shadows of two famous last names to find her own identity. Oh, there’s also the tiny issue of her husband’s record label, backed by an anonymous mogul whose morally ambiguous creative direction may ruin them all. But she doesn’t know about that yet.
Review:
This book is so good!! I instantly fell in love with the writing and think that Sharisse did such an amazing job at crafting such wonderful characters. Jenna felt like a drink of cool water. She is real, authentic and loads of fun and throughout the book I felt like she and I were best buds. This is chick lit at its finest and there is so much heartfelt emotion going on but also a ton of wit and humorous parts. Overall, this book is loads of fun and such a great, quick read. I highly recommend it.
Blog Tour Sign Up: Riverstar by Tess Thompson
After ending an affair with a married movie producer, feisty Hollywood makeup artist Bella Webber finds herself back in the quaint Oregon town of River Valley, the location of a famous director’s latest film. Despite trying to distract herself with work, Bella is unnerved by the proximity of Benjamin Fleck – a man who once so expertly made love to her she’d temporarily forgotten everything painful about her life. But now Ben sees her as nothing more than a heartbreak waiting to happen.
When an actress is found murdered after she’s seen leaving the restaurant Riversong with Ben, he is accused of the crime and arrested. Convinced of his innocence, the River Valley ‘gang of misfits’ band together to find the real killer, and Bella must face her biggest fear to ensure the truth is revealed.
Romantic, suspenseful, and engaging, bestselling author Tess Thompson’s third novel in the River Valley Collection delivers another tribute to the power of community and the bonds of friendship.
Future Tour: Adventure to Love by Bethany Ramos
Bethany will be on tour August 19-26 with her chick lit novel Adventure to Love In a “Bachelor” meets “Survivor”-style reality TV show, twelve women…
Book Review: Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne
Disclaimer: I received a copy of Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows Melody Mires who has sworn off dating musicians. But, she is tempted when sexy European conductor Wolf Braun takes over her struggling symphony. He is very easy on the eyes, but not so much on the ears. Wolf is arrogant and stubborn and seems to be out to get Melody. And, to make things more complicated, he is her boss. But, with her job on the line, she needs to impress him whilst keeping her undeniable attraction on the sidelines. Turns out though that Wolf is attracted to Melody as well, but he has quite a few skeletons in the closet and is dealing with many issues of his own. Will they be able to turn off the spark? Or will they risk their careers at a chance of love?
This book is very, very sweet. I thought Aubrie did an amazing job at crafting such believable characters and I really loved the chemistry between the two main characters. Melody is sweet and charismatic and Wolf is … kind of a jerk. But, throughout the book we begin to see the facade crumble and realize that it is all mostly an act, and that deep down, he is a kinder, more gentile person. Overall, this book is really enjoyable and is such a quick read. If you have ever played a musical instrument or have a flare for that sort of thing, this is up your alley.
Rating: 4/5 stars
On Tour: Eleusis by Genevieve Fairbrother
Genevieve will be on tour June 3-17 with her novel Eleusis Macy needs a break to sort out her life. Her parents are dead and…
