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Book Review: The Adoption by Anne Berry

I received a copy of THE ADOPTION by Anne Berry in exchange for an honest review.

The Adoption revolves around the story of a woman who finds herself pregnant by a German POW after the second WW. When Bethan discovers that she is pregnant and against her better judgement, she decides to give the baby away. Sweet Lucille ends up in a home with Harriet and her husband who have no idea how to love a child. Lucille has a rough childhood but once she finds out about the adoption, she starts to feel slightly optimistic. She decides to contact Bethan in her late forties and the story really builds from there. The three main women in this story take turns narrating and you get to see and really become Lucille, Harriet and Bethan.

This story absolutely broke my heart. Anne Berry does an amazing job writing this tale in a way that sticks with you long after you’ve read it. I wept for Bethan early on, and then Lucille as I continued through the story. Although the characters are far from perfect, the raw emotion that they convey is what makes them so … real. I really enjoyed getting to read about their faults and although this book is definitely not wrapped tightly in a pretty bow, it is real and honest and through Anne Berry, you get to read about the emotions that each of them felt. This book is haunting and will hold you tightly as a reader. So, word to the wise, if you are looking for a happy ending, this book is not for you. But, if you are looking for a gritty and raw book filled with emotion, then give this one a try.

Rating: 4 stars

May 3, 2013

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CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: Geoducks are for Lovers by Daisy …

Food writer Maggie Marrion is just getting back on her feet after a horrible year, or two, or three. With their twentieth reunion approaching, she invites four of her closest friends from college for a weekend at her beach cabin on Whidbey Island. What she doesn’t expect is her best friends, artist Quinn Dayton and part-time erotica novelist, Selah Elmore, to play matchmaker. The two plot a surprise that will make the weekend, and her life, a lot more interesting.

Gil Morrow, former grunge musician turned history professor, joins them as Selah’s date for the weekend. After coming face to face with the one who got away, he decides he’s waited long enough to get the girl. With the support of old friends, a few wishing rocks, the world’s largest burrowing clam, and a hot lumberjack thrown into the mix, Gil reminds Maggie that forty-something isn’t too old for second chances.

Can we learn to love the life we have and let go of who we expected to be? What happens when the generation from The Breakfast Club and Reality Bites meets The Big Chill? Come spend a weekend with these Generation X-ers as they share laughter, tears, life’s ups and downs, old stories, and new beginnings.

May 2, 2013

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CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Somewhere Between Black and White by Shelly Hickman

Shelly will be on tour July 1-22 with her chick lit/women’s fiction novel Somewhere Between Black and White Romance, humor, family drama, with a touch…

May 2, 2013

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Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Wanderer by Robyn Carr

I received a copy of THE WANDERER by Robyn Carr in exchange for an honest review.

This story takes place in Thunder Point, a small and remote community nestled on the Orange Coast in Oregon. We met Hank Cooper (or Cooper) right away and he is the type of man who doesn’t stay in one place very long, but he heads to Thunder Point after his friend Ben dies and leaves him a piece of property on the beach. Once he gets there, he falls for the town and realizes that it is at risk of becoming developed and ironically, he holds the key in his hands with the property that Ben left. And, to top it off, he meets Sarah, a beautiful and very complicated woman full of charm. They seem like a very unlikely pair but one can not deny their chemistry. Will an emotionally unavailable man and an an emotionally scarred woman be able to overlook their past to make their love work? Or are they destined for failure? And what will Cooper do about the land and the potential threat from developers?

I really, really enjoyed The Wanderer and thought Robyn did an amazing job at crafting such amazing, honest and real characters. This story takes place in a very small town and the author does a really good job at creating a visually appealing novel so that you often times feel as though you are right there with the characters. The story opens with a mystery and I thought it did a really good job at peaking my interest early on but I found that my interest was held pretty much throughout the novel. My only complaint is that we had to wait so long to meet Sarah, but I do understand that timing is everything. Overall though, this book is a really enjoyable read and I think you will enjoy it.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

May 2, 2013

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CLP Blog Tours

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…

April 30, 2013

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CLP Blog Tours

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?

April 30, 2013

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Chick Lit Review

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

April 30, 2013

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