Book Review: The Carolyne Letters by Abigail B. Calkin
Reviewer: Allie I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This story is presented in the form of a personal…
Book Review: Double Mayhem by Sam Berretti
LOVED this book! I am a total sucker for a good mystery and add the slight paranormal twist to it and you have me hooked!
This book was definitely a character builder! At the beginning of the story, Doris is this boring woman whose life seems to be the same thing day to day…not really living, merely just functioning. And then it all changes with a quick moment of choice on a blind date. Who Doris is by the end of the book is far more fascinating than what I ever expected when starting this book! She turns out to be quick the bad ass!
It was a unique read-I almost felt like I was reading two stories as there were two different plots going on for most of the book (hence the double part of the title)…yet it wasn’t confusing to read, more exciting and it kept me wondering how it would all tie together in the end.
I loved the Della character and her sassy relationship with Doris…although I pictured her as a full figured black woman and not the petite one described in the book. On the other side of the story, I was also drawn to the quick love that you could feel between Doris and Linda, the sweet little girl quickly found someone to attach too during her troubled time and it was an instant connection.
The story was a good read, adding the intelligent engineering side to it all, helped to see who Doris really was and how her brain worked, which for her was often a life saver.
If you enjoy a good mystery/romance/paranormal this is a must read!
Book Review: You Knew Me When by Emily Liebert
Reviewer: Kate I received a copy of You Knew Me When by Emily Liebert in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Katherine Hill left her…
Book Review: Shelf Life by Christina George
I received a copy of Shelf Life by Christina George in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Publishing: An industry of out-of-control of egos, unrealistic expectations, and books with the shelf life of milk. This is Kate’s world, but for how long? When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, she thinks it’s only the beginning of her troubles. As her world crumbles around her, Kate desperately looks for anyone to hold onto but finds that happy endings are truly works of fiction. When her career and love affair hit their expiration date, Kate sets off on a new adventure…. Starting over in California is easy, but Kate soon learns that leaving her old life behind isn’t. Nicholas Lavigne is eager to help her forget, but two things still own her heart, the dream of discovering the next great American novel, and MacDermott Ellis. As Kate tries to rebuild her life she finds a surprising gift that reboots her career in a new and unexpected direction. Suddenly her name becomes synonymous with one of the biggest bestsellers publishing has seen in ages and she’s welcomed back with open arms. At the height of her success the ghosts of her past come back to remind her of the world she’d been trying to forget and the man who never let go of her heart. Behind the book, there’s always more to the story. Welcome to Publishing, the ego has landed.
Review:
I have reviewed the first book from George, The Publicist, and I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed the second a lot more. The editing was a lot better, much more polished, and the story kept me more interested quicker and longer. There was a lot of intrigue amongst some of Kate’s crazy authors, as well as her relationship with Mac. I enjoyed watching Kate struggle between two men and really between right and wrong. I didn’t really like how her ending with Mac came about. He came off a bit of a hero to me when I don’t believe that. I don’t want to give too much away, but it was a bit of a letdown with him. Overall though, I’m glad I gave this book a chance because I was able to enjoy and even relate to parts of the story.
4 stars
Book Review: The Reluctant Bride by Beverley Eikli
Reviewer: Kate I received a copy of The Reluctant Bride by Beverley Eikli in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Emily Micklen has no option…
Book Review: Swimming Pool Summer by Rebecca Farnworth
Rebecca Farnworth’s story of new love, old love, friendships and new lives sets the stage for a perfect end of summer read. The story unfolds as three longtime girlfriends take a holiday to Greece.
Meet Victoria, or “Tor” as she’s known to her friends. Some may call her a ‘cougar’ because she landed sexy Ed in what appears to be a perfect relationship for both of them. Ed, 10 years her junior, seems to be the complete package. He gets along with everyone & is loved by all of her friends, and best of all, he’s head-over-heels in love with Tor. But when Tor unintentionally gets pregnant, she fears that their relationship will come to an end.
Leila seems to have the perfect life – she and her husband, Tom, are busy raising their 4 year old daughter Gracie. Their relationship seems odd to some – yin and yang. But they compliment each other so well, they’re a good balance and have a strong love for each other. But one mistake in her past has caused some discord in her marriage. Suddenly, she and Tom are short with each other, and things are stressed between them. Leila finds that her marriage is troubled, and Tom notices a difference, too. Is she willing to forgive herself for her past? And will her past allow her to put the pieces of an almost broken marriage back together?
Frankie has a beautiful, perfect, size 8 body, and she works hard to maintain it. And why wouldn’t she? Patrick, one of her best friends, told her she has an amazing body. Frankie harbors a secret, though. She’s been in love with Patrick since they shared a single kiss years ago. She can’t get over that kiss, and Patrick has no idea that she’s been in love with him since then. Fixated on Patrick, Frankie isn’t prepared for him to show up in Greece. The worst part? He isn’t alone.
Rebecca Farnworth’s “Swimming Pool Summer” brings Leila, Frankie, Tor, plus their significant others and a few uninvited guests together on a Greek island for holiday. Each woman harbors their own internal battles with each of their different relationships. Can they put their individual troubles aside and enjoy their final holiday as the group they are, or will jealousy and pride tear their friendships apart?
I liked this end-of-summer read. Emotions are real, relationships are challenged, and the plot / story is enjoyable. There were a few humorous parts that 30-40 something women will enjoy. If you’ve ever had a group of friends that were like family, you’ll enjoy this book. I’ll definitely look for more books by Rebecca Farnworth.
My Score: 4.5 Stars
Book Review: Love and Happiness by Galt Niederhoffer
Summary:
Jean Banks won’t give up on love. It’s the prism through which she sees the world, the stuff of the independent movies she produces in New York City, and it created the son and daughter she shares with her director husband, Sam. But the course of love doesn’t run smooth for a harried woman in her mid-thirties who feel her choices and responsibilities solidifying around her, becoming permanent. And what’s wrong with keeping alive a private connection to love by remembering the paths not taken, the men not engaged with?
Love and Happiness tackles the eternal, essential subjects of love and commitment through one woman’s struggle to sort out her romantic life. How will Jean resolve the emotional chaos raised in her heart by her attractions to her husband, a former flame and a mysterious but tantalizing stranger? Is it possible to love more than one man fully? Set partly in the illogical world of independent movies—a world author Galt Niederhoffer knows well—and in New York City and Los Angeles, Love and Happiness is a rich, intense story of love and attraction, choice and consequence.
Review:
Let me start by saying that I enjoy light romances where I can escape the real world for a while. Due to my desire to escape and enjoy light and happy stories, this was a difficult read for me. The story never really grabbed me and I did not connect with the main character, Jean, at all. Although, I understood that she was confused and dissatisfied with her life, I did not like to reading about her dating another man and drafting emails to an exboyfriend.
A side from the infidelity and betrayal, I did like the way the book was written. There were witty remarks and great metaphors. It also provoked some deep thoughts about relationships and marriage.
I thought the book was realistic and I could see someone actually behaving like Jean. The lengths she went through to find out Benjamin Kraft’s past were like that of a stalker and again, realistic.
There were a lot of descriptions about the making of an independent film that didn’t particularly interest me.
Overall, Love and Happiness touched on many questions, decisions, and consequences that people face in life and was full of drama.
I’d recommend this book to the people that want to read gritty, realistic dramas.
3 stars
Book Review and Giveaway: Sophie’s Encore by Nicky Wells
Its’ time to Rock And Roll in earnest! Yes, Nicky Wells is here to celebrate the launch of Sophie’s Encore. Three cheers for the third book in her Rock Star Romance Trilogy!!!
Says Nicky,
“I’m so excited to share with you, finally, this third installment in Sophie and Dan’s epic romance! Thank you for coming to celebrate with me. Read on for:
The blurb!
Samantha’s Review
The fantabulous giveaway!
But most of all, enjoy yourself and party hard! Are you ready?”
Sophie’s Encore — The Blurb
Her rock star is waiting in the wings, but will he get a second chance?
It’s all change for Sophie Jones—only this time, there is more at stake than just her happiness.
Rock star extraordinaire, Dan Hunter, has been her patient and caring friend through the highs and lows since her wedding day, but now he figures it is time for her to start over. By stealth, the rock singer draws Sophie into the behind-the-scenes work for his band’s latest album. Through the days and weeks spent together at the mixing desk, Sophie discovers whole new horizons for her life, yet before she can even begin to explore them, she faces the very real threat of losing her rock star for good.
Join Sophie and Dan in Sophie’s Encore to find out how their journey will end…
Review:
I received a copy of Sophie’s Encore in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been having a blast with the series, and I was so anxious to get to the third and final book. What an emotional roller coaster we go through right at the beginning! I don’t like giving away too much in my reviews, so I have a feeling this might be difficult to write. What I will say – fabulous conclusion to Sophie’s journey. It was terrific to see her get a happy ending. Dan is such a blast to read about, especially this version of a more mature Dan. It’s impossible not to root for Sophie and if you haven’t read any of her books yet – get on it! Such a wonderful trilogy.
4.5 stars
Amazon.co.uk Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sophies-Encore-Rock-Romance-ebook/dp/B00EXXDVF6/
Amazon.com Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Sophies-Encore-Rock-Romance-ebook/dp/B00EXXDVF6/
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sophies-encore-nicky-wells/1116668869?ean=2940148368359&itm=1&usri=sophie%27s+encore
Amazon.co.uk Paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sophies-Encore-Nicky-Wells/dp/1938404653/
Amazon.com Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Sophies-Encore-Nicky-Wells/dp/1938404653/
Barnes & Noble Paperback: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sophies-encore-nicky-wells/1116668869?ean=9781938404658
Party Time — The GIVEAWAY!!!
1 x signed Sophie’s Encore Poster
2 x Sophie’s Encore Mugs
1 x Sophie’s Run Mug
1 x $10 Amazon Gift Voucher (or equivalent currency)
2 x Sophie’s Encore Key Ring
1 x Sophie’s Run Key Ring
2 x “Swag Pack” featuring 2 postcards (1 signed) each for all three Rock Star Romance books, and 2 bookmarks each for Sophie’s Turn and Sophie’s Run
ENTER HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway closes 30 September at 12 midnight BST.
Entrants must be 18 or over. Giveaway is open internationally
About Nicky Wells
Nicky Wells is your ultimate rock chick author. Signed to US Publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky writes Romance That Rocks Your World, featuring the rock star and the girl next door.
Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous contemporary romance with a rock theme ~ imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill!
Born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in Lincoln. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C. Like her leading lady, Sophie, Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor to The Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Romantic Novelists’ Association | Sapphire Star Publishing | Amazon | Goodreads| Pinterest
*Nicky waves*
Whoa! What a party! I hope you enjoyed yourself. Thank you again for stopping by Chick Lit Plus today to help me celebrate. Happy reading and rock on! And don’t forget to say ‘hi’, I’d love to hear from you and I will come back to chat later!
Book Review: Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray
I received a copy of this book for an honest opinion.
As the story opens up, Sandy is a well adjusted teen with two great friends, Cassie and Troy, friends from preschool days. Family life is good, school is good and Sandy is happy. One night while hanging out at Cassie’s house things gets out of hand and Cassie’s boyfriend Aaron gets physical with Sandy. Sandy is talking up a new sport and Aaron wants to show Sandy just what he knows. Aaron rapes Sandy. Sandy is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions and the immediate escape is alcohol. It’s a downward spiral, spinning Sandy further down into depression and hatred. Sandy tries to climb out but life gets to be too hard and despair seems to be the easier way out. Facing reality and finding out exactly who are Sandy’s real friends are just part of the challenges ahead for Sandy on the road to recovery. The power of poetry and Shakespeare are significant skills that Sandy’s possesses that can help Sandy move ahead if and when Sandy wants to take the steps.
Its 10:30 pm, I was just finishing up the Author’s Notes at the end of the novel regarding Maybe I Will and I was left speechless. Sure, I remembered that the book was about rape and its effect on a young teen but the other twist I had completely, I mean totally completely forgotten about that. So that is why I woke up my husband spilling out the entire book’s storyline to him while he was barely able to hold open his eyes the other night. This twist had to do with gender identity. The main character is Sandy and I guess since my name is also Sandy, I assumed this character was a girl but there is no reference to that in the whole book. The author clarifies that in the Author’s Notes which totally threw me for a loop and a shocker. As I was reading this book, the author uses the word “I” a lot referring to Sandy which really bothered me as I was reading. I wondered why there were no other pronouns used and I understand that now. I have to applaud the author for such great writing skills as she left the gender open for the reader. Looking back at the story now, it’s like you choose your own main character, is it a girl or a boy? For what is rape? For every state, rape is defined differently but a broad definition of rape is a form of unwanted sexual behavior that is imposed on someone. Rape is about power but gender identity, it is not immune to.
4 Stars.
