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Book Review: Six Years by Harlan Coben

I received a copy of SIX YEARS by Harlan Coben in exchange for an honest review.

Six Years have passed since Jake Fisher was left by the love of his life, Natalie. He sat and watched as she married another man and then left it all behind. He threw himself into a career as a college professor and attempts to move on. But, after so much time, there is still a love that burns deep down inside of him and he can’t help that he still loves Natalie. But, one fateful day brings an obituary into his view and it happens to be for Todd, who was the man who stole her away. He can’t help himself so he attends the funeral and optimistically hopes for a rare glimpse of her, but when he sees a mourning widow that claims to have been married to Todd for almost two decades, he begins to wonder what the heck really happened. He begins to question everything that he has ever none as so many things around him become a mystery. What has happened to the picture perfect memories that he has hung onto so tightly?

I am actually slightly embarrassed to admit that I’ve never read anything written by Harlan Coben before … but that is all changing now. To say the least, I am obsessed. He is such a talented writer and does an amazing job at crafting such detailed experiences that will literally blow you away. When I began reading this book, I assumed that poor Jake Fisher was just hurting from a broken heart when Natalie married another man, but this book kicked that ideal to the curb and definitely knocked me on my butt. This book is very fast paced and reads like a mystery/suspense novel – which I guess it might technically be classified as. Either way, SIX YEARS is amazing and you should definitely go out and grab yourself a copy. Plus, I just read that Hugh Jackman has signed on to star in the film adaptation. Um, yum!!

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/hugh-jackman-set-to-star-in-adaptation-of-harlan-cobens-six-years

Rating: 5/5 stars

In My Mailbox: Week of March 24

Samantha’s Mailbox:

breatheTitle: Breathe

Author: Kate Bishop

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Alex thought she had married the man of her dreams: successful, gorgeous, and delighted by her small-town charm. When he walks out six months later, proclaiming to have ‘found himself’ (with the help of a stunning yoga teacher), she ‘finds herself’ alone in an unfamiliar city, vengefully drinking through his prized wine collection, living on takeout, and refusing to answer the door. When this fails to cure her broken heart and bruised ego, she reluctantly allows her new friends to intervene. Slowly, Alex learns to define success on her own terms; she discovers the secret to love in all its forms, and the perfect flying crow pose, one breath at a time.

Title: Meeting Miss Mollie

Author: Di Jones

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: She’s the Agony Aunt who has it all. Except for one small problem – her life is a disaster.

Annabelle is a hard nosed writer with a good marriage, a nice flat, a thriving career at Adorn magazine and a busy social life. She has only one ambition – to be the best known Agony Aunt in the UK.

When her world is turned upside down by her husband’s infidelity she strikes out on her own and goes flatting with a jet setting businessman. But things in her new house aren’t quite what they seem and her problems mount.

Through her ups and downs, Annabelle forges a relationship with the strangest of friends and discovers the best things in life are those she always avoided.

Meeting Miss Mollie is a story about lies, loss, loyalty, love and laughter, and will appeal to anyone who loves chicklit or romantic comedy. You’ll laugh as you read this book, and perhaps even shed a tear.

This is the second novel by author Di Jones, whose first novel Transplanting Holly Oakwood has been in the Top Ten in romantic comedy. If you enjoy Jill Mansell or Sophie Kinsella, Di is a new author you must read.

life listTitle: The Life List

Author: Chrissy Anderson

Received: From Chrissy Anderson

Synopsis: The Life List is the ultimate chick lit novel and most of the story is true. Chrissy Anderson, a twenty-eight year old fashion executive, created a seven-point life list at the age of sixteen and she’s been steadily checking off the boxes and mocking the style and life choices of everyone around her ever since.Her life begins to run amuck when she unexpectedly meets a much younger, Leo, who makes her question her “perfect life”.

Chrissy’s lifelong friendships and her marriage are put to the test as she tries to sort out her feelings for Leo. With the help of her brassy, no-nonsense therapist, Dr. Maria, Chrissy learns more about herself than she anticipates. But, it isn’t until the untimely death of her best friend that Chrissy is catapulted into long overdue authenticity and scrambles to correct the mistakes of her past….trying to figure out if it’s Kurt, Leo or both that she has to get rid of to make everything right.

Women of all kinds-twenty-somethings, housewives and superwomen wanna-bes- will all be able to relate to the pressure of constructing the ideal life, only to fall short. Not everyone will agree with Chrissy Anderson’s decisions, but all will pause as they follow along on her journey to ask, “What would I do if I were her?”

crooked branchTitle: The Crooked Branch

Author: Jeanine Cummins

Received: From Penguin

Synopsis: From the national bestselling and highly acclaimed author of The Outside Boy comes the deeply moving story of two mothers—witty, self-deprecating Majella, who is shocked by her entry into motherhood in modern-day New York, and her ancestor, tough and terrified Ginny Doyle, whose battles are more fundamental: she must keep her young family alive during Ireland’s Great Famine.

After the birth of her daughter Emma, the usually resilient Majella finds herself feeling isolated and exhausted. Then, at her childhood home in Queens, Majella discovers the diary of her maternal ancestor Ginny—and is shocked to read a story of murder in her family history.

With the famine upon her, Ginny Doyle fled from Ireland to America, but not all of her family made it. What happened during those harrowing years, and why does Ginny call herself a killer? Is Majella genetically fated to be a bad mother, despite the fierce tenderness she feels for her baby? Determined to uncover the truth of her heritage and her own identity, Majella sets out to explore Ginny’s past—and discovers surprising truths about her family and ultimately, herself.

jane austenTitle: Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift

Author: Kathleen Anderson & Susan Jones

Received: From Penguin

Synopsis: Embrace your inner Jane and find a new way of life in thrift! Jane Austen knew that wealth and grandeur had little to do with happiness, and that fashionable new dresses and reticules to impress Mr. Darcy simply were not the path to fulfillment—especially when one accrues debt in the process. It’s as true today as it was then . . .

Whether you have a fortune or not, you’re well advised to make the most of your income—and save for your future. Now, using the timeless wisdom and example of Jane Austen’s memorable heroines, this book offers everything the modern lady needs to know about:

*Clever investing

*Keeping up appearances on a budget

*Giving and receiving graciously

*Finding treasures at flea markets and church rummage sales

*Planning a party that only looks extravagant

*And more

Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift shows how to make your circumstances significantly less reduced, and how to live a life of elegent economy and joyful generosity—whether you’ve as much as Emma Woodhouse or as little as Miss Bates.

pretendTitle: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened

Author: Jenny Lawson

Received: From Penguin

Synopsis: Includes a new chapter!

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

In the irreverent Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments—the ones we want to pretend never happened—are the very same moments that make us the people we are today. For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives.

Title: The Blasphemy Box

Author: Mandy Behbehani

Received: From Mandy Behbehani

Synopsis: “You know that nightmare you’ve always had? The one where you wake up one day to find yourself fat, frumpy, fifty and alone? I’m living it.”

Maddy Nelson has an idyllic existence: a handsome husband, great kids, a comfortable, affluent lifestyle. One morning soon after she turns fifty, however, she wakes up in her San Francisco home to find her husband Steven announcing that he’s leaving her for a woman half her age. And a third of her size.

Ouch!

Feeling totally unmoored and grieving for her married life and husband, Maddy finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar and uncomfortable world of middle-aged singledom. There, she must come to terms with her situation and embark on her new life: divorce proceedings, single parenting, internet dating, and trying to earn a living. It’s enough to drive her over the brink. To help her cope, she shares her struggles in a smart, wry blog named The Blasphemy Box, after her ex-husband’s obnoxious habit of having her drop a quarter into a wooden box every time she said something off color. Her madcap middle-aged adventures find her devoted readers who identify with her challenges.

In time, Maddy recreates herself and finds happiness in the arms of a good man, and a fulfilling new career as a novelist.
In Sara’s Mailbox:

the last telegramTitle: The Last Telegram

Author: Liz Trenow

Received: Nicole @ Source Books

Synopsis: We all make mistakes. Some we can fix.
But what happens when we can’t?

Decades ago, as Nazi planes dominated the sky, Lily Verner made a terrible choice. She’s tried to forget, but now an unexpected event pulls her back to the 1940s British countryside. She finds herself remembering the brilliant colors of the silk she helped to weave at her family’s mill, the relentless pressure of the worsening war, and the kind of heartbreaking loss that stops time.

In this evocative novel of love and consequences, Lily finally confronts the disastrous decision that has haunted her all these years. The Last Telegram uncovers the surprising truth about how the stories we weave about our lives are threaded with truth, guilt, and forgiveness.

Book Review: Prior Engagements by Sarah Goodwin

I received a copy of PRIOR ENGAGEMENTS by Sarah Goodwin in exchange for an honest review.

Prior Engagements begins with Annie, who isn’t really enjoying her time in the twenties as much as she expected. She was left at the alter by Stephen and is currently in the process of paying down the gargantuan mountain of debt leftover from the wedding that never happened. Then one day, she meets a man who is in need of a favor – to accompany him to the wedding of his ex. She decides on a whim to accompany him and then next thing she knows, she is getting married in Vegas to Dorian. But, that makes things complicated as she returns home and realizes that her best friend, who also happens to be her boss, has been working up the courage to pop the question himself. Will is not happy at all about the new discovery and wants nothing more than to get Dorian out of the way. Like I said, things are complicated and it gets worse as we are introduced to Dorian’s sister, his ex-bride and Annie’s dear old mother. Fun times ensue as some Annie tries to figure out just how her life ended up so complicated.

I really enjoyed PRIOR ENGAGEMENTS and thought that it was a really good read. At first I wasn’t quite too sure what to think about Annie but after a little hesitation on my part, I soon fell in love with her character. Sarah does an amazing job at crafting flawed characters who are also very realistic. On numerous occasions I felt that Annie and I would make great friends. I knew instantly that Stephen was a douche bag and ironically, am glad that she got left at the alter because she was so much better off without him. I must also admit that I was quite surprised when she married Dorian in Vegas … I definitely didn’t see that one coming. Overall though, this book is a really great read from a debut author. I think that if you are looking for a hilarious book with a lot of wit and heart, then this book is for you.

Rating: 4/5 stars

In My Mailbox: Week of March 17

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

still lifeTitle: Still Life in Brunswick Stew

Author: Larissa Reinhart

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: 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.

unexpectingTitle: Unexpecting

Author: Lori Verni Fogarsi

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Shelley and David are a couple of almost-empty-nesters whose children are just about all off to college. Preparing to embark on the next stage of their life, they’ve just ordered white furniture and are planning the vacation they’ve waited their entire lives to take.

Everything changes when Alexandra, seventeen and pregnant, shows up on their doorstep and announces that she’s the daughter he never knew he had! Their life is catapulted in a completely different direction, abounding with dilemmas: Not only do they have an additional child, but also a baby in a household that had been just about to become serene. How much should they help her? And how could they not?

Shelley feels like she no longer fits in anywhere and to top it off, having two seventeen-year-old girls suddenly plunged into being sisters and school mates is not exactly warm and fuzzy. When Alexandra’s behavior starts to become erratic, the couple is faced with even tougher decisions to make.

Hold on for an emotional yet witty ride as you join this family of characters in a story of love, loyalty, heartbreak, and humor that will stay with you long after you turn the last page!

aftermathTitle: After Math

Author: Denise Grover Swank

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After.

Before she agreed to tutor Tucker Price, college junior Scarlett was introvert, struggling with her social anxiety disorder and determined to not end up living in a trailer park like her mother and her younger sister. A mathematics major, she goes to her classes, to her job in the tutoring lab, and then hides in the apartment she shares with her friend, Caroline.

After junior Tucker Price, Southern University’s star soccer player enters the equation, her carefully plotted life is thrown off its axis. Tucker’s failing his required College Algebra class. With his eligibility is at risk, the university chancellor dangles an expensive piece of computer software for the math department if Scarlett agrees to privately tutor him. Tucker’s bad boy, womanizer reputation makes Scarlett wary of any contact, let alone spending several hours a week in close proximity.

But from her first encounter, she realizes Tucker isn’t the person everyone else sees. He carries a mountain of secrets which she suspects hold the reason to his self-destructive behavior. But the deeper she delves into the cause of his pain, the deeper she gets sucked into his chaos. Will Scarlett find the happiness she’s looking for, or will she be caught in Tucker’s aftermath?

Ctrl zTitle: Ctrl Z

Author: Danika Stone

Received: From Danika Stone

Synopsis: Indigo Sykes has spent years trying to forget where she came from. She has a degree, a new life, and a quiet existence. Everything she ever wanted… But all of this comes to a screeching halt when an unexpected meeting with computer hacker, Jude Alden, changes her plans. Romance blooms between the mismatched duo, even while entanglements from Indigo’s past threaten to pull the two of them apart.

Dogged by a history of running, Indigo’s hard-won security is shattered when Jude’s illegal activity drags both of them into a dangerous game. As the net of hacking and underworld crime tightens around Jude and Indigo’s dark history is exposed, the two of them must find a way out or risk bringing the consequences down on them both.

salt sistersTitle: The Gilly Salt Sisters

Author: Tiffany Baker

Received: From Grand Central Publishing

Synopsis: The author of the New York Times bestselling The Little Giant of Aberdeen County returns with a magic-tinged tale of dreams, family secrets, and betrayals on a New England salt farm.

In the isolated Cape Cod village of Prospect, the Gilly sisters are as different as can be. Jo, a fierce and quiet loner, is devoted to the mysteries of her family’s salt farm, while Claire is popular, pretty, and yearns to flee the salt at any cost. But the Gilly land hides a dark legacy that proves impossible to escape. Although the community half-suspects the Gilly sisters might be witches, it doesn’t stop Whit Turner, the town’s wealthiest bachelor, from forcing his way into their lives. It’s Jo who first steals Whit’s heart, but it is Claire–heartbroken over her high school sweetheart–who marries him.

Years later, estranged from her family, Claire finds herself thrust back onto the farm with the last person she would have chosen: her husband’s pregnant mistress. Suddenly, alliances change, old loves return, and new battle lines are drawn. What the Gilly sisters learn about each other, the land around them, and the power of the salt, will not only change each of their lives forever, it will also alter Gilly history for good.

In Sara’s Mailbox:

Book Review: Bad At Being Bad by Mark Barber

I received a copy of Bad At Being Bad by Mark Barber in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:

Thirty-something and living with his parents – rent-free, jobless, and on the dole – life is stress-free and easy. However, watching the world go by has not made Steve any less opinionated, especially on important and pressing issues such as social networking sites and daytime TV.

But fate is about to deal another hand. Motivated by the fear of losing his benefits and precious beer money, and enticed by an exotic-sounding location, Steve takes a job that is not quite what it seems . . .

Thrust into a surreal world where international organised crime is regulated by red-tape bureaucracy and health and safety gone mad, Steve finds himself employed by a megalomaniac boss who is hell bent on that old cliché of world domination.

Can Steve find an inner emotional maturity and self identity? Does anyone who doesn’t read GQ magazine even know what that means?

Guns, girls (well, a girl!) and paperwork – Is it possible to be bad at being bad? Steve is about to find out.
Review:

It is authors like Mark that make me a fan of reading the “Lad Lit” genre. This book begins with Steve who really isn’t living and who spends most of his time sitting around on the couch and doing nothing. Then, out of nowhere, he ends up in unfamiliar territory and from there on, that is where the good times start. I found Steve to be odd yet very comical and I loved Mark’s witty writing and his fun play on words. I found the title to be very punny once I realized what the book was actually about. Overall though, this book is a good time and I really enjoyed it. If you are looking for a quick read with a male narrator, then this book is for you.
Rating: 4/5

Book Review: The Wicked Wives by Gus Pelagatti

I received a copy of The Wicked Wives by Gus Pelagatti in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:

When I was an eight year old boy I overheard adults in my South Philadelphia neighborhood discussing 17 disenchanted and unfaithful neighborhood wives who murdered their husbands for insurance money, love and lust. This was a fascinating topic for an eight year old boy eavesdropping on adult conversation. The adults were discussing the true story of Philadelphia’s infamous 1938 murder scandals. My fascination led to obsession. I knew that I had to write about these wicked wives someday.

After I became a trial lawyer in 1964, I researched the poison murder cases in the law library and obtained newspaper accounts of the scandals dating back to October, 1938. Thereafter I conducted interviews with judges, lawyers, police, witnesses, sheriff deputies and neighbors who knew the defendants.

One of the chief conspirators was a tailor who seduced, then persuaded at least twelve wives to poison their husbands for insurance. The setting for his seductions was the couch in the rear of his tailor shop, located two blocks from our family home.

A fascinating conspiracy unfolded in these murder cases. The poison gang’s colorful and hilarious characters helped to deep-six a minimum of 20 husbands. The supporting cast includes Giorgio, “The Don Juan of Passyunk Avenue. ” Aside from scheming Lillian, “the society wife”, the wives include Rose, the “Kiss of Death Widow, ” Eva “the nymphomaniac” and the “hopelessly in love, ” Joanna.

After many comical episodes, intriguing detective work and two suspense filled high profile trials, 12 wives plead or are found guilty of murdering their husbands. Two male conspirators were executed in the electric chair.

“The Wicked Wives” gleefully explores the sins of lust and greed, and the disappointments that love often brings. The characters, although they commit murder and adultery, are extremely likable, and often amusing. Writing “The Wicked Wives” was a true labor of love.
Review:

The one word that pops into my mind when describing this book is wicked. The Wicked Wives is an appropriate title for a riveting book that definitely keeps you on your toes. I had such a hard time putting this book down and I often times had the story lingering in my mind when I wasn’t reading. This book has everything: lies, deceit, sex, murder … and the list goes on. Gus does a fabulous job at crafting crazy circumstances and even crazier characters. Overall, this book is a really good read and is visually appealing too – I often times thought to myself, “this book would be great as a movie.” If you are looking for an all around great book full of thrills and chills, then this one is for you.
Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Out of Sight Out of Mind by Evonne …

out of sightI received a copy of OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND by Evonne Wareham in exchange for an honest review.

On the way home one night, Madison Albi stumbles upon a homeless man with whom she feels an instant connection. She tries hard but she can’t resist the impulse to help him, only she has a secret. Turns out that Madison can feel things with her mind and that makes things a little complicated when she gets to know J, a man who can’t even remember his own name. He has no future and literally no past, so can she help him restore hope and bring back his past? With a little hope, she agrees to help him recover his memory but as she digs a little deeper, she uncovers some dark secrets and she begins to wonder what she has gotten herself into – turns out somethings are better left in the dark.

I was taken aback by this book and could not get over the amount of secrets and suspense that are brought about in the novel. The book is fast paced and Evonne has such a wonderful skill at creating such amazing characters with special skills that it was very, very enjoyable. Like Madison, I too felt an instant connection to J and was glad when she decided to take him on, only I was quite surprised to find out some of his dark and dirty secrets. But, turns out that Madison has some as well. In an attempt to try to keep things hush hush, I am going to leave my review at that because I would hate to spoil the book for everyone else … but it is definitely a great read.
Rating: 4/5

On Tour: Love In Translation by Sara Palacios

ra will be on tour March 11 – April 1 with her novel, Love In Translation.

Still reeling from an unexpected breakup, Emily nurses her broken heart by spending time with her best friends and taking one-too-many vodka shots. After one long night, she takes a hard look inside herself and doesn’t like what she sees. She realizes that she has sacrificed too much in her failed relationships from the past and vows to never settle for anything less than almost-perfect again. As she picks up the pieces and regains her confidence, a sexy Spanish chef moves in across the hall and knocks her off her feet. What ensues is an unexpected and tantalizing affair that opens her eyes – and her heart – to a whole new world and leaves her feeling sexier than she has ever felt. Emily finally sees how easy love is supposed to be. Is happily-ever-after actually possible? Just when she starts to think so, she realizes that sometimes life gets more complicated before it gets easier. And complicated is an understatement when Steven (her best and oldest friend in the world) confesses his love for her. Everything spirals out of control as Emily must make a choice between love and friendship, and in doing so, possibly risk it all.

LOVE IN TRANSLATION is a modern day love story about following your heart to unexpected places and taking chances in life … because sometimes you will find exactly what you are looking for.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for all the tour stops!

IMG_0641 – Copy (2)Author Bio:

Bio: Sara Palacios is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a major in Advertising and a minor in English Literature. It was during her time in college that she really fell in love with the written word and ventured into writing her own stories. In addition to writing, Sara spends a majority of her time reading the works of other authors. She reads most genres – but thoroughly enjoys chick-lit, women’s and historical fiction.

When she isn’t busy reading or writing, Sara enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is happily married, the owner of two precious doggies and a new mom to a handsome baby boy. Sara is also an avid animal-lover, runner, yoga enthusiast, wannabe vegan, USA soccer fan, foodie and fashion blog-lover and Christian.

You can purchase LOVE IN TRANSLATION here:

Amazon: Print or eBook

Barnes and Noble: eBook

Kobo: eBook

Book Review: The Ruth Valley Missing by Amber West

I was provided with a copy of THE RUTH VALLEY MISSING by Amber West in exchange for an honest review.

Jameson Quinn is sick of trying to find herself in the big city. After a gallery opening ends in a trip to the ER and an argument with her self-involved boyfriend, she decides to take off for the peace and quiet of a small town — Ruth Valley. The small town has everything Brooklyn lacked: simple people, peaceful surroundings, and a feeling of safety. Jameson even finds the perfect house to rent from the town’s most eligible bachelor, Sheriff Jack. Life is finally headed in a promising direction. But something isn’t right. A young man is mysteriously injured, then disappears — and Jameson finds he isn’t the only person to suddenly vanish. The suspicious behavior of an abrasive nun and a creepy priest set her off on an investigation of what’s really happening. Will she figure out the secrets of Ruth Valley before she’s the next to go missing?

I had so much fun reading THE RUTH VALLEY MISSING and I thought that Amber did such an amazing job at crafting real characters and settings. I loved the tale of Jameson adjusting to life back in the small town after being in the big city for a while. But, it seems to be exactly what she needs … until it isn’t. The pace was quick in this book and I am thankful because I was eager to find out what the heck was actually going on. The creepy priest had me on the edge and I couldn’t handle it. Just another example of great writing by Amber. Overall, this book is very entertaining and definitely not like something I would normally read, but I am so glad that I gave it a chance. I think you will be glad too.

Rating: 4/5 stars