Future Tour: Unscripted by Jayne Denker
Jayne will be on tour October 28-November 18 with her chick lit/contemporary romance novel Unscripted One of Hollywood’s hardest working women is about to discover there’s…
In My Mailbox: Week of September 15
Title: The Three Month Plan
Author: Kimberley Patterson
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Kelly Callahan had everything going for her. Everything that is, except for a relationship. It wasn’t for the lack of trying, it just seemed like she was a magnet for all the wrong ones. But all of that was about to change the minute she laid eyes on Jake.
On a dare from her close friend, Michelle, Kelly accepts a challenge to date and become Jake’s girlfriend within three months. The consequence of losing is global humiliation, and she refuses to lose.
Enlisting the help of her childhood friend and confidant, Brian, Kelly manages to catch Jakes attention. She also unknowingly hooks Brian who tries to sabotage the plan. Kelly finds herself with a dilemma; take the final step with Jake and win the plan or follow her heart and reveal her feelings for Brian.
The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa GreeneTitle: The Vintage Teacup Club
Author: Vanessa Greene
Received: Penguin Group
Synopsis: Three women’s lives are about to change because of a few delicate pieces of china…
When Jenny Davis comes across a beautiful vintage tea set at an outdoor market in the English countryside, she’s convinced it’s fate. A young bride on a budget, she has her heart set on a vintage tea-party theme for her wedding—and the gorgeous gold-rimmed china before her is perfect. There’s only one problem. Two other women have fallen in love with it, too. So they come up with a solution: They’ll share it.
They establish a sisterhood, sharing the ups and downs of their lives—from broken hearts and weddings, to family drama and career dreams. When a figure from Jenny’s past threatens to ruin her big day, Alison’s teenage daughter pushes her to the limit, and Maggie’s romantic life is thrown into turmoil, the members of the Vintage Teacup Club band together—proving their newfound friendship will last a lifetime.
Facebook Jeanie by Addison WestlakeTitle: Facebook Jeanie
Author: Addison Westlake
Received: Addison Westlake
Synopsis: It’s Bridget Jones meets Groundhog Day…
Ever wonder if you made the right choice? What if you could go back and find out?
31-year-old Clara is in a steady relationship—with Facebook. Every night after her depressing bureaucratic job (so much for saving the world), after coming home to her empty apartment Clara settles down with a pint of ice cream for some good, old-fashioned Facebook stalking. It’s her college boyfriend, The One Who Got Away. He now has a perfect marriage, perfect house, perfect life—everything she could have had if she hadn’t been so, so stupid.
But, wait. Jeanie from Facebook shows up at Clara’s job. There’s a new app they’re beta-testing and Clara’s perfect for it. That night she clicks on it and… nothing happens. But the next morning when Clara wakes up at noon, hung over, listening to her roommate blow-drying her hair and singing “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”, she realizes she’s back in college. With the chance to do it all over again.
Back in the world of frat parties, BFFs, and long-suffering, overlooked lab partners, join Clara as she discovers what it really means to hit the reset button on life. What could possibly go wrong? And, this time, can she get it right?
Kiss of Fire by Rebecca EthingtonTitle: Kiss of Fire
Author: Rebecca Ethington
Received: Mark My Works Book Publicity
Synopsis: Joclyn Despain has been marred by a brand on her skin. She doesn’t know why
the mark appeared on her neck, but she doesn’t want anyone to see it,
including her best friend Ryland, who knows everything else about her. The
scar is the reason she hides herself behind baggy clothes, and won’t let the
idea of kissing Ryland enter her mind, no matter how much she wants to.
The scar is the reason she is being hunted.
If only she knew that she was.
If only she had known that the cursed stone her estranged father sent for
her 16th birthday would trigger a change in her. Now, she is being stalked
by a tall blonde man, and is miraculously throwing her high school bully ten
feet in the air.
Joclyn attempts to find some answers and the courage to follow her heart.
When Ryland finds her scar; only he knows what it means, and who will kill
her because of it.
Little Island by Katharine BrittonTitle: Little Island
Author: Katharine Britton
Received: Penguin Group
Synopsis: The Little family has a dark secret.
Joy Little’s grandmother left these last words: “Grace. Flowers. By the water. Have fun!” A note that Joy’s mother, Grace, has interpreted as instructions for her memorial service. And so, the far-flung clan will gather at their inn on Little Island, Maine, to honor her.
Joy can’t help dreading the weekend. Twenty years ago, a tragedy nearly destroyed the family—and still defines them. Joy, Grace, her father Gar, and twins Roger and Tamar all have their parts to play. And now Joy, facing an empty nest and a nebulous future, feels more vulnerable than ever to the dangerous currents running through her family.
What lies beneath the surface of this tragedy is the terrible secret that haunts them all. And it’s only when that secret is revealed that every member of the family can honestly reappraise the past and come to a deeper understanding of who they are and what they mean to each other.
For fans of Anita Shreve and Elin Hilderbrand, this richly evocative contemporary novel explores the family dynamic and ultimately examines what can break us apart and what can keep us together.
Hunka Hunka Nursing Love by Kathryn MaeglinTitle: A Hunka Hunka Nursing Love
Author: Kathryn Maeglin
Received: Kathryn Maeglin
Synopsis: Valerie Palka is a savvy businesswoman who is obsessed with keeping her elderly mom, Helen, safe from all the lethal disasters that can befall widows living alone. Helen thinks the workaholic Valerie should focus on having as much luck in the bedroom as she does in the boardroom. But when Helen takes a spill and is rushed to the ER, a handsome male nurse, Keith Nuber, strikes her fancy, and she tells her daughter, “If you could get a handsome devil like that to take care of me, I’d be willing to consider it.” So Valerie creates a care agency, Home Health Hunks, staffed by attractive younger men.
Valerie’s idea is filled with potential . . . and potholes. As she navigates the tricky road to satisfying her mom as well as her own ambition, she finds herself falling for one of her employees—Keith—and is forced to examine her beliefs about the true meaning of success.
Blog Tour Sign Up: Won’t Last Long by Heidi …
Can two people who are totally wrong for each other ever be right?
She’s a feisty, sly marketing exec intent on hiding her small-town roots. He’s a laid-back engineer with a shaggy mutt and a pushy ex.
When Joshua asks Melina out, she asks what kind of car he drives. She’ll do drinks, not dinner. She’s always in control. But with Joshua’s easy confidence and sharp wit, Melina is soon breaking the dating rules she made for herself.
Opposites attract—but friends think Melina and Joshua can’t possibly last. When crisis throws their world off its axis, Melina must confront her childhood family, the people she’s come to care about, and the destruction of her pristine image.
Blog Tour Sign Up: Zoey and the Moment of Zen …
Cat will be on tour in November with her chick lit novel Zoey and the Moment of Zen. I am looking for book bloggers to…
Book Review: Desperately Seeking Heaven by Jill Steeples
Alice Fletcher is driving home from work one Friday night – a Friday the 13th – when she comes upon a car accident. She finds the driver on the side of the road, quite shaken and behaving a little strangely. He refuses to call the police or get medical help. Alice feels drawn to the man, who seems familiar to her. As it turns out, he’s none other than Jimmy Mack, a very popular television personality.
An immediately smitten Alice agrees to take him to her place to recuperate. While watching the television together, they learn that Jimmie has been killed in a car accident. What? How can that be? He’s in her apartment! Is she losing her mind? It turns out that Alice is the only one who can see Jimmy. The two come to the conclusion that Jimmy can’t cross to the other side without settling some unfinished business. Jimmy needs Alice’s help, because he’s not certain what that business is.
Jimmy and Alice work together, attending the funeral and visiting his family and friends, to look for clues. Eventually a reality show personality comes out of the woodwork with a story that sullies the reputation of the deceased and it’s up to Alice to set the record straight. Her task becomes all the more crucial when she realizes she’s falling for Jimmy – a ghost.
The storyline is unique and I was both intrigued by the paranormal aspects and curious to see how it would all play out. I did have some issues though. First, the reasons for Jimmie’s inability to cross over were vague and really not momentous enough to keep him in an afterlife limbo. Also, the author’s description of Jimmy’s ghostly presence was at times weak. Only Alice could see him, but she could also feel him, which means that there was physical interaction, hugging and dancing, sometimes in public. It’s not plausible that this didn’t attract the attentions of others. I don’t know about you, but if I saw someone hugging or slow dancing with the air, I’d run the other way! The storyline of Jimmy and Alice falling in love felt a bit rushed. It’s hard to get invested in a couple that you know will never be together. I did like the ending though, which was sweet and appropriately handled. The author has a great voice and she was able to make a situation that should have been maudlin, rather fun to read.
3 stars
September 2013 New Releases
Don’t miss these new releases for September 2013! Contributer: Allie September means back to school, changing leaves, football and cooler temperatures. Lucky for us there…
Cover Reveal: Zoey and the Moment of Zen by Cat …
Marching Ink is proud to publish the second title from Cat Lavoie this October, titled Zoey and the Moment of Zen! Chick Lit Plus is…
Cover Reveal: Forever Fredless by Suzy Turner
Kate Robinson has spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found and then lost during a family holiday. Shortly after her twenty-eighth birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him after all this time?
Forever Fredless will be available from online bookstores from October 2013
For more details about Suzy and her books, visit:
http://suzyturner.com
http://suzyturner.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/suzyturnerbooks
http://twitter.com/@suzy_turner
http://pinterest.com/suzyturnerbooks
Blog Tour Sign Up: Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr
What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out.
A chick-lit enthusiast since the first time she read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim, with her blog, “Pastel is the New Black,” has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm. While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick-lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads–and pages–across the land. And it’s also popped into Kim’s inbox–for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over all the hype Hannah’s book is receiving. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.
