Future Tour: Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs by Elissa Ambrose
Elissa will be on tour October 15-22 with her women’s fiction novel Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs If a woman tries to preserve a marriage…
Viewer Discretion Advised by Cindy Roesel
Cindy Roesel is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Viewer Discretion Advised. This might be a strange reading taste – but I absolutely love books that talk about TV shows, journalism, broadcasting, etc. Just an odd little niche, but I cannot pass up books with those topics being mentioned in the plot. This novel didn’t disappoint on that end – a lot of juicy stories being covered, a behind the scenes peek at the hustle and bustle of a newsroom – and of course – gossip, romance and plenty of cocktails!
Charley Thomas doesn’t mind being fired from her job in LA – that just means she is officially in the biz now. Quickly seizing a Miami opportunity, Charley soon finds herself in the Sunshine State, finally in the same city as her bff, and working for one of the toughest men in the industry – Jonathan Lefton. Between catty news anchors, firing staff left and right, an alcoholic best friend and a stalker cop after her, Charley has enough going on in her life – but she has ratings and possible Emmys to think about!
This book was fast-paced and very interesting. Roesel is an Emmy Award-Winning anchor, reporter and producer, so you know what she is dishing out is based on the real thing. I find these types of books fascinating. I liked Charley’s character a lot, how she really wanted to stay true to herself and not buy into all the ratings hype – even though she did slip now and again! There were a few editing errors that kept popping up, and I’m not sure I quite understood Charley’s relationship with Oz – they are super casual yet he visits her in Miami from LA? Those were two things that stuck out to me, but overall I thought this was a fun chick lit read!
[Rating: 4]
Future Tour: Dewitched by EL Sarnoff
EL Sarnoff will be on tour August 27- September 3 with her chick lit/fairytale novel Dewitched After serving time for Snow White’s attempted murder, the…
Blog Tour Sign Up: Mary Indiana by Anneke Campbell
She’s eighteen and pregnant, but with a twist–the new kid in town’s barely been kissed! Could she really be a virgin? The town doc swears it’s true. There’s just GOTTA be an explanation.
But it’s not coming from Mary, as she’s quickly dubbed. She seems to have taken a vow of silence. So it’s up to the citizens of Bellingham to make their own miracles—or at least their own myths. The new celeb is instantly surrounded by hangers-on, miracle-seekers, paparazzi, preachers, and promoters—to hilarious effect.
But are they dealing with an angel here, or someone playing an angle? Con, in a word, or icon? And by the way, what’s up with that strange light in the sky? Could be she came off a spaceship.
Neither sacred nor profane, nor even paranormal, Campbell’s beautifully written book is at once funny and wise, a savvy story of how myths are made, how minds twist and turn around the extraordinary, how the human organism just can’t help grabbing for the supernatural, whether out of the spiritual need for a miracle or a mundane desire for cash.
Think Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, only really really funny.
What a Texas Girl Wants by Kristina Knight
Kristina Knight is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and What a Texas Girl Wants. I found this to be a short and sweet romance novel, filled with dramatic decisions and suspenseful moments. Kathleen and Jackson are recently married – yet neither of them can remember the night of their wedding. While the two were in Mexico for different reasons- Kathleen to clear her head, Jackson for work – the two past classmates run into each other, and a drunken night leads to their nuptials. The two come from very different backgrounds – Kathleen’s family runs a prominent ranch in Texas and comes from a line of wealth and power, while Jackson was abandoned by his birth mother and grew up much poorer. But when the two decide to stay married for the sake of Kathleen’s family – she can’t afford to put her grandfather through the distress such as a quickie wedding and quicker divorce when she is supposed to be proving she can be the lady in charge of their family business. Jackson goes along with the plan reluctantly as first – but it doesn’t take him long to realize he loves Kathleen. Kathleen loves Jackson back – but are the both too stubborn to tell the other?
I liked the fast pace of this novel, and it was a very quick read. While I thought there was enough back story on Kathleen and Jackson and how they knew each other, I would have appreciated just a bit more insight on their time together in Mexico. How did they find each other? Who made the first move? I know that neither character could remember this due to the drinking, but as a reader I would have appreciated that info. I loved the plot overall, and waiting to see who would come to their senses first and admit their feelings. The other plot points such as the ranch business, Jackson searching for his birth mother, and Kathleen’s sister and her divorce kept my interest as well. One thing that I didn’t quite understand was Kathleen’s father and his drinking habits. I felt like I had missed something to why he lead his family to believe he was an alcoholic. But overall, a fun story that I would recommend, especially if you enjoy romance.
[Rating: 4]
Brownie Fix by Ellen Cardona
Ellen Cardona is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Brownie Fix. I think this novel has a very specific audience. The main character, Persey, is dealing with pregnancy, giving birth to her son, and then severe postpartum depression. While I do not have children yet, I do hope to be a mother in the future, and so I was intrigued by the fictional take on postpartum and motherhood as a whole. Persey struggles right away with her issues of impending motherhood, and Cardona takes readers to a very dark place with Persey, where she even has thoughts of harming her new son. The book has a ton of raw emotion and feels very real, I didn’t feel like anything was hidden or glossed over when it came to the characters or storyline. There are even some much need comic-relief moments when it comes to the supporting cast, such at Persey’s mother and neighbors. One character I really enjoyed was Persey’s husband, who was a huge rock for her during her struggles. While this wasn’t a typical read for me, I was able to learn from the book and have a better understanding on postpartum depression. I also liked that the author wrote this book and suffered through postpartum herself (not that I wish that on someone!) but I think that is a big reason while the writing felt so real to me. I knew that the person behind the words had been there and done that, and I find it commendable she was able to produce Brownie Fix.
[Rating: 3.5]
On Tour: Viewer Discretion Advised by Cindy Roesel
Cindy will be on tour July 30-August 20 with her novel Viewer Discretion Advised LIVE FROM MIAMI! The sensationalism shown on television can only be…
Future Tour: Blue Aspen by Tenaya Jayne
Tenaya will be on tour October 1-8 with her YA/paranormal romance novel Blue Aspen When seventeen-year-old Dulcee Elders’ mother embarks on a road trip from…
The Cowboy Singer by Paula Tiberius
Paula Tiberius is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and The Cowboy Singer. This is a really sweet romance novel, filled with a solid plot and loveable characters. MC April Connors flees from LA to her grandmother’s house in Texas after her boyfriend leaves her for another woman – while she is over six months pregnant with his child. Alone, jobless, and living with Grandma, April figures this is just her life now. She puts the idea of ever finding a husband out of her mind – who would want to help raise a kid that wasn’t their own? James “Jimmy Wick” Warwick, an aspiring singer, finds he can’t get April Connors out of his mind since she moved to his town. Even though his life is now filled with court dates and custody battles between his ex-wife, James tries to focus on the positives – his singing career, meeting April, and his beautiful four year old daughter Summer. But when his ex moves Summer out of Texas, James isn’t sure what the next step is. Does his stay with April – a woman he’s known only for a few months – or pack up and follow Summer to Florida? April runs into troubles with her ex as well when he suddenly appears back in her life, looking to be a father. Could she possibly ever get back in a relationship with the man who left her – or will she ever get a chance with her cowboy singer?
I was riveted by the story right when I started reading. I immediately sympathized with April, and thought she was very courageous to admit she needed help and to do the best thing for her child. I actually thought the story was moving too fast at first, I kept thinking I was missing important bits, but then I grasped that this is simply a fast-moving, short and sweet novel. I appreciated the fact that everything moved the story forward, as I come across a lot of unnecessary filler scenes in novels. I loved James’ character. He was such a good guy, another rarity these days. My heart hurt when his daughter moved away from him, and for a second I wasn’t sure how the book would end. I thought him and April would get together, but sometimes it just seemed there was too many obstacles for it to be a happy ending. A very strong novel from Paula Tiberius and one I recommend!
[Rating: 4]
