Book Review: The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee
Reviewer: Samantha I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Summary: With the glass kitchen, Linda Francis Lee has served…
June 2014 New Book Releases
Contributor: Allie Okay friends, clear your calendars and skip the time you’d spend at the movie theater this summer, because there’s a plethora of cool…
In My Mailbox: Week of June 2
Title: A Horse Named Joe
Author: Lisa Loomis
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Roni Dugan, a wealthy investment banker from Wall Street, life continues to unravel two years after the financial meltdown of 2008. An intriguing story, which follows her to a small island in the Bahamas, Green Turtle Cay. Can the island, a horse named Joe, and a shy Bahamian dock master, help her to see life differently?
This novel will amuse and subject you to a whole other world and culture where friendship, love, and self discovery abound.
Title: All Fall Down
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Received: Engelman & Co.
Synopsis: Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, an adorable little girl, a job she loves, and a big house in the suburbs. But when she’s in the pediatrician’s office with her daughter and a magazine flips open to a quiz about addiction, she starts to wonder whether her use of prescription pills is becoming a problem. On the one hand, it’s just prescription medication, the stuff her doctors give her. Is a Percocet at the end of a hard day really different than a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class…or after your husband ignores you?
Back in the car, with her daughter safely buckled behind her, Allison opens the Altoid tin in her purse and slips a chalky white oval underneath her tongue. The pill unties her knotted muscles, erases the grime and ugliness of the city, soothes her as she frets about the truth of her looking-good life: that her husband’s becoming distant, that her daughter is acting out, that her father’s early Alzheimer’s is worsening and her mother’s barely managing to cope. She tells herself that the pills let her make it through her days…but what if her ever-increasing drug use, a habit that’s becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?
All Fall Down is the story of a woman’s slide into addiction and struggle to find her way back up again. With a sparkling comedic touch and tender, true-to-life characterizations, this tale of empowerment and redemption is Jennifer Weiner’s most poignant, timely, and triumphant story yet.
Title: That Night
Author: Chevy Stevens
Received: SheReads Book Club
Synopsis: As a teenager, Toni Murphy had a life full of typical adolescent complications: a boyfriend she adored, a younger sister she couldn’t relate to, a strained relationship with her parents, and classmates who seemed hell-bent on making her life miserable. Things weren’t easy, but Toni could never have predicted how horrific they would become until her younger sister was brutally murdered one summer night.
Toni and her boyfriend, Ryan, were convicted of the murder and sent to prison.
Now thirty-four, Toni, is out on parole and back in her hometown, struggling to adjust to a new life on the outside. Prison changed her, hardened her, and she’s doing everything in her power to avoid violating her parole and going back. This means having absolutely no contact with Ryan, avoiding fellow parolees looking to pick fights, and steering clear of trouble in all its forms. But nothing is making that easy—not Ryan, who is convinced he can figure out the truth; not her mother, who doubts Toni’s innocence; and certainly not the group of women who made Toni’s life hell in high school and may have darker secrets than anyone realizes. No matter how hard she tries, ignoring her old life to start a new one is impossible. Before Toni can truly move on, she must risk everything to find out what really happened that night.But in That Night by Chevy Stevens, the truth might be the most terrifying thing of all.
Title: The Glass Kitchen
Author: Linda Francis Lee
Received: St Martins
Synopsis: With the glass kitchen,
Linda Francis Lee has served up a novel that is about the courage
it takes to follow your heart and be yourself.
A true recipe for life.
Portia Cuthcart never intended to leave Texas. Her dream was to run the Glass Kitchen restaurant her grandmother built decades ago. But after a string of betrayals and the loss of her legacy, Portia is determined to start a new life with her sisters in Manhattan . . . and never cook again. But when she moves into a dilapidated brownstone on the Upper West Side, she meets twelve-year-old Ariel and her widowed father Gabriel, a man with his hands full trying to raise two daughters on his own. Soon, a promise made to her sisters forces Portia back into a world of magical food and swirling emotions, where she must confront everything she has been running from. What seems so simple on the surface is anything but when long-held secrets are revealed, rivalries exposed, and the promise of new love stirs to life like chocolate mixing with cream. The Glass Kitchen is a delicious novel, a tempestuous story of a woman washed up on the shores of Manhattan who discovers that a kitchen—like an island—can be a refuge, if only she has the courage to give in to the pull of love, the power of forgiveness, and accept the complications of what it means to be family.
Title: Safe and Sound
Author: T.S Krupa
Received: T.S Krupa
Synopsis: When Jill met Jay Greenfield she knew she had found her forever love. She was a kindergarten teacher, he was a high-powered attorney and their lives were perfect. But when a tragic accident takes Jay’s life, this young bride is left to pick up the pieces.
Jill finds herself a young widow facing multiple decisions she thought she had a lifetime to decide. With support from her childhood best friends, Lanie and Stella, Jill attempts to piece her life back together. With nightmares plaguing her dreams and the struggles of constant grief over Jay’s passing, Stella and Lanie keep near constant vigilance over her.
In the process of settling the estate, Jill learns that her husband was not quite the man she thought he was. She finds herself transported to the small beach town of Oak Island, North Carolina. But the fairy tale ending she envisioned no longer exists. She must face the reality that Jay is gone as she finds herself having a chance at love one more time.
Safe and Sound follows a yearlong journey of love, loss, friendship, and conquering the unexpected.
Title: The Dress Thief
Author: Natalie Meg Evans
Received: Quercus Publishing
Synopsis: Alix Gower has a dream: to join the ranks of Coco Chanel to become a designer in the high-stakes world of Parisian haute couture. But Alix also has a secret: she supports her family by stealing designs to create bootlegs for the foreign market. A hidden sketchbook and two minutes inside Hermès is all she needs to create a perfect replica, to be whisked off to production in New York.
Then Alix is given her big break – a chance to finally realize her dream in one of the most prominent Parisian fashion houses – but at the price of copying the breakthrough Spring Collection.
Knowing this could be her only opportunity, Alix accepts the arrangement. But when a mystery from her past resurfaces and a chance meeting has her falling into the arms of a handsome English war reporter, Alix learns that the slightest misstep – or misplaced trust – could be all it takes for her life to begin falling apart at the seams.
Title: The Walk-In Closet
Author: Abdi Nazemian
Received: BookSparks PR
Synopsis: Kara Walker has never found much glamour in her own life, especially not when compared to the life of her best friend Bobby Ebadi. Bobby, along with his sophisticated parents Leila and Hossein, is everything Kara always wanted to be. The trio provides the perfect antidote to what Kara views as the more mundane problems of her girlfriends and her divorced parents.
And so when the Ebadis assume that Kara is Bobby’s girlfriend, she willingly steps into the role. She enjoys the perks of life in this closet, not only Leila’s designer hand-me-downs and free rent, but also the excitement of living life as an Ebadi.
As Kara’s 30th birthday approaches, Leila and Hossein up the pressure. They are ready for Kara to assume the mantle of the next Mrs. Ebadi, and Bobby seems prepared to give them what they want: the illusion of a traditional home and grandchildren. How far will Kara be willing to go? And will she be willing to pull the Persian rug out from under them when she discovers that her own secret is just one of many lurking inside the Ebadi closet?
Author Profile: Linda Francis Lee
Author Name: Linda Francis Lee
Website: http://lindafrancislee.com/content/index.asp
Bio: Linda Francis Lee is a native Texan now calling New York City home. Linda’s writing career began when her article “There Is No Finish Line” was published in her university’s quarterly magazine. But she got sidetracked from writing when she started teaching probability and statistics. Later she found her way back to writing, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution called her breakout novel, Blue Waltz, “absolutely stunning.”
Now Linda is the author of twenty books that are published in sixteen countries around the world, in languages as diverse as Japanese and Russian. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films, and she is in the process of co-developing a television series set in her beloved Texas.
When Linda isn’t writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends.
Recent Titles: The Devil in the Junior League, The Ex-Debutante, and Emily and Einstein
See my review of Emily and Einstein
Visit Linda’s Blog!
Bio Retrieved from lindafrancislee.com
Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee
Sandy Portman is ready to finally tell his wife Emily that he wants a divorce. Before he gets that chance, he is hit by a car and dies. Sandy is granted a second chance, and his soul now resides in a dog, which is soon adopted by none other than his wife. Emily finds an odd comfort in the little white dog, which she names Einstein. Emily, an editor at a publishing house and volunteer at the animal shelter, needs comfort after her husband’s untimely death. And even more comfort after she is being evicted from her family home. Sandy’s family comes from old-money wealth, and even though Sandy promised her their home, he never got around to changing his will. As if that betrayal wasn’t enough, as Emily is going through Sandy’s office, she stumbles across numerous affairs her husband had while they married. Emily is devastated, and relies on Einstein to help keep her spirits up. She doesn’t realize that Einstein is now her husband, who is being forced to watch the pain he inflicted upon his wife play out. Can Sandy help Emily move on from the mistakes that he made in his human life? Will it grant him a second chance, or will be destined to stay a dog forever- or simply fade away?
Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee was quite interesting. The book is written both in Emily and Einstein/Sandy’s point of view, which I think was needed to understand both characters fully. While I loved Emily’s character- a hardworking, faithful wife, good spirit, I truly hated Sandy. It was to the point where I almost wanted to stop reading because he turned me off so much. He took no regard for any of the mistakes he made, always blaming someone else- usually Emily- for the actions he took in life. It was disgusting. The ending saved this book for me though. Finally, towards the very last pages, Sandy appears somewhat remorseful for putting Emily through so much pain. If that hadn’t happened, I’m not sure what I would have rated this book. While I disliked Sandy’s character so much, I disliked a lot of other people in the book as well. I wished there would have been more, well, nicer, people being written about. But Sandy, his mom, Emily’s sister, Emily’s co-workers, boss, are all plain mean people. I know there are plenty of terrible people in this world, but to have so many in one book was a little overwhelming. At the same time, Emily and Einstein really made me think, about life, the people we share it with, and how to overcome challenges. If I focus on that, along with what I thought was a great ending to the story, then I did enjoy this book. You can see from my review that I was clearly on the fence, but I would recommend this read. See what you take away from the characters and their journeys, and I hope you enjoy.
[Rating: 3.5]
In My Mailbox: Week of March 13
In My Mailbox: Week of March 13, 2011
Title: Crystal Balls
Author: Amanda Brobyn
Received: From Amanda Brobyn
Synopsis: Tina Harding is a successful and ambitious estate agent. All is going according to plan and her painful past as a failed actress has been well and truly buried. Now she’s a down-to-earth and hard-headed businesswoman … Life, however, is full of surprises. While accompanying her more wide- eyed colleague, Chantelle, to a psychic fair, Tina herself falls victim to the lure of the Crystal Ball. She is warned that she must learn to trust her own decisions, and assured that the arrival of her soul mate is imminent. An elated Tina feels she has discovered a shortcut to fulfilment her very own life’s SatNav. Enter the gorgeous sex-on-wheels property-developer Brian Steen, who is very keen indeed to get up close and personal with Tina. But, call it fate, call it karma or just sheer bad luck, their steamy encounters are destined to fizzle out every time. But Brian is a patient man … up to a point … and, with help from Tina’s psychic guides, things are sure to pan out just fine … aren’t they? Crystal Balls … gaze into the unknown …
Title: Looking For Leon
Author: Shirley Benton
Received: From Shirley Benton
Synopsis: Andie hadn’t gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas- but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down-despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers love it and a local TV station flies her back to Vegas to take up the hunt for the man she can’t forget. What starts off as a simple low-budget documentary, spirals into a frenzied national media search. With the world’s most ambitious PR agents on board, Andie becomes a heroine for those who are looking for love.
Title: Emily and Einstein
Author: Linda Francis Lee
Received: From Tricia Carr @ Media Muscle
Synopsis: He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But he needed one…
Emily and her husband Sandy Portman seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in the famous Dakota building. But one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident. The funeral isn’t even over before Emily learns she is on the verge of being evicted from their apartment. But worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies.
Suddenly Emily is forced on a journey to find out who her husband really was . . . all the while feeling that somehow he isn’t really gone. Angry, hurt, and sometimes betrayed by loving memories of the man she lost, Emily finds comfort in a scruffy dog named Einstein. But is Einstein’s seemingly odd determination that she save herself enough to make Emily confront her own past? Can he help her find a future—even after she meets a new man?
Title: Tales From the Crib
Author: Jennifer Coburn
Received: From Jennifer Coburn
Synopsis:
Talk about bad timing!
When Lucy Klein gets her positive pregnancy results, she’s overjoyed. She and her husband Jack have been trying to get pregnant for years throughout their rocky marriage. But before she can tell him the big news, Jack has something he needs to announce – he wants a divorce!
Rather than split up, Lucy and Jack decide to live together as friends. This way, they can share expenses and parenting responsibilities. Co-parenting is a fine deal for Jack who is back in the dating scene by Lucy’s third trimester of pregnancy, but is a frustrating one for Lucy who has unfulfilled sexual fantasies about every man from restaurant delivery boys to puppeteers.
Meanwhile, Lucy’s mother is taking over her life. The grand dame of Planet Earth, Anjoli frequently visits her daughter to share her own brand of maternal wisdom.
As Anjoli leaves her Drama Queen bookstore to “help” Lucy with baby Adam, the new grandmother has an affair with baby’s pediatrician, hosts two weddings (including cousin Kimmy’s wedding to herself), and constantly frets about which kind of pie to serve guests. With a cast of family and friends from Lucy’s Jewish aunts to Junior League neighbor, Candace, Tales From the Crib is the story of how one baby can bring people together – so they can drive each other nuts!
You Are Invited!
Thank you to Tricia Carr for alerting me to this party! Sorry the picture is a bit small, if I make it bigger it doesn’t…
