CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Riverstar by Tess Thompson
Tess Thompson is now on tour with Riverstar and CLP Blog Tours. Summary: After ending a dysfunctional affair with a powerful movie producer, feisty Hollywood…
Book Review: Caramel and Magnolias by Tess Thompson
I received a copy of Caramel and Magnolias by Tess Thompson in exchange for an honest review. What a thrilling, keep you on the edge of your seat book! I thought the prologue really opened the story, and I enjoyed that it wasn’t until a few chapters in that I made the connection between the beginning and the rest of the content. Cleo Tanner is the main character, a woman suffering a broken heart for the past ten years, who gave up her acting dreams and now is a teacher in Seattle. Her best friend, Sylvia, is having troubles in her marriage that seem to stem from the fact that she cannot get pregnant. When Cleo is approached by an adoption agency owner, she thinks she might have figured out a way to help her friend. But when a detective starts questioning the adoption agency, Cleo wonders if she didn’t make a huge mistake. She jumps into the investigation to try to get some answers and protect Sylvia – and also help herself get over her past and be able to move on.
This is such an amazing read. There is heartbreak, romance, deception, murder, mystery – all entwined around an engaging cast of characters. I really enjoyed the friendship between Cleo and Sylvia, as it reminded me of some of my friendships, and how a friend’s happiness can be worth taking a risk. I didn’t want to put this book down, but I found myself dragging out the ending because I didn’t want the story to stop! I have also read Riversong from Thompson and highly recommend you check out both of her titles!
5 stars
Author Profile: Tess Hardwick
Author Name: Tess Hardwick
Website: http://tesshardwick.com/
Bio: Tess Hardwick is a novelist and playwright.S he has a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California.
Like her main character in Riversong, Tess is from a small town in southern Oregon. She currently lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her husband, two small daughters and a teenage stepson. She is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.
She was an active member of the theatre community in Seattle as an actor and director during the late nineties. In 2000 she wrote her first full-length play, My Lady’s Hand which subsequently won the 2001 first place prize for new work at the Burien Theatre.
A voracious reader, Tess’s favorite thing to do is to curl up on a rainy and read. She also enjoys movies, theatre, wine, food and spending time with friends and family.
Tess is busy working on her second novel, an historical fiction set in 1930’s Alabama inspired by a short story written by her great-grandmother.
See my review of Riversong
Bio Retrieved from tesshardwick.com
Riversong by Tess Hardwick
Lee Tucker is in disbelief after her husband commits suicide. The disbelief doesn’t just come from his death, but also what comes after the funeral. Turns out her husband had made a few deals, worth one million dollars in loans, and now the loan shark is after Lee to pay that money back. After Lee discovers she is pregnant, and in no way able to repay her husband’s debts right away, she flees to her mother’s house in a small Oregon town. Her hometown is filled with ugly memories, including an alcoholic mother who never seemed to care for Lee. Since her mother succumbed to the alcoholism, and her house was left Lee, she decides to fix it up and sell it to pay the remaining debt. After a wonderful neighbor helps Lee get settled back into her childhood home, she finds a job as a business consultant at a struggling restaurant. While there, she is met with cold shoulders and hostility by the owner’s son, but pushes on with determination to make the restaurant succeed- and hoping her life will finally turn around.
The heroine in Riversong by Tess Hardwick can be described as resilient and determined. You learn right away about her horrible childhood with a sad excuse for a mother, and understand why she sometimes carries a chip on her shoulder. I was rooting for Lee the entire way throughout the book, and she is someone you want to see catch a break in life. This is Hardwick’s debut novel, and I feel she is an author to watch for. I enjoyed all the restaurant scenes and how hard Lee worked to make it a success, and the stories of other residents among the small town will make you smile while pulling at your heart. There were a few grammatical errors in there that I caught, and sometimes I wondered why the loan shark didn’t think to first look at her hometown for her, but overall, I really enjoyed a beautiful story with a smart heroine to connect with.
[Rating: 4]
In My Mailbox: Week of May 8
In My Mailbox: Week of May 8, 2011
Title: With Just One Click
Author: Amanda Strong
Received: From Amanda Strong/Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours
Synopsis: “Reluctance is matched with a pit in my stomach; once I joined, anyone could randomly find me … did I really want to be found?” Chloe, a successful movie reviewer and serial dater, is added as a friend by her first love … the one who left her standing at seventeen with a note in her hand as he simply walked away. Faced with a decision to confirm or ignore a person she once hated, resented … and cared for, will she risk opening old wounds and allow him back into her life? Morgan, a loyal stay-at-home mother and wife, is blindsided one day with a discovery … one of her husband’s friends is his single and very flirtatious ex-girlfriend. Overcome with jealousy and obsession, a once confident wife turns into a paranoid woman on a mission. Will she hunt for the truth at any cost and risk her once solid marriage?
Brynn, a lonely mom to two distant teenagers and workaholic husband, becomes immersed in Facebook … the one place she finds solace, hope, and herself again. When she revisits the past with one of her friends, her world is turned upside down with regret and indecision. Will her deception ultimately destroy her family?
Three lives changed forever with just one click. Confirming a friend isn’t as easy as it seems … but do these women have more in common than just Facebook?
Title: Riversong
Author: Tess Hardwick
Received: From Katherine @ BookTrope
Synopsis: When Lee Tucker’s husband commits suicide, he leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of options, she escapes to her deceased mother’s dilapidated house located in a small Oregon town that, like her, is financially ruined, heartbroken and in desperate need of a fresh start. Lee’s resilience leads to a plan for a destination restaurant named Riversong, to new chances for passion and love, and to danger from her dead husband’s debt as her business blooms.
Author Tess Hardwick assembles a colorful cast of endearing small-town characters and takes you on a journey that will make you believe in the possibilities of life – even in the face of overwhelming adversity and unimaginable grief. Lee Tucker is the kind of woman you find yourself rooting for long after the last page is read.
A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship, intrigue and gourmet food – Riversong entertains while reminding you of life’s greatest gifts.
Title: A Proper Charlie
Author: Louise Wise
Received: From Louise Wise
Synopsis: Charlie Wallis has everything a girl could wish for. A loving boyfriend, a nice flat and a fantastic job as a journalist for London Core. Trouble is, Charlie’s boyfriend’s a waster, her job title really reads ‘clerk’ and her flat, at the top of a high-rise, isn’t that nice after all. Her new boss, Ben, is a huge bear of a man. A gentle giant, with chocolate brown eyes that hold a secret.While London Core investigates the murders of local prostitutes, Charlie wants in on the action, deciding that dressing as a hooker and walking the streets is good research.Bumping into Ben was the last thing she expected.A story of opposites not only attract, but ignite!
