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Book Review: The Runaway Actress by Victoria Connelly

I received a copy of The Runaway Actress by Victoria Connelly in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
When the stresses of being an A-list actress get too much for her, Connie Gordon decides to escape to a tiny Scottish village. But little does she realise that whilst Lochnabrae might be quiet, it’s far from sleepy…
Connie kisses goodbye to her ex-boyfriends, stalkers and double-crossing agents, and prepares herself for complete relaxation.
But swapping the Hollywood Hills for the Highlands of Scotland doesn’t make for the easiest of transitions, and when she meets local playwright Alastair McInnes, who’s sworn he’ll never become involved with another actress again, sparks fly. The quiet little village of Lochnabrae will never be the same again…
Get your running shoes on to catch the latest hilarious, charming and utterly engaging novel from Victoria Connelly.
Review:
Sometimes British chick lit books can be hard for me to get into. They seem longer and sometimes more drawn out, so I started reading this book a bit apprehensively. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! It was easy to slip into the charming village of Lochnabrae and enjoy the slow pace and friendly – and some eclectic – inhabitants. Connie is a fabulous MC to follow, and her life swap was interesting and intriguing to watch unfold. And we have to romance dabbled in there as well, and the cute little tale between her and Alastair was a lot of fun to read about. I love that this novel captured my attention right off the bat and left me engaged throughout. One I highly recommend!
4.5 stars

Future Tour: The Mountain’s Shadow by Cecilia Dominic

Cecilia will be on tour October 28-November 11 with her urban fantasy novel The Mountain’s Shadows Some mistakes can literally come back to bite you. The…

Blog Tour Sign Up: Casey’s Quest by Tamara Lee …

At her father’s death, Casey Anderson discovers she was adopted at age four. Not able to remember anything, she sets out on a quest to discover why her birth mother gave her up and, and why her adopted parent kept it such a secret. She embarks on a dangerous and spiritually enlightening journey that proves to her, nothing is what it seems.

In My Mailbox: Week of September 29

Title: The Bitches of Brooklyn
Author: Rosemary Harris
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: No zombies. No serial killers. No threat of global nuclear warfare. Just life, love, friendships, marriages, work, children, parents, laughs, tears and a fair amount of wine.

Are they really bitches? That depends who you ask…Rachel, Clare, Tina and Jane are four friends awaiting the arrival of a fifth at a secluded Cape Cod bungalow where they spend an all-girls weekend every year since reconnecting at a reunion. But the fifth woman doesn’t show.
Instead she sends a note that reads –
“I’ve run off with one of your men.”

Has she? Is it a prank? Do they run for the phone or try to enjoy the weekend without her? Fast, funny and filled with Harris’ trademark snappy dialogue you’ll recognize friends and maybe a little of yourself as the women are forced to reevaluate their friendships, their marriages and their memories.

Inspired by a classic Hollywood film, The Bitches of Brooklyn is for every woman who’s ever had a best friend and wondered…is she really??

Title: Accused
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Received: Sarah Hall Productions
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author Lisa Scottoline revolutionized crime fiction when she introduced her all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates, thrilling readers with her twisty, fast-paced plots and capturing their hearts with her cast of strong and relatable female characters. Now Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier, and Anne Murphy are back with all cylinders firing in Accused.
Mary Dinuzio has just been promoted to partner and is about to take on her most unusual case yet, brought to the firm by a thirteen-year-old genius with a penchant for beekeeping. Allegra Gardner’s sister Fiona was murdered six years ago, and it seemed like an open-and-shut case: the accused, Lonnie Stall, was seen fleeing the scene; his blood was on Fiona and her blood was on him; most damningly, Lonnie Stall pleaded guilty. But Allegra believes Lonnie is innocent and has been wrongly imprisoned. The Gardner family is one of the most powerful in the country and Allegra’s parents don’t believe in reopening the case, so taking it on is risky. But the Rosato & Associates firm can never resist an underdog. Was justice really served all those years ago? It will take a team of unstoppable female lawyers, plus one thirteen-year-old genius, to find out.
Title: Bargain Fever
Author: Mark Ellwood
Received: Engeleman & Co.
Synopsis: Bargain Fever is the book you need to survive the new world of shopping. Everything is on sale, all the time. Discounts aren’t the exception – they’re the norm, and everyone wants a steal, a deal, a hook-up or a way to cut costs.

Ten years ago, retailers sold just 15-20% of their inventory at some kind of promo price – today, that number is 40-45%. Put simply, sales of sales have more than doubled in a decade. Bargain Fever looks at the seismic changes in shopping over the last decade, and offers a survival guide full of tips to triumph in this new cut-price world.

Title: Render
Author: Stephanie Fleshman
Received: Stephanie Fleshman
Synopsis: Koldan Holdt knows what he wants. The problem is his future was decided the day he was born—a future void of everything he has ever known. Days before summer vacation, Koldan’s grandfather suddenly dies, leaving the consequences that have followed him since he fled his country to fall to Koldan. As Koldan learns about his new fate, he must accept the terms to which he is bound and live without the one person he wants, or remain true to who he is and risk both their lives repeating the choices his grandfather made. Seventeen-year-old Raya Whitney thought she knew Koldan…until a sudden turn of events threatens both their lives. While she is not willing to give up without a fight, she knows it is a deadly game to stay together.
Title: Looking For LaLa
Author: Ellie Campbell
Received: Ellie Campbell
Synopsis: Looking for La La follows the story of Cathy, a bored, unappreciated housewife and mother of two. Her world of school runs, ferrying children here and there, and the occasional nights out with friends is radically transformed by the arrival of a love postcard to her husband. What follows next takes Cathy on a wild ride of suspicion, temptations, marital breakdown and some very dangerous territory.
Title: Going Home Again
Author: Abby Cavenaugh
Received: Abby Cavenaugh
Synopsis: Alyssa Jones’s high school crush probably never knew she existed.

Twenty years later, when the now-famous pop star returns home to coastal North Carolina, Alyssa gets a second chance to make a first impression on Michael.

On sabbatical from his failing marriage, Michael agrees to an interview with Alyssa, a journalist for the local tourist magazine.

When the chemistry between them ignites, Alyssa and Michael are hit with the harsh reality that he isn’t yet free to love her.

With Michael’s wife and son still very much in the picture, can Alyssa hold out until he ends his marriage for good?

Or will she risk it all for a second chance with the one who got away?

GOING HOME AGAIN is contemporary romance novel set in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

On Tour: Killer Image by Wendy Tyson

Wendy will be on tour September 30-October 21 with her novel Killer Image As Philadelphia’s premier image consultant, Allison Campbell helps others reinvent themselves, but her…

Blog Tour Sign Up: The Champagne Diet by Cara Alwill …

This book is for the woman who wants to feel good about herself and her body, and learn how to start incorporating healthy habits into her life. It’s for the woman who doesn’t want to trade in her champagne for skinny jeans. It’s for the woman who is done with dieting, and ready to start paying attention to her health before that number on the scale. It’s for the woman who is ready to stop letting her weight define her, and is ready to understand why it always did. This is not a diet book. This is a lifestyle guide. This book will change the way you view your weight and yourself forever. You will walk away feeling empowered, inspired, and downright sexy (and probably craving a glass of bubbly). You will learn how to celebrate yourself and your body. You will learn to make your health a priority, always. And most importantly – you will learn to love yourself, exactly as you are. So get ready to embark on a complete dieting and lifestyle overhaul, sister. You are now on The Champagne Diet!

Book Review: Frisky Business by Clodagh Murphy

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
In the past year, Romy Fitzgerald learned three valuable lessons.

One: Never have sex at a party with a stranger dressed as Darth Vader.
Two: Don’t tell him things you’ve never told anyone else.
Three: Find out the stranger’s name because you never know when you might need it …
Like nine months later when the baby arrives.

While Romy is happy to raise Luke on her own, one day he’ll need to know the truth about his father, and Darth deserves to know that he has a son.

Will Romy find her dark knight or will she be left to raise Luke (Han) solo?
Review:
I’ll be honest – when I first started reading this book, I wasn’t quite sure why it was written. There didn’t seem to be any intrigue, any mystery, and I was really actually disappointed. While I don’t like giving much away in my reviews, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised to find that maybe the plot wasn’t as straight-forward as I thought in the beginning. As I kept reading, I kept getting more and more excited and intrigued by the characters. There are some hilarious moments, especially in regards to Romy’s elderly neighbor and all the miscommunication the characters keep seeming to find themselves in. Once I was just a few chapters in I was really hooked and I highly recommend this book!
4.5 stars

Blog Tour Sign Up: The Hole in the Middle by …

I Don’t Know How She Does It for the This Is 40 generation

Sophie Whelan is the epitome of the modern superwoman. When she operates at peak performance, she can cajole balky employees, soothe her cranky children, troubleshoot career disasters, throw a dinner party for ten and draft an upbeat Christmas letter—all in the same day.

But as Sophie’s fortieth birthday looms, her seamless life reveals disturbing web-like fractures. Conflict with her boss, blossoming jealousy of her husband’s femme fatale business partner and her feelings of hopeless inadequacy as a mother and daughter are cracking the edifice of her life.

Rescue may be at hand when Lillian Parker, a wealthy widow who befriended Sophie during her university days, makes Sophie an irresistible offer. Why, then, does Sophie hesitate? The answer is the reappearance of Lillian’s nephew, Will Shannon, the great unresolved love of Sophie’s life. As she remembers the vivid drama of their college romance, Sophie confronts the choices she has made in life and in love and looks for the one answer that has always eluded her: what does she really want?

The Hole in the Middle is a heartbreaking love story, a laugh-outloud portrayal of the twin demands of work and family and a fresh take on the hot debate about having it all. It is not to be missed.

Future Tour: The Three Month Plan by Kimberley Patterson

Kimberley will be on tour October 21-November 11 with her YA romance novel The Three Month Plan Kelly Callahan had everything going for her. Everything that…