On Tour: Between Friends by Amanda Cowen
Amanda will be on tour July 29-August 19 with her novel Between Friends The only way to have a friend is to be one…especially between…
Wedding Update: The Countdown is REALLY On!
Have I said before the countdown to the wedding is on? It’s REALLY on now! With just about 40 days left until I say I Do, it seems the amount that was being put into the wedding plans is now doubled. A day doesn’t go by where I’m not confirming with vendors (let’s not get me started on that sore subject!), putting together a DIY project like our cardbox, or one of the other many preparations that goes into pulling a wedding off. I’ve had my first dress fitting, complete with shoes, veil, and jewelry, and my second fitting will be in just three weeks. My maids learned how to lace up my corset at the first fitting, and the next will be all about the bustle My bachelorette party will be August 10 so the final plans are getting in place for that. I’ve had meetings this last week with our florist to see her designs for our bouquet, and with the officiate to go over the final ceremony outline. My family who lives out of state has booked their flights and the bridesmaid dresses are all in. It might seem like what could possibly be left on my list – but there is a lot! Pocket squares need to be ordered for the guys, gifts for our wedding party needs to be ordered, we need a final count on who gets a flower (who is a VIP), we need to secure our marriage license, decide on reception songs to be played, and make our rehearsal dinner invites. And that’s just stuff that should have ALREADY been done, I’m just behind on. Whew! That honeymoon is looking better and better as the day get closer and my stress levels rise. But I’m trying my hardest to keep the end goal in sight – that in almost less than a month I get to marry my best friend…and steal his last name!
On Tour: The Legacy of the Key by S.L. …
SL Morgan will be on tour July 29-August 5 with her novel The Legacy of the Key Prepare to journey into a captivating new world…that…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: When Girlfriends Chase Dreams by …
Savannah Page is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and When Girlfriends Chase Dreams
Summary:
A novel about chasing dreams, for better or worse, and living your love story.
Claire Linley is finally a bride! After nearly ten years with her college freshman sweetheart, Claire is going to become Mrs. Conner Whitley. She’s got her bridal magazines, is the biggest Martha Stewart fan, and subscribes to all the major wedding blogs. She’s been dreaming of this moment for years! How could planning her dream wedding be anything but perfect?
The easy-going and bubbly type, Claire will obviously have a blast planning, and with her fantastic group of girlfriends-made-bridesmaids she just can’t go wrong. Whether it’s wedding gown shopping, makeup trials, or cake-tasting, Claire’s friends are there in a pinch.
But how big does the pinch get? All Claire wants to do is get married, but at every turn something seems to go awry and she’s starting to lose it. How is a girl supposed to remain cool and collected when the pricey dream wedding planner isn’t turning out to be so dreamy? When DIY projects and the perfect venue are going up in smoke? How is Claire supposed to marry Conner when the special day that’s supposed to join them together, forever, is slowly tearing them apart?
This is the charming story about how sometimes the biggest events in life are defined by the smallest acts of kindness and love. It’s a love story about dreaming large, loving deeply, and, in the end, truly having the happiest day of your life, no matter what happens (or doesn’t). About what happens when girlfriends chase dreams.
Review:
I have been absolutely loving this series, and I was so excited to get to Claire’s story because…I am a future bride just like her! I knew this book would be amazing for me to read because of the timing, and it simply turned out to be one of my favorites of the year. I could relate so well to Claire’s journey – all the things going wrong and turning out different than she expected, along with all the stress that comes with planning a wedding. I felt like we were two peas in a pod all the way through, when I laughed, when I had tears in my eyes, and when I was so thrilled for her in the end that she got her happy ending – just not the way she might have expected it! This book also taught me a lot of really good lessons when it comes to planning my own wedding, the stress and headaches that I am now dealing with on a daily basis, and what it truly means to be a wife. I’m really excited for the next book and to keep reading about this group of girlfriends!
5 stars
Connect with Savannah!
Website/Blog: http://www.savannahpage.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/savannahpageauthor
Twitter: @Savannah_Page
Buy the Book!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/When-Girlfriends-Chase-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00BXQN8P4
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-girlfriends-chase-dreams-savannah-page/1115851584?ean=2940016423326
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/When-Girlfriends-Chase-Dreams/book-vW5C2kDxfky2eju0sdDrbw/page1.html?s=gtiZD02Wy0CGViiox-QR0Q&r=1
iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/book/when-girlfriends-chase-dreams/id666442923?l=en&mt=11
Book Review: Love in Darkness by E.M. Tippetts
I received a copy of Love in Darkness by E.M. Tippetts in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Alex had everything when he was with Madison. But the darkness within him wouldn’t go away. After two years apart, he returns to Pelican Bluffs and to the girl he never wanted to leave.
Madison wants to give their love another chance, but Alex can’t fight fate. He is what he is. Ruined. Crazy like his mother. And Madison deserves so much more. When his secrets spill out into their small town, Alex has a choice to make. Hide away in the darkness forever, or let love in.
Review:
I have another varied review today! I have read past titles from Tippetts, but they were her chick lit books. I was interested to read what else she had put out there, so I accepted a review request for Love in Darkness. Clearly this is not my niche genre, which is fine. I like to read outside of chick lit too, but sometimes I was having trouble identifying with the book and really getting invested in it. I also kept feeling like I was missing something. There was a little voice niggling at me the whole time that clearly I was down a puzzle piece, and finally as I looked at the Amazon page I realized this is a sequel, so that explains that feeling. But while I might have been out of the loop and reading outside the norm, I still was able to enjoy the story. It goes by quickly – I had it read in just over a day. The characters had depth and a journey was to be had with them, that was evident from page one. I also really respect Tippetts for writing a book that can shed light on a subject that is often shied away from. If you’re a chick lit fan looking to go a bit deeper, give this one a read!
3.5 stars
See my review for Someone Else’s Fairytale –¬ 4 stars!
See my review for Nobody’s Damsel ¬– 5 stars!
Future Tour: Secrets of a Spiritual Guru by Tamara Lee …
Tamara will be on tour August 12-September 2 with her novel Secrets of a Spiritual Guru Meet Melissa Murphy: wine-drinking real estate agent who finds…
Book Review: Moonpennies by Alanna Rosette
Reviewer: Terry I was giving this book in exchange for an honest review Moonpennies is a funny and slightly sad story about a girl who…
CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Royal Secrets by Kathleen Irene …
Kathleen Irene Paterka is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Royal Secrets
Summary:
ROYAL SECRETS is the story of the Royal Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and of Lily Lavender, whose family is distantly descended from the British royal family. Immersed in the regal world of weddings and romance, Lily grew up believing in brides, grooms and happily-ever-afters. It seemed her destiny and royal birthright to someday assume a position as wedding coordinator in their family-owned wedding chapel business. But when her mother Mimi’s third marriage eventually fails, Lily’s dreams of her own happily-ever-after quickly fade. She’s no longer interested in a life of assisting brides walk down the aisle into a life of disillusionment and possible divorce. Lily turns her back on The Royal Wedding Chapel and leaves Las Vegas to fashion a life of her own. Years later, Lily—now a single mom—discovers her teenage daughter has run off to Las Vegas, lured by Mimi to help run the chapel. Determined to save her daughter from the broken dreams of Sin City and the nonsensical world of which family fairy tales are made, Lily returns to Las Vegas. But nothing prepares Lily for the royal drama which awaits her… or the sins and secrets she stumbles across that threaten to close the chapel and ruin her family forever.
Review:
I have also read and reviewed Fatty Patty by this author, and I was looking forward to reading another book from her. Royal Secrets is a lot of fun and always kept me on my toes! There was a plot twist in there that through me completely off guard and made this really hard to put down. I loved the Las Vegas setting, I though the royal family plot point was great (and the timing works so well with the Royal Baby Countdown), and the characters had depth and were interesting to read about. I highly enjoyed this story, and I hope you will read it!
4.5 stars
*Everyone who leaves a comment on Kathleen’s tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Royal Secrets before August 12 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
About Kathleen:
Kathleen Irene Paterka is the author of numerous women’s fiction novels which embrace universal themes of home, family life and love, including ROYAL SECRETS and the James Bay series (FATTY PATTY, HOME FIRES, LOTTO LUCY and FOR I HAVE SINNED). Kathleen is the resident staff writer for Castle Farms, a world renowned castle listed on the National Historic Register, and co-author of the non-fiction book FOR THE LOVE OF A CASTLE, published in 2012. Having lived and studied abroad, Kathleen’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. She and her husband live in the beautiful north country of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Contact Kathleen:
Website: http://www.kathleenirenepaterka.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenIrenePaterka?ref=hl
ScribBLING Divas Blog: http://scribblingdivas.com/
Buy the book:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Secrets-ebook/dp/B00DG8736C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/royal-secrets-kathleen-irene-paterka/1115696682?ean=2940016595221
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/325372
On Tour: Front Page Fatality by LynDee Walker
LynDee will be on tour July 22-August 6 with her novel Front Page Fatality Crime reporter Nichelle Clarke’s days can flip from macabre to comical…
