Category: Book Reviews

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The Friendship List by Susan Mallery- Blog Tour (Review)

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but what I got was a heartwarming and honest look at friendships and how nobody has to navigate life on their own. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book.

I thought the differences between Ellen and Unity, friends since childhood, were unique, but also led them to be in the same boat in a small town. Ellen had a teenage pregnancy and ended up a single mom while Unity married her first boyfriend who she subsequently lost at an early age. Both women have become stuck in their ways.

One day, after some particularly challenging news for each of them, they sit down and write out a list of challenges designed to alter the paths their lives are taking. Sort of a bucket list for 30-year-olds.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. It was realistic and natural and just flowed. The inner dialogues were as crisp as what the characters said to each other, so there was no lag in the action. There were several times I found myself thinking, “Yep, that’s what I would have said.”

The author also tackled some fairly serious issues (teen pregnancy, single parenting, grief, allowing the past to control the present, aging) with a keen eye but also with a sense of humor. It was serious when it needed to be, but never got preachy.

The secondary characters were just as enjoyable as Ellen and Unity and each of them brought something fun to the story. I could see where the romantic interests for each of the woman were going right away, but the journey with them was enjoyable.

The only thing that stuck out to me, and probably only because I am a teacher by trade, was the college bus trip that Ellen and Keith took to Southern California with the high school students. I did a similar trip when I was in high school, but it was a totally different world then.

There’s no way that only two adults would take the group of teens on a two-week bus trip. And some of the events that happen on the bus trip would absolutely never occur. In fact, there were a few times that the adults were extremely irresponsible, and that bothered me a bit, because their actions didn’t really fit in with the rest of the book.

But I still think it was an excellent read and would highly recommend picking it up. There are some good lessons to be learned along the way.

BUY LINKS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship and romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.

Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two Ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as Mom.

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The Day Lincoln Lost by Charles Rosenberg – Blog Tour (Review)

I started this book with a completely different expectation from what I ended up getting and I am totally okay with that. This could not have been a timelier, or more fascinating, read.

Set against the backdrop of the run-up to the pivotal 1860 election, the author tackles just about every topic at issue. From slavery and abolition to the scorn of media against certain politicians, all is covered with accurate and informative detail.

I particularly liked the way the author mixed real historical figures with his fictional characters. I have studied the Civil War at great length and am familiar with several of the names mentioned in this book.

But the author wrote his fictional characters so vividly, that I found myself Googling just about every one of them to find out if the person was imaginary or was real and I just hadn’t heard of them. It made the book almost interactive, which I really enjoyed.

(Yes, I realize I could have just read the end notes, but where is the fun in that?)

I also liked how the author used an escaped slave girl to set the scene and allowed the characters’ positions to be clear through their actions instead of just through exposition. I think that this helped the story come more to life.

What I didn’t like, and I’m not exactly sure of why the author chose this path, was to change something that seems rather insignificant in the bigger picture. It has to do with the election itself, and that’s all I am going to say in terms of the overall plot.

What occurred to me, however, is that the author might have been using one of the most contentious elections in American History as a commentary for our current election. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not, but to me there were clear parallels that could have been drawn.

I found myself saying, “well that sounds familiar” more than a few times. This was especially true when it came to Buchanan’s attitudes (and those of the people surrounding him) towards Lincoln. The similarities to the past few years of history were too great to ignore.

I think that when it comes to alternate history, it’s important to go big and show how different history could have been. I didn’t get that with this one. But I still enjoyed it because of the characters and the closer look at another time that our country was in crisis.

About the Author:

Social Links:
Author website: https://www.charlesrosenbergauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharlesRosenbergAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whomdunnit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whomdunnit/

Charles Rosenberg is the author of the legal thriller Death on a High Floor and its sequels. The credited legal consultant to the TV shows LA Law, Boston Legal, The Practice, and The Paper Chase, he was also one of two on-air legal analysts for E! Television’s coverage of the O.J. Simpson criminal and civil trials. He teaches as an adjunct law professor at Loyola Law School and has also taught at UCLA, Pepperdine and Southwestern law schools. He practices law in the Los Angeles area.

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The New Girlfriend by Sheryl Browne – Books On Tour (Review)

Here’s another psychological thriller that I have mixed feelings about. The plot was one of the better ones I have come across. However, I had a difficult time getting behind a couple of the main characters.

You’ve seen the background elsewhere. As Cassie mourns the death of her son, Josh, a woman pops up claiming to be the mother of Josh’s child. In her grief, Cassie wants to believe her, but at the same time, feels like it is too convenient. Adam (Cassie’s husband) agrees. It doesn’t help that Cassie is harboring deep secrets of her own.

I think that is what made her unsympathetic to me. She made her own bed and had to lie in it. Maybe she saw a kindred spirit in Kim (the baby mama). Or maybe she was just a bad person. Regardless, it was difficult to feel sorry for her. Frankly, one of her actions really made me despise her.

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I kind of felt the same way about Kim, although she did have a terrible home life that she was trying to escape. I couldn’t blame her for that. But she was untrustworthy as well. I don’t think that a rotten homelife excuses the things she did.

The person I did feel sorry for was Adam. He seemed to be caught in the middle of all of the crazy women. I rooted for him to be able to escape it all safely. There were other characters who were mentioned in passing at the beginning, and then weren’t really brought up again until halfway through the book.

And that’s really when the story started taking its twists and turns. I’m not going to say anything else, but the second half of the book was definitely more interesting than the first half. So, give this one a try. I think if you come at it that the first half is the set up for the last part, it works as a whole.

Author Bio
Sheryl Browne writes psychological thriller and edgy contemporary fiction. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and awarded a Red Ribbon by The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. 

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Another Woman’s Child by Kerry Fisher – Books On Tour (Review)

Jo and Ginny have been best friends for decades. When Ginny reveals she has terminal cancer, she asks Jo to take care of her teenage son, Victor. Jo is already struggling with her own teen daughter (drama!), but she feels she owes it to her oldest friend to help where she can. Jo has no idea what that ultimately means for her family.

This is the set up for this introspective and ultimately uplifting book about being steadfast and doing the right thing even when everything you’ve thought you’ve built seems to be crumbling.

I’m not going to lie. Jo really got on my nerves in the first part of the book. Everything always seemed to be about her, and how worried she was about what everyone else would think. She was a definite people-pleaser. Everyone knows the type: someone who tries too hard and it becomes painfully obvious that they’re desperate to be hitting the right tone and intent.

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Jo’s daughter, Phoebe, is a hellion. There’s no other way to put it. She acts like a spoiled brat and obviously likes to push boundaries (and her mom’s buttons) for entertainment. Jo’s husband, Patrick, has also known Jo long enough that he usually just steps back and lets her spiral. And poor Victor, who lost his mom, is thrown into all of this crazy in a new town where he is the only person of color.

However, when there is a big family revelation (right about halfway through the book), everything changes. Long-held beliefs are shaken, loyalties are questioned, and everyone is forced to take a step back to re-evaluate their perspectives on the situation.

I thought the author handled the challenges facing the family with awareness and insight. I thought that each character’s reactions were individualized. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into the various characters and their personalities.

The author also provides a searing, and accurate, commentary on racism. At times it was difficult to read, but as the white mom of an Ethiopian son, I am familiar with some of the prejudices that the townspeople showed towards Victor. It’s an unfortunate part of human nature to accuse what is easiest to see, not what is most difficult to understand. I think the author did a good job with handling this subject, especially when it came to how the family ultimately handled all of it.

I went into this book expecting one thing and feeling one way about most of the characters, but my opinion of them completely transformed through the author’s thoughtful portrayal. I highly recommend this book about resilience and the importance of family.

Author Bio
Kerry Fisher is a million-copy bestselling author. She writes women’s contemporary fiction, is a USA Today bestseller and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She lives in Surrey with her husband, and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy, who joins in the huge dances of joy when her young adult children come home. 

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Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman – Blog Tour (Review)

I thought that the setting for this book was interesting, and the main character was intriguing. This book also had one of the more unique perspectives that I have ever read in historical fiction.

I liked how it was set in the early 50s, because it allowed for the characters to have feelings and opinions that would be more reflective of just coming out of the war. Setting it in the 60s, for example, would have given a completely different dimension to the characters’ outlook.

I also liked how an NYC publishing house was central to the plot. It made sense for Charlotte’s character, as she was extremely literary. Given her father’s background (and her experiences in WWII Paris) this made sense.

I thought Vivi was also an interesting character, and the author did a good job capturing the questions a young teen girl would have, as well as the impetuous nature of teenagers. I liked her scenes as she was trying to figure out her heritage.

That was one of the interesting twists to this story – the whole question of whether Vivi and Charlotte are Jewish or not is an underlying theme both in Paris and in New York City. It certainly raised some interesting aspects to Charlotte’s actions.

All of that being said, I did feel that it was uneven in some places. Transitions were especially awkward. There were times that Charlotte was clearly in NYC, but all of a sudden was back in Paris. I realize that this could be due to formatting, as I read an ARC on my Kindle, and perhaps these transitions are smoothed out. But there were times I had to re-read a passage just to confirm where the action was occurring.

I also felt that there were some contrived plot points that didn’t entirely fit in the story. I don’t want to give anything away, but there were events and conversations that seemed as if the author thought of them and needed to put them in, rather than having anything to really do with the plot itself.

Overall, I thought there were some interesting points, and the author addressed the issues in post-occupation Paris with clarity and understanding. That’s something that is often overlooked.

Oh, and a special shout out for mentioning the Betsy-Tacy books. That’s still my all-time favorite series in the world, and I loved that it was in this book. For a literary person like Charlotte, I think this means the series is held in high esteem. As it should be.

Author Bio

ELLEN FELDMAN, a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, is the author of Terrible Virtue, The Unwitting, Next to Love, Scottsboro (shortlisted for the Orange Prize), The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank (translated into nine languages), and Lucy. Her novel Terrible Virtue was optioned by Black Bicycle for a feature film.

Buy Links

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The Wife’s Choice by Emma Davies – Books On Tour (Review)

This is the second book in a row that I was intrigued by, and enjoyed, but still felt like there was something missing.

I could identify with Alys’ outlook on just about everything: her feelings of being unimportant at work (with the work not exactly being fulfilling to begin with), the way she had to run interference between her daughter and her husband, being at a crossroads in her life…all relatable.

Especially that feeling of what might have been. I think every woman who has reached a certain age totally gets that one. Usually, it is in tandem with “the one that got away.” It’s almost that way for Alys, but with a little twist.

I’m not telling what it is (you can read that elsewhere).

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While I related to most of the situations Alys was dealing with, I found the writing style to be a little bit jarring. It switches from “I rush into the other room” to an inner monologue of “seeing you again has brought emotions back” – but Alys is not saying the second part to anyone.

It’s hard to explain, almost like these moments are supposed to be Alys’ inner monologue, but they’re not constant. As I said, it was jarring each time it occurred.

But I did like the trajectory and could understand how conflicted Alys was. I also liked how the secondary characters had just as much backstory as the main ones. And I especially appreciated the strong female friendship between Alys and Nancy. I thought that was a highlight.

I would recommend the book for some strong female characters and relatable situations.  

Author Bio

After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: ‘I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.’ Well the job in the design studio didn’t work out but she’s now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.

After many years as a finance manager she now writes full time and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It’s a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea. 

Pop over to her website www.emmadaviesauthor.com where, amongst other things, you can read about her passion for Pringles and singing loudly in the car. You can also wave to her on twitter @EmDaviesAuthor / https://twitter.com/EmDaviesAuthor or find her on Facebook (a little too often than is good for her): https://www.facebook.com/emmadaviesauthor/
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My Mother’s Choice by Ali Mercer – Books On Tour (Review)

This story left me feeling conflicted. I thought the character development, especially of the main character, was realistic, and the plot was well thought-out, but overall…well, I can’t quite put my finger on it.

The gist of the story is Dani has grown up under the guidance of her aunt for ten years. She has random flashes of memory of her dad and aunt from when she was four years old, but not many memories of her mom.

Her aunt has set a lot of rules, and (like any 14-year-old) Dani rails against many of them. Her aunt calls in Dani’s dad, but nothing is really clarified for Dani.

Until she finds her mom’s diary in the attic and everything changes. The phrase “be careful what you wish for” came to mind.

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As she reads her mother’s diary, some of Dani’s questions are answered. But in turn, more questions arise. Dani pushes the issue with both her aunt and her dad until an explosive revelation brings everything out into the open.

In some ways, I thought that Dani was the most mature character out of the three of them. She seemed the most real to me. I especially appreciated how the author treated her as a real person and not a “typical teen.” I mean, there were definite teen moments, but Dani’s emotions and thoughts were deep and real. I liked that about her.

I understood the reasons for her aunt and dad to keep things from her, but I found it difficult to feel sorry for them. I got a definite “we know better” vibe, which just sat wrong with me for some reason.

I also didn’t feel like the revelation made as big of an impact as I thought it would. I don’t know if that’s because of my slight dislike for the adults, or what. But I think that’s where I am missing out on the bigger emotional punch of the climax.

I would still recommend this book, because I’m pretty sure that others will have a much different take than I did. I did feel for Dani, and commend the author for a teen character with more depth than many adult ones. That alone is worth the read.

Author Bio

Ali decided she wanted to be a writer early on and wrote her first novel when she was at primary school. She did an English degree and spent her early twenties working in various jobs in journalism, including as a reporter for the show business newspaper The Stage. She started writing fiction in earnest after getting married, moving out of London to the Oxfordshire market town of Abingdon and starting a family. She has two children, a daughter and a son who is autistic and was diagnosed when he was four years old. 
Ali is fascinated by families, their myths and secrets, and the forces that hold them together, split them up and (sometimes) bring them back together again. She always travels with tissues and a book and has been known to cry over a good story but is also a big fan of the hopeful ending. 

For updates and pictures, follow Ali on Twitter (@AlisonLMercer) or Instagram (@alimercerwriter), or on her Facebook page (AliMercerwriter)
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The Next Widow by C.J. Lyons – Books On Tour (Review)

I always love the excitement of a new series. I can’t wait to see how an author handles all of the details, from establishing backstories and relationships to addressing the plot at hand. If this book is any indication, the Jericho and Wright series promises to be quite thrilling, indeed.

The book kicks off strong with a gruesome trauma then careens into an even worse experience for Dr. Leah Wright and doesn’t let up for quite a bit. I liked how the author seemed to have no problem just jumping in and running with the story, as the first part was laced with tension and excitement.

There were just enough clues dropped that the reader was supposed to be kept off-balance. Are they legitimate or are they red herrings? I had my suspicions early on, but that’s only because of my background. Well, and the fact that I read A LOT of crime thriller and mysteries. I’m always looking for the alternative answers.

I’m not telling if I was right or not. Because that might give things away.

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I also thought it was interesting that the story sort of switched gears through the middle of the book. It became very “cat and mouse” as backstory was revealed, and possible motives came to the forefront. This worked somewhat, but also dragged in places.

The introduction of new “actors” was interesting though and set the stage for the last third of the book, which is when the author really hit a stride. It become much more “page turning” and interesting.

I’m not sure that all of the reasoning completely worked out. There were some things that didn’t ring true and felt forced. But overall, I liked where the plot ultimately ended up and was intrigued by the set-up for future stories.

I would definitely suggest giving this series a look and getting in at the very beginning. I have a feeling that the history of the two main characters will play a bigger role in books to come.

Author Bio

As a pediatric ER doctor, New York Times and USA Today Bestseller CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.

CJ has been called a “master within the genre” (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as “breathtakingly fast-paced” and “riveting” (Publishers Weekly) with “characters with beating hearts and three dimensions” (Newsday).

Learn more about CJ’s Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net

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The Girls of Victory Street by Pam Howes: Books On Tour Blog Tour

World War II serves as a backdrop for this novel, which is ultimately a study about resilience and how life carries on even as it seems to be falling apart. Heartfelt and honest, it was a quick and thoughtful read.

I liked how the author started the story before the beginning of the war. It allowed the reader to get a feel for the town and the characters. The underlying knowledge that things were going to change added tension.

Not that there was more needed. Bella and her family face quite a few challenges, war or no war. I did feel like one particular moment early on was glossed over rather quickly. I would have expected it to have more impact and taken up more space in the plot.

I think because it happened so early, I hadn’t had the chance to get a good understanding of the character. That resulted in the event almost feeling more contrived that it should have been.

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I really enjoyed Bella’s “professional” trajectory. I’m a big fan of the Andrews Sisters, so I imagined them quite often throughout the book. That brought back some happy memories of learning about their music (and the era) when I was younger.

While I love historical fiction, especially WWII, I also liked that the war served more as a backdrop rather than a main plot point. It was a reminder that people still had everyday worries with the war piled on top.

I thought the message of music as a relief from the personal strains of life was also a good one. The importance of finding something that makes you happy, regardless of what else is going on, should never be underestimated.

Oh, and just a nitpicky thing about the blurb: accurate events, not in the same order as the plot.

Author Bio
Pam is a retired interior designer, mum to three daughters, grandma to seven assorted grandchildren and roadie to her musician partner.

The inspiration for Pam’s first novel came from her teenage years, working in a record store, and hanging around with musicians who frequented the business. The first novel evolved into a series about a fictional band The Raiders. She is a fan of sixties music and it’s this love that compelled her to begin writing. 

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Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass – Blog Tour (Review)

Holy twisted mind games!

This book started off a little on the slow side, and I thought I was in for a typical “why did the husband disappear” story. Which would have been fine with me.

I could not have been more wrong.

Little by little, the author started dropping hints that something more was at play than Faith’s husband Liam just disappearing. Then seemingly random events occurred that made Faith question what she thought she remembered. An email here found by a colleague there. Cryptic emails that indicate another person in the mix there.

As Faith tries to put all of the pieces together, she starts to uncover something much more sinister than a simple disappearance.

That’s all I’m going to say about the plot, because it would be too easy to give something away. And this book REALLY needs to be experienced without knowing too much.

The author did a fantastic job of scattering just enough information to keep the reader as off balance as Faith was. Being able to experience that feeling right along with her added to the tension of the story. Boy was there a lot of that! The good kind that makes you unable to wait for what happens next.

I would say that roughly halfway through the book it turned from a simple and interesting story into a “can’t-put-it-down-I’m-staying-up-until-3-am-to-finish” type of read. And the last quarter of the book was page-turning, psychological thriller at its finest.

I will also say that I am usually pretty good at figuring out at least part of “whodunit” in most books that I read. This one had me guessing right up to the 80% mark on my Kindle. I think that’s a record. But then the author pulled the rug out from underneath me that made me question what I thought. Just like Faith.

Honestly, I’m going to get myself in trouble if I keep going. Buy this book. The suspense will leave you breathless.

AUTHOR BIO

Seraphina Nova Glass is a professor and Playwright-in-Residence at the University of Texas-Arlington, where she teaches Film Studies and Playwriting. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and has optioned multiple screenplays to Hallmark and Lifetime. Someone’s Listening is her first novel.

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Thanks for checking in on my stop on the Harlequin Trade Publishing 2020 Summer Reads Blog Tour. Come back on 7/28 for the review of Lies, Lies, Lies!

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