Month: July 2019

A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

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A Stranger on the Beach  by Michele Campbell  is a true psychological thriller with twists and turns which continually play with you mind! 
Caroline Stark seems to have it all.  Money, beautiful things, a loving husband and daughter, but after she meets a stranger on the beach near her house, it seems her life begins to implode.
She finds out during a party she is giving at her beach house that her husband may be having an affair.  Then suddenly she discovers he has moved all their money out of their accounts leaving her penniless.  In a drunken moment, Caroline decides to have a one night stand with a stranger she has met on the beach.  She has seen him staring up at her beach house. Aiden, a local with ties to the police has a history of being a bad boy.
But Aiden does not see their relationship as a one night stand, but as a fallen head over heels love story which will endure the test of time.  As Caroline begins to regret her decision and tries to discourage Aiden’s behavior, Aiden begins to stalk her as well as her husband and her daughter.  He begins showing up in places he should not even know about.  Caroline begins to fear Aiden will hurt someone in her family.
Then during a horrible storm someone IS killed and all the reader’s theories are thrown out the beach house window!  Not everything is as it seems.  How can that be?
Caroline and Aiden tell their stories through his and her chapters and the reader gains their perspective as to how they see or understand the situations occurring.  It is up to the reader as to who to believe more. 
A Stranger on the Beach is a terrific summer read…to take to the beach! Yes, I went there!
Thank you #NetGalley  #St.Martin’sPress  #AStrangerontheBeach  #MicheleCampbell

Continue reading “A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell” →

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

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Since a young age all Cassie Hanwell has wanted to do was help people.  That’s why she wanted to become a firefighter.  Her dream came true and for many years she excelled at her job.  She was the only female firefighter in her firehouse in Texas.  She had earned the respect of her male colleagues. Life was good, for the most part.
But when an unexpected incident occurs at an award’s ceremony and Cassie’s ailing estranged mother begs her to come and help her she uproots her life to move to Boston to work in a small firehouse in a suburb.
She once again must begin the process of earning the respect of her male counterparts which also means being tortured by there incessant pranks!  She also has been assigned to look after the new guy, known as “the rookie”.  But things aren’t always the way they seem and not everyone is happy to have her there.
Over the course of time in Boston, Cassie learns the true meaning of forgiveness, letting your guard down so you can truly open yourself up to life, and most especially, when you choose life you can then open your heart to love.
Things You Save in a Fire is a beautiful story of a woman’s struggle which then becomes her strength, her honor, and her determination to be her true self no matter what life throws at her which can then lead to love.
Thank you so much Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.  Things You Save in a Fire will be on sale on August 13.

You’ve Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman

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In the latest book, Jen Dixon our snarky entertaining hero from Class Mom reluctantly becomes the room parent for her son Max’s third grade class.  Although many of the parents/children have returned, Gelman introduces us to even more new quirky parents.
With her best friend having moved away, Jen must also deal with a new PTA President she can’t quite figure out as well as reluctantly volunteering as the new safety guard coordinator. 
Meanwhile back at the home…Jen is dealing with a mouthy Max, a husband who is never home anymore, a mother who has just finished Chemo for breast cancer and a daughter who is…following a band around Europe…sound familiar?
Gelman knows just how to deal with serious issues with a light hearted spin never detracting from the importance of the subject. 
And spin she does…when a new couple they meet takes them on one heck of a ride!
You can’t help but love Jen Dixon!  My hope is there will be a sequel to the sequel and Max will never grow up!
Laurie Gelman has another winner with You’ve Been Volunteered.
Thank you #NetGalley #HenryHoltandCo #LaurieGelman #You’veBeenVolunteered for the advanced copy.  You’ve Been Volunteered is out today.

Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler

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I must confess a few things…

I have always liked Chelsea Handler.  I have enjoyed both her television shows and her books.  I have seen her stand-up comedy show live and I have even met her.

She has always had a dark edge to her and the ability to say what is on her mind, something which I have always envied just a little bit.  She has always appeared to me as sarcastically scary, if that is a real thing.

But in this new book, Life Will Be the Death of Me, a new woman has emerged.  One which I must say sounds (at the age of 42ish) all grown up!

After the 2016 election of Donald Trump, Handler basically fell apart.  But she had no idea why.  During her recent Netflix series, Chelsea, she interviewed a psychiatrist, Dan Siegel and decided to make him her therapist.  Thus began her year long self-analysis journey into why she is the Chelsea Handler she has been.

Although the book covers serious subject matter, Handler does add her flair for the one liners, sarcasm and hysterical observations.

One such story is how she became to have a crush on Robert Mueller!  She knows he’s married!

Through her analysis she primarily learns that she has never really gotten over her brother Chet’s sudden death when she was very young and because she never fully accepted the death, she has had many unattainable relationship goals as well as significant issues when dealing with death. Chet’s death impacted her whole immediate family and each sibling and parent dealt with it very differently, something a young girl at the time was hardly able to understand.

Life Will Be the Death of Me is a quick read filled with humor, sadness, love and a message to everyone who has had to go through what she has had to. I have to say after reading this memoir it only makes me admire her more, and she doesn’t seem quite as scary.

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

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The Last Book Party is a coming of age story about Eve Rosen, who is “stuck” in a position as an assistant to an editor at a book publishing company.  When she is passed up for a promotion, which was given to a man, she begins to rethink her future as well as her past.
Since middle school Eve has wanted to write stories…short stories and novels.  But unfortunately her fear of failure has always gotten in her way and with her brother who is a math genius and who has always been cheered on by her parents, she is afraid of not being able to live up to what she perceives are their expectations for her.
Then by chance she is invited to a party on Cape Cod where her parents summer and is introduced to renowned writer Henry Grey, his wife, a famous poet named Tillie and their handsome son Eric.  And her life is changed.  She quits her job and becomes Henry’s assistant as he tries to complete his memoir.  She becomes obsessed with their lives and their writings while always feeling she could never be as good a writer as Henry or Tillie.  Seeing them only superficially and from the outside.
As she assists them in planning their annual end of summer “Book Party” where everyone dresses as book characters, secrets begin to become exposed and Eve has the realization she has not been living her life as an adult, but as a girl who has barely grown up.  Always living in her brother’s shadow and having no confidence in herself she sees that everyone has flaws and she is not as alone as she thought.
Thank you #NetGalley #HenryHoltandCo #KarenDukess #TheLastBookParty for the advanced copy.  The book is out now.

It’s Not You It’s Him by Sophie Ranald

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thIf you enjoyed Ranald’s last book, Sorry Not Sorry, you will truly enjoy her new one, It’s Not You It’s Him.

Ranald has brilliantly taken one of her characters, Tansy, and created a moving story of love, loss, lack of self-confidence and body image and tied it in a bow with humor and hysterical scenes.

Tansy has just broken up with “the love of her life” Renzo.  Blaming herself for not being a better person, someone who would deserve his love and affection, she along with her roommate devise a scheme in order to win him back.  Tansy decides she needs a fake boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Josh a frenemy from high school, not especially a favorite time in Tansy’s life, comes to London and stays with her.

All the while Tansy is trying to keep her job, help her mother make ends meet and assist a young upcoming designer which makes for a very chaotic life.

The story shows how some women will take just about any kind of verbal abuse from powerful men who they feel are superior to them and blame themselves.

It also traces those episodes in one’s past life which we all have and can relate to where there were nasty words said, embarrassments in front of others and horrible tricks played,  Those emotions can not only hurt when they originally happen, but can last your lifetime.

It’s Not You It’s Him is a very powerful story about women who begin to learn at all ages how to take back the power they have lost and begin to put themselves first.

Bravo Sophie Ranald!

Thank you #NetGalley #Bookouture #SophieRanald #It’sNotYouIt’sHim for the advanced copy.  The book is out right now.

 

Careful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron

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I will never drive by a flea market again without thinking of Hallie Ephron and her latest mystery Careful What You Wish For.

Emily Harlow is a professional organizer married to Frank Harlow a professional hoarder (of flea market finds) as well as a lawyer.  They say opposites attract right?

So when Emily is called by an elderly woman to organize a storage unit she had no idea her late husband had even rented, and a young woman whose husband is an antique hoarder like Frank hires her to declutter belongings her husband will not allow her to bring into the house she thinks she’s hit the jackpot!

But suddenly Emily finds herself embroiled in possibly aiding a thief, as well as unknowingly being involved in a murder which could possibly implicate her.  Who on earth would want to frame Emily and why?

Careful What You Wish for is the best type of mystery novel.  You think you have it all figured out and then another clue appears sending the reader in another direction.  Ephron certainly knows how to keep the reader guessing!

The book would be an enjoyable beach read or even just a read in your cozy chair.

And just for the record, my husband will not be visiting flea markets anymore!

Thank you @HallieEphron @WmMorrowBooks #CarefulWhatYouWishFor for the advanced copy.  The book will be out August 6.

The First Mistake by Sandie Jones

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I thought Sandie Jones’ first book, The Other Woman, was incredibly cleaver.  But after reading her second, The First Mistake, I am pretty sure this one is just masterful!

The First Mistake is an addictively suspenseful story about a family who seems to have it all.  Alice, the wife, married once before, finds true love again with Nathan, the second husband, who seems to emulate what she loved about her first husband, Tom.  They have two children and a thriving company which they are about to take globally.

Suddenly Nathan starts to act strange.  In ways which Alice cannot and does not want to understand.  Would he try and hurt their business? Their family? And if so why?

Alice’s best friend Beth is her rock.  She knows all Alice’s secrets.  She is Alice’s sounding board.  Until something happens and then their friendship explodes.  She can’t trust Nathan and now she can’t trust Beth.

Alice only has herself to get her out of a mess she doesn’t really even understand.  How strong is she really?  Can she force herself to see what she doesn’t really want to?

This story was incredible!  There were so many twists and turns my head began to spin even as I was thinking give me more! and more!

Do yourself a favor and add Sandie Jones to your must read list.  You will not be disappointed.

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #SandieJones #TheFirstMistake for the advanced copy.