Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The One That Got Away - Pub Day Review & Giveaway

Review by Marlene Engel
With a husband, two young children and a job that makes her crazed, Abbey’s life is hectic at best.  When she makes a frivolous purchase for a bag that is way out of her budget, thoughts of bills that need to be paid guilts her into returning the bag.  On her way back to the store she falls, only to wake up in another life.  A life where she is not struggling financially, she’s married to wealthy Alex van Holt and living in the lap of luxury. 

We have always wondered “what if”.  What if we dated that guy?  What if we took that job?  What if we did (fill in the blank)?  This book takes us on a journey of Abbey’s “what if’s”.  How would her life differ if she had accepted a date from Alex van Holt all those years ago?  And would money really cure all of her problems?

This is a light, fun read.  I would definitely describe this book as an escape novel.  Much of it is predictable, but a book worth reading none-the-less.

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About the Author:
Author Leigh Himes has spent fourteen years working in the public relations field. Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, she now lives just outside of Philadelphia with her husband and their two children. This is her first book.

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Hachette Books is giving one lucky winner a print copy of
The One That Got Away by Leigh Himes

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Monday, May 30, 2016

Don't You Cry - Spotlight #SRC2016

New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and Pretty Baby, Mary Kubica returns with an electrifying and addictive tale of deceit and obsession.

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.

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About the Author:
Mary Kubica is the New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL and PRETTY BABY. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.

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To learn more about BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2016 click HERE!  

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Friday, May 27, 2016

The House of Bradbury - #SRC2016 Spotlight


About the book:
Mia Gladwell’s life is going nowhere. The media has skewered her debut novel, her fiancĂ© Carson, a successful Hollywood producer, has jumped ship, and now she’s living in her sister’s carriage house―unattached, unemployed, and uninspired. Then she learns that the Los Angeles estate of iconic author Ray Bradbury is up for sale, and she feels an immediate urge to buy the wonky old house, convinced that moving into the late author’s home will inspire her to create her best work yet.

Life in the Bradbury house is not what Mia imagined, however. Soon after moving in, to fulfill a debt she owes to Carson, she agrees to take in a pill-popping young actress as a tenant, and suddenly she finds herself in a balancing act between her needy ex, an unpredictable starlet, and her disapproving sister, who’s keeping a close eye on her. Add to this a series of mysterious sketches left at her doorstep by a stranger, and Mia’s life is more complicated than ever. As she searches for clues, though, Mia discovers insights into her own life. Maybe moving into Bradbury’s house was a big mistake―but maybe not.

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About the Author:
Nicole is a native Southern Californian who pulled up roots and moved to the Pacific Northwest. Because of this, her happy places include both the beach and the mountains.
After a career in advertising and spending time at home with her three kids, she chose to return to her first love, writing. Since then she’s enjoyed working as a freelance travel and lifestyle writer for several Oregon publications. And because she’s a self-proclaimed “travel girl,” she spends her free time fulfilling her wanderlust and blogging about it at HaveToteWillTravel.com.

Nicole lives in Oregon with her husband and children who kindly put up with her crazy spurts of creativity and writerly determination.

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To learn more about BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2016 click HERE!  

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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Discovering You - Pub Week Review & Giveaway

Review by Hope Smith
After India’s husband is killed at the hands of her ex, she moves to Whiskey Creek to start a new life for her and her daughter.  The last thing she needs is to be attracted to resident bad boy and neighbor, Rod Amos.  But as she deals with her loss and starts building a new life for her and her daughter, it’s Rod who’s the rock when she needs someone to lean on.  As she struggles with his bad boy image, something that has caused her too much pain in the past, the chemistry is too strong to deny.  And when India comes to Rod’s aid, he realizes that, with all she has going on in her life, there’s no way he’s going to allow her to do it alone. 

At first glance, Rod is the quintessential bad boy:  tattoos, rugged good looks and has a past to back it up.  But there is so much more to him that it’s almost impossible not to fall in love with him.

Leave it to Brenda Novak to give us a story with so many layers.  The way she seamlessly combines suspense, romance and trepidation is a true testament to her exquisite writing ability.

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About the Author:
Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. She juggles her writing career with her children’s softball and soccer games, field trips, carpool runs and homework sessions.

When she’s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fundraiser for diabetes research—an on-line auction held at her website May 1st – May 31st. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking–she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!

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Tandem Literary is giving one lucky winner a print copy of
Discovering You by Brenda Novak

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Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Gridley Girls - Promo & Giveaway

Sometimes you have to go back before you can move forward.

Meg Monahan was born to be a secret keeper. From the moment she became a peer counselor in high school, Meg has been keeping her friends secrets – from sordid family drama to their sex lives – that she never wanted to know. Flash forward to adulthood when Meg is a recruiter for the world’s hippest (and most paranoid) high-tech company – and now Meg is a professional secret keeper.

When sudden tragedy strikes before Meg hosts the wedding of her childhood BFF, Anne Calzaretta, the women are forced to face their past – and their secrets – in order to move on to their future.

In 1978, Meg, Anne, Jennifer, and Tonya were such close friends, they were known as “The Group” in their hometown of Gridley, California. But in ninth grade, their lives were changed forever. Loss, lies, and secrets separated them, but could not break their bonds of friendship.

Thirty years later, Meg and Anne reminisce about those days―dealing with parents, school, boys, sex, love, and betrayal. Anne remembers their freshman year as an easier time, but Meg, still feeling guilty about a betrayal of Anne’s trust, is haunted. Even now, Meg is keeping a secret she’s not prepared to face, let alone share.

In her debut novel, based on true events, Meredith First tells a timeless story about the bonds of friendship, loss, and betrayal―and the forgiveness that is within everyone.

Can anyone really keep a secret forever?

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About the Author:
MEREDITH FIRST left an insanely great recruiting career with Apple, Inc., to write books for anyone who survived high school with a little help from friends. After studying abroad at the University of London, she received a B.A. in Communications/Broadcasting from Oregon State University. Through her books and website, www.MeredithFirst.com, and the donation of 10% of all profits of GRIDLEY GIRLS to children's charities, she hopes to help young people who struggle with similar issues that she experienced. She lives with her family in Minneapolis and Sacramento and is hard at work on GRIDLEY GIRLS REUNITED, book two in the GRIDLEY GIRLS series.

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Booksparks is giving one lucky winner a print copy of
Gridley Girls by Meredith First

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, May 20, 2016

Appetite - Review #SRC2016


It’s not uncommon for one’s parents to have reservations about a boyfriend/girlfriend.  Or to feel that no one will fully be good enough for their child.  For Jenn, who returns from India with a man claiming to be a guru and who she’s planning on marrying, her parents are on red alert from the moment they learn of Arun.  Skeptical of his talents and concerned that he may be taking advantage of their only daughter, their mission is to rid their daughter of her rose colored glasses and reveal Arun for the person they feel so strongly that he is.

It’s no secret that we all want what’s best for our children.  Sometimes we let our love for them muddy up reality.  But in the end it’s their well-being and happiness that every parents desires.

Written with such emotion and honesty that it’s impossible not to relate to the characters, Appetite is a most satisfying read.

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About the Author:
Toward the end of her forty-year career as a creator of science museums, Sheila Grinell began to write fiction. Born in a taxi in Manhattan, she studied at the Bronx High School of Science, Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and dog.

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To learn more about BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2016 click HERE!  

Thursday, May 19, 2016

We're kicking off BookSparks' #SRC2016 with a review of The Assistants


Review by Marlene Engel
Being an executive assistant to a billionaire CEO may seem glamourous to some, but to Tina it’s anything but.  She has spent too much money and time on her education to be some rich man’s servant; slicing limes, pouring coffee and booking his travel.  Her dismal salary and small apartment does not reflect all that she does for Robert.  And she has been known to say as much on several occasions.  Complaining of the inequality educated women tend to receive at the hands of rich, powerful men.  

When Tina receives an expense check for a large sum of money, she assumes that an error must have been made.  Knowing that the likelihood of anyone finding out is slim, she uses the money to pay off her college debt.  But it’s when another employee gets wind of the check, she chooses to not turn Tina in, but instead benefit as well.  So begins a chain of fraudulent activity that does not stay contained between the two ladies, but spreads like wildfire throughout the company.

The book reads like a movie script, written so well, it’s hard to believe that this is the author’s debut novel.  And for those of you old enough to remember the movie 9 to 5, this reminds me of a modern-day version. 


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About the Author:
Camille Perri is the author of The Assistants. She has worked as a books editor for Cosmopolitan and Esquire. She has also been a ghostwriter of young-adult novels and a reference librarian. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University and a master of library science degree from Queens College. Perri wrote the first draft of The Assistants while working as the assistant to the editor-in-chief of Esquire.

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To learn more about BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2016 click HERE!