Book Review - Elizabeth The First Wife by Lian Dolan

 

 

 

About The Book:

Elizabeth Lancaster, an English professor at Pasadena City College, finds her perfectly dull but perfectly orchestrated life upended one summer by three men: her movie-star ex-husband, a charming political operative, and William Shakespeare. Until now, she’d been content living in the shadow of her high-profile and highly accomplished family.

Then her college boyfriend and one-time husband of seventeen months, A-list action star FX Fahey, shows up with a job offer that she can’t resist, and Elizabeth’s life suddenly gets a whole lot more interesting. She’s off to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for the summer to make sure FX doesn’t humiliate himself in an avant-garde production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

As she did so skillfully with her first novel, Helen of Pasadena, which spent more than a year on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list, Lian Dolan spins a lively, smart, and very funny tale of a woman reinventing her life in unexpected ways.

My Thoughts:

This is one of the most charming, fun-filled books that I've read this spring! 

The storyline is clever and intelligent, the characters are realistic and interesting, and the tale moves along fast, keeping the reader just captivated to the very end.  I loved how Dolan included a book within a book that carries the story along as well.  Who knew Shakespeare could be so much fun?

If you are looking for a fun book to enjoy over the long weekend or a great beach read, check out "Elizabeth The First Wife."  I guarantee you'll be glad you did!

About The Author:

Lian Dolan is also the co-author of The Satellite Sisters' Uncommon Senses. As part of the Satellite Sisters, Lian and her four sisters found national acclaim first on NPR, then on ABC Radio and XM Satellite Radio. She also creates the popular podcast and blog Chaos Chronicles.

Please visit: http://www.liandolan.com

Read her popular blog: www.chaoschronicles.com

Listen to the latest Satellite Sisters podcast: www.satellitesisters.com/newstalklaughs

Follow Lian Dolan on Twitter @liandolan or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lian.dolan

 

 

 

 

My thanks to Wunderkind PR for providing the review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my opinion.

 

 

 

Book Blog Tour Stop and Review - Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara

About The Book:


Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Books
Paperback; 384p

A Slate Magazine “Best Books 2012″
A People Magazine “People Pick”
A Library Journal 2012 “Best Bet”
Boston Globe “Best of the New, 2012″
A Massachusetts “Must Read, 2013″

During the 1930s in a small town fighting for its survival, a conflicted new wife seeks to reconcile her artistic ambitions with the binding promises she has made.

Fans of Richard Russo, Amor Towles, Sebastian Barry, and Paula McLain will devour this transporting novel about the eternal tug between our duties and our desires, set during in New York City and New England during the Depression and New Deal eras.

It’s 1935, and Desdemona Hart Spaulding has sacrificed her plans to work as an artist in New York to care for her bankrupt, ailing father in Cascade, Massachusetts. When he dies, Dez finds herself caught in a marriage of convenience, bound to the promise she made to save her father’s Shakespeare Theater, even as her town may be flooded to create a reservoir for Boston. When she falls for artist Jacob Solomon, she sees a chance to escape and realize her New York ambitions, but is it morally possible to set herself free?

My Thoughts:

I enjoy reading historical fiction and I found "Cascade" by  Maryanne O'Hara to be a very enjoyable read.

O'Hara takes her readers into the Depression era of the 1930s with a story of a woman unsatisfied with her life and who struggles to find herself in a time when women aren't encouraged to be independent.

 O'Hara's storyline is fascinating, with the tale set with a background of upheaval for a town facing elimination in favor of a new source of water for Boston. Her characters are also intriguing - with the rather selfish Desdemona at the center of the action as the men around her swirl in a vat of high emotions and indecision.  I struggled with a love/hate view of Desdemona and found her story enthralling.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction with a romantic twist.

About The Author:

Maryanne O’Hara was the longtime associate fiction editor at the award-winning literary journal Ploughshares. She received her MFA from Emerson College fifteen years ago, and wrote short fiction that was widely published before committing to the long form. She lives on a river near Boston.

For more information on Maryanne O’Hara, please visit her website.

  You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and GoodReads.

See what other bloggers thought of "Cascade" - http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/cascadevirtualtour/



My thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Tours for including me on this tour and to the publisher for providing the review copy.  I was not compensated for my opinion.

Book Review - Lighthouse Bay by Kimberly Freeman

About The Book:

FROM THE AUTHOR OF WILDFLOWER HILL, THIS BREATHTAKING NOVEL TRAVELS MORE THAN A CENTURY BETWEEN TWO LOVE STORIES SET IN THE AUSTRALIAN SEASIDE TOWN OF LIGHTHOUSE BAY.

In 1901, a ship sinks off the coast of Lighthouse Bay in Australia. The only survivor is Isabella Winterbourne—escaping her loveless marriage and the devastating loss of her son—who clutches a priceless gift meant for the Australian Parliament. Suddenly, this gift could be her ticket to a new life, free from the bonds of her husband and his overbearing family.

 

One hundred years later, Libby Slater leaves her life in Paris to return to her hometown of Lighthouse Bay. Living in the cottage that was purchased by her recently passed lover, she hopes to heal her broken heart and reconcile with her sister, Juliet. Libby did something so unforgivable twenty years ago, Juliet is unsure if she can ever trust her sister again.

 

In this adventurous love story spanning centuries, both Isabella and Libby must learn that letting go of the past is the only way to move into the future.

My Thoughts:

Australian author Kimberly Freeman once again takes her readers to the beautiful Land Down Under in her second novel, "Lighthouse Bay."

Presenting her story in the past and the present, Freeman weaves a mystery together with a romantic tale and a story of difficult familial relationships to create a novel that will enchant, delight and satisfy fans of well-written fiction.

I loved Freeman's first book, "Wildflower Hill," and was pleased to find her storytelling skills have been further honed with her latest offering, "Lighthouse Bay." I can't wait to travel "down under" again with Freeman's next book.

I highly recommend this book for fans of contemporary women's fiction.

About The Author:

Kimberley Freeman was born in London and grew up in Brisbane, Australia. The author of Wildflower Hill, she teaches at the University of Queensland and lives in Brisbane with her husband and two children.

Visit her website at KimberleyFreeman.com.

My thanks to Touchstone Books for providing the review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my opinion.

Book Review - Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble by Ann B. Ross

About The Book:

Bestselling author Ann B. Ross cooks up a batch of fun in this latest novel in her popular series

With a crisp bite in the air, Miss Julia is enjoying a well-earned respite by her new fireplace. But autumn leaves aren’t the only things falling: James, Hazel Marie’s housekeeper, has had a nasty tumble down some stairs. How can Hazel Marie feed and take care of him—not to mention a husband and two babies—when she barely knows how to boil water?

 

Miss Julia jumps in to help by convincing the ladies of Abbotsville to put on their aprons and give cooking lessons. With success so close she can taste it, Miss Julia isn’t thrilled when an unexpected visitor shows up. Brother Vern Puckett, Hazel Marie’s no-good uncle, started life on the wrong foot and stayed there. What could he possibly want from his frazzled niece this time?

 

With a delightful helping of madcap antics, Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble is a perfect next course in this charming series.

My Thoughts:

Have you ever come upon a book series that you've heard of forever but have never had a chance to read, and then think to yourself - "why didn't I read these books sooner??"

Well ... that's me and the "Miss Julia" series by Ann B. Ross.  It's one of those series I always meant to check out, and ... well ... now I have!  Fourteen books into the series and I have finally jumped on the "Miss Julia" bandwagon with the latest book, "Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble."

I really enjoyed this charming, fun story that continues the story of Julia and the folks of Abbottsville. The characters are just that - characters!  All of them unique and interesting, and the storyline moves along quickly.  And there are those recipes - so yummy sounding!

It does help to have some background knowledge of what has occurred in the previous books, but I easily caught up with the action and really enjoyed the story.

I plan to go back and begin at the beginning with Miss Julia! 

About The Author:

 

Ann B. Ross holds a doctorate in English from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and has taught literature at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She is the author of thirteen previous novels featuring the popular southern heroine Miss Julia. She lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Check out her website at www.missjulia.com for more information on her work and upcoming projects.

My thanks to Viking Books for providing the review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my opinion.

 

Book Blog Tour Stop - The Cottage At Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri

About The Cottage at Glass Beach

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (May 7, 2013)

Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts history, Nora Cunningham is a picture-perfect political wife. But when she learns of her husband’s infidelity, Nora packs up her daughters and takes refuge on Burke’s Island, the craggy spit off the coast of Maine where Nora spent her childhood—until her mother disappeared at sea.

 By their cottage on Glass Beach, Nora succumbs to grief, her tears flowing into the ocean; days later an enigmatic fisherman named Owen Kavanagh washes up on the rocks nearby.

Could he be a selkie—a mythical being of island legend—summoned by heartbreak? Or is Owen simply someone trying, like Nora, to find his way in the wake of his own struggles?



My Thoughts:

I really love books that have a touch of magic to them, and "The Cottage at Glass Beach" is a great example of a wonderful story that has a romance and a bit of magic mixed together.

Heather Barbieri takes the legend of the selkie (a mythical being that is able to be a seal in the sea, but take the form of a human on land) and incorporates it into a present-day story (one that actually could have been taken from today's headlines) that will keep readers enthralled.

I enjoyed Heather's book, "The Lacemakers of Glenmara" and found "The Cottage at Glass Beach" to be equally amazing.  I highly recommend it!

About Heather Barbieri:

The author of two previous novels, The Lace Makers of Glenmara, and Snow in July, Heather Barbieri has won international prizes for her short fiction. She lives in Seattle with her family.

Visit Heather at her website and connect with her on Facebook.

See what other bloggers are saying about "The Cottage At Glass Beach" -

Heather’s Tour Stops

Wednesday, May 8th: A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, May 9th: I’m Booking It
Monday, May 13th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Tuesday, May 14th: The Infinite Shelf
Monday, May 20th: Stephany Writes
Monday, May 20th: Traveling With T
Tuesday, May 21st: …the bookworm…
Wednesday, May 22nd: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Thursday, May 23rd: Tiffany’s Bookshelf
Monday, May 27th: Joyfully Retired
Tuesday, May 28th: Pingwing’s Bookshelf



My thanks to TLC Book Tours for including me on this tour and for providing the review copy of this book.  I was not compensated for my opinion.

Book Review - The Mermaid of Brooklyn by Amy Shearn

Everyone needs a little magic in their lives every once in a while, and a fun new book, "The Mermaid of Brooklyn" by Amy Shearn, supplies that bit of magic by the bucketful.

Jenny Lipkin is worn out... and stressed out. No one in the house is sleeping thanks to new baby Rose, and Jenny’s husband Harry has been working an inordinate amount of late hours thanks to a slowdown in the family candy business that he runs with his brother and mother. One night, Harry calls to say he's stopping for cigarettes on his way home and poof, disappears. Harry's mother is ready to call the police (who inform her that there's nothing they can do unless foul play is suspected) but Jenny suspects her husband could be on a gambling bender - something he's been known to do.

After weeks of not knowing what to do, and with her desperation growing by the minute, Jenny plans to launch herself off the Brooklyn Bridge. Fortunately, at the last minute, she changes her mind. Unfortunately, it's too late, she’s already falling into the freezing water. But Jenny wakes up to find that she has been saved by a rusalka - a mermaid - who helps her to find her way.

However, no good deed ever goes unpunished, and for Jenny there will be a price to pay for the mermaid’s help – she takes up residence in Jenny’s body and makes her appearance at the most inopportune times. But she also gives Jenny courage and strength to do things she would have never dreamed of before. As Jenny grows in character, she becomes the woman she always wanted to be – and then Harry shows up again. Will Jenny accept him back into her and Rose’s life or will the mermaid help her stay strong?

Author Amy Shearn has created a melancholy but funny tale of one woman’s dramatic life changes in "The Mermaid of Brooklyn." Shearn takes an old Slavic folk character, the sensual but scary Rusalka, and gives it a modern twist as a sort of "fairy godmother" for Jenny Lipkin. I loved how the mermaid was fascinated with Jenny’s shoe collection (as a mermaid, she would be!) and how she encourages Jenny to pursue her dreams of becoming a creative seamstress. 

Shearn based this story partially on her own great-grandmother – well, all but the part about the mermaid. This is a fun story that will resonate with stay-at-home moms and challenged women everywhere – maybe we all need a mermaid in our lives.

"The Mermaid of Brooklyn" is just one of the great books featured on BookSparks Summer Reading Road Trip! Check out the other great books by clicking on the badge below!




My thanks to BookSparks PR for providing the review copy of this book. I was  not compensated for my opinion.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Wow, where has May gone???  It seems like it was just the first of the month yesterday and here it's already the 20th!  This year is rushing by so fast!  Spring is fast turning into summer - we've already had 100 degree days here in Texas!

Luckily, warmer weather means the arrival of some really great books for the summer!  I've got a pretty good line-up for this week - here's what I'm reading!


What I'm Reading Now:

Alison Sweeney is the host of "The Biggest Loser" as well as playing "Sami Brady" on "Days of Our Lives."  This is her first novel and I'm thrilled to be reviewing it!


What I Plan To Read:

Special Events:


Tuesday - Book Blog Tour Stop - The Mermaid of Brooklyn

Wednesday - Book Blog Tour Stop - The Cottage at Glass Beach

Thursday - Book Blog Tour Stop - Is This Tomorrow?

Friday - Book Blog Tour Stop - Cascade
              Book Blog Tour Stop - Elizabeth The First Wife

Saturday - Book Blog Tour Stop - Once Upon A Prince

Hope that you have something wonderful lined up to read this week as well!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme sponsored by Sheila at BookJourney (www.bookjourney.wordpress.com)  Check out her blog to see what other book bloggers are reading this week!

Book Blog Tour Stop and Review - Black Venus by James MacManus

About The Book:

Published by: St. Martin’s Press
Published on: May 7, 2013
Page Count: 368
Genre: Historical Fiction

A vivid novel of Charles Baudelaire and his lover Jeanne Duval, the Haitian cabaret singer who inspired his most famous and controversial poems, set in nineteenth-century Paris.

For readers who have been drawn to The Paris Wife, Black Venus captures the artistic scene in the great French city decades earlier, when the likes of Dumas and Balzac argued literature in the cafes of the Left Bank. Among the bohemians, the young Charles Baudelaire stood out—dressed impeccably thanks to an inheritance that was quickly vanishing. Still at work on the poems that he hoped would make his name, he spent his nights enjoying the alcohol, opium, and women who filled the seedy streets of the city.

One woman would catch his eye—a beautiful Haitian cabaret singer named Jeanne Duval. Their lives would remain forever intertwined thereafter, and their romance would inspire his most infamous poems—leading to the banning of his masterwork, Les Fleurs du Mal, and a scandalous public trial for obscenity.

James MacManus’s Black Venus re-creates the classic Parisian literary world in vivid detail, complete with not just an affecting portrait of the famous poet but also his often misunderstood, much-maligned muse.


My Thoughts:

19th century Paris was a hotbed of creativity for both artists and writers alike. In his novel, "Black Venus," author James MacManus takes his readers deep into the heart of the era that saw the likes of Manet, Balzac, Dumas, Hugo rise to the top of their professions, while their contemporary, the poet Charles Baudelaire, struggled with infamy and scandal as he embarked on a tumultuous affair with the mysterious Haitian cabaret singer Jeanne Duval.

Before reading this novel, I was unfamiliar with the work of Baudelaire. I'd heard of him, but had never read any of his poetry. After absorbing the fascinating story of his rise and fall through the words of MacManus, I feel that I better understand the workings of the mind of the tormented poet. MacManus' characters are mesmerizing and he captures the chaotic atmosphere of Paris beautifully in this tale. Overall, it was an intriguing read.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction.


About The Author:

JAMES MACMANUS is the managing director of The Times Literary Supplement. He is the author of Ocean Devil, which was made into a film starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and The Language of the Sea. He lives in London.






My thanks to Media Muscle and BookTrib.com for including me on this tour and for providing the review copy of the book.  I was not compensated for my opinion.

Book Blog Tour Stop and Review - Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

About The Book:

When Meg Cole’s father dies unexpectedly, she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of his empire. The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s Thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo knows he ought to resent the woman who’s determined to take from him the only job he ever wanted. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them and earn her love.

Just when Meg realizes she can no longer deny the depth of her feelings for Bo, their fragile bond is broken by a force from Meg’s past. Can their relationship–and their belief that God can work through every circumstance–survive?


Purchase a copy here.


My Thoughts:

"Undeniably Yours" is a sweet, gentle romance set in Texas that will delight fans of inspirational and contemporary romance.  Author Becky Wade captures the essence of the "oil baron and horse country" area outside of Dallas perfectly and her characters are warm and realistic portrayals of true Texans.

This is the first book in what Wade proposes to be a four-part series following the Porter family.  Can't wait to read about the romances Bo's other three siblings find - especially the feisty little sister Dru!

I enjoyed reading this novel and highly recommend it.



About The Author:

Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas.

Visit her website at www.beckywade.com.


Becky Wade is celebrating her latest swoon-worthy novel, Undeniably Yours (Bethany House), with a Kindle Fire giveaway and hosting an Author Chat party on Facebook {5/29}!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Undeniably Yours and My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
  

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 28th. Winner will be announced at the "Undeniably Yours" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 29th. Connect with Becky for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Becky will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Undeniably Yours and join Becky on the evening of May 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
 

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

My thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for including me on this tour and to Bethany House Publishers for the review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my opinion.

Book Blog Tour Stop and Review - Pastors' Wives by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

ABOUT THE BOOK:

What’s it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks Pastors’ Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s debut novel Pastors’ Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage, and in herself.

Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past.

All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves.

 Inspired by Cullen’s reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine, Pastors’ Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.

Purchase a copy here.


MY THOUGHTS:

Here in Texas we have a slew of mega-churches, and their dynamics have always fascinated me. In her novel, "Pastors' Wives," author Lisa Takeuchi Cullen takes her readers deep into the heart of one of these huge religious organizations and examines the lives of three women who are the wives of the men who serve as the heads of these churches.

Cullen's characters are just mesmerizing. From Ruthie - the new associate pastor's wife; to Candace, the head pastor's wife and the power behind the "throne"; to Ginger, the daughter-in-law with the secret past - all of these women are unique and have their own quirks of identity, yet all of their stories blend together for a surprising ending.

I really enjoyed reading this book. My mother-in-law is a pastor's wife, albeit of a small country church and I could never imagine her being in some of the situations the characters from this novel find themselves in, but I know from listening to her stories over the years that she dealt with her own unique set of problems being a "P.W."

I highly recommend this book for fans of well-written contemporary inspirational fiction.  I'm looking forward to Lisa Cullen's next book!

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen was a longtime staff writer for TIME magazine. She now develops TV pilots for production companies and recently sold her first pilot for "The Ordained" to CBS. Born in Japan, Cullen lives in New Jersey with family


Find out more about Lisa at http://lisacullen.com.
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Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is celebrating the release of her debut novel, Pastors' Wives, with an iPad Mini Giveaway and connecting with readers on Facebook on May 23rd!

One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A $25 iTunes gift card
  

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 22nd. Winner will be announced at the "Pastors' Wives" Author Chat Party on May 23rd. Connect with Lisa for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Lisa will also be giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Pastors' Wives and join Lisa on the evening of May 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

 

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!

My thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for including me on this tour and to Plume Books for providing the review copy of the book. I was not compensated for my opinion.