GIVEAWAY & Mini-Review of All We Shall Know: A Novel by Donal Ryan

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A breathtaking and redemptive novel from the award-winning and Man Booker nominated author Donal Ryan 

Melody Shee is alone and in trouble. At 33 years-old, she finds herself pregnant with the child of a 17 year-old Traveller boy, Martin Toppy, and not by her husband Pat. Melody was teaching Martin to read, but now he’s gone, and Pat leaves too, full of rage. She’s trying to stay in the moment, but the future is looming, while the past won’t let her go. It’s a good thing that she meets Mary Crothery when she does. Mary is a bold young Traveller woman, and she knows more about Melody than she lets on. She might just save Melody’s life.

Following the nine months of her pregnancy, All We Shall Know unfolds with emotional immediacy in Melody’s fierce, funny, and unforgettable voice, as she contends with her choices, past and present.

my thoughts:

Beautiful, lyrical writing that engages and captivates. This story is Irish literature at its very best! 

All We Shall Know is the story of Melody Shee, a young woman who finds herself pregnant.  The only problem (or maybe not) is that her husband is not the father.  Yep, turns out that the baby daddy is a seventeen-year-old Traveller student she had been teaching.  Say what?! Yep, Melody was unfaithful and now she has to deal with the aftermath of her indiscretion.  And lets just say, her husband is not a happy camper.  In fact, the whole town gets angry at Melody when they find out.  Considering its a small town, its not too long before judgement is doled out.  Struggling to figure out her new normal, Melody befriends a Traveller named Mary.  The two women become close and find that their lives are very similar, despite the fact that they come from two very different communities.  Through their friendship we learn about the Traveller community, Irish culture, and two very flawed  women whose pasts are affecting them in very vivid and powerful ways.  Reading about Melody and Mary was fascinating and eye-opening.  I absolutely hated and loved them simultaneously.  Their depths of loneliness was heart-wrenching.  

All We Shall Know is captivating, intense, and unputdownable.  I LOVED it! I can't wait to read more of Ryan's works.  And, I happily recommend this book to anyone looking for their next great read - you are going to LOVE All We Shall Know. 

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away two (2) copies of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you, if you win the book.  Last date to enter is July 15th.  US residents only. Good luck!!



Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: The Gypsy Moth Summer: A Novel by Julia Fierro

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about books:

It is the summer of 1992 and a gypsy moth invasion blankets Avalon Island. Ravenous caterpillars disrupt early summer serenity on Avalon, an islet off the coast of Long Island–dropping onto novels left open on picnic blankets, crawling across the T-shirts of children playing games of tag and capture the flag in the island’s leafy woods. The caterpillars become a relentless topic of island conversation and the inescapable soundtrack of the season.

It is also the summer Leslie Day Marshall–only daughter of Avalon’s most prominent family–returns with her husband, a botanist, and their children to live in “The Castle,” the island’s grandest estate. Leslie’s husband Jules is African-American, and their children bi-racial, and islanders from both sides of the tracks form fast and dangerous opinions about the new arrivals.

Maddie Pencott LaRosa straddles those tracks: a teen queen with roots in the tony precincts of East Avalon and the crowded working class corner of West Avalon, home to Grudder Aviation factory, the island’s bread-and-butter and birthplace of generations of bombers and war machines. Maddie falls in love with Brooks, Leslie’s and Jules’ son, and that love feels as urgent to Maddie as the questions about the new and deadly cancers showing up across the island. Could Grudder Aviation, the pride of the island–and its patriarch, the Colonel–be to blame?

As the gypsy moths burst from cocoons in flocks that seem to eclipse the sun, Maddie’s and Brooks’ passion for each other grows and she begins planning a life for them off Avalon Island.

Vivid with young lovers, gangs of anxious outsiders; a plotting aged matriarch and her husband, a demented military patriarch; and a troubled young boy, each seeking his or her own refuge, escape and revenge, The Gypsy Moth Summer is about love, gaps in understanding, and the struggle to connect: within families; among friends; between neighbors and entire generations.

my thoughts:

I love the 90s and I love books that are set during that time decade.  So, I was super excited to read Fierro's latest novel, The Gypsy Moth Summer.  Unfortunately, the book did not work out for me.  As much as I wanted to love the story, I just didn't.  I found all of the moth referencing to be too much for too little - I get the point of including references, but I think it could have been toned done quite a bit.  As for the unlikeable characters - ugh! I couldn't stand them, which meant I didn't care to get to know them.  And to be honest, Fierro tackles way too many subjects and I just felt that it was a bit overloaded.  I found myself skimming through the book instead of reading it.  In the end, the book just wasn't my cup of tea.  Now, I don't want to deter anyone from reading the book, because there are so many bloggers who seem to LOVE the story.  So, definitely check out what they have to say. 
Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Gypsy Moth Summer

And, don't forget to enter my giveaway for the chance to win a copy and experience the book for your self.  Good luck!!

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away one (1) copy of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you, if you win the book.  Last date to enter is July 3rd.  US/Canada residents only. 

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY of A Hundred Thousand Worlds: A Novel by Bob Proehl

Out in paperback this week:

"Valerie Torrey took her son, Alex, and fled Los Angeles six years ago—leaving both her role on a cult sci-fi TV show and her costar husband after a tragedy blew their small family apart. Now Val must reunite nine-year-old Alex with his estranged father, so they set out on a road trip from New York, Val making appearances at comic book conventions along the way.

As they travel west, encountering superheroes, monsters, time travelers, and robots, Val and Alex are drawn into the orbit of the comic-con regulars, from a hapless twentysomething illustrator to a brilliant corporate comics writer stuggling with her industry’s old-school ways to a group of cosplay women who provide a chorus of knowing commentary. For Alex, this world is a magical place where fiction becomes reality, but as they get closer to their destination, he begins to realize that the story his mother is telling him about their journey might have a very different ending than he imagined.

A knowing and affectionate portrait of the geeky pleasures of fandom, A Hundred Thousand Worlds is also a tribute to the fierce and complicated love between a mother and son—and to the way the stories we create come to shape us."

How great does that sound?! I know that I can't wait to get hold of a copy and dive right in.  I love family dramas and I love the geekiness of comic book conventions - talk about the perfect combination for a story!

Luckily, I'm able to give away one (1) copy of A Hundred Thousand Worlds thanks to the publisher.  All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what types of books you geek out over.  Last day to enter is 6/14/17.  Open to US residents only.

Good luck!!

GIVEAWAY: The Last Days of Magic: A Novel by Mark Tompkins and a Tarot Card Deck

The latest must-read is all about magic, faeries, the Vatican, Ireland, mythology and history - what more could you ask for in a book?!  Check out Mark Tompkins' debut novel,  The Last Days of Magic:

"Spanning the forests and villages of 14^th-century Ireland, the lavish courts of France and England, the Vatican’s inner chambers and present-day mysteries, THE LAST DAYS OF MAGIC (Penguin; On sale: March 7, 2017; ISBN: 9780143110019; $16), which is now available in paperback, blends historical, fictional, and mythical events to create a richly imagined world and an exhilarating story of adventure and enchantment. Ireland is the last magical outpost on Earth, its Middle Kingdom—home to faeries and otherworldly beings—still strong in the face of the Vatican’s ever-expanding influence, its armies, exorcists and mercenaries.  But when an ancient treaty between the Celts and faeries is broken, leaving them vulnerable to the machinations of the power-hungry Roman Church, the very existence of magic in the world is threatened. 

 

In Ireland, the reincarnated Morrígna twins are goddesses in human form and the chosen rulers charged with keeping the uneasy peace between the human Celts and Ireland’s faeries, the Sidhe. When one twin is assassinated in an act of defiance by a sect of tree faeries, her sister Aisling, is left weakened and alone, struggling with human desires and a goddess’s destiny.

 

The Vatican, meanwhile, is plotting the eradication of all magic from Europe takes the opportunity to strike. Jordan is a Vatican commander tapped for the invasion, but he’s plagued with doubts of his own. With budding magical abilities and a growing attachment to the enchantress Najia, he’s torn between desire and duty. As the Celts, Sidhe, and Vatican forces prepare for the battle ahead, Jordan must decide who he stands with—a decision that will have repercussions centuries later, when a graduate student named Sara Hill stumbles unknowingly into the thick of the mystery."

How awesome does that sound? Sounds pretty exciting and fun to me.  I know that I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of The Last Days of Magic - I just know that its going to quite the reading adventure.  And, thanks to the publisher, I get to offer one (1) lucky reader the chance to get lost in Tompkins' world.  Yep, I'm giving away a copy of the book and a deck of tarot cards - how cool is that?!  Just leave me a comment that includes your email address and I'll throw your name in the hate.  This giveaway is open to US residents only.  The last day to enter is 3/24/17 - Good Luck!!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of The Worthington Wife by Sharon Page

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Sharon Page sparkles in this poignant and irresistibly entertaining follow-up to her breakout novel, An American Duchess 

Lady Julia Hazelton is the most dazzling among 1920s England’s bright young things. But rather than choosing the thrill of wanton adventure like so many of her contemporaries, Julia shocks society with her bold business aspirations. Determined to usher the cursed Worthington estate into a prosperous, modern new era, and thus preserve her beloved late fiancé’s legacy, the willful Julia tackles her wildest, most unexpected adventure in Cal Carstairs, the reluctant new Earl of Worthington.

The unconventional American artist threatens everything Julia seeks to protect while stirring desires she thought had died in the war. For reasons of his own, Cal has designed the ultimate revenge. Rather than see the estate prosper, he intends to destroy it. But their impulsive marriage—one that secures Julia’s plans as well as Cal’s secrets—proves that passion is ambition’s greatest rival. Unless Cal ends his quest to satisfy his darkest vendetta, he stands to ruin his Worthington wife and all her glittering dreams.

my thoughts:

The Worthington Wife is the second book in Page's Roaring Twenties series.  I've never read the first book, An American Duchess, but found that I was able to jump right into this new story.  Set in the 1920s we are swept away and into the luxe life filled with fashion trends and jazz clubs that was all the rage for the upper class.  Part romance, murder mystery, and historical fiction, this book takes you on quite the journey - and I enjoyed every bit of it!

England in the 1920s is definitely a treat to read about.  So much change being forced upon those huge English estates in a bid to help them join the modern world - think Downton Abbey!  Plus, the men and women trying to adjust to life after the war - talk about a struggle.  This book explores it all.  The details are rich and engaging.  The characters are fully fleshed out, so that you can easily relate to them.  And the story is filled with so much DRAMA - like, drama within drama within drama.  It felt like a soap opera, which I just LOVED.

I would definitely recommend The Worthington Wife to fans of Page's work and fans looking for great women's fiction - you will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Worthington Wife

GIVEAWAY:  Good luck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of Fudge & Jury: A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander

(Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

about book:

Welcome to Torte–a friendly, small-town family bakery where the pastries are delicious…and, now, suspicious.

It’s almost spring in Ashland, Oregon, and the town is preparing for the Shakespeare and the annual Chocolate Festival. Business is cookin’ at Torte, and the store is expanding as Jules’ team whips up crèpes filled with mascarpone cheese and dark chocolate. Torte stands a chance of being this year’s confectionery belle of the ball! Life couldn’t be sweeter—unless murder taints the batter.

Evan Rowe, of Confections Couture, makes a chocolate fountain that would put Willy Wonka to shame, and his truffles are to die for—literally? Yes, the world-renowned chocolatier has just turned up dead…right after sampling a slice of Jules’ decadent four-layer chocolate cake. Now all eyes are on Jules as she tries to find the mysterious ingredient in her own recipe. Can she sift out the truth before another contestant bites the buttercream?
my thoughts:

Cozy mysteries are quickly becoming my go-to reads when I'm looking for something light and fun to read.  They are the perfect antidote to a grey and rainy day, especially when the winds are howling like mad.  Imagine my delight when this little tome found its way into my hands during one of the very rare cold fronts South FL has experienced this winter.  I grabbed me a cuppa, a warm blanket and settled in for the afternoon with Ellie Alexander's latest book in her popular Bakeshop Mystery series, Fudge & Jury.  Talk about bliss!  I devoured this book in one sitting and wished that I had more to read.  I just fell in love with Ashland, Oregon and its quirky inhabitants - they truly made for quite an entertaining read.

In this fifth book (in a six-book series), I met Jules, baker and owner of her family's bakery, Torte.  She's gearing up for the annual Chocolate Festival, while simultaneously getting her kitchen in order.  After saving up enough money, Jules and her mom are finally able to purchase new ovens for Torte.  Plus, they plan on painting and installing a new register.  They are excited and thrilled to refresh their bakery.  Of course, their top priority is getting everything made for the festival - they are one of the four showcase vendors, so they have to be ready in time.  Talk about stress and excitement combined. Unfortunately, Jules and Torte get thrown in the 'hot seat' when Evan, one of the other showcase vendors, dies after sampling Jules' confections.  Ack!  Death by chocolate?!  Well, nuts to be exact - seeing as he was allergic to them.  Uh oh!  What is Jules to do?  Apparently, she'll put on her sleuthing cap and get to figuring out what really happened to Evan.  Who killed him and why?

Alexander has written an engaging and rather delicious 'whodunit' story.  Filled with choco-tastic sweets, this book had my mouth watering non-stop.  I couldn't help but find myself craving all of Jules' yummy desserts.  Luckily, Alexander has included the recipes at the back of the book - hurrah!  Of course, I also found myself trying to figure out who was behind Evan's murder - I enjoyed all the twists and turns woven throughout the story.  Fudge & Jury was truly a fun read.  I plan on reading all of the other books in the series and can't wait to learn more about Jules and her sleuthing adventures.  I just know that I'm in for quite a treat.

I would happily recommend Fudge & Jury to fans of Ellie Alexander's, A Bakeshop Mystery series, and fans of cozy mysteries with a foodie bent - you will DEVOUR this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Fudge & Jury

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away one (1) copy of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you, if you win the book.  Last date to enter is January 20th.  US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of Beauty and Attention by Liz Rosenberg

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The riveting story of one brave young woman’s struggle to free herself from a web of deceit.

For misfit Libby Archer, social expectations for young women in Rochester, New York, in the mid-1950s don’t work. Her father has died, leaving her without parents, and her well-meaning friends are pressuring her to do what any sensible single girl must do: marry a passionate, persistent hometown suitor with a promising future. Yet Libby boldly defies conventional wisdom and plans to delay marriage—to anyone—by departing for her uncle’s Belfast estate. In Ireland, Libby seeks not only the comfort of family but also greater opportunities than seem possible during the stifling McCarthy era at home.

Across the Atlantic, Libby finds common ground with her brilliant, invalid cousin, Lazarus, then puts her trust in a sophisticated older woman who seems to be everything she hopes to become. Fraught with betrayal and long-kept secrets, as well as sudden wealth and unexpected love, Libby’s journey toward independence takes turns she never could have predicted—and calls on courage and strength she never knew she had.

my thoughts:

Historical fiction at its best! I just loved Beauty and Attention by Liz Rosenberg.

Its the 1950s and women are taught that being wives and mothers is the only career choice on hand.  Except, its really not.  And Libby Archer knows this.  She wants to see the world and experience life, so she heads off to Ireland to stay with family.  She befriends her ailing cousin, Lazarus ( a charming man ), who seems to understand her desire for freedom and pursuing her dreams (whatever those may be).  Ireland seems like a good fit, until it isn't anymore - thanks to a falling out with Lazarus.  As a result, Libby gets bested and winds up married and living the life she was trying so hard to escape from.  Talk about moving backwards! And that is all I will write about the plot of the story.  If you want to find out whether or not Libby remains unhappily ever after, you will have to read this unputdownable story for yourself. 

Beauty and Attention is a captivating story that has you rooting for Libby.  You find yourself following her on this journey of self-discovery and cringing when things don't look so good for her.  And her friendships with Henry and Lazarus were the best - they were my favorite parts of the story.  Oh, and the twists and turns woven into Libby's life are so darn good. I really loved this book! I though that Rosenberg's writing was spot on.  Her rich, vivid, and in-depth details of the places Libby visited were superb - they made me feel like I was walking around Ireland and Italy with her.  I just really enjoyed this story so much. Rosenberg's book is terrific!

I would happily recommend Beauty and Attention to fans of Rosenberg's works, fans of historical fiction (with a romantic bent), and anyone looking for their next great read.

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Beauty and Attention

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away one (1) copy of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you, if you win the book.  Last date to enter is November 22nd.  US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness: A Novel by Maddie Dawson

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Three women, three lives, and one chance to become a family…whether they want to or not.

Newly orphaned, recently divorced, and semiadrift, Nina Popkin is on a search for her birth mother. She’s spent her life looking into strangers’ faces, fantasizing they’re related to her, and now, at thirty-five, she’s ready for answers.

Meanwhile, the last thing Lindy McIntyre wants is someone like Nina bursting into her life, announcing that they’re sisters and campaigning to track down their mother. She’s too busy with her successful salon, three children, beautiful home, and…oh yes, some pesky little anxiety attacks.

But Nina is determined to reassemble her birth family. Her search turns up Phoebe Mullen, a guarded, hard-talking woman convinced she has nothing to offer. Gradually sharing stories and secrets, the three women make for a messy, unpredictable family that looks nothing like Nina pictured…but may be exactly what she needs. Nina’s moving, ridiculous, tragic, and transcendent journey becomes a love story proving that real family has nothing to do with DNA.

my thoughts:

The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness will have you smiling, crying, and laughing out loud.  I just loved reading this book on a dreary, rainy afternoon with a huge cuppa. It brightened my mood and left me thinking about what it means to be a family and how grateful I am for mine.

This is the story of Nina, Lindy, and Phoebe.  Three women who are all connected to each other thanks to DNA.  Phoebe is the biological mother who put Lindy and Nina up for adoption as babies.  Nina is the one who decides to start looking for her biological mother.  She's just lost the only mother she's ever known and is feeling a bit lost.  She wants answers and begins to look for them.  Along the way, she discovers that she has a younger biological sister named Lindy.  Lindy is the woman who has it all, or at least appears to.  She's not happy when Nina shows up and into her perfectly tailored life.  The two do not get along that well at first, but slowly as the book unfolds their relationship goes from strangers to sisters.  Its heartwarming to read about these two developing a friendship and a sisterly bond.  I just loved it! As for Phoebe, well, she's not exactly keen on having her two daughters show up on her doorstep.  She doesn't think she has anything to offer these two women.  The trio don't make for a happy family at first.  Its when secrets and stories are shared between them that the ice thaws and they start to figure out who they are, what they want, and how they can be a family.  Talk about a tearjerker!  The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness broke my heart, mended it, and warmed it right up.

I would happily recommend this book to fans of Maddie Dawson, fans of women's fiction, and anyone looking for their next great read.  You will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away one (1) copy of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you, if you win the book.  Last date to enter is November 10th.  US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Welcome, neighbor!

Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to the idyllic Mount Adams district of Cincinnati, hoping to evade the stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game. Since Julie doesn’t know anyone in her new town, when she meets her neighbor John Dunbar, their instant connection brings measured hope for a new beginning. But she never imagines that a simple, benign conversation with him could set her life spinning so far off course.

We know where you live…

After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the target of increasingly unsettling harassment. Has Julie’s stalker found her, or are her neighbors out to get her, too? As tension in the neighborhood rises, new friends turn into enemies, and the results are deadly.

my thoughts:

I've read every one of Catherine McKenzie's books and have finally found my favorite one - Fractured.  Its her latest book and its her best one yet.  Seriously!  This book has it all - mystery, suspense, thrills, and a spot of romance.  Its a page-turner that will keep you hooked from the first page all the way through to the very end. I admit to staying up late, just so I could find out whodunit and what exactly did they do.  Yep, its that kind of book - the kind that teases out information slowly and has you guessing every which way.  I just loved it!

The story centers on Julie.  She's a bestselling author who's had a horrible experience with a stalker.  So, she's uprooted her family and moved them all to a nice, new neighborhood that screams SAFE.  At first, life is okay.  They are settling in.  Julie meets her neighbor John and they have a connection that keeps them friendly.  And then life is not okay.  The neighbors turn unfriendly.  Nasty notes/surprises find their way to Julie's home.  She gets paranoid and hooks up a security system that her neighbors find intrusive.  Arguments ensue.  Everything seems to be going downhill and this new neighborhood is no longer screaming SAFE to Julie. And that is all I will write about the story; its just too good and needs to be experienced - so, read it!

McKenzie has written a terrific psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes. I loved the alternative perspectives written from different time periods - they really helped to pull the story together in such a dramatic and slow reveal manner that was just perfect for this book.  I loved getting to know both John and Julie; their different views on each other and what was happening to them, their families, and the neighborhood was captivating and eye-opening.  I loved all the twists and turns that spurred me on to keep trying to figure out what had happened.  I loved hating the neighborhood newsletter - it just kept getting meaner.  It was so interesting to see how quickly the neighbors turned on Julie - makes you not want to befriend your neighbors and just keep to yourself. Talk about DRAMA!!  And I loved it all.

I would happily recommend Catherine McKenzie's latest book, Fractured, to fans of her books, fans of psychological thrillers, and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour Schedule for: Fractured

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away one (1) copy of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you, if you win the book.  Last date to enter is October 28th.  US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of The Things We Wish Were True: A Novel by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

In an idyllic small-town neighborhood, a near tragedy triggers a series of dark revelations.

From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house.

Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts—until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel.

During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?

my thoughts:

A soap opera in book form.  The Things We Wish We Were True is family drama at its best!

Its summer time and that means the local pool is open for business.  It also means that if you want to find out what's happening around town, you have got to be poolside.  Yep, the pool is where its at! Family drama becomes neighborhood drama as people's lives intersect in various ways, making for quite the addictive read. I could not put this book down! The multiple perspectives provide insight into everyone's personal affairs and also allow us to see what is really happening behind the scenes in Sycamore Glen.  Its gossip at its best!  Plus, the twists and turns kept me wondering who's truth is really fact.  Oh, and the slow reveal of secrets was just tantalizing - I absolutely loved it! 

I would happily recommend The Things We Wish Were True to fans of women's fiction - you are going to LOVE this book! 

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Things We Wish Were True

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away one (1) copy of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you, if you win the book.  Last date to enter is September 30th.  US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of Autumn in Oxford: A Novel by Alex Rosenberg

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

After being blacklisted for having communist sympathies as a student twenty years before, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Tom Wrought escapes America’s Cold War climate to teach at Oxford. There, he falls in love with Liz Spencer, a beautiful married woman. When Liz’s husband is pushed in front of a train in the London Underground, Tom is immediately arrested for the murder. Scotland Yard is convinced it has its man, as he had means, motive, and opportunity.

Certain of his innocence, Liz hires a young solicitor, Alice Silverstone, to defend Tom. But they discover that Tom’s former secret work as an American spy made him a number of powerful enemies. Russian intelligence, British counterespionage, and even the FBI all may have reason to frame him. If Liz and Alice can find out who is behind the murder, they stand a chance of freeing Tom, but doing so puts all their lives at risk.

my thoughts:

Reading the summary for this book, I thought I was onto something great.  A historical fiction novel that dealt with political conspiracy theories - Hurrah!!  Finally, a book I could sink my teeth into.  I expected intrigue, twists and turns, and captivating story lines.  Except, I didn't get what I wanted.  Or at least, I didn't read enough of the book to find out about those political conspiracy theories that I was interested in reading about.  I DNFed the book.  I had to.  It just wasn't for me.  I found myself skim-reading and not enjoying the experience at all.  The narrator was tedious and the story didn't captivate me like I had hoped.  Autumn in Oxford was just not my cup of tea. 

Okay, so you are probably wondering why I am giving away a copy of this book.  Well, that's due to the kind publisher, but also, you may just love the book.  It may not have been for me, but it could be for you.  Different strokes and all that.  So, definitely check out what other book bloggers have to say about Autumn in Oxford and throw your name in the hat for this giveaway.  It may just end up being one of your favorite reads.  Good luck!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Autumn in Oxford

GIVEAWAY: Thanks to the publisher I am able to give away one (1) copy of this book! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address - that way I can contact you if you win the book.  Last date to enter is September 15th.  US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of When Watched: Stories by Leopoldine Core

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (On Sale August 9th)

The provocative, lyrical, and wonderfully introverted stories in Leopoldine Core’s debut story collection, WHEN WATCHED (Penguin Paperback Original; ISBN: 9780143128694; On-sale: August 9; $16.00), possess something permanent at their heart. Chronicling characters of all stripes and sexual orientation, Core, a 2015 Whiting Award winner and author of the poetry collection Veronica Bench, has delivered a wise and deeply intimate collection, one that bravely tunnels straight to the center of human suffering and longing. In Core, the quiet, the strange, the cast-aside have found their literary chronicler. 

In these domestic yet almost otherworldly stories set in and around New York City, you never know where you might end up. Populated by sex workers, artists, and recovering addicts, lovers, friends, and nontraditional families, Core’s wholly realized characters are endlessly striving to understand each other. While they may seem to operate at the margins, there is something eminently relatable, even elemental about their romantic relationships, their personal demons, and the strange shapes their joy can take. Battling and balancing their innermost thoughts and fears with greater forces out of their control—a cross country road trip ending in a crash, a child imagining her own kidnapping, a hallucination of George Harrison—the characters in WHEN WATCHED absorb the world around them—its quiet reverberations, its dark contours, the imperceptible yet transformative moments. 

Dirty and squalid, poetic and pure, dark but always illuminating, these carefully crafted stories ruminate on and explore the strange ways in which we experience the world, as it is and as it could be. Refusing to turn away from the place felt from within, Core takes what we know of identity and smashes it. Her characters and stories are belief systems all their own. Reminiscent of the writings of Jane Bowles, Deborah Eisenberg, and Miranda July’s No One Belongs Here More Than You, WHEN WATCHED announces the arrival of a distinct, daring, and deeply sensitive new voice in American fiction.

my thoughts:

Short stories are my jam! I am seriously getting hooked on these amazing little ditties that pack such a powerful punch in such a short amount of pages. They are simply the BEST. Not only do they make dipping in and out of a book easy-peasy, but they have you constantly craving more. Leopoldine Core's debut collection of shorts, When Watched,  is the perfect example of what I am talking about. It is chock full of dark, raw, complicated, and fascinating stories.  They are all so damn good, that I couldn't help but fall in love with each one.  The way she writes about relationships and people's emotional and inner struggles is just fantastic. She's direct and to the point in her language and I found her exploration of issues to be honest and real.  My two most favorite stories from the collection are: Orphans and The Trip. Talk about short stories at their best!!  

I absolutely loved reading When Watched. It was a mix of quirky, relatable, and unputdownable stories that I won't soon forget. I would happily recommend this book to fans of the short story and anyone looking for something great to read next - you will not want to miss out When Watched!!


GIVEAWAY: Thanks to the publisher I'm able to give away three (3) copies of this book!  All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment telling me the name of your favorite collection of short stories. Don't forget to include your email address, so that I can contact you in case you win the giveaway.  Last date to enter is August 10th!  Open to US residents only.  Good Luck!!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW for Everything We Keep: A Novel by Kerry Lonsdale

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.

As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.

A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.

my thoughts:

Loved this book! There's mystery, a search for truth, and plenty of twists/turns to keep you guessing. And the writing is terrific! How could I not enjoy this book?!

The story centers on Aimee, a young woman who has just lost her fiance - he's disappeared. Apparently, it was a boating accident and his body simply vanished. Now Aimee is at a loss in every which way. All of her plans are falling to the wayside - marriage, kids, restaurant. What is she going to do? Oh, and did I mention that she's convinced her fiance, James, is still alive - she doesn't feel that he's dead. So, she sets out to find out what really happened to him and along the way uncovers more than she bargained for. Talk about a must-read book!

I was hooked from the start. I couldn't stop reading and loved every moment of it. Aimee is a character that I couldn't help but root for - I wanted her to find out the truth and get her restaurant. I just loved getting to know her. Plus, the flashbacks scenes of her James were fantastic - such a great way to see how their relationship evolved over the years.  And the mystery aspect kept me on my toes - all those secrets and revelations (OMG!).  I'm seriously hoping for a sequel!

Everything We Keep is definitely a great read. Its perfect for fans of women's fiction - they will fall in love with Lonsdale's writing (just like me)!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Everything We Keep

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY: Thanks to the publisher I'm able to give away one (1) copy of this book!  All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment. Don't forget to include your email address, so that I can contact you in case you win the giveaway.  Last date to enter is August 31st!  Open to US/Canada residents only.  Good Luck!!

GIVEAWAY of Worlds Elsewhere: Journeys around Shakesepeare's Globe by Andrew Dickson

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

April 23rd, 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. To celebrate the Bard's prolific catalogue of work, I will be giving away a copy of Andrew Dickson's latest book, Worlds Elsewhere: Journeys around Shakespeare's Globe. How exciting!

Described as a combination of cultural history and literary travelogue, this book is Dickson's exploration of  "how and why the world became fascinated with Shakespeare."  Using Shakespeare's fascination with the world as inspiration, Dickson traveled the globe looking for answers - he went to Mumbai, Berlin, and San Diego (to name a few).  His book shares with us the ways in which Shakespeare's works have been reinterpreted over the years; along with, how the Bard's works went global.  Talk about a must-read!  Any fan of Shakespeare will enjoy settling down with Dickson's book, a nice cuppa, and a long afternoon.  I know that I can't wait to learn more about the man who wrote some of my favorite plays (Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet).  Plus, how awesome is it that 400 years later, we are still obsessed with Shakespeare and his writings!?! I love it!!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Open to US residents only.  To enter, all you have to do is leave me a comment.  Don't forget to include your email address.  Good luck!!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of No Longer and Not Yet: Stories by Joanna Clapps Herman

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The stories in No Longer and Not Yet look at the ways our lives are lived in the split seconds between what is no longer but is still not yet.  Most take place on Manhattan's iconic Upper West Side, in the shops, hallways, and parks that reveal this well-known "big city" neighborhood for the tiny, even backwater village it more often resemebles.  An Upper West Sider herself, Joanna Clapps Herman draws her characters honestly yet tenderly, revealing them as much through how they move - the slope of a shoulder, a vocal inflection, the weight of a football - as by what they do, as though their bodies speak the truths they can't express.

Here, Hannah Arendt's ghost haunts the building where she once lived, a hawk carries the apparition of a lost loved one, a homeless woman becomes Demeter.  Small moments and intimacies of life weave together to form a bigger picture: the squeak of the hotel bed, a leaf on a saucer, the quality of light in the therapist's office, the doorman's familiar jokes, the open cupboards, the unspoken words.  These stories show that, although we may think of ourselves in larger mythic narratives, our days are set in the terrain that is the opposite of the vast. 

my thoughts:

I'm a huge fan of the short story and No Longer and Not Yet solidified that sentiment.  Joanna Clapps Herman has created a fantastic set of stories that accurately capture everyday life in the Upper West Side of NYC.  We get a glimpse into the urban dwellers sensible and rather mundane life style - the one that consists of juggling playgroup, homework, dinner, and laundry.  This book is an exploration of normalcy through a group of characters that are unlikeable, relatable, and rather flawed.  We get the fear, doubt, unhappiness, loneliness that emanate from these characters as they endure struggles within their lives and relationships.  In fact, some of the stories interlink, which really helped to provide a much deeper and richer understanding of the characters' "no longer" and "not yet" moments in their lives.  I just loved that Herman chose to focus on these small moments in life that really do make a difference (without us really knowing it at the time.)  To get lost in a someone's moment makes us more aware and present for our own "no longer" and "not yet" moments.  I found that Herman's writing had a feeling of sparseness that added an emotional depth to the stories - it helped evoke such strong emotions and reactions with the simplest description of a look or movement.  I just loved this book and Herman's writing - it was terrific!

I would happily recommend No Longer and Not Yet to fans of the short story and to fans of great writing.  Here's the TLC Book Tour schedule for: No Longer and Not Yet

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher, I'm able to give away one copy of this excellent book.  Just leave me a comment - don't forget to include your email address, so I can contact you in case you win.  Open to US residents only.  Last date to enter is July 20th, 2014.  Good luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of Supreme Justice: A Thriller by Max Allan Collins

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A new standalone thriller from the creator of The Road to Perdition and the Nathan Heller series. 

After taking a bullet for his commander-in-chief, Secret Service agent Joseph Reeder is a hero. But his outspoken criticism of the president he saved—who had stacked the Supreme Court with hard-right justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, amp up the Patriot Act, and shred the First Amendment—put Reeder at odds with the Service’s apolitical nature, making him an outcast.

FBI agent Patti Rogers finds herself paired with the unpopular former agent on a task force investigating the killing of Supreme Court Justice Henry Venter. Reeder—nicknamed “Peep” for his unparalleled skills at reading body language—makes a startling discovery while reviewing a security tape: the shooting was premeditated, not a botched robbery. Even more chilling, the controversial Venter may not be the only justice targeted for death…

Is a mastermind mounting an unprecedented judicial coup aimed at replacing ultra-conservative justices with a new liberal majority? To crack the conspiracy and save the lives of not just the justices but also Reeder’s own family, rising star Rogers and legendary investigator Reeder must push their skills—and themselves—to the limit.

my thoughts:

If you enjoy reading fast-paced political thrillers, then you are in for a treat.  Max Allan Collins' novel, Supreme Justice is the perfect mystery/thriller to get lost in this summer. It makes for a great read at the beach, airport, or rainy day.  I devoured the book in on sitting over the weekend and just loved it.

Set in our nation's capital, Supreme Justice takes place in the near future.  The last President was a conservative with a capital C who managed to run the country for eight years and overturn one too many laws (Roe V. Wade) and change the dynamics and political climate of the country in a bad way (think search and seizure at the police's own personal discretion).  Joseph Reeder took a bullet for this Commander in Chief when he was working as a Secret Service agent, but retired soon after - he couldn't agree with the President's politics and had to get out.  The new President is liberal and the mood in DC is tense.  A Supreme Court Justice has been murdered and Reeder has been asked to consult on the case.  He discovers that the judge was not murdered, but assassinated.  Reeder quickly discovers that the "conservative" Supreme Court Justices and hustles to find the killer before its too late.  Filled with political drama, a great cast of characters, tons of twists and turns - Supreme Justice makes for quite an entertaining read.  Thanks to Max Allan Collins vivid and engrossing details about DC, I was easily able to imaging the city as I read about Reeder canvassing the city in hot pursuit of the killer.

I would most definitely recommend this fantastic book to fans of Max Allan Collins and fans of political thriller reads - you will LOVE this book!  And, if you want to find out what everyone else has to say about this book, then check out the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Supreme Justice

GIVEAWAY: Thanks to the publisher I'm able to give away one copy of this book!  All you have to do to enter my giveaway is leave a comment. Don't forget to include your email address, so that I can contact you in case you win the giveaway.  Last date to enter is July 10th!  Open to US/Canada residents only.  Good Luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Chasing The Sun: A Novel by Natalia Sylvester

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Partially inspired by her grandfather’s kidnapping in Peru, CHASING THE SUN: A Novel is Natalia Sylvester’s suspenseful debut about a man whose wife is kidnapped just as their marriage is falling apart.

After going out for an errand, Marabela Jimenez doesn’t return home and her husband suspects she has left him – again. Only, the next day a letter arrives in the mail that reads:
 Querido Andres,
I’m being held by three men who say they’ll keep me safe as long as you cooperate. They say that means no cops and no media. They say they’ll call when they’re ready to talk to you. Kiss our children for me and tell them not to worry. Keep me in your thoughts as I will be keeping you in mine.
Marabela
Despite their crumbling relationship, Andres quickly realizes he must do whatever it takes to get Marabela home. He can’t possibly afford the ransom the kidnappers demand or handle this threat to his family alone so he hires a consultant to help negotiate with the terrorists. He also reaches out to his estranged mother, who has never cared for Marabela and even reconnects with an old friend who may hold the key to his past and his wife’s future. As each day passes without the return of his wife, Andres is forced to come to terms with whether or not what he and Marabela have left is worth saving and how far he’ll go to bring her home.

Set against the backdrop of the political turmoil and terrorist threats of 1992 Peru, CHASING THE SUN is a story of how trauma has a way of exposing our most difficult truths and healing past wounds and regrets.

my thoughts:

Wow!  I absolutely LOVED Sylvester's novel, Chasing The Sun.  It was fantastic!  Tense, dramatic, and utterly captivating.  I started this book and did not put it down until the last page was turned.

Lima, Peru in the 1990s was a dangerous and turbulent time - there was civil unrest and plenty of kidnappings.  Andres and his family are successful - they have their ups and downs.  Andres and his wife, Marabela are a different story - their marriage is broken.  Marabela has run away from her family before, but returned when she realized she couldn't be away from her two children.  So, when Andres finds Marabela gone from home, he just assumes she has run away again.  Until he receives a note from kidnappers wanting money for his wife.  In the first part of the novel, we learn about Andres' feelings toward this time apart from his wife and the lengths he goes to to come up with the monies to free her.  In the second half of the book, we deal with the aftermath of the kidnapping and Marabela's return to her unhappy home.  I was spellbound!

Dark, suspenseful and thoroughly engrossing, Chasing The Sun is a terrific book to get lost in.  The characters are beyond interesting and the writing is excellent.  I would most definitely recommend this book to fans of great novels - you will love this book!!

Check out what other bloggers have to say about Natalia Sylvester's novel, Chasing The Sun.  Here's the TLC Book tour schedule for: Chasing The Sun

GIVEAWAY:   US/Canada residents only.  Thanks to the publisher I'm able to give away one copy of this book!  Just leave me a comment letting me know that you want "in" for the giveaway. Don't forget to include your email so that I can contact you if you win.  Last day to enter is June 20th, 2014.  Good Luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Love & Treasure: A Novel by Ayelet Waldman

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A spellbinding new novel of contraband masterpieces, tragic love, and the unexpected legacies of forgotten crimes, Ayelet Waldman’s Love and Treasure weaves a tale around the fascinating, true history of the Hungarian Gold Train in the Second World War.

In 1945 on the outskirts of Salzburg, victorious American soldiers capture a train filled with unspeakable riches: piles of fine gold watches; mountains of fur coats; crates filled with wedding rings, silver picture frames, family heirlooms, and Shabbat candlesticks passed down through generations. Jack Wiseman, a tough, smart New York Jew, is the lieutenant charged with guarding this treasure—a responsibility that grows more complicated when he meets Ilona, a fierce, beautiful Hungarian who has lost everything in the ravages of the Holocaust. Seventy years later, amid the shadowy world of art dealers who profit off the sins of previous generations, Jack gives a necklace to his granddaughter, Natalie Stein, and charges her with searching for an unknown woman—a woman whose portrait and fate come to haunt Natalie, a woman whose secret may help Natalie to understand the guilt her grandfather will take to his grave and to find a way out of the mess she has made of her own life.

A story of brilliantly drawn characters—a suave and shady art historian, a delusive and infatuated Freudian, a family of singing circus dwarfs fallen into the clutches of Josef Mengele, and desperate lovers facing choices that will tear them apart—Love and Treasure is Ayelet Waldman’s finest novel to date: a sad, funny, richly detailed work that poses hard questions about the value of precious things in a time when life itself has no value, and about the slenderest of chains that can bind us to the griefs and passions of the past.

my thoughts:

A mixed bag.  Love & Treasure starts off strong and then flails at the end.  Told in three parts, each section explores the themes of WWII, the Holocaust, the Hungarian Gold Train, friendship, love, and family.  A historical fiction that unfolds in a generational mode, tells the story of Jack Wiseman's guilt and possession of a necklace he took from the very train he was ordered to guard; and the story of his granddaughter's search for her own purpose in life, along with a mission for her grandfather.  In this novel, we get to dip back in time to the events following WWII and the experience of the Hungarian Jews who were forced to give up their valuables and their lives.  Told through the voices of fully developed characters, this story captivates from the start.  However, as the psychiatrist takes charge in the third section, the book simply falls apart.  I was disappointed by the end, but so engrossed by the first two sections that I'm positive I would read more books by Waldman. 

Don't just take my word, check out more reviews of Waldman's novel, Love & Treasure.  Here's the TLC Book tour schedule for:  Love & Treasure

GIVEAWAY: Open to US residents only.  One copy is up for grabs thanks to the publisher.  All you have to do is leave me a comment letting me know that you want your name thrown in the hat for the giveaway.  Don't forget to leave me your email address, so that I can contact you in case you win.  Last day to enter is June 30th, 2014.  Good Luck!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of The Frangipani Hotel: Stories by Violet Kupersmith

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A self-assured and stunning collection by an astonishingly gifted new writer, these stories—based on traditional Vietnamese tales—are sure to appeal to fans of Karen Russell, Jennifer Egan, Colson Whitehead, George Saunders, and Téa Obrecht. The Frangipani Hotel blends the old world and the new with fantastical, chilling, and original explorations of the ghosts that continue to haunt us: those of the Vietnam War.

my thoughts:

I love short stories.  So, when I heard about Kupersmith's book, The Frangipani Hotel, I figured I'd give it a read.  And, boy am I happy I did.  This debut collection of  ghost short stories was terrific!

There are nine stories in all and each one is a combination of the modern day thriller and Vietnamese folktales.  She managed to create such hauntingly, mysterious stories that proved to be a great way of exploring the aftermath of the Vietnam War.  Plus, the eerie, unexpected twists and turns in each story gave me goosebumps and made the whole reading experience such fun.  Kupersmith's mix of reality and the otherworldly was exciting and spooky - it was the perfect blending of cultures and traditions.  I absolutely loved reading this book!  The writing was simply engaging and the stories were unputdownable.  I know that I haven't really provided much details regarding the stories themselves, but that would ruin them.  These are the kind of tales you need to get lost in and enjoy for yourself - believe me, you want those goosebumps!

I would most definitely recommend The Frangipani Hotel to fans of ghost stories and short stories - you are in for a treat!  I'm excited to read more of Kupersmith's works in the future - apparently she's in the midst of a novel (hurrah!!).

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!!

GIVEAWAY: Open to US residents only.  The publisher is allowing me to give away one copy of this fantastic book - The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith.  All you have to do is leave me a comment providing me with the name of your favorite book of short stories or the name of your favorite ghost story - don't forget your email address, so I can contact you.  Last day to enter is April 5th.  Good luck!!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of Killer Image: An Allison Campbell Mystery by Wendy Tyson

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Philadelphia image consultant Allison Campbell is not your typical detective.  She’s more familiar with the rules of etiquette than the rules of evidence, prefers three-inch Manolos to comfy flats and relates to Dear Abby, not Judge Judy.

When Allison’s latest Main Line client, the fifteen-year-old Goth daughter of a White House hopeful, is accused of the ritualistic murder of a local divorce attorney, Allison fights to prove her client’s innocence when no one else will.  But in a place where image is everything, the ability to distinguish the truth from the façade may be the only thing that keeps Allison alive.

my thoughts:

If you want a fun, quick read that has a dark, noir-ish feel to it, then you should pick up a copy of Wendy Tyson's novel, Killer Image.  Set in Philadephia, this is the first book in a new series that will focus on the protagonist, Allison Campbell.  Considered to be one of the top image consultants in the city, Cambell finds herself taking on a new client - Maggie, the daughter of a politician.  As she tries to figure out how to handle her new client's goth-obsessed look and unpredictable behavior, Campbell finds herself being pulled into a murder investigation.  Seems that Maggie is a possible suspect in the murder of a prominent attorney - apparently, the ritualistic nature of the murder screams GOTH (which, Maggie is a fan of).  So, instead of taking shopping trips with her client, Campbell is searching for clues that will prove Maggies' innocence.  Time is of the essence!

Sounds pretty unbelieveable, right?  An image consultant who solves crimes - not exactly the first person you would think of during a crisis, eh?  Well, I sure wouldn't.  However, the way that Tyson manages to bridge the gap between image and conviction so seamlessly makes me wonder why I ever questioned Campbell's capabilities for crime solving.  She is a fierce character and I can't wait to read more about her in Tyson's upcoming Allison Campbell Mystery series. 

Killer Image is the perfect blend of darkness, danger, and drama. The writing is fast-paced and engaging. The story is  filled with fascinating characters and their questionable morals.  And the mystery is filled with one surprise after another.  I absolutely loved this 'whodunit' and would happily recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves a good mystery. 

Here's the link for the TLC Book tour schedule of: Killer Image

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of Wendy Tyson's amazing new novel Killer Image to give away.  All you have to do is leave me a comment and include your email address.  Open to US/Canada residents only.  Last date to enter is November 5th!  Good Luck!!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!