Life After: A Novel by Katie Ganshert

(Thank you to Blogging For Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

It could have been me.

Snow whirls around an elevated train platform in Chicago. A distracted woman boards the train, takes her seat, and moments later a fiery explosion rips through the frigid air, tearing the car apart in a horrific attack on the city’s transit system. One life is spared. Twenty-two are lost.

A year later, Autumn Manning can’t remember the day of the bombing and she is tormented by grief—by guilt. Twelve months of the question constantly echoing. Why? Why? Why? Searching for answers, she haunts the lives of the victims, unable to rest.

Paul Elliott lost his wife in the train bombing and wants to let the dead rest in peace, undisturbed and unable to cause more pain for his loved ones. He wants normalcy for his twelve-year-old daughter and young son, to see them move beyond the heartbreak. But when the Elliotts and Autumn are unexpectedly forced together, he fears she’ll bring more wreckage in her wake. 

In Life After, Katie Ganshert’s most complex and unforgettable novel yet, the stirring prose and authentic characters pose questions of truth, goodness, and ultimate purpose in this emotionally resonant tale.

my thoughts:

Wow! Talk about a powerful read.  I absolutely LOVED Life After by Katie Ganshert.

This is a story that grabs you from the start and doesn't let go.  Its emotional, beautiful, and utterly captivating.  Once I sat down with it, I couldn't get up til I turned the very last page.  And even then, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Autumn is boarding a train one minute and then waking up to the news that she is the sole survivor in a bombing attack.  Twenty-one people died in the blast.  Overcome with shock, horror, and grief she can't help but feel disoriented and numb.  And the one question that stands out in her mind is, "Why?".   Why did she survive?  Why didn't the blast kill her?  Why her?  Why? Why? Why?

Fast forward and its a year later.  Autumn is still struggling to accept that she is the sole survivor in a deadly attack that left so many dead.  She is overcome with guilt and grief.  She can't let go of the question, "Why?" - it haunts her everyday.  She tries to remember what happened.  She tries to remember the people on the train.  She tries so hard to not forget.  Her family is at a loss in how to help her move forward, when its so obvious she doesn't want to or can't bring herself to.  Its sad, frustrating, and difficult for them all.  Of course, its not just Autumn we meet in this story.  We also get to know Paul.  His wife was one of the victims of the bombing and he is now left alone to raise his daughter and son.  He tries to move on.  He needs to.  Except, he can't when he's unexpectedly drawn into Autumn's orbit.  His daughter, Reese, has been writing to Autumn.  Paul finds out about the letters when his daughter runs off to Autumn's.  Now, he's forced to not only deal with Autumn, but he must come to the realization that his daughter is not moving forward like he had hoped.  Talk about facing reality head on. 

Life After deals with grief, loss, guilt, and faith.  It explores the many ways in which survivors and surviving family members cope with tragedy and death.  We see how differently people view the same situation and how they handle their emotions and losses.  We learn about humanity and compassion.  And we learn about time and the ways in which can help to heal all wounds (past and present).

I loved the writing, the characters, and the story.  Life After is such a great read.  I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Ganshert and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!





I received this book from Blogging For Books for this review.

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!

Little Beach Street Bakery: A Novel by Jenny Colgan

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

about book:

In the bestselling tradition of Jojo Moyes and Jennifer Weiner, Jenny Colgan’s moving, funny, and unforgettable novel tells the story of a heartbroken young woman who turns a new page in her life . . . by becoming a baker in the town of Cornwall.

A quiet seaside resort. An abandoned shop. A small flat. This is what awaits Polly Waterford when she arrives at the Cornish coast, fleeing a ruined relationship.

To keep her mind off her troubles, Polly throws herself into her favorite hobby: making bread. But her relaxing weekend diversion quickly develops into a passion. As she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, each loaf becomes better than the last. Soon, Polly is working her magic with nuts and seeds, chocolate and sugar, and the local honey—courtesy of a handsome beekeeper. Packed with laughter and emotion, Little Beach Street Bakery is the story of how one woman discovered bright new life where she least expected—a heartwarming, mouthwatering modern-day Chocolat that has already become a massive international bestseller.

Includes 7 Recipes!

my thoughts:

Little Beach Street Bakery is chick lit at its best!  A woman's career and marriage have fallen apart and so she heads off to a new town to start over.  Once settled in her new digs, which are absolutely awful, she sets out to get a job and meet new people.  Very quickly, she befriends a group of fishermen, a baby puffin, and the local beekeeper.  Unfortunately, she makes enemies with THE town's matriarch - the baker.  However, drama happens and the next thing you know, she's in the bread baking business with her nemesis and experiencing hits and misses in the LOVE department.  Oh, and her best friend shows up now and again to encourage and support her decisions.  Did I mention that even her ex shows up to town to try and make a go of their relationship again - work-wise and romance-wise?  Talk about unwelcome visitors!  Plus, there is a possible ghost haunting the local lighthouse, a storm that wrecks a ship filled with fisherman, a death, an affair, and so much more in this story - I loved it all!  I have to admit that at times I did roll my eyes and laugh out loud at how ridiculous the characters were or the various story lines that popped up - it was a bit over the top.  However, in the end, I truly did enjoy getting to know Polly and her new gang of friends in her new hometown.  Plus, I loved how she grew into herself and succeeded in making a home and a career for her self - a true go-getter! 

This is a book that I would happily recommend to fans of Jenny Colgan and fans of chick lit/women's fiction - you will LOVE this book!! 

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tours schedule for: Little Beach Street Bakery

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

Fiercombe Manor: A Novel by Kate Riordan

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

about book:

A house as old as Fiercombe Manor holds many secrets within its walls. But which dark chapter of its history is haunting Alice, a young woman staying there during the course of a fateful summer?

In 1933, naive twenty-two-year-old Alice is pregnant, unmarried, and disgraced. She can no longer share her parents’ London home, so her desperate mother concocts a cover story and begs her old friend, Mrs. Jelphs, for help. The housekeeper at rural Fiercombe Manor, Mrs. Jelphs is moved by Alice’s “plight” as a new widow and agrees to watch over her in the secluded English countryside until the baby is born and given up for adoption. Because the manor house’s owners, Lord and Lady Stanton, no longer live there, Alice’s only company will be Mrs. Jelphs and her skeleton staff.

Thirty years before Alice’s arrival, Lady Elizabeth Stanton awaits the birth of her second child, fervently hoping he will be the boy her husband desires. But as her time nears, she is increasingly tormented by memories of what happened with her first baby and terrified that history will repeat itself . . . with devastating consequences.

At first, Fiercombe Manor offers Alice a welcome relief from her mother’s disapproving gaze. But she begins to sense that all is not well in the picturesque Gloucestershire valley. After a chance encounter with Tom, the young scion of the Stanton family, Alice discovers that Fiercombe’s beauty is haunted by the clan’s tragic past. She is determined to exorcise the ghosts of the idyllic, isolated house.

Nothing can prepare Alice for what she uncovers. Can she escape the tragic fate of the other women who have lived in the Fiercombe valley?

my thoughts:

Fiercombe Manor is the perfect book to settle down with on a rainy day (the rain adds to the atmosphere of the book).  It has mystery, secrets, creepiness, and a huge manor to get lost in.  Talk about Gothic!  I absolutely loved this book!  I found myself riveted by both Elizabeth and Alice's stories and couldn't wait to find out what would happen to them.  Reading about each woman from their perspectives was a great touch as it afforded us a more personal look into their lives and also with information about the different time periods they lived in.  I couldn't help but feel more involved with the story and Fiercombe Manor. 

This book was filled with intrigue and so many secrets - it was unputdownable!  The history and fiction were married perfectly in this story and provided a great backdrop for such a terrific set of narratives.  I also found Riordan's exploration of the issue of women and mental illness to be important and insightful - she shared with us the ways in which society treated women with mental illness and they measures that were taken to deal with them.  It was truly eye-opening and very fascinating.  I found my heart aching. 

Fiercombe Manor is a book that I would most definitely recommend to fans of historical fiction, women's fiction, and fan's of Gothic fiction - you will LOVE this book!  To find out what other bloggers have to say about this fantastic novel, here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Fiercombe Manor

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

One Step Too Far: A Novel by Tina Seskis

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

about book:

The #1 international bestseller reminiscent of After I’m Gone, Sister, Before I Go to Sleep, and The Silent Wife—an intricately plotted, thoroughly addictive thriller that introduces a major new voice in suspense fiction—a mesmerizing and powerful novel that will keep you guessing to the very end.

No one has ever guessed Emily’s secret.

Will you?

A happy marriage. A beautiful family. A lovely home. So what makes Emily Coleman get up one morning and walk right out of her life—to start again as someone new?

Now, Emily has become Cat, working at a hip advertising agency in London and living on the edge with her inseparable new friend, Angel. Cat’s buried any trace of her old self so well, no one knows how to find her. But she can’t bury the past—or her own memories.

And soon, she’ll have to face the truth of what she’s done—a shocking revelation that may push her one step too far.

my thoughts:

Predictable story that left me underwhelmed.   

One Step Too Far starts out with a woman named Emily leaving her family.  Something has happened to damage her and she decides that getting away is the answer.  She needs to start over as someone new in order to help her forget her past.  As Emily becomes Cat and moves into a dodgy flat, she begins to make friends, go out, and experiment with drugs.  Her family is left wondering what happened to her and where she went.  Told from different POVs we get to learn about Emily, her husband Ben, and her twin sister Caroline.  We learn about the dysfunctional relationship the two sisters have - Caroline is a mess who seems bent on making Emily's life hell.  As for Ben, he's left feeling confused, angry, and sad over his wife's sudden departure.  The event that damaged Emily is horrible, but predictable.  And that was the problem with the story.  Once you learn Emily's secret (which you will guess early on), you are left feeling rather deflated.  The story loses its mystery and thereby loses its footing. I had such high hopes for this story, but it just didn't work out for me.  One Step Too Far turned out to be a miss for me. 

If you want to find out what other bloggers have to say about One Step Too Far, check out this site.

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

Bird In Hand: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline

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

about book:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train comes a novel about the choices we make, how they shape our lives, and how they can change them forever.

Four people, two marriages, one lifelong friendship: Everything is about to change.

It was dark. It was raining.  It was just an accident.  On the drive home from a rare evening out, Alison collides with another car running a stop sign, and—just like that—her life turns upside down.

When she calls her husband from the police station, his accusatory tone reveals cracks in their relationship she’d never noticed were there. Now she notices everything.  And she begins to realize that the life she carefully constructed for herself is as tenuous as a house of cards. Exquisitely written, powerful, and thrilling, Bird in Hand is a novel about love and friendship and betrayal, and about the secrets we tell ourselves and each other.

my thoughts:

Christina Baker Kline books are my vice.  They are dramatic, emotional, thought-provoking and unputdownable.  The writing is always superb - its rich, detailed, thematic, and chock full of relatable, flawed and realistic characters that you can't help but fall in deep with.  These books are women's fiction at its very best.  They draw you in and keep you glued to your seat with their deep exploration about relationships (family, friends, marital, etc.).  I absolutely love getting lost in her words.  And, I've been lucky enough to read all of her books - Bird In Hand is the last one on my Kline TBR list.  Its also turned out to be my favorite of hers.

This is the story of two couples whose marriages completely unravel after a horrible accident - or at least it seems that way at first.  Alison finds herself driving home alone at night after attending her best friend's book launch party.  Its dark, she's doesn't like driving and suddenly she's involved in a car accident that results in the death of a child.  Shocked, upset, and horrified by what has happened, she withdraws into herself.  Her husband Charlie seems to find the whole event to be an annoyance and doesn't provide his wife with any sort of emotional support.  Turns out he'd been planning on leaving her for another woman - Claire, who happens to be Alison's best friend.  Yep, this is a story about infidelity at its most cliched, but Kline manages to write about it in such a way that leaves you feeling discomfited by all the lies and cheating.  Its terrific!

Through flashbacks we learn about Alison and Claire's best friendship and how they met their respective husbands.  Ben and Claire are THE couple to love and everyone wants to be their friends. Charlie meets them and quickly falls in love with Claire, but decides to settle for marrying her best friend Alison.  Pretty awful, eh?  I must admit that I couldn't stand Charlie or Claire when I realized this, especially since they could have dated before they got married and ruined so many lives.  Anyhow, the couples remain friends and eventually veer away from one another as they settle into their adult lives - work, family, home, etc.  Except, Charlie never stopped loving Claire and she's always been curious about him.  So, the two embark on an affair and wind up falling in love. Anyhow, following Alison's accident everything crumbles - friendships end, marriages fall apart, homes are torn apart, families are broken, lies and deceit are revealed.  Its pretty hellish for everyone as one would expect.  Kline captures the hurt, bitterness, anger, humiliation, regret, betrayal in such candid terms that you can feel the emotions reeling through Alison and Ben as they learn about their spouses infidelities.  I could go on and on about what all happens, but truthfully this is a book you must read and experience for yourself.  You need to get caught up in these couple's lives and lies to understand their history and their present state of mind - its captivating.  I would definitely recommend Bird In Hand by Christina Baker Kline - you will fall in love her writing and become addicted to her books ( I promise!). 

Here's the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Bird In Hand

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

Hidden by Catherine McKenzie

about book:

While walking home from work one evening, Jeff Manning is struck by a car and killed. Two women fall to pieces at the news: his wife, Claire, and his co-worker Tish. Reeling from her loss, Claire must comfort her grieving son as well as contend with funeral arrangements, well-meaning family members, and the arrival of Jeff’s estranged brother, who was her ex-boyfriend. Tish volunteers to attend the funeral on her company’s behalf, but only she knows the true risk of inserting herself into the wreckage of Jeff’s life.

Told through the three voices of Jeff, Tish, and Claire, Hidden explores the complexity of relationships, the repercussions of our personal choices, and the responsibilities we have to the ones we love.

my thoughts:

I just finished reading this one the other night and thought to myself, "Why do I keep reading Catherine McKenzie books?"  Ugh!  They always leave me feeling annoyed - like, I just wasted several hours reading an overly predictable book.  I don't know what it is about her writing that just leaves me feeling nonplussed.  Its solid writing about flawed characters, but that is all.  The story lines themselves do not make you care about what happens next.  In fact, if the story had just ended when Jeff died, that would have been fine.  Of course, the whole point of the story is to find out whether or not Jeff cheated on his wife.  Told in alternating chapters, this book leaves the big reveal til the very end.  And, truthfully, it is exactly what you expected.

I have nothing else to say about the book, except that it has definitely shown me that Catherine McKenzie's writing is not for me. 

Someday, Someday, Maybe: A Novel by Lauren Graham

about book: (from Goodreads)

A charming and laugh-out-loud novel by Lauren Graham, beloved star of Parenthood and Gilmore Girls, about an aspiring actress trying to make it in mid-nineties New York City.

Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works.

Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet.

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.

my thoughts:

I kindled this book the other day after watching an episode of Gilmore Girls on the telly.  For some reason, I was curious to find out if Graham could write a good book.  Plus, some bloggers had reviewed the book the last year and they raved about it - so, I figured that I would be in for a good read. Well, color me disappointed. 

Someday, Someday, Maybe turned out to be a bad read.  I found myself regretting kindling it at all.   Instead of "funny and charming", I got predictable and dull.  The book is about a woman named Franny Banks and her foray into the acting world in NYC.  Franny graduated from college and moved to the Big Apple with her BFF in the hopes of making it big on screen or on Broadway.  She gave herself a three year deadline to reach her goal and at the beginning of the book, Franny only has six more months left on her deadline.  If she doesn't become a working actor, she plans on moving back home and marrying her college sweetheart (he's in law school).  Filled with pages from Franny's brown Filofax and answering machine messages, the book shows the ins and outs of auditions, showcases, acting classes, agent meetings, and dating in NYC.  Sounds pretty interesting, right?  Well, it wasn't.  Franny is a HUGE whinger who is extremely insecure about everything (her looks, her acting, her love life, etc.) and that does not make for an interesting protagonist.  Instead it makes for a super ANNOYING character that you will not cheer for.  I get that Graham wanted to write Franny as naive, insecure (a flawed character), but she just didn't succeed in making her likable.  The story just didn't work for me and Franny was the reason why.

I'm surprised that I didn't DNF this book.  I guess I had hoped that somewhere along the way, the story would pick up and I would wind up liking Franny.  Oh well, the book is done and I will be deleting it from my kindle library.  And, now I know that Lauren Graham's writing is not for me - my curiosity has been sated. 

The Storyteller: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

about book:

Some stories live forever...

Sage Singer is a baker.  She works through the night, preparing the day's breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother's death.  When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage's grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship.  Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can't see, and they become companions.

Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried secret - one that nobody else in town would ever suspect - and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor.  If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well.  With her own identity suddenly challenged, and the integrity of the closest friend she's ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she's made about her life and her family.  When does a moral choice become a moral imperative?  And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy?

In this searingly honest novel, Jodi Picoult gracefully explores the lengths we will go in order to protect our families and to keep the past from dictating the future.

my thoughts:

Interesting premise, fascinating storytelling, and unforgettable characters.  All in all, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult proved to be a great read.

Sage is a young woman who has a scar on her face that makes her feel immensely insecure - so much so, that she works as a baker (hidden in the kitchen baking all night long) and is having an affair with a married man (the funeral director from her mother's funeral).  This is a woman who does not believe she deserves good things to happen to her.  She is filled with so much guilt regarding her mother's death that she continues to attend a grief support group (three years after her mother's passing.)  Life for Sage is stunted and filled with loneliness.  However, everything changes the day she befriends Josef Weber. 

A recent addition to Sage's grief support group, Weber keeps to himself.  He's an elderly man who frequently visits the bakery Sage works at.  He usually brings his little dog and spends his time writing in a small black notebook.  According to the people in town, Weber is as nice as they come - he was a German teacher at the local high school, a former little league coach, and a real asset to the community.  Except that he really isn't that nice of a man.  In fact, he is the complete opposite of nice - he is cruel beyond belief.  How do we find this out?  Well, one day Josef decides to spill the beans about his past to Sage. And let me just say that his secret is HUGE and one that will completely change Sage forever.

Picoult explores the questions of morality, history, family, friendship and so much more with her book The Storyteller.  She writes a captivating story that is filled with such vividness and authenticity, that you can't help but feel shattered after reading some of the passages in this book.  As for the story that she includes within her story - the one written by Minka (Sage's grandmother) - it is clearly an allegory for the brutal and ugly reality happening to and around Minka.  I have to admit to really enjoying Minka's story - it was so graphic and bloody, but also emotionally compelling.   This novel yanked at my heart strings and pulled me in deep.  I found that I could only read bits of the book at times, because it was just too much to take in (my heart kept breaking).  This is one book that I won't soon forget.

I would definitely recommend The Storyteller to fans of Picoult's works and fans of fiction (specifically, books that deal with WWII).  You will LOVE this book!!!

The Pursuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Novel by Pamela Mingle

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

about book:

The enthralling story of Pride and Prejudice‘s middle sister, Mary Bennet—an enchanting modern sequel to the beloved classic.

For most of her life, Mary, the serious and unpolished third daughter of the Bennet family, has been overshadowed by her sisters—beautiful and confident Jane and Elizabeth, and flirtatious and lighthearted Lydia and Kitty. But with nearly all of her sisters married and gone from the household, awkward, unrefined Mary has blossomed into an attractive young woman with a quiet poise of her own.

When a very pregnant Lydia unexpectedly returns to the Bennet home and scandalously announces she’s left Wickham, Mary and Kitty are packed off to visit Jane and her husband, Charles Bingley, in Derbyshire. Yearning for the solitude of home, Mary is dismayed to discover Bingley’s handsome and eligible friend Henry Walsh everywhere she turns. Unschooled in the game of love, Mary finds Henry’s warm attentions confounding. Is his interest genuine or does she foolishly mistake friendliness for something more? With her heart and her future at risk, Mary must throw caution to the wind to find the truth—a journey of discovery that will teach her surprising lessons about herself and the desires of her heart.

my thoughts:

Terrific story about the middle sister of the Bennet family - Mary.  Always considered to be the forgettable Bennet sister, the one most likely to be a spinster, Mary Bennet has grown up quite a bit since Jane, Elizabeth, and Lydia have left home.  She's blossomed into a more outspoken and engaging woman, who no longer sits quietly by and allows her sisters to mock her.  In fact, she's even met a young man named Henry Walsh, whom appears to have taken an interest in her.  Of course, according to her sister Kitty, Walsh is in love with her, leaving Mary feeling a bit deflated and unsure of her self.  Resigned to her fate of taking care of her sister's children, Mary is set to head toward the Wickham household and help her sister Lydia.  However, plans are dashed once Lydia arrives and announces that she and Wickham are no more.  Mary and her sister Kitty are sent to the Bingley household to spend time with their sister, Jane; while their parents handle the Lydia situation.  Once at the Bingley household, she once again runs into Mr. Walsh and begins to notice him noticing her - in spite of Kitty's insistence that he loves her.  As their friendship deepens, Mary falls deeper and deeper in love with Henry Walsh.  He's captured her heart and Mary is over the moon.  Will she get her happily ever after, just as her sisters' Jane and Elizabeth have?  Or will a new scandal threaten to ruin everything and leave her once again resigned to a fate of spinsterhood?

Talk about unputdownable!!! I spent all day Sunday reading this fantastic book and getting lost in Mingle's story.  I loved reading about familiar, beloved characters and the ways in which their lives had changed since we last left them in Pride and Prejudice.  Mingle's story reintroduced us to the Bennet family via Mary - she made us care about the overlooked middle sister and root for her.  She took us  on Mary's journey of self-discovery and love.  She made me want to read P&P again!  I think that The Pursuit of Mary Bennet is the perfect mix of old and new ideas.  Fans of Austen and P&P will love this book! I would happily recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for a fun, new read.

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Pursuit of Mary Bennet

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

The House Girl: A Novel by Tara Conklin

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

about book:

Lina Sparrow is an ambitious young lawyer working on a historic class-action suit seeking reparations for the descendants of American slaves. Josephine is a seventeen-year-old house slave who tends to the mistress of a Virginia tobacco farm—an aspiring artist named Lu Anne Bell. Alternating between antebellum Virginia and modern-day New York, The House Girl is a searing tale of art, history, love, and secrets that intertwines the stories of two remarkable women.

my thoughts:

I picked up The House Girl early on Sunday morning, thinking that I would get a few chapters in before breakfast.  Well, the next thing I know, three hours have passed and I've finished the book.  I hadn't even realized how quickly time flew by as I lay there snuggled in bed immersed in this gripping and thought-provoking story.   I even wound up thinking about the story all day long - it was just such a terrific read.

Okay, so what is the story about?  Well, its about two young women - Josephine, a seventeen year old slave living in Virginia during the 1800s, and Lina, an attorney living in modern day New York City.  Josephine wants to run a way and escape from the life of abuse and servitude she endures.  She finds herself hearing a voice in her head urging her to "Run" and so she does - in the middle of the night she leaves and is never heard from again.  Lina is determined to be on the partner track at her firm and devotes her life to work, work, work.  She gets the opportunity to work on a reparations case and finds herself deep in the world of Lu Anne Bell and her house girl, Josephine.  Both stories share a link - art.  While working on her reparations case, Lina learns about a recent controversy in the art world - the discovery that Lu Anne Bell's artwork had been painted by her house girl, Josephine.  Talk about shocking!!  Of course, its not surprising that Bell would take credit for Josephine's work - after all, she's done much worse to the girl.  As for Lina, the journey that this case takes her on winds up being the catalyst that moves her to learn the truth about her mother and her self.  And that is all I am going to write.  This book is just too good for me to ruin for you by telling you everything that happens!  You have to read it for yourself and get lost in Conklin's amazing story about two strong and determined women. 

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour page for: The House Girl

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

Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope

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

about book:

John Dashwood promised his dying father that he would take care of his half-sisters. But his wife, Fanny, has no desire to share their newly inherited estate with Belle Dashwood’s daughters. When she descends upon Norland Park with her Romanian nanny and her mood boards, the three Dashwood girls—Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret—are suddenly faced with the cruelties of life without their father, their home, or their money.

As they come to terms with life without the status of their country house, the protection of the family name, or the comfort of an inheritance, Elinor and Marianne are confronted by the cold hard reality of a world where people’s attitudes can change as drastically as their circumstances.

With her sparkling wit, Joanna Trollope casts a clever, satirical eye on the tales of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Reimagining Sense and Sensibility in a fresh, modern new light, she spins the novel’s romance, bonnets, and betrothals into a wonderfully witty coming-of-age story about the stuff that really makes the world go around. For when it comes to money, some things never change. . . .

my thoughts:

A retelling of a Jane Austen classic?  Hmmm.  This could spell trouble.  Luckily, with Joanna Trollope at the helm, this revamped version of Sense & Sensibility did not fail - in fact, it rather sailed (swimmingly, I might add).
 
Joanna Trollope's modernization of the Austen classic, Sense & Sensibility, is superb.  I found myself once again lost in the Dashwood family's dramas and misfortunes.  Except this time round, instead of reading about the Regency era, I was reading about the now.  Trollope has set her book in the 21st century and has included all the newfangled technology that everyone is obsessed with using - iPods, cell phones,Twitter, and YouTube.  I have to admit it was pretty weird reading about the Dashwood sisters tweeting.  However, that was as far off course as Trollope would veer - she remained true to Austen's original story lines (hurrah!).   My only quibble was that the characters did seem a bit more exaggerated than their original counterparts - of course, I did find it rather comical at times.  And there was the slightly outdated feel of the story at times - setting it in the 21st century did make it feel a bit disconnected (only just a little).  Cripes, that sounds a tad negative, when the truth is that I really enjoyed reading the book.  I just sort of wished that Trollope had updated the Dashwood's ideals and goals, too.  I mean it was rather hard imaging that none of them could get a job or make ends meet on their own and that their only mission was to find a suitable companion.  Seriously!?!  In the Regency era I can understand that this behavior was commonplace, but nowadays it just seems rather absurd.  Okay, so maybe the retelling had some problems, but mainly I found the book to be a familiar and comforting read.  So, I would recommend this book to Austen fans (if only to find out their take on this retelling of such a popular classic).

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour page for: Sense & Sensibility

And now I'm off to finish reading The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon (the 14th book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith).  I just love these books and am already immersed in Mma Ramotswe's latest cases. 

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

The Whole Golden World: A Novel by Kristina Riggle

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

about book:

Seventeen-year-old Morgan Monetti shocks her parents and her community with one simple act: She chooses to stand by the man everyone else believes has exploited her—popular high school teacher TJ Hill. Quietly walking across a crowded courtroom to sit behind TJ, and not beside her parents, she announces herself as the adult she believes herself to be.

But her mother, Dinah, wants justice. Dinah is a fighter, and she believes with all her heart and soul that TJ is a man who took advantage of her daughter. He is a criminal who should be brought to justice, no matter what the cost to his family.

Rain, TJ’s wife, is shocked that her handsome, loving, respected husband has been accused of a terrible crime. But has her desperation to start a family closed her eyes to the fault lines in her marriage? And can she face the painful truths about herself and her husband?

Told from the perspectives of these three remarkable women, The Whole Golden World navigates the precarious territory between childhood and adulthood, raising questions about love and manipulation, marriage and motherhood, consent and responsibility. It’s a novel both shocking and unforgettable in its power.

my thoughts:

A student-teacher affair is not exactly new, but its wrong and reading all about it is mesmerizing.  In The Whole Golden World, we become privy to everyone's thoughts and emotions regarding Morgan and TJ's relationship.  She's only seventeen for cripes sake!  So, of course, everyone has something to say.  There is Morgan's mom, Dinah, who is so hurt that her daughter chooses to show support for the man who obviously took advantage of her.  She can't believe that her daughter would willingly have a relationship with a married man - it just can't be true!  Rain is TJ's wife and she is torn between her feelings of love for her husband and her feelings of betrayal.  What happened to the man she married?  And, then there is Morgan, the young lady who was feeling so lost and confused about her future.  She found a friend in TJ and eventually she found more.

The Whole Golden World is an anxiety inducing read - I was biting my nails the whole way through!  Its just that the more you learn about Morgan and TJ's affair, the angrier you get - you can't help but think, "she's just a kid!".  As the story begins to unfold and more and more facts are revealed, you begin to see just how frayed and cracked each relationship was from the beginning.  Its heart-breaking and disheartening. I found myself easily caught up in all of the drama and emotions. 

I would most definitely recommend Kristina Riggle's engaging and emotional book, The Whole Golden World to fans of fiction and women's fiction.  You will not be disappointed!

Here's the link to the schedule of the TLC Book Tour for: The Whole Golden World

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

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

about book:

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

my thoughts:

Jojo Moyes' novel, Me Before You, broke my heart. In fact, I'm still recovering - of course, I only just finished the book at 2am this morning - but I swear, this book really hits you in the heart.  This is a book that has you hooked from the first page and just won't let you go.  Soon enough you will find yourself getting rather emotionally invested in the lives of your two new favorite characters, Lou and Will.  Seriously, you will! Or at least I did.  I mean it, I just had to find out what was going to happen - I had so many questions swirling around in my head:  Would Lou blossom into a more confident and self-assured woman?  What happened to her in the maze? Would Will decide to forgo the plans he had made in Switzerland?  What types of adventures would Lou take Will on?  And, how long would it take for them both to realize how in love they were with one another?

Me Before You is an amazing novel that will have you thinking about life, love, death, and everything in between.  You will smile, cry, laugh, and sob as you read this unputdownable book.  And, you will be left with a sadness that will inspire you step back and take a look at your own life.  I swear, not only did this novel introduce me to Jojo Moyes' fantastic writing and storytelling, but it also pushed me to recognize the ways in which I've become rather complacent within my own life. Instead of adjusting my 40 before 40 list, I need to start crossing items off of it. Life is what you make of it, and I realized that I need to start making more of it.  I suppose I should send Moyes' a thank you letter for this book, because not only did it touch me, it also inspired me. 

Now, I know I didn't really delve into the subject matter or plot lines of the novel, but that was because I didn't want to ruin anything for those of you who haven't read this must-read book.  So, all I am going to say is that you must read this novel - I promise you will not be disappointed!  In fact, I'm pretty sure that you will be adding Moyes' other works to your shelves as a result. 

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Viking Press (an imprint of Penguin Group) for providing me with a copy of this book.