Friday, December 29, 2017

Pink Lies in Paris by Haley Todd Kitts

As you know by now, Scarlett Hanes has mastered the art of "pink" lying to everyone around her; including the people she loves dearly. She continues to lack the acumen to remain 100% honest with Hugh, despite promising him otherwise. After a surprise romantic getaway, Scarlett feels dubious about her relationship with Hugh and where their future is headed. During Paris Fashion Week, she lets all of her inhibitions dissipate. Scarlett once again has to clean up the mess she has created for herself. Back home in Charleston, the Hanes-Riley family is trying their hand at pink lying. They decided withholding major life events from Scarlett would protect her while abroad. The one person Scarlett depends on more than anyone, her grandfather, Frank, finds himself in a very challenging position when he keeps life altering news from her to ensure that she stays in France. Scarlett must take responsibility for her less-than-lofty behavior, and find out where the chips may fall; even if it's too late.

My Thoughts
Loved joining Scarlett on her journey to Paris Fashion Week!  So fun and traveling with her hot bf, well that just adds sprinkles to the top of the cupcake! 
I loved reading about the sites and sounds and SMELLS that Paris has to offer!
She is trying to have a good time all the while worrying about her grandmother's illness taking place back home.  But Hugh has some plans for helping put her mind at ease.
The romantic getaway that Hugh plans, to die for!  What a keeper!
Scarlett is always getting herself into trouble, but what are a few pink lies?
She has the time of her life - from hanging with the man, bike tours, romantic adventures, her friends visiting and so much more!
I can't wait to read the next installment in the Pink Lies series! 


Drink Selection
I have the PERFECT drink, The Fashionista!  Delish!  Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 parts Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
  • 1 1/2 parts frozen limeade
  • 3 parts fruit punch soda
  • Lime wedge
Preparation: Combine tequila, limeade, and fruit punch soda in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Rim your cocktail glass by wetting the edge with a lime wedge. Garnish with a lime.

Rating
5 wine glasses all the way!  I can't wait for more!

About the Author
Haley Kitts is a graduate of East Carolina University where she studied Communication and Public Relations. Haley is the author of the Pink Lies book series; Pink Lies and Pink Lies in Paris. These novels are ChickLit/RomCom to be enjoyed at the beach, curled up by the fire, or even at the airport. Her writing is heartfelt, upbeat, and totally relatable for women of all ages in today's society. After growing up in the Carolinas her entire life, she graduated from college, moved to the South of France, got married, and moved to Northern France shortly after her nuptials. Living in France allowed Kitts to pursue a career in writing-not many can say they were inspired under the Eiffel Tower.                


Link to Purchase





Thursday, December 28, 2017

I Heart Forever by Lindsey Kelk

Winter in Manhattan…and someone’s keeping a secret.



The day her husband Alex picks up a backpack and goes travelling, Angela Clark promises to stay out of trouble and keep both Louboutins on the ground.


So when her best friend’s boyfriend confides in her, it can’t hurt to help him pick out a ring at Tiffany’s surely?


And when her fashion magazine announces major changes, being terminally late and arguing with your boss isn’t that bad, is it?


Then suddenly there’s another big secret Angela’s got to keep – and the man she loves is still thousands of miles away. As the wedding of the year looms, and Manhattan switches on its Christmas lights, Angela is going to need her friends by her side as her old life looks set to change forever.

My Thoughts
AMAZING!  LOVED IT! I can't wait for the next book (there is a next book, right Lindsey?)
I can't tell you how much I love this series!  I was hooked from book 1! 
There are days I wish I could be like Angela and just pick up, leave my life behind and move to a new country and start over!
Alas I can not but I can live through her...
Another great book of adventure from crazy CiCi, Alex traveling for weeks without Ang and barely any communication, a pregnancy, and a marriage proposal just to name a few!
Angela seems to have the dream job she has always wanted but then they start shaking things up a bit and she dreads going to her job each day, will she even have a job at the end of the year?
Jenny Lopez is as crazy and fun as ever! She does not disappoint from her proposal and late night escapades!
You will love each and every page of this book and the end will have you dying knowing that you have to wait till #8 to see what happens next in Angela and Alex's world!

Drink Selection
There is cause for celebration in this latest edition, Champs all around!

Rating
5 wine glasses hands down!  No explanation needed!

About the Author
Bestselling British author based in Los Angeles. Lover of books, watcher of wrestling, wearer of lipstick. Karaoke enthusiast and cat wrangler. Lindsey is the author of twelve novels, including the bestselling I Heart series, About a Girl, The Single Girl’s To-Do List and Always the Bridesmaid.



Link to Purchase

 

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr

Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? New Yorkers Robyn Lane and Sidney Bellows aren’t so sure.

Robyn has always dated struggling creative types. For once, her parents would love her to bring someone with health insurance and a 401(k) to their Chrismukkah celebration. Her actor boyfriend doesn’t qualify. While across town, Sidney’s professional life already belongs to her parents. She’s an attorney at her father’s law firm and she works tirelessly to keep her love life private. If she brings her lawyer boyfriend to their annual Christmas extravaganza, her parents will have the wedding planned by New Year’s Eve.

A mutual friend playfully suggests they trade boyfriends for the holidays. The women share a laugh, but after copious amounts of wine, decide The Boyfriend Swap could be the perfect solution. This way, Robyn can show off her stable attorney boyfriend and Sidney’s high-society family will take no interest in her flakey actor beau.

It’s a brilliant plan—in theory. In practice—not so much. When Will turns out to be the boy-next-door Robyn crushed on hard throughout her teenage years, and Sidney’s family fawns all over Perry like he’s an Oscar-winner rather than a D-list wannabe, one thing is certain: The Boyfriend Swap might just change their lives forever.
  

My Thoughts
What a fun story to read over the holiday season!
Christmas can be stressful for couples trying to impress the family.  Why can't they just enjoy the holiday instead of having to impress the in-laws and hope they like them?
Well Robyn and Sidney are dealing with just that.  Robyn is dreading bringing Perry home and Sidney doesn't want to deal with all the work talk that will ensue if she brings Will home.  What are these girls to do?
Well swap boyfriends, duh?  That's the obvious solution right? Probably not for the average girl. LOL
What in the world were these girls thinking?  Now Robyn is falling for Will all over again and Sydney's family is falling in love with Perry!  How are they going to get out of this mess?
I won't giveaway the ending but I highly recommend grabbing a copy and find out what happens for yourself!



Drink Selection
  I have paired this fun book with a yummy Champagne Cocktail! 


Rating
This is fun RomCom gets a 4 wine glass rating from me for sure! 

About the Author

A born and bred New Yorker, Meredith Schorr discovered her passion for writing when she began to enjoy drafting work-related e-mails way more than she was probably supposed to. After trying her hand penning children's stories and blogging her personal experiences, Meredith found her calling writing romantic comedy, women's fiction, and contemporary young adult fiction. She secures much inspiration from her day job as a hard-working trademark paralegal and her still single (but looking) status. Meredith is a loyal New York Yankees fan, an avid runner, and an unashamed television addict. To learn more, visit her at www.meredithschorr.com




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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Not A Sound by Heather Gudenkauf

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters--her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.

As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds herself swept into an investigation that hits all too close to home. But how much is she willing to risk in order to uncover the truth and bring a killer to justice?

My Thoughts
I've had this book sitting on my bookshelf for quite some time and I saw it and read it in two days!  I thought the story line was very intriguing and was taken in a different direction than I was expecting and it was great!  I love a book that can draw me in and surprise me.
Amelia has not had the easiest life the last few years and it all came about when she was involved in an accident and lost her hearing.  She lost her world once her hearing was gone - her husband, her step-daughter, her job, everything.  Drinking became her best friend and that has been a hard demon to conquer.  She is putting her best foot forward but it's not easy.
Then one day she comes across something in the water while she's paddle boarding with her hearing dog Stich, a dead body.  And it's her friend...
She called the police and then she found herself more and more involved - her house was broken into, and she was followed to name just a few.
Will she make it out of this nightmare alive?


Drink Selection
It's time for a nice cocktail on this chilly day - Hot Buttered Rum - Delish!

Rating
A good suspense read with a twist from beginning to end, 4 wine glasses for sure!
About the Author



Heather is the NYT and USA Today Bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE and MISSING PIECES.

Links to Purchase




The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine


A mesmerizing debut psychological thriller full of delicious twists about a coolly manipulative woman who worms her way into the lives of a wealthy “golden couple” from Connecticut to achieve the privileged life she wants.

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted. To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne and her husband, Jackson—the beautiful philanthropist and the confident real estate mogul—are a golden couple straight out of a fairytale, blessed with two lovely young daughters.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrish family, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

My Thoughts
AMAZING!  I couldn't put it down!  So many twists and turns.  One minute I thought I figured it out and BAM I was totally wrong!  LOVE that!
One woman's desire to get the fortune and life she has always wanted and one woman's need to live a normal life and not be perfect.  How will that turn out in the end?
Amber is sick of being a nobody, she meets Daphne and sees the life she has always desired.  Will it be hers?
Will Amber get the amazing life she sees Daphne have?  Will Daphne see what Amber is up to and try and stop her?  This book is filled with deceit, desire, power, fear and so much more, you won't be able to put it down!


Drink Selection
This book would be best paired with a  classic Martini - to me it as a little intrigue and hidden mystery.

Rating
5 wine glasses all the way!  Loved it! Must read for 2017/2018!

About the Author
Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Separated by three states, they spend hours plotting via skype and burning up each other’s emails. They attribute their ability to concoct dark story lines to the hours they spent listening to tales handed down by their Greek grandmother. THE LAST MRS. PARRISH is their debut thriller.


Rights for THE LAST MRS. PARRISH have been sold in 19 other territories, including Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Korea, the UK, China, and Russia.


Link to Purchase



Tuesday, December 12, 2017

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

My Thoughts
Such a great read!  I loved the depth of the characters, the multiple story lines that have me hoping that there will be a sequel one day!
Two sisters who seemed to be close at one time couldn't be further apart then they are since tragedy struck.  Will their lives were never the same again.
Fast forward to current day - Mere is in a career that she hates, what she thinks is a loveless marriage and can't stand her sister Josie.
Josie has the career but she doesn't have the man or the child that she desires and wishes she had a closer relationship with her sister.
This story has so many ups and down from love to family to bestfriends and regret.  You will feel very close to this family in the end and become attached to their story.  Will they survive and become close again or will their family be torn apart forever?


Drink Selection
I am going to go with a yummy Gingerbread Hot Chocolate! 
(Ginger, cinnamon and allspice bring a gingerbread flavor to this hot chocolate. Intense Dutch-process cocoa powder balances the spices, and chopped milk chocolate is mixed in at the end for a creamy, rich texture)

Rating
Loved this book from beginning to end, 5 wine glasses for sure!

About the Author
Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time. The author of seven New York Times bestselling novels, The One & Only, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love The One You're With, Heart of the Matter, and Where We Belong, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.

Her eighth novel, FIRST COMES LOVE, will be released on June 28th, 2016.

Website: www.emilygiffin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EmilyGiffinFans

Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilygiffin

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/emilygiffina...

Link to Purchase