Monday, July 30, 2018

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis



For the nearly nine million people who live in New York City, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.

For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future, which she is certain will shine as the brightly as the constellations on the main concourse ceiling. It is 1928, and twenty-five-year-old Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. A talented illustrator, she has dreams of creating cover art for Vogue, but not even the prestige of the school can override the public's disdain for a "woman artist." Brash, fiery, confident, and single-minded--even while juggling the affections of two men, a wealthy would-be poet and a brilliant experimental painter--Clara is determined to achieve every creative success. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they'll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression, an insatiable monster with the power to destroy the entire art scene. And even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.

Nearly fifty years later, in 1974, the terminal has declined almost as sharply as Virginia Clay's life. Full of grime and danger, from the smoke-blackened ceiling to the pickpockets and drug dealers who roam the floor, Grand Central is at the center of a fierce lawsuit: Is the once-grand building a landmark to be preserved, or a cancer to be demolished? For Virginia, it is simply her last resort. Recently divorced, she has just accepted a job in the information booth in order to support herself and her college-age daughter, Ruby. But when Virginia stumbles upon an abandoned art school within the terminal and discovers a striking watercolor hidden under the dust, her eyes are opened to the elegance beneath the decay. She embarks on a quest to find the artist of the unsigned masterpiece--an impassioned chase that draws Virginia not only into the battle to save Grand Central but deep into the mystery of Clara Darden, the famed 1920s illustrator who disappeared from history in 1931.

My Thoughts
My love of historical fiction had begun with Fiona when I first read The Address.  I was mesmerized by her story lines, the depth of her characters and just the way in which her book flowed.
I then moved on to The Dollhouse and I felt the same way.  (How had I not known of her work before?)
Today I am reviewing The Masterpiece and this is by far her best work yet.  Not only was the story line amazing, I loved how the characters weaved in and out of the past and present and the intrigue each chapter created. 
Grand Central Station surely is a magical place and the sheer size of the building tells me how many stories, secrets, and lives were changed in those walls.
Clara looks at Grand Central as a stepping stone towards a better life, 50 years later Virginia sees it as her last resort for her life after divorce.  She does her best to see past the grime, crime and the danger of what the terminal has become.
These two woman have a determination, drive and desire to make a life for themselves and the terminal will either make it or break it for them. 
You must read the story to understand the twists and turns that Clara and Virginia's stories take and how they intertwine.  Pre-order your copy today.  I can't wait to hear what you think!

Drink Selection
I'm going to pair this selection with a French 75 from the 1920's - sounds delish!

Rating
Fiona  Davis
About Fiona
Fiona Davis is the author of THE DOLLHOUSE and THE ADDRESS. She began her career in New York City as an actress, where she worked on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in regional theater. After getting a master's degree at Columbia Journalism School, she fell in love with writing, leapfrogging from editor to freelance journalist before finally settling down as an author of historical fiction. Visit her at www.fionadavis.net, facebook.com/FionaDavisAuthor/ and on Instagram and Twitter @fionajdavis.

Link to Purchase




Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski

Everything Under the Sun banner

This is my stop during the blog tour for Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 30 July till 12 August. See the tour schedule here.

Everything Under the Sun

                          
Genre: Dystopian/ Post apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult/ Adult
Pages: 683 pages
Release Date: 28 August 2017

Blurb:
Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about.

Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?


You can find Everything Under the Sun on Goodreads

You can buy Everything Under the Sun here on Amazon


GUEST POST | Author’s Favorite Scenes | EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN


I wrote EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN over the span of about three years, so there are many scenes that really stuck out for me. One of my most memorable was, by far, the time when Atticus and Thais have their first real ‘argument’. It happens in the cabin after a certain event that I will not spoil here, and the scene, for me, was very intense and emotional to write. I felt like my heart was breaking and filling up at the same time.
Another one of my favorite scenes—and apparently many readers as well—was the arena scene, when Atticus is forced to fight to the death, gauntlet-style. And I admit, while writing it, I felt like I was there, seeing it through Thais’ eyes—which is why her reaction to what was happening to the man she loves was so brave and dangerous. In this story, it’s certainly not only the guy who saves the girl, as Thais, regardless of her peaceful nature and small stature, is far from being the damsel-in-distress type. She is strong and fearless, and she proves that not only in the arena scene, but time and time again.



Jessica Redmerski


About the Author:
Jessica Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, international bestseller, and award winner, who juggles several different genres. She began self-publishing in 2012, and later with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed on with Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. Her works have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Jessica is a hybrid author who, in addition to working with a traditional publisher, also continues to self-publish. Her popular crime and suspense series, In the Company of Killers, has been optioned for television and film by actor and model William Levy.
She also writes as J.A. Redmerski.

You can find and contact Jessica here:

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Everything Under the Sun. 3 winners will each win a signed paperback copies of Everything Under the Sun, along with signed bookmarks and postcards (United States and Canada only).

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

Friday, July 27, 2018

Go on, Girl by Hilary Grossman

Executive, wife, and mother of an outgoing first-grader, Sydney Clayton crushes her day-to-day obligations at work but flounders in the cutthroat world of parental politics.

She manages to avoid the local drama until she’s faced with an ultimatum: join the Forest River PTA or risk her daughter becoming a social outcast. Sydney reluctantly becomes treasurer, and takes the recently vacated position of the president’s sidekick. If protecting the children’s freedom of speech, one best friend ban at a time, isn’t complicated enough, Sydney and her husband receive an unexpected offer for their house they don’t think they can refuse.

Embroiled in the deception and manipulation rife among the elementary school moms, Sydney struggles. Should she sell the home she worked so hard to build in a town where betrayal runs rampant? Or should she stay put to avoid the fallout from uprooting her child? As Sydney focuses on what is best for her daughter, and lets go of her judgments, she finds friendship can develop in very unexpected ways.

My Thoughts
I love the new turn that Hilary took this time around and shifted her focus on us moms and that craziness that sometimes follows us around.
We may not have experienced the exact same situations, but we have all seen, known, been or are PTA moms and that world is cut throat.  People think that it's all rosy and play dates with cupcakes and unicorns but those women are CRAZY!
I personally joined once for a very short time and realized that I needed to save the little sanity I have left (mom of three) and not waste it at those meetings.
Now, I must digress one more moment and say that Sydney's sister is named Bethany (named after me and I couldn't be more excited!)
Sydney is a mom that is trying to do it all - work more than fulltime, have a great relationship with her husband, and make sure her daughter has everything to make her happy!  Check, check and check. 
Then one day she gets a call from Jackie, the PTA Queen, and she blackmails her into joining the PTA, her daughters happiness depends on it.  SEE, CRAZY!
There are so many twists and turns, ups and downs, and that's just the first few chapters!
Pick up a copy today, you won't be disappointed! (I can't give away all the fun juicy tales).

Drink Selection
This book has some very trying moments, Martini it is! (Maybe 3)

Rating

About Hilary
By day, Hilary Grossman works in the booze biz. By night she hangs out with her “characters.” She has an unhealthy addiction to denim and high heel shoes. She’s been known to walk into walls and fall up stairs. She only eats spicy foods and is obsessed with her cat, Lucy. She loves to find humor in everyday life. She likens life to a game of dodge ball - she tries to keep many balls in the air before they smack her in the face. She lives on the beach in Long Island.

To find out more of what Hilary is up to check out her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HilaryGrossm...




Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Dancing by the Moonlight by Angie Ellington

Olivia Shields is a new resident to Carlisle Bay, Connecticut, after having traveled the world as a professional ballet dancer. Dancing was her life. Chasing performance dreams is all she's ever known or planned for. Now, she'll take on a new role as the manager of her aunt's coastal boutique.

Brady Carlisle has recently returned to Carlisle Bay; the hometown of his family's namesake. He's spent the last decade in California, designing and patenting surfboards. Becoming his own man without relying on the Carlisle name is all he's ever wanted.

Just as life seems to be getting on track, the boutique could be lost. The Shields women have got a few storms to weather. They aren't the only ones. The Carlisle family has held on to secrets for over a decade.

Starting over isn't always simple. Will they try and recapture a summer love swept out at sea thirteen years earlier.. Will secrets and heartache of the past keep them apart? Life may not always be smooth sailing along the shores of Carlisle Bay, but fireworks are sure to be found.


My Thoughts
Angie always writes books that I fall in love with from page 1.  Her characters are well written and her stories are relatable and realistic.
Olivia has moved back after her dance career ended with injuries and sent her home from Paris. What will she do now?
Luckily her aunt owns an adorable little boutique and plans to retire and would like for Olivia to take over. Who wouldn't love that? 
Little does she know that the love of her life is back in town.  Brady Carlisle has returned to the bay.  She runs into him at a party and yes the feelings come flooding back.  But can she trust him with her heart again?
As if this isn't enough drama, but now there are issues with the store's lease.  With they weather this additional storm?

Drink Selection
Pina Colada Sunrise Cocktail - delish.

Rating

Angie Ellington
About Angie
Angie Ellington writes contemporary women's fiction...a cross between sweet romance & chick lit. If you're a fan of Hallmark Channel, Angie's books may be just what you're looking for!

Moonlit Hearts Romances (Novellas)
*Christmas in Fair Bend (2017)-Available
*Autumn at Apple Hill (2017)-Available
*Spring in Lilac Glen-(2018)-Available

Carlisle Bay Series (Novels)
*Dancing by the Moonlight (Available)
*Sandcastles at Sunrise (2019)

Link to Purchase



Friday, July 20, 2018

Interview with the amazing Hannah McKinnon, author of The Neighbors


Hello Book Friends!  I had the pleasure today to chat with the lovely Hannah McKinnon!  She has many books under her belt so to speak, her latest amazing read is The Neighbors.

First of all let me begin by saying I have heard so many great things about The Neighbors, I can’t wait to dive in!  How did you come up with the story line?  I’m always curious how an author develops the story and what may have hit you as an aha moment and the story was born.

I’m so pleased you’ve had positive input about The Neighbors, and I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

As for the storyline, I wanted to write something darker than my debut, Time After Time, and challenged myself to create something more complex and gritty. It started with a “what if” question, specifically what if an ex-boyfriend moved in next door? I imagined how awkward that might be for the characters, particularly if they hadn’t seen each other for almost twenty years and were now married to other people. Would they tell their respective partners there was a history, or would they keep quiet—and why? What secrets could they be hiding, and what might happen if those secrets got out?

Do you have another book in the works at this time, can you share any details?

Yes! Her Secret Son is the story about a man called Josh, whose partner of five years dies in a tragic accident, leaving her 7-year-old son Logan behind. When complications with Logan’s birth certificate arise, and Josh can’t arrange legal guardianship, he has an impossible choice to make—seek the truth about Logan knowing he’ll risk losing him, or continue living a lie. The book publishes May 2019 and I can’t wait to share Josh and Logan’s journey with the world.

When you’re not writing or reading, what are you doing with your spare time?

We have three teenage boys so they keep me pretty busy! I do enjoy getting outside as much as I can—hiking, swimming, cycling—anything to get me moving so I can counteract the time I spend sitting while working on my novels. I also love going to the movies. Ever since I was a kid I’ve adored the anticipation of watching something on the big screen. I even get excited about the previews!

Being an author I’m sure this is a difficult question, but do you have a favorite author? Favorite book? 

That is a tricky question, and I can’t possibly narrow it down to one. I’ve been a long-term Lisa Jewell fan ever since her first novel, Ralph’s Party, was released in 1998. I love how she moved from light-hearted romance to family dramas to domestic suspense. I devour David Nicholls’s books, too—they’re witty and poignant, and his dialogue is second to none. J.K. Rowling is probably my biggest inspiration. I adore her! Should we ever meet, my life would be complete (once I’ve recovered from fainting).

Speaking of meeting authors, with the release of The Neighbors, I’ve had the privilege of discovering an incredible group of female authors, including Kimberly Belle, Karma Brown, Emily Carpenter, Rebecca Drake, Kimberly G. Giarratano, Heather Gudenkauf, Jennifer Hillier, Karen Katchur, Mary Kubica, Mindy Mejia, Kate Moretti, Jill Orr, Kaira Rouda, Marissa Stapley,Wendy Heard and Wendy Walker. That’s a long list, but these women all inspired me and have been wonderfully supportive, generous and kind. The writing community has welcomed me with open arms, and I’m so grateful to be in a position to return the favor.

What are your thoughts on negative book reviews?  Does it hurt to see someone dislike your book baby?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care when I see a bad review, and equally so, great reviews make my heart sing. However, I’ve developed thicker skin over the years when it comes to negative feedback, whatever it may be. People’s opinions are just as valid as mine, and if they don’t like something, that’s their absolute right. Like most things, my novels can’t please everyone. As long as the (preferably vast) majority of readers enjoys my writing, I’m absolutely delighted.

Do you ever re-read books?  Do you keep your books and display them or do you donate or sell them to consignment shops?

I do re-read books but generally only after a few years. I keep most of my novels, but have been known to donate some to friends or the library, and never, ever throw any away. Our local library is fantastic, and I often borrow books there, too, and I’ve recently discovered audio books, which are fabulous to listen to while I’m at the gym.

Being an author comes with the privilege of being asked to read advance copies of books that haven’t been published yet, which is not only an honor, but an absolute treat—and of course all the signed copies have a special place on my bookshelves.

Thank you for joining us Hannah!  You will need to come back again soon!

Head on over to my Facebook group for a giveaway of The Neighbors!

Bethany











Thursday, July 19, 2018

Cover Reveal - Until the Last Star Fades by Jacquelyn Middleton


COULD YOU BE THE ONE WHO CHANGES EVERYTHING?

In her senior year at NYU, Riley Hope appears to be on top of the world. With a loving mother who makes Lorelai Gilmore look like a parenting slacker, ride-or-die friends, and a long-time boyfriend destined for the National Hockey League, she puts on a smile for the world. But behind it, she’s drowning. Racked with fears for the future, she battles to stay afloat amid life in the shadows of a heartbreaking illness.

And then, Ben Fagan comes crashing into her life. Twenty-three-years-old, British, and alone in the Big Apple after a disastrous pilot season in LA, the struggling actor is looking for an escape: booze, mischief, sex—minimum commitment, maximum fun—anything to avoid returning across the pond.

As they form an unlikely bond, Riley keeps her reality from Ben so that he remains a happy refuge. But how long can she hold back the truth…and is Ben keeping his own secrets, too?

From the award-winning author of LONDON BELONGS TO ME and LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT?, comes a bittersweet romance about love, loss, sacrifice, and the life-changing decisions we make. UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES will be released by Kirkwall Books in paperback and ebook on November 8, 2018. 

Pre-order coming soon. Add UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES now to your TBR - Goodreads Link !

Other Books from Jacquelyn
My contemporary coming of age novel, 
LONDON BELONGS TO ME 

and my award-winning contemporary romance,
LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT?
 
UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES - coming November 8, 2018!
 Published by Kirkwall Books
 
Social Media for Jacquelyn

 Twitter @JaxMiddleton
Instagram @JaxMiddleton_Author
Facebook: JacquelynMiddletonAuthor




Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Somebody's Daughter by David Bell

When Michael Frazier's ex-wife, Erica, shows up on his doorstep pleading for help, she drops a bombshell that threatens to rip his family apart: Erica's nine-year-old daughter is missing--and Michael is the father. Unable to quickly determine if Erica is telling the truth, and unwilling to leave the little girl's fate to chance, Michael has no choice but to follow the elusive trail of the child he has always wanted and never knew he had.

But finding Felicity comes at a price--the closer Michael gets to the truth, the further into jeopardy his marriage falls and the faster his family begins to unravel. As lies that span a decade bubble to the surface and the window for Felicity's safe return closes, Michael will have just a few short days to decide who can be trusted and who is hiding the truth.

My Thoughts
This is a TOP Summer Read for me!  I couldn't get enough of this page turner.
I won't be giving away any of the juicy details, you must read it for yourself!
Michael is living his life with his wife, when his Ex-Wife shows up out of the blue.
She's in a panic, saying that her daughter has been taken and then she drops the bombshell - Felicity is Michaels. 
Michael is then thrown into leaving with Erica and trying to track down this helpless little girl.  His life is turned upside down in less than a day!
Will they find her in town?  What will they learn along the way?  Is he really in fact the father?


Drink Selection
This is a whiskey kind of book, whiskey sours it is!


Rating
Link to Purchase
Amazon


David      Bell
About David
David Bell is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning suspense novelist. His most recent thriller from Berkley/Penguin is SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER. His previous novels include BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. He is currently an Associate Professor of English at Western Kentucky University and can be reached via his website at www.davidbellnovels.com, on Twitter at Twitter.com/davidbellnovels, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/davidbellnovels.








Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Taking a Chance by Becky Monson

Liza Parker has a fear of heights, crowds and small spaces. So what’s a girl like her doing on a crowded elevator going to the top of the Empire State Building? Freaking out, that’s what she’s doing.

Enter Jay Sanders, a tourist who thinks he might be able to help Liza face her fears, but she has to be willing to spend the day with a complete stranger. Maybe taking a chance on Jay is just what Liza needs.

My Thoughts
What a fun novella!  I LOVED the concept of the story - Liza's bucket list.  They have a "chance" meeting when Liza is trying to go to the top of the Empire State Building and look over.  She is panicking all the way up and it's not looking good.
Jay sees what's going on and tries his best to help her accomplish her goal, it doesn't happen. 
But he does realize that he can help her and they take a tour of the city and the ending is adorable!

Drink Selection
To celebrate her accomplishments, champagne all around!

Rating
Link to Purchase
Becky Monson
About Becky

By day, Becky Monson is a mother to three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc.), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful this time will last... but it probably won't.

Become a fan on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeckyM...



Monday, July 9, 2018

Switch and Bait by Ricki Schultz

All through college, Blanche Carter was known as the love doctor in her sorority. Now she's parlayed her talent into a unique consulting business: she runs the online dating profiles of Washington D.C.'s most eligible women.

Armed with a battalion of rules, Blanche expertly helps her clients optimize their profiles and ace that first date. But although she'll happily message handsome strangers (and fend off dick pics) for other ladies, Blanche's most important rule is the one she has for herself: no relationships. She's seen too much heartbreak to believe in real love anymore.

When a former fling pops up among the matches for one of her favorite clients, Blanche gamely messages him on her behalf. Blanche is definitely over him, and this is how she'll prove it. But if she doesn't watch out, Blanche might end up not only screwing over a client--and possibly tanking her entire business--but breaking her rule about love as well . . .

My Thoughts
This is the perfect beach read!  I LOVED it!
Blanche is a book store manager (hello I want her job!) and on the side she is a matchmaker to those that are hopeless and can't find a date.
She did it for her sorority sisters back in the day for free, why not make some cash this time around.  :)
She basically logs on to dating sites, sets up profiles for her clients, find the "perfect" matches and converse with them all while setting up dates for her clients to go on!  She will even be at the date in hiding, just in case anything goes wrong.  Talk about customer service!
While she is helping Ansley find her man, he ex Henry swipes for her.  What is a girl to do?
Will this end well for all parties involved? 
Grab a copy today!

Drink Selection
Margaritas all around!  Delish! Sit back and watch it all unfold!

Rating
5 wine glasses for sure!  Perfect beach read!

Link to Purchase

About Ricki

Although she is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and has spent the most time there, Ricki has also lived in Georgia and Virginia. (She promises she’s not a drifter, though.)BF0A1927
Ricki earned a B.A. in English and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to writing, she has molded the minds of tweens & teens as a middle school and high school teacher in both the CLE and the ATL — and she also spent a year teaching writing and communications at the college level.
She’s back in Atlanta now, and she owns the cutest beagle ever (Molly).
IMG_20150826_205440
Among other publications, she has contributed to Writer’s Digest Books, both interviewing literary agents for the Guide to Literary Agents blog as well as writing various articles for both Guide to Literary Agents and Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market (F+W Media). In addition to freelance writing and editing, she has spoken at writers’ conferences and now sits on the board of Broadleaf Writers Association here in the Dirty South. She was formerly the coordinator of the now-defunct online writing community, the Write-Brained Network.
Her writing is represented by Barbara Poelle of Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Thursday, July 5, 2018

The Banker's Wife by Cristina Alger

On an early morning in November, a couple boards a private plane bound for Geneva, flying into a storm. Soon after, it simply drops off the radar, and its wreckage is later uncovered in the Alps. Among the disappeared is Matthew Lerner, a banking insider at Swiss United, a powerful offshore bank. His young widow, Annabel, is left grappling with the secrets he left behind, including an encrypted laptop and a shady client list. As she begins a desperate search for answers, she determines that Matthew's death was no accident, and that she is now in the crosshairs of his powerful enemies.

Meanwhile, ambitious society journalist Marina Tourneau has finally landed at the top. Now that she's engaged to Grant Ellis, she will stop writing about powerful families and finally be a part of one. Her entry into the upper echelons of New York's social scene is more appealing than any article could ever be, but, after the death of her mentor, she agrees to dig into one more story. While looking into Swiss United, Marina uncovers information that implicates some of the most powerful men in the financial world, including some who are too close to home. The story could also be the answer to Annabel's heartbreaking search—if Marina chooses to publish it.

My Thoughts 
LOVED THIS BOOK!  I read it in less than 1 day.  Amazing!
I honestly wasn't sure what to think about it when I read the description but I was drawn in from the first page.  Alger has a writing style that is top notch and the characters are written flawlessly.  
A couple goes down in a plane crash (not husband and wife).  The man - Matthew Lerner is a junior banker at Swiss United.  
His widow Annabel doesn't know what to make of all the unanswered questions - who was he with?  Why was he in London? How did her banker husband acquire so many enemies?
On the other side there is Marina a writer who is engaged to a pretty perfect man (or so she thinks)named Grant who plans to give up her job to help with his families political bid for the White House.  
All seemed well and then her boss calls with a cryptic message and a few days later he is dead.  Her world starts to crumble around her.
She uncovers information that could bring the entire international financial world to its knees.  
How will this story end?  I suggest you grab a copy as soon as possible and find out.  You won't be disappointed.

Drink Selection
What a crazy ride!  I think a few glasses of whisky are a must!

Rating
5 wine glasses for sure, LOVED this book!

Link to Purchase

About Cristina 
Cristina Alger is a lifelong New Yorker. A graduate of Harvard College and NYU Law School, she worked as a financial analyst and a corporate attorney before becoming a writer. Her third novel, THE BANKER’S WIFE, will be published in Summer 2018 by Putnam. She lives in New York with her husband and children.


 
 
  

Sorority by Genevieve Sly Crane

Twinsets and pearls, secrets and kinship, rituals that hold sisters together in a sacred bond of everlasting trust. Certain chaste images spring to mind when one thinks of sororities. But make no mistake: these women are not braiding each other’s hair and having pillow fights—not by a long shot.

What Genevieve Sly Crane has conjured in these pages is a blunt, in your face look behind the closed doors of a house full of contemporary women—and there are no holds barred. These women have issues: self-inflicted, family inflicted, sister-to-sister inflicted—and it is all on the page. At the center of this swirl is Margot: the sister who died in the house, and each chapter is told from the points of view of the women who orbit her death and have their own reactions to it.

My Thoughts 
I'm so back and forth with this book.  I actually had to take notes to understand what was going on.
There are parts that I liked and parts that I wasn't a fan of.
It's the dark side to sororities - drugs, cheating, sleeping around, just to name a few.  
It's hard for me to write a full review without giving away so many of the details and surprises. 
The story revolves around Margot's death and how each sister dealt with it.
  Get a copy today and you'll understand what I mean.

Drink Selection
Riesling for sure, you may need a whole bottle to understand the turmoil these girls endured.

Rating 
4 wine glasses - intriguing...

About Genevieve 
 
Genevieve Sly Crane is a graduate of The University of Massachusetts and Stony Brook Southampton, where she received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Literature in 2013. Prior to her writing career, she worked as a security guard, babysitter, karate studio receptionist, bookstore clerk, editor, fancy-clothing-store salesgirl, and animal hospital office manager. Currently, she teaches in the English department at Monroe College. Sorority is her first publication. 

Link to Purchase

Crazy Little Town Called Love by Jill Hannah Anderson




Thirty-two-year-old Molly’s cushy life in Minneapolis tanks when her long-time boyfriend bails on her and their underwater-mortgaged home. 

She needs a place to live and a new job—and the answer to both may be in a quaint town called Love. The town where her deceased mother grew up, a town where an old General Store and home have been willed to Molly’s family…a town with secrets and people with long memories. 

Can she trade her acrylic nails for pounding nails to revive a fixer-upper store? Molly is ready for a do-over and a chance to prove to herself that she can make it on her own. 

She puts elbow grease, heart, and half her savings, into giving the old place a facelift. As her business grows, so does her relationship with Jackson—the owner of the hardware store—and great-nephew to the woman who willed her business to Molly’s family. 

The tourist town of Love brims with quirky townspeople and fun events. And it is at one of these events that Molly is first threatened. 

Apparently, not everyone is happy to have her in town. As threats against her escalate, Molly has to decide if she’d be better off leaving Love or staying to fight for the life she’s created in the town that has stolen her heart. 

My Thoughts 
What a fun book! I loved the first book in this series, To Hell and Back Club! I wish there was one of those for me. I've definitely had my fair share of hell. 
Molly's life in Minnesota wasn't great but she was living comfortably. She went to dinner at nice places, colored her hair and did her nails. But her relationship was eh but they were getting by.   Then he bails on her. He lost his job and can't pay his half of the bills. She doesn't make much, how's she going to get by? 
Then she remembers her mom and dad being left a property in a town called Love. Cute right? 
What does she have to lose? 
She puts her heart and savings into fixing up this quaint general store. 
And Jackson, the hardware store owner, he sounds pretty sexy if you ask me. 
At least she has some eye candy to look at :). 
Just when she thought she was fitting in, things began to happen. Down right creepy things. 
Will she stay? Will she run back to the twin cities and say screw it? 

Drink Selection 
I am pairing this read with delicious Red Cat Sangria. Yum! 

Rating 
5 wine glasses for sure! 


About Jill
Jill lives on a lake in Minnesota with her husband in their rarely-empty nest. They enjoy their six adult children and many grandchildren when they come to visit. Her first women’s fiction novel, The To-Hell-And-Back Club, debuted in May 2017. She is a member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). Her second novel, Crazy Little Town Called Love, will be published in July 2018. 
She loves to connect with book clubs! When she isn’t writing, or reading, you’ll find her running, curling, biking, and enjoying the great outdoors.

Link to Purchase
Amazon