The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher

Sometimes the best man isn't even in the wedding party...

Gavin Greene is a hopeless romantic. He's also a professional one: he writes the wedding column for a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, covering spectacular parties from coast to coast. But there's a thin line between being a hotshot reporter on assignment...and being a single guy alone on a Saturday night at someone else's wedding.

Everything changes on New Year's when Gavin meets Melinda, a travel writer with enchanting dimples. A moonlit stroll across a Manhattan rooftop seals the deal. Until an Aussie with attitude swoops in and whisks her away before Gavin gets her number.

Gavin crisscrosses New York City to find her again. And he learns that there's something worse than losing the woman of his dreams: Having to write an article about her wedding.


My Thoughts
First off, I liked how this story was told from the male perspective.  9 times out of 10 it's always female perspective. 
It's slightly, ok really out of left field, that there would be a guy that had dreams about marriage, honeymoons and babies his entire life. 
One funny line in the book, because he was still single he was letting down his species, really?  HAHA  Personally I think they would praise him.
This book has all sorts of ups and downs - love at first site, hope, deceit, cheating, happiness, which will be Gavin's fate?


Drink Selection
So many weddings, have to pair it with champagne!  Delish!


Rating

About Devan
Born in LA.

I always thought that would make a good title for my autobiography. Not that I plan on writing one.

I grew up mostly in Southfield, Michigan, which sounds misleadingly bucolic for a suburb of Detroit with more than 27 million square feet of office space.

For the past eight years I've been a writer of the Vows column at The New York Times, and my first novel, The Wedding Beat, was loosely based on my experience at the Times as a single guy writing about weddings.

My second novel, The Scenic Route, comes out in June 2014.


Link to Purchase
Amazon

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

For so many people, reading isn't just a hobby or a way to pass the time--it's a lifestyle. Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as people, and we can't imagine life without them.

I'd Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives.

My Thoughts

What a perfect book about the joy of reading.  I connected with this book on so many levels and couldn't get enough.

There were bits and pieces that really stuck with me.  The chapter regarding the "sins" that readers tell other readers in private - it makes me recall when people tell me that they DNF a book.  I giggle because I used to feel bad as well, but I finally realized I'm not going to like every book and it's really a guessing game until I get into the book.

Right book right time - I have had the joy of this as well.  Recently I read The Dinner List and it truly was the book that I needed at that very moment and I devoured it. 

The concept of book shelf organization always fascinates me.  I love the thrill of taking all of them done and reading each back and finding a fun new way to display them.  Currently they are in color "order". 

When readers are obsessed with a book, I get it, but when they tell me over and over again that I MUST read it, I tend to back further and further away in spite.  LOL  Promote/Love but don't be pushy!

The chapter on bookworm problems so true - must read!

For any of you that really know me, I would LOVE to get a job in a bookstore, even part-time!  The atmosphere, the little bookish goodies, being surrounded by book lovers = pure heaven!

This may be the only book that I can honestly say that I will re-read.  Once I know what will happen, it takes a lot of the joy out of it for me.

Lastly, book journaling is amazing!  I just recently started this joy filled activity and I can honestly say that I get so much more out of a book while journaling and I will never stop!

Drink Selection

 I totally want to cuddle up with a nice warm cup of cider, delish for this cool fall weather enveloping us.

Rating

About Anne

She is the creator of the popular blog Modern Mrs. Darcy. Known by readers, authors, and publishers as a tastemaker through her popular book lists and reading guides, books are the foundation of her site, which has been affectionately dubbed “a lifestyle blog for nerds.” Anne considers that high praise. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and four kids, yellow lab, and two thousand of her favorite books.

Link to Purchase

Amazon

The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker

Ever since her husband’s death collided with the birth of her daughter, postpartum depression has taken hold of Veronica Shelton. She can’t sleep, can’t work, and can’t bear to touch her beautiful baby girl. Her emotional state is whispering lies in Veronica’s ear: You’re a bad mother. Your baby would be better off without you. But not everything can be reasoned away by Veronica’s despair. Can it?

After all, the break-in at her house happened. The disturbing sketches she found in her studio are real. So is the fear for her daughter’s safety—especially when Veronica comes home to a cold, silent nursery and a missing baby.

As she turns from victim into primary suspect, Veronica realizes that only she can find her daughter. Authorities aren’t helping. They’re only watching. Veronica’s concerned mother has suddenly vanished from her life. And a new friend seems to be keeping secrets from her too. Now, reality is waiting for Veronica in a dark place—because someone’s mind games have only just begun.

My Thoughts
What a good read.  I was a little slow to get into at the beginning but once I started working my way though I really enjoyed it.
Postpartum depression is so real and so hard to get through.  I had it with my first and I was thankful I didn't with my 2nd and 3rd. 
I found it a little interesting/odd that someone that is so withdrawn is so willing to open up to people she randomly sees in the waiting room? 
I don't want to give away too much of the story but you will find tragedy, heartbreak, pain, fear, hope, and love all wrapped into one story.  Will it end happily?  A real page turner, I highly recommend it!


Drink Selection
Being that it's fall, I'm going with Spiked Apple Cider. Delish!


Rating

About Emily

Emily lives in suburban Chicago with her family. Between writing and being a mom, she attempts to learn guitar, sings along to the radio (loudly), and embraces her newfound addiction to running.


Link to Purchase
Amazon

What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan

From noted ESPN commentator and journalist Kate Fagan, the heartbreaking and vital story of college athlete Madison Holleran, whose death by suicide rocked the University of Pennsylvania campus and whose life reveals with haunting detail and uncommon understanding the struggle of young people suffering from mental illness today.

If you scrolled through the Instagram feed of 19-year-old Maddy Holleran, you would see a perfect life: a freshman at an Ivy League school, recruited for the track team, who was also beautiful, popular, and fiercely intelligent. This was a girl who succeeded at everything she tried, and who was only getting started.

But when Maddy began her long-awaited college career, her parents noticed something changed. Previously indefatigable Maddy became withdrawn, and her thoughts centered on how she could change her life. In spite of thousands of hours of practice and study, she contemplated transferring from the school that had once been her dream. When Maddy's dad, Jim, dropped her off for the first day of spring semester, she held him a second longer than usual. That would be the last time Jim would see his daughter.

My Thoughts

Such a tragic story of a life cut short.  Maddy "seemed" to have the perfect life, an Instagram story fit for a teenage princess.  But the truth lies beneath the smile that she put on for everyone, for the perfect Insta life.

This story in general touched me, knowing that my daughter deals with a high level of anxiety (and takes medication) due to school, grades, dating, work, etc.  I can see the pressure that she puts on herself for perfection and this book really makes me take note of her behavior, her words, her posts that much more.

I also spoke to her regarding this issue and I plan to have her read this next, being that she is college bound next fall.

The only parts that didn't really grab me per say, were the chapters that didn't really have to do with Maddy (maybe in theory) and her life.

Drink Selection

I want to pair this read with a nice warm glass of apple cider. 

Rating

About Kate

Kate Fagan is a columnist and feature writer for espnW, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. She is also an in-studio contributor for The Word, a digital video segment that examines hot topics in sports. Previously, Fagan spent three seasons covering the 76ers for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her work was cited in the anthology of Best American Sports Writing 2013, and she has also been featured on Longreads, a site that curates the best in long-form journalism and fiction. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Link to Purchase

Amazon

 

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

My Thoughts

The first thought in mind when I really got into this book, OMG what if this happened to me?  What in the world would I do? To be honest I have no idea!  Such a terrifying story that ends in love but do they always? This would be my WORST and BEST nightmare all in one.

I personally feel that once a person goes through such a tragic event of "losing" someone in such a horrible way, characteristics of a person change for good and going back isn't really an option in the future.

Jesse needs to really get his feelings out there, communicate and understand that a lot happened in the 3.5 years he was gone and Emma has grown and changed.

The interesting question that lingers, would they have stayed together if the tragedy hadn't occurred? 

Drink Selection

I'm going to pair this read with a fall favorite, hard cider sangria.  Delish :)

Rating

About Taylor

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, and two other novels. She lives in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @tjenkinsreid.

Link to Purchase

Amazon

 

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

When Sabrina Nielsen arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also her favorite professor from college, her father, her ex-fiance, Tobias, and Audrey Hepburn.

At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Sabrina contends with in Rebecca Serle’s utterly captivating novel, The Dinner List, a story imbued with the same delightful magical realism as Sliding Doors, and The Rosie Project.

As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together, and as Rebecca Serle masterfully traces Sabrina’s love affair with Tobias and her coming of age in New York City, The Dinner List grapples with the definition of romance, the expectations of love, and how we navigate our way through it to happiness. Oh, and of course, wisdom from Audrey Hepburn.

My Thoughts

What an amazing read.  It was the read that I needed on that given day.  It struck a cord and I read it in less 24 hours. 

There were so many parts that really tugged at me - when I was younger I was always the one to "make it work", even if it wasn't healthy I was determined.

I loved the points that spoke of knowing that things will not always be at their full potential, that you must realize that true happiness is accepting that 95% pf the time life is imperfect.

Without giving too many details away, the ending really got to me and I was on the verge of all out tears which is very rare for me.  This ending (just slightly before the ending), wow. 

Drink Selection

I'm going to pair this delightful read with champagne, after all, we are celebrating Sabby's birthday.

Rating

About Rebecca

Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives between New York and Los Angeles. Serle most recently co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her young adult series Famous in Love, now on Freeform. She loves Nancy Meyers films, bathrobes, and giving unsolicited advice on love. She can be found on twitter: @RebeccaASerle

Link to Purchase

Amazon

#BloomBlogWeek Giveaway!

I am doing a blog post today as part of Blogger Appreciation Week with Tall Poppy Writers.


For my regular readers and for new readers, here's a little fun info about me!

For those of you who are new here, thank you for stopping by Books and Wine are Lovely! I have this blog as well as a group/page on Facebook  and Instagram.

I first decided to establish my own blog with the helpful advice of my dear friend Hilary Grossman who's book Dangled Carat was the first book I ever reviewed and I was hooked! 

I have many authors who request to be on my blog and others that I seek out do to LOVING their books!

 I try to review at least 1 book a week, I participate in blog tour stops, host interviews and of course have giveaways like the one below!

I'm be giving away:

Here are just a few of my favorites for you to win today! 

Good Luck!

Bethany xoxoxo