She thought he had died. She made a new life. Then he came back...
Alice and Ben. A couple like any other. Bound together by love, work, children, familiarity, a shared sense of purpose.
Arguing about the usual things too - in-laws, whose career is more
important, which of them is a soft touch with the children, who hates
change and who craves it.
But when Ben takes a step into the
unknown, and brings devastation on the family, it forces them to look at
everything in a whole new way. Because, as far as they know, this is
the end of the line for their family.
So what will happen if they get a second chance? Can they - should they - go back to the way they were?
My thoughts
What a story...It will tug at your heartstrings all the way till the end!
Alice and Ben are your picture perfect couple. They have everything that anyone could ask for - amazing jobs as doctors, great friends, the house they have always wanted and worked for and last but not least they have each other and their two amazing daughters. At least that's what Alice thought...Ben had been getting very sidetracked lately. He's edgy, away from home a lot and looking for the next best opportunity.
Is it a midlife crisis? Has he met someone else? Alice is really starting to feel like a single mom. She works a full time job as a general practitioner in her own practice, takes care of all the kids needs and takes care of the home. Ben works long hours and takes even longer bike rides when not at work.
Then Ben gets a call to go abroad and assist in an important surgery. This is what he has been looking for. Adventure - traveling, meeting new people and getting away. He wants more.
And then devastation strikes...their worlds will never be the same. What will happen to Alice, Ben, Jools, and Holly? Will their family survive? Grab this book and dive in today!
Drink Selection
The perfect wine selection would be a African wine - Golden Kaan - I am going with a Merlot. Delish!
Rating
You will not be able to put down The Way We Were, it will suck you in and tug at your emotions! 5 wine glasses all the way!
Pages
▼
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Review: All the Breaking Waves by Kerry Lonsdale
After a harrowing accident
tore her family apart, Molly Brennan fled from the man she loved and the tragic
mistake she made.
Twelve years later, Molly has created a new life for herself and her eight-year-old daughter, Cassie. The art history professor crafts jewelry as unique and weathered as the surf-tumbled sea glass she collects, while raising her daughter in a safe and loving environment—something Molly never had. But when Cassie is plagued by horrific visions and debilitating nightmares, Molly is forced to return to the one place she swore she’d never move back to—home to Pacific Grove.
A riveting exploration of love, secrets, and motherhood, All the Breaking Waves is the poignant story of a woman who discovers she must confront her past, let go of her guilt, and summon everything in her power to save her daughter.
My Thoughts
Such an amazing story of love, family and a bond between a mother and daughter that can never be broken, or can it? This story will capture you from page one and you will fall in love with this waterside tale.
Molly Brennan had run away from her past, and never looked back until now. Her daughter Cassie is more like her than she would ever have imagine and she needs her help. Molly has a successful teaching career but realizes that she has no choice but to return to her little shore town of Pacific Grove and her grandmother whom she hasn't seen in years.
Molly knows that by returning she is going to have to revisit her past fears - her parents tragic ending, the love of her life that she pushed away and the feel of her powers that she has tried to ignore for quite some time.
But Cassie's happiness and well-being surpass Molly's fears and she heads home but only for a few weeks.
What will she find when she arrives? Will her fears drown her and take her last breathe? Will Cassie's fears and images of her mother's pending death be her end?
This book is amazing from page 1 and you will not be able to put it down.
Drink Selection
The perfect beach drink to go with this amazing tale - The Beach House - yum! Grab a bottle today! You will LOVE it!
Rating
I can't say enough amazing things about this book, 5 wine glasses all the way!
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Release Day Blitz and Giveaway - Mixing It Up by Tracie Banister
Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Manhattan upper-cruster Cecily Sinclair now uses that pricey utensil to dish up fancy French fare on her cooking show, Serving Romance. When there’s an executive shake-up at the network, she’s not worried. Not much anyway. Her show’s a hit after all. Why would the new CEO want to mess with success?
The driving force behind several buzzed-about networks, Devlin Hayes is considered to be a wunderkind in the television industry. Although his plans to rebrand CuisineTV and make Serving Romance more Millennial-friendly don’t thrill Cecily, her charming, blue-eyed boss is a hard man to say “no” to and she really wants to keep her job—even if that means sharing screen time with a loathsome blast from her past.
Mercurial Italian chef Dante Marchetti a.k.a. “Il Duce” was once Cecily’s boss, and she has the PTSD to prove it. Now the owner of one of the hottest restaurants in town, Dante’s egomania knows no bounds and his constant attempts to provoke and upstage Cecily make her want to conk him on the head with a sauté pan. She thinks they’re toxic together, but viewers love their chemistry and clamor for more.
As Cecily battles to maintain the integrity of her show, she finds herself scheming and manipulating right along with Dante and Devlin. Is she fighting a lost cause? Does she really belong on TV, or would her culinary talent be better served elsewhere? And could one of the men who makes Cecily’s blood boil ignite a passion in her for something other than food?
LINK TO PURCHASE
ABOUT TRACIE
An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)
Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. Mixing It Up is her fourth Chick Lit release, and in it Tracie finally got to live out her fantasy of being a Cordon Bleu-trained chef.
CONNECT WITH TRACIE
Author Newsletter – The Banister Buzz Newsletter
Blog http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/traciebanister
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tracie.banister
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/traciebanister/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5448518.Tracie_Banister
RELEASE WEEK GIVEAWAY
Purchase a copy of Mixing It Up between October 19th, 2016 and October 25th, 2016 and you could win this fantastic prize pack inspired by the book’s heroine and her love of French food!
This prize pack includes:
Garnier-Thiebaut Oh, La La, Chéri French-themed 4-piece Kitchen Linens Set
(Apron, kitchen towel, pot holder, and oven mitt.)
Kate Spade Deco Dot Recipe Box with 8 tabbed dividers and 40 recipe cards
The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook by Mireille Guiliano
To enter this giveaway, simply e-mail the author at traciebanister@gmail.com with your proof of purchase. Entries will be accepted until midnight on October 26th, 2016 when a winner will be selected via random drawing. This is an international giveaway, so anyone who buys Mixing It Up within the allotted time frame is eligible to win. Good luck!
The driving force behind several buzzed-about networks, Devlin Hayes is considered to be a wunderkind in the television industry. Although his plans to rebrand CuisineTV and make Serving Romance more Millennial-friendly don’t thrill Cecily, her charming, blue-eyed boss is a hard man to say “no” to and she really wants to keep her job—even if that means sharing screen time with a loathsome blast from her past.
Mercurial Italian chef Dante Marchetti a.k.a. “Il Duce” was once Cecily’s boss, and she has the PTSD to prove it. Now the owner of one of the hottest restaurants in town, Dante’s egomania knows no bounds and his constant attempts to provoke and upstage Cecily make her want to conk him on the head with a sauté pan. She thinks they’re toxic together, but viewers love their chemistry and clamor for more.
As Cecily battles to maintain the integrity of her show, she finds herself scheming and manipulating right along with Dante and Devlin. Is she fighting a lost cause? Does she really belong on TV, or would her culinary talent be better served elsewhere? And could one of the men who makes Cecily’s blood boil ignite a passion in her for something other than food?
LINK TO PURCHASE
ABOUT TRACIE
An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)
Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. Mixing It Up is her fourth Chick Lit release, and in it Tracie finally got to live out her fantasy of being a Cordon Bleu-trained chef.
CONNECT WITH TRACIE
Author Newsletter – The Banister Buzz Newsletter
Blog http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/traciebanister
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tracie.banister
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/traciebanister/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5448518.Tracie_Banister
RELEASE WEEK GIVEAWAY
Purchase a copy of Mixing It Up between October 19th, 2016 and October 25th, 2016 and you could win this fantastic prize pack inspired by the book’s heroine and her love of French food!
This prize pack includes:
Garnier-Thiebaut Oh, La La, Chéri French-themed 4-piece Kitchen Linens Set
(Apron, kitchen towel, pot holder, and oven mitt.)
Kate Spade Deco Dot Recipe Box with 8 tabbed dividers and 40 recipe cards
The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook by Mireille Guiliano
To enter this giveaway, simply e-mail the author at traciebanister@gmail.com with your proof of purchase. Entries will be accepted until midnight on October 26th, 2016 when a winner will be selected via random drawing. This is an international giveaway, so anyone who buys Mixing It Up within the allotted time frame is eligible to win. Good luck!
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Review and Giveway - Fractured by Catherine McKenzie US Only
Welcome, neighbor!
Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to the idyllic Mount Adams district of Cincinnati, hoping to evade the stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game. Since Julie doesn’t know anyone in her new town, when she meets her neighbor John Dunbar, their instant connection brings measured hope for a new beginning. But she never imagines that a simple, benign conversation with him could set her life spinning so far off course.
We know where you live…
After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the target of increasingly unsettling harassment. Has Julie’s stalker found her, or are her neighbors out to get her, too? As tension in the neighborhood rises, new friends turn into enemies, and the results are deadly.
My Thoughts
What a suspenseful book! I seriously thought I had it all figured out and then my mind changed like 5 times! I couldn't put this book down! I was reading at college, work (shhhh don't tell!), before bed and even every morning!
Julie and her family have had a nightmare of a year and want to make a fresh start. They pick a quiet neighborhood and hope to blend in and have a normal existence. Little did they know that they moved into the neighborhood from hell! Between the nosy neighborhood watch and the alcohol free block parties - they are starting to wonder if this decision was best for their family.
Then Julie meets her neighbor John one day while out for a run and they get along rather well and decide to become running buddies.They start to get a little too close and then it happens...
Just when Julie thinks she has left her crazy stalker behind across the country, crazy things appear around her house...could it be Heather?
Little by little the neighborhood begins to turn on them and they don't know who they can trust, if anyone. You will have to read it to believe it!
Drink Selection
I was on the edge of my seat with this and I decided I would pair it with a bottle of Bregonzo Amarone della Valpolicella from Italy! Delish flavor!
Rating
Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to the idyllic Mount Adams district of Cincinnati, hoping to evade the stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game. Since Julie doesn’t know anyone in her new town, when she meets her neighbor John Dunbar, their instant connection brings measured hope for a new beginning. But she never imagines that a simple, benign conversation with him could set her life spinning so far off course.
We know where you live…
After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the target of increasingly unsettling harassment. Has Julie’s stalker found her, or are her neighbors out to get her, too? As tension in the neighborhood rises, new friends turn into enemies, and the results are deadly.
My Thoughts
What a suspenseful book! I seriously thought I had it all figured out and then my mind changed like 5 times! I couldn't put this book down! I was reading at college, work (shhhh don't tell!), before bed and even every morning!
Julie and her family have had a nightmare of a year and want to make a fresh start. They pick a quiet neighborhood and hope to blend in and have a normal existence. Little did they know that they moved into the neighborhood from hell! Between the nosy neighborhood watch and the alcohol free block parties - they are starting to wonder if this decision was best for their family.
Then Julie meets her neighbor John one day while out for a run and they get along rather well and decide to become running buddies.They start to get a little too close and then it happens...
Just when Julie thinks she has left her crazy stalker behind across the country, crazy things appear around her house...could it be Heather?
Little by little the neighborhood begins to turn on them and they don't know who they can trust, if anyone. You will have to read it to believe it!
Drink Selection
I was on the edge of my seat with this and I decided I would pair it with a bottle of Bregonzo Amarone della Valpolicella from Italy! Delish flavor!
Rating
I couldn't put this book down and I think you will agree - 5 wine glasses all the way!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, September 26, 2016
Review: Pink Lies by Haley Todd Kitts
Scarlett Hanes, recent
graduate of College of Charleston, is not your typical S.O.B(South of
Broad)who grew up near Rainbow Row. Growing up privileged with the
well-known Riley name, Scarlett denies herself any favors that could
land her an interview because of “who” her family knows. She’s
discouraged and ready to throw in the towel after many failed attempts
to land a career as a writer. It only takes one night out with her best
friend, Addison, too many tequila shots, and a slightly fabricated
resume to land a prestigious job interview with a magazine conglomerate
in the Big Apple. Scarlett finds herself in a web of destruction hurting
everyone she cares about along the way. She's constantly battling the
fine line of "is it deception?" white lies? …or should I say “Pink Lies”
because what could be wrong with a lie if it’s pink? From the Ravenel
Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge, Scarlett must find peace with her decisions.
My Thoughts
Let me begin by saying how much I LOVE Charleston SC! I have been saying for years that this is where I will move one day. When I met Haley and I found out a portion was set there I had no choice but to start reading that night and I was not disappointed. I loved this story from beginning to end and I CAN'T WAIT for the next in the series (there is one right Haley?)
When I first saw the cover, I knew it couldn't be any more fitting. It is pink (my favorite color) and it screams Charleston as well as another favorite of mine Lilly Pulitzer!
Scar is a recent graduate of the College at Charleston and she is having the worst time finding a job! She would love to work in NYC one day but she would settle for a good job at this point.
She had the luck of growing up near that amazing site to see - Rainbow Row:
What more can a girl ask for? She also grew up with the Riley name which did help quite frequently. But that name is NOT helping her start her writing career.
Then one night Scar and Addison were drinking (Tequila of all things) and Addison MAY have sent a slightly fabricated resume to Cosmo in NYC. Who would ever know the wiser, it's not like they would ever call her for a job interview...and then they did.
She is asked to be in the city in a few short days and while there she MAY have allowed the fabrication to continue, who would ever find out?
This story will have you laughing, crying and just plain smiling from beginning to end. From her move to the big city, to dating two amazing men and writing in her dream city, you won't want to put it down. Lies are always better in Pink, right?
Drink Selection
I would have to go with a tasty White Haven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand! You will want to enjoy a few glasses or even a whole bottle from begging to end! Why not?
Rating
I LOVED every part of this book and I can't wait to read more in the series! 5 glasses it is! Get your copy today! You won't be disappointed!
My Thoughts
Let me begin by saying how much I LOVE Charleston SC! I have been saying for years that this is where I will move one day. When I met Haley and I found out a portion was set there I had no choice but to start reading that night and I was not disappointed. I loved this story from beginning to end and I CAN'T WAIT for the next in the series (there is one right Haley?)
When I first saw the cover, I knew it couldn't be any more fitting. It is pink (my favorite color) and it screams Charleston as well as another favorite of mine Lilly Pulitzer!
Scar is a recent graduate of the College at Charleston and she is having the worst time finding a job! She would love to work in NYC one day but she would settle for a good job at this point.
She had the luck of growing up near that amazing site to see - Rainbow Row:
What more can a girl ask for? She also grew up with the Riley name which did help quite frequently. But that name is NOT helping her start her writing career.
Then one night Scar and Addison were drinking (Tequila of all things) and Addison MAY have sent a slightly fabricated resume to Cosmo in NYC. Who would ever know the wiser, it's not like they would ever call her for a job interview...and then they did.
She is asked to be in the city in a few short days and while there she MAY have allowed the fabrication to continue, who would ever find out?
This story will have you laughing, crying and just plain smiling from beginning to end. From her move to the big city, to dating two amazing men and writing in her dream city, you won't want to put it down. Lies are always better in Pink, right?
Drink Selection
I would have to go with a tasty White Haven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand! You will want to enjoy a few glasses or even a whole bottle from begging to end! Why not?
Rating
I LOVED every part of this book and I can't wait to read more in the series! 5 glasses it is! Get your copy today! You won't be disappointed!
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Giveaway Time! Arc of The Regulars by Georgia Clark US ONLY
A fierce, feisty, and “wonderfully entertaining” (Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies) debut with a magical twist about three ordinary, regular girls who suddenly have their fantasies come true…or do they?
Best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are just trying to make it through their mid-twenties in New York. They’re regular girls, with average looks and typical quarter-life crises: making it up the corporate ladder, making sense of online dating, and making rent.
Until they come across Pretty, a magic tincture that makes them, well...gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. And it’s certainly not their fault if the sudden gift of beauty causes unexpected doors to open for them.
But there’s a dark side to Pretty, too, and as the gloss fades for these modern-day Cinderellas, there’s just one question left:
What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?
Wildly irreverent, blatantly sexy, and observed with pitch-perfect wit, The Regulars is fresh “compulsive reading from a bright new voice” (Brenda Bowen, author of Enchanted August) in fiction, perfect for fans of Jennifer Close and Kevin Kwan.
Giveaway US ONLY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are just trying to make it through their mid-twenties in New York. They’re regular girls, with average looks and typical quarter-life crises: making it up the corporate ladder, making sense of online dating, and making rent.
Until they come across Pretty, a magic tincture that makes them, well...gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. And it’s certainly not their fault if the sudden gift of beauty causes unexpected doors to open for them.
But there’s a dark side to Pretty, too, and as the gloss fades for these modern-day Cinderellas, there’s just one question left:
What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?
Wildly irreverent, blatantly sexy, and observed with pitch-perfect wit, The Regulars is fresh “compulsive reading from a bright new voice” (Brenda Bowen, author of Enchanted August) in fiction, perfect for fans of Jennifer Close and Kevin Kwan.
Giveaway US ONLY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Review - Friends ForNever by Melissa Baldwin
Erin Taylor is a hard-working journalist with a serious TV addiction and
lack of a social life. She’s focused on her career and determined to
leave her tiny cubicle behind for a fabulous corner office! But when a
new co-worker, a friendship drama, and a hot workplace crush collide,
Erin finds it harder and harder to focus. Especially when that crush on
the oh-so-yummy Aiden Thomas starts to materialize into what feels like a
magical relationship. Erin's life seems to finally be heading in the
right direction...until suddenly friends aren't such great friends after
all, her magical relationship hits a bumpy road, and her career could
be derailed by it all. Erin learns a lesson the hard way: Sometimes
people aren’t who they seem to be. With her happiness on the line, can
Erin rise above her disappointments and create the life she's always
dreamed of or will she be stuck being Friends ForNever?
My Thoughts
What a fun end of summer read! I read it in a few days and LOVED every page! I couldn't put it down!
Erin Taylor has the job she has always dreamed up - a journalist! She's also like me and LOVES TV and doesn't get out much. LOL
She is determined to get her own office and won't stop till she gets there!
But then an amazing work trip presents herself and Erin can't back away from the chance to go abroad!
This new position has pit everyone in the company against each other and it's almost become survival of the fittest!
And then there is Aiden...He truly sounds delicious and Erin has been smitten for months.
Between the job backstabbing, friends who aren't really her friends, new nightmare co-workers and her new found romance, her life has gotten extremely complicated and messy!
Sit back and enjoy the ride at the end you will still be wanting more!
Drink Selection
I want to pair this fun story with a drink with a little Persian flare - Persian Rose Cocktail! Delish!
Rating
I loved this story from beginning to end! 5 wine glasses all the way!
My Thoughts
What a fun end of summer read! I read it in a few days and LOVED every page! I couldn't put it down!
Erin Taylor has the job she has always dreamed up - a journalist! She's also like me and LOVES TV and doesn't get out much. LOL
She is determined to get her own office and won't stop till she gets there!
But then an amazing work trip presents herself and Erin can't back away from the chance to go abroad!
This new position has pit everyone in the company against each other and it's almost become survival of the fittest!
And then there is Aiden...He truly sounds delicious and Erin has been smitten for months.
Between the job backstabbing, friends who aren't really her friends, new nightmare co-workers and her new found romance, her life has gotten extremely complicated and messy!
Sit back and enjoy the ride at the end you will still be wanting more!
Drink Selection
I want to pair this fun story with a drink with a little Persian flare - Persian Rose Cocktail! Delish!
Rating
I loved this story from beginning to end! 5 wine glasses all the way!
Friday, September 16, 2016
Review - I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi
An engrossing debut
about a devoted mother who commits suicide, leaving her husband and
teenage daughter to redefine their understanding of family, while she
meddles from beyond the grave.
Maddy was a loving, devoted stay-at-home mother...until she committed suicide, which left her husband Brady and her teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering how they can possibly continue without her. Maddy, however, isn’t quite done with them. In an attempt to fulfill her family’s needs, Maddy watches and meddles from beyond the grave, determined to find the perfect wife and mother to replace herself and heal her family. That’s when she finds Rory: a free-spirited schoolteacher, who Maddy maneuvers into Eve’s confidences, but who turns out to be harboring a tragedy of her own.
In a story both deeply moving and charming, with the domestic insight of Jodi Picoult, I Liked My Life is a mother’s final blessing for a family learning to live again.
My Thoughts
Where do I begin? I Liked My Life is truly a page turner. It grips you in a way that you don't see when you first pick it up.
You are brought into a world that has been torn apart by tragedy. Maddy seemed to have to perfect life, maybe not the life she had dreamed for herself, but it was still great. She had a great husband, a daughter who loves her and she has perfected the art of being a stay at home mom. She thought she would have been a CEO one day, but her life took a different path.
The she committed the unthinkable...suicide.
Eve's life is turned upside down. She is constantly asking herself what could bring her mother to do this and was it her fault? Had she driven her mother to leave this world?
Brady has been thrown into a life he didn't expect. He has always been the breadwinner and Maddy took care of their daughter and their home. He's not only lost Maddy but is now in charge of their home and teenage daughter without a clue as to what to do, still blaming himself for his wife taking her own life. He should have been there for her more, he should have seen the signs, these are all things he feels he could have changed.
Maddy is behind the scenes, in their minds, telling them things she needs to hear from the other side. She is determined to help them through this time of grief and make sure they are OK before she leaves this world completely.
Day by day Maddy brings Eve and Brady back together, family members back into the mix and even tries to work a little magic in the love department.
Little by little this family becomes whole again and believes they will make it through this dark time.
I couldn't recommend this book more if I tried. It is amazing. Add it to your TBR for January 2017.
Drink Selection
I would pair I Liked My Life with a nice glass (or two) of Fall White Sangria with a little bit of spice. Yum!
Rating
This book is amazing and I can't recommend it enough, 5 wine glasses for sure!
Maddy was a loving, devoted stay-at-home mother...until she committed suicide, which left her husband Brady and her teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering how they can possibly continue without her. Maddy, however, isn’t quite done with them. In an attempt to fulfill her family’s needs, Maddy watches and meddles from beyond the grave, determined to find the perfect wife and mother to replace herself and heal her family. That’s when she finds Rory: a free-spirited schoolteacher, who Maddy maneuvers into Eve’s confidences, but who turns out to be harboring a tragedy of her own.
In a story both deeply moving and charming, with the domestic insight of Jodi Picoult, I Liked My Life is a mother’s final blessing for a family learning to live again.
My Thoughts
Where do I begin? I Liked My Life is truly a page turner. It grips you in a way that you don't see when you first pick it up.
You are brought into a world that has been torn apart by tragedy. Maddy seemed to have to perfect life, maybe not the life she had dreamed for herself, but it was still great. She had a great husband, a daughter who loves her and she has perfected the art of being a stay at home mom. She thought she would have been a CEO one day, but her life took a different path.
The she committed the unthinkable...suicide.
Eve's life is turned upside down. She is constantly asking herself what could bring her mother to do this and was it her fault? Had she driven her mother to leave this world?
Brady has been thrown into a life he didn't expect. He has always been the breadwinner and Maddy took care of their daughter and their home. He's not only lost Maddy but is now in charge of their home and teenage daughter without a clue as to what to do, still blaming himself for his wife taking her own life. He should have been there for her more, he should have seen the signs, these are all things he feels he could have changed.
Maddy is behind the scenes, in their minds, telling them things she needs to hear from the other side. She is determined to help them through this time of grief and make sure they are OK before she leaves this world completely.
Day by day Maddy brings Eve and Brady back together, family members back into the mix and even tries to work a little magic in the love department.
Little by little this family becomes whole again and believes they will make it through this dark time.
I couldn't recommend this book more if I tried. It is amazing. Add it to your TBR for January 2017.
Drink Selection
I would pair I Liked My Life with a nice glass (or two) of Fall White Sangria with a little bit of spice. Yum!
Rating
This book is amazing and I can't recommend it enough, 5 wine glasses for sure!
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Review - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.
My Thoughts
I was just in Target the other day and I was buying the movie - Me Before You - for my daughter and I to watch. The more I thought about it though, I had a copy of the novel at home and I really wanted to read it before I watched it. (I have yet to watch the movie yet, but I can't wait now!)
I loved every page of this book! I couldn't put it down!
The characterizations were amazing, the landscapes and backdrops as I've pictured them are breathtaking and I can't wait to watch Lou and Will come to life on the screen!
Lou has lived a pretty normal, yet somewhat sheltered, life up until she meets the Traynor family. She has worked several years at a cafe in town, she lives with her family and she really hasn't traveled much outside of her bubble. That was by choice, after an event early on in her teens that changed her forever. She never socialized with the same crowd, she never dressed the same, and she changed her identity as a whole. Some may see it as peculiar but there is a meaning behind it that is sad and somewhat haunting in a way.
Then one day the cafe closes and Lou is left without the job she has known for quite some time. She goes to the Job Center to get a job which isn't easy when you do not have any real skills or higher education so to speak. She tries many jobs to no avail and then one day she gets the call that will change her life, even though she may not know it yet.
She becomes a caregiver to Will Traynor, he was in a horrible accident which has left him permanently in a wheel chair and unable to take care of himself.
The family has hired her for 6 months, which seems odd for a person bound to a wheel chair, wouldn't she be brought on for an undefined amount of time?
She has a bumpy start when she begins, after all she has never done this type of work before. But she becomes tough and doesn't let Will boss her around.
Little by little she breaks away at his tough stubborn exterior. She is determined to make him believe that his life is worth living even if he has to re-evaluate the way in which he goes about that.
Their love story is truly magical, yet sad at times. Everyone will want the love that these two share at least once in your life if even for a brief moment in time.
Pick up your copy today, I promise you that it is worth every page turn! (Must have a box of tissues handy)
Drink Selection
I would live to celebrate this amazing book in same fashion the characters celebrated - with a bottle of bubbly!
Rating
This is one of my favorite reads of the year by far, and it is well deserving of 5 wine glasses! Cheers!
Friday, September 9, 2016
Book Review: Root, Petal, Thorn by Ella Joy Olsen
In this
beautifully written and powerful debut novel, Ella Joy Olsen traces the
stories of five fascinating women who inhabit the same historic home
over the course of a century—braided stories of love, heartbreak and
courage connect the women, even across generations.
Ivy Baygren has two great loves in her life: her husband, Adam, and the bungalow they buy together in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah. From the moment she and Adam lay eyes on the home, Ivy is captivated by its quaint details—the old porch swing, ornate tiles, and especially an heirloom rose bush bursting with snowy white blossoms. Called the Emmeline Rose for the home’s original owner, it seems yet another sign that this place will be Ivy’s happily-ever-after…Until her dreams are shattered by Adam’s unexpected death.
Striving to be strong for her two children, Ivy decides to tackle the home-improvement projects she and Adam once planned. Day by day, as she attempts to rebuild her house and her resolve, she uncovers clues about previous inhabitants, from a half-embroidered sampler to buried wine bottles. And as Ivy learns about the women who came before her—the young Mormon torn between her heart and anti-polygamist beliefs, the Greek immigrant during World War II, a troubled single mother in the 1960s—she begins to uncover the lessons of her own journey. For every story has its sadness, but there is also the possibility of blooming again, even stronger and more resilient than before…
My Thoughts
I fell in love with this book from the very beginning - from the intricate web of characters Ella presents to the story lines that take you in directions you don't see coming and can't help but smile when they happen.
This tale travels from one emotion to the next and some that you are least expecting! There is loss, love, sadness, heart break, heart ache, and courage to move on.
Ivy had it all - the husband and the house (with history). But then her world is turned upside down - he husband Adam dies...She was blindsided.
What is she going to do? He was her rock, her safe place, her one true love...
How will she move on? Start over?
Her brother showed up one day, a few days later, and told her to make a list - she needed something to look forward to, something to accomplish.
Her kids needed her and she needed to get her old self back.
She came up with project after project to get her through each day. Each day seemed to bring a new surprise, a new story of the previous owners and Ivy felt like her life had purpose as she embarked on this journey of discovery. Not only was she learning about the previous women she shared this home with but she also learned more about herself and who she needed to be going forward.
There are so many intricate webs to read and inhale, you need to experience it for yourself to grasp the depth of Ella's beautiful debut novel.
Drink
This book goes perfect with a glass (or two) of a deep red Merlot. Perfect for this intricate story of love, loss and life.
Rating
This book was truly amazing, I could not put it down. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know! Must read for Fall 2016!
Ivy Baygren has two great loves in her life: her husband, Adam, and the bungalow they buy together in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah. From the moment she and Adam lay eyes on the home, Ivy is captivated by its quaint details—the old porch swing, ornate tiles, and especially an heirloom rose bush bursting with snowy white blossoms. Called the Emmeline Rose for the home’s original owner, it seems yet another sign that this place will be Ivy’s happily-ever-after…Until her dreams are shattered by Adam’s unexpected death.
Striving to be strong for her two children, Ivy decides to tackle the home-improvement projects she and Adam once planned. Day by day, as she attempts to rebuild her house and her resolve, she uncovers clues about previous inhabitants, from a half-embroidered sampler to buried wine bottles. And as Ivy learns about the women who came before her—the young Mormon torn between her heart and anti-polygamist beliefs, the Greek immigrant during World War II, a troubled single mother in the 1960s—she begins to uncover the lessons of her own journey. For every story has its sadness, but there is also the possibility of blooming again, even stronger and more resilient than before…
My Thoughts
I fell in love with this book from the very beginning - from the intricate web of characters Ella presents to the story lines that take you in directions you don't see coming and can't help but smile when they happen.
This tale travels from one emotion to the next and some that you are least expecting! There is loss, love, sadness, heart break, heart ache, and courage to move on.
Ivy had it all - the husband and the house (with history). But then her world is turned upside down - he husband Adam dies...She was blindsided.
What is she going to do? He was her rock, her safe place, her one true love...
How will she move on? Start over?
Her brother showed up one day, a few days later, and told her to make a list - she needed something to look forward to, something to accomplish.
Her kids needed her and she needed to get her old self back.
She came up with project after project to get her through each day. Each day seemed to bring a new surprise, a new story of the previous owners and Ivy felt like her life had purpose as she embarked on this journey of discovery. Not only was she learning about the previous women she shared this home with but she also learned more about herself and who she needed to be going forward.
There are so many intricate webs to read and inhale, you need to experience it for yourself to grasp the depth of Ella's beautiful debut novel.
Drink
This book goes perfect with a glass (or two) of a deep red Merlot. Perfect for this intricate story of love, loss and life.
Rating
This book was truly amazing, I could not put it down. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know! Must read for Fall 2016!
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Review and Giveaway: Triple Love Score by Brandi Megan Granett
What happens when you stop playing games?
Miranda Shane lives a quiet life among books and letters as a professor in a small upstate town. When the playing-by-the-rules poet throws out convention and begins to use a Scrabble board instead of paper to write, she sets off a chain of events that rattles her carefully planned world.
Her awakening propels her to take risks and seize chances she previously let slip by, including a game-changing offer from the man she let slip away. But when the revelation of an affair with a graduate student threatens the new life Miranda created, she is forced to decide between love or poetry.
My Thoughts
What an amazing story and I LOVE that Scrabble is such a fun theme all the way through.
Miranda has always been in love with Scott - since she was a young kid. He always seemed to treat her like a little sister though, how would she ever break that mold in his mind? Then one day he came to visit her at college and they kissed...then he disappeared...for over 6 years!
Then Scott comes home for a holiday and he brings ...someone special. Wow, things have changed in 6 years. At this point, Miranda had started seeing a student, yes a student. He came on to her and she fell for Ronan's Irish charm and well she was lonely so why not? If your like me, I WOULD never have a relationship of anyone that I teach...I'm sure you all the same.
As time goes on her feelings drift to other places and she falls into an amazing money making opportunity with her Scrabble poems of all things!
Life has taken so many twists and turns and Miranda truly doesn't know which way is up right now.
You will love this book from page one and won't be able to put it down til you know how it ends!
Drink
Being the theme drifts around my favorite country for a little bit, Ireland, I will list a Irish Car Bomb. I wouldn't personally drink one, yuck, but it fits perfectly with this book!
Rating
I loved this book from beginning to end and I would recommend to everyone. Pre-order it today! You will LOVE it!
5 wine glasses it is!
What readers are saying . . .
“A poignant plot and genuine characters build a creative premise to make this novel a must-read.”
- RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
"An entertaining romance novel with an engrossing plot, a conflicted heroine, and a couple of surprising, poignant takeaways."
- Kirkus Reviews
“Combustible romance and fame slather a sexy gloss over more complex issues of familial love and true accomplishment for Granett’'s cast of endearing characters. An entertaining and perceptive story of our times.”
— Kathryn Craft, award-winning author of The Far End Of Happy and The Art Of Falling
“Brandi Megan Granett’s beautifully written debut novel, full of twists, turns and truths about the ups and downs of life, had me spellbound from the very first page. Triple Love Score proves that, in matters of the heart—as in Scrabble—when you get it right, it’s nothing short of poetry.”
- Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of Dear Carolina and Lies and Other Acts of Love
“A love story that is on one hand sweet, but on the other full of surprises and intrigue, set against the background of competitive…Scrabble? It sounds entirely unlikely but this is exactly what Granett has spelled out in a slim novel that deserves kudos (using that ‘k’) and could easily become a guilty pleasure.”
- Jacquelyn Mitchard, author The Deep End of the Ocean
“A charming mash-up of viral poetry, relatable characters, and slow-simmering romance. Granett explores how doing the unexpected might lead to what you had always wanted.”
- Amy E. Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie
“Like tiles on a Scrabble board, Granett's characters unfold and connect and diverge again. Readers will be spellbound as they follow Poetry Professor Miranda Shane's unlikely adventures - ones that take her across the country and as far away as Istanbul and France - as her long-held dreams concerning love and career are both challenged and re-defined.”
- Amy Impellizzeri, author of Lemongrass Hope
“Triple Love Score is a wonderful love story and a novel with such intriguing twists and turns that it kept me turning those pages until the very end! A fun, unique read.”
- Anne Girard, author of Platinum Doll
"Women seeking a solid story of a poetry professor's awakening will find Triple Love Score a delightful romp through options Miranda never realized she had."
- Midwest Review of Books
“A romantic pleasure with delightfully unique characters and a plot that takes you on an unexpected journey. Granett has a clear writing style that brings each scene to life and makes for a tremendously engaging read. As a fan of love and poetry, I highly recommend it!”
- Anita Hughes, author of Santorini Sunsets
About the AuthorBrandi Megan Granett is an author, online English professor, and private writing mentor. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Aberystwyth University, Wales, an MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College, a Masters in Adult Education with an emphasis on Distance Education from Penn State University, and her BA from the University of Florida.Granett is the author of My Intended (William Morrow, 2000). Her short fiction has appeared in Pebble Lake Review, Folio, Pleiades and other literary magazines, and is collected in the volume Cars and Other Things That Get Around. She also writes an author interview series for the Huffington Post.When she is not writing or teaching or mothering, she is honing her archery skills. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.
Author Social Media Links
Twitter: @brandigranett
Instagram: mrsgranett
Purchase Links
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Publicity Contact
Suzy Missirlian
@Suzy4PR
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway