Review: Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyer

Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyer

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin 

Pages: 308 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Sixteen-year-old Leila Abranel was born some twenty years after her sisters. Her elegant sisters from her father’s first marriage have lives full of work, love affairs, and travel. Leila doesn’t know either of them very well, but she loves hearing about them—details of Rebecca’s ruined marriage, Clare’s first job, and the strings of unsuitable boyfriends.

When Rebecca kills herself, Leila wants to know why. She starts by spending time with Clare and finally comes to know her as a person instead of a story. With Clare’s reluctant help, Leila tracks down Rebecca’s favorite places and tries to find her sister’s friends. Along the way, Leila meets Eamon.Eamon is thirty-one and writes for television. He thinks Leila is beautiful and smart, but he does not, he tells her, date teenagers. And yet, the months go by and Leila turns seventeen and learns that you can love someone you are not dating.

Maybe letting Eamon love her back is a mistake. Maybe she’ll never know why Rebecca did what she did. Maybe, Leila, decides, most people have a hard time figuring out which way is left or knowing when to let go and when to stay.


Kritters Thoughts:  Leila is the youngest of three girls, two of which are her half sisters that she has idolized for years.  The girls lose their mom and a year of high stress begins. Leila must navigate a year with a half sister who she knew little about with her parents out of the country working all while dealing with a load of grief.  

Leila was a fantastic character to follow through this journey - she had depth and soul which is hard to put into a YA book sometimes.  I fell in love with her serious attack about issues that a sixteen-year-old could be dealing with and how she communicated with her friends and family.  Although I may have had an issue with one of her relationships (can't spoil anything), but I at least appreciated her approach to the relationship.

This is definitely one YA author that I will keep a look out for - I want to read more of her.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Off the Shelf 2013 Challenge: 2 out of 30 

Review: Gossip by Beth Gutcheon

Gossip by Beth Gutcheon

Publisher: William Morrow 

Pages: 288 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Loviah “Lovie” French owns a small, high-end dress shop on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Renowned for her taste, charm, and discretion, Lovie is the one to whom certain women turn when they need “just the thing” for key life events: baptisms and balls, weddings and funerals. Among those who depend on Lovie’s sage advice are her two best friends since boarding school days: Dinah Wainwright and Avis Metcalf. Despite the love they share for their mutual friend, there has always been a chilly gulf between Dinah and Avis, the result of a perceived slight from decades ago that has unimaginably tragic echoes many years later.


Kritters Thoughts:  Set in New York, three friends who met in boarding school find each other again and cross paths in many different ways through the years.  With husbands, lovers and children making appearances, the cast of characters was huge and came in and out of the story.  Lovie is the main character and I loved her growth from an outsider in boarding school to the one who heard all of the gossip in New York, I didn't love her friends as much as I loved her.

I think my biggest issue with the book was the often jump in time within the chapter and the quick introduction of characters.  I had a difficult time determining at what point in history the women were at and there were a few times where I didn't think something fit quite right.  The cast of characters was huge and some I thought were big players dropped off and some I couldn't keep track of.  

Readers who love New York with a passion and enjoy female friendships may want to try this one, but it was definitely not the easiest of reads.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The tour schedule:

Wednesday, March 6th: Reflections of a Bookaholic

Thursday, March 7th: Amused By Books

Tuesday, March 12th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Wednesday, March 13th: Sweet Tidbits

Thursday, March 14th: A Bookish Way of Life

Friday, March 15th: Kritters Ramblings

Monday, March 18th: A Patchwork of Books

Tuesday, March 19th: Mrs. Q.: Book Addict

Wednesday, March 20th: Reflections of a Bookaholic

Thursday, March 21th: Silver’s Reviews

Wednesday, March 27th: Teresa’s Reading Corner

Thursday, March 28th: Drey’s Library

Review: The Wedding Day by Joanne Clancy

The Wedding Day by Joanne Clancy

Publisher: Cupid's Arrow Publishing 

Pages: 170 

Format: ebook 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Sometimes, getting lost is the best way to find yourself. 

Nicole Baxter thinks she has the perfect life all mapped out. She is steadily climbing the corporate ladder as an intrepid journalist and she's about to marry the love of her life, Dr. Paul Schofield.

Everything is working out exactly as she planned. Life can't get any better.

Nicole's carefully planned life is unceremoniously turned upside down when she gets jilted at the altar by the so-called love of her life. 

She must learn to live and love all over again and decides to open her heart and mind to new people and possibilities. 

She begins to realise that life is about finding her passion and with the help of her sister and some new friends she sees that getting lost was the best way to find herself.


Kritters Thoughts:  Nicole Baxter is the typical bride, she has imagined her wedding day for awhile and is excited for the day.  Little does she know that with her focus on the details of the day her groom has some news to share and decides that he must share it while they are gathered at the altar.  I had no clue where the book would go from here and was at first very glad to be reading it after my wedding day was complete!

My utmost favorite part of this entire book is the relationship between the two sisters.  Nicole and Evette remind me so much of me and my sister, it was uncanny!  The sisters’ relationship evolves into something that is real and honest – I followed their part of the story line and loved it.  The friends that Evette brings into Nicole’s life where colorful and definitely helped Nicole find out who she really wanted to be after this large life change – at times they made the book!

The hiccup I found was the story arc of Nicole and her runaway groom.  I can not divulge how they end up, but it just went to a place too quickly that I hard time following and enjoying. 

A great chick lit novel that not only has a romantic plot line, but also highlights the relationship between sisters.  A quick read that reminded me of all the wedding decisions that a couple must make.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 7 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wordless Wednesday

Last week before the "storm" that really never came, my mom and I headed to Sidwell Friends School (where the Obama girls attend among other diplomat's students) to see Jodi Picoult.  It was our third time seeing her in the DC area.  She was promoting The Storyteller and from what she read, I am excited about it!

Review: Condemn Me Not by Dianne Venetta

Condemn Me Not by Dianne Venetta

Publisher:BloominThyme Press 

Pages: 156 

Format: ebook 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  The words no mother wants to say, and every mother yearns to hear.

Bound by friendship, two women find themselves at common crossroads, struggling with choices both past and present, career and home. 

Simone Sheridan and Claire Atkins have been friends since college. Upon graduation, they took off in different directions, forging separate paths through motherhood. Neither planned to look back on the road they traveled with regret—yet that's exactly what’s at stake when their daughters issue opposing proclamations with regard to college. 

Both mothers battle the news, but soon come to learn they must change course, or lose the sacred relationship between mother and daughter. But change is not an easy task when Simone and Claire unexpectedly find themselves staring down their choices, confronted by the same question: Where did I go wrong?


Kritters Thoughts:  From before a time I can remember, I have always wanted to be a career woman and wasn't ever sure if creating a family was on my to do list.  I loved reading this book as two best friends are working through life changes with their young adult children as they are trying to leave the nest.  One is a working mom who spent most of her hours at the office while the other was a stay at home mom, although the girls grew up in very different lifestyles each have decided right before high school graduation to take a different path than what their parents had assumed was mapped out. 

I sit on the fence about the whole stay at home mom situation.  I was raised with a  stay at home mom who was there for everything and by everything I mean EVERYTHING.  I can’t remember one moment where she chose something that benefited herself if it conflicted with mine or my sister’s schedule.  Speaking of my sister, she is a stay at home mom and a full time nanny and loves every minute of it – she finds joy in taking care of her home, husband and the family.  With the same token, I know for a fact that I could not handle the job.  I love having a full time job and do not find fulfillment by being domestic.  I want an income and want to help with the household through that avenue, but I am pretty sure I do not want kids because I know I could not give them the childhood that my parents afforded us. 

This was an interesting read for me because it made me reflect on my childhood and the lessons I learned through my parents that I use and some that my sister has taken more to heart.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 10 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Perfect Match by Jane Moore

Perfect Match by Jane Moore

Publisher: Arrow Books 

Pages: 277 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Amazon:  Could you choose between your marriage and your child? Just when Karen and Joe Eastman thought they had it all - the perfect marriage and the perfect family - they learn that their young son, Ben, has a terminal illness. The only cure is for them to have a 'designer baby' to provide him with a perfect match bone-marrow transplant. But in the process, a devastating family secret is revealed that not only jeopardises the one hope of their son having a future but also threatens to destroy their marriage...

Kritters Thoughts:  With a tagline - "Could you choose between your marriage and your child?" - you can guarantee that there will be drama and the main character will definitely have a few decisions to make in the book.  Karen Eastman has a child who has a debilitating illness and there are very few options to help him overcome the disease - one being to have a child that is a "perfect match" to allow for a true bone marrow transplant. After tests are run, Karen learns things about her child and her family that will set this family down a very rough road.  At the beginning another storyline of the Health Secretary and his wife's struggle to get pregnant is paralleling  but for a moment the reader is unsure when they will intersect and how it will affect each couple.

I loved that the unknown of the relationships between the two couples wasn't kept secret for too long to allow for more story and less intrigue.  The foundation was laid quick and then the meat of the story hit.  I think the road the characters took felt honest which made for a much better read than if it was too cookie cutter sweet.  The moral questions abound in this book where the reader make take one stance or another and with each side a different reaction to the book may occur - I am not quite sure how I feel about having a second child solely to help the first with an illness that they are battling, it could cause some major sibling issues down the road.

With a little bit of a cliffhanger, I could see these characters reappearing to continue the story.  A great story that may have you asking questions about yourself and what you would do if you were in each of the character's shoes.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Off the Shelf 2013 Challenge: 1 out of 30

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Another week with the boy working crazy hours and starting to pack and clean our current place.  Went to a fun book event on Tuesday, will share pics and details this coming Wednesday.  With a beautiful weekend, I was able to take a book and enjoy the fresh air outside!

Does your reading increase or decrease as the weather gets nicer?

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:

When She Was Gone by Gwendolen Gross
Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans by Joanne DeMaio
The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen
All You Could Ask For by Mike Greenberg

Currently Reading:

There Was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron

The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble

Next on the TBR pile:
The Weight of Small Things by Sherri Wood Emmons

Across My Doorstep

For Review:
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Swap Sites:
Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis  (Goodreads  Amazon)
From Here to Maternity by Sinead Moriarty  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Winnings:
Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes  (Goodreads  Amazon)
   Thank you Savvy Verse & Wit

From mom:
Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Sumer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy (Goodreads  Amazon)

Author Interview: Nick Trout

Hello!  Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to read and review The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs by Nick Trout, what a great book for anyone who finds love in any sort of animal.  Today, I am able to share the answers to questions that I sent to Mr. Nick Trout . . . .

1.  What do you find yourself rambling about?

At first the Englishman in me thought this might be a question about hiking!  Right now I tend to ramble on and on about the state of veterinary medicine.  How there are too many vets, too many veterinary schools and too much college debt for not enough pay.  It's our profession's dirty little secret.

2.  How did you go from being a veterinarian to an author?  What was the journey like?

All veterinarians have a story to tell.  Think about it, every day we are faced with sick animals and their variously demanding, quirky, passionate but always dedicated owners.  Every day there's a mix of heartwarming, heartrending, hilarious material.  There's a conflict, mystery, intrigue, and passion.  What more could a writer ask for?  I'm still a full time veterinary surgeon.  Writing is something I do when I'm not at the hospital.  When it comes to animal, especially vet books, no one can touch James Herriot.  All I can try to do is show that the scenery may have changed and we have a lot more special effects, but the essence of the script and the characters remains the same.  I'm still on the journey to becoming a half-way decent writer.  And like most writers, I find the best part is the fun of trying to get there.

3.  If you could put your book into one person's hands, who would that be?

If I keep my eyes closed and stay for a few seconds in a dream world, I'd love "The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs" to get in the hands of a producer who saw the book's potential as a TV series or a movie.  Hey, I said dream world!

4.  What is your favorite part of the writing process?

The best part of the writing is discovering a way to make the plot work, to convey the essence of a character in a phrase or a description, to connect a witty piece of dialogue.  Getting that first draft polished off and seeing it wing it's way to the editor.

5.  What is next on your plate?

Currently I'm finishing off the sequel to "The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs," a book that carries on precisely where we left off, which should be out this time next year.

Review: The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs by Nick Trout

The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs 

by Nick Trout 

Publisher: Hyperion Books 

Pages: 256 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  After fifteen years, Dr. Cyrus Mills returns to rural Vermont to inherit the Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the failing veterinary practice of his recently deceased and long-estranged father. Cyrus, a veterinary pathologist far more comfortable with cold clinical facts than living, breathing animals (not to mention their quirky, demanding owners), intends to sell the practice and get out of town as fast as he can. 

Then his first patient--a down-on-her-luck golden retriever named Frieda Fuzzypaws--wags her way through the door, and suddenly life gets complicated. With the help of a black Labrador gifted in the art of swallowing underwear, a Persian cat determined to expose her owner's lover as a gold digger, and the allure of a feisty, pretty waitress from the local diner, Cyrus gets caught up in a new community and its endearing residents, both human and animal. Sensing he may have misjudged the past, he begins to realize it's not just his patients that need healing. 


Kritters Thoughts:  Dr. Cyrus Mills has had some personal issues in Charleston, SC, so he heads up north to Vermont to help restore his father's veterinary practice.  He has the intentions of selling the practice for some extra cash flow and escaping back down south.  But the reader knows that this isn't where the story will end and in between is a small town and some sweet pets and interesting owners.

This one read pretty quick which was perfect for my limited attention span (darn you buying a house).  It was easy to learn the main characters and follow this doctor as he learns about his parents and that the truths that he thought were not the whole picture.  I absolutely adored reading about each pet and their owner, being a dog owner I always wonder if you can predict things about me upon meeting my pet.

I rarely read a book that has a gentleman at the center of the story, it was nice to get out of my comfort zone and read something written by a man about a man.  I would definitely recommend this to any reader - a light story with great characters was a great combination.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Hyperion Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Another Forgotten Child by Cathy Glass

Another Forgotten Child by Cathy Glass

Publisher:  Harper Element

Pages: 304 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Eight-year-old Aimee was on the child protection register at birth. Her school repeatedly reported concerns about her bruises. And her five older half-siblings were taken into care many years ago. So no one can understand why she was left at home to suffer for so long. It seems Aimee was the forgotten child.

The social services are looking for a very experienced foster carer to look after Aimee and, when she reads the referral, Cathy understands why. Despite her reservations, Cathy agrees to Aimee on – there is something about her that reminds Cathy of Jodie (the subject of ‘Damaged’ and the most disturbed child Cathy has cared for), and reading the report instantly tugs at her heart strings.

When she arrives, Aimee is angry. And she has every right to be. She has spent the first eight years of her life living with her drug-dependent mother in a flat that the social worker described as ‘not fit for human habitation’. Aimee is so grateful as she snuggles into her bed at Cathy’s house on the first night that it brings Cathy to tears.


Kritters Thoughts:  My first book written by Cathy Glass and most certainly not my last.  I loved her inside look to a foster care system that still has some work to do, but despite its faults is in general doing good work taking care of children when a family may not have the full capacity.  I fell in love with Aimee and loved the honesty that Cathy provided in sharing her story with the ups and the many downs.  

There were moments where I wish this book wasn't true because the amount of abuse that Cathy had to endure while trying to keep Aimee was safe was beyond understanding; I understand the mother's frustration with not being able to provide a safe home for her child, but she abused Cathy the foster carer just as much as she did Aimee.  The law to allow contact between the child and their natural parent doesn't seem to help the foster care process, maybe this needs to be reviewed.  Because this book provided an honest opinion from her side of the aisle, I feel like it could be used in discussion in concerns about foster legislation and in training potential foster families.

I was definitely affected by this book and wanted to share it with many others because there are definitely children in each country who need help and their families need intervention - this issue needs attention across the globe.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The tour schedule:

Monday, February 25th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Tuesday, February 26th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf

Wednesday, February 27th: The Road to Here

Thursday, February 28th: she treads softly

Wednesday, March 6th: Another Small Adventure

Thursday, March 7th: Kritters Ramblings

Wednesday, March 13th: Brooklyn Berry Designs

Thursday, March 14th: A Little Time, A Little Miracle

Friday, March 15th: A Little Time, A Little Miracle

Tuesday, March 19th: Stare if You Must

Wednesday, March 20th: Adoption and Foster Care

Review: Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Pages: 257

Format: ebook 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  All that popular Chick-Lit author Mercury Lauren wants is to have one of her books reviewed by the New York Times Book Review - just one - and she'll do almost anything to get it. In this contemporary romantic comedy, with a nod toward Pride and Prejudice she crosses swords and hearts with the Editor-in-Chief of the NYTBR in a madcap adventure that takes her from her home in Westport to a yoga retreat to a golf course in Florida. Will she get what she wants and will she finally be happy if she does? Only one thing's for certain: nothing will stop her from Pursuing the Times.


Kritters Thoughts:  Our main character is an author in the Chick Lit genre, whether she likes it or not and is trying to find some credibility beyond being pigeon holed as a certain type of author.  She is trying her darnedest to get an honest review in the New York Times, doing some crazy things to get herself and her books noticed (reminded me of the twitter debate about Jennifer Weiner and women authors reviews).  

With a glance behind the scenes of the publishing world with a concentration on the reviewing side of things, I loved this book with its quirky characters.  The opening parts that take place at the National Book Awards were fantastic and of course the shout out to BEA made me giddy!  I am a nut for the book world, so if you are, I would say go get this one now!  

My one point of contention was the quickness for our author to jump in bed with one character (no I can't spoil with whom), but it was just kind of sudden and sort of stilted me for a second.

I have had many a debate about the "chick lit" genre and to be honest, I am ok with the distinction.  For me it defines the book as having a strong female character who is trying to find something - whether it be satisfaction on the job front or in the relationship front and at some point she must make a change to herself to find happiness.  I would say this is a great book to define the genre and give readers who don't always read this kind of book a peak into the debate.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 14 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.