Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Review: Carly's Gift by Georgia Bockoven

Carly's Gift by Georgia Bockoven

Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 384
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  What's in the past is over and done with . . . or is it? 

Sixteen years ago Carly Hargrove made a decision that would irrevocably alter her life. With little comprehension of the life-long consequences of her actions, she trades her own future happiness to protect the man she's loved since kindergarten, David Montgomery.

With an ocean separating them, Carly builds a life for herself without David. She's the mother of three, lives in a beautiful house, and is married to a man who comes home every night—even if most of those nights he drinks too much. What more could she want?

Her answer arrives on a cold fall day when David shows up at her door. In town for his father's funeral, he has come to see Carly one last time, hoping to rid himself of the anger that still consumes him.

Instead, he is drawn into a web of secrets that rekindles the fierce need he once felt to protect Carly. He becomes caught up in her life in a way he never could have imagined—a way that will bind him to her forever.



Kritters Thoughts:  Before you start this book, be prepared to cry and devour this book in one sitting.  Ok, now that you have been warned let me tell you that I LOVED this book.  Originally published in 1993 as The Way It Should Have been, this is my second Bockoven book that has been updated and republished and made me a new audience member for this author.  

Carly made a decision at a young age that impacted quite a few people, whether they knew it or not.  Carly's decision and secrets unravel quickly at the beginning, but there is a lot of story to follow.  I was nervous with the amount of action that happened at the beginning that the rest of the book wouldn't have anywhere to go, but I was completely wrong.  The large back story gave a sturdy foundation for the remainder of the book.

The other thing I loved is the way things unfolded, this author has a perfect sense of timing when the audience needs a piece of information or a twist - I am a fan!  I am not hunting down the other Georgia Bockoven books and will be reading them soon.  Have you read a book of hers?  If so, what is your favorite?

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

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.



Tuesday, September 17th: Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, September 18th: A Patchwork of Books
Thursday, September 19th: Literally Jen
Monday, September 23rd: Tina’s Book Reviews
Tuesday, September 24th: Turn the Page
Wednesday, September 25th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Thursday, September 26th: Book-alicious Mama
Monday, September 30th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Tuesday, October 1st: Lisa’s Yarns
Thursday, October 3rd: Time 2 Read
Friday, October 4th: Good Girl Gone Redneck



Monday, September 16, 2013

Review: The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon

The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Three women. One stranger in a shimmering silver dress. Whatever binds them together has already destroyed one life. It just might consume them all.

Someday, Livvi Gray will break free from her past. Someday, she will escape her recurring nightmare about that stranger in a shimmering silver dress. Someday, she will have a family of her own. Now she's found Andrew, and someday seems to be right around the corner. But there's so much Livvi doesn't know.

Shortly before her thirtieth birthday, she will come face-to-face with the stranger from her dream-an encounter that will alter Livvi's future and crack open everything she knew about her past. Livvi is swiftly moving toward the ultimate turning point in her life-and she's not the only one. Linked by an unforgettable mystery, photographer Micah and young mother AnnaLee are also being rapidly drawn into a web of devastating secrets about the unexpected ways in which we choose to protect-and betray-the people we love.


Kritters Thoughts:  Three different women with three different story lines and I wondered for the longest time if they were going to interconnect.  Two stories took place in 2012 and the other took place in 1986, so it was easy to infer that the 1986 story was the connection between the two.  

My favorite character was Livvi because I just wanted to root for her to find happiness.  I felt like she was the most developed character and the reader really knew her as we learn a lot about her childhood throughout the book and what makes her the person she is now.  When you find out about her childhood it makes you root for her even more.

I wish that the stories had connected a little earlier to allow for some more interaction between the women - I think that would have been a better ending.  


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 Sourcebooks.  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.




Sunday, September 15, 2013

It's Monday, What are you Reading?


Another busy week at work, but a full weekend spent reading made up for it!!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
Help for the Haunted by John Searles
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
Cartwheel by Jennifer Dubois
Leaving Haven by Kathleen McCleary
A Diet to Die For by Sarah Steding
The Good Wife by Jane Porter

Currently Reading:
The Preservationist by Justin Kramon

Next on the TBR pile:
Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn

Friday, September 13, 2013

Author Interview: Patricia Hale

Yesterday, I reviewed the book In the Shadow of Revenge by Patricia Hale, today she is here for an interview!  Without further ado . . . 

1.  What do you find yourself rambling about?

I tend to ramble about writing.  I don't talk about a story until I have it written, but then I think about it constantly.  I ramble about it to select people whose feedback I value.  If there's a plot or a conflict between characters that I'm not sure about, I discuss the scene with my husband or a close friend.  I love re-working scenes and characters and I'll welcome a critique as often as I can get one.  Then I take the suggestions back to my desk and roll them around in my head until the scene or character or whatever I'm trying to revise comes out right.  Sometimes I take people's advice and sometimes I don't but even when I don't, listening to their perspective broadens my own.  I try not to ramble about the process of writing, like time management and discipline though those are huge pieces of the process because I think rambling about those things just waste time.  Either do it or don't.  And now I'll stop, because I think I'm rambling . . . 

2.  Who was the first character that launched the story in this book when you were writing?

I was at work one day having lunch and flipping through a magazine when I came to a picture of three little girls holding hands and walking down a dark alley.  The picture was a clothing advertisement, but each of the girls was so unique that they grabbed my attention.  One was African American, dressed in a red, frilly party dress with a tiara pushed into a head of wild brown curls flowing in every direction.  On her left was a girl with long brown wavy hair wearing a navy blue smock and buckle shoes.  The third girl had straggly, uncombed dirty-blond hair.  She was wearing jeans and sneakers and a short sleeved shirt that showed fake tattoos on her arms, the kind kids lick and press against their skin.  I tore the picture out of the magazine and hung it over my computer at home.  I started creating a character for each girl and Cecily, Amelia and Hilary were born.

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

I would put it in the hands of a television writer/editor because I think it lends itself to being a visual production.  The plot is very fast paced and could easily be revised/condensed into a movie made for T.V.  It's the kind of story I look for on television at the end of a long workweek, one that will provide a couple of hours of good old, heart-pounding entertainment.

4.  What part of the writing process do you love the most?

I thoroughly enjoy the solitude of writing.  The promotional aspect of publishing is the hardest part for me because it is the antithesis of who I am.  I'm happiest hiking trails in the middle of nowhere, kayaking on a deserted lake and sitting in the quiet of my home office (a converted walk-in closet) letting my mind wander into places I'll never be.  I'm an introvert and prefer the company of my dogs, two German Shepherds and a Beagle mix (my husbands not too bad either).  I can go days without talking to anyone so I guess it makes sense that I write.  My ideal day is writing for five or six hours in complete silence and walking away from my desk feeling good about what I've created.

5.  What is next on your plate?

I'm currently working on what will be the first book of a series featuring a male/female PI team.  The story focuses on their hunt for a serial killer who is targeting women as they leave an abusive relationship.  The subplot is the relationship between the killer and the priest he confesses to after each murder.


Thank you to Patricia for answering my questions!  
Thank you to Regina at Partners in Crime Tours for setting up and facilitating the interview!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Review: In the Shadow of Revenge by Patricia Hale

In the Shadow of Revenge
by Patricia Hale

Publisher: Carina Press
Pages: 203
Format: ebook
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Everybody thought brilliant Cecily would leave dead-end Miller's Falls for something better. But a two-decades-old tragedy locks her in place. Few understand the fierce bond that Cecily and Amelia share with Hilary, who was assaulted one summer as the two other girls watched helplessly. It's a bond of love and guilt…and a desire for vengeance that cuts clear to the bone.

So Assistant DA Cecily Minos waits, eager to see the guy in her courtroom. When Amelia meets a man who has the tattoo the girls remember seeing that day, they think they've finally caught a break. But the police refuse to reopen the case, and it's up to Cecily and Amelia to pursue their suspect.

Their investigation soon uncovers secrets best left buried. But the law is slow, and they've waited long enough for revenge….



Kritters Thoughts:  A small town, a cold case and three friends who haven't been able to leave the small town or the past behind.  Cecily, Amelia and Hilary have been friends since a young age and at the tender age of 9 endured a horrific day that left them all scared and they have all been barely coping until the past comes back to haunt them.

From the beginning I was entranced by these three friends who were linked together through this horrible thing and each trying to cope.  I was glad to see Cecily take the lead and try to solve it so they could all move on, but the use of the Ouija board was just a little weird; sure I played with it as a teenager, but to whip it out again just seemed odd.  It would have been more interesting to have her "powers" come from something different and unique to their friendship.  The twists and turns were fantastic and not out of left field.  

An absolutely quick and heart stopping read that had me flipping on my iphone from the beginning to the very end.  I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the future of this author.

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

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 60 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partners in Crime 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.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Review: Swimming in the Moon by Pamela Schoenewaldt

Swimming in the Moon
by Pamela Schoenewaldt

Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 368
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Lucia D'Angelo's voice is nothing like her mother's. She's no nightingale with the gorgeous tones, tender and passionate, peaking and plummeting as dramatically as her moods. Yet in the rough world she's chosen, Lucia's words may truly change lives.

In 1904, fourteen-year-old Lucia and her young mother Teresa are servants in a count's lush villa on the Bay of Naples. Between scrubbing floors and polishing silver, Teresa soothes the unhappy countess with song until one morning's calamity hurls mother and daughter to America, exchanging their gilded cage for icy winds off Lake Erie and Cleveland's taut immigrant neighborhoods. Lucia blossoms and Teresa wins fleeting fame on the tawdry stage of vaudeville until old demons threaten their new life. In factories and workhouses, Lucia finds her own stage, giving voice to those who have given her a home. As roles reverse, mother and daughter reshape their fierce and primal bond.



Kritters Thoughts:  Lucia is a young girl living in Naples and through an interesting incident must move to America to start a new life.  With her mother they end up through a family connection in Cleveland, OH and must start from scratch to build a life.  Unfortunately, there are issues and speed bumps around every turn and Lucia ends up growing up real fast and is quite an adult at a young age.

I loved and felt horrible for Lucia at the same time.  I felt like her story really picked up when they arrived in America.  I loved seeing how the different races were interacting and they were definitely trying to create a social order.  Seeing our country at its earliest roots in some place other than New York was different and interesting.  The attention to social issues was unique with the concentration on the garment industry and the rise of unions and strikes - I enjoyed reading the glimpse into this part of history.  

Although I am a fan and love some good historical fiction, the pacing in this book was quite slow in the beginning, which made it hard to get into and get connected to the characters.  Once they were in America, I felt like the story picked up, but it took quite a bit to get there.

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.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Review: Lying To Meet You by Anna Garner

Lying to Meet You by Anna Garner

Pages: 187
Format: eARC

Goodreads:  Does being in a relationship make you a hot commodity in the eyes of would-be suitors?

Chloe Lane is about to find out. When her childhood pal, Ethan Webster, asks her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test this theory, she reluctantly agrees. As a work-crazed fashion designer, boutique owner and soon-to-be reality show judge, Chloe has no time for a real boyfriend, but being part of a faux pair will do just fine. Not that she has any intention of trying to attract someone else.

However…

Opportunity unexpectedly knocks when Chloe meets fellow reality judge, William Shannon. Super successful and super sexy, this high-powered entrepreneur inspires Chloe to test Ethan’s theory herself. Now, on top of keeping her fashion business productive, carving out a new role as a television personality, maintaining a fake relationship and attempting to lay the groundwork for a future relationship, she’s lying to William, lying to her friends, lying to her family and quite possibly lying to herself. Will Chloe be able to keep it all together, or are things about to explode?



Kritters Thoughts:  Chloe is a small time fashion designer on the brink of her 30s and although she has great job satisfaction, she hasn't quite found the guy.  The two men featured in the book are Ethan - her friend from childhood who has challenged her to a fake relationship to entice the interest of a real relationship and William - a quite hunky millionaire who has had success in the technology world.

Although this had the familiar formula of a love triangle and may have ended how I thought it would, the trip to the ending was actually different than most I have read.  I expected things to go a different way at some point, but it didn't and I liked it!  I loved Chloe and her band of friends - it was great to see a female character with job satisfaction and who wasn't completely wrapped around the devastation of single at 30.  Her friends were fantastic, I hoped for the best for all of them.  

The one thing I wish I could change, (this will not spoil) is there wasn't resolution with the lawsuit and that deal.  The happily ever after happened and it ended way too quickly for me; would have liked a few more pages with an epilogue update or something.

Definitely a chick lit, this book was sweet, sassy and satisfying.  It was a quick and easy read perfect for a rainy weekend or a fall weekend away!  


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

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 59 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.





Sunday, September 8, 2013

It's Monday, What are you Reading?


What a crazy crazy week at work which made the evenings a need for very dull bits of nothing, including reading.  It also didn't help that one of the books I was reading was really hard to get into and read.  Here is to hoping for a light week next week (but from now until my corporate retreat - early October) work should be lots of crazy.

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
Carly's Gift by Georgia Bockoven
Rescue Me, Maybe by Jackie Bouchard
Imperfect Pairings by Jackie Townsend

Currently Reading:
Help for the Haunted by John Searles

Next on the TBR pile:
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

Across My Doorstop - August 2013



Review:
Little Island by Katharine Britton  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Down From the Clouds by Marilyn Grey  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley  (Goodreads  Amazon)

The Mouse Proof Kitchen by Saira Shah  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Preservationist by Justin Kramon  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Redesigning Rose by Lydia Laceby  (Goodreads  Amazon)
After the Fire by J.A. Jance  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Leaving Haven by Kathleen McCleary  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Help for the Haunted by John Searles  (Goodreads  Amazon)
How to Be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Tulip Eaters by Antoinette van Heugten  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Cartwheel by Jennifer Dubois  (Goodreads  Amazon)
House of Miracles by Ulrica Hume  (Goodreads)

Swap Sites:

Memoir of the Sunday Brunch by Julia Pandl  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Simply Irresistible by Jennifer Banash  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The World As We Know It by Joseph Monninger  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Purchased at One More Page:
The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood  (Goodreads  Amazon)




Friday, September 6, 2013

Review: Freud's Mistress by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman

Freud's Mistress
by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman

Publisher: Putman
Pages: 357
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Minna Bernays is an overeducated woman with limited options. Fired yet again for speaking her mind, she finds herself out on the street and out of options. In 1895 Vienna, even though the city is aswirl with avant-garde artists and writers and revolutionary are still very few options for women besides marriage. And settling is not something Minna has ever done.

Out of desperation, Minna turns to her older sister, Martha, for help. But Martha has her own problems—six young children, a host of physical ailments, a household run with military precision, and an absent, overworked, disinterested husband who happens to be Sigmund Freud. Freud is a struggling professor, all but shunned by his peers and under attack for his theories, most of which center around sexual impulses, urges, and perversions. While Martha is shocked and repulsed by her husband’s "pornographic" work, Minna is fascinated.

Minna is everything Martha is not—intellectually curious, an avid reader, stunning. But while she and Freud embark on what is at first simply an intellectual courtship, something deeper is brewing beneath the surface, something Minna cannot escape.



Kritters Thoughts:  A piece of historical fiction that had me always guessing where the truth ended.  Sigmund Freud is not so happily married and his sister-in-law has lost her fiancee to disease, so after a few jobs as companions to other ladies, she is invited to move into the Freud home - drama ensues.

As I didn't know much about Freud in general, I found this book to be interesting because it made quite a few mentions of how Freud came up with his theories.  I took a few breaks in the book to read up on Freud and find out more about him and the science he created.  My favorite character was his wife, at first I found her to be homely, naive and just oblivious to all the things going on around her, but she definitely had some character growth and ended up being a stand out character.  I felt for Minna as she was trying to find her own life and I am not sure if she ever did.

I didn't love this book, but maybe its because I wasn't completely familiar with Freud and all of the things he is known for.  As a piece of straight historical fiction, there were only a few mentions of what was going on outside of Freud's world.

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.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Review: Equilibrium by Lorrie Thomson

Equilibrium by Lorrie Thomson

Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 336
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  
In the year since her husband died, Laura Klein's world has shifted on its axis. It's not just that she's raising two children alone--fact is, Laura always did the parenting for both of them. But now her fifteen-year-old daughter, Darcy, is dating a boy with a fast car and faster hands, and thirteen-year-old Troy's attitude has plummeted along with his voice. Just when she's resigning herself to a life of worry and selfless support, her charismatic new tenant offers what Laura least expects: a second chance.

Darcy isn't surprised her mom doesn't understand her, though she never imagined her suddenly acting like a love-struck teen herself. With Troy starting to show signs of their father's bipolar disorder, and her best friend increasingly secretive, Darcy turns to her new boyfriend, Nick, for support. Yet Nick has a troubled side of his own, forcing Darcy toward life-altering choices.



Kritters Thoughts:  A family approaches the one year mark of the suicide of the father of the family and they are all handling this anniversary differently.  The mother who pushed through his bipolar issues and fought to keep things from friends and their children is finally letting go of it all.  The teenage daughter is running into the arms of the "bad boy" and must make some hard decisions that she may have avoided when her father was alive.  Finally the young son is faced with the genetics of depression and life without a diagnosis.

It was interesting to take an inside look into a family a year after a major event like suicide has occurred and how each family member will handle it differently.  Instead of taking place before and just after, I liked the delay that gave some depth to the pain that the family was still dealing with long after the event happened.  

The book was full of family drama, but I just didn't feel like it went anywhere.  Character growth was big, although it wasn't enough for make me feel like this was a full novel.

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.

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