Blog Tour/Review: Love Literary Style by Karin Gillespie @hellochicklit @gillespiekarin

5 Comments


Love Literary Style Book Tour
By author Karin Gillespie
Tour Date: November 1st-8th, 2016

Blurb:

Low brow meets high brow in a literary love story.

Can an emotionally-stunted literary novelist and a vivacious romance writer find their happily-ever after? Even when she becomes more successful than he? Love Literary Style spoofs romantic comedy tropes, winks at literary pretensions and pokes fun at book publishing.

Like Legally Blonde only in the literary world.

Inspired by the author’s New York Times article “Masters in Chick Lit.” A sparkling romantic comedy for fans of the Rosie Project.

Buy the Book:

AmazonUS
AmazonUK

About the Author:

2c93bc_f568288f57544254b991cfe17add7d80-mv2Karin Gillespie

Bio:

Karin Gillespie is the author of the national bestselling Bottom Dollar Girls series, 2016 Georgia Author of the Year, Co-author for Jill Connor Browne’s novel Sweet Potato Queen’s First Big Ass Novel. Her latest novel Love Literary Style was inspired by a New York Times article called “Masters in Chick Lit” that went viral and was shared by literary luminaries like Elizabeth Gilbert and Anne Rice. She’s written for the Washington Post and Writer Magazine and is book columnist and humor columnist for the Augusta Chronicle and Augusta Magazine respectively. She received a Georgia Author of the Year Award in 2016

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Review:

If the entire blurb alone wasn’t cute and fun enough, the part that compared it to Legally Blonde totally sucked me in. That’s such a fun movie and I was definitely intrigued by the idea of a book in the same style. I’m so pleased to say that the comparison is absolutely accurate! 

Laurie and Aaron meet at a writers colony and due to a case of mistaken identity, he believes he has finally found his literary match. Unbeknownst to him, Laurie is really an aspiring romance novelist. Aaron is a highbrow snob and believes that any genre fiction is totally unworthy. By the time the two realize the mistake, things have  gone too far and they both have feelings for one another. Can two opposites attract and manage to maintain a relationship regardless of their many differences? What will happen when Laurie snags a huge contract while Aaron’s literary career falls apart? You’ll have to read it yourself to see…

I loved this book! The whole thing was very tongue in cheek and poked fun at anything and everything relating to writing as well as romance. It was a very funny and playful approach and I laughed out loud several times. One of my favorite moments was when Aaron is urged by his publisher to try and cultivate a presence on social media. His attempt was so pathetic it was laughable. Both Aaron and Laurie are over the top in their personas which made them so much fun. Gillespie is quick witted in her writing style and as I read this, I almost felt like I was watching a romantic comedy movie, but even better. Better because it’s a book and clearly I enjoy those more than movies, I’m not MovieGossip after all, I’m Novel Gossip. 😜 This was a really entertaining and delightfully fun read that I throughly enjoyed.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Hello Chick Lit for my review copy. 

Visit All the Stops:

November 1st

Romantic Reads and Such – Book Excerpt
Hello…Chick Lit – Book Promo/Excerpt

November 2nd

Bookish Lifestyle – Book Promo
Judging More Than Just The Cover – Author Q&A
Steamy Book Momma – Book Promo

November 3rd

Jena Books – Book Review/Promo
Emmathelittlebookworm – Book Promo

November 4th

Live Laugh & Love Books – Book Review
Key of Dee – Author Guest Post

November 5th

Bookaholic Babe – Book Promo
Book Lover in Florida – Book Excerpt/Promo
Anonymisses – Book Review

November 6th

The Belgian Reviewer – Author Guest Post
The Writing Garnet – Book Review
He Said Books or Me – Author Guest Post

November 7th

Novelgossip– Book Review/Promo
Chick Lit Central – Book Promo

November 8th

Elysium Bibliotheque – Book Promo
ItaPixie’s Book Corner – Book Review/Excerpt

Tour Arranged by:



Review: Love Her Madly by M. Elizabeth Lee

31 Comments


Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: August 16, 2016

Publisher: Atria Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

If you loved Luckiest Girl Alive and The Girl on the Train, you’ll devour this stunning debut novel about an intense best friendship between two college girls which leads to the abrupt disappearance—and presumed death—of one and the survival of the other, who reveals the twists and turns of their relationship seven years later.


Glo never thought she’d become best friends with a girl like Cyn. Blonde, blue-eyed, and stunningly gorgeous, Cyn is the kind of girl other girls love to hate. Yet Cyn is the only person who embraces Glo when she transfers to their tiny liberal arts college in Florida, looking for a second chance to get things right after falling apart at her first-choice school. With her dark sense of humor and bad-girl ways, Cyn is captivating to a nice girl like Glo, and soon they’re inseparable.


Until they both fall for the same guy.


It’s Cyn who suggests they share Raj. Half the time he’ll be Cyn’s boyfriend, the other half he’ll be Glo’s. And for a while, everything goes smoothly. Until Glo realizes that she doesn’t know Cyn or Raj half as well as she thinks. Until Glo and Cyn’s friendship implodes while they’re studying abroad in Costa Rica. Until Cyn disappears one night, setting off a media firestorm and leaving Glo in the dark for seven long years.


Until Cyn resurfaces. 

Review: 

Between the gorgeous cover and the blurb, this book might as well have my name literally written all over it. I love unreliable narrators and how I’m constantly guessing, and second guessing who to trust. I also love missing persons stories, then when the person turns up seven years later? That’s gold in my book. As much as I had hoped that this one would fly straight to the top of my best reads of the year list, it didn’t quite make it. It had all the ingredients necessary to secure a spot on said list, but I just had too many issues with the second part of the book to add it.

Part one begins when Cyn and Glo meet in college and is told from Glo’s point of view. Glo is in a fragile state after a rough freshman year, so when she meets the captivating and beautiful Cyn, she’s taken under her spell immediately. She’s never really had a super close female friend before, but she’s desperate to belong and she can’t quite believe her good fortune when Cyn accepts her with open arms. The two grow close swiftly and before too long they meet Raj. Both girls are suddenly taken by his charming good looks and unsure how to proceed as it seems like Raj is into the both of them. Cyn suggests they share him and they all agree to try out this bizarre dating arrangement. Things are going alright, though there is the typical jealously and angst you would expect, until the girls head to Costa Rica for a school trip. Cyn disappears and both Glo and Raj are shattered. 

Part two begins seven years after Cyn goes missing and again begins from Glo’s viewpoint. Her and Raj are now married, and while they’re happy, they are both haunted by Cyn’s ghost. Glo is guilt ridden and wishes she had done more to save her friend, while Raj is too, but he’s torn up about the last time he saw Cyn. That all may sound vague, but going into more detail would only serve to spoil important details. When Raj and Glo both separately think they see Cyn, things begin to unravel. Unfortunately, this is also where the book unraveled for me. 

Raj begins to narrate some chapters in part two and I was really interested in hearing things from his POV. Upon Cyn’s return, I wrongfully assumed that we would now hear from her, even if briefly. I think that was a crucial missing component to this story and I really wish I could’ve seen what was going on in that head of hers. The ending left a few too many loose ends for my liking, and the parts that were tidied up were too plausible for me to believe easily. I did appreciate Lee’s writing, it was polished and the characters were extremely interesting as well. I guess I just wanted a little more in the end, maybe a stronger conclusion to match up to the compelling beginning.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy, I truly appreciate it.

Review: You’ll Be Thinking of Me by Densie Webb @dlwebb

23 Comments


Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: August 17, 2015

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Thriller

Blurb: 

A chance encounter with a celebrity, an impromptu video, and a shiny new espresso machine. It all added up to a juicy tale for 24-year-old Rachael Allen to share with friends. but when her best friend posts the video online, bizarre threats, home break-ins, and deadly gift from an obsessed fan follow close behind.


“You’ll Be Thinking of Me” is the story of Rachael’s serendipitous encounter with a celebrity, her brush with obsessive love, and the bittersweet gift left behind by the very person fixated on destroying her life.

Review: 

This blurb instantly grabbed my attention when the author contacted me about a possible review. Chance encounters, ties to Hollywood and fame, and an obsessed fan? Yes please! While it’s labeled as a romantic suspense, and Rachel and Mick’s relationship is a key part of the story, I think that fans of thrillers in general would like this one as well. 

Rachel is an average twenty four year old struggling after college to find her place in the world. She has ambitions of working in the music industry and living in New York, but for now she’s stuck living back at home with her parents in New Jersey. When she has a random encounter with celebrity Mick Sullivan neither of them realizes the impact one chance meeting will have on their entire lives.

As soon as Rachel’s best friend, Jenna posts a video of Rachel and Mick’s brief meeting online, it goes viral. Things are harmless enough, until one obsessed fan begins to take things too far. Rachel begins receiving frightening messages and letters from this unknown woman, and before long she ups the ante and sends terrifying “gifts” to her. People stalking celebrities has always fascinated and appalled me, I’ve often wondered what drives their obsession? This book takes a look at what makes a person behave in such an awful and scary manner and provides a look at the impact of stalking on both the stalker and the stalkee.

I don’t want to talk too much about what exactly the stalker does, but suffice it to say it was downright petrifying and disturbing. Getting a glimpse into the mind of a deranged and delusional person never fails to interest me and Webb did a great job of showcasing how a person so far removed from reality thinks and feels. Rachel was a really relatable character as she’s just a regular girl who happened to get entangled with a huge celebrity. The implications this has on her life are at once exciting and full of complications. Mick was charming and fun, a total bad boy. But there is much more to him than meets the eye and he’s hiding things from the world that are sad and devastating. Both are imperfect and damaged, but I really enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve throughout the book.

This was a fun and engaging read that had enough plot twists and turns to capture my attention. The pacing was good and everything flowed together nicely. The last chapter jumps ahead twenty years which delighted me, I’m a big fan of closure in my books. And the final twist in the end was unexpected and valued.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Saturday Shoutout: Q & A with Author Craig Hart @craighartwriter

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I’m so pleased to have Craig Hart here today for a Q & A. Read on for more information about his book and the interview.

About the Book: 

Goodreads|Amazon

Do You Love Thrillers? The New Shelby Alexander Thriller Series Is Here! Don’t Forget To Breathe… A woman dies in his arms…a drug dealer offers him $10,000…a gunman is determined to kill him. And then everything goes to hell.

Shelby Alexander is an aging ex-boxer and retired fixer, whose activities often flirted with the wrong side of the law. Looking for a little peace and a slower pace of life, he moved to Serenity, the small Michigan town where he grew up. But trouble follows men like Shelby, and he finds himself embroiled in an underworld of drugs and violence that may prove to be his undoing. The first book in the new Shelby Alexander Thriller Series, Serenity is an action-packed read with a lovingly rendered cast, witty dialogue, and a main character who doesn’t know when to quit.


If You Love These Authors, You’ll Love the Shelby Alexander Series: Nick Stephenson, Mark Dawson, David Archer, John Hemmings Christopher Greyson.

Q & A:

1. What’s a typical writing day for you look like? Describe your perfect writing environment.


As the stay-at-home dad for twin boys, my writing happens whenever they’re not taking the house apart brick by brick. This generally means either during their lovely afternoon nap or after the even more lovely bedtime. I do have a sitter come in twice a week, and that affords a few hours to really focus on the project at hand.


My perfect writing environment would be a cabin on the shore of Lake Michigan. My dream–and this actually will happen, mind you–is to own such a place where I can go a few weeks a year and do nothing but write and yell at the seagulls.


2. How did you get started writing? Was it something that you’ve always loved?


I started writing in my mid-teens, although I’d always loved reading. By the time I was in my early twenties, writing had become my obsession. And it hasn’t let up much since. I’ve learned how to temper that obsession a bit (although not well) in order to function as a normal human, but I don’t think I could not be a writer. Having said that, I can’t profess to always love writing. I almost always love having written, but that’s a different thing altogether. I often loathe the writing process, and dread sitting down at the keyboard. There are those days. On the other hand, the times when the muse is generous and the words flow…that’s a high I wouldn’t trade for anything.


3. Who are your favorite writers/inspirations?


I have a literary bent (which readers will find on full display in my 2015 novel Becoming Moon), so I admire writers such as Hemingway and Capote. I don’t pretend to write like those giants, by the way, but they inspire me nonetheless. I also enjoy the Prey novels by John Sandford and some stuff by Lee Child and Michael Connelly. By the way, if you all haven’t seen the Amazon series Bosch, made from the Connelly novels, check it out!


4. Anything you can tell us about upcoming projects?


My newest book, Serenity, is the first in a series of Serenity thrillers, starring Shelby Alexander. The books will all be connected, with recurring characters and continuing storylines, although each book will contain a resolution as well. I have the second book well underway and am planning the third. I intend to have the next two finished and available by summer 2017. 


5. Normally how do you develop plots/characters? Brief us on your process.


It varies. Sometimes it happens in a moment and I am suddenly presented with a plot line or character that works. Other times it is like hacking granite. More often it’s the latter. In this case, I often resort to outlining for plot and freewriting for characters. In the case of characters, it’s useful to get as well acquainted with them as possible. The better you know the characters, the more you will understand their motives and potential actions, which in turn opens up all manner of avenues in the plot.


6. Favorite character from one of your own novels?


This is going to sound like a plant, but it’s Shelby Alexander, the star of the new series. He is an aging ex-boxer who is struggling with his declining physical prowess and the ongoing relationships with his temperamental daughter and the too-young-for-him girlfriend. I find him fascinating. He can be tough as nails, but also has a vulnerable side that shows up, especially in conversation with the girlfriend (and occasionally the daughter). I suspect that Shelby (and I’ll have to ask him to be sure, although he’ll probably just blow me off) is having a difficult time accepting change in his own life and prefers to think he can continue his tough guy approach to life forever. We all know how that is going to turn out for him; hopefully he’ll figure it out before it’s too late.


7. Preferred method for readers to contact you?


You can pop over to my website and go to the contact page! Fill it out, and that will send me an email, which I always read.


8. On average, how long does it take you to write a book?


Average…that’s a tough one. Becoming Moon took three years. Serenity took about two months, from beginning to the final edit. I don’t intend to ever again write a book as fast as I wrote Serenity. I’m very happy with how it turned out, but it also exhausted the hell out of me. I’m sure there are writers who write like this routinely, but I’m not one of them. I’m planning four months each for the next two books, but I’d take six months and be happy.


10. Which one of your characters do you relate to the most?


It’s a tie between Shelby and Nigel Moon, the eponymous character from Becoming Moon. Put those two together and you have the kind of person I intend to become over the next few decades: crusty, surly, but with a good heart and gummy, fifty-year-old peppermints covered in pocket lint for all the kiddies.


11. If writing wasn’t your career what would you be doing?


Probably sitting around wondering why I felt so unfulfilled. No, seriously, I would have likely stayed in my job at the public library system or shuffled off to teach English at some college no one’s ever heard of. Both of those things actually sound fine to me (as long as I could write on the side).


12. What’s the best compliment that you’ve received about your work?


I once had a woman say that my work inspired her to give writing another shot, even though she had stopped years ago. I don’t think she meant professionally, but just as something she could do that might be cathartic. Anytime someone finds my work inspiring in some way…yeah, that makes it worth it.

About the Author: 

Craig A. Hart is the stay-at-home father of twin boys, a writer, editor, Amazon bestselling author, lover of the arts, and only human. He served as editor-in-chief for The Rusty Nail literary magazine and as manager for Sweatshoppe Media. He also served as director for Northern Illinois Radio Information Service, an outreach that brought daily news and information to the visually impaired. 

 

He has been published in The Orange Room Review, Voices, The Stray Branch, Red Poppy Review, The Mindful Word, Inclement, Right Hand Pointing, 7×20 Magazine, and others. 

 

In 2015, Kindle Press published his novel Becoming Moon. NPR affiliate Northern Public Radio featured Becoming Moon in their Winter Book Series.

​

Besides his award-winning novel, Craig is the author of The Writer’s Tune-Up Manual, The Busy Writer, and The Girl Who Read Hemingway. He is also the author of the new Shelby Alexander Thriller Series. The first book in the series, Serenity, launched on Oct. 31, 2016.

 

Craig lives and writes in Iowa City with his wife, sons, and two cats.

Twitter|Facebook|Website|Amazon Author Page

Huge thanks to Craig for joining me today! 

Review: Blood Lines by Angela Marsons @writeangie @bookouture

15 Comments


Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: November 4, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Crime Fiction

Blurb: 

How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace? 

A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up. 


When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet. 


Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother. 


As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

Review: 

Wow! That was my absolute first thought after finishing this brilliant read. Second thought was, well, she’s done it again! How does she do it though?! Seriously, how does each book in this series just keep getting better? Amazing.

So Kim and crew are back with another seemingly impossible case to solve. A woman is ruthlessly killed and left in her car. This is a killing void of any emotion and the leads are nonexistent. Simultaneously, Kim receives a letter from none other than Alex Thorne. Just typing her name out turns my blood cold. As the team races against the clock to stop the string of murders from continuing, Kim must face her own demons in the form of her biggest adversaries; her mother and Dr. Thorne.

Kim is as feisty and prickly as ever, but this book brought out a softer side of her that melted my heart. You learn more about her relationship with her mother, (I use the term relationship loosely here) as well as what drives her unrelenting ambition. She finds herself unwillingly caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Alex and the two of them together are a real treat to watch. I don’t know if I’ve loathed a character as much as I do Alex since Angie from Karin Slaughters Will Trent series. There is an epic battle between these two, but can Kim outsmart the sociopathic doctor before more innocent people are hurt, or worse, killed?

The character development in this series sets it apart and makes it a standout, and Marsons continues to dig deeper into the lives of the team in Blood Lines. I mentioned learning more about Kim’s past earlier, but we also see plenty of scenes between her and Bryant which is always a joy. Their relationship is fun and comes from a deep place of caring and shows you their human sides instead of the badass cop side alone. Kev may make many mistakes still, but his intentions are good and he craves approval and acceptance from Kim so greatly. Stacy is still holding down the fort in front of her computer for the most part, but make no mistake, her role is vital to the success of the team. 

I read this one at warp speed, partly due to the fact that Marsons is oh so tricky and writes brief chapters that make me keep saying, oh just one more chapter. Before I know it, it’s after midnight, but honestly I didn’t care, I had to find out what was going to happen next. Full of plenty of bombshells and shocking revelations, this one was a true page turner and extremely hard to put down.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy.

Review: Safe With Me by K. L. Slater @KimLSlater @bookouture

22 Comments


Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: November 3, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb: 

Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even …


Anna lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people to get too close – she knows how much damage they can do.


Then one ordinary day Anna witnesses a devastating road accident and recognises the driver as Carla, the woman who ruined her life all those years ago. Now it’s Anna’s chance to set things straight but her revenge needs to be executed carefully …


First she needs to get to know Liam, the man injured in the accident. She needs to follow the police investigation. She needs to watch Carla from the shadows…


But as Anna’s obsession with Carla escalates, her own secrets start to unravel. Is Carla really dangerous or does Anna need to worry about someone far closer to home?


A compelling, gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Sister.

Review: 

I have to start by saying that I’m completely blown away by the fact that this is Slater’s debut novel. This was polished, gripping and entirely riveting. If this is what she comes up with for a debut, I can’t wait to see what she does next! This is one of those books that will be a bit hard to review because I don’t want to give up anything unintentionally, but I’ll do my best to give you a feel for the book without revealing anything pertinent.

This is told from two timelines, present day and thirteen years ago. There was clearly a big tragedy in the past, but details are released slowly and methodically throughout the book until it all comes to a head with a shocking climax. When Anna witnesses a car accident and recognizes Carla, a woman who is related in some way to the tragedy, she feels like she finally has the chance to right the wrongs from the past. She swiftly and immediately inserts herself into the lives of Liam, the man injured in the accident and Ivy his grandmother. 

 Anna narrates and she is quite the character. I’ve never seen someone quite as detached and delusional as she is. What made her simultaneously fascinating and disturbing is the fact that she has no idea the way she behaves isn’t normal. She manages to convince herself that the insane decisions she makes are justified and that she knows what’s best for anyone and everyone. I felt like I was watching someone’s cheese slid right off of their cracker and I couldn’t look away. 

This book had so many dark undercurrents running between the pages and I was unsettled and creeped out the entire time I was reading it. Anna’s cold indifference and stark paranoia really chilled me, in fact I found myself looking over my shoulder even though I read this book in the comfort of my own home. I was quite wrapped up in Anna’s sad and strange little world and was keen to find out what the tragedy was exactly so maybe I could discover why she turned out the way that she did. 

The ending was the only thing that kept me from rating this higher, I just wanted a bit more and maybe some greater explanations about some of the events. I like things all neat and tidy at the end of a book, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. It was still a very good read, full of deadly obsessions, manipulations, and plenty of twists that kept me guessing. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy.

Release Day Blitz: Fearless Flying by Karen Gordon @joiedemidvivre

4 Comments

About the Book/Amazon

An
amazing job, check
An
adorable apartment, check
A
super supportive best friend, check
There’s
only one thing missing from Vivienne Ramsey’s perfect life…
And
after ten years of waiting the time is finally right for her to seduce her
dream man. Tonight she’s going to wear Danny out in bed until he dies a happy
man. But before she can begin her carefully crafted strategy of seduction he’s
headed for the door. And for once in her over-organized life Vivienne doesn’t
have a back-up plan.
If
he had only read the memo about his part in her happily-ever-after. 

Participating Blogs
Authors and Readers Book Corner
Shannon’s Bookish Life
Romantic Fanatic Blog
BF Bookies
Adventures in Writing
Dandelions Inspired
Star Crossed Book Blog
Milly Loves Books
Rae Reads
Novel Gossip
the Meaning of Me
Jersey Girl Book Reviews
Toots Book Reviews
Books Dreams Life
Chick Lit Goddess
Book Lover in Florida
Book Briefs
Miley the Book Junkie
The Meaning of Me
Chick Lit Plus
Author Bio
Karen Gordon is an indie
author who loves supporting strong and sexy women in fiction and in real life.
Born and raised in St.
Charles, Missouri, she found her love of extraordinary stories about ordinary
places by finding excitement in mundane suburbia. Although she currently writes
romance and chick lit, you never know what she might do next. (You’ll never
find a woman-hating, bad-boy hero though.)
She currently lives with the loves of her life, three very cool
geeky men and one perfect puppy, just outside of Memphis, TN.

Links
https://karengordonauthor.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/joiedemidvivre/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30235845-fearless-flying

Review: Faithful by Alice Hoffman 

31 Comments


Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: November 1, 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Goodreads blurb: 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.


Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.


What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.


Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.


Alice Hoffman’s “trademark alchemy” (USA TODAY) and her ability to write about the “delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary” (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.

Review: 

Most of you guys are probably aware by now that I always judge a book by its cover. Sure, I read the blurb too but the cover is what initially grabs my attention and if it’s pretty or striking, I’m usually going to grab it. I really shouldn’t have judged a book by its cover this time. It totally missed the mark for me.

Things started off strong for me, Shelby is a teenager who was just in a terrible accident that left her best friend, Helene in a coma. She’s understandably devastated and deeply depressed and she winds up in a psychiatric hospital for several months. She shaves her head, barely eats, and when she returns home, she hardly leaves her parents basement and spends most of her time getting high. I really felt for Shelby, she is so broken and she’s a mere shell of herself. I was really looking forward to seeing how she would cope, but unfortunately things didn’t really sit well with me.

I had some issues with this one, the first being that it was so depressing! I get that it deals with some very heavy subject matter and I’m quite fine with that, I’m no stranger to reading dark books. But everything is always awful for Shelby even when it’s really not. Which brings me to my second issue, Shelby is the biggest martyr I’ve ever seen. Even though she does everything in her power to alienate herself from everyone, she still manages to cultivate a few loyal people who love her. So what does she do? She tries her damnedst to destroy these relationships because she’s so full of self loathing and guilt because of the accident. I get it, she’s young and she’s been through a tragedy but this book follows her life for ten years. And she continuously keeps behaving the same exact way. Good things somehow keep happening to her even though she does some pretty crappy things herself and she just chalks it all up to fate, but I chalk it up to some pretty contrived storytelling.

I’m gonna stop here with my ranting because I feel that Hoffman is a talented writer. I just had such a hard time reconciling her beautiful writing with this gratuitous and predictable plot. As much as I wanted to connect with the storyline and Shelby, the only time I felt a true and honest moment with her was towards the end when she had some poignant and lovely scenes with her mother. Overall, this one was a flat disappointment for me. (I shouldn’t complain, I’ve been on a really fantastic streak lately, but I’m honest to a fault in my reviews)

Overall rating: 2/5

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for my review copy.

October Wrap Up

37 Comments

I kicked off this month with a fun blog tour and reviewed The Twits.


This one didn’t really do much for me.

This was such a stunning debut!

This was a fantastic read!

I liked this one, especially the character development.


This one was a heart pounding and intense read.

This was an interesting novella.

This was a powerful and vital read.

This was a sweet and funny read!

This was a funny and wacky mystery.

This one just missed the mark for me.

Fantastic read about an intense hostage situation. Review here.


The conclusion to this series was cute.

This was a great one, really enjoyed it.

This was a quick and fun book to listen to.

I loved this one, highly recommend.

I liked this one and am looking forward to reading more in this series.

This was just a delightful read.

I loved this one so much!


This was a beautiful love story.

This was much more than a holiday read. 

This was mediocre for me.


This was a quick and enjoyable listen.

This was a fantastic read with an outstanding main character.

I liked this psychological thriller.

Loved this one and am excited it’s the start of a new series!

This was a quick and fun read.

I really liked this one. 

This was a really strong debut.

I really liked this one it was fun!
Phew, what a great reading month! I also started my Saturday Shoutout series:

Tiffany McDaniel
Bookouture
Brad Graber
Renee @itsbooktalk
Arnulfo Cantarero
How was October for you guys? What were your favorite reads? 

Review: The Murder Game by Julie Apple @realjulieapple @CEMcKenzie1

29 Comments


Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: November 1, 2016

Genre: Mystery

Goodreads blurb: 

For fans of The Secret History and How to Get Away With Murder comes an exciting new voice in suspense fiction.


Ten years working as a prosecutor have left Meredith Delay jaded and unsure of what she wants out of life. She’s good at her job, but it haunts her. Her boyfriend wants her to commit, but she keeps him at arm’s length. Then Meredith is assigned to a high-profile prosecution involving the violent murder of a fallen hockey star. At first, it appears to be just another case to work. But when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder, it takes on a whole new dimension.


Meredith, Julian, Jonathan, and Lily were a tight-knit group in law school. But now, Jonathan’s defending Julian, and Lily’s loyalties aren’t clear. And when Julian invokes a rare—and risky—defense, Meredith is forced to confront their past.


Has something they played at as students finally been brought to death? 

Review: 

A couple of months ago I read Fractured by Catherine McKenzie and I LOVED it. When I found out that she was releasing a companion book, I was all over it. I use the term companion loosely though as either book could easily be read alone. So in Fractured the protagonist is Julie Apple and she wrote a book called The Murder Game. McKenzie now released this one using the pen name Julie Apple. Book inception! It may sound a bit confusing, but if you read Fractured first it all makes sense.

This follows a similar format to Fractured and has two distinct timelines. The first follows Meredith as she begins law school. She’s immediately drawn to a tight knit group of friends and eventually becomes a member of their group. There’s Julian who is dating Lily and Jonathan who Meredith begins dating. The second timeline follows Meredith as she works as a prosecutor who has been assigned to Julian’s case. Thus begins the biggest case in her career, but is she really capable of going against her old friend Julian? To complicate matters further Jonathan is defending him and she’s not really certain where Lily’s head is.
I’m a big fan of alternating timelines and it works seamlessly here, much as it did in Fractured. There is no mystery as to if Julian committed murder, he confessed after all, but the reader is constantly wondering if the old friends really conspired together to commit the perfect murder? Was that just talk back in the day? Or did they really go through with it? 

I didn’t really like any of the characters here, but that didn’t stop me from really enjoying myself. I started this one night intending to only read a few chapters to get a feel for the story. I stopped reading at 75% and that’s only because The Walking Dead was on. (Pretty much nothing keeps me from watching that ASAP) It’s safe to say that this was a compelling and engaging read, even if I thought most of the characters were awful. Julian, Lily and Jonathan are pretty terrible to Meredith and I found myself wondering why she put up with this treatment? She wasn’t all that likeable either though now that I think about it.

This was a tense legal drama and it had the same tightly wound feeling that Fractured had. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as that one, but it’s still a worthy read. Pay close attention to the prologue, it’s important. I had to go back and reread it after I finished the book actually. I still think it’s so cool and clever that McKenzie even released this book in this manner and I would love to read similar books but I’m not sure there are any others?!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Kathleen Zrelak for my review copy, you always hook me up with the BEST books and I’m so grateful.