Sister Dear Review

May 6, 2016April 28, 20162 Comments

So many people had recommended Laura McNeill’s first release, Center of Gravity, to me last year. Unfortunately, I never grabbed an opportunity to read it because at the time I had too many other books I my pile. As soon as I was offered the chance to review her next book, Sister Dear, I jumped at the chance.

Sister Dear tells the story of Allie Marshall, just paroled from prison after 10 years for a crime she insists she didn’t commit, the killing of the town’s beloved football coach, Boyd Thomas. Her sister, Emma, currently has custody of Allie’s teenage daughter, Caroline. Her parents have just sold their vet practice to a new family in town.

Caroline seems to be the most affected by Allie’s return, as her mother was gone for a huge portion of her life and she’s worried about he social repercussions for her as news spreads. To keep herself busy, she chooses to volunteer at the local nursing home after school.

Once this story gets going, readers will have a pretty good idea of who is ultimately responsible for the crime. But what I love about this book is how Laura dropped little surprising nuggets of information throughout. Little puzzle pieces were found every few chapters that started forming the ultimate picture of what really happened. Just when you think you cannot be surprised anymore, you get a new twisty tidbit to keep you reading.

Now I cannot wait to go back and read Center of Gravity and whatever new novels Laura has coming our way. She has an amazing ability to hook you early without a ton of extraneous information. My thanks to TNZFiction, Litfuse, and Laura McNeill for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Follow the blog tour for more reviews: http://litfusegroup.com/author/lmcneill/

Laura McNeill is a writer, web geek, travel enthusiast, and coffee drinker. In her former life, she was a television news anchor for CBS News affiliates in New York and Alabama. Laura holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and is completing a graduate program in interactive technology at the University of Alabama. When she’s not writing and doing homework, she enjoys running, yoga, and spending time at the beach. She lives in Mobile, AL with her family.

Center Ring Review

April 13, 2016Leave a comment

If you are a mother, have a mother, or want to be a mother. If you have a job, had a job, or want a job. If you are married, used to be married, or want to be married. If you relate to any of those categories, you will find a relatable character in this debut read. Grab your girlfriends and your wine because this is a book you’ll want to read with company.

Center Ring is the first in The Circus of Women trilogy by Nicole Waggoner. It features five best friends:

Norah, an ob-gyn struggling with her own infertility and marriage

Camille, a photojournalist at a crossroads in her career

Leila, mother of two and former professor

Ellison, a publicist for Hollywood’s elite and unlucky in love

Kate, brand-new mother struggling with trying to be perfect

As the girls get together for a night out, Norah lets out a secret and the book follows each woman share her story as they rally around her. The book continuously changes point of view from woman to woman, but the chapters are short so it’s easy to read large portions at a time.

As a working married mother, I completely related to multiple stories in this book, especially those when the characters were trying to balance it all, just like the “circus” theme suggests. Nicole does a fabulous job of bringing readers back to that concept throughout. You’ll be rooting for each woman as she experiences her highs, and sympathizing with them as they experience their lows.

This book would make a great addition to your beach bag, but I guarantee you’ll want to share the story with your friends. It will be hard having time pass by as you immerse yourself in the lives of these women. What will be harder is waiting for Book 2 in the trilogy to find out what happens next.

Thanks so much to Nicole Waggoner for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

Somewhere Out There Review

April 1, 2016April 1, 2016Leave a comment

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Amy Hatvany could publish her grocery list and I’d read it. She has this ability to hook a reader from the first page without her book being a thriller and make you feel every emotion.

Somewhere Out There starts off with a glimpse of Jennifer, a young mom to two girls, living out of her car and trying to get them taken care of and fed. Not being careful enough, she is caught shoplifting and even after an explanation, the store doesn’t want to cut her any slack. Her social worker suggests that giving up her girls will be the best thing she can do for them moving forward.

Fast forward 30 years where we meet mother and caterer Natalie and cocktail waitress Brooke, the two girls Jennifer gave up. The reader is introduced to their current lives and how each grew up in very different circumstances. The book flashes back to what happened to Jennifer once she was arrested for shoplifting and, subsequently, what happened in the past as the girls grew up and how that shaped them in the present.

I love how everything Hatvany does is so realistic. She doesn’t have Natalie living a picture perfect life with a lawyer husband and two kids. She struggles between work and motherhood and even has spats with her husband, just like real life. What may look more perfect on the outside is anything but.

As I read this, I kept going back to the fact that I couldn’t put this book down starting on page 2. It’s rare that a women’s fiction story hooks me so quickly.

This is one you’ll want to discuss with all your friends and will make you want to complete your Amy Hatvany library. As usual, I cannot wait for another new release from her.

Thanks to BookSparks as part of their #mywinterisbooked campaign for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Release Day for SUMMERLOST by Ally Condie

March 29, 2016March 29, 2016Leave a comment

Dear Readers,

I think most of us have had our hearts broken. Sometimes we can see it coming, and sometimes it comes down with the unexpected force of a sudden gale of wind or a rising of waters that we thought were still and safe. Loss is universal to human experience, but the way we each feel and recover is one of the most personal things we do.

In Summerlost, Cedar is dealing with the loss of her father and younger brother. And my intent was to show how hard their deaths are for her. But this is also a book about the healing power of friendship. Most of us have been broken-hearted; I hope that most of us have also discovered the miracle of friendships that were just what we needed. Cedar and Leo’s friendship is based on someone I met when I was twelve. Like Leo, my friend was fun and liked to enlist me in crazy adventures (although we never gave a secret guided tour of our town the way they do in Summerlost). And, like Leo, he thought I was wonderful and of worth at a time when I needed it most.

SUMMERLOST is my attempt to pay tribute both to the pain we feel and the friendships that save us. Thank you so much for supporting this book, and for your willingness to give Cedar’s story a try. I hope it makes you think of a wonderful friend of your own, whether that is someone you met in the pages of a favorite book or outside, in the world where it is often hard and beautiful to live.

Best wishes and happy reading always,
Ally Condie

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Praise:

A Spring 2016 Kids’ Indie Next List Top 10 Pick!

Named one of Publishers Weekly’s Most Anticipated Children’s and YA Books of Spring 2016

● “Condie (Matched) strikes a deep emotional chord with this coming-of-age story.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

● “Multiple, seemingly random details, including a family of turkey vultures that now roost outside Cedar’s window, an absurd soap opera narrative of a woman buried alive, and Leo’s quest for a trip with his father, coalesce into metaphors that help Cedar make sense of her grief and the life she now has to look forward to. Thoughtful, poetic chapter endings guide readers new to psychological depth toward meaningful connections between plot events and thematic reflections.” – BCCB

“A moving tale of friendship and loss. I loved these characters—I wish we could have been friends when I was a kid.” –Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms series

“Ally Condie’s first middle grade book might also be my favorite out of ALL her books to date. Summerlost is a story packed with nostalgia, heart, and gorgeous prose.” – The Novel Novice

“A nuanced portrait of grief deeply grounded in the middle-school mind-set.” – Booklist

“Honest, lovely, and sad.” – Kirkus Reviews

“A sweet, heartfelt story.” – School Library Journal

“Achingly good.” – Summer Laurie, Books Inc

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Read an excerpt and BUY your copy from any of these retailers:

Penguin Random House
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indiebound

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Thanks to Word Spelunking and Penguin Kids for sponsoring this release day blitz!

19 Can’t Miss Debut Reads

March 5, 2016March 5, 20162 Comments

Oftentimes with the first book of an author, you might not be very impressed and hope that in time their writing and stories improve. In the cases of these talented novelists, I couldn’t wait for their next release because the debut was incredible. Here are my 19 Can’t Miss Debut Reads in no particular order.

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

As soon as I finished this one, I wanted to give it a hug and never let go. This was the best women’s fiction novel I had read in years. It broke my heart and comforted me at the same time. Aside from the main story focusing on race relations, it tells a story of an unlikely friendship between a young and old woman as they take a road trip.

The Magician’s Lie by Greer McAllister

I’ve always been fascinated by illusionists and magicians, so I knew this story of a female illusionist would be a perfect match. I read this in 24 hours because of how compulsively readable it was. If you liked The Night Circus, don’t miss this one. So excited to see a movie in the works too!

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Imagine being a teenager and having to move to a new city. You’re the kind who doesn’t intentionally draw attention to yourself but now you are befriended by the most popular girl at school. Would you trust her to keep your secrets? This is a true “not everyone is who they seem” story.

Julia’s Chocolates by Cathy Lamb

Once I finished this book, I became a lifelong fan of Cathy Lamb. She puts so much love and personality into her characters. After leaving her abusive fiancé at the altar, Julia is on the run. This novel has a hopeful message but is filled with funny and unusual characters and scenarios along the way.

Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson

A legal thriller and a story of a family torn apart during the Holocaust, this book had me flipping the pages to discover what happens next. It was originally self-published but came so highly recommended and popular that St. Martin’s Press had to publish it under their imprint. If the WWII era is a must read for you, don’t miss out on this one.

What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross

This novel asks the question, What defines “motherhood”? Is it the act of giving birth or raising a child? Can it be one or the other? Book clubs will have lively discussions surrounding those questions as they learn a 4-month-old baby is kidnapped from a shopping cart and raised by a woman eager to have a baby.

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

Have tissues handy. The protagonist in this novel, Daisy, beats cancer once only to find out it has returned and she only has months to live. In her short time left, she wants to make sure her husband is taken care of, so she sets out to find him a wife. Oakley sprinkles some humor throughout so the book isn’t a complete downer and had me thinking of what I would do in a similar situation.

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley

Another great read for book clubs, this thought-provoking novel is a ripped from the headlines story and has you questioning your beliefs. Sibley is a former nurse and writes from experience. As a family is torn apart dealing with an ethical dilemma, the reader is left wondering how it will play out.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

This disturbing thriller put Stevens on the map for page-turning mysteries and now I won’t miss one. If you want an easy to read book, the short chapters make for one that won’t take you forever. If you like shows like CSI and Criminal Minds, be sure to give this author a try.

A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable

Art, antiques, love, Paris. That was enough to win me over. But I loved how Gable combined two storylines, one historical and one in the present to unearth the truth. So much of that reminded me of a favorite author, Sarah Jio.

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay

I was worried a book about a widower and her young children wouldn’t be able to hold me captive but I was glad I was wrong. You will find yourself cheering for this flawed mother as she takes the year to reflect on heartbreak and forgiveness and realizes you don’t have to do it all alone.

Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris

In this day and age, when we so commonly communicate with emails and texts, reading this historical fiction told through handwritten letters was refreshing. The story is based in part on the love story of her grandparents. So if you need a book to pull you out of your fast-paced and hectic life into a romance of an earlier generation, this is it.

The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin

As soon as I finished reading this one, I started recommending it to friends. It is absolutely going on my best reads of 2016 list, as it had the most unique storyline I’ve ever read. I was completely caught up in this spellbinding premise and loved how Guskin was even able to incorporate a mystery.

Roses by Leila Meacham

Roses is a saga in every sense of the word, one that spans three generations of three families over the 20th century. Even though it’s hefty at over 600 pages, it reads quickly because you’ll be eager to learn the fates of these families. Gone with the Wind fans will especially enjoy this one.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

When you see a psychological thriller debut being compared to Gone Girl, you are likely to be skeptical. But Kubica really hit it out of the ballpark with this novel and did it with such ease. New writers will be having their books compared to hers in the future. Read more about this book and Kubica’s writing process in my interview with her here.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I did not know what to expect when I received this book. Hailed as an international bestseller, this novel from Sweden didn’t seem like it was up my alley. It follows Ove, a grumpy widower not sure how to spend his days other than doing daily neighborhood inspections. As the book quickly grew on me, so did Ove. I dare you to read this and not feel good when you’re done.

A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

This is a beautifully written story about an extremely ugly topic, human trafficking. Addison seamlessly weaves an important message throughout this story. With a background in law and activism, his books always teach me something new.

Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer

When a new book is blurbed by Jodi Picoult, I know I’m in for a treat. And sure enough, this didn’t disappoint. Told in two separate storylines of two characters with five days left before the world they know is changed forever. This novel constantly had me asking myself, what would I do in their situation?

Hush Little Baby by Suzanne Redfearn

This emotionally charged story of domestic violence had me so captivated that I neglected my responsibilities while reading it. It was one of those books where you know what’s going to happen, but you don’t know when or how, like a car crash you can’t turn away from. All the characters felt so real to me. It’s impressive when fiction reads like it could be nonfiction.

What debut novels did you love that didn’t make the list? I would love to hear your recommendations and your reviews on the ones I loved.

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