Review: Undertaking Love by Kat French

Sexy and smart, with an extremely desirable male lead, this is a delightful debut from an exciting new voice in women’s fiction.

When Marla Jacobs discovers that the shop next to her Little White Wedding Chapel is to become a funeral parlour, she declares all-out war.

Funny, romantic, and dangerously sexy, perfect for fans of Jane Costello and Lucy Diamond.

Marla’s chapel in the sleepy Shropshire countryside has become a nationwide sensation, but the arrival of Funeral Director Gabriel Ryan threatens everything Marla has worked for. She can picture the scene: wedding limos fighting for space in the street with hearses; brides bumping into widows; bouquets being swapped for wreaths.

Marla’s not going down without a fight. She enlists a motley crew of weird and wonderful local supporters, and battle lines are drawn. But, as soon as Marla meets her nemesis, she realises just how much trouble she’s in. His rugged good looks and Irish lilt make her stomach fizz – how is she supposed to concentrate on destroying him, when half the time she’s struggling not to rip the shirt off his back?

Paperback, 400 pages

Expected publication: February 17th 2015 by AVON, HarperCollins Publishers

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Avon via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is February 17th 2015.

Sometimes you do not need to say a lot to express that you enjoyed a book.  This is one of those cases.  It is typical of it's genre, a romance with a little bit of extra storyline to keep you engaged from beginning to end.  It has the required conflict mixed with attraction for the two main characters.

What I enjoyed were the various sub-plots that were found in the story.  The story of Emily and her failed attempts at pregnancy, the a-dora-ble Dora and the crazy Melanie.  Many times I found myself anxiously waiting to get back to their stories.  Not to mention that Gabe is the super sexy guy that one would expect in one of these stories.

These stories tend not to pull on my emotional heartstrings to much nor do I expect them to BUT there were a couple of tears shed from my eyes.  Bluey...I will say no more.

Overall this would be a good choice for fans of the romance/contemporary genre.  I happened to be reading this during my beach vacation and it was a great pick.

About the Author

Romantic comedy writer, disorganised mum, fairy light lover, and champion wine drinker.
Slightly less smutty alter-ego of Kitty French, USA Today bestselling smut fictionista.

Twitter:  katfrench_

Review: Amherst by William Nicholson

From an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and the author of Motherland, a novel about two love affairs set in Amherst—one in the present, one in the past, and both presided over by Emily Dickinson.

Alice Dickinson, a young advertising executive in London, decides to take time off work to research her idea for a screenplay: the true story of the scandalous, adulterous love affair that took place between a young, Amherst college faculty wife, Mabel Loomis Todd, and the college’s treasurer, Austin Dickinson, in the 1880s. Austin, twenty-four years Mabel’s senior and married, was the brother of the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, whose house provided the setting for Austin and Mabel’s trysts.

Alice travels to Amherst, staying in the house of Nick Crocker, a married English academic in his fifties. As Alice researches Austin and Mabel’s story and Emily’s role in their affair, she embarks on her own affair with Nick, an affair that, of course, they both know echoes the affair that she’s writing about in her screenplay.

Interspersed with Alice’s complicated love story is the story of Austin and Mabel, historically accurate and meticulously recreated from their voluminous letters and diaries. Using the poems of Emily Dickinson throughout, Amherst is an exploration of the nature of passionate love, its delusions, and its glories. This novel is playful and scholarly, sexy and smart, and reminds us that the games we play when we fall in love have not changed that much over the years.

Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Expected publication: February 10th 2015 by Simon & Schuster 

Genres: Historical Fiction/Fiction/Romance

Kristine's Thoughts: 

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This book tells two different stories at the same time. There is the story of Austin and Mabel from the past and Alice and Nick from the present. It is told in alternating chapters and there are slight similarities between the two stories.

I quite enjoy stories that go from present to past and as usual I found the historical portion of the plot much more interesting than the present. In fact, I could take or leave Alice and Nick and was indifferent to their story. I felt no connection to them and actually feel that the book would have been better served without them in it. I found that the direction their story turned towards the end left a bad taste in my mouth. It kind of ruined the rest of the story for me. I just wasn't interested enough in the two characters to enjoy their journey.

My rating is solely on the historical part of the book that tells of Austin and Mabel. I didn't know a great deal about Emily Dickinson's brother so I was quite fascinated. The story is taken from their love letters and diaries and I feel like it read like it too. Although I did find it interesting it didn't really give me anything more than what I could get out of just reading those entries. It read a little like journal entries and didn't flow like a story.

To sum it up I guess I could say that I craved a little more from Austin and Mabel and instead I got way to much of Alice and Nick.

About the Author

William Nicholson is a screenwriter, playwright, television writer, and novelist. In addition to his Academy Award–nominated screenplays for Shadowlands and Gladiator, he is the author of Motherland; several young adult and fantasy novels; and a sequence of contemporary adult novels set in England. He lives in Sussex, England.  

Connect with William

Website

Review: The Runaway Woman by Josphine Cox

Lucy lives a normal life in a normal street. Was she a fool or an angel to want to run away?
Lucy Lovejoy married her childhood sweetheart at 16, but since then she’s lost a little more of herself with each passing year. Those looking from the outside think she’s like any other wife and mother, but there is no warmth or love at the centre of Lucy’s family – her children have watched their father belittle her for years and are, much to her sadness, following in his footsteps.

With her 40th birthday approaching, Lucy discovers that her good-for-nothing husband is having an affair with her sister, a double-betrayal for Lucy, and it shatters her.

Sitting on a bench one day – she looks back at her life, and feels like she’s done nothing with it. So, mustering up all of her courage she decides to leave her family and the home she’s devoted so many years to, she decides to go out into the world and start a new life.

What will Lucy discover?

Hardcover, 432 pages

Terri's Thoughts

I received a copy of this book from the publisher HarperCollins via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  According to Edelweiss the expected publication date is February 10th 2015 however I believe this to be a re-release.

This is a story about a woman who has put others before her for her whole life and in doing so lost who she was.  Also in doing so it caused people to walk all over her and take advantage of her.  At first I thought this would make a really interesting story.

Lucy's husband and sister were utterly despicable.  How two people can treat family the way they did I do not know.  My problem was that as they continued to treat Lucy as less than a person I started to find Lucy a little bit annoying.  How can somebody not stand up for themselves?  How can someone have no interests outside of caring for others?  I wanted to scream at Lucy as much as I wanted to scream at the people in her life.

As the synopsis suggest this is a story about Lucy finding her way in the world and as a result herself.  For me it took too long to get to this point.  I could only dwell on Lucy's unhappiness for so long.  When it finally gets to the point of her journey it felt rushed and happened so quickly I was questioning what happened.

If you like your stories wrapped up nice and neatly with a big shiny bow this may be of interest to you.  Although a potential spoiler here this story does not leave any loose unhappy ends.  It was almost too neatly wrapped up.

All in all it was an OK read for me

About the Author

Website:  http://www.josephinecox.com/Pages/Home.aspx

Review: In Every Way by Nic Brown

Chapel Hill college student Maria finds herself in a difficult and familiar predicament—unexpectedly pregnant at nineteen. Still reeling from the fresh discovery of her mother’s diagnosis with cancer, Maria’s decision to give her daughter up for adoption is one that seems to be in everyone’s best interest, especially when it comes to light that the child’s father hasn’t exactly been faithful to her following the birth of her daughter. So when her mother proposes an extended trip to sleepy coastal town Beaufort—the same town that the adoptive couple Maria chose for her daughter just happens to live in—Maria jumps at the chance to escape.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Maria finds herself listless and bored soon after her arrival in Beaufort, and a summer job seems like a cure. She has kept close watch on the couple she chose to adopt her daughter—they live mere blocks away—and, as fate would have it, accepts a position as their nanny. Maria ingratiates herself into the family—hesitantly, at first, and then with all the heartbroken (and eventually self-destructive) fervor of a mother separated from her child.

In Every Way is a heartfelt novel that brings to light the unknowing destruction that heartache can manifest, and the redemptive power of new beginnings.

Hardcover, 256 pages

Expected publication: February 10th 2015 by Counterpoint 

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I am not going to sugar coat this one because I can't. It was not a good book and I really disliked it. Numerous times I thought about giving up on it but it is not in my nature to do that. I wish I had because it didn't improve.

What did I hate so much about the book? That's an easy question to answer. I hated Maria at the beginning, middle and end of the book. I have not come across a character more shallow, immature and unlikeable in a really long time. She was 20 going on 12. The first time I considered not finishing it was when she made out with a 15 yr old. Really? I kept waiting for her to redeem herself or at least become enlightened but it never happened. Lessons were not learnt and there was no growth although I think an attempt was made by the author. It didn't fly with me and I found it really apparent that it was not written by a female. The emotions and turmoil were just not captured in a way that I, as a female, could even fathom or relate to. Also, the plot was messy and all over the map.

I disliked this book so much that I will not be recommending it to anyone.

About the Author

Nic Brown is the author of the novel Doubles and the story collection Floodmarkers, which was selected as an Editor's Choice by The New York Times Book Review. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Harvard Review, Glimmer Train, and Epoch, among many other publications. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Columbia University, he has been the John and Renee Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi and an assistant professor at the University of Northern Colorado. Currently he is an assistant professor of English at Clemson University.

Connect with Nic

Website/ Goodreads

Review: Green on Blue: A Novel by Elliot Ackerman

From a decorated veteran of the Iraq and Afghan Wars, and White House Fellow, a stirring debut novel about a young Afghan orphan and the harrowing, intractable nature of war.

Aziz and his older brother Ali are coming of age in a village amid the pine forests and endless mountains of eastern Afghanistan. There is no school, but their mother teaches them to read and write, and once a month sends the boys on a two-day journey to the bazaar. They are poor, but inside their mud-walled home, the family has stability, love, and routine.

When a convoy of armed men arrives in their village one day, their world crumbles. The boys survive and make their way to a small city, where they sleep among other orphans. They learn to beg, and, eventually, they earn work and trust from the local shopkeepers. Ali saves their money and sends Aziz to school at the madrassa, but when US forces invade the country, militants strike back. A bomb explodes in the market, and Ali is brutally injured.

In the hospital, Aziz meets an Afghan wearing an American uniform. To save his brother, Aziz must join the Special Lashkar, a US-funded militia. No longer a boy, but not yet a man, he departs for the untamed border. Trapped in a conflict both savage and entirely contrived, Aziz struggles to understand his place. Will he embrace the brutality of war or leave it behind, and risk placing his brother and a young woman he comes to love in jeopardy?

Hardcover, 256 pages

Expected publication: February 17th 2015 by Scribner

Terri's Thoughts

**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Scribner via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is February 17th 2015**

For a short book this is not a light read.  It explores the depths of a country in the middle of a war that nobody understands and the moral questions this raises.  It asks the question...can both sides be wrong?  Is it possible that there are no winners in war?  I know what my opinion is however I will leave that debate for the reader.

This story is a little hard to take at times as many are that deal with this subject matter.  All the while it is interesting as you want to see where it will lead you.  Considering that Ackerman has served several tours of duty I imagine a lot of what was laid out on these pages are pretty accurate or as close to accurate as you can get for fiction.  This in itself gave an added element of credibility to the story for me.

This story did have one flaw that I unfortunately could not get past.  It was in the writing style and not within the plot.  The entire plot was written that the dialogue did not contain any quotation making it difficult for me.  I understand that this is a fairly common practice but with this story I found myself rereading several passages to make sure I understood.  It took me some time to find a flow with it and I never really got fully comfortable with it by the end.  Understanding that this is an advanced copy I really hope the final product adds quotations for the dialogue.  It distracts from the story as it is.

This was an interesting read for me.  I would not recommend it to those who are looking for a lighter read as the subject matter is pretty serious.  Those interested in the war in Afghanistan and the country in general would enjoy this pick.

About the Author

Elliot Ackerman served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. A former White House Fellow, his essays and fiction have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New Republic, and Ecotone, among others. He currently lives in Istanbul and writes on the Syrian Civil War.

Website:  http://www.elliotackerman.com
Twitter:  elliotackerman

Review: The Tell-Tale Heart by Jill Dawson

After years of excessive drink and sex, Patrick has suffered a massive heart attack. Although he's only fifty, he's got just months to live. But a tragic accident involving a teenager and a motorcycle gives the university professor a second chance. He receives the boy's heart in a transplant, and by this miracle of science, two strangers are forever linked.

Though Patrick's body accepts his new heart, his old life seems to reject him. Bored by the things that once enticed him, he begins to look for meaning in his experience. Discovering that his donor was a local boy named Drew Beamish, he becomes intensely curious about Drew's life and the influences that shaped him--from the eighteenth-century ancestor involved in a labor riot to the bleak beauty of the Cambridgeshire countryside in which he was raised. Patrick longs to know the story of this heart that is now his own.

In this intriguing and deeply absorbing story, Jill Dawson weaves together the lives and loves of three vibrant characters connected by fate to explore questions of life after death, the nature of the soul, the unseen forces that connect us, and the symbolic power of the heart.

ebook, 256 pages

Expected publication: February 10th 2015 by Harper Perennial
Genre: Fiction

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from Harper Perennial via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I have to be honest as much as I hate it. I tried, I really tried to like this book. Page after page I searched for something to hang on to. Something that would peak my interest and give me something positive to discuss. I just couldn't find it. The characters weren't likeable and the plot was dull and all over the map. In fact, I found it difficult and painful to get through. 256 pages is a short book in my opinion and it took me over a week to finish it. It just wasn't for me but I do encourage others to form their own opinions. Maybe I was just having a bad week??

About the Author

Jill Dawson is the author of Trick of the Light, Magpie, Fred and Edie, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award and the Orange Prize; Wild Boy, Watch Me Disappear, which was longlisted for the Orange Prize; The Great Lover, and Lucky Bunny. She has edited six anthologies of short stories and poetry and has written for numerous U.K. publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar. She lives in Norfolk with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Jill

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Review: Below the Belt (Worth the Fight #3) by Sidney Halston

Once one of the most sought-after names on the mixed martial arts circuit, Antonio “Scarface” Marino watched his career go down for the count as he chased skirts and made tabloid headlines. Now he’s finally making a comeback, and it’s all thanks to Francesca Silva, a Brazilian bombshell as tough as any of her fighters. But who’s the real Francesca: the trash-talking trainer who rides him hard, or the vulnerable woman who blushes at his touch?

Francesca went to the mat to sign Tony because she believes he still has the potential to bring big success to her gym—if she can keep his head in the cage and out of her personal life. After a short-lived marriage soured her on love, a one-night stand is all she can handle. Now Tony’s kisses are stirring up complicated feelings—especially when he agrees to face her ex in the ring. Francesca’s used to freezing guys out. But Tony’s tempting her to give in to the heat.

ebook, 288 pages

Expected publication: February 10th 2015 by Loveswept

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is February 10th 2015.

Although the part of a series I was able to read this as a stand alone book.  While I am sure it would have enhanced the story by explaining some of the supporting characters it in no way impacted it negatively.

If you like your stories sexy and your men oversized and hot then this might be the story for you.  If you like a lot of steamy scenes in your reads then ditto.  If you enjoy alpha males who are domineering then yes again.

This story was typical of the genre focusing its storyline around the mixed martial arts competitors.  This is where Tony comes in.  I would really like to say he appealed to me but he just didn't.  The way he was described gave me the mental image of an older lumberjack when he was only 34.  I get the image that was supposed to be portrayed but it didn't work for me.  As an athlete I understand he was supposed to be large but I picture him as gargantuan. He does not resemble the cover model at all...shame because that is an image I wouldn't mind. Francesca on the other hand was the stronger character for me.  Her go get 'em attitude with her vulnerable interior made her more interesting and I was more invested I her story than Tony's. 

Those who do not enjoy bedroom scenes in their stories should stay away from this.  It was everywhere.  Pretty much opened and closed with it.  While this can be ok depending on the story I found it kind of boring.  Perhaps it was the way Tony would always talk about it with a potty mouth or maybe it was because he didn't mix up his bag of tricks. It turned me off how he was always talking about it like a hormonal teenager.  I think this is where I lost the connection with him. I also found the multiple "bedroom" scenes were pretty much all the same without much variation.  Tony loses points for creativity...but don't worry...Francesca didn't seem to mind.

I will be honest and say this wasn't my favorite of this genre.  While I was invested in one of the characters I couldn't help but picture the other as a cavemen so it was difficult for me.  It was a good escape from reality however I don't think it will make my top ten list.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Halston lives her life with one simple rule: “Just Do It” Nike, and that’s exactly what she did. After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative romantic side and wrote Seeing Red, among four other novels currently in the works, including the sequel to Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal and she fell in love with writing.

Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she’s not writing you can find her reading and reading and reading… She’s a reader first and a writer second.

When she’s not writing or reading her life is complete and utter chaos trying to balance family life with work, and writing (and reading). But she wouldn’t have it any other way.


Website:  http://www.sidneyhalston.com
Twitter:  sidneyhalston